Some specific works were thought to be directed at the Regent who reportedly had relations with his daughter. Embarrassed at having his secret leaked out to the public, the Regent ordered that Voltaire be sent to Tulle, a town 300 miles south of Paris. Voltaire's father persuaded the Regent to change his place of exile, as Tulle had a reputation for being an extremely disgusting, odious town. The Regent then sent Voltaire to Sully-Sur-Loire, where he was a houseguest for the Duc de Sally (34). Shortly after he was released from Sully-Sur-Loire, an anonymous verse circulated which referred to Louis XIV and Mme. de Maintenon. On May 16, 1717, Voltaire was arrested for writing these works and taken to the Bastille. He was released on April 11, 1718, but was not allowed to stay in Paris. The cowardly A. L. Le Braun later admitted to writing these works after Voltaire was released (35). Voltaire continued to write epics, plays, essays and poems until he died at the age of eighty-four.
Many works have influenced Voltaire. The Theban Trilogy by Sophocles inspired one of Voltaire's most famous plays (Durant, Durant 36). He was also a fan of Homer's The Iliad, which was sent to him during his stay at the Bastille (36). Voltaire's historical narrative, Histoire de Charles XII, was influenced by a soldier named Fabrice who was a companion of the Swedish King Charles XII ("Voltaire" 525). He was also a fan of Shakespearean theatre, which he thought to have introduced to France personally (524). Voltaire also learned English for the sole purpose of reading the philosophies of John Locke (524), although he later used the language quite frequently. Many of his philosophies were centered on the Enlightenment in the eighteenth century. The Spanish conquest in 1736 also inspired him to bring Alzire to the stage in Lima, Peru (525). Voltaire has influenced many people to study and write biographies about him.