,,pascal',s ,,pens,,es   ,,introduction 
,,by ,t4 ,s4 ,,eliot  ,a ,dutton        
,paperback  ,new ,york ,e4 ,p4 ,,dutton 
,,co41 ,,inc4     ,this paperback       
edition of ,pascal's ,penses ,published 
#aieh by ,e4 ,p4 ,dutton  ,co41 ,inc4   
,all rights reserved4 ,printed in the   
,u4,s4,a4   ,,sbn #j-ebe-dgjah-b        
,,introduction   ,it might seem that    
about ,blaise ,pascal1 and about the two
 works on which his fame is founded1    
everything that there is to say had been
 said4 ,the details of his life are as  
fully known as we can expect to know    
them2 his mathematical and physical     
discoveries have been treated many      
times2 his religious sentiment and his  
theological views have been discussed   
again and again2 and his prose style has
 been analysed by ,french critics down  
to the finest particular4 ,but ,pascal  
is one of those writers who will be and 
who must be studied afresh by men in    
every generation4 ,it is not he who     
changes1 but we who change4 ,it is not  

our knowledge of him that increases1 but
 our world that alters and our attitudes
 towards it4 ,the history of human      
opinions of ,pascal and of men of his   
stature is a part of the history of     
humanity4 ,that indicates his permanent 
importance4  ,the facts of ,pascal's    
life1 so far as they are necessary for  
this brief introduction to the ,penses1 
are as follows4 ,he was born at         
,clermont1 in ,auvergne1 in #afbc4 ,his 
family were people of substance of the  
upper middle class4 ,his father was a   
government official1 who was able to    
leave1 when he died1 a sufficient       
patrimony to his one son and his two    
daughters4 ,in #afca the father moved to
 ,paris1 and a few years later took up  
another government post at ,rouen4      
,wherever he lived1 the elder ,pascal   
seems to have mingled with some of the  
best society1 and with men of eminence  
in science and the arts4 ,blaise was    
educated entirely by his father at home4
 ,he was exceedingly precocious1 indeed 

excessively precocious1 for his         
application to studies in childhood and 
adolescence impaired his health1 and is 
held responsible for his death at       
thirty-nine4 ,prodigious1 though not    
incredible stories are preserved1       
especially of his precocity in          
mathematics4 ,his mind was active rather
 than accumulative2 he showed from his  
earliest years that disposition to find 
things out for himself1 which has       
characterised the infancy of            
,clerk-,maxwell and other scientists4   
,of his later discoveries in physics    
there is no need for mention here2 it   
must only be remembered that he counts  
as one of the greatest physicists and   
mathematicians of all time2 and that his
 discoveries were made during the years 
when most scientists are still          
apprentices4  ,the elder ,pascal1       
tienne1 was a sincere ,christian4 ,about
 #afdf he fell in with some             
representatives of the religious revival
 within the ,church which has become    

known as ,jansenism--after ,jansenius1  
,bishop of ,ypres1 whose theological    
work is taken as the origin of the      
movement4 ,this period is usually spoken
 of as the moment of ,pascal's first    
conversion4 ,the word conversion1       
however1 is too forcible to be applied  
at this point to ,blaise ,pascal        
himself4 ,the family had always been    
devout1 and the younger ,pascal1 though 
absorbed in his scientific work1 never  
seems to have been afflicted with       
infidelity4 ,his attention was then     
directed1 certainly1 to religious and   
theological matters2 but the term       
conversion can only be applied to his   
sisters--the elder1 already ,madame     
,prier1 and particularly the younger1   
,jacqueline1 who at that time conceived 
a vocation for the religious life4      
,pascal himself was by no means disposed
 to renounce the world4 ,after the death
 of the father in #afej ,jacqueline1 a  
young woman of remarkable strength and  
beauty of character1 wished to take her 

vows as a sister of ,port-,royal1 and   
for some time her wish remained         
unfulfilled owing to the opposition of  
her brother4 ,his objection was on the  
purely worldly ground that she wished to
 make over her patrimony to the ,order2 
whereas while she lived with him1 their 
combined resources made it possible for 
him to live more nearly on a scale of   
expense congenial to his tastes4 ,he    
liked1 in fact1 not only to mix with the
 best society1 but to keep a coach and  
horses--six horses is the number at one 
time attributed to his carriage4 ,though
 he had no legal power to prevent his   
sister from disposing of her property as
 she elected1 the amiable ,jacqueline   
shrank from doing so without her        
brother's willing approval4 ,the ,mother
 ,superior1 ,mre ,anglique--herself an  
eminent personage in the history of this
 religious movement--finally persuaded  
the young novice to enter the order     
without the satisfaction of bringing her
 patrimony with her2 but ,jacqueline    

remained so distressed by this situation
 that her brother finally relented4  ,so
 far as is known1 the worldly life      
enjoyed by ,pascal during this period   
can hardly be qualified as dissipation1 
and certainly not as debauchery4 ,even  
gambling may have appealed to him       
chiefly as affording a study of         
mathematical probabilities4 ,he appears 
to have led such a life as any          
cultivated intellectual man of good     
position and independent means might    
lead and consider himself a model of    
probity and virtue4 ,not even a         
love-affair is laid at his door1 though 
he is said to have contemplated         
marriage4 ,but ,jansenism1 as           
represented by the religious society of 
,port-,royal1 was morally a ,puritan    
movement within the ,church1 and its    
standards of conduct were at least as   
severe as those of any ,puritanism in   
,england or ,america4 ,the period of    
fashionable society1 in ,pascal's life1 
is however1 of great importance in his  

development4 ,it enlarged his knowledge 
of men and refined his tastes2 he became
 a man of the world and never lost what 
he had learnt2 and when he turned his   
thoughts wholly towards religion1 his   
worldly knowledge was a part of his     
composition which is essential to the   
value of his work4  ,pascal's interest  
in society did not distract him from    
scientific research2 nor did this period
 occupy much space in what is a very    
short and crowded life4 ,partly his     
natural dissatisfaction with such a     
life1 once he had learned all it had to 
teach him1 partly the influence of his  
saintly sister ,jacqueline1 partly      
increasing suffering as his health      
declined1 directed him more and more out
 of the world and to thoughts of        
eternity4 ,and in #afed occurs what is  
called his second conversion1 but which 
might be called his conversion simply4  
,he made a note of his mystical         
experience1 which he kept always about  
him1 and which was found1 after his     

death1 sewn into the coat which he was  
wearing4 ,the experience occurred on #bc
 ,november1 #afed1 and there is no      
reason to doubt its genuineness unless  
we choose to deny all mystical          
experience4 ,now1 ,pascal was not a     
mystic1 and his works are not to be     
classified amongst mystical writings2   
but what can only be called mystical    
experience happens to many men who do   
not become mystics4 ,the work which he  
undertook soon after1 the ,lettres      
crites  un provincial1 is a masterpiece 
of religious controversy at the opposite
 pole from mysticism4 ,we know quite    
well that he was at the time when he    
received his illumination from ,god in  
extremely poor health2 but it is a      
commonplace that some forms of illness  
are extremely favourable1 not only to   
religious illumination1 but to artistic 
and literary composition4 ,a piece of   
writing meditated1 apparently without   
progress1 for months or years1 may      
suddenly take shape and word2 and in    

this state long passages may be produced
 which require little or no retouch4 ,i 
have no good word to say for the        
cultivation of automatic writing as the 
model of literary composition2 ,i doubt 
whether these moments can be cultivated 
by the writer2 but he to whom this      
happens assuredly has the sensation of  
being a vehicle rather than a maker4 ,no
 masterpiece can be produced whole by   
such means2 but neither does even the   
higher form of religious inspiration    
suffice for the religious life2 even the
 most exalted mystic must return to the 
world1 and use his reason to employ the 
results of his experience in daily life4
 ,you may call it communion with the    
,divine1 or you may call it a temporary 
crystallisation of the mind4 ,until     
science can teach us to reproduce such  
phenomena at will1 science cannot claim 
to have explained them2 and they can be 
judged only by their fruits4  ,from that
 time until his death1 ,pascal was      
closely associated with the society of  

,port-,royal which his sister           
,jacqueline1 who predeceased him1 had   
joined as a religieuse2 the society was 
then fighting for its life against the  
,jesuits4 ,five propositions1 judged by 
a committee of cardinals and theologians
 at ,rome to be heretical1 were found to
 be put forward in the work of          
,jansenius2 and the society of          
,port-,royal1 the representative of     
,jansenism among devotional communities1
 suffered a blow from which it never    
revived4 ,it is not the place here to   
review the bitter controversy and       
conflict2 the best account1 from the    
point of view of a critic of genius who 
took no side1 who was neither ,jansenist
 nor ,jesuit1 ,christian nor infidel1 is
 that in the great book of              
,sainte-,beuve1 ,port-,royal4 ,and in   
this book the parts devoted to ,pascal  
himself are among the most brilliant    
pages of criticism that ,sainte-,beuve  
ever wrote4 ,it is sufficient to notice 
that the next occupation of ,pascal1    

after his conversion1 was to write these
 eighteen ,letters1 which as prose are  
of capital importance in the foundation 
of ,french classical style1 and which as
 polemic are surpassed by none1 not by  
,demosthenes1 or ,cicero1 or ,swift4    
,they have the limitation of all polemic
 and forensic3 they persuade1 they      
seduce1 they are unfair4 ,but it is also
 unfair to assert that1 in these        
,letters to a ,provincial1 ,pascal was  
attacking the ,society of ,jesus in     
itself4 ,he was attacking rather a      
particular school of casuistry which    
relaxed the requirements of the         
,confessional2 a school which certainly 
flourished amongst the ,society of      
,jesus at that time1 and of which the   
,spaniards ,escobar and ,molina are the 
most eminent authorities4 ,he           
undoubtedly abused the art of quotation1
 as a polemical writer can hardly help  
but do2 but there were abuses for him to
 abuse2 and he did the job thoroughly4  
,his ,letters must not be called        

theology4 ,academic theology was not a  
department in which ,pascal was versed2 
when necessary1 the fathers of          
,port-,royal came to his aid4 ,the      
,letters are the work of one of the     
finest mathematical minds of any time1  
and of a man of the world who addressed1
 not theologians1 but the world in      
general--all of the cultivated and many 
of the less cultivated of the ,french   
laity2 and with this public they made an
 astonishing success4  ,during this time
 ,pascal never wholly abandoned his     
scientific interests4 ,though in his    
religious writings he composed slowly   
and painfully1 and revised often1 in    
matters of mathematics his mind seemed  
to move with consummate natural ease and
 grace4 ,discoveries and inventions     
sprang from his brain without effort2   
among the minor devices of this later   
period1 the first omnibus service in    
,paris is said to owe its origin to his 
inventiveness4 ,but rapidly failing     
health1 and absorption in the great work

 he had in mind1 left him little time   
and energy during the last two years of 
his life4  ,the plan of what we call the
 ,penses formed itself about #affj4 ,the
 completed book was to have been a      
carefully constructed defence of        
,christianity1 a true ,apology and a    
kind of ,grammar of ,assent1 setting    
forth the reasons which will convince   
the intellect4 ,as ,i have indicated    
before1 ,pascal was not a theologian1   
and on dogmatic theology had recourse to
 his spiritual advisers4 ,nor was he    
indeed a systematic philosopher4 ,he was
 a man with an immense genius for       
science1 and at the same time a natural 
psychologist and moralist4 ,as he was a 
great literary artist1 his book would   
have been also his own spiritual        
autobiography2 his style1 free from all 
diminishing idiosyncrasies1 was yet very
 personal4 ,above all1 he was a man of  
strong passions2 and his intellectual   
passion for truth was reinforced by his 
passionate dissatisfaction with human   

life unless a spiritual explanation     
could be found4  ,we must regard the    
,penses as merely the first notes for a 
work which he left far from completion2 
we have1 in ,sainte-,beuve's words1 a   
tower of which the stones have been laid
 on each other1 but not cemented1 and   
the structure unfinished4 ,in early     
years his memory had been amazingly     
retentive of anything that he wished to 
remember2 and had it not been impaired  
by increasing illness and pain1 he      
probably would not have been obliged to 
set down these notes at all4 ,but taking
 the book as it is left to us1 we still 
find that it occupies a unique place in 
the history of ,french literature and in
 the history of religious meditation4   
,to understand the method which ,pascal 
employs1 the reader must be prepared to 
follow the process of the mind of the   
intelligent believer4 ,the ,christian   
thinker--and ,i mean the man who is     
trying consciously and conscientiously  
to explain to himself the sequence which

 culminated in faith1 rather than the   
public apologist--proceeds by rejection 
and elimination4 ,he finds the world to 
be so and so2 he finds its character    
inexplicable by any non-religious       
theory2 among religions he finds        
,christianity1 and ,catholic            
,christianity1 to account most          
satisfactorily for the world and        
especially for the moral world within2  
and thus1 by what ,newman calls powerful
 and concurrent reasons1 he finds       
himself inexorably committed to the     
dogma of the ,incarnation4 ,to the      
unbeliever1 this method seems           
disingenuous and perverse2 for the      
unbeliever is1 as a rule1 not so greatly
 troubled to explain the world to       
himself1 nor so greatly distressed by   
its disorder2 nor is he generally       
concerned 7in modern terms7 to preserve 
values4 ,he does not consider that if   
certain emotional states1 certain       
developments of character1 and what in  
the highest sense can be called         

saintliness are inherently and by       
inspection known to be good1 then the   
satisfactory explanation of the world   
must be an explanation which will admit 
the reality of these values4 ,nor does  
he consider such reasoning admissible2  
he would1 so to speak1 trim his values  
according to his cloth1 because to him  
such values are of no great value4 ,the 
unbeliever starts from the other end1   
and as likely as not with the question3 
,is a case of human parthenogenesis     
credible8 and this he would call going  
straight to the heart of the matter4    
,now ,pascal's method is1 on the whole1 
the method natural and right for the    
,christian2 and the opposite method is  
that taken by ,voltaire4 ,it is worth   
while to remember that ,voltaire1 in his
 attempt to refute ,pascal1 has given   
once and for all the type of such       
refutation2 and that later opponents of 
,pascal's ,apology for the ,christian   
,faith have contributed little beyond   
psychological irrelevancies4 ,for       

