Chapter III
Original French
Le Huron, nommé l’Ingénu, converti.
Monsieur le prieur voyant qu’il était un peu sur l’âge, et que Dieu luienvoyait un neveu pour sa consolation, se mit en tête qu’il pourraitlui résigner son bénéfice, s’il réussissait à le baptiser, et à lefaire entrer dans les ordres.
L’Ingénu avait une mémoire excellente. La fermeté des organes deBasse-Bretagne, fortifiée par le climat du Canada, avait rendu sa têtesi vigoureuse, que quand on frappait dessus, à peine le sentait-il; etquand on gravait dedans, rien ne s’effaçait; il n’avait jamais rienoublié. Sa conception était d’autant plus vive, et plus nette, que sonenfance n’ayant point été chargée des inutilités et des sottises quiaccablent la nôtre, les choses entraient dans sa cervelle sans nuage.Le prieur résolut enfin de lui faire lire le nouveau Testament.L’Ingénu le dévora avec beaucoup de plaisir; mais ne sachant ni dansquel temps ni dans quel pays toutes les aventures rapportées dans celivre étaient arrivées, il ne douta point que le lieu de la scène nefût en Basse-Bretagne; et il jura qu’il couperait le nez et lesoreilles à Caïphe et à Pilate, si jamais il rencontrait ces marauds-là.
Son oncle, charmé de ces bonnes dispositions, le mit au fait en peu detemps; il loua son zèle; mais il lui apprit que ce zèle était inutile,attendu que ces gens-là étaient morts il y avait environ seize centquatre-vingt-dix années. L’Ingénu sut bientôt presque tout le livre parcoeur. Il proposait quelquefois des difficultés qui mettaient le prieurfort en peine. Il était obligé souvent de consulter l’abbé deSaint-Yves, qui, ne sachant que répondre, fit venir un jésuitebas-breton pour achever la conversion du Huron.
Enfin la grâce opéra; l’Ingénu promit de se faire chrétien; il ne doutapas qu’il ne dût commencer par être circoncis; car, disait-il, je nevois pas dans le livre qu’on m’a fait lire un seul personnage qui nel’ait été; il est donc évident que je dois faire le sacrifice de monprépuce; le plus tôt c’est le mieux. Il ne délibéra point: il envoyachercher le chirurgien du village, et le pria de lui faire l’opération,comptant réjouir infiniment mademoiselle de Kerkabon et toute lacompagnie, quand une fois la chose serait faite. Le frater, qui n’avaitpoint encore fait cette opération, en avertit la famille, qui jeta leshauts cris. La bonne Kerkabon trembla que son neveu, qui paraissaitrésolu et expéditif, ne se fît lui-même l’opération trèsmaladroitement, et qu’il n’en résultât de tristes effets, auxquels lesdames s’intéressent toujours par bonté d’âme.
Le prieur redressa les idées du Huron; il lui remontra que lacirconcision n’était plus de mode; que le baptême était beaucoup plusdoux et plus salutaire; que la loi de grâce n’était pas comme la loi derigueur. L’Ingénu, qui avait beaucoup de bon sens et de droiture,disputa, mais reconnut son erreur; ce qui est assez rare en Europe auxgens qui disputent; enfin il promit de se faire baptiser quand onvoudrait.
Il fallait auparavant se confesser; et c’était là le plus difficile.L’Ingénu avait toujours en poche le livre que son oncle lui avaitdonné. Il n’y trouvait pas qu’un seul apôtre se fût confessé, et celale rendait très rétif. Le prieur lui ferma la bouche en lui montrant,dans l’épître de saint Jacques-le-Mineur, ces mots qui font tant depeine aux hérétiques: Confessez vos péchés les uns aux autres. LeHuron se tut, et se confessa à un récollet. Quand il eut fini, il tirale récollet du confessionnal, et saisissant son homme d’un brasvigoureux, il se mit à sa place, et le fit mettre à genoux devant lui:Allons, mon ami, il est dit: Confessez-vous les uns aux autres; jet’ai conté mes péchés, tu ne sortiras pas d’ici que tu ne m’aies contéles tiens. En parlant ainsi, il appuyait son large genou contre lapoitrine de son adverse partie. Le récollet pousse des hurlements quifont retentir l’église. On accourt au bruit, on voit le catéchumène quigourmait le moine au nom de saint Jacques-le-Mineur. La joie debaptiser un Bas-Breton huron et anglais était si grande, qu’on passapar-dessus ces singularités. Il y eut même beaucoup de théologiens quipensèrent que la confession n’était pas nécessaire, puisque le baptêmetenait lieu de tout.
