Biography of Voltaire, French Enlightenment Writer

Biography of Voltaire, French Enlightenment Writer Born Franà §ois-Marie Arouet, Voltaire (November 21, 1694 – May 30, 1778) was a writer and philosopher of the French Enlightenment period. He was an incredibly prolific writer, advocating for civil freedoms and criticizing major institutions such as the Catholic Church. Fast Facts: Voltaire Full Name: Franà §ois-Marie ArouetOccupation: Writer, poet, and philosopherBorn: November 21, 1694 in Paris, FranceDied: May 30, 1778 in Paris, FranceParents: Franà §ois Arouet and Marie Marguerite DaumardKey Accomplishments: Voltaire published significant criticism of the French monarchy. His commentary on religious tolerance, historiographies, and civil liberties became a key component of Enlightenment thinking. Early Life Voltaire was the fifth child and fourth son of Franà §ois Arouet and his wife Marie Marguerite Daumard. The Arouet family had already lost two sons, Armand-Franà §ois and Robert, in infancy, and Voltaire (then Franà §ois-Marie) was nine years younger than his surviving brother, Armand, and seven years younger than his sole sister, Marguerite-Catherine. Franà §ois Arouet was a lawyer and a treasury official; their family was part of the French nobility, but at the lowest possible rank. Later in life, Voltaire claimed to be the illegitimate son of a higher-ranked nobleman by the name of Guà ©rin de Rochebrune. His early education came from the Jesuits at the Collà ¨ge Louis-le-Grand. From the age of ten until seventeen, Voltaire received classical instruction in Latin, rhetoric, and theology. Once he left school, he decided he wanted to become a writer, much to the dismay of his father, who wanted Voltaire to follow him into the law. Voltaire also continued learning outside the confines of formal education. He developed his writing talents and also became multilingual, attaining fluency in English, Italian, and Spanish in addition to his native French. First Career and Early Romance After leaving school, Voltaire moved to Paris. He pretended to be working as an assistant to a notary, theoretically as a stepping stone into the legal profession. In reality, though, he was actually spending most of his time writing poetry. After a time, his father found out the truth and sent him away from Paris to study law in Caen, Normandy. Di Nicolas de Largillià ¨re - Scan by User:Manfred Heyde, Pubblico dominio, Collegamento Even this did not deter Voltaire from continuing to write. He merely switched over from poetry to writing studies on history and essays. During this period, the witty style of writing and speaking that made Voltaire so popular first appeared in his work, and it endeared him to many of the higher-ranking nobles he spent time around. In 1713, with his father’s assistance, Voltaire began working at the Hague in the Netherlands as a secretary to the French ambassador, the marquis de Chà ¢teauneuf. While there, Voltaire had his earliest known romantic entanglement, falling in love with a Huguenot refugee, Catherine Olympe Dunoyer. Unfortunately, their connection was considered unsuitable and caused something of a scandal, so the marquis forced Voltaire to break it off and return to France. By this point, his political and legal career had all but been given up. Playwright and Government Critic Upon returning to Paris, Voltaire launched his writing career. Since his favorite topics were critiques of the government and satires of political figures, he landed in hot water pretty quickly. One early satire, which accused the Duke of Orleans of incest, even landed him in prison in the Bastille for nearly a year. Upon his release, however, his debut play (a take on the Oedipus myth) was produced, and it was a critical and commercial success. The Duke whom he had previously offended even presented him with a medal in recognition of the achievement. It was around this time that Franà §ois-Marie Arouet began going by the pseudonym Voltaire, under which he would publish most of his works. To this day, there’s much debate as to how he came up with the name. It may have its roots as an anagram or pun on his family name or several different nicknames. Voltaire reportedly adopted the name in 1718, after being released from the Bastille. After his release, he also struck up a new romance with a young widow, Marie-Marguerite de Rupelmonde. Unfortunately, Voltaire’s next works did not have nearly the same success as his first. His play Artà ©mire flopped so badly that even the text itself only survives in a few fragments, and when he tried to publish an epic poem about King Henry IV (the first Bourbon dynasty monarch), he couldn’t find a publisher in France. Instead, he and Rupelmonde journeyed to the Netherlands, where he secured a publisher in The Hague. Eventually, Voltaire convinced a French publisher to publish the poem, La Henriade, secretly. The poem was a success, as was his next play, which was performed at the wedding of Louis XV. Chateau de Cirey where Voltaire lived.  ©MDT52 In 1726, Voltaire became involved in a quarrel with a young nobleman who reportedly insulted Voltaire’s change of name. Voltaire challenged him to a duel, but the nobleman instead had Voltaire beaten, then arrested without a trial. He was, however, able to negotiate with authorities to be exiled to England rather than imprisoned at the Bastille again. English Exile As it turns out, Voltaire’s exile to England would change his entire outlook. He moved in the same circles as some of the leading figures of English society, thought, and culture, including Jonathan Swift, Alexander Pope, and more. In particular, he became fascinated by the government of England in comparison with France: England was a constitutional monarchy, whereas France still lived under an absolute monarchy. The country also had greater freedoms of speech and religion, which would become a key component of Voltaire’s criticisms and writings. Voltaire was able to return to France after a little more than two years, though still banned from the court at Versailles. Thanks to participation in a plan to literally purchase the French lottery, along with an inheritance from his father, he quickly became incredibly rich. In the early 1730s, he began publishing work that showed his clear English influences. His play Zaà ¯re was dedicated to his English friend Everard Fawkener and included praise of English culture and freedoms. He also published a collection of essays that praised British politics, attitudes towards religion and science, and arts and literature, called the  Letters Concerning the English Nation, in 1733 in London. The next year, it was published in French, landing Voltaire in hot water again. Because he did not get the approval of the official royal censor before publishing, and because the essays praised British religious freedom and human rights, the book was banned and Voltaire had to quickly flee from Par is. In 1733, Voltaire also met the most significant romantic partner of his life: Émilie, the Marquise du Chà ¢telet, a mathematician who was married to the Marquis du Chà ¢telet. Despite being 12 years younger than Voltaire (and married, and a mother), Émilie