,voltaire has presented1 better than any
 one since1 what is the unbelieving     
point of view2 and in the end we must   
all choose for ourselves between one    
point of view and another4  ,i have said
 above that ,pascal's method is on the  
whole that of the typical ,christian    
apologist2 and this reservation was     
directed at ,pascal's belief in         
miracles1 which plays a larger part in  
his construction than it would in that1 
at least1 of the modern liberal         
,catholic4 ,it would seem fantastic to  
accept ,christianity because we first   
believe the ,gospel miracles to be true1
 and it would seem impious to accept it 
primarily because we believe more recent
 miracles to be true2 we accept the     
miracles1 or some miracles1 to be true  
because we believe the ,gospel of ,jesus
 ,christ3 we found our belief in the    
miracles on the ,gospel1 not our belief 
in the ,gospel on the miracles4 ,but it 
must be remembered that ,pascal had been
 deeply impressed by a contemporary     

miracle1 known as the miracle of the    
,holy ,thorn3 a thorn reputed to have   
been preserved from the ,crown of ,our  
,lord was pressed upon an ulcer which   
quickly healed4 ,sainte-,beuve1 who as a
 medical man felt himself on solid      
ground1 discusses fully the possible    
explanation of this apparent miracle4   
,it is true that the miracle happened at
 ,port-,royal1 and that it arrived      
opportunely to revive the depressed     
spirits of the community in its         
political afflictions2 and it is likely 
that ,pascal was the more inclined to   
believe a miracle which was performed   
upon his beloved sister4 ,in any case1  
it probably led him to assign a place to
 miracles1 in his study of faith1 which 
is not quite that which we should give  
to them ourselves4  ,now the great      
adversary against whom ,pascal set      
himself1 from the time of his first     
conversations with ,m4 de ,saci at      
,port-,royal1 was ,montaigne4 ,one      
cannot destroy ,pascal1 certainly2 but  

of all authors ,montaigne is one of the 
least destructible4 ,you could as well  
dissipate a fog by flinging             
hand-grenades into it4 ,for ,montaigne  
is a fog1 a gas1 a fluid1 insidious     
element4 ,he does not reason1 he        
insinuates1 charms1 and influences2 or  
if he reasons1 you must be prepared for 
his having some other design upon you   
than to convince you by his argument4   
,it is hardly too much to say that      
,montaigne is the most essential author 
to know1 if we would understand the     
course of ,french thought during the    
last three hundred years4 ,in every way1
 the influence of ,montaigne was        
repugnant to the men of ,port-,royal4   
,pascal studied him with the intention  
of demolishing him4 ,yet1 in the        
,penses1 at the very end of his life1 we
 find passage after passage1 and the    
slighter they are the more significant1 
almost lifted out of ,montaigne1 down to
 a figure of speech or a word4 ,the     
parallels,a are most often with the long

 essay of ,montaigne called ,apologie de
 ,raymond ,sbond--an astonishing piece  
of writing upon which ,shakespeare also 
probably drew in ,hamlet4 ,indeed1 by   
the time a man knew ,montaigne well     
enough to attack him1 he would already  
be thoroughly infected by him4      ,a  
,cf4 the use of the simile of the       
couvreur4 ,for comparing     parallel   
passages1 the edition of the ,penses by 
,henri ,massis 7,a     la cit des       
livres7 is better than the two-volume   
edition of     ,jacques ,chevalier      
7,gabalda74 ,it seems just possible that
 in the     latter edition1 and also in 
his biographical study 7,pascal2 by     
,jacques ,chevalier1 ,english           
translation1 published by ,sheed        
,ward71     ,m4 ,chevalier is a little  
over-zealous to demonstrate the perfect 
orthodoxy of ,pascal4  ,it would1       
however1 be grossly unfair to ,pascal1  
to ,montaigne1 and indeed to ,french    
literature1 to leave the matter at that4
 ,it is no diminution of ,pascal1 but   

only an aggrandisement of ,montaigne4   
,had ,montaigne been an ordinary        
life-sized sceptic1 a small man like    
,anatole ,france1 or even a greater man 
like ,renan1 or even like the greatest  
sceptic of all1 ,voltaire1 this         
influence would be to the discredit of  
,pascal2 but if ,montaigne had been no  
more than ,voltaire1 he could not have  
affected ,pascal at all4 ,the picture of
 ,montaigne which offers itself first to
 our eyes1 that of the original and     
independent solitary personality1       
absorbed in amused analysis of himself1 
is deceptive4 ,montaigne's is no limited
 ,pyrrhonism1 like that of ,voltaire1   
,renan1 or ,france4 ,he exists1 so to   
speak1 on a plan of numerous concentric 
circles1 the most apparent of which is  
the small inmost circle1 a personal     
puckish scepticism which can be easily  
aped if not imitated4 ,but what makes   
,montaigne a very great figure is that  
he succeeded1 ,god knows how--for       
,montaigne very likely did not know that

 he had done it--it is not the sort of  
thing that men can observe about        
themselves1 for it is essentially bigger
 than the individual's consciousness--he
 succeeded in giving expression to the  
scepticism of every human being4 ,for   
every man who thinks and lives by       
thought must have his own scepticism1   
that which stops at the question1 that  
which ends in denial1 or that which     
leads to faith and which is somehow     
integrated into the faith which         
transcends it4 ,and ,pascal1 as the type
 of one kind of religious believer1     
which is highly passionate and ardent1  
but passionate only through a powerful  
and regulated intellect1 is in the first
 sections of his unfinished ,apology for
 ,christianity facing unflinchingly the 
demon of doubt which is inseparable from
 the spirit of belief4  ,there is       
accordingly something quite different   
from an influence which would prove     
,pascal's weakness2 there is a real     
affinity between his doubt and that of  

,montaigne2 and through the common      
kinship with ,montaigne ,pascal is      
related to the noble and distinguished  
line of ,french moralists1 from ,la     
,rochefoucauld down4 ,in the honesty    
with which they face the donnes of the  
actual world this ,french tradition has 
a unique quality in ,european           
literature1 and in the seventeenth      
century ,hobbes is crude and uncivilised
 in comparison4  ,pascal is a man of the
 world among ascetics1 and an ascetic   
among men of the world2 he had the      
knowledge of worldliness and the passion
 of asceticism1 and in him the two are  
fused into an individual whole4 ,the    
majority of mankind is lazy-minded1     
incurious1 absorbed in vanities1 and    
tepid in emotion1 and is therefore      
incapable of either much doubt or much  
faith2 and when the ordinary man calls  
himself a sceptic or an unbeliever1 that
 is ordinarily a simple pose1 cloaking a
 disinclination to think anything out to
 a conclusion4 ,pascal's disillusioned  

analysis of human bondage is sometimes  
interpreted to mean that ,pascal was    
really and finally an unbeliever1 who1  
in his despair1 was incapable of        
enduring reality and enjoying the heroic
 satisfaction of the free man's worship 
of nothing4 ,his despair1 his           
disillusion1 are1 however1 no           
illustration of personal weakness2 they 
are perfectly objective1 because they   
are essential moments in the progress of
 the intellectual soul2 and for the type
 of ,pascal they are the analogue of the
 drought1 the dark night1 which is an   
essential stage in the progress of the  
,christian mystic4 ,a similar despair1  
when it is arrived at by a diseased     
character or an impure soul1 may issue  
in the most disastrous consequences     
though with the most superb             
manifestations2 and thus we get         
,gulliver's ,travels2 but in ,pascal we 
find no such distortion2 his despair is 
in itself more terrible than ,swift's1  
because our heart tells us that it      

corresponds exactly to the facts and    
cannot be dismissed as mental disease2  
but it was also a despair which was a   
necessary prelude to1 and element in1   
the joy of faith4  ,i do not wish to    
enter any further than necessary upon   
the question of the heterodoxy of       
,jansenism2 and it is no concern of this
 essay1 whether the ,five ,propositions 
condemned at ,rome were really          
maintained by ,jansenius in his book    
,augustinus2 or whether we should       
deplore or approve the consequent decay 
7indeed with some persecution7 of       
,port-,royal4 ,it is impossible to      
discuss the matter without becoming     
involved as a controversialist either   
for or against ,rome4 ,but in a man of  
the type of ,pascal--and the type always
 exists--there is1 ,i think1 an         
ingredient of what may be called        
,jansenism of temperament1 without      
identifying it with the ,jansenism of   
,jansenius and of other devout and      
sincere1 but not immensely gifted       

doctors4,b ,it is accordingly needful to
 state in brief what the dangerous      
doctrine of ,jansenius was1 without     
advancing too far into theological      
refinements4 ,it is recognised in       
,christian theology--and indeed on a    
lower plane it is recognised by all men 
in affairs of daily life--that freewill 
or the natural effort and ability of the
 individual man1 and also supernatural  
grace1 a gift accorded we know not quite
 how1 are both required1 in             
co-operation1 for salvation4 ,though    
numerous theologians have set their wits
 at the problem1 it ends in a mystery   
which we can perceive but not finally   
decipher4 ,at least1 it is obvious that1
 like any doctrine1 a slight excess or  
deviation to one side or the other will 
precipitate a heresy4 ,the ,pelagians1  
who were refuted by ,st4 ,augustine1    
emphasised the efficacy of human effort 
and belittled the importance of         
supernatural grace4 ,the ,calvinists    
emphasised the degradation of man       

through ,original ,sin1 and considered  
mankind so corrupt that the will was of 
no avail2 and thus fell into the        
doctrine of predestination4 ,it was upon
 the doctrine of grace according to ,st4
 ,augustine that the ,jansenists relied2
 and the ,augustinus of ,jansenius was  
presented as a sound exposition of the  
,augustinian views4      ,b ,the great  
man of ,port-,royal was of course       
,saint-,cyran1 but any     one who is   
interested will certainly consult1 first
 of all1 the book     of ,sainte-,beuve 
mentioned4  ,such heresies are never    
antiquated1 because they forever assume 
new forms4 ,for instance1 the insistence
 upon good works and service which is   
preached from many quarters1 or the     
simple faith that any one who lives a   
good and useful life need have no morbid
 anxieties about salvation1 is a form of
 ,pelagianism4 ,on the other hand1 one  
sometimes hears enounced the view that  
it will make no real difference if all  
the traditional religious sanctions for 

moral behaviour break down1 because     
those who are born and bred to be nice  
people will always prefer to behave     
nicely1 and those who are not will      
behave otherwise in any case3 and this  
is surely a form of predestination--for 
the hazard of being born a nice person  
or not is as uncertain as the gift of   
grace4  ,it is likely that ,pascal was  
attracted as much by the fruits of      
,jansenism in the life of ,port-,royal  
as by the doctrine itself4 ,this devout1
 ascetic1 thoroughgoing society1        
striving heroically in the midst of a   
relaxed and easy-going ,christianity1   
was formed to attract a nature so       
concentrated1 so passionate1 and so     
thoroughgoing as ,pascal's4 ,but the    
insistence upon the degraded and        
helpless state of man1 in ,jansenism1 is
 something also to which we must be     
grateful1 for to it we owe the          
magnificent analysis of human motives   
and occupations which was to have       
constituted the early part of his book4 