On prit jour avec l’évêque de Saint-Malo, qui, flatté comme on peut lecroire de baptiser un Huron, arriva dans un pompeux équipage, suivi deson clergé. Mademoiselle de Saint-Yves, en bénissant Dieu, mit sa plusbelle robe, et fit venir une coiffeuse de Saint-Malo, pour briller à lacérémonie. L’interrogant bailli accourut avec toute la contrée.L’église était magnifiquement parée; mais quand il fallut prendre leHuron pour le mener aux fonts baptismaux, on ne le trouva point.
L’oncle et la tante le cherchèrent partout. On crut qu’il était à lachasse, selon sa coutume. Tous les conviés à la fête parcoururent lesbois et les villages voisins: point de nouvelles du Huron.
On commençait à craindre qu’il ne fût retourné en Angleterre. On sesouvenait de lui avoir entendu dire qu’il aimait fort ce pays-là.Monsieur le prieur et sa soeur étaient persuadés qu’on n’y baptisaitpersonne, et tremblaient pour l’âme de leur neveu. L’évêque étaitconfondu et prêt à s’en retourner; le prieur et l’abbé de Saint-Yves sedésespéraient; le bailli interrogeait tous les passants avec sa gravitéordinaire; mademoiselle de Kerkabon pleurait; mademoiselle deSaint-Yves ne pleurait pas, mais elle poussait de profonds soupirs quisemblaient témoigner son goût pour les sacrements. Elles se promenaienttristement le long des saules et des roseaux qui bordent la petiterivière de Rance, lorsqu’elles aperçurent au milieu de la rivière unegrande figure assez blanche, les deux mains croisées sur la poitrine.Elles jetèrent un grand cri et se détournèrent. Mais la curiositél’emportant bientôt sur toute autre considération, elles se coulèrentdoucement entre les roseaux; et quand elles furent bien sûres de n’êtrepoint vues, elles voulurent voir de quoi il s’agissait.
Musean translation
Complete machine-assisted Musean translation made directly from the French, independently of the Plain English edition. All twenty chapters and Voltaire’s three author notes are retained; Beuchot’s editorial apparatus is omitted.
The Huron, called the Ingénu, is converted.
The prior, reflecting that he was growing rather old and that God had sent him a nephew for his consolation, took it into his head that he might resign his benefice in the young man's favor, if he succeeded in having him baptized and admitted to holy orders.
The Ingénu had an excellent memory. The sturdy constitution of Lower Brittany, strengthened by the climate of Canada, had made his head so robust that when someone struck it, he scarcely felt the blow; and when something was engraved within it, nothing could efface it. He had never forgotten anything. His understanding was all the keener and clearer because his childhood had not been burdened with the useless things and absurdities that weigh down ours: things entered his brain without a cloud. The prior finally resolved to have him read the New Testament. The Ingénu devoured it with great pleasure; but knowing neither when nor in what country all the adventures related in the book had taken place, he had no doubt that the scene was set in Lower Brittany. He swore he would cut off the noses and ears of Caiaphas and Pilate if he ever met those rogues.
His uncle, delighted with these promising dispositions, soon put him in possession of the facts. He praised his zeal, but explained that it was useless, since those men had died some sixteen hundred and ninety years before. The Ingénu soon knew almost the whole book by heart. He sometimes raised difficulties that greatly troubled the prior, who was often obliged to consult the Abbé de Saint-Yves. The abbé, not knowing what to answer, sent for a Jesuit from Lower Brittany to complete the Huron's conversion.
