CANDIDE AND MARTIN, REASONING, DRAW NEAR THE COAST OF FRANCE. ¶
At length they descried the coast of France. ¶
"Were you ever in France, Mr. Martin?" said Candide. ¶
"Yes," said Martin, "I have been in several provinces. In some one-half of the people are fools, in others they are too cunning; in some they are weak and simple, in others they affect to be witty; in all, the principal occupation is love, the next is slander, and the third is talking nonsense." ¶
"But, Mr. Martin, have you seen Paris?" ¶
"Yes, I have. All these kinds are found there. It is a chaos—a confused multitude, where everybody seeks pleasure and scarcely any one finds it, at least as it appeared to me. I made a short stay there. On my arrival I was robbed of all I had by pickpockets at the fair of St. Germain. I myself was taken for a robber and was imprisoned for eight days, after which I served as corrector of the press to gain the money necessary for my return to Holland on foot. I knew the whole scribbling rabble, the party rabble, the fanatic rabble. It is said that there are very polite people in that city, and I wish to believe it." ¶
"For my part, I have no curiosity to see France," said Candide. "You may easily imagine that after spending a month at El Dorado I can desire to behold nothing upon earth but Miss Cunegonde. I go to await her at Venice. We shall pass through France on our way to Italy. Will you bear me company?" ¶
"With all my heart," said Martin. "It is said that Venice is fit only for its own nobility, but that strangers meet with a very good reception if they have a good deal of money. I have none of it; you have, therefore I will follow you all over the world." ¶
"But do you believe," said Candide, "that the earth was originally a sea, as we find it asserted in that large book belonging to the captain?" ¶
"I do not believe a word of it," said Martin, "any more than I do of the many ravings which have been published lately." ¶
"But for what end, then, has this world been formed?" said Candide. ¶
"To plague us to death," answered Martin. ¶
"Are you not greatly surprised," continued Candide, "at the love which these two girls of the Oreillons had for those monkeys, of which I have already told you?" ¶
"Not at all," said Martin. "I do not see that that passion was strange. I have seen so many extraordinary things that I have ceased to be surprised." ¶
"Do you believe," said Candide, "that men have always massacred each other as they do to-day, that they have always been liars, cheats, traitors, ingrates, brigands, idiots, thieves, scoundrels, gluttons, drunkards, misers, envious, ambitious, bloody-minded, calumniators, debauchees, fanatics, hypocrites, and fools?" ¶
"Do you believe," said Martin, "that hawks have always eaten pigeons when they have found them?" ¶
"Yes, without doubt," said Candide. ¶
"Well, then," said Martin, "if hawks have always had the same character why should you imagine that men may have changed theirs?" ¶
"Oh!" said Candide, "there is a vast deal of difference, for free will——" ¶
And reasoning thus they arrived at Bordeaux. ¶