VoltaireQuestions (1) - Questions for Voltaire Essays...

Questions for Voltaire Essays
1. In the essay “On Commerce” Voltaire compares the British and the French. Who does he think is
superior and why? Please provide two quotes to explain your answer.
Based on the writing, Voltaire thinks the British is superior to the French. The quote,
“When the armies of
Louis XIV (the king of France) were about to take the Italian city of Turin, Prince Eugène . . . had no
money to march to its relief, so he had applied for a loan from some English merchants.”, let’s me know
that the British was a wealthy country while the French had very little to no money. Another quote that
makes me believe the British was superior to the French is, “Commerce, which has enriched the citizens
of England, has helped to make them free, and this freedom has extended their commerce in return, and
that has made this nation great. Little by little, commerce created the navy that has made the English
masters of the seas.” These two quotes tells me that the British was the “feared” nation. They had a
surplus of money and the most powerful army in the world.