Chapter VIII
Original French
L’Ingénu va en cour. Il soupe en chemin avec des huguenots.
L’Ingénu prit le chemin de Saumur par le coche, parcequ’il n’y avaitpoint alors d’autre commodité. Quand il fut à Saumur, il s’étonna detrouver la ville presque déserte, et de voir plusieurs familles quidéménageaient. On lui dit que, six ans auparavant, Saumur contenaitplus de quinze mille âmes, et qu’à présent il n’y en avait pas sixmille. Il ne manqua pas d’en parler à souper dans son hôtellerie.Plusieurs protestants étaient à table; les uns se plaignaientamèrement, d’autres frémissaient de colère, d’autres disaient enpleurant,
«…… Nos dulcia linquimus arva,Nos patriam fugimus.»
L’Ingénu, qui ne savait pas le latin, se fit expliquer ces paroles, quisignifient: Nous abandonnons nos douces campagnes, nous fuyons notrepatrie.
Et pourquoi fuyez-vous votre patrie, messieurs?—C’est qu’on veut quenous reconnaissions le pape.—Et pourquoi ne le reconnaîtriez-vous pas?Vous n’avez donc point de marraines que vous vouliez épouser? car onm’a dit que c’était lui qui en donnait la permission.—Ah! monsieur, cepape dit qu’il est le maître du domaine des rois.— Mais, messieurs, dequelle profession êtes-vous? —Monsieur, nous sommes pour la plupart desdrapiers et des fabricants.—Si votre pape dit qu’il est le maître devos draps et de vos fabriques, vous faites très bien de ne le pasreconnaître; mais pour les rois, c’est leur affaire; de quoi vousmêlez-vous?—Alors un petit homme noir prit la parole, et exposa trèssavamment les griefs de la compagnie. Il parla de la révocation del’édit de Nantes avec tant d’énergie, il déplora d’une manière sipathétique le sort de cinquante mille familles fugitives et decinquante mille autres converties par les dragons, que l’Ingénu à sontour versa des larmes. D’où vient donc, disait-il, qu’un si grand roi,dont la gloire s’étend jusque chez les Hurons, se prive ainsi de tantde coeurs qui l’auraient aimé, et de tant de bras qui l’auraient servi?
C’est qu’on l’a trompé comme les autres grands rois, répondit l’hommenoir. On lui a fait croire que, dès qu’il aurait dit un mot, tous leshommes penseraient comme lui; et qu’il nous ferait changer de religion,comme son musicien Lulli fait changer en un moment les décorations deses opéra. Non seulement il perd déjà cinq à six cent mille sujets trèsutiles, mais il s’en fait des ennemis; et le roi Guillaume, qui estactuellement maître de l’Angleterre, a composé plusieurs régiments deces mêmes Français qui auraient combattu pour leur monarque.
Un tel désastre est d’autant plus étonnant, que le pape régnant, àqui Louis XIV sacrifie une partie de son peuple, est son ennemidéclaré. Ils ont encore tous deux, depuis neuf ans, une querelleviolente. Elle a été poussée si loin, que la France a espéré enfin devoir briser le joug qui la soumet depuis tant de siècles à cetétranger, et surtout de ne lui plus donner d’argent; ce qui est lepremier mobile des affaires de ce monde. Il paraît donc évident qu’on atrompé ce grand roi sur ses intérêts comme sur l’étendue de sonpouvoir, et qu’on a donné atteinte à la magnanimité de son coeur.
L’Ingénu, attendri de plus en plus, demanda quels étaient les Françaisqui trompaient ainsi un monarque si cher aux Hurons. Ce sont lesjésuites, lui répondit-on; c’est surtout le P. de La Chaise, confesseurde sa majesté. Il faut espérer que Dieu les en punira un jour, etqu’ils seront chassés comme ils nous chassent. Y a-t-il un malheur égalaux nôtres? Mons de Louvois nous envoie de tous côtés des jésuites etdes dragons.