was very much an intellectual peer to Voltaire. They amassed a shared collection of over 20,000 books and spent time studying and performing experiments together, many of which were inspired by Voltaire’s admiration of Sir Isaac Newton. After the Letters scandal, Voltaire fled to the estate belonging to her husband. Voltaire paid to renovate the building, and her husband did not raise any fuss about the affair, which would continue for 16 years. Somewhat abashed by his multiple conflicts with the government, Voltaire began keeping a lower profile, although he continued his writing, now focused on history and science. The Marquise du Chà ¢telet contributed considerably alongside him, producing a definitive French translation of Newton’s Principia and writing reviews of Voltaire’s Newton-based work. Together, they were instrumental in introducing Newton’s work in France. They also developed some critical views on religion, with Voltaire publishing several texts that sharply criticized the establishment of state religions, religious intolerance, and even organized religion as a whole. Similarly, he railed against the style of histories and biographies of the past, suggesting they were filled with falsehoods and supernatural explanations and needed a fresh, more scientific and evidence-based approach to research. Connections in Prussia Frederick the Great, while he was still just the crown prince of Prussia, began a correspondence with Voltaire around 1736, but they did not meet in person until 1740. Despite their friendship, Voltaire still went to Frederick’s court in 1743 as a French spy to report back on Frederick’s intentions and capabilities with regards to the ongoing War of Austrian Succession. By the mid-1740s, Voltaire’s romance with the Marquise du Chà ¢telet had begun to wind down. He grew tired of spending nearly all his time at her estate, and both found new companionship. In Voltaire’s case, it was even more scandalous than their affair had been: he was attracted to, and later lived with, his own niece, Marie Louise Mignot. In 1749, the Marquise died in childbirth, and Voltaire moved to Prussia the following year. Circa 1751, Voltaire travelled to Prussia in 1750, on the invitation of Friedrich II and was a permanent resident of court for two years. Hulton Archive / Getty Images During the 1750s, Voltaire’s relationships in Prussia began to deteriorate. He was accused of theft and forgery relating to some bond investments, then had a feud with the president of the Berlin Academy of Sciences that ended with Voltaire writing a satire that angered Frederick the Great and resulted in the temporary destruction of their friendship. They would, however, reconcile in the 1760s. Geneva, Paris, and Final Years Forbidden by King Louis XV to return to Paris, Voltaire instead arrived in Geneva in 1755. He continued publishing, with major philosophical writings such as Candide, or Optimism, a satire of Leibnizs philosophy of optimistic determinism which would become Voltaire’s most famous work. Candide by VOLTAIRE, Francois-Marie Arouet - French philosopher, playwright and novelist. Title-page of Candide or Optimism. Culture Club / Getty Images Starting in 1762, Voltaire took up the causes of unjustly persecuted people, particularly those who were victims of religious persecution. Among his most notable causes was the case of Jean Calas, a Huguenot who was convicted of murdering his son for wanting to convert to Catholicism and tortured to death; his property was confiscated and his daughters forced into Catholic convents. Voltaire, along with others, strongly doubted his guilt and suspected a case of religious persecution. The conviction was overturned in 1765. Voltaire’s last year was still full of activity. In early 1778, he was initiated into Freemasonry, and historians dispute as to whether he did so at the urging of Benjamin Franklin or not. He also returned to Paris for the first time in a quarter century to see his latest play, Irene, open. He fell ill on the journey and believed himself to be on death’s doorstep, but recovered. Two months later, however, he became ill again and died on May 30, 1778. Accounts of his deathbed vary wildly, depending on the sources and their own opinions of Voltaire. His famous deathbed quote- in which a priest asked him to renounce Satan and he replied â€Å"Now is not the time for making new enemies!†- is likely apocryphal and actually traced to a 19th-century joke that was attributed to Voltaire in the 20th century. Voltaire was formally denied a Christian burial because of his criticism of the Church, but his friends and family managed to secretly arrange a burial at the abbey of Scellià ¨res in Champagne. He left behind a complicated legacy. For instance, while he argued for religious tolerance, he also was one of the origins of Enlightenment-era anti-Semitism. He endorsed anti-slavery and anti-monarchical views, but disdained the idea of democracy as well. In the end, Voltaire’s texts became a key component of Enlightenment thinking, which has allowed his philosophy and writing to endure for centuries. Sources Pearson, Roger. Voltaire Almighty: A Life in Pursuit of Freedom. Bloomsbury, 2005.Pomeau, Renà © Henry. â€Å"Voltaire: French Philosopher and Author.† Encyclopaedia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Voltaire.â€Å"Voltaire.† Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Stanford University, https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/voltaire/

[WATCH] How to change your life according to Michael Strahan

[WATCH] How to change your life according to Michael Strahan Michael Strahan sat down with Daily Fuel to talk about a major (and early) inflection point in his life. Listen to how the Good Morning America co-host came to the conclusion that he was largely responsible for his fate, and how Jane Fonda workout videos (of all things) helped propel him to be the world class athlete he’d soon become.   The result not only concluded with his election to the NFL Hall of Fame, but the mindset he developed has guided him throughout his remarkable and unparalleled career.  While there’s an undeniable randomness to life in general, we all must eventually decide for ourselves to what extent we determine our own destiny.Source: [DailyFuel]

Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 9