,and apart from the ,jansenism which is 
the work of a not very eminent bishop   
who wrote a ,latin treatise which is now
 unread1 there is also1 so to speak1 a  
,jansenism of the individual biography4 
,a moment of ,jansenism may naturally   
take place1 and take place rightly1 in  
the individual2 particularly in the life
 of a man of great and intense          
intellectual powers1 who cannot avoid   
seeing through human beings and         
observing the vanity of their thoughts  
and of their avocations1 their          
dishonesty and self-deceptions1 the     
insincerity of their emotions1 their    
cowardice1 the pettiness of their real  
ambitions4 ,actually1 considering that  
,pascal died at the age of thirty-nine1 
one must be amazed at the balance and   
justice of his observations2 much       
greater maturity is required for these  
qualities1 than for any mathematical or 
scientific greatness4 ,how easily his   
brooding on the misery of man without   
,god might have encouraged in him the   

sin of spiritual pride1 the             
concupiscence de l'esprit1 and how fast 
a hold he has of humility6  ,and        
although ,pascal brings to his work the 
same powers which he exerted in science1
 it is not as a scientist that he       
presents himself4 ,he does not seem to  
say to the reader3 ,i am one of the most
 distinguished scientists of the day2 ,i
 understand many matters which will     
always be mysteries to you1 and through 
science ,i have come to the ,faith2 you 
therefore who are not initiated into    
science ought to have faith if ,i have  
it4 ,he is fully aware of the difference
 of subject-matter2 and his famous      
distinction between the esprit de       
gomtrie and the esprit de finesse is one
 to ponder over4 ,it is the just        
combination of the scientist1 the honnte
 homme1 and the religious nature with a 
passionate craving for ,god1 that makes 
,pascal unique4 ,he succeeds where      
,descartes fails2 for in ,descartes the 
element of esprit de gomtrie is         

excessive4,c ,and in a few phrases about
 ,descartes1 in the present book1       
,pascal laid his finger on the place of 
weakness4      ,c ,for a brilliant      
criticism of the errors of ,descartes   
from a     theological point of view the
 reader is referred to ,three           
,reformers by ,jacques ,maritain        
7translation published by ,sheed        
,ward74  ,he who reads this book will   
observe at once its fragmentary nature2 
but only after some study will perceive 
that the fragmentariness lies in the    
expression more than in the thought4    
,the thoughts cannot be detached from   
each other and quoted as if each were   
complete in itself4 ,le cur a ses       
raisons que la raison ne connat point3  
how often one has heard that quoted1 and
 quoted often to the wrong purpose6 ,for
 this is by no means an exaltation of   
the heart over the head1 a defence of   
unreason4 ,the heart1 in ,pascal's      
terminology1 is itself truly rational if
 it is truly the heart4 ,for him1 in    

theological matters1 which seemed to him
 much larger1 more difficult1 and more  
important than scientific matters1 the  
whole personality is involved4  ,we     
cannot quite understand any of the      
parts1 fragmentary as they are1 without 
some understanding of the whole4        
,capital1 for instance1 is his analysis 
of the three orders3 the order of       
nature1 the order of mind1 and the order
 of charity4 ,these three are           
discontinuous2 the higher is not        
implicit in the lower as in an          
evolutionary doctrine it would be4,d ,in
 this distinction ,pascal offers much   
about which the modern world would do   
well to think4 ,and indeed1 because of  
his unique combination and balance of   
qualities1 ,i know of no religious      
writer more pertinent to our time4 ,the 
great mystics like ,st4 ,john of the    
,cross1 are primarily for readers with a
 special determination of purpose2 the  
devotional writers1 such as ,st4        
,franois de ,sales1 are primarily for   

those who already feel consciously      
desirous of the love of ,god2 the great 
theologians are for those interested in 
theology4 ,but ,i can think of no       
,christian writer1 not ,newman even1    
more to be commended than ,pascal to    
those who doubt1 but who have the mind  
to conceive1 and the sensibility to     
feel1 the disorder1 the futility1 the   
meaninglessness1 the mystery of life and
 suffering1 and who can only find peace 
through a satisfaction of the whole     
being4      ,d ,an important modern     
theory of discontinuity1 suggested      
partly by     ,pascal1 is sketched in   
the collected fragments of ,speculations
 by     ,t4 ,e4 ,hulme 7,kegan ,paul74  
,t4 ,s4 ,,eliot4     ,,contents         
,page          ,,introduction ,by ,t4   
,s4 ,eliot                 vii ,,section
 ,i4       ,,thoughts ,,on ,,mind ,,and 
,,on ,,style                 #a ,,ii4   
,,the ,,misery ,,of ,,man ,,without     
,,god                #ad ,,iii4     ,,of
 ,,the ,,necessity ,,of ,,the ,,wager   

#eb ,,iv4      ,,of ,,the ,,means ,,of  
,,belief                       #ga ,v4  
,,justice ,,and ,,the ,,reason ,,of     
,,effects            #hc ,,vi4          
,,the ,,philosophers                    
#if ,,vii4     ,,morality ,,and         
,,doctrine                       #aac   
,,viii4    ,,the ,,fundamentals ,,of    
,,the ,,christian ,,religion  #aeb ,,ix4
      ,,perpetuity                      
#afc ,x4       ,,typology               
#aha ,,xi4      ,,the ,,prophecies      
#aih ,,xii4     ,,proofs ,,of ,,jesus   
,,christ                      #bbb      
,,xiii4    ,,the ,,miracles             
#bch ,,xiv4     ,,appendix3 ,,polemical 
,,fragments               #beg          
,,notes                                 
#bgc          ,,index                   
#bhi         99       99       99       
99       99   ,,note  ,passages erased  
by ,pascal are enclosed in square       
brackets1 thus 4 ,words1 added or       
corrected by the editor of the text1 are
 similarly denoted1 but are in italics4 

,it has been seen fit to transfer       
,fragment #ead of the ,french edition to
 the ,notes4 ,all subsequent ,fragments 
have accordingly been renumbered4       
,,section ,i  ,,thoughts ,,on ,,mind    
,,and ,,on ,,style   #a   ,the          
difference between the mathematical and 
the intuitive mind4#a--;,in the one the 
principles are palpable1 but removed    
from ordinary use2 so that for want of  
habit it is difficult to turn one's mind
 in that direction3 but if one turns it 
thither ever so little1 one sees the    
principles fully1 and one must have a   
quite inaccurate mind who reasons       
wrongly from principles so plain that it
 is almost impossible they should escape
 notice4  ,but in the intuitive mind the
 principles are found in common use1 and
 are before the eyes of everybody4 ,one 
has only to look1 and no effort is      
necessary2 it is only a question of good
 eyesight1 but it must be good1 for the 
principles are so subtle and so         
numerous1 that it is almost impossible  

but that some escape notice4 ,now the   
omission of one principle leads to      
error2 thus one must have very clear    
sight to see all the principles1 and in 
the next place an accurate mind not to  
draw false deductions from known        
principles4  ,all mathematicians would  
then be intuitive if they had clear     
sight1 for they do not reason           
incorrectly from principles known to    
them2 and intuitive minds would be      
mathematical if they could turn their   
eyes to the principles of mathematics to
 which they are unused4  ,the reason1   
therefore1 that some intuitive minds are
 not mathematical is that they cannot at
 all turn their attention to the        
principles of mathematics4 ,but the     
reason that mathematicians are not      
intuitive is that they do not see what  
is before them1 and that1 accustomed to 
the exact and plain principles of       
mathematics1 and not reasoning till they
 have well inspected and arranged their 
principles1 they are lost in matters of 

intuition where the principles do not   
allow of such arrangement4 ,they are    
scarcely seen2 they are felt rather than
 seen2 there is the greatest difficulty 
in making them felt by those who do not 
of themselves perceive them4 ,these     
principles are so fine and so numerous  
that a very delicate and very clear     
sense is needed to perceive them1 and to
 judge rightly and justly when they are 
perceived1 without for the most part    
being able to demonstrate them in order 
as in mathematics2 because the          
principles are not known to us in the   
same way1 and because it would be an    
endless matter to undertake it4 ,we must
 see the matter at once1 at one glance1 
and not by a process of reasoning1 at   
least to a certain degree4 ,and thus it 
is rare that mathematicians are         
intuitive1 and that men of intuition are
 mathematicians1 because mathematicians 
wish to treat matters of intuition      
mathematically1 and make themselves     
ridiculous1 wishing to begin with       

definitions and then with axioms1 which 
is not the way to proceed in this kind  
of reasoning4 ,not that the mind does   
not do so1 but it does it tacitly1      
naturally1 and without technical rules2 
for the expression of it is beyond all  
men1 and only a few can feel it4        
,intuitive minds1 on the contrary1 being
 thus accustomed to judge at a single   
glance1 are so astonished when they are 
presented with propositions of which    
they understand nothing1 and the way to 
which is through definitions and axioms 
so sterile1 and which they are not      
accustomed to see thus in detail1 that  
they are repelled and disheartened4     
,but dull minds are never either        
intuitive or mathematical4              
,mathematicians who are only            
mathematicians have exact minds1        
provided all things are explained to    
them by means of definitions and axioms2
 otherwise they are inaccurate and      
insufferable1 for they are only right   
when the principles are quite clear4    

,and men of intuition who are only      
intuitive cannot have the patience to   
reach to first principles of things     
speculative and conceptual1 which they  
have never seen in the world1 and which 
are altogether out of the common4   #b  
,there are different kinds of right     
understanding2#b some have right        
understanding in a certain order of     
things1 and not in others1 where they go
 astray4 ,some draw conclusions well    
from a few premises1 and this displays  
an acute judgment4  ,others draw        
conclusions well where there are many   
premises4  ,for example1 the former     
easily learn hydrostatics1 where the    
premises are few1 but the conclusions   
are so fine that only the greatest      
acuteness can reach them4  ,and in spite
 of that these persons would perhaps not
 be great mathematicians1 because       
mathematics contain a great number of   
premises1 and there is perhaps a kind of
 intellect that can search with ease a  
few premises to the bottom1 and cannot  

in the least penetrate those matters in 
which there are many premises4  ,there  
are then two kinds of intellect3 the one
 able to penetrate acutely and deeply   
into the conclusions of given premises1 
and this is the precise intellect2 the  
other able to comprehend a great number 
of premises without confusing them1 and 
this is the mathematical intellect4 ,the
 one has force and exactness1 the other 
comprehension4 ,now the one quality can 
exist without the other2 the intellect  
can be strong and narrow1 and can also  
be comprehensive and weak4   #c  ,those 
who are accustomed to judge by feeling  
do not understand the process of        
reasoning1 for they would understand at 
first sight1 and are not used to seek   
for principles4 ,and others1 on the     
contrary1 who are accustomed to reason  
from principles1 do not at all          
understand matters of feeling1 seeking  
principles1 and being unable to see at a
 glance4   #d  ,mathematics1            
intuition4--,true eloquence makes light 

of eloquence1 true morality makes light 
of morality2 that is to say1 the        
morality of the judgment1 which has no  
rules1 makes light of the morality of   
the intellect4  ,for it is to judgment  
that perception belongs1 as science     
belongs to intellect4 ,intuition is the 
part of judgment1 mathematics of        
intellect4  ,to make light of philosophy
 is to be a true philosopher4   #e      
,those who judge of a work by rule#c are
 in regard to others as those who have a
 watch are in regard to others4 ,one    
says1 ,it is two hours ago2 the other   
says1 ,it is only three-quarters of an  
hour4 ,i look at my watch1 and say to   
the one1 ,you are weary1 and to the     
other1 ,time gallops with you2 for it is
 only an hour and a half ago1 and ,i    
laugh at those who tell me that time    
goes slowly with me1 and that ,i judge  
by imagination4 ,they do not know that  
,i judge by my watch4#d   #f  ,just as  
we harm the understanding1 we harm the  
feelings also4  ,the understanding and  

the feelings are moulded by intercourse2
 the understanding and feelings are     
corrupted by intercourse4 ,thus good or 
bad society improves or corrupts them4  
,it is1 then1 all-important to know how 
to choose in order to improve and not to
 corrupt them2 and we cannot make this  
choice1 if they be not already improved 
and not corrupted4 ,thus a circle is    
formed1 and those are fortunate who     
escape it4   #g  ,the greater intellect 
one has1 the more originality one finds 
in men4 ,ordinary persons find no       
difference between men4   #h  ,there are
 many people who listen to a sermon in  
the same way as they listen to vespers4 
#i  ,when we wish to correct with       
advantage1 and to show another that he  
errs1 we must notice from what side he  
views the matter1 for on that side it is
 usually true1 and admit that truth to  
him1 but reveal to him the side on which
 it is false4 ,he is satisfied with     
that1 for he sees that he was not       
mistaken1 and that he only failed to see

 all sides4 ,now1 no one is offended at 
not seeing everything2 but one does not 
like to be mistaken1 and that perhaps   
arises from the fact that man naturally 
cannot see everything1 and that         
naturally he cannot err in the side he  
looks at1 since the perceptions of our  
senses are always true4   #aj  ,people  
are generally better persuaded by the   
reasons which they have themselves      
discovered than by those which have come
 into the mind of others4   #aa  ,all   
great amusements are dangerous to the   
,christian life2 but among all those    
which the world has invented there is   
none more to be feared than the theatre4
 ,it is a representation of the passions
 so natural and so delicate that it     
excites them and gives birth to them in 
our hearts1 and1 above all1 to that of  
love1 principally when it is represented
 as very chaste and virtuous4 ,for the  
more innocent it appears to innocent    
souls1 the more they are likely to be   
touched by it4 ,its violence pleases our

 self-love1 which immediately forms a   
desire to produce the same effects which
 are seen so well represented2 and1 at  
the same time1 we make ourselves a      
conscience founded on the propriety of  
the feelings which we see there1 by     
which the fear of pure souls is removed1
 since they imagine that it cannot hurt 
their purity to love with a love which  
seems to them so reasonable4  ,so we    
depart from the theatre with our heart  
so filled with all the beauty and       
tenderness of love1 the soul and the    
mind so persuaded of its innocence1 that
 we are quite ready to receive its first
 impressions1 or rather to seek an      
opportunity of awakening them in the    
heart of another1 in order that we may  
receive the same pleasures and the same 
sacrifices which we have seen so well   
represented in the theatre4   #ab       
,scaramouch1#e who only thinks of one   
thing4  ,the doctor1#f who speaks for a 
quarter of an hour after he has said    
everything1 so full is he of the desire 

of talking4   #ac  ,one likes to see the
 error1 the passion of ,cleobuline1#g   
because she is unconscious of it4 ,she  
would be displeasing1 if she were not   
deceived4   #ad  ,when a natural        
discourse paints a passion or an effect1
 one feels within oneself the truth of  
what one reads1 which was there before1 
although one did not know it4 ,hence one
 is inclined to love him who makes us   
feel it1 for he has not shown us his own
 riches1 but ours4 ,and thus this       
benefit renders him pleasing to us1     
besides that such community of intellect
 as we have with him necessarily        
inclines the heart to love4   #ae       
,eloquence1 which persuades by          
sweetness1 not by authority2 as a       
tyrant1 not as a king4   #af  ,eloquence
 is an art of saying things in such a   
way--7#a7 that those to whom we speak   
may listen to them without pain and with
 pleasure2 7#b7 that they feel          
themselves interested1 so that self-love
 leads them more willingly to reflection