Oh bien! messieurs, répliqua l’Ingénu, qui ne pouvait plus se contenir,je vais à Versailles recevoir la récompense due à mes services; jeparlerai à ce mons de Louvois: on m’a dit que c’est lui qui fait laguerre de son cabinet. Je verrai le roi, je lui ferai connaître lavérité; il est impossible qu’on ne se rende pas à cette vérité quand onla sent. Je reviendrai bientôt pour épouser mademoiselle de Saint-Yves,et je vous prie à la noce. Ces bonnes gens le prirent alors pour ungrand seigneur qui voyageait incognito par le coche. Quelques uns leprirent pour le fou du roi.
Il y avait à table un jésuite déguisé qui servait d’espion au révérendP. de La Chaise. Il lui rendait compte de tout, et le P. de La Chaiseen instruisait mons de Louvois. L’espion écrivit. L’Ingénu et la lettrearrivèrent presque en même temps à Versailles.
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 Ingénu goes to court. He dines with Huguenots on the way.
The Ingénu took the coach toward Saumur, since no other conveyance was available then. On reaching Saumur, he was astonished to find the town almost deserted and to see several families moving away. He was told that six years earlier Saumur had held more than fifteen thousand souls, and now it held fewer than six thousand. He was sure to bring this up over supper at his inn. Several Protestants were at the table; some complained bitterly, others trembled with anger, and others wept as they said,
"… Nos dulcia linquimus arva,Nos patriam fugimus."
The Ingénu, who knew no Latin, asked to have these words explained. They mean: We abandon our sweet fields, we flee our homeland.
"And why are you fleeing your homeland, gentlemen?" "Because they want us to acknowledge the pope." "And why shouldn't you acknowledge him? Have you no godmothers you wish to marry? For I have been told that he is the one who grants permission." "Ah, sir, this pope says he is master of the dominions of kings." "But, gentlemen, what is your profession?" "Sir, most of us are cloth merchants and manufacturers." "If your pope says he is master of your cloth and your factories, you are quite right not to acknowledge him; but as for kings, that is their affair. Why meddle in it?" Then a little man dressed in black spoke up and set out the company's grievances with great learning. He spoke of the revocation of the Edict of Nantes with such force, and lamented so movingly the fate of fifty thousand fugitive families and fifty thousand others converted by the dragoons, that the Ingénu shed tears in his turn. "How is it," he said, "that so great a king, whose glory reaches even the Hurons, deprives himself of so many hearts that would have loved him, and so many arms that would have served him?"
"Because he has been deceived, like other great kings," replied the man in black. "They have made him believe that, once he had spoken a word, everyone would think as he did; and that he could make us change our religion as his musician Lulli changes the scenery of his operas in an instant. Not only is he already losing five or six hundred thousand very useful subjects, but he is making enemies of them; and King William, who now rules England, has formed several regiments from these very Frenchmen who would have fought for their monarch.
"Such a disaster is all the more astonishing because the reigning pope, to whom Louis XIV is sacrificing a part of his people, is his declared enemy. The two have also been engaged in a violent quarrel for nine years. It has gone so far that France has at last hoped to see the yoke broken that has subjected her to this foreigner for so many centuries, and above all to stop giving him money—the prime mover of this world's affairs. So it seems plain that this great king has been deceived about his interests as well as the extent of his power, and that the magnanimity of his heart has been wounded."
The Ingénu, more and more deeply moved, asked which Frenchmen were deceiving a monarch so dear to the Hurons. "The Jesuits," they answered, "and above all Father de La Chaise, His Majesty's confessor. We must hope that God will one day punish them, and that they will be driven out as they are driving us out. Can any misfortune equal ours? Monsieur de Louvois sends Jesuits and dragoons against us on every side."
"Well then, gentlemen," replied the Ingénu, who could no longer contain himself, "I am going to Versailles to receive the reward due for my services. I shall speak to this Monsieur de Louvois; I am told he is the one who wages war from his study. I shall see the king and make the truth known to him; no one can possibly resist that truth once he feels it. I shall soon return to marry Mademoiselle de Saint-Yves, and I invite you to the wedding." These good people now took him for a great nobleman traveling incognito by coach. A few took him for the king's fool.