Law - Essay Example In this paper, I briefly review some of the prohibited practices during job interviews as well as review some of the questions that are generally regarded as unacceptable. Title VII is a section of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that protects employees or prospective employees from discrimination on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin (EEOC, 2014). It is applicable to governmental and nongovernmental employees in equal measure. Dissimilar to labor laws that do not cover managerial employees or wage and hour laws that exclude certain cadres of employees, Title VII applies to all levels and types of employees. Further on, the act covers United States citizens employed by American employers without the borders of U.S. As pertains to non-U.S. citizens, they remain protected by the act as long as they are within the borders of the United States and not outside. Several employment practices are prohibited by Title VII and employers, unless they are careful, might find themselves unintentionally violating some of the provisions. Recruitment of new employees always elicit varied emotions among the applicant as well as the interviewing bench that may trigger acts of discrimination deliberately aimed at eliminating a certain cadre of candidates. Understandably, employers who are seeking a certain type of employees would go to any level to restructure and classify the questions in the interview with a deliberate intention of eliminating some candidates. For example, when conducting job interviews, the law prohibits setting up tests that are based on the races, national origin, or gender of the applicant. Pregnancy or someone disability should not be the reason as to why a person should be intentional denied an employment opportunity. Also, since U.S. states is a cosmopolitan society comprising of person from different nations and of different ra ces, the law prohibits the

Cultural Diversity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Cultural Diversity - Essay Example Therefore, these issues need to be resolved at governmental as well as individual level. The United States has had an extensive history of diversity. Diversity has permeated in every aspect of the society of United State and there is no sign of it getting decreased. The new phenomenon which I learnt is the basic reason of cultural diversity, which is Immigration. Migration of people from all over the world has made America the most diversified country ever. People from every community, country and state are living in America. The cultural history of United States tells that the country has never been so much diverse until the last two decades. From the past 20 years, United States has undergone several challenges in managing with diversity. Inability to understand the diversified cultural languages, rituals, beliefs and heritage has become a major obstacle in the way of inclusion. Orientation of diversity includes interaction, experience and individual understanding with diverse culture. In the past few decades, millions of people migrated to America in the search of better life, job and security. Migrations of millions of people including Asians, Hispanics, African-American has caused great diversity in the states of America. According to an urban sociologist, Robert Lang, by 2050, Americans would look back and think that it wouldn’t be a big deal to control the immigration and diversity controversies. A demographer at Brookings Institution, William Frey, says that by looking at the current situation, the population of white people in next twenty years cannot be appreciated. According to his predictions, there are greater chances for America in future to have population comprising of all ethnicities and races. The realm of diversity in United States continues to grow as the time passes on. The reasons due to which practitioners are concerned to the issue of

Equal opportunity is key to making the world a better palce Essay Example for Free

Equal opportunity is key to making the world a better palce Essay Idealism develops over the course of a lifetime and with it, we develop new opportunities for service and a chance to reward our souls. In his book, â€Å"The Call of Service†, Robert Coles talks about the way idealism develops and how we react to it. At this stage in my life, I believe I am still in what Coles calls young idealism. Thought I have seen many things and do not believe that I am naive, I feel that I am just beginning to understand myself and what motivates me. My idealism has not been proven wrong by some life-altering event and I have nto ahd to fight any major battles to support it. I believe that all children should have the right to study and make a success in life. Specifically, I believe in equal opportunity. I believe that all people and all success should be measured on how hard you work for something, not being born with money or the right address or the right skin color. In my ideal world, people would be judged not by how much they accomplish, but how hard they try to achieve it. My basic belief system is that if there were equality in the beginning, there could be equality in the end. Right now, some children have no chance at a good education because they cannot afford it or go to schools where education is not valued. Some schools, for example, offer pre-kindergarten, all-day kindergarten and after school programs to help students get a chance to learn more and other schools are so poor that they cannot offer those programs. The children suffer because they do not have an equal opportunity. I believe because of this there is much suffering in the world. People who are not given an equal opportunity are not able to succeed as often and cannot afford the things that they want or need. Because they did not get a good education, they are sentenced to the same low-paying jobs that their parents had and are forced to see other people living the good life. Not having good opportunities leads to people being poor. When they are poor, it is easy to be mad because the rich have everything and you work hard and have nothing. When people get very mad, they try to steal from the people who do have nice things. That is why a lack of equal opportunity leads to crimes. And, since this happens to the same people whose parents it also happened to, they begin to believe that it is motivated by other factors: race or nationality or beliefs and cannot see that poverty causes more poverty. In my ideal world, all students would have exactly the same chances in school. This will never work because the rich, who can offer their children anything, would not want to pay enough to make sure that the poor children have the same chance. And , they are not willing to let their child only have as much as the poor kid gets. This is because they know that education is key to success and that if everyone had the same opportunity, they would no longer have an advantage. I think if everyone were able to see the importance of equal opportunity that they would all want to support it. If they understood that equal opportunity for all means that this will be a better country, they would also support paying the extra for better schools for everyone. My emigration to this country has helped me to see that equal opportunity should be the American way. My idealism comes from a secular source, as opposed to a religious source. I believe that if America is the land of the free and the home of the brave, then we should be making sure that everyone has an equal opportunity to learn. For example, in the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson wrote that â€Å"We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal† (Jefferson, â€Å"Declaration of Independence†). Immigrants to the United states sometimes believe more fervently than those born here in the idealism of the society. We believe in truth, justice and the American way and that there is an American dream. I believe it and I am willing to act on it. I spend my extra time