 upon it4  ,it consists1 then1 in a     
correspondence which we seek to         
establish between the head and the heart
 of those to whom we speak on the one   
hand1 and1 on the other1 between the    
thoughts and the expressions which we   
employ4 ,this assumes that we have      
studied well the heart of man so as to  
know all its powers1 and then to find   
the just proportions of the discourse   
which we wish to adapt to them4 ,we must
 put ourselves in the place of those who
 are to hear us1 and make trial on our  
own heart of the turn which we give to  
our discourse in order to see whether   
one is made for the other1 and whether  
we can assure ourselves that the hearer 
will be1 as it were1 forced to          
surrender4 ,we ought to restrict        
ourselves1 so far as possible1 to the   
simple and natural1 and not to magnify  
that which is little1 or belittle that  
which is great4 ,it is not enough that a
 thing be beautiful2 it must be suitable
 to the subject1 and there must be in it

 nothing of excess or defect4   #ag     
,rivers are roads which move1#h and     
which carry us whither we desire to go4 
#ah  ,when we do not know the truth of a
 thing1 it is of advantage that there   
should exist a common error which       
determines the mind of man1 as1 for     
example1 the moon1 to which is          
attributed the change of seasons1 the   
progress of diseases1 etc4 ,for the     
chief malady of man is restless         
curiosity about things which he cannot  
understand2 and it is not so bad for him
 to be in error as to be curious to no  
purpose4  ,the manner in which          
,epictetus1 ,montaigne1 and ,salomon de 
,tultie#i wrote1 is the most usual1 the 
most suggestive1 the most remembered1   
and the oftenest quoted2 because it is  
entirely composed of thoughts born from 
the common talk of life4 ,as when we    
speak of the common error which exists  
among men that the moon is the cause of 
everything1 we never fail to say that   
,salomon de ,tultie says that when we do

 not know the truth of a thing1 it is of
 advantage that there should exist a    
common error1 etc42 which is the thought
 above4   #ai  ,the last thing one      
settles in writing a book is what one   
should put in first4   #bj              
,order4--,why should ,i undertake to    
divide my virtues into four rather than 
into six8 ,why should ,i rather         
establish virtue in four1 in two1 in    
one8 ,why into ,abstine et sustine#aj   
rather than into ,follow ,nature1#aa or1
 ,conduct your private affairs without  
injustice1 as ,plato1#ab or anything    
else8 ,but there1 you will say1         
everything is contained in one word4    
,yes1 but it is useless without         
explanation1 and when we come to explain
 it1 as soon as we unfold this maxim    
which contains all the rest1 they emerge
 in that first confusion which you      
desired to avoid4 ,so1 when they are all
 included in one1 they are hidden and   
useless1 as in a chest1 and never appear
 save in their natural confusion4       

,nature has established them all without
 including one in the other4   #ba      
,nature has made all her truths         
independent of one another4 ,our art    
makes one dependent on the other4 ,but  
this is not natural4 ,each keeps its own
 place4   #bb  ,let no one say that ,i  
have said nothing new2 the arrangement  
of the subject is new4 ,when we play    
tennis1 we both play with the same ball1
 but one of us places it better4  ,i had
 as soon it said that ,i used words     
employed before4 ,and in the same way if
 the same thoughts in a different       
arrangement do not form a different     
discourse1 no more do the same words in 
their different arrangement form        
different thoughts6   #bc  ,words       
differently arranged have a different   
meaning1 and meanings differently       
arranged have different effects4   #bd  
,language4--,we should not turn the mind
 from one thing to another1 except for  
relaxation1 and that when it is         
necessary and the time suitable1 and not

 otherwise4 ,for he that relaxes out of 
season wearies1 and he who wearies us   
out of season makes us languid1 since we
 turn quite away4 ,so much does our     
perverse lust like to do the contrary of
 what those wish to obtain from us      
without giving us pleasure1 the coin for
 which we will do whatever is wanted4   
#be  ,eloquence4--,it requires the      
pleasant and the real2 but the pleasant 
must itself be drawn from the true4     
#bf  ,eloquence is a painting of        
thought2 and thus those who1 after      
having painted it1 add something more1  
make a picture instead of a portrait4   
#bg  ,miscellaneous4 ,language4--,those 
who make antitheses by forcing words are
 like those who make false windows for  
symmetry4 ,their rule is not to speak   
accurately1 but to make apt figures of  
speech4   #bh  ,symmetry is what we see 
at a glance2 based on the fact that     
there is no reason for any difference1  
and based also on the face of man2      
whence it happens that symmetry is only 

wanted in breadth1 not in height or     
depth4   #bi  ,when we see a natural    
style1 we are astonished and delighted2 
for we expected to see an author1 and we
 find a man4 ,whereas those who have    
good taste1 and who seeing a book expect
 to find a man1 are quite surprised to  
find an author4 ,plus poetice quam      
humane locutus es4 ,those honour ,nature
 well1 who teach that she can speak on  
everything1 even on theology4   #cj  ,we
 only consult the ear because the heart 
is wanting4 ,the rule is uprightness4   
,beauty of omission1 of judgment4   #ca 
,all the false beauties which we blame  
in ,cicero have their admirers1 and in  
great number4   #cb  ,there is a certain
 standard of grace and beauty which     
consists in a certain relation between  
our nature1 such as it is1 weak or      
strong1 and the thing which pleases us4 
,whatever is formed according to this   
standard pleases us1 be it house1 song1 
discourse1 verse1 prose1 woman1 birds1  
rivers1 trees1 rooms1 dress1 etc4       

,whatever is not made according to this 
standard displeases those who have good 
taste4  ,and as there is a perfect      
relation between a song and a house     
which are made after a good model1      
because they are like this good model1  
though each after its kind2 even so     
there is a perfect relation between     
things made after a bad model4 ,not that
 the bad model is unique1 for there are 
many2 but each bad sonnet1 for example1 
on whatever false model it is formed1 is
 just like a woman dressed after that   
model4  ,nothing makes us understand    
better the ridiculousness of a false    
sonnet than to consider nature and the  
standard1 and then to imagine a woman or
 a house made according to that         
standard4   #cc  ,poetical beauty4--,as 
we speak of poetical beauty1 so ought we
 to speak of mathematical beauty and    
medical beauty4 ,but we do not do so2   
and the reason is that we know well what
 is the object of mathematics1 and that 
it consists in proofs1 and what is the  

object of medicine1 and that it consists
 in healing4 ,but we do not know in what
 grace consists1 which is the object of 
poetry4 ,we do not know the natural     
model which we ought to imitate2 and    
through lack of this knowledge1 we have 
coined fantastic terms1 ,the golden age1
 ,the wonder of our times1 ,fatal1 etc41
 and call this jargon poetical          
beauty4#ac  ,but whoever imagines a     
woman after this model1 which consists  
in saying little things in big words1   
will see a pretty girl adorned with     
mirrors and chains1 at whom he will     
smile2 because we know better wherein   
consists the charm of woman than the    
charm of verse4 ,but those who are      
ignorant would admire her in this dress1
 and there are many villages in which   
she would be taken for the queen2 hence 
we call sonnets made after this model   
,village ,queens4   #cd  ,no one passes 
in the world as skilled in verse unless 
he has put up the sign of a poet1 a     
mathematician1 etc4 ,but educated people

 do not want a sign1 and draw little    
distinction between the trade of a poet 
and that of an embroiderer4  ,people of 
education are not called poets or       
mathematicians1 etc42 but they are all  
these1 and judges of all these4 ,no one 
guesses what they are4 ,when they come  
into society1 they talk on matters about
 which the rest are talking4 ,we do not 
observe in them one quality rather than 
another1 save when they have to make use
 of it4 ,but then we remember it1 for it
 is characteristic of such persons that 
we do not say of them that they are fine
 speakers1 when it is not a question of 
oratory1 and that we say of them that   
they are fine speakers1 when it is such 
a question4  ,it is therefore false     
praise to give a man when we say of him1
 on his entry1 that he is a very clever 
poet2 and it is a bad sign when a man is
 not asked to give his judgment on some 
verses4   #ce  ,we should not be able to
 say of a man1 ,he is a mathematician1  
or a preacher1 or eloquent2 but that he 

is a gentleman4 ,that universal quality 
alone pleases me4 ,it is a bad sign     
when1 on seeing a person1 you remember  
his book4 ,i would prefer you to see no 
quality till you meet it and have       
occasion to use it 7,ne quid nimis#ad71 
for fear some one quality prevail and   
designate the man4 ,let none think him a
 fine speaker1 unless oratory be in     
question1 and then let them think it4   
#cf  ,man is full of wants3 he loves    
only those who can satisfy them all4    
,this one is a good mathematician1 one  
will say4 ,but ,i have nothing to do    
with mathematics2 he would take me for a
 proposition4 ,that one is a good       
soldier4 ,he would take me for a        
besieged town4 ,i need1 then1 an upright
 man who can accommodate himself        
generally to all my wants4   #cg  ,since
 we cannot be universal and know all    
that is to be known of everything1 we   
ought to know a little about everything4
 ,for it is far better to know something
 about everything than to know all about

 one thing4 ,this universality is the   
best4 ,if we can have both1 still       
better2 but if we must choose1 we ought 
to choose the former4 ,and the world    
feels this and does so2 for the world is
 often a good judge4   #ch  ,a poet and 
not an honest man4   #ci  ,if lightning 
fell on low places1 etc41 poets1 and    
those who can only reason about things  
of that kind1 would lack proofs4   #dj  
,if we wished to prove the examples     
which we take to prove other things1 we 
should have to take those other things  
to be examples2 for1 as we always       
believe the difficulty is in what we    
wish to prove1 we find the examples     
clearer and a help to demonstration4    
,thus when we wish to demonstrate a     
general theorem1 we must give the rule  
as applied to a particular case2 but if 
we wish to demonstrate a particular     
case1 we must begin with the general    
rule4 ,for we always find the thing     
obscure which we wish to prove1 and that
 clear which we use for the proof2 for1 

when a thing is put forward to be       
proved1 we first fill ourselves with the
 imagination that it is therefore       
obscure1 and on the contrary that what  
is to prove it is clear1 and so we      
understand it easily4   #da  ,epigrams  
of ,martial4--,man loves malice1 but not
 against one-eyed men nor the           
unfortunate1 but against the fortunate  
and proud4 ,people are mistaken in      
thinking otherwise4  ,for lust is the   
source of all our actions1 and humanity1
 etc4 ,we must please those who have    
humane and tender feelings4 ,that       
epigram about two one-eyed people is    
worthless1#ae for it does not console   
them1 and only gives a point to the     
author's glory4 ,all that is only for   
the sake of the author is worthless4    
,ambitiosa recident ornamenta4#af   #db 
,to call a king ,prince is pleasing1    
because it diminishes his rank4   #dc   
,certain authors1 speaking of their     
works1 say1 ,my book1 ,my commentary1   
,my history1 etc4 ,they resemble        

middle-class people who have a house of 
their own1 and always have ,my house on 
their tongue4 ,they would do better to  
say1 ,our book1 ,our commentary1 ,our   
history1 etc41 because there is in them 
usually more of other people's than     
their own4   #dd  ,do you wish people to
 believe good of you8 ,don't speak4     
#de  ,languages are ciphers1 wherein    
letters are not changed into letters1   
but words into words1 so that an unknown
 language is decipherable4   #df  ,a    
maker of witticisms1 a bad character4   
#dg  ,there are some who speak well and 
write badly4 ,for the place and the     
audience warm them1 and draw from their 
minds more than they think of without   
that warmth4   #dh  ,when we find words 
repeated in a discourse1 and1 in trying 
to correct them1 discover that they are 
so appropriate that we would spoil the  
discourse1 we must leave them alone4    
,this is the test2 and our attempt is   
the work of envy1 which is blind1 and   
does not see that repetition is not in  

this place a fault2 for there is no     
general rule4   #di  ,to mask nature and
 disguise her4 ,no more king1 pope1     
bishop--but august monarch1 etc42 not   
,paris--the capital of the kingdom4     
,there are places in which we ought to  
call ,paris1 ,paris1 and others in which
 we ought to call it the capital of the 
kingdom4   #ej  ,the same meaning       
changes with the words which express it4
 ,meanings receive their dignity from   
words instead of giving it to them4     
,examples should be sought4444   #ea    
,sceptic1 for obstinate4   #eb  ,no one 
calls another a ,cartesian#ag but he who
 is one himself1 a pedant but a pedant1 
a provincial but a provincial2 and ,i   
would wager it was the printer who put  
it on the title of ,letters to a        
,provincial4   #ec  ,a carriage upset or
 overturned1 according to the meaning   
,to spread abroad or upset1 according to
 the meaning4 7,the argument by force of
 ,m4 le ,matre#ah over the friar47   #ed
  ,miscellaneous4--,a form of speech1 ,i

 should have liked to apply myself to   
that4   #ee  ,the aperitive virtue of a 
key1 the attractive virtue of a hook4   
#ef  ,to guess3 ,the part that ,i take  
in your trouble4 ,the ,cardinal#ai did  
not want to be guessed4  ,my mind is    
disquieted4 ,i am disquieted is better4 
#eg  ,i always feel uncomfortable under 
such compliments as these3 ,i have given
 you a great deal of trouble1 ,i am     
afraid ,i am boring you1 ,i fear this is
 too long4 ,we either carry our audience
 with us1 or irritate them4   #eh  ,you 
are ungraceful3 ,excuse me1 pray4       
,without that excuse ,i would not have  
known there was anything amiss4 ,with   
reverence be it spoken 4444 ,the only   
thing bad is their excuse4   #ei  ,to   
extinguish the torch of sedition2 too   
luxuriant4 ,the restlessness of his     
genius2 two superfluous grand words4    
,,section ,,ii  ,,the ,,misery ,,of     
,,man ,,without ,,god   #fj  ,first     
part3 ,misery of man without ,god4      
,second part3 ,happiness of man with    

