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 had been one of Voltaire's chief persecutors, and mainly instrumental in excluding him from the Academy—in the tale he figures as "an archimage, Yébor" (anagram of Boyer), "the most foolish, and therefore the most fanatical, of all the Chaldeans. This man would have had Zadig impaled for the greater glory of the sun, and would then have recited the breviary of Zoroaster in a more satisfied tone."

All the early misfortunes of Zadig, like those of Voltaire, are persecutions caused by his efforts to set people right. When these have quite crushed him, a happy discovery not only rescues him from capital punishment, by hanging, but renders him the favourite of the King of Babylon, in whose good graces he makes such progress as presently to become grand vizier; and under his sage and benevolent administration the empire attains to the height of prosperity and content. 'The king said, 'The great minister!' the queen said, 'The charming minister!' and both added, 'What a pity if he had been hanged.'" His adverse destiny, however, intervenes—the king is jealous of the queen's regard for him—and after many escapes he becomes the slave of an Arabian merchant, Sétoc, who presently discovers his merit and makes him his intimate friend. Zadig "was vexed to discover that Sétoc adored the celestial army—that is to say, the sun, moon, and stars—according to the ancient usage of Arabia." He argued with him, but in vain:—

"When evening came, Zadig lighted a great number of flambeaus in the tent where they were about to sup; and when his patron appeared, he cast himself on his knees before the waxlights, and thus addressed them: 'Eternal and brilliant luminaries, be ye always propitious to me!' Having offered