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Letter IV
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sur les quakers.
Environ ce temps parut l’illustre Guillaume Penn, qui établitla puissance des quakers en Amérique, et qui les aurait rendusrespectables en Europe si les hommes pouvaient respecter lavertu sous les apparences ridicules: il était fils unique du chevalierPenn, vice-amiral d’Angleterre, et favori du duc d’York,depuis Jacques II.
Guillaume Penn, à l’âge de quinze ans, rencontra un quaker àOxford, où il faisait ses études; ce quaker le persuada, et le jeunehomme, qui était vif, naturellement éloquent, et qui avait del’ascendant dans sa physionomie et dans ses manières, gagnabientôt quelques-uns de ses camarades. Il établit insensiblement une société de jeunes quakers qui s’assemblaient chez lui; desorte qu’il se trouva chef de la secte à l’âge de seize ans.
De retour chez le vice-amiral son père au sortir du collège,au lieu de se mettre à genoux devant lui, et de lui demander sabénédiction, selon l’usage des Anglais, il l’aborda le chapeau surla tête, et lui dit: « Je suis fort aise, l’ami, de te voir en bonnesanté. » Le vice-amiral crut que son fils était devenu fou; il s’aperçutbientôt qu’il était quaker. Il mit en usage tous les moyens que laprudence humaine peut employer pour l’engager à vivre commeun autre; le jeune homme ne répondit à son père qu’en l’exhortantà se faire quaker lui-même.
Enfin le père se relâcha à ne lui demander autre chose sinonqu’il allât voir le roi et le duc d’York le chapeau sous le bras, etqu’il ne les tutoyât point. Guillaume répondit que sa conscience nele lui permettait pas, et le père, indigné et au désespoir, le chassade sa maison. Le jeune Penn remercia Dieu de ce qu’il souffraitdéjà pour sa cause: il alla prêcher dans la cité, il y fit beaucoupde prosélytes.
Les prêches des ministres s’éclaircissaient tous les jours, etcomme Penn était jeune, beau et bien fait, les femmes de la couret de la ville accouraient dévotement pour l’entendre. Le patriarcheGeorge Fox vint, du fond de l’Angleterre, le voir à Londres sursa réputation; tous deux résolurent de faire des missions dansles pays étrangers. Ils s’embarquèrent pour la Hollande, aprèsavoir laissé des ouvriers en assez bon nombre pour avoir soin dela vigne de Londres. Leurs travaux eurent un heureux succès àAmsterdam; mais ce qui leur fit le plus d’honneur, et ce qui mitle plus leur humilité en danger fut la réception que leur fit laprincesse palatine Elisabeth, tante de George Ier, roi d’Angleterre,femme illustre par son esprit et par son savoir, et à qui Descartesavait dédié son roman de philosophie.
Elle était alors retirée à la Haye, où elle vit les amis, car c’estainsi qu’on appelait alors les quakers en Hollande; elle eut plusieursconférences avec eux; ils prêchèrent souvent chez elle, ets’ils ne firent pas d’elle une parfaite quakeresse, ils avouèrentau moins qu’elle n’était pas loin du royaume des cieux.
Les amis semèrent aussi en Allemagne, mais ils y recueillirentpeu. On ne goûta pas la mode de tutoyer dans un pays où il fautprononcer toujours les termes d’altesse et d’excellence, Pennrepassa bientôt en Angleterre, sur la nouvelle de la maladie deson père; il vint recueillir ses derniers soupirs. Le vice-amiralse réconcilia avec lui, et l’embrassa avec tendresse, quoiqu’il fûtd’une différente religion; mais Guillaume l’exhorta en vain àne point recevoir le sacrement, et à mourir quaker; et le vieuxbonhomme recommanda inutilement à Guillaume d’avoir desboutons sur ses manches et des ganses à son chapeau,
Guillaume hérita de grands biens, parmi lesquels il se trouvaitdes dettes de la couronne pour des avances faites par levice-amiral dans des expéditions maritimes. Rien n’était moinsassuré alors que l’argent dû par le roi: Penn fut obligé d’allertutoyer Charles II et ses ministres plus d’une fois pour sonpaiement. Le gouvernement lui donna, en 1680, au lieu d’argent,la propriété et la souveraineté d’une province d’Amérique, au sudde Maryland: voilà un quaker devenu souverain. Il partit pourses nouveaux États avec deux vaisseaux chargés de quakers quile suivirent. On appela dès lors le pays Pensylvanie, du nom dePenn; il y fonda la ville de Philadelphie, qui est aujourd’huitrès-florissante. Il commença par faire une ligue avec les Américainsses voisins: c’est le seul traité entre ces peuples et les chrétiensqui n’ait point été juré et qui n’ait point été rompu. Lenouveau souverain fut aussi le législateur de la Pensylvanie: ildonna des lois très-sages, dont aucune n’a été changée depuislui, La première est de ne maltraiter personne au sujet de la religion,et de regarder comme frères tous ceux qui croient un dieu.