,god4  ,or1 ,first part3 ,that nature is
 corrupt4 ,proved by nature itself4     
,second part3 ,that there is a          
,redeemer4 ,proved by ,scripture4   #fa 
,order4--,i might well have taken this  
discourse in an order like this3 to show
 the vanity of all conditions of men1 to
 show the vanity of ordinary lives1 and 
then the vanity of philosophic lives1   
sceptics1 stoics2 but the order would   
not have been kept4 ,i know a little    
what it is1 and how few people          
understand it4 ,no human science can    
keep it4 ,saint ,thomas#bj did not keep 
it4 ,mathematics keep it1 but they are  
useless on account of their depth4   #fb
  ,preface to the first part4--,to speak
 of those who have treated of the       
knowledge of self2 of the divisions of  
,charron1#ba which sadden and weary us2 
of the confusion of ,montaigne2#bb that 
he was quite aware of his want of       
method1 and shunned it by jumping from  
subject to subject2 that he sought to be
 fashionable4  ,his foolish project of  

describing himself6 ,and this not       
casually and against his maxims1 since  
every one makes mistakes1 but by his    
maxims themselves1 and by first and     
chief design4 ,for to say silly things  
by chance and weakness is a common      
misfortune2 but to say them             
intentionally is intolerable1 and to say
 such as that 444   #fc                 
,montaigne4--,montaigne's faults are    
great4 ,lewd words2 this is bad1        
notwithstanding ,mademoiselle de        
,gournay4#bc ,credulous2 people without 
eyes4#bd ,ignorant2 squaring the        
circle1#be a greater world4#bf ,his     
opinions on suicide1 on death4#bg ,he   
suggests an indifference about          
salvation1 without fear and without     
repentance4#bh ,as his book was not     
written with a religious purpose1 he was
 not bound to mention religion2 but it  
is always our duty not to turn men from 
it4 ,one can excuse his rather free and 
licentious opinions on some relations of
 life 7#gcj1bca7bi2 but one cannot      

excuse his thoroughly pagan views on    
death1 for a man must renounce piety    
altogether1 if he does not at least wish
 to die like a ,christian4 ,now1 through
 the whole of his book his only         
conception of death is a cowardly and   
effeminate one4   #fd  ,it is not in    
,montaigne1 but in myself1 that ,i find 
all that ,i see in him4   #fe  ,what    
good there is in ,montaigne can only    
have been acquired with difficulty4 ,the
 evil that is in him1 ,i mean apart from
 his morality1 could have been corrected
 in a moment1 if he had been informed   
that he made too much of trifles and    
spoke too much of himself4   #ff  ,one  
must know oneself4 ,if this does not    
serve to discover truth1 it at least    
serves as a rule of life1 and there is  
nothing better4   #fg  ,the vanity of   
the sciences4--,physical science will   
not console me for the ignorance of     
morality in the time of affliction4 ,but
 the science of ethics will always      
console me for the ignorance of the     

physical sciences4   #fh  ,men are never
 taught to be gentlemen1 and are taught 
everything else2 and they never plume   
themselves so much on the rest of their 
knowledge as on knowing how to be       
gentlemen4 ,they only plume themselves  
on knowing the one thing they do not    
know4   #fi  ,the infinites1 the        
mean4--,when we read too fast or too    
slowly1 we understand nothing4   #gj    
,nature 444--,nature has set us so well 
in the centre1 that if we change one    
side of the balance1 we change the other
 also4 ,i act4   4 ,this makes me       
believe that the springs in our brain   
are so adjusted that he who touches one 
touches also its contrary4   #ga  ,too  
much and too little wine4 ,give him     
none1 he cannot find truth2 give him too
 much1 the same4   #gb  ,man's          
disproportion4--,this is where our      
innate knowledge leads us4 ,if it be not
 true1 there is no truth in man2 and if 
it be true1 he finds therein great cause
 for humiliation1 being compelled to    

abase himself in one way or another4    
,and since he cannot exist without this 
knowledge1 ,i wish that1 before entering
 on deeper researches into nature1 he   
would consider her both seriously and at
 leisure1 that he would reflect upon    
himself also1 and knowing what          
proportion there is4444 ,let man then   
contemplate the whole of nature in her  
full and grand majesty1 and turn his    
vision from the low objects which       
surround him4 ,let him gaze on that     
brilliant light1 set like an eternal    
lamp to illumine the universe2 let the  
earth appear to him a point in          
comparison with the vast circle         
described by the sun2 and let him wonder
 at the fact that this vast circle is   
itself but a very fine point in         
comparison with that described by the   
stars in their revolution round the     
firmament4 ,but if our view be arrested 
there1 let our imagination pass beyond2 
it will sooner exhaust the power of     
conception than nature that of supplying

 material for conception4 ,the whole    
visible world is only an imperceptible  
atom in the ample bosom of nature4 ,no  
idea approaches it4 ,we may enlarge our 
conceptions beyond all imaginable space2
 we only produce atoms in comparison    
with the reality of things4 ,it is an   
infinite sphere1 the centre of which is 
everywhere1 the circumference           
nowhere4#cj ,in short it is the greatest
 sensible mark of the almighty power of 
,god1 that imagination loses itself in  
that thought4  ,returning to himself1   
let man consider what he is in          
comparison with all existence2 let him  
regard himself as lost in this remote   
corner of nature2 and from the little   
cell in which he finds himself lodged1  
,i mean the universe1 let him estimate  
at their true value the earth1 kingdoms1
 cities1 and himself4 ,what is a man in 
the ,infinite8  ,but to show him another
 prodigy equally astonishing1 let him   
examine the most delicate things he     
knows4 ,let a mite be given him1 with   

its minute body and parts incomparably  
more minute1 limbs with their joints1   
veins in the limbs1 blood in the veins1 
humours in the blood1 drops in the      
humours1 vapours in the drops4 ,dividing
 these last things again1 let him       
exhaust his powers of conception1 and   
let the last object at which he can     
arrive be now that of our discourse4    
,perhaps he will think that here is the 
smallest point in nature4 ,i will let   
him see therein a new abyss4 ,i will    
paint for him not only the visible      
universe1 but all that he can conceive  
of nature's immensity in the womb of    
this abridged atom4 ,let him see therein
 an infinity of universes1 each of which
 has its firmament1 its planets1 its    
earth1 in the same proportion as in the 
visible world2 in each earth animals1   
and in the last mites1 in which he will 
find again all that the first had1      
finding still in these others the same  
thing without end and without cessation4
 ,let him lose himself in wonders as    

amazing in their littleness as the      
others in their vastness4 ,for who will 
not be astounded at the fact that our   
body1 which a little while ago was      
imperceptible in the universe1 itself   
imperceptible in the bosom of the whole1
 is now a colossus1 a world1 or rather a
 whole1 in respect of the nothingness   
which we cannot reach8 ,he who regards  
himself in this light will be afraid of 
himself1 and observing himself sustained
 in the body given him by nature between
 those two abysses of the ,infinite and 
,nothing1 will tremble at the sight of  
these marvels2 and ,i think that1 as his
 curiosity changes into admiration1 he  
will be more disposed to contemplate    
them in silence than to examine them    
with presumption4  ,for in fact what is 
man in nature8 ,a ,nothing in comparison
 with the ,infinite1 an ,all in         
comparison with the ,nothing1 a mean    
between nothing and everything4 ,since  
he is infinitely removed from           
comprehending the extremes1 the end of  

things and their beginning are          
hopelessly hidden from him in an        
impenetrable secret1 he is equally      
incapable of seeing the ,nothing from   
which he was made1 and the ,infinite in 
which he is swallowed up4  ,what will he
 do then1 but perceive the appearance of
 the middle of things1 in an eternal    
despair of knowing either their         
beginning or their end4 ,all things     
proceed from the ,nothing1 and are borne
 towards the ,infinite4 ,who will follow
 these marvellous processes8 ,the       
,author of these wonders understands    
them4 ,none other can do so4  ,through  
failure to contemplate these ,infinites1
 men have rashly rushed into the        
examination of nature1 as though they   
bore some proportion to her4 ,it is     
strange that they have wished to        
understand the beginnings of things1 and
 thence to arrive at the knowledge of   
the whole1 with a presumption as        
infinite as their object4 ,for surely   
this design cannot be formed without    

presumption or without a capacity       
infinite like nature4  ,if we are well  
informed1 we understand that1 as nature 
has graven her image and that of her    
,author on all things1 they almost all  
partake of her double infinity4 ,thus we
 see that all the sciences are infinite 
in the extent of their researches4 ,for 
who doubts that geometry1 for instance1 
has an infinite infinity of problems to 
solve8 ,they are also infinite in the   
multitude and fineness of their         
premises2 for it is clear that those    
which are put forward as ultimate are   
not self-supporting1 but are based on   
others which1 again having others for   
their support1 do not permit of         
finality4 ,but we represent some as     
ultimate for reason1 in the same way as 
in regard to material objects we call   
that an indivisible point beyond which  
our senses can no longer perceive       
anything1 although by its nature it is  
infinitely divisible4  ,of these two    
,infinites of science1 that of greatness

 is the most palpable1 and hence a few  
persons have pretended to know all      
things4 ,i will speak of the whole1#ca  
said ,democritus4  ,but the infinitely  
little is the least obvious4            
,philosophers have much oftener claimed 
to have reached it1 and it is here they 
have all stumbled4 ,this has given rise 
to such common titles as ,first         
,principles1 ,principles of             
,philosophy1#cb and the like1 as        
ostentatious in fact1 though not in     
appearance1 as that one which blinds us1
 ,de omni scibili4#cc  ,we naturally    
believe ourselves far more capable of   
reaching the centre of things than of   
embracing their circumference4 ,the     
visible extent of the world visibly     
exceeds us2 but as we exceed little     
things1 we think ourselves more capable 
of knowing them4 ,and yet we need no    
less capacity for attaining the ,nothing
 than the ,all4 ,infinite capacity is   
required for both1 and it seems to me   
that whoever shall have understood the  

ultimate principles of being might also 
attain to the knowledge of the          
,infinite4 ,the one depends on the      
other1 and one leads to the other4      
,these extremes meet and reunite by     
force of distance1 and find each other  
in ,god1 and in ,god alone4  ,let us    
then take our compass2 we are something1
 and we are not everything4 ,the nature 
of our existence hides from us the      
knowledge of first beginnings which are 
born of the ,nothing2 and the littleness
 of our being conceals from us the sight
 of the ,infinite4  ,our intellect holds
 the same position in the world of      
thought as our body occupies in the     
expanse of nature4  ,limited as we are  
in every way1 this state which holds the
 mean between two extremes is present in
 all our impotence4 ,our senses perceive
 no extreme4 ,too much sound deafens us2
 too much light dazzles us2 too great   
distance or proximity hinders our view4 
,too great length and too great brevity 
of discourse tend to obscurity2 too much

 truth is paralysing 7,i know some who  
cannot understand that to take four from
 nothing leaves nothing74 ,first        
principles are too self-evident for us2 
too much pleasure disagrees with us4    
,too many concords are annoying in      
music2 too many benefits irritate us2 we
 wish to have the wherewithal to        
over-pay our debts4 ,beneficia eo usque 
lta sunt dum videntur exsolvi posse2 ubi
 multum antevenere1 pro gratia odium    
redditur4#cd ,we feel neither extreme   
heat nor extreme cold4 ,excessive       
qualities are prejudicial to us and not 
perceptible by the senses2 we do not    
feel but suffer them4 ,extreme youth and
 extreme age hinder the mind1 as also   
too much and too little education4 ,in  
short1 extremes are for us as though    
they were not1 and we are not within    
their notice4 ,they escape us1 or we    
them4  ,this is our true state2 this is 
what makes us incapable of certain      
knowledge and of absolute ignorance4 ,we
 sail within a vast sphere1 ever        

drifting in uncertainty1 driven from end
 to end4 ,when we think to attach       
ourselves to any point and to fasten to 
it1 it wavers and leaves us2 and if we  
follow it1 it eludes our grasp1 slips   
past us1 and vanishes for ever4 ,nothing
 stays for us4 ,this is our natural     
condition1 and yet most contrary to our 
inclination2 we burn with desire to find
 solid ground and an ultimate sure      
foundation whereon to build a tower     
reaching to the ,infinite4 ,but our     
whole groundwork cracks1 and the earth  
opens to abysses4  ,let us therefore not
 look for certainty and stability4 ,our 
reason is always deceived by fickle     
shadows2 nothing can fix the finite     
between the two ,infinites1 which both  
enclose and fly from it4  ,if this be   
well understood1 ,i think that we shall 
remain at rest1 each in the state       
wherein nature has placed him4 ,as this 
sphere which has fallen to us as our lot
 is always distant from either extreme1 
what matters it that man should have a  