At the table sat a Jesuit in disguise who served as a spy for the Reverend Father de La Chaise. He reported everything to him, and Father de La Chaise passed the information to Monsieur de Louvois. The spy wrote his letter. The Ingénu and the letter arrived at Versailles almost at the same time.
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 Ingénu heads for court. On the way, he has supper with Huguenots.
The Ingénu traveled toward Saumur by coach, since there was no other transport available then. At Saumur he was surprised to find the town nearly empty, with several families moving out. He learned that six years earlier it had contained over fifteen thousand people, whereas now it had fewer than six thousand. Naturally, he brought this up at supper in his inn. Several Protestants were eating there. Some complained bitterly, some shook with anger, and others said through their tears,
"… We leave our pleasant fields,We flee our homeland."
The Ingénu knew no Latin, so he asked what these words meant. They mean: We are leaving our pleasant countryside; we are fleeing our own country.
"Why are you fleeing your own country, gentlemen?" "Because they want us to recognize the pope." "Why shouldn't you recognize him? Don't you have any godmothers you want to marry? I've been told he's the one who gives permission for that." "Oh, sir, this pope says he is master of the kings' lands." "But what do you do for a living?" "Most of us are cloth merchants and manufacturers." "If your pope says he's master of your cloth and your factories, you're quite right not to recognize him. But as for the kings, that's their business. Why interfere?" A small man dressed in black then spoke up and gave a very learned account of the company's grievances. He spoke so forcefully about the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, and so movingly about the fate of fifty thousand families driven into exile and fifty thousand more converted by dragoons, that the Ingénu began to cry too. "Why," he asked, "does such a great king, whose fame has reached even the Hurons, deprive himself of so many hearts that would have loved him and so many arms that would have served him?"
"Because he's been deceived, like other great kings," answered the man in black. "They've made him believe that as soon as he says a word, everyone will think as he does. They say he can make us change our religion as quickly as his musician Lulli changes the scenery in his operas. Not only is he already losing five hundred to six hundred thousand very useful subjects, but he's turning them into enemies. King William, who now rules England, has formed several regiments from these very Frenchmen who would have fought for their own king."
"This disaster is all the more astonishing because the present pope, to whom Louis XIV is sacrificing part of his people, is his declared enemy. The two have been in a bitter quarrel for nine years. It has gone so far that France at last hoped to see the yoke broken that has subjected her to this foreigner for so many centuries, and above all to stop giving him money, the chief driving force behind this world's affairs. Clearly, then, this great king has been misled about his own interests as well as the extent of his power, and the greatness of his heart has been injured."
More and more moved, the Ingénu asked which Frenchmen were deceiving a king so dear to the Hurons. "The Jesuits," they answered, "especially Father de La Chaise, His Majesty's confessor. We must hope God will punish them one day and that they'll be driven out as they're driving us out. Has anyone suffered as we have? Monsieur de Louvois sends Jesuits and dragoons at us from every direction."
"Well, gentlemen," replied the Ingénu, unable to hold back any longer, "I'm going to Versailles to receive the reward my services deserve. I'll speak to this Monsieur de Louvois. I've been told he runs the war from his study. I'll see the king and tell him the truth. Once people feel that truth, they can't help accepting it. I'll be back soon to marry Mademoiselle de Saint-Yves, and you're all invited to the wedding." These good people now took him for a great lord traveling incognito by coach. Some took him for the king's fool.
A Jesuit in disguise was at the table, acting as a spy for the Reverend Father de La Chaise. He reported everything to him, and Father de La Chaise passed it on to Monsieur de Louvois. The spy wrote. The Ingénu and the letter reached Versailles at almost the same time.
About this section
Chapter VIII 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 8 of 20 in the work, which is kept in the European tradition.
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