À peine eut-il établi son gouvernement que plusieurs marchandsde l’Amérique vinrent peupler cette colonie. Les naturelsdu pays, au lieu de fuir dans les forêts, s’accoutumèrent insensiblementavec les pacifiques quakers: autant ils détestaient lesautres chrétiens conquérants et destructeurs de l’Amérique, autantils aimaient ces nouveaux venus. En peu de temps ces prétendussauvages, charmés de leurs nouveaux voisins, vinrent enfoule demander à Guillaume Penn de les recevoir au nombre deses vassaux. C’était un spectacle bien nouveau qu’un souverainque tout le monde tutoyait, et à qui on parlait le chapeau sur la tête, un gouvernement sans prêtres, un peuple sans armes, descitoyens tous égaux, à la magistrature près, et des voisins sansjalousie.
Guillaume Penn pouvait se vanter d’avoir apporté sur la terrel’âge d’or dont on parle tant, et qui n’a vraisemblablement existéqu’en Pensylvanie. Il revint en Angleterre pour les affaires de sonnouveau pays, après la mort de Charles II. Le roi Jacques, quiavait aimé son père, eut la même affection pour le fils, et ne leconsidéra plus comme un sectaire obscur, mais comme un très-grandhomme. La politique du roi s’accordait en cela avec songoût; il avait envie de flatter les quakers, en abolissant les loiscontre les non-conformistes, afin de pouvoir introduire la religioncatholique à la faveur de cette liberté. Toutes les sectes d’Angleterrevirent le piège, et ne s’y laissèrent pas prendre; elles sonttoujours réunies contre le catholicisme, leur ennemi commun.Mais Penn ne crut pas devoir renoncer à ses principes pour favoriserdes protestants qui le haïssaient, contre un roi qui l’aimait.Il avait établi la liberté de conscience en Amérique, il n’avait pasenvie de paraître vouloir la détruire en Europe; il demeura doncfidèle à Jacques II, au point qu’il fut généralement accusé d’êtrejésuite. Cette calomnie l’affligea sensiblement; il fut obligé des’en justifier par des écrits publics. Cependant le malheureuxJacques II, qui, comme presque tous les Stuart, était un composéde grandeur et de faiblesse, et qui, comme eux, en fit trop ettrop peu, perdit son royaume sans qu’il y eût une épée de tirée,et sans qu’on pût dire comment la chose arriva.
Toutes les sectes anglaises reçurent de Guillaume III et de sonparlement cette même liberté qu’elles n’avaient pas voulu tenirdes mains de Jacques. Ce fut alors que les quakers commencèrentà jouir, par la force des lois, de tous les privilèges dont ilssont en possession aujourd’hui. Penn, après avoir vu enfin sasecte établie sans contradiction dans le pays de sa naissance,retourna en Pensylvanie. Les siens et les Américains le reçurentavec des larmes de joie, comme un père qui revenait voir sesenfants. Toutes ses lois avaient été religieusement observées pendantson absence, ce qui n’était arrivé à aucun législateur avantlui. Il resta quelques années à Philadelphie; il en partit enfinmalgré lui pour aller solliciter à Londres de nouveaux avantages en faveur du commerce des Pensylvains: il ne les revitplus; il mourut à Londres en 1718. Ce fut sous le règne de Charles IIqu’ils obtinrent le noble privilège de ne jamais jurer, etd’être crus en justice sur leur parole. Le chancelier, hommed’esprit, leur parla ainsi: « Mes amis, Jupiter ordonna un jourque toutes les bêtes de somme vinssent se faire ferrer. Les ânesrepréscntèrent que leur loi ne le permettait pas. — Eh bien! ditJupiter, on ne vous ferrera point; mais au premier faux pas quevous ferez, vous aurez cent coups d’étrivières. »
Je ne puis deviner quel sera le sort de la religion des quakersen Amérique; mais je vois qu’elle dépérit tous les jours à Londres.Pour tout pays, la religion dominante, quand elle ne persécutepoint, engloutit à la longue toutes les autres. Les quakersne peuvent être membres du parlement, ni posséder aucun office,parce qu’il faudrait prêter serment, et qu’ils ne veulent pointjurer. Ils sont réduits à la nécessité de gagner de l’argent par lecommerce; leurs enfants, enrichis par l’industrie de leurs pères,veulent jouir, avoir des honneurs, des boutons, et des manchettes;ils sont honteux d’être appelés quakers, et se font protestants,pour être à la mode.
