Letters on England


Read by Xiaoyan Arrowsmith

(4.7 stars; 7 reviews)

Voltaire spent his early thirties in England as an exile following the Bastille imprisonment for his satires. With passionate admiration, he then wrote this series of letters in English putting forward his views on the 18th century England, in contrast with the feudal society of his home country, encompassing aspects of religion, politics, sciences, and literature. The book was published in England and the free England received these philosophical, political, critical, poetical, heretical, and diabolical letters with delight, whereas in France, the book was denounced and publicly burnt in Paris as scandalous, contrary to religion, to morals, and respect for authority. - Summary by IstXA (5 hr 10 min)

Chapters

INTRODUCTION 7:07 Read by Xiaoyan Arrowsmith
LETTER I. ON THE QUAKERS 14:46 Read by Xiaoyan Arrowsmith
LETTER II. ON THE QUAKERS 7:11 Read by Xiaoyan Arrowsmith
LETTER III. ON THE QUAKERS 11:11 Read by Xiaoyan Arrowsmith
LETTER IV. ON THE QUAKERS 12:50 Read by Xiaoyan Arrowsmith
LETTER V. ON THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND 8:26 Read by Xiaoyan Arrowsmith
LETTER VI. ON THE PRESBYTERIANS 4:58 Read by Xiaoyan Arrowsmith
LETTER VII. ON THE SOCINIANS, OR ARIANS, OR ANTITRINITARIANS 5:41 Read by Xiaoyan Arrowsmith
LETTER VIII. ON THE PARLIAMENT 8:52 Read by Xiaoyan Arrowsmith
LETTER IX. ON THE GOVERNMENT 12:26 Read by Xiaoyan Arrowsmith
LETTER X. ON TRADE 5:09 Read by Xiaoyan Arrowsmith
LETTER XI. ON INOCULATION 12:58 Read by Xiaoyan Arrowsmith
LETTER XII. ON THE LORD BACON 14:30 Read by Xiaoyan Arrowsmith
LETTER XIII. ON MR. LOCKE 19:49 Read by Xiaoyan Arrowsmith
LETTER XIV. ON DESCARTES AND SIR ISAAC NEWTON 15:08 Read by Xiaoyan Arrowsmith
LETTER XV. ON ATTRACTION 27:04 Read by Xiaoyan Arrowsmith
LETTER XVI. ON SIR ISAAC NEWTON’S OPTICS 11:59 Read by Xiaoyan Arrowsmith
LETTER XVII. ON INFINITES IN GEOMETRY, AND SIR ISAAC NEWTON’S CHRONOLOGY 17:43 Read by Xiaoyan Arrowsmith
LETTER XVIII. ON TRAGEDY 18:36 Read by Xiaoyan Arrowsmith
LETTER XIX. ON COMEDY 13:29 Read by Xiaoyan Arrowsmith
LETTER XX. ON SUCH OF THE NOBILITY AS CULTIVATE THE BELLES LETTRES 5:15 Read by Xiaoyan Arrowsmith
LETTER XXI. ON THE EARL OF ROCHESTER AND MR. WALLER 15:44 Read by Xiaoyan Arrowsmith
LETTER XXII. ON MR. POPE AND SOME OTHER FAMOUS POETS 13:46 Read by Xiaoyan Arrowsmith
LETTER XXIII. ON THE REGARD THAT OUGHT TO BE SHOWN TO MEN OF LETTERS 10:34 Read by Xiaoyan Arrowsmith
LETTER XXIV. ON THE ROYAL SOCIETY AND OTHER ACADEMIES 14:56 Read by Xiaoyan Arrowsmith

Reviews

Intriguing


(5 stars)

The text is intriguing that I want to read it after finishing Xiaoyan's good narration, specifically to clarify some French text given that we now have Google translate. While Xiaoyan has some accent, I would say it's delightful as I get the hang of it. The text is quite enlightening, showing how the English were special, after all, they built the British Empire.

well read


(4.5 stars)

Although the reader has a nonnative accent that causes some mispronunciations she still does a very good job with the text and is easy to understand. The letters themselves are great

HELP! LIBRIVOX can't load any chapters, want this GEM so badly


(5 stars)

Can't load any chapterrs

A gem of History, nice to see it pop up


(5 stars)