Trade & travel project: Celebrity visits

from the correspondence of the harcourt family

John Spencer, 1st Earl Spencer (1734–1783), English aristocrat, patron of the arts and collector (and sixth-great-grandfather of Diana, Princess of Wales), on his way on to Italy, reports to George Simon Harcourt, 2nd Earl Harcourt, (1736–1809), of his visit to Ferney — includes high-quality images of the manuscript.

It was my full intention to write to you from Geneva, but I was so much hurried during my short stay there that I really had not time. I cannot however resist making you envy me by telling you now that I paſsed a whole day with ye great Voltaire, & had ye luck to find him in very good humour. . . .

— John Spencer, 1st Earl Spencer to George Simon Harcourt, 2nd Earl Harcourt,
Sunday, 2 October 1763;
EE letter ID: harcfaEE0010001a1c

from the correspondence of john moore

John Moore (1729–1802), Scottish physician, author, tutor and traveling companion of the 7th duke of Hamilton, writing to the duke's mother. Moore paid frequent visits to Voltaire.

. . . Florian's house is adjacent to Voltaire's. The old Gentleman sent a message to me to come and see him after dinner. He is busily employed at present in preparing what he calls a Tableau of the Late War. . . .

— John Moore to Elizabeth Campbell, 1st Baroness Hamilton of Hameldon,
Friday, 4 June 1773;
EE letter ID: moorjoEE0010001a1c

. . . I had a message from Voltaire Desiring to see me. When I waited on him I found him employed Reading Mr Holwell's Book on the Religion of the Brachmans & his Acct. of the East Indies, which pleased the old man very much. He is Employed at present in writing a History of the late War, but there is no part which excites his curiosity & engages his attention so much as that . . . [which] was carried on in India. . . .

— John Moore to Andrew Stuart,
Monday, 7 June 1773;
EE letter ID: moorjoEE0010002a1c

from the correspondence of john morgan

John Morgan, probably Welsh, an otherwise unknown correspondent of Voltaire.

. . . After Dinner went to the Chateau de Fernay — distant ab't an hours ride from Town to pay our respects to Monsr Voltaire to whom we had a letter from Mr. Wm. Huet an english Gentl'n whom we knew at Rome. . . .

— John Morgan to Samuel Morris,
Sunday, c. 16 September 1764;
EE letter ID: voltfrVF1120104b1c

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