little more knowledge of the universe8  
,if he has it1 he but gets a little     
higher4 ,is he not always infinitely    
removed from the end1 and is not the    
duration of our life equally removed    
from eternity1 even if it lasts ten     
years longer8  ,in comparison with these
 ,infinites all finites are equal1 and  
,i see no reason for fixing our         
imagination on one more than on another4
 ,the only comparison which we make of  
ourselves to the finite is painful to   
us4  ,if man made himself the first     
object of study1 he would see how       
incapable he is of going further4 ,how  
can a part know the whole8 ,but he may  
perhaps aspire to know at least the     
parts to which he bears some proportion4
 ,but the parts of the world are all so 
related and linked to one another1 that 
,i believe it impossible to know one    
without the other and without the whole4
  ,man1 for instance1 is related to all 
he knows4 ,he needs a place wherein to  
abide1 time through which to live1      

motion in order to live1 elements to    
compose him1 warmth and food to nourish 
him1 air to breathe4 ,he sees light2 he 
feels bodies2 in short1 he is in a      
dependent alliance with everything4 ,to 
know man1 then1 it is necessary to know 
how it happens that he needs air to     
live1 and1 to know the air1 we must know
 how it is thus related to the life of  
man1 etc4 ,flame cannot exist without   
air2 therefore to understand the one1 we
 must understand the other4  ,since     
everything then is cause and effect1    
dependent and supporting1 mediate and   
immediate1 and all is held together by a
 natural though imperceptible chain1    
which binds together things most distant
 and most different1 ,i hold it equally 
impossible to know the parts without    
knowing the whole1 and to know the whole
 without knowing the parts in detail4   
,the eternity of things in itself or in 
,god must also astonish our brief       
duration4 ,the fixed and constant       
immobility of nature1 in comparison with

 the continual change which goes on     
within us1 must have the same effect4   
,and what completes our incapability of 
knowing things1 is the fact that they   
are simple1 and that we are composed of 
two opposite natures1 different in kind1
 soul and body4 ,for it is impossible   
that our rational part should be other  
than spiritual2 and if any one maintain 
that we are simply corporeal1 this would
 far more exclude us from the knowledge 
of things1 there being nothing so       
inconceivable as to say that matter     
knows itself4 ,it is impossible to      
imagine how it should know itself4  ,so 
if we are simply material1 we can know  
nothing at all2 and if we are composed  
of mind and matter1 we cannot know      
perfectly things which are simple1      
whether spiritual or corporeal4 ,hence  
it comes that almost all philosophers   
have confused ideas of things1 and speak
 of material things in spiritual terms1 
and of spiritual things in material     
terms4 ,for they say boldly that bodies 

have a tendency to fall1 that they seek 
after their centre1 that they fly from  
destruction1 that they fear the void1   
that they have inclinations1 sympathies1
 antipathies1 all of which attributes   
pertain only to mind4 ,and in speaking  
of minds1 they consider them as in a    
place1 and attribute to them movement   
from one place to another2 and these are
 qualities which belong only to bodies4 
,instead of receiving the ideas of these
 things in their purity1 we colour them 
with our own qualities1 and stamp with  
our composite being all the simple      
things which we contemplate4  ,who would
 not think1 seeing us compose all things
 of mind and body1 but that this mixture
 would be quite intelligible to us8 ,yet
 it is the very thing we least          
understand4 ,man is to himself the most 
wonderful object in nature2 for he      
cannot conceive what the body is1 still 
less what the mind is1 and least of all 
how a body should be united to a mind4  
,this is the consummation of his        

difficulties1 and yet it is his very    
being4 ,modus quo corporibus adhrent    
spiritus comprehendi ab hominibus non   
potest1 et hoc tamen homo est4#ce       
,finally1 to complete the proof of our  
weakness1 ,i shall conclude with these  
two considerations4444   #gc  ,but      
perhaps this subject goes beyond the    
capacity of reason4 ,let us therefore   
examine her solutions to problems within
 her powers4 ,if there be anything to   
which her own interest must have made   
her apply herself most seriously1 it is 
the inquiry into her own sovereign good4
 ,let us see1 then1 wherein these strong
 and clear-sighted souls have placed it1
 and whether they agree4  ,one says that
 the sovereign good consists in virtue1 
another in pleasure1 another in the     
knowledge of nature1 another in truth1  
,felix qui potuit rerum cognoscere      
causas1#cf another in total ignorance1  
another in indolence1 others in         
disregarding appearances1 another in    
wondering at nothing1 nihil admirari    

prope res una qu possit facere et       
servare beatum1#cg and the true sceptics
 in their indifference1 doubt1 and      
perpetual suspense1 and others1 wiser1  
think to find a better definition4 ,we  
are well satisfied4  ,to transpose after
 the laws to the following title4  ,we  
must see if this fine philosophy have   
gained nothing certain from so long and 
so intent study2 perhaps at least the   
soul will know itself4 ,let us hear the 
rulers of the world on this subject4    
,what have they thought of her          
substance8 #cid4ch ,have they been more 
fortunate in locating her8 #cie4ci ,what
 have they found out about her origin1  
duration1 and departure8 #cii4dj  ,is   
then the soul too noble a subject for   
their feeble lights8 ,let us then abase 
her to matter and see if she knows      
whereof is made the very body which she 
animates1 and those others which she    
contemplates and moves at her will4     
,what have those great dogmatists1 who  
are ignorant of nothing1 known of this  

matter8 ,harum sententiarum1#da #cic4   
,this would doubtless suffice1 if reason
 were reasonable4 ,she is reasonable    
enough to admit that she has been unable
 to find anything durable1 but she does 
not yet despair of reaching it2 she is  
as ardent as ever in this search1 and is
 confident she has within her the       
necessary powers for this conquest4 ,we 
must therefore conclude1 and1 after     
having examined her powers in their     
effects1 observe them in themselves1 and
 see if she has a nature and a grasp    
capable of laying hold of the truth4    
#gd  ,a letter ,on the ,foolishness of  
,human ,knowledge and ,philosophy4      
,this letter before ,diversion4  ,felix 
qui potuit 444 ,nihil admirari4#db  #bhj
 kinds of sovereign good in             
,montaigne4#dc   #ge  ,part ,i1 #a1 #b1 
c4 #a1 section #d4dd  ,probability4--,it
 will not be difficult to put the case a
 stage lower1 and make it appear        
ridiculous4 ,to begin at the very       
beginning4 ,what is more absurd than to 

say that lifeless bodies have passions1 
fears1 hatreds--that insensible bodies1 
lifeless and incapable of life1 have    
passions which presuppose at least a    
sensitive soul to feel them1 nay more1  
that the object of their dread is the   
void8 ,what is there in the void that   
could make them afraid8 ,nothing is more
 shallow and ridiculous4 ,this is not   
all2 it is said that they have in       
themselves a source of movement to shun 
the void4 ,have they arms1 legs1        
muscles1 nerves8   #gf  ,to write       
against those who made too profound a   
study of science3 ,descartes4   #gg  ,i 
cannot forgive ,descartes4 ,in all his  
philosophy he would have been quite     
willing to dispense with ,god4 ,but he  
had to make ,him give a fillip to set   
the world in motion2 beyond this1 he has
 no further need of ,god4   #gh         
,descartes useless and uncertain4   #gi 
,descartes4--,we must say summarily3    
,this is made by figure and motion1 for 
it is true4 ,but to say what these are1 

and to compose the machine1 is          
ridiculous4 ,for it is useless1         
uncertain1 and painful4 ,and were it    
true1 we do not think all philosophy is 
worth one hour of pain4   #hj  ,how     
comes it that a cripple does not offend 
us1 but that a fool does8#de ,because a 
cripple recognises that we walk         
straight1 whereas a fool declares that  
it is we who are silly2 if it were not  
so1 we should feel pity and not anger4  
,epictetus#df asks still more strongly3 
,why are we not angry if we are told    
that we have a headache1 and why are we 
angry if we are told that we reason     
badly1 or choose wrongly8 ,the reason is
 that we are quite certain that we have 
not a headache1 or are not lame1 but we 
are not so sure that we make a true     
choice4 ,so having assurance only       
because we see with our whole sight1 it 
puts us into suspense and surprise when 
another with his whole sight sees the   
opposite1 and still more so when a      
thousand others deride our choice4 ,for 

we must prefer our own lights to those  
of so many others1 and that is bold and 
difficult4 ,there is never this         
contradiction in the feelings towards a 
cripple4   #ha  ,it is natural for the  
mind to believe1 and for the will to    
love2#dg so that1 for want of true      
objects1 they must attach themselves to 
false4   #hb  ,imagination4#dh--;,it is 
that deceitful part in man1 that        
mistress of error and falsity1 the more 
deceptive that she is not always so2 for
 she would be an infallible rule of     
truth1 if she were an infallible rule of
 falsehood4 ,but being most generally   
false1 she gives no sign of her nature1 
impressing the same character on the    
true and the false4  ,i do not speak of 
fools1 ,i speak of the wisest men2 and  
it is among them that the imagination   
has the great gift of persuasion4       
,reason protests in vain2 it cannot set 
a true value on things4  ,this arrogant 
power1 the enemy of reason1 who likes to
 rule and dominate it1 has established  

in man a second nature to show how      
all-powerful she is4 ,she makes men     
happy and sad1 healthy and sick1 rich   
and poor2 she compels reason to believe1
 doubt1 and deny2 she blunts the senses1
 or quickens them2 she has her fools and
 sages2 and nothing vexes us more than  
to see that she fills her devotees with 
a satisfaction far more full and entire 
than does reason4 ,those who have a     
lively imagination are a great deal more
 pleased with themselves than the wise  
can reasonably be4 ,they look down upon 
men with haughtiness2 they argue with   
boldness and confidence1 others with    
fear and diffidence2 and this gaiety of 
countenance often gives them the        
advantage in the opinion of the hearers1
 such favour have the imaginary wise in 
the eyes of judges of like nature4      
,imagination cannot make fools wise2 but
 she can make them happy1 to the envy of
 reason which can only make its friends 
miserable2 the one covers them with     
glory1 the other with shame4  ,what but 

this faculty of imagination dispenses   
reputation1 awards respect and          
veneration to persons1 works1 laws1 and 
the great8 ,how insufficient are all the
 riches of the earth without her        
consent6  ,would you not say that this  
magistrate1 whose venerable age commands
 the respect of a whole people1 is      
governed by pure and lofty reason1 and  
that he judges causes according to their
 true nature without considering those  
mere trifles which only affect the      
imagination of the weak8 ,see him go to 
sermon1 full of devout zeal1            
strengthening his reason with the ardour
 of his love4 ,he is ready to listen    
with exemplary respect4 ,let the        
preacher appear1 and let nature have    
given him a hoarse voice or a comical   
cast of countenance1 or let his barber  
have given him a bad shave1 or let by   
chance his dress be more dirtied than   
usual1 then however great the truths he 
announces4 ,i wager our senator loses   
his gravity4  ,if the greatest          

philosopher in the world find himself   
upon a plank wider than actually        
necessary1 but hanging over a precipice1
 his imagination will prevail1 though   
his reason convince him of his          
safety4#di ,many cannot bear the thought
 without a cold sweat4 ,i will not state
 all its effects4  ,every one knows that
 the sight of cats or rats1 the crushing
 of a coal1 etc4 may unhinge the reason4
 ,the tone of voice affects the wisest1 
and changes the force of a discourse or 
a poem4  ,love or hate alters the aspect
 of justice4 ,how much greater          
confidence has an advocate1 retained    
with a large fee1 in the justice of his 
cause6 ,how much better does his bold   
manner make his case appear to the      
judges1 deceived as they are by         
appearances6 ,how ludicrous is reason1  
blown with a breath in every direction6 
,i should have to enumerate almost every
 action of men who scarce waver save    
under her assaults4 ,for reason has been
 obliged to yield1 and the wisest reason

 takes as her own principles those which
 the imagination of man has everywhere  
rashly introduced4 ,he who would follow 
reason only would be deemed foolish by  
the generality of men4 ,we must judge by
 the opinion of the majority of mankind4
 ,because it has pleased them1 we must  
work all day for pleasures seen to be   
imaginary2 and after sleep has refreshed
 our tired reason1 we must forthwith    
start up and rush after phantoms1 and   
suffer the impressions of this mistress 
of the world4 ,this is one of the       
sources of error1 but it is not the only
 one4  ,our magistrates have known well 
this mystery4 ,their red robes1 the     
ermine in which they wrap themselves    
like furry cats1#ej the courts in which 
they administer justice1 the            
fleurs-de-lis1 and all such august      
apparel were necessary2 if the          
physicians had not their cassocks and   
their mules1 if the doctors had not     
their square caps and their robes four  
times too wide1 they would never have   

duped the world1 which cannot resist so 
original an appearance4 ,if magistrates 
had true justice1 and if physicians had 
the true art of healing1 they would have
 no occasion for square caps2 the       
majesty of these sciences would of      
itself be venerable enough4 ,but having 
only imaginary knowledge1 they must     
employ those silly tools that strike the
 imagination with which they have to    
deal2 and thereby in fact they inspire  
respect4 ,soldiers alone are not        
disguised in this manner1 because indeed
 their part is the most essential2 they 
establish themselves by force1 the      
others by show4  ,therefore our kings   
seek out no disguises4 ,they do not mask
 themselves in extraordinary costumes to
 appear such2 but they are accompanied  
by guards and halberdiers4 ,those armed 
and red-faced puppets who have hands and
 power for them alone1 those trumpets   
and drums which go before them1 and     
those legions round about them1 make the
 stoutest tremble4 ,they have not dress 

