Voltaire wrote 50 plays, dozens of treatises on science, politics and philosophy. He was also a historian, penning several books of history on the Russian Empire and the French Parliament. He also had the itch to write poetry. He left voluminous correspondence of about 20,000 letters to friends and other correspondents.

A veritable literary monster.

At 84, In 1778, a weak and infirm Voltaire returned to Paris to oversee the production of his last tragedy, Irene. The reception was ecstatic. But as expected, the Church and the Court were unpleased with his return. The acclaim was so great that within days diplomats and foreign officials flocked to Paris to pay their respects, including Benjamin Franklin among them.