This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1824 edition. Excerpt: ... stoning the poor stranger; and, after having duly performed that murderous ceremony, they resume fighting upon the everlasting subject of the nails and little finger.* FANCY. Fancy formerly signified imagination, and the term was used simply to express that faculty of the soul which receives sensible objects. Descartes and Gassendi, and all the philosophers of their day, say that " the forms or images of things are painted in the fancy." But the greater part of abstract terms are, in the course of time, received in a sense different from their original one, like tools which industry applies to new purposes. Fancy, at present, means " a particular desire, a transient taste: " he has a fancy for going to China; his fancy for gaming and dancing has passed away. An artist paints, a fancy portrait, a portrait not taken from any model. To have fancies is to have extraor- dinary tastes, but of brief duration. Fancy, in this sense, falls a little short of oddity (bizarrerie) and caprice. Caprice may express " a sudden and unreasonable disgust." He had a fancy for music, and capriciously became disgusted with it. Whimsicality gives an idea of inconsistency and bad taste, which fancy does not; he had a fancy for building, but he constructed his house in a whimsical taste. There are shades of distinction between having fancies and being fantastic; the fantastic is much nearer to the capricious and the whimsical. The word fantastic expresses a character unequal and abrupt. The idea of charming or pleasant is excluded from it; whereas there are agreeable fancies. We sometimes hear used in conversation " odd fancies," (des fantasies musquees); but the expression was * This happy illustration is very pleasantly employed in, Candide.--T. VOli....

From the French Dictionnaire Philosophique, translated by William F. Fleming. The Philosophical Dictionary is not a sustained work, but a compilation of articles contributed to Diderot's Encyclopedie. The quality of the articles bear witness to the great genius and intellect of Francois-Marie Arouet, more known as Voltaire. Notice: This Book is published by Historical Books Limited (www.publicdomain.org.uk) as a Public Domain Book, if you have any inquiries, requests or need any help you can just send an email to [email protected] This book is found as a public domain and free book based on various online catalogs, if you think there are any problems regard copyright issues please contact us immediately via [email protected]"

A Philosophical Dictionary, Volume 3 (of 10) From "The Works of Voltaire - A Contemporary Version" François-Marie Arouet (AKA Voltaire)

Excerpt from A Philosophical Dictionary, Vol. 3: From the French About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1824 edition. Excerpt: ... strictly connected, said to him: --" You see that fortwo hours I have maintained a certain opinion with warmth: well, I assure you there is not one word of truth in all I have said!" The answer of a jesuit is also known, who was employed for twenty years in the Canada missions, and who himself not believing in a God, as he confessed in the ear of a friend, had faced death twenty times for the sake of a religion which he preached to the savages. This friend representing to him the inconsistency of his zeal, --"Ah! " replied the jesuit missionary, " you have no idea of the pleasure a man enjoys in making himself heard by twenty thousand men, and in persuading them of what he does not himself believe." It is frightful to observe how many abuses and disorders arise from the profound ignorance in which Europe has been so long plunged. Those monarchs who are at last sensible of the importance of enlightenment, become the benefactors of mankind in favouring the progress of knowledge, which is the foundation of the tranquillity and happiness of nations, and the finest bulwark against the inroads of fanaticism. ZOROASTER. If it is Zoroaster who first announced to mankind that fine maxim--" In the doubt whether an action be good or bad, abstain from it"--Zoroaster was the first of men after Confucius. If this beautiful lesson of morality is found only in the hundred gates of the Sadder, letusbless the author of the Sadder. There may be very ridiculous dogmas and rites united with an excellent morality. Who was this Zoroaster ? The name has something of Greek in it, and it is said he was a Mede. The Persees of the present day call him Zerdust, or Zerdast, or Zaradast, or Zarathrust. He is not reckoned to have been the first of the name. We are told...