volunteering at the Agency Center for Children and Families aster school program. These are disadvantaged children who need the chance to be equal life everyone else. I am also motivated by social idealism. I believe that it is only right for every member of society to have the same advantages and disadvantages. People are all the same at the most basic levela dn all of them should have the same opportunities to make their lives better. It seems that if they all had the same opportunity, then the world would be a better place. My thinking is that if everyone had the same opportunity we could eliminate poverty and crime and make everyone happier. Cole quoting from his friend Anna Freud said that the essence of service is to put yourself in someone else’s shoes, see the need and then work toward meeting it. Therefore I think that the other think I learned from Cole’s book was how important it is for me to help out at the after school program. I have been where they are, unable to learn because of an uneven playing field, and I want to help them eliminate this. That is my service to my community. The author argues that sometimes we do this out of charity and sometimes out of Biblical mandate. I do it for neither reason and for both. I do not pity the people I help at the center as one might expect when discussing this as an act of charity. I can empathize, understanding that they are now someplace that I have been, trying hard to succeed when the odds are not very good. It is instead a sense of duty that leads me to these actions. If someone had not helped me, then I would not be able to help these people. Furthermore, I do not believe that it is a Biblical mandate, but I do think that most people agree that the Good Samritan had it right and when you can help another person, you should. Another form of the sense of duty is an obligation to Christ’s teachings that we should â€Å"do unto others as we would have them do unto us†.. While I can understand why Cole, from a Catholic perspective would call this a Biblical mandate, I am also willing to acknowledge it as a basic human instinct, a sort of â€Å"you attract more flies with honey than vinegar† sort of argument. If we want good things to happen and we want changes to happen in life, then we should use good things to make them happen. Be good to other people so that they will in turn be good to other people. The more people help one another, the more they will have sympathy for the plight of other people and be willing to take the steps that are necessary to make radical changes and perhaps get us all to a level of equal opportunity. In the meantime, using Cole’s theories of personal gestures and encounters, I am working to make the world a better and more fair place for the people that I encounter at the Center. His theory is that we can impact lives one at a time or several at a time when we make an effort. Though I want to effect lots of people, one of the best ways I can begin to do that is by effecting one person. If my work at the after school program can help just one child to learn more and have more opportunity, to be closer to equal despite the flaws in the system, then I have done what I needed to do. I have made drastic improvements in my world. This fits again with Anna Freud’s theory that Cole is very f ond of, â€Å"someone reached, something done. † This is the perfect description of what I hope to accomplish at the after school programs. I want to connect with one single person, more if possible, but one is enough and help them to find equal opportunity whether that is by opening doors to education or just helping them to see within themselves what they can achieve if they work hard. Too often part of the reason people fail is that they don’t believe they can succeed or don’t know how to succeed. If we can make a slight individual difference in one or two lives, by showing these students that we care, them we have reached out goal and the idealism is refreshed and rejuvenated and ready to work toward the next success. The program that I have been volunteering with in called the Center for Children Families. They are dedicated to all manner of helping families, including helping to arbitrate divorce cases so that children are not a battleground during divorce, have been in abuse situations, have undergone trauma of some sort and those who just need a safe place to be after school because they would otherwise be latch-key kids. The programs are designed to give children the love and attention that all children deserve. They also provide respite care for parents who might be on the verge of hurting their children and they also help teenage parents with parenting classes. The group tries to be non-judgmental and to provide assistance in a positive manner that does not make people feel badly about needing help. In my opinion. they have a really good impact on the community and they are doing an excellent job. They give good feedback and try to help community members understand how they can improve their lives with a little hard work. Now that I have worked with the center, I believe that one way that they could better achieve their goals is to make sure that people are aware of the programs that they offer. Many people think that if you have to ask for help you are a bad person. It is important to make people understand that being poor or having no opportunities does not make you a bad person. I think it would also be helpful if the center could make it more clear to people that they are trying to ruin people’s lives or take their kids away. Lots of people seem to think that if you admit to needing a parenting class that you are somehow getting yourself into trouble or that it means you are a bad parent. Maybe if we could get people to have parenting classes before they even have kids, it would help to cut down on the incidents of child abuse and neglect. Maybe some parents really don’t know that they shouldn’t give their kids pizza and soft drinks for every meal and that children need play time and need to be read to. I think the center tries really hard to make people understand that they are on their side, and that they want to help them out. I think the more that they can do to show this to people, the better their services will be used. It seems like people are afraid that requesting help makes them look weak. The reality is that knowing when you need help is a sign of wisdom and people need to understand that. They also need to know what they can do to make the world a better place for their children: Like reading to them and making sure they do their homework. That’s one of the things that we help with during the after school programs, making sure that children get their homework done for the next day. All in all, my experience working at the center ahs been a good one. They have some very good ideas that it would be cool if other organizations supported as well, like they have a diaper closet to allow people who need them to get some help with diapers when money is tight. I especially like this because though there are lots of programs to make sure that a baby gets fed, this is one of the few I’ve seen that is designed to help them stay clean.