At last grace did its work. The Ingénu promised to become a Christian; he had no doubt that he must begin by being circumcised. "For," he said, "in the book you have had me read, I do not see a single person who was not. It is therefore plain that I must sacrifice my foreskin; the sooner the better." He did not hesitate. He sent for the village surgeon and asked him to perform the operation, expecting to give Mademoiselle de Kerkabon and the whole company infinite pleasure once the thing was done. The barber-surgeon, who had never yet performed this operation, informed the family, who raised a great outcry. Good Mademoiselle de Kerkabon trembled lest her nephew, who seemed both determined and brisk, perform the operation himself very clumsily, with those regrettable consequences in which ladies always take an interest out of kindness of heart.
The prior set the Huron's ideas straight. He explained that circumcision was no longer in fashion; that baptism was much gentler and more conducive to salvation; that the law of grace was not like the law of severity. The Ingénu, who had a great deal of good sense and integrity, argued, but acknowledged his error—which is rather rare in Europe among people who argue. In the end he promised to be baptized whenever they wished.
First he had to confess, and this was the greatest difficulty. The Ingénu always carried in his pocket the book his uncle had given him. He could not find a single apostle in it who had gone to confession, and this made him very stubborn. The prior silenced him by showing him, in the Epistle of Saint James the Less, those words that so distress the heretics: Confess your sins to one another. The Huron said no more and made his confession to a Recollect friar. When he had finished, he pulled the Recollect out of the confessional, seized his man with a powerful arm, took his place, and made him kneel before him. "Come, my friend, it says: Confess to one another. I have told you my sins; you will not leave here until you have told me yours." As he spoke, he pressed his broad knee against his adversary's chest. The Recollect let out howls that resounded through the church. People rushed toward the noise and found the catechumen manhandling the monk in the name of Saint James the Less. The joy of baptizing a Huron and English Lower Breton was so great that these peculiarities were overlooked. Many theologians even thought confession unnecessary, since baptism took the place of everything.
A day was agreed upon with the bishop of Saint-Malo, who, flattered, as may well be imagined, to baptize a Huron, arrived in a splendid equipage followed by his clergy. Mademoiselle de Saint-Yves, blessing God, put on her finest dress and sent for a hairdresser from Saint-Malo so that she might shine at the ceremony. The questioning bailiff hurried over with the whole countryside. The church was magnificently adorned; but when they went to fetch the Huron and bring him to the baptismal font, he was nowhere to be found.
His uncle and aunt searched for him everywhere. They supposed he was hunting, as usual. All those invited to the celebration scoured the woods and neighboring villages: no news of the Huron.
They began to fear he had returned to England. They remembered hearing him say that he liked that country very much. The prior and his sister were convinced that no one was baptized there, and trembled for their nephew's soul. The bishop was dismayed and ready to leave; the prior and the Abbé de Saint-Yves were in despair; the bailiff questioned every passerby with his usual gravity. Mademoiselle de Kerkabon wept; Mademoiselle de Saint-Yves did not weep, but heaved deep sighs that seemed to testify to her fondness for the sacraments. They were walking sadly among the willows and reeds that border the little river Rance when they caught sight, in the middle of the river, of a tall, rather white figure with both hands crossed upon its chest. They gave a loud cry and turned away. But curiosity soon prevailing over every other consideration, they slipped quietly among the reeds; and when they were quite sure they could not be seen, they set about finding out what was going on.
Plain English translation
Complete machine-assisted Plain English translation made independently and directly from the French, not from the Musean edition. All twenty chapters and Voltaire’s three author notes are retained; Beuchot’s editorial apparatus is omitted.
The Huron called the Ingénu is converted.
The prior saw that he was getting on in years and that God had sent him a nephew to comfort him. He began to think he could hand over his church benefice to the young man if he managed to have him baptized and ordained.
The Ingénu had an excellent memory. The sturdy constitution he had inherited from Lower Brittany, strengthened by Canada's climate, had given him such a tough head that he barely felt a blow to it. And once something was engraved inside it, nothing rubbed it out. He had never forgotten anything. His understanding was all the quicker and clearer because his childhood had not been weighed down with the useless things and nonsense that burden ours. Things entered his brain without a cloud in the way. The prior finally decided to have him read the New Testament. The Ingénu devoured it with great pleasure. But he did not know when or where all the events in the book had happened. He had no doubt that the setting was Lower Brittany, and he swore he would cut off the noses and ears of Caiaphas and Pilate if he ever met those scoundrels.
