But it will be observed that these records of this verse fail to mention the immediate author. Was he unknown at the time? Or did the fact that he was recently a cabinet-minister induce him to hide behind a mask? Turgot was a master of epigram,--as witness the terrible lines on Frederick of Prussia; but he was very prudent in conduct. "Nobody," said Voltaire, "so skilful to launch the shaft without showing the hand." But there is a letter from no less a person than D'Alembert, which reveals something of the "filing" which this verse underwent, and something of the persons consulted. Unhappily, the letter is without date; nor does it appear to whom it was addressed, except that the "_cher confrere_" seems to imply that it was to a brother of the Academy. This letter will be found in a work which is now known to have been the compilation of the Marquis Gaetan de La Rochefoucauld,[31] entitled, "Memoires de Condorcet sur la Revolution Francaise, extraits de sa Correspondance et de celle de ses Amis."[32] It is introduced by the following words from the Marquis:-- "It is known how Franklin had been feted when he came to Paris, because he was the representative of a republic. The philosophers, especially, received him with enthusiasm. It may be said, among other things, that D'Alembert lost his sleep; and we are going to prove it by a letter which he wrote, where he put himself to the torture in order to versify in honor of Franklin." The letter is then given as follows:-- "_Friday Morning_. "MY DEAR COLLEAGUE,--You are acquainted with the Franklin verse,-- 'Eripuit coelo fulmen, _mox sceptra_ tyrannis.' You should surely cause it to be put in the Paris paper, if it is not there already. "I should agree with La Harpe that _sceptrumque_ is better: first, because _mox sceptra_ is a little hard, and then because _mox_, according to the dictionary of Gesner, who collects examples, signifies equally _statim_ or _deinde_, which causes a double meaning, _mox eripuit_ or _mox eripiet_. "However, here is how I have attempted to translate this verse for the portrait of Franklin:-- 'Tu vois le sage courageux Dont l'heureux et male genie Arracha le tonnerre aux dieux Et le sceptre a la tyrannie.' If you find these verses sufficiently supportable, so that people will not laugh at me, you can put them into the Paris paper, even with my name. I shall honor myself in rendering this homage to Franklin, but on condition that you find the verses _printable_. As I make no pretension on account of them, I shall be perfectly content, if you reject them as bad. "The third verse can be put,--_A ravi le tonnerre aux cieux_, or _aux dieux_." From this letter it appears that the critical judgment of La Harpe, confirmed by D'Alembert, sided for _sceptrumque_ as better than _mox sceptra_.