Musean translation
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from the French text of all twenty-four letters (Garnier edition, 1879, French Wikisource) for fidelity, the author’s force and cadence, and modern clarity.
On the Quakers
Around this time the illustrious William Penn appeared. He established the power of the Quakers in America and would have made them respected in Europe, if men could respect virtue beneath ridiculous appearances. He was the only son of Sir Penn, vice admiral of England and favorite of the Duke of York, later James II.
At the age of fifteen, William Penn met a Quaker at Oxford, where he was studying. This Quaker persuaded him, and the young man, who was spirited, naturally eloquent, and possessed an air of authority in his face and manner, soon won over some of his fellow students. Little by little he founded a society of young Quakers who met at his home; thus at the age of sixteen he found himself the leader of the sect.
When he returned from college to the home of his father, the vice admiral, instead of kneeling before him and asking his blessing, as the English custom was, he approached him with his hat on his head and said, “I am very glad, friend, to see you in good health.” The vice admiral thought his son had gone mad; he soon realized he had become a Quaker. He tried every means that human prudence could devise to persuade him to live like other people; the young man answered his father only by urging him to become a Quaker himself.
In the end his father relented so far as to ask only that he visit the king and the Duke of York with his hat under his arm and not address them as equals. William replied that his conscience would not allow it, and his father, indignant and desperate, turned him out of the house. Young Penn thanked God that he was already suffering for his cause; he went to preach in the city and made many converts there.
The congregations attending the ministers' sermons grew thinner every day; and since Penn was young, handsome, and well built, women of the court and of the city flocked devoutly to hear him. The patriarch George Fox came from deep in the English countryside to see him in London on the strength of his reputation; the two resolved to undertake missions in foreign lands. They sailed for Holland, after leaving behind a good number of laborers to tend the vineyard of London. Their work met with happy success in Amsterdam; but what did them the most honor, and most endangered their humility, was the welcome they received from Princess Elisabeth of the Palatinate, aunt of George I, king of England, an illustrious woman of wit and learning to whom Descartes had dedicated his philosophical romance.
She was then living in retirement at The Hague, where she met the Friends, as the Quakers were called at that time in Holland. She held several discussions with them; they often preached at her home, and if they did not make her a perfect Quaker woman, they admitted at least that she was not far from the kingdom of heaven.
The Friends also sowed their seed in Germany, but reaped little there. Addressing people as equals found no favor in a country where one must constantly pronounce the titles Highness and Excellency. Penn soon returned to England on hearing that his father was ill; he came to receive his dying breath. The vice admiral was reconciled with him and embraced him tenderly, though they were of different faiths; but William urged him in vain not to receive the sacrament and to die a Quaker; and the good old man urged William, just as fruitlessly, to have buttons on his sleeves and braid on his hat.
William inherited a great fortune, which included sums owed by the crown for advances the vice admiral had made on naval expeditions. Nothing was less certain then than money owed by the king: Penn had to address Charles II and his ministers as equals more than once to obtain payment. In 1680, instead of money, the government gave him the ownership and sovereignty of a province in America, south of Maryland: there was a Quaker turned sovereign. He set out for his new dominions with two ships loaded with Quakers who followed him. From then on the country was called Pennsylvania, after Penn; there he founded the city of Philadelphia, which is very prosperous today. He began by making an alliance with the neighboring Americans: it is the only treaty between those peoples and the Christians that was neither sworn to nor broken. The new sovereign was also the lawgiver of Pennsylvania: he gave it very wise laws, none of which has been changed since his time. The first forbids mistreating anyone on account of religion and regards all who believe in a god as brothers.
Hardly had he established his government when several merchants from America came to populate the colony. Instead of fleeing into the forests, the natives of the country gradually grew accustomed to the peaceful Quakers: as much as they detested the other Christians, the conquerors and destroyers of America, so much did they love these newcomers. Before long these so-called savages, delighted by their new neighbors, came in crowds to ask William Penn to receive them among his subjects. It was a very novel spectacle: a sovereign whom everyone addressed as an equal and spoke to with hat on head; a government without priests; a people without weapons; citizens all equal except in the holding of magistracies; and neighbors without jealousy.