only1 they have might4 ,a very refined  
reason is required to regard as an      
ordinary man the ,grand ,turk1 in his   
superb seraglio1 surrounded by forty    
thousand janissaries4  ,we cannot even  
see an advocate in his robe and with his
 cap on his head1 without a favourable  
opinion of his ability4 ,the imagination
 disposes of everything2 it makes       
beauty1 justice1 and happiness1 which is
 everything in the world4 ,i should much
 like to see an ,italian work1 of which 
,i only know the title1 which alone is  
worth many books1 ,della opinione regina
 del mondo4#ea ,i approve of the book   
without knowing it1 save the evil in it1
 if any4 ,these are pretty much the     
effects of that deceptive faculty1 which
 seems to have been expressly given us  
to lead us into necessary error4 ,we    
have1 however1 many other sources of    
error4  ,not only are old impressions   
capable of misleading us2 the charms of 
novelty have the same power4 ,hence     
arise all the disputes of men1 who taunt

 each other either with following the   
false impressions of childhood or with  
running rashly after the new4 ,who keeps
 the due mean8 ,let him appear and prove
 it4 ,there is no principle1 however    
natural to us from infancy1 which may   
not be made to pass for a false         
impression either of education or of    
sense4  ,because1 say some1 you have    
believed from childhood that a box was  
empty when you saw nothing in it1 you   
have believed in the possibility of a   
vacuum4 ,this is an illusion of your    
senses1 strengthened by custom1 which   
science must correct4 ,because1 say     
others1 you have been taught at school  
that there is no vacuum1 you have       
perverted your common sense which       
clearly comprehended it1 and you must   
correct this by returning to your first 
state4 ,which has deceived you1 your    
senses or your education8  ,we have     
another source of error in diseases4#eb 
,they spoil the judgment and the senses2
 and if the more serious produce a      

sensible change1 ,i do not doubt that   
slighter ills produce a proportionate   
impression4  ,our own interest is again 
a marvellous instrument for nicely      
putting out our eyes4 ,the justest man  
in the world is not allowed to be judge 
in his own cause2 ,i know some who1 in  
order not to fall into this self-love1  
have been perfectly unjust out of       
opposition4 ,the sure way of losing a   
just cause has been to get it           
recommended to these men by their near  
relatives4  ,justice and truth are two  
such subtle points1 that our tools are  
too blunt to touch them accurately4 ,if 
they reach the point1 they either crush 
it1 or lean all round1 more on the false
 than on the true4  ,man is so happily  
formed that he has no 444 good of the   
true1 and several excellent of the      
false4 ,let us now see how much4444 ,but
 the most powerful cause of error is the
 war existing between the senses and    
reason4   #hc  ,we must thus begin the  
chapter on the deceptive powers4 ,man is

 only a subject full of error1 natural  
and ineffaceable1 without grace4        
,nothing shows him the truth4           
,everything deceives him4 ,these two    
sources of truth1 reason and the senses1
 besides being both wanting in          
sincerity1 deceive each other in turn4  
,the senses mislead the reason with     
false appearances1 and receive from     
reason in their turn the same trickery  
which they apply to her2 reason has her 
revenge4 ,the passions of the soul      
trouble the senses1 and make false      
impressions upon them4 ,they rival each 
other in falsehood and deception4#ec    
,but besides those errors which arise   
accidentally and through lack of        
intelligence1 with these heterogeneous  
faculties 444   #hd  ,the imagination   
enlarges little objects so as to fill   
our souls with a fantastic estimate2    
and1 with rash insolence1 it belittles  
the great to its own measure1 as when   
talking of ,god4   #he  ,things which   
have most hold on us1 as the concealment

 of our few possessions1 are often a    
mere nothing4 ,it is a nothing which our
 imagination magnifies into a mountain4 
,another turn of the imagination would  
make us discover this without           
difficulty4   #hf  ,my fancy makes me   
hate a croaker1 and one who pants when  
eating4 ,fancy has great weight4 ,shall 
we profit by it8 ,shall we yield to this
 weight because it is natural8 ,no1 but 
by resisting it 444   #hg  ,n iste magno
 conatu magnas nugas dixerit4#ed  ,quasi
 quidquam infelicius sit homini cui sua 
figmenta dominantur4#ee 7,plin47   #hh  
,children who are frightened at the face
 they have blackened are but children4  
,but how shall one who is so weak in his
 childhood become really strong when he 
grows older8 ,we only change our        
fancies4 ,all that is made perfect by   
progress perishes also by progress4 ,all
 that has been weak can never become    
absolutely strong4 ,we say in vain1 ,he 
has grown1 he has changed2 he is also   
the same4   #hi  ,custom is our nature4 

,he who is accustomed to the faith      
believes in it1 can no longer fear hell1
 and believes in nothing else4 ,he who  
is accustomed to believe that the king  
is terrible 444 etc4 ,who doubts then   
that our soul1 being accustomed to see  
number1 space1 motion1 believes that and
 nothing else8   #ij  ,quod crebro videt
 non miratur1 etiamsi cur fiat nescit2  
quod ante non viderit1 id si evenerit1  
ostentum esse censet4#ef 7,cic4 #ehc47  
#ia  ,spongia solis4#eg--,when we see   
the same effect always recur1 we infer a
 natural necessity in it1 as that there 
will be a to-morrow1 etc4 ,but nature   
often deceives us1 and does not subject 
herself to her own rules4   #ib  ,what  
are our natural principles but          
principles of custom8 ,in children they 
are those which they have received from 
the habits of their fathers1 as hunting 
in animals4 ,a different custom will    
cause different natural principles4     
,this is seen in experience2 and if     
there are some natural principles       

ineradicable by custom1 there are also  
some customs opposed to nature1         
ineradicable by nature1 or by a second  
custom4 ,this depends on disposition4   
#ic  ,parents fear lest the natural love
 of their children may fade away4 ,what 
kind of nature is that which is subject 
to decay8 ,custom is a second nature    
which destroys the former4#eh ,but what 
is nature8 ,for is custom not natural8  
,i am much afraid that nature is itself 
only a first custom1 as custom is a     
second nature4   #id  ,the nature of man
 is wholly natural1 omne animal4#ei     
,there is nothing he may not make       
natural2 there is nothing natural he may
 not lose4   #ie  ,memory1 joy1 are     
intuitions2 and even mathematical       
propositions become intuitions1 for     
education produces natural intuitions1  
and natural intuitions are erased by    
education4   #if  ,when we are          
accustomed to use bad reasons for       
proving natural effects1 we are not     
willing to receive good reasons when    

they are discovered4 ,an example may be 
given from the circulation of the blood 
as a reason why the vein swells below   
the ligature4   #ig  ,the most important
 affair in life is the choice of a      
calling2 chance decides it4 ,custom     
makes men masons1 soldiers1 slaters4 ,he
 is a good slater1 says one1 and1       
speaking of soldiers1 remarks1 ,they are
 perfect fools4 ,but others affirm1     
,there is nothing great but war1 the    
rest of men are good for nothing4 ,we   
choose our callings according as we hear
 this or that praised or despised in our
 childhood1 for we naturally love truth 
and hate folly4 ,these words move us2   
the only error is in their application4 
,so great is the force of custom that   
out of those whom nature has only made  
men1 are created all conditions of men4 
,for some districts are full of masons1 
others of soldiers1 etc4 ,certainly     
nature is not so uniform4 ,it is custom 
then which does this1 for it constrains 
nature4 ,but sometimes nature gains the 

ascendancy1 and preserves man's         
instinct1 in spite of all custom1 good  
or bad4   #ih  ,bias leading to         
error4--,it is a deplorable thing to see
 all men deliberating on means alone1   
and not on the end4 ,each thinks how he 
will acquit himself in his condition2   
but as for the choice of condition1 or  
of country1 chance gives them to us4    
,it is a pitiable thing to see so many  
,turks1 heretics1 and infidels follow   
the way of their fathers for the sole   
reason that each has been imbued with   
the prejudice that it is the best4 ,and 
that fixes for each man his conditions  
of locksmith1 soldier1 etc4  ,hence     
savages care nothing for ,providence4#fj
   #ii  ,there is an universal and      
essential difference between the actions
 of the will and all other actions4     
,the will is one of the chief factors in
 belief1 not that it creates belief1 but
 because things are true or false       
according to the aspect in which we look
 at them4 ,the will1 which prefers one  

aspect to another1 turns away the mind  
from considering the qualities of all   
that it does not like to see2 and thus  
the mind1 moving in accord with the     
will1 stops to consider the aspect which
 it likes1 and so judges by what it     
sees4   #ajj  ,self-love4--,the nature  
of self-love and of this human ,ego is  
to love self only and consider self     
only4 ,but what will man do8 ,he cannot 
prevent this object that he loves from  
being full of faults and wants4 ,he     
wants to be great1 and he sees himself  
small4 ,he wants to be happy1 and he    
sees himself miserable4 ,he wants to be 
perfect1 and he sees himself full of    
imperfections4 ,he wants to be the      
object of love and esteem among men1 and
 he sees that his faults merit only     
their hatred and contempt4 ,this        
embarrassment in which he finds himself 
produces in him the most unrighteous and
 criminal passion that can be imagined2 
for he conceives a mortal enmity against
 that truth which reproves him1 and     

which convinces him of his faults4 ,he  
would annihilate it1 but1 unable to     
destroy it in its essence1 he destroys  
it as far as possible in his own        
knowledge and in that of others2 that is
 to say1 he devotes all his attention to
 hiding his faults both from others and 
from himself1 and he cannot endure      
either that others should point them out
 to him1 or that they should see them4  
,truly it is an evil to be full of      
faults2 but it is a still greater evil  
to be full of them1 and to be unwilling 
to recognise them1 since that is to add 
the further fault of a voluntary        
illusion4 ,we do not like others to     
deceive us2 we do not think it fair that
 they should be held in higher esteem by
 us than they deserve2 it is not then   
fair that we should deceive them1 and   
should wish them to esteem us more      
highly than we deserve4  ,thus1 when    
they discover only the imperfections and
 vices which we really have1 it is plain
 they do us no wrong1 since it is not   

they who cause them2 they rather do us  
good1 since they help us to free        
ourselves from an evil1 namely1 the     
ignorance of these imperfections4 ,we   
ought not to be angry at their knowing  
our faults and despising us2 it is but  
right that they should know us for what 
we are1 and should despise us1 if we are
 contemptible4  ,such are the feelings  
that would arise in a heart full of     
equity and justice4 ,what must we say   
then of our own heart1 when we see in it
 a wholly different disposition8 ,for is
 it not true that we hate truth and     
those who tell it us1 and that we like  
them to be deceived in our favour1 and  
prefer to be esteemed by them as being  
other than what we are in fact8 ,one    
proof of this makes me shudder4 ,the    
,catholic religion does not bind us to  
confess our sins indiscriminately to    
everybody2 it allows them to remain     
hidden from all other men save one1 to  
whom she bids us reveal the innermost   
recesses of our heart1 and show         

ourselves as we are4 ,there is only this
 one man in the world whom she orders us
 to undeceive1 and she binds him to an  
inviolable secrecy1 which makes this    
knowledge to him as if it were not4 ,can
 we imagine anything more charitable and
 pleasant8 ,and yet the corruption of   
man is such that he finds even this law 
harsh2 and it is one of the main reasons
 which has caused a great part of       
,europe to rebel against the ,church4#fa
  ,how unjust and unreasonable is the   
heart of man1 which feels it            
disagreeable to be obliged to do in     
regard to one man what in some measure  
it were right to do to all men6 ,for is 
it right that we should deceive men8    
,there are different degrees in this    
aversion to truth2 but all may perhaps  
be said to have it in some degree1      
because it is inseparable from          
self-love4 ,it is this false delicacy   
which makes those who are under the     
necessity of reproving others choose so 
many windings and middle courses to     

avoid offence4 ,they must lessen our    
faults1 appear to excuse them1          
intersperse praises and evidence of love
 and esteem4 ,despite all this1 the     
medicine does not cease to be bitter to 
self-love4 ,it takes as little as it    
can1 always with disgust1 and often with
 a secret spite against those who       
administer it4  ,hence it happens that  
if any have some interest in being loved
 by us1 they are averse to render us a  
service which they know to be           
disagreeable4 ,they treat us as we wish 
to be treated4 ,we hate the truth1 and  
they hide it from us4 ,we desire        
flattery1 and they flatter us4 ,we like 
to be deceived1 and they deceive us4    
,so each degree of good fortune which   
raises us in the world removes us       
farther from truth1 because we are most 
afraid of wounding those whose affection
 is most useful and whose dislike is    
most dangerous4 ,a prince may be the    
byword of all ,europe1 and he alone will
 know nothing of it4 ,i am not          

astonished4 ,to tell the truth is useful
 to those to whom it is spoken1 but     
disadvantageous to those who tell it1   
because it makes them disliked4 ,now    
those who live with princes love their  
own interests more than that of the     
prince whom they serve2 and so they take
 care not to confer on him a benefit so 
as to injure themselves4  ,this evil is 
no doubt greater and more common among  
the higher classes2 but the lower are   
not exempt from it1 since there is      
always some advantage in making men love
 us4 ,human life is thus only a         
perpetual illusion2 men deceive and     
flatter each other4 ,no one speaks of us
 in our presence as he does of us in our
 absence4 ,human society is founded on  
mutual deceit2 few friendships would    
endure if each knew what his friend said
 of him in his absence1 although he then
 spoke in sincerity and without passion4
  ,man is then only disguise1 falsehood1
 and hypocrisy1 both in himself and in  
regard to others4 ,he does not wish any 