Huck Finn by Mark Twain :: Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain

In the story Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, the river symbolizes freedom. Huck goes on the river to get free from becoming civilized and to get away from his pap and Jim uses the river to get freed from slavery. Also the king and the duke use it to escape from angry towns. Any time they are in trouble when they get on the river they are no longer in trouble.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Huck gets a raft to go down the river to get away from his pap and so he is no longer living in civilization. He didn't like sleeping in a bed and reading books, Huck says, I didn't see how I'd ever got to like it so well at the widow's, where you had to wash, and eat on a plate, and comb up, and go to bed and get up regular, and forever bothering over a book and have old Miss Watson pecking at you all the time (1368). Then when Huck thought his dad was going to kill him he knew he had to leave there too. So he got a canoe and raft and went down the river. When he was on the river he was safe and getting free from his pap and no longer feared getting hurt by him.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jim is afraid of being sold by Widow Douglas so he runs away and is trying to get freed from slavery. He also goes down the river with Huck and uses it as his path to freedom. Whenever he is on the river he is safe. When Jim is being chased he can always get away on the river. He is also not treated like a slave on the raft and doesn't have to fear being sold.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The King and the Duke get in trouble many times by scamming different towns to get money by lying and pretending to be people they really aren't. Every time they get away by going on the river and are free on it. When they finally get caught they are on land, away from the freedom of the river.

The Da Vinci Code Chapter 42-43

CHAPTER 42 The Depository Bank of Zurich was a twenty-four-hour Geldschrank bank offering the full modern array of anonymous services in the tradition of the Swiss numbered account. Maintaining offices in Zurich, Kuala Lumpur, New York, and Paris, the bank had expanded its services in recent years to offer anonymous computer source code escrow services and faceless digitized backup. The bread and butter of its operation was by far its oldest and simplest offering – the anonyme Lager – blind drop services, otherwise known as anonymous safe-deposit boxes. Clients wishing to store anything from stock certificates to valuable paintings could deposit their belongings anonymously, through a series of high-tech veils of privacy, withdrawing items at any time, also in total anonymity. As Sophie pulled the taxi to a stop in front of their destination, Langdon gazed out at the building's uncompromising architecture and sensed the Depository Bank of Zurich was a firm with little sense of humor. The building was a windowless rectangle that seemed to be forged entirely of dull steel. Resembling an enormous metal brick, the edifice sat back from the road with a fifteen-foot-tall, neon, equilateral cross glowing over its facade. Switzerland's reputation for secrecy in banking had become one of the country's most lucrative exports. Facilities like this had become controversial in the art community because they provided a perfect place for art thieves to hide stolen goods, for years if necessary, until the heat was off. Because deposits were protected from police inspection by privacy laws and were attached to numbered accounts rather than people's names, thieves could rest easily knowing their stolen goods were safe and could never be traced to them. Sophie stopped the taxi at an imposing gate that blocked the bank's driveway – a cement-lined ramp that descended beneath the building. A video camera overhead was aimed directly at them, and Langdon had the feeling that this camera, unlike those at the Louvre, was authentic. Sophie rolled down the window and surveyed the electronic podium on the driver's side. An LCD screen provided directions in seven languages. Topping the list was English. INSERT KEY. Sophie took the gold laser-pocked key from her pocket and turned her attention back to the podium. Below the screen was a triangular hole. â€Å"Something tells me it will fit,† Langdon said. Sophie aligned the key's triangular shaft with the hole and inserted it, sliding it in until the entire shaft had disappeared. This key apparently required no turning. Instantly, the gate began to swing open. Sophie took her foot off the brake and coasted down to a second gate and podium. Behind her, the first gate closed, trapping them like a ship in a lock. Langdon disliked the constricted sensation. Let's hope this second gate works too. This second podium bore familiar directions. INSERT KEY. When Sophie inserted the key, the second gate immediately opened. Moments later they were winding down the ramp into the belly of the structure. The private garage was small and dim, with spaces for about a dozen cars. At the far end, Langdon spied the building's main entrance. A red carpet stretched across the cement floor, welcoming visitors to a huge door that appeared to be forged of solid metal. Talk about mixed messages, Langdon thought. Welcome and keep out. Sophie pulled the taxi into a parking space near the entrance and killed the engine. â€Å"You'd better leave the gun here.† With pleasure, Langdon thought, sliding the pistol under the seat. Sophie and Langdon got out and walked up the red carpet toward the slab of steel. The door had no handle, but on the wall beside it was another triangular keyhole. No directions were posted this time. â€Å"Keeps out the slow learners,† Langdon said. Sophie laughed, looking nervous. â€Å"Here we go.