rs and philosophers. Voltaire left school at 16 and soon formed friendships with a group of sophisticatedParisian aristocrats. Paris society sought his company for his cleverness, humor andremarkable ability to write verse. In 1717 he was arrested for writing a series of satiricalverses ridiculing the French government, and was imprisoned in the Bastille. In 1726 Voltaire insulted a powerful young nobleman and was given two options:imprisonment or exile. He chose exile and from 1726 to 1729 lived in England. While inEngland Voltaire was attracted to the philosophy of John Locke. The book was thought tocriticize the French government and Voltaire was forced to flee Paris again. In 1759 Voltaire purchased an estate called "Ferney" near the French-Swiss border wherehe lived until just before of his death. Ferney soon became the intellectual capitol ofEurope. Throughout his years in exile Voltaire produced a constant flow of books, plays,pamphlets, and letters. He was a voice of reason, and an outspoken critic of religiousintolerance and persecution. Voltaire returned to a hero's welcome in Paris at age 83. The excitement of the trip wastoo much for him and he died in Paris. Because of his criticism of the church Voltairewas denied burial in church ground. He was finally buried at an abbey in Champagne. In 1814 a group of "ultras" stole Voltaire's remains and dumped them in a garbage heap.No one was the wiser for some 50 years. His enormous sarcophagus was checked and theremains were gone. His heart, however, had been removed from his body, and now laysin the Bibliotheque nationale in Paris. His brain was also removed, but disappeared afteran auction....
