The Portable Voltaire (Portable Library) by Voltaire Francois

Author:Voltaire, Francois [Voltaire, Francois]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Penguin Group US
Published: 1977-07-28T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER XXI

Candide and Martin Approach the Coast of France and Argue

At last they sighted the coast of France. “Have you ever been to France, Monsieur Martin?” said Candide. “Yes,” said Martin, “I have traversed several provinces. In some half the inhabitants are crazy, in others they are too artful, in some they are usually quite gentle and stupid, and in others they think they are clever; in all of them the chief occupation is making love, the second scandal-mongering, and the third talking nonsense.” “But, Monsieur Martin, have you seen Paris?” “Yes, I have seen Paris; it is a mixture of all the species; it is a chaos, a throng where everybody hunts for pleasure and hardly anybody finds it, at least so far as I could see. I did not stay there long; when I arrived there I was robbed of everything I had by pickpockets at Saint-Germain’s fair; they thought I was a thief and I spent a week in prison; after which I became a printer’s reader to earn enough to return to Holland on foot. I met the scribbling rabble, the intriguing rabble, and the fanatical rabble. We hear that there are very polite people in the town; I am glad to think so.” “For my part, I have not the least curiosity to see France,” said Candide. “You can easily guess that when a man has spent a month in Eldorado he cares to see nothing else in the world but Mademoiselle Cunegonde. I shall go and wait for her at Venice; we will go to Italy by way of France; will you come with me?” “Willingly,” said Martin. “They say that Venice is only for the Venetian nobles but that foreigners are nevertheless well received when they have plenty of money; I have none, you have plenty, I will follow you anywhere.” “Apropos,” said Candide, “do you think the earth was originally a sea, as we are assured by that large book belonging to the captain?” “I don’t believe it in the least,” said Martin, “any more than all the other whimsies we have been pestered with recently!” “But to what end was this world formed?” said Candide. “To infuriate us,” replied Martin. “Are you not very much surprised,” continued Candide, “by the love those two girls of the country of the Oreillons had for those two monkeys, whose adventure I told you?” “Not in the least,” said Martin. “I see nothing strange in their passion; I have seen so many extraordinary things that nothing seems extraordinary to me.” “Do you think,” said Candide, “that men have always massacred each other, as they do today? Have they always been liars, cheats, traitors, brigands, weak, flighty, cowardly, envious, gluttonous, drunken, grasping, and vicious, bloody, backbiting, debauched, fanatical, hypocritical and silly?” “Do you think,” said Martin, “that sparrow-hawks have always eaten the pigeons they came across?” “Yes, of course,” said Candide. “Well,” said Martin, “if sparrow-hawks have always possessed the same nature, why should you expect men to change theirs?” “Ohl” said Candide, “there is a great difference; free will .

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