† She stuck the key in the hole, and the door swung inward with a low hum. Exchanging glances, Sophie and Langdon entered. The door shut with a thud behind them. The foyer of the Depository Bank of Zurich employed as imposing a decor as any Langdon had ever seen. Where most banks were content with the usual polished marble and granite, this one had opted for wall-to-wall metal and rivets. Who's their decorator? Langdon wondered. Allied Steel? Sophie looked equally intimidated as her eyes scanned the lobby. The gray metal was everywhere – the floor, walls, counters, doors, even the lobby chairs appeared to be fashioned of molded iron. Nonetheless, the effect was impressive. The message was clear: You are walking into a vault. A large man behind the counter glanced up as they entered. He turned off the small television he was watching and greeted them with a pleasant smile. Despite his enormous muscles and visible sidearm, his diction chimed with the polished courtesy of a Swiss bellhop. â€Å"Bonsoir,†he said. â€Å"How may I help you?† The dual-language greeting was the newest hospitality trick of the European host. It presumed nothing and opened the door for the guest to reply in whichever language was more comfortable. Sophie replied with neither. She simply laid the gold key on the counter in front of the man. The man glanced down and immediately stood straighter. â€Å"Of course. Your elevator is at the end of the hall. I will alert someone that you are on your way.† Sophie nodded and took her key back. â€Å"Which floor?† The man gave her an odd look. â€Å"Your key instructs the elevator which floor.† She smiled. â€Å"Ah, yes.† The guard watched as the two newcomers made their way to the elevators, inserted their key, boarded the lift, and disappeared. As soon as the door had closed, he grabbed the phone. He was not calling to alert anyone of their arrival; there was no need for that. A vault greeter already had been alerted automatically when the client's key was inserted outside in the entry gate. Instead, the guard was calling the bank's night manager. As the line rang, the guard switched the television back on and stared at it. The news story he had been watching was just ending. It didn't matter. He got another look at the two faces on the television. The manager answered. â€Å"Oui?† â€Å"We have a situation down here.† â€Å"What's happening?† the manager demanded. â€Å"The French police are tracking two fugitives tonight.† â€Å"So?† â€Å"Both of them just walked into our bank.† The manager cursed quietly. â€Å"Okay. I'll contact Monsieur Vernet immediately.† The guard then hung up and placed a second call. This one to Interpol. Langdon was surprised to feel the elevator dropping rather than climbing. He had no idea how many floors they had descended beneath the Depository Bank of Zurich before the door finally opened. He didn't care. He was happy to be out of the elevator. Displaying impressive alacrity, a host was already standing there to greet them. He was elderly and pleasant, wearing a neatly pressed flannel suit that made him look oddly out of place – an old-world banker in a high-tech world. â€Å"Bonsoir,†the man said. â€Å"Good evening. Would you be so kind as to follow me, s'il vous plait?† Without waiting for a response, he spun on his heel and strode briskly down a narrow metal corridor. Langdon walked with Sophie down a series of corridors, past several large rooms filled with blinking mainframe computers. â€Å"Voici,†their host said, arriving at a steel door and opening it for them. â€Å"Here you are.† Langdon and Sophie stepped into another world. The small room before them looked like a lavish sitting room at a fine hotel. Gone were the metal and rivets, replaced with oriental carpets, dark oak furniture, and cushioned chairs. On the broad desk in the middle of the room, two crystal glasses at beside an opened bottle of Perrier, its bubbles still fizzing. A pewter pot of coffee steamed beside it. Clockwork, Langdon thought. Leave it to the Swiss. The man gave a perceptive smile. â€Å"I sense this is your first visit to us?† Sophie hesitated and then nodded.† Understood. Keys are often passed on as inheritance, and our first-time users are invariably uncertain of the protocol.† He motioned to the table of drinks. â€Å"This room is yours as long as you care to use it.† â€Å"You say keys are sometimes inherited?† Sophie asked. â€Å"Indeed. Your key is like a Swiss numbered account, which are often willed through generations. On our gold accounts, the shortest safety-deposit box lease is fifty years. Paid in advance. So we see plenty of family turnover.† Langdon stared. â€Å"Did you say fifty years?† â€Å"At a minimum,† their host replied. â€Å"Of course, you can purchase much longer leases, but barring further arrangements, if there is no activity on an account for fifty years, the contents of that safe- deposit box are automatically destroyed. Shall I run through the process of accessing your box?† Sophie nodded. â€Å"Please.† Their host swept an arm across the luxurious salon. â€Å"This is your private viewing room. Once I leave the room, you may spend all the time you need in here to review and modify the contents of your safe-deposit box, which arrives†¦ over here.† He walked them to the far wall where a wide conveyor belt entered the room in a graceful curve, vaguely resembling a baggage claim carousel. â€Å"You insert your key in that slot there†¦ .† The man pointed to a large electronic podium facing the conveyor belt. The podium had a familiar triangular hole. â€Å"Once the computer confirms the markings on your key, you enter your account number, and your safe-deposit box will be retrieved robotically from the vault below for your inspection. When you are finished with your box, you place it back on the conveyor belt, insert your key again, and the process is reversed. Because everything is automated, your privacy is guaranteed, even from the staff of this bank. If you n eed anything at all, simply press the call button on the table in the center of the room.