A — Amitié
Original French
C’est un contrat tacite entre deux personnes sensibles & vertueuses. Je dis sensibles; car un moine, un solitaire peut n’être point méchant, & vivre sans connaître l’amitié. Je dis vertueuses; car les méchants n’ont que des complices; les voluptueux ont des compagnons de débauches; les intéressés ont des associés, les politiques assemblent des factieux, le commun des hommes oisifs a des liaisons, les princes ont des courtisans, les hommes vertueux ont seuls des amis. Cétégus était le complice de Catilina, & Mécène le courtisan d’Octave; mais Cicéron était l’ami d’Atticus.
Que porte ce contrat entre deux ames tendres & honnêtes? Les obligations en sont plus fortes & plus faibles, selon leur degré de sensibilité, & le nombre des services rendus, &c.
L’enthousiasme de l’amitié a été plus fort chez les Grecs & chez les Arabes, que chez nous. Les contes que ces peuples ont imaginés sur l’amitié sont admirables; nous n’en avons point de pareils, nous sommes un peu secs en tout.
L’amitié était un point de religion & de législation chez les Grecs. Les Thébains avaient le régiment des amans. Beau régiment! Quelques-uns l’ont pris pour un régiment de Sodomites; ils se trompent, c’est prendre l’accessoire pour le principal. L’amitié chez les Grecs était prescrite par la loi & la religion. La pederastie était malheureusement tolérée par les mœurs; il ne faut pas imputer à la loi des abus honteux. Nous en parlerons encore.
Musean translation
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation of the 73 articles in the 1764 first edition, made directly from the French and reviewed against the scan-collated French text. The author’s notes, quotations and verse are retained. Historical ethnic labels, including offensive terms, are retained from the 1764 text.
It is a tacit contract between two sensitive and virtuous people. I say sensitive, for a monk or a hermit may be free of wickedness and live without knowing friendship. I say virtuous, for the wicked have only accomplices; pleasure seekers have companions in debauchery; the self-interested have associates; politicians gather factionalists; the common run of idle people have connections; princes have courtiers; only the virtuous have friends. Cethegus was Catiline’s accomplice, and Maecenas Octavian’s courtier; but Cicero was Atticus’s friend.
What does this contract between two tender and honest souls entail? Its obligations are stronger or weaker according to their degree of feeling, the number of services rendered, and so forth.
Enthusiasm for friendship was stronger among the Greeks and Arabs than among us. The tales those peoples imagined about friendship are admirable. We have none to match them; we are a little dry in everything.
Among the Greeks, friendship was a matter of religion and law. The Thebans had their regiment of lovers. A fine regiment! Some have taken it for a regiment of sodomites. They are mistaken: that is to take the incidental for the essential. Friendship among the Greeks was prescribed by law and religion. Pederasty was unfortunately tolerated by custom; shameful abuses must not be charged against the law. We shall return to this subject.
Plain English translation
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Plain English translation of the same 73 articles, made directly from the French and reviewed against the scan-collated French text. The author’s notes, quotations and verse are retained. Historical ethnic labels, including offensive terms, are retained from the 1764 text.
Friendship is an unspoken agreement between two people who feel deeply and are morally good. I say feel deeply because a monk or a hermit can live without being wicked and still never know friendship. I say morally good because bad people have accomplices, not friends. People who pursue pleasure have partners in debauchery. Those who seek their own advantage have associates. Politicians bring together people who take sides in factions. Ordinary idle people have acquaintances. Princes have courtiers. Only good people have friends. Cethegus was Catiline’s accomplice; Maecenas was Octavian’s courtier. But Cicero was Atticus’s friend.
What does this agreement between two affectionate, honest souls require? Their obligations to each other are greater or smaller depending on how deeply they feel, how many services they have done each other, and so on.
The Greeks and Arabs were more enthusiastic about friendship than we are. They made up wonderful stories about it. We have no stories like theirs. We are rather dry about everything.
For the Greeks, friendship was part of religion and law. The Thebans had a regiment of lovers. What a fine regiment! Some people have thought it was a regiment of sodomites. They are wrong: they are confusing something secondary with the main thing. Greek law and religion required friendship. Unfortunately, custom tolerated pederasty. We should not blame the law for shameful abuses. We will discuss this again.
About this section
A — Amitié is part of Pocket Philosophical Dictionary by Voltaire. This page sets the French original beside 2 direct-source translations, so any line can be checked against the source. It is article 3 of 73 in the work, which is kept in the European tradition.
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