I'm not sure Voltaire's was in public; do we have sources other than his memoirs and letters on that?
Coming to think of it, no? At least I've not yet read a description quoted that didn't come from Voltaire himself.
Ah, I just remembered that in addition to the famous meeting in Cleves that Voltaire reports as involving hand-kissing, it's also supposed to have happened at the Sanssouci round table, per Orieux:
[Voltaire] never forgot that king, who one evening after one of his brilliant ideas admiringly rose and kissed his hand.
Yeah, we know you never forgot, Voltaire. :P
Anyway, it's still Voltaire as the source, or at least it looks like it, but this time he's claiming it happened in public.
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Re: Voltaire miscellanea
Coming to think of it, no? At least I've not yet read a description quoted that didn't come from Voltaire himself.
Ah, I just remembered that in addition to the famous meeting in Cleves that Voltaire reports as involving hand-kissing, it's also supposed to have happened at the Sanssouci round table, per Orieux:
[Voltaire] never forgot that king, who one evening after one of his brilliant ideas admiringly rose and kissed his hand.
Yeah, we know you never forgot, Voltaire. :P
Anyway, it's still Voltaire as the source, or at least it looks like it, but this time he's claiming it happened in public.