† Sophie was about to ask a question when a telephone rang. The man looked puzzled and embarrassed. â€Å"Excuse me, please.† He walked over to the phone, which was sitting on the table beside the coffee and Perrier. â€Å"Oui?† he answered. His brow furrowed as he listened to the caller. â€Å"Oui†¦oui†¦d'accord.† He hung up, and gave them an uneasy smile. â€Å"I'm sorry, I must leave you now. Make yourselves at home.† He moved quickly toward the door. â€Å"Excuse me,† Sophie called. â€Å"Could you clarify something before you go? You mentioned that we enter an account number?† The man paused at the door, looking pale. â€Å"But of course. Like most Swiss banks, our safe-deposit boxes are attached to a number, not a name. You have a key and a personal account number known only to you. Your key is only half of your identification. Your personal account number is the other half. Otherwise, if you lost your key, anyone could use it.† Sophie hesitated. â€Å"And if my benefactor gave me no account number?† The banker's heart pounded. Then you obviously have no business here! He gave them a calm smile. â€Å"I will ask someone to help you. He will be in shortly.† Leaving, the banker closed the door behind him and twisted a heavy lock, sealing them inside. Across town, Collet was standing in the Gare du Nord train terminal when his phone rang. It was Fache. â€Å"Interpol got a tip,† he said. â€Å"Forget the train. Langdon and Neveu just walked into the Paris branch of the Depository Bank of Zurich. I want your men over there right away.† â€Å"Any leads yet on what Sauniere was trying to tell Agent Neveu and Robert Langdon?† Fache's tone was cold. â€Å"If you arrest them, Lieutenant Collet, then I can ask them personally.† Collet took the hint. â€Å"Twenty-four Rue Haxo. Right away, Captain.† He hung up and radioed his men. CHAPTER 43 Andre Vernet – president of the Paris branch of the Depository Bank of Zurich – lived in a lavish flat above the bank. Despite his plush accommodations, he had always dreamed of owning a riverside apartment on L'lle Saint-Louis, where he could rub shoulders with the true cognoscenti, rather than here, where he simply met the filthy rich. When I retire, Vernet told himself, I will fill my cellar with rare Bordeaux, adorn my salon with a Fragonard and perhaps a Boucher, and spend my days hunting for antique furniture and rare books in the Quartier Latin. Tonight, Vernet had been awake only six and a half minutes. Even so, as he hurried through the bank's underground corridor, he looked as if his personal tailor and hairdresser had polished him to a fine sheen. Impeccably dressed in a silk suit, Vernet sprayed some breath spray in his mouth and tightened his tie as he walked. No stranger to being awoken to attend to his international clients arriving from different time zones, Vernet modeled his sleep habits after the Maasai warriors – the African tribe famous for their ability to rise from the deepest sleep to a state of total battle readiness in a matter of seconds. Battle ready, Vernet thought, fearing the comparison might be uncharacteristically apt tonight. The arrival of a gold key client always required an extra flurry of attention, but the arrival of a gold key client who was wanted by the Judicial Police would be an extremely delicate matter. The bank had enough battles with law enforcement over the privacy rights of their clients without proof that some of them were criminals. Five minutes, Vernet told himself. I need these people out of my bank before the police arrive. If he moved quickly, this impending disaster could be deftly sidestepped. Vernet could tell the police that the fugitives in question had indeed walked into his bank as reported, but because they were not clients and had no account number, they were turned away. He wished the damned watchman had not called Interpol. Discretion was apparently not part of the vocabulary of a 15-euro-per-hour watchman. Stopping at the doorway, he took a deep breath and loosened his muscles. Then, forcing a balmy smile, he unlocked the door and swirled into the room like a warm breeze. â€Å"Good evening,† he said, his eyes finding his clients. â€Å"I am Andre Vernet. How can I be of serv – † The rest of the sentence lodged somewhere beneath his Adam's apple. The woman before him was as unexpected a visitor as Vernet had ever had. â€Å"I'm sorry, do we know each other?† Sophie asked. She did not recognize the banker, but he for a moment looked as if he'd seen a ghost. â€Å"No†¦ ,† the bank president fumbled. â€Å"I don't†¦ believe so. Our services are anonymous.† He exhaled and forced a calm smile. â€Å"My assistant tells me you have a gold key but no account number? Might I ask how you came by this key?† â€Å"My grandfather gave it to me,† Sophie replied, watching the man closely. His uneasiness seemed more evident now. â€Å"Really? Your grandfather gave you the key but failed to give you the account number?† â€Å"I don't think he had time,† Sophie said. â€Å"He was murdered tonight.† Her words sent the man staggering backward. â€Å"Jacques Sauniere is dead?† he demanded, his eyes filling with horror. â€Å"But†¦ how?!† Now it was Sophie who reeled, numb with shock. â€Å"You knew my grandfather?† Banker Andre Vernet looked equally astounded, steadying himself by leaning on an end table. â€Å"Jacques and I were dear friends. When did this happen?† â€Å"Earlier this evening. Inside the Louvre.† Vernet walked to a deep leather chair and sank into it. â€Å"I need to ask you both a very important question.† He glanced up at Langdon and then back to Sophie. â€Å"Did either of you have anything to do with his death?