one to tell him the truth2 he avoids    
telling it to others1 and all these     
dispositions1 so removed from justice   
and reason1 have a natural root in his  
heart4   #aja  ,i set it down as a fact 
that if all men knew what each said of  
the other1 there would not be four      
friends in the world4 ,this is apparent 
from the quarrels which arise from the  
indiscreet tales told from time to time4
 ,i say1 further1 all men would be 444  
#ajb  ,some vices only lay hold of us by
 means of others1 and these1 like       
branches1 fall on removal of the trunk4 
#ajc  ,the example of ,alexander's      
chastity#fb has not made so many        
continent as that of his drunkenness has
 made intemperate4 ,it is not shameful  
not to be as virtuous as he1 and it     
seems excusable to be no more vicious4  
,we do not believe ourselves to be      
exactly sharing in the vices of the     
vulgar1 when we see that we are sharing 
in those of great men2 and yet we do not
 observe that in these matters they are 

ordinary men4 ,we hold on to them by the
 same end by which they hold on to the  
rabble2 for1 however exalted they are1  
they are still united at some point to  
the lowest of men4 ,they are not        
suspended in the air1 quite removed from
 our society4 ,no1 no2 if they are      
greater than we1 it is because their    
heads are higher2 but their feet are as 
low as ours4 ,they are all on the same  
level1 and rest on the same earth2 and  
by that extremity they are as low as we 
are1 as the meanest folk1 as infants1   
and as the beasts4   #ajd  ,when our    
passion leads us to do something1 we    
forget our duty2 for example1 we like a 
book and read it1 when we ought to be   
doing something else4 ,now1 to remind   
ourselves of our duty1 we must set      
ourselves a task we dislike2 we then    
plead that we have something else to do1
 and by this means remember our duty4   
#aje  ,how difficult it is to submit    
anything to the judgment of another1    
without prejudicing his judgment by the 

manner in which we submit it6 ,if we    
say1 ,i think it beautiful1 ,i think it 
obscure1 or the like1 we either entice  
the imagination into that view1 or      
irritate it to the contrary4 ,it is     
better to say nothing2 and then the     
other judges according to what really   
is1 that is to say1 according as it then
 is1 and according as the other         
circumstances1 not of our making1 have  
placed it4 ,but we at least shall have  
added nothing1 unless it be that silence
 also produces an effect1 according to  
the turn and the interpretation which   
the other will be disposed to give it1  
or as he will guess it from gestures or 
countenance1 or from the tone of the    
voice1 if he is a physiognomist4 ,so    
difficult is it not to upset a judgment 
from its natural place1 or1 rather1 so  
rarely is it firm and stable6   #ajf    
,by knowing each man's ruling passion1  
we are sure of pleasing him2 and yet    
each has his fancies1 opposed to his    
true good1 in the very idea which he has

 of the good4 ,it is a singularly       
puzzling fact4   #ajg  ,lustravit       
lampade terras4#fc--,the weather and my 
mood have little connection4 ,i have my 
foggy and my fine days within me2 my    
prosperity or misfortune has little to  
do with the matter4 ,i sometimes        
struggle against luck1 the glory of     
mastering it makes me master it gaily2  
whereas ,i am sometimes surfeited in the
 midst of good fortune4   #ajh          
,although people may have no interest in
 what they are saying1 we must not      
absolutely conclude from this that they 
are not lying2 for there are some people
 who lie for the mere sake of lying4    
#aji  ,when we are well we wonder what  
we would do if we were ill1 but when we 
are ill we take medicine cheerfully2 the
 illness persuades us to do so4 ,we have
 no longer the passions and desires for 
amusements and promenades which health  
gave to us1 but which are incompatible  
with the necessities of illness4 ,nature
 gives us1 then1 passions and desires   

suitable to our present state4#fd ,we   
are only troubled by the fears which we1
 and not nature1 give ourselves1 for    
they add to the state in which we are   
the passions of the state in which we   
are not4  ,as nature makes us always    
unhappy in every state1 our desires     
picture to us a happy state2 because    
they add to the state in which we are   
the pleasures of the state in which we  
are not4 ,and if we attained to these   
pleasures1 we should not be happy after 
all2 because we should have other       
desires natural to this new state4  ,we 
must particularise this general         
proposition4444   #aaj  ,the            
consciousness of the falsity of present 
pleasures1 and the ignorance of the     
vanity of absent pleasures1 cause       
inconstancy4   #aaa  ,inconstancy4--,we 
think we are playing on ordinary organs 
when playing upon man4 ,men are organs1 
it is true1 but1 odd1 changeable1       
variable with pipes not arranged in     
proper order4 ,those who only know how  

to play on ordinary organs will not     
produce harmonies on these4 ,we must    
know where the keys are4   #aab         
,inconstancy4--,things have different   
qualities1 and the soul different       
inclinations2 for nothing is simple     
which is presented to the soul1 and the 
soul never presents itself simply to any
 object4 ,hence it comes that we weep   
and laugh at the same thing4   #aac     
,inconstancy and oddity4--,to live only 
by work1 and to rule over the most      
powerful ,state in the world1 are very  
opposite things4 ,they are united in the
 person of the great ,sultan of the     
,turks4   #aad  ,variety is as abundant 
as all tones of the voice1 all ways of  
walking1 coughing1 blowing the nose1    
sneezing4 ,we distinguish vines by their
 fruit1 and call them the ,condrien1 the
 ,desargues1 and such and such a stock4 
,is this all8 ,has a vine ever produced 
two bunches exactly the same1 and has a 
bunch two grapes alike8 etc4  ,i can    
never judge of the same thing exactly in

 the same way4 ,i cannot judge of my    
work1 while doing it4 ,i must do as the 
artists1 stand at a distance1 but not   
too far4 ,how far1 then8 ,guess4   #aae 
,variety4--,theology is a science1 but  
at the same time how many sciences8 ,a  
man is a whole2 but if we dissect him1  
will he be the head1 the heart1 the     
stomach1 the veins1 each vein1 each     
portion of a vein1 the blood1 each      
humour in the blood8  ,a town1 a        
country-place1 is from afar a town and a
 country-place4 ,but1 as we draw near1  
there are houses1 trees1 tiles1 leaves1 
grass1 ants1 limbs of ants1 in infinity4
 ,all this is contained under the name  
of country-place4   #aaf                
,thoughts4--,all is one1 all is         
different4 ,how many natures exist in   
man8 ,how many vocations8 ,and by what  
chance does each man ordinarily choose  
what he has heard praised8 ,a           
well-turned heel4   #aag  ,the heel of a
 slipper4--,ah6 ,how well this is       
turned6 ,here is a clever workman6 ,how 

brave is this soldier6 ,this is the     
source of our inclinations1 and of the  
choice of conditions4 ,how much this man
 drinks6 ,how little that one6 ,this    
makes people sober or drunk1 soldiers1  
cowards1 etc4   #aah  ,chief talent1    
that which rules the rest4   #aai       
,nature imitates herself4 ,a seed sown  
in good ground brings forth fruit4 ,a   
principle1 instilled into a good mind1  
brings forth fruit4 ,numbers imitate    
space1 which is of a different nature4  
,all is made and led by the same master1
 root1 branches1 and fruits2 principles 
and consequences4   #abj  ,nature       
diversifies and imitates2 art imitates  
and diversifies4   #aba  ,nature always 
begins the same things again1 the years1
 the days1 the hours2 in like manner    
spaces and numbers follow each other    
from beginning to end4 ,thus is made a  
kind of infinity and eternity4 ,not that
 anything in all this is infinite and   
eternal1 but these finite realities are 
infinitely multiplied4 ,thus it seems to

 me to be only the number which         
multiplies them that is infinite4   #abb
  ,time heals griefs and quarrels1 for  
we change and are no longer the same    
persons4 ,neither the offender nor the  
offended are any more themselves4 ,it is
 like a nation which we have provoked1  
but meet again after two generations4   
,they are still ,frenchmen1 but not the 
same4   #abc  ,he no longer loves the   
person whom he loved ten years ago4 ,i  
quite believe it4 ,she is no longer the 
same1 nor is he4 ,he was young1 and she 
also2 she is quite different4 ,he would 
perhaps love her yet1 if she were what  
she was then4   #abd  ,we view things   
not only from different sides1 but with 
different eyes2 we have no wish to find 
them alike4   #abe  ,contraries4--,man  
is naturally credulous and incredulous1 
timid and rash4   #abf  ,description of 
man3 dependency1 desire of independence1
 need4   #abg  ,condition of man3       
inconstancy1 weariness1 unrest4   #abh  
,the weariness which is felt by us in   

leaving pursuits to which we are        
attached4 ,a man dwells at home with    
pleasure2 but if he sees a woman who    
charms him1 or if he enjoys himself in  
play for five or six days1 he is        
miserable if he returns to his former   
way of living4 ,nothing is more common  
than that4   #abi  ,our nature consists 
in motion2 complete rest is death4#fe   
#acj  ,restlessness4--,if a soldier1 or 
labourer1 complain of the hardship of   
his lot1 set him to do nothing4   #aca  
,weariness4#ff--,nothing is so          
insufferable to man as to be completely 
at rest1 without passions1 without      
business1 without diversion1 without    
study4 ,he then feels his nothingness1  
his forlornness1 his insufficiency1 his 
dependence1 his weakness1 his emptiness4
 ,there will immediately arise from the 
depth of his heart weariness1 gloom1    
sadness1 fretfulness1 vexation1 despair4
   #acb  ,methinks ,csar was too old to 
set about amusing himself with          
conquering the world4#fg ,such sport was

 good for ,augustus or ,alexander4 ,they
 were still young men1 and thus         
difficult to restrain4 ,but ,csar should
 have been more mature4   #acc  ,two    
faces which resemble each other1 make us
 laugh1 when together1 by their         
resemblance1 though neither of them by  
itself makes us laugh4   #acd  ,how     
useless is painting1 which attracts     
admiration by the resemblance of things1
 the originals of which we do not       
admire6   #ace  ,the struggle alone     
pleases us1 not the victory4 ,we love to
 see animals fighting1 not the victor   
infuriated over the vanquished4 ,we     
would only see the victorious end2 and1 
as soon as it comes1 we are satiated4   
,it is the same in play1 and the same in
 the search for truth4 ,in disputes we  
like to see the clash of opinions1 but  
not at all to contemplate truth when    
found4 ,to observe it with pleasure1 we 
have to see it emerge out of strife4 ,so
 in the passions1 there is pleasure in  
seeing the collision of two contraries2 

but when one acquires the mastery1 it   
becomes only brutality4 ,we never seek  
things for themselves1 but for the      
search4 ,likewise in plays1 scenes which
 do not rouse the emotion of fear are   
worthless1 so are extreme and hopeless  
misery1 brutal lust1 and extreme        
cruelty4   #acf  ,a mere trifle consoles
 us1 for a mere trifle distresses us4#fh
   #acg  ,without examining every       
particular pursuit1 it is enough to     
comprehend them under diversion4   #ach 
,men naturally slaters and of all       
callings1 save in their own rooms4      
#aci  ,diversion4--,when ,i have        
occasionally set myself to consider the 
different distractions of men1 the pains
 and perils to which they expose        
themselves at court or in war1 whence   
arise so many quarrels1 passions1 bold  
and often bad ventures1 etc41 ,i have   
discovered that all the unhappiness of  
men arises from one single fact1 that   
they cannot stay quietly in their own   
chamber4 ,a man who has enough to live  

on1 if he knew how to stay with pleasure
 at home1 would not leave it to go to   
sea or to besiege a town4 ,a commission 
in the army would not be bought so      
dearly1 but that it is found            
insufferable not to budge from the town2
 and men only seek conversation and     
entering games1 because they cannot     
remain with pleasure at home4  ,but on  
further consideration1 when1 after      
finding the cause of all our ills1 ,i   
have sought to discover the reason of   
it1 ,i have found that there is one very
 real reason1 namely1 the natural       
poverty of our feeble and mortal        
condition1 so miserable that nothing can
 comfort us when we think of it closely4
  ,whatever condition we picture to     
ourselves1 if we muster all the good    
things which it is possible to possess1 
royalty is the finest position in the   
world4 ,yet1 when we imagine a king     
attended with every pleasure he can     
feel1 if he be without diversion1 and be
 left to consider and reflect on what he

 is1 this feeble happiness will not     
sustain him2 he will necessarily fall   
into forebodings of dangers1 of         
revolutions which may happen1 and1      
finally1 of death and inevitable        
disease2 so that if he be without what  
is called diversion1 he is unhappy1 and 
more unhappy than the least of his      
subjects who plays and diverts himself4 
,hence it comes that play and the       
society of women1 war1 and high posts1  
are so sought after4 ,not that there is 
in fact any happiness in them1 or that  
men imagine true bliss to consist in    
money won at play1 or in the hare which 
they hunt2 we would not take these as a 
gift4 ,we do not seek that easy and     
peaceful lot which permits us to think  
of our unhappy condition1 nor the       
dangers of war1 nor the labour of       
office1 but the bustle which averts     
these thoughts of ours1 and amuses us4  
,reasons why we like the chase better   
than the quarry4  ,hence it comes that  
men so much love noise and stir2 hence  

it comes that the prison is so horrible 
a punishment2 hence it comes that the   
pleasure of solitude is a thing         
incomprehensible4 ,and it is in fact the
 greatest source of happiness in the    
condition of kings1 that men try        
incessantly to divert them1 and to      
procure for them all kinds of pleasures4
  ,the king is surrounded by persons    
whose only thought is to divert the     
king1 and to prevent his thinking of    
self4 ,for he is unhappy1 king though he
 be1 if he think of himself4  ,this is  
all that men have been able to discover 
to make themselves happy4 ,and those who
 philosophise on the matter