His uncle was delighted by these promising attitudes and soon explained the facts to him. He praised his zeal but told him it was useless, since those men had been dead for about sixteen hundred and ninety years. The Ingénu soon knew almost the whole book by heart. Sometimes he raised problems that greatly troubled the prior. The prior often had to consult the abbé de Saint-Yves, who did not know what to answer either. He sent for a Jesuit from Lower Brittany to finish converting the Huron.
At last grace did its work. The Ingénu promised to become a Christian. He had no doubt that he must begin by being circumcised. "In the book you had me read," he said, "I don't see a single person who wasn't circumcised. So clearly I have to sacrifice my foreskin, and the sooner the better." He did not hesitate. He sent for the village surgeon and asked him to perform the operation. He expected Mademoiselle de Kerkabon and everyone else to be delighted once it was done. The barber-surgeon had never performed this operation. He warned the family, who cried out in horror. Good Mademoiselle de Kerkabon trembled at the thought that her nephew, who seemed determined and quick to act, might clumsily operate on himself. It might have unfortunate consequences, which ladies always take an interest in out of the goodness of their hearts.
The prior corrected the Huron's ideas. He explained that circumcision had gone out of fashion, that baptism was much gentler and better for salvation, and that the law of grace was not like the law of severity. The Ingénu had plenty of common sense and honesty. He argued, but admitted his mistake—a fairly rare thing among people who argue in Europe. In the end he promised to be baptized whenever they wanted.
First he had to confess, and this was the hardest part. The Ingénu always carried the book his uncle had given him in his pocket. He could not find a single apostle in it who had gone to confession, and this made him very unwilling. The prior silenced him by showing him these words in the Epistle of Saint James the Less, which cause heretics so much trouble: Confess your sins to one another. The Huron said no more and confessed to a Recollect friar. When he finished, he pulled the friar out of the confessional, seized him with a powerful arm, took his place, and made him kneel in front of him. "Come on, my friend. It says, Confess to one another. I've told you my sins. You aren't leaving until you've told me yours." As he spoke, he pressed his broad knee against his opponent's chest. The Recollect gave howls that echoed through the church. People rushed toward the noise and saw the man preparing for baptism manhandling the monk in the name of Saint James the Less. Their delight at baptizing a Huron who was also Breton and English was so great that they overlooked these oddities. Many theologians even thought confession was unnecessary, since baptism took the place of everything else.
They fixed a day with the bishop of Saint-Malo. As you can imagine, he was flattered to be baptizing a Huron. He arrived in a splendid carriage with his clergy following him. Blessing God, Mademoiselle de Saint-Yves put on her finest dress and sent for a hairdresser from Saint-Malo so that she would shine at the ceremony. The questioning bailiff hurried over with everyone in the district. The church was magnificently decorated. But when the time came to take the Huron to the baptismal font, he could not be found.
His uncle and aunt looked for him everywhere. They thought he had gone hunting as usual. All the guests invited to the celebration searched the woods and nearby villages. There was no news of the Huron.
They began to fear he had gone back to England. They remembered hearing him say how much he liked that country. The prior and his sister were convinced that nobody was baptized there, and they trembled for their nephew's soul. The bishop was bewildered and ready to leave. The prior and the abbé de Saint-Yves were in despair. The bailiff questioned every passerby with his usual solemnity. Mademoiselle de Kerkabon cried. Mademoiselle de Saint-Yves did not cry, but she gave deep sighs that seemed to show her fondness for the sacraments. The two women were walking sadly beside the willows and reeds along the little Rance River when they saw a tall, rather white figure in the middle of the water, with his hands crossed on his chest. They gave a loud cry and turned away. But curiosity soon overcame every other consideration. They slipped quietly among the reeds, and once they were quite sure they could not be seen, they wanted to see what was going on.
About this section
Chapter III is part of L’Ingénu, histoire véritable tirée des manuscrits du P. Quesnel by Voltaire. This page sets the French original beside 2 direct-source translations, so any line can be checked against the source. It is chapter 3 of 20 in the work, which is kept in the European tradition.
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