† â€Å"No!† Sophie declared. â€Å"Absolutely not.† Vernet's face was grim, and he paused, pondering. â€Å"Your pictures are being circulated by Interpol. This is how I recognized you. You're wanted for a murder.† Sophie slumped. Fache ran an Interpol broadcast already? It seemed the captain was more motivated than Sophie had anticipated. She quickly told Vernet who Langdon was and what had happened inside the Louvre tonight. Vernet looked amazed. â€Å"And as your grandfather was dying, he left you a message telling you to find Mr. Langdon?† â€Å"Yes. And this key.† Sophie laid the gold key on the coffee table in front of Vernet, placing the Priory seal face down. Vernet glanced at the key but made no move to touch it. â€Å"He left you only this key? Nothing else? No slip of paper?† Sophie knew she had been in a hurry inside the Louvre, but she was certain she had seen nothing else behind Madonna of the Rocks. â€Å"No. Just the key.† Vernet gave a helpless sigh. â€Å"I'm afraid every key is electronically paired with a ten-digit account number that functions as a password. Without that number, your key is worthless.† Ten digits.Sophie reluctantly calculated the cryptographic odds. Over ten billion possible choices. Even if she could bring in DCPJ's most powerful parallel processing computers, she still would need weeks to break the code. â€Å"Certainly, monsieur, considering the circumstances, you can help us.† â€Å"I'm sorry. I truly can do nothing. Clients select their own account numbers via a secure terminal, meaning account numbers are known only to the client and computer. This is one way we ensure anonymity. And the safety of our employees.† Sophie understood. Convenience stores did the same thing. EMPLOYEES DO NOT HAVE KEYS TO THE SAFE. This bank obviously did not want to risk someone stealing a key and then holding an employee hostage for the account number. Sophie sat down beside Langdon, glanced down at the key and then up at Vernet. â€Å"Do you have any idea what my grandfather is storing in your bank?† â€Å"None whatsoever. That is the definition of a Geldschrank bank.† â€Å"Monsieur Vernet,† she pressed,† our time tonight is short. I am going to be very direct if I may.† She reached out to the gold key and flipped it over, watching the man's eyes as she revealed the Priory of Sion seal. â€Å"Does the symbol on this key mean anything to you?† Vernet glanced down at the fleur-de-lis seal and made no reaction. â€Å"No, but many of our clients emboss corporate logos or initials onto their keys.† Sophie sighed, still watching him carefully. â€Å"This seal is the symbol of a secret society known as the Priory of Sion.† Vernet again showed no reaction. â€Å"I know nothing of this. Your grandfather was a friend, but we spoke mostly of business.† The man adjusted his tie, looking nervous now. â€Å"Monsieur Vernet,† Sophie pressed, her tone firm. â€Å"My grandfather called me tonight and told me he and I were in grave danger. He said he had to give me something. He gave me a key to your bank. Now he is dead. Anything you can tell us would be helpful.† Vernet broke a sweat. â€Å"We need to get out of the building. I'm afraid the police will arrive shortly. My watchman felt obliged to call Interpol.† Sophie had feared as much. She took one last shot. â€Å"My grandfather said he needed to tell me the truth about my family. Does that mean anything to you?† â€Å"Mademoiselle, your family died in a car accident when you were young. I'm sorry. I know your grandfather loved you very much. He mentioned to me several times how much it pained him that you two had fallen out of touch.† Sophie was uncertain how to respond. Langdon asked,† Do the contents of this account have anything to do with the Sangreal?† Vernet gave him an odd look. â€Å"I have no idea what that is.† Just then, Vernet's cell phone rang, and he snatched it off his belt. â€Å"Oui?† He listened a moment, his expression one of surprise and growing concern. â€Å"La police? Si rapidement?† He cursed, gave some quick directions in French, and said he would be up to the lobby in a minute. Hanging up the phone, he turned back to Sophie. â€Å"The police have responded far more quickly than usual. They are arriving as we speak.† Sophie had no intention of leaving empty-handed. â€Å"Tell them we came and went already. If they want to search the bank, demand a search warrant. That will take them time.† â€Å"Listen,† Vernet said,† Jacques was a friend, and my bank does not need this kind of press, so for those two reasons, I have no intention of allowing this arrest to be made on my premises. Give me a minute and I will see what I can do to help you leave the bank undetected. Beyond that, I cannot get involved.† He stood up and hurried for the door. â€Å"Stay here. I'll make arrangements and be right back.† â€Å"But the safe-deposit box,† Sophie declared. â€Å"We can't just leave.† â€Å"There's nothing I can do,† Vernet said, hurrying out the door. â€Å"I'm sorry.† Sophie stared after him a moment, wondering if maybe the account number was buried in one of the countless letters and packages her grandfather had sent her over the years and which she had left unopened. Langdon stood suddenly, and Sophie sensed an unexpected glimmer of contentment in his eyes. â€Å"Robert? You're smiling.† â€Å"Your grandfather was a genius.† â€Å"I'm sorry?† â€Å"Ten digits?† Sophie had no idea what he was talking about. â€Å"The account number,† he said, a familiar lopsided grin now craning his face. â€Å"I'm pretty sure he left it for us after all.† â€Å"Where?† Langdon produced the printout of the crime scene photo and spread it out on the coffee table. Sophie needed only to read the first line to know Langdon was correct. 13-3-2-21-1-1-8-5 O, Draconian devil! Oh, lame saint! P. S. Find Robert Langdon