Œuvres complètes de Voltaire (Complete Works of Voltaire) 56A

In 1762, Voltaire was at the height of his career, his output manifold and unceasing despite being close to 70 years of age. This was the period of Voltaire’s life in which his famous battle cry – "Ecrasez l’Infâme!" – was first used, as Voltaire’s attacks on the Christian establishment came to a head with the case of Jean Calas, executed for murder in Toulouse, who Voltaire believed to be an innocent victim of anti-protestant prejudice. This volume contains the "Testament de Jean Meslier", a priest recruited to aid in the denunciation of miracles, prophecies and spiritual contradictions, and a strategically invaluable ally for the dissident Voltaire. There is also the satirical "Eloge de M. de Crébillon", a petty posthumous attack on the literary works of Voltaire’s deceased enemy Crébillion, and "Saül", a play about the biblical Saul and David in which heroic subject matter is instead dominated by burlesque absurdity and irony. Contributors: Diana Guiragossian Carr, Marie-Hélène Cotoni, Simon Davies, Roland Desné, Henri Lagrave, Jeroom Vercruysse.