And yet it was not absolutely impossible, in the eighteenth century, for a man to marry his niece, if he got the right papal dispensation.
Or if he was Protestant and the King's brother, says Ferdinand. Anyway, what Cahn said. V.v.. Voltaire to check out the expenses and precedents here. Mind you, I can think of another reason why he might have at least considered making it official and marrying Madame Denis: in theory, either or both of them could have ended up in prison because it was illegal. Voltaire wasn't just the son of a notary but also in his later life the attacker of various legal injustices, so he was quite aware of how easily the law could destroy you even if you hadn't committed any offense. The good city councillors of Geneva, for example, might have been willing to put up with his non-religiosity, but uncle/niece incest could have been one thing too many?
Conversely, and also possible: he might have been afraid Madame Denis would remarry and leave him, otherwise, at least early on.
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Re: Voltaire and Madame Denis
Date: 2020-07-24 02:16 pm (UTC)Or if he was Protestant and the King's brother, says Ferdinand. Anyway, what Cahn said. V.v.. Voltaire to check out the expenses and precedents here. Mind you, I can think of another reason why he might have at least considered making it official and marrying Madame Denis: in theory, either or both of them could have ended up in prison because it was illegal. Voltaire wasn't just the son of a notary but also in his later life the attacker of various legal injustices, so he was quite aware of how easily the law could destroy you even if you hadn't committed any offense. The good city councillors of Geneva, for example, might have been willing to put up with his non-religiosity, but uncle/niece incest could have been one thing too many?
Conversely, and also possible: he might have been afraid Madame Denis would remarry and leave him, otherwise, at least early on.