William Penn could boast that he had brought to earth the golden age of which so much is said and which, in all likelihood, has existed only in Pennsylvania. After the death of Charles II, he returned to England on the business of his new country. King James, who had loved his father, felt the same affection for the son and no longer regarded him as an obscure sectarian but as a very great man. In this the king's policy accorded with his inclination: he wanted to court the Quakers by abolishing the laws against Nonconformists, so that under cover of this freedom he could introduce the Catholic religion. All the sects of England saw the trap and did not fall into it; they have always stood united against Catholicism, their common enemy. But Penn did not think he should renounce his principles to favor Protestants who hated him against a king who loved him. He had established freedom of conscience in America and did not wish to seem intent on destroying it in Europe. He therefore remained faithful to James II, to the point that he was widely accused of being a Jesuit. This slander deeply distressed him; he had to defend himself against it in public writings. Meanwhile the unfortunate James II, who, like almost every Stuart, combined greatness with weakness and, like them, did both too much and too little, lost his kingdom without a sword being drawn and without anyone being able to say how it happened.
All the English sects received from William III and his Parliament that same freedom which they had refused to accept from James's hands. It was then that the Quakers began, through the force of law, to enjoy all the privileges they possess today. Penn, having at last seen his sect established without opposition in the land of his birth, returned to Pennsylvania. His people and the Americans welcomed him with tears of joy, like a father returning to his children. All his laws had been faithfully observed during his absence, something that had never happened to any lawgiver before him. He stayed for some years in Philadelphia; at last he left, against his will, to seek new advantages in London for the commerce of the Pennsylvanians: he never saw them again; he died in London in 1718. It was in the reign of Charles II that they obtained the noble privilege of never swearing oaths and of being believed in court on their word. The chancellor, a man of wit, spoke to them thus: “My friends, Jupiter once ordered all the beasts of burden to come and be shod. The donkeys protested that their law did not allow it. ‘Very well!’ said Jupiter. ‘You will not be shod; but the first time you stumble, you will receive a hundred lashes of the stirrup strap.’”
I cannot guess what will become of the Quakers' religion in America; but I see it dwindling every day in London. In every country the dominant religion, when it does not persecute, eventually swallows up all the others. Quakers cannot be members of Parliament or hold any office, because they would have to take an oath, and they will not swear. They are reduced to the necessity of earning money by trade; their children, enriched by their fathers' industry, want pleasures, honors, buttons, and cuffs. They are ashamed to be called Quakers and become Protestants to be fashionable.
Plain English translation
Mouseia’s complete Plain English edition, made independently and directly from the French text of all twenty-four letters (Garnier edition, 1879, French Wikisource).
On the Quakers
Around this time the famous William Penn appeared. He established the Quakers’ power in America, and would have made them respected in Europe if people could respect goodness when it looks ridiculous. He was the only son of Sir Penn, vice admiral of England and a favorite of the Duke of York, who later became James II.
At fifteen, William Penn met a Quaker at Oxford, where he was studying. The Quaker persuaded him. The young man was energetic and naturally eloquent, with a commanding face and manner, and soon won over some of his fellow students. Little by little he formed a group of young Quakers who met at his home. By sixteen, he had become the sect’s leader.
When he returned from college to his father, the vice admiral, he did not kneel before him and ask for his blessing, as the English custom required. He approached with his hat on and said, “I’m very glad to see you in good health, friend.” The vice admiral thought his son had gone mad. He soon realized he had become a Quaker. He tried everything a sensible person could think of to make him live like everyone else. The young man answered his father only by urging him to become a Quaker too.
Finally, his father relented and asked only that William visit the king and the Duke of York with his hat under his arm and not address them familiarly. William said his conscience would not let him. Angry and desperate, his father threw him out of the house. Young Penn thanked God that he was already suffering for his cause. He went to preach in the City and made many converts there.
The ministers’ preaching meetings grew emptier every day. Penn was young, handsome, and well built, so women from both the court and the city flocked devoutly to hear him. The patriarch George Fox came from deep in England to see him in London because of his reputation. Together they decided to undertake missions abroad. They sailed to Holland, leaving enough workers behind to look after the London vineyard. Their work in Amsterdam went well. But what brought them the most honor and put their humility most at risk was their reception by Princess Elisabeth of the Palatinate. She was the aunt of George I, king of England, and a woman famous for her intelligence and learning. Descartes had dedicated his philosophical novel to her.
She was then living in retirement at The Hague, where she met the Friends, as Quakers were then called in Holland. She spoke with them several times, and they often preached in her home. Even if they did not make her a full Quaker, they admitted she was not far from the kingdom of heaven.
The Friends also sowed seeds in Germany, but gathered little there. Addressing people familiarly was not popular in a country where one must constantly say “Your Highness” and “Your Excellency.” Penn soon returned to England on hearing that his father was ill. He came to be with him at the end. The vice admiral made peace with his son and embraced him tenderly despite their different religions. But William tried in vain to persuade him not to take Communion and to die a Quaker. The good old man just as vainly urged William to have buttons on his sleeves and trim on his hat.
William inherited a large fortune, including money the Crown owed his father for advances made toward naval expeditions. Nothing was less certain then than money owed by the king. To get paid, Penn had to address Charles II and his ministers familiarly more than once. Instead of money, in 1680 the government gave him ownership and sovereignty over an American province south of Maryland. So a Quaker became a ruler. He sailed to his new territory with two ships full of Quakers who followed him. From then on the country was called Pennsylvania, after Penn. He founded the city of Philadelphia there, which is now thriving. He began by making a treaty with his American neighbors. It is the only treaty between those peoples and Christians that was neither sworn to nor broken. The new ruler also became Pennsylvania’s lawgiver. He gave it very wise laws, none of which has been changed since. The first is that no one should be mistreated over religion, and that all who believe in a god should be treated as brothers.
No sooner had he set up his government than several merchants from America came to settle the colony. The native people, instead of fleeing into the forests, gradually grew used to the peaceful Quakers. They hated the other Christians who conquered and destroyed America, but loved these newcomers just as much. Soon these supposedly savage people, delighted by their new neighbors, came in crowds to ask William Penn to accept them as his subjects. Here was a truly new sight: a ruler whom everyone addressed familiarly and spoke to without taking off their hats, a government without priests, a people without weapons, citizens all equal except in official rank, and neighbors without jealousy.
William Penn could claim to have brought to earth the golden age people talk about so much, which probably existed only in Pennsylvania. After Charles II died, he returned to England on business for his new country. King James, who had loved his father, showed the same affection for the son. He no longer saw Penn as an obscure sectarian, but as a very great man. The king’s policy matched his personal preference here. He wanted to win over the Quakers by repealing the laws against nonconformists, so that he could use this freedom to introduce the Catholic religion. Every English sect saw the trap and refused to fall into it. They are always united against Catholicism, their common enemy. But Penn did not think he should abandon his principles to support Protestants who hated him against a king who loved him. He had established freedom of conscience in America and did not want to seem eager to destroy it in Europe. He therefore remained so loyal to James II that people generally accused him of being a Jesuit. The slander hurt him deeply, and he had to defend himself in public writings. Meanwhile the unfortunate James II, who like almost every Stuart combined greatness with weakness, and like them did both too much and too little, lost his kingdom without a sword being drawn. No one could say how it had happened.
All the English sects received from William III and his Parliament the same freedom they had refused to accept from James. It was then that the Quakers began to enjoy, with the protection of the law, all the privileges they still have today. After finally seeing his sect securely established in the land where he was born, Penn returned to Pennsylvania. His people and the Americans welcomed him with tears of joy, like a father returning to his children. All his laws had been faithfully observed in his absence, something that had never happened to any lawgiver before him. He stayed in Philadelphia for several years. Finally he left against his wishes to seek new trade advantages for the people of Pennsylvania in London. He never saw them again. He died in London in 1718. It was during the reign of Charles II that the Quakers won the fine privilege of never swearing oaths and being believed in court on their word. The chancellor, a witty man, spoke to them this way: “My friends, Jupiter once ordered all beasts of burden to come and be shod. The donkeys objected that their law did not permit it. ‘Very well,’ said Jupiter, ‘you won’t be shod. But the first wrong step you take, you’ll get a hundred lashes with a strap.’”
I cannot guess what will become of the Quaker religion in America, but I see it declining daily in London. In every country, the dominant religion eventually swallows up all the others if it does not persecute them. Quakers cannot sit in Parliament or hold any public office, because they would have to take an oath and they will not swear. They are forced to earn money through trade. Their children grow rich through their fathers’ hard work and want pleasures, honors, buttons, and cuffs. They are ashamed to be called Quakers and become Protestants to be fashionable.