— Some time in the year 1724[1] Francis de Voltaire boarded a while with a scarlet dyer nigh the [Friends’][2] School at Half-farthing[3], in the parish of Wandswonh, kept then by John Huweidt[4], with whom I had served about half my time. Voltaire desired to be improved in the English tongue : and in discourse [with the master] chanced to fall on the subjcct of water-baptism [which was treated between them], till, for want of understanding each other, they were so set, they could proceed no further : when Voltaire inquired whether he had never an usher [who] understood Latin. There was one ; but as he was not of our profession, my master thought him not suitable, therefore sent for me into the parlour, and Voltaire rehearsed the Conference, desiring, if he missed, my master would put him right — but he had not. Then he began with me : and as they had been engaged for some time, there was the less for me to advance. I then mentioned Paul’s assertion in the 17th ver. i ch. I Cor. [For Christ sent me not to baptise, but to preach the gospel] which seemed so strange, that in a violent passion he said, I lied — which I put up patiently, till he, becoming cooler, desired to know why I would impose upon a stranger. I said I had not imposed at all, but justly repeated the Apostle’s words as they stood in our Bible. He replied, our Bible was falsely translated, and done by heretics. I desired to know whether he would be set down by Beza or Castalio. He styled them also heretics : I answered, I did presume he did not conceive that Paul’s own handwriting was extant : he replied he did not. I then queried what he would be set down by : would he by the Greek ? To this he assented, and thereon I fetched my Greek Testament, of Mattaire’s édition in twelves, and referred him thereto : at the sight of which he was as much surprised
- ↑ Date fausse : fin de 1726 au plus tôt, ou 1727.
- ↑ Les mots entre crochets sont des additions de l’éditeur du Yorkshireman.
- ↑ An All-farthing Lane runs from South street, Wandsworth, to the S. W. Corner of the Common (Note du Prof. Haies, op. cit., p. 83).
- ↑ Le vrai nom est Kuweidt, à ce que m’écrit M. Norman Penney, qui l’a trouvé dans les registres de Wandsworth (cf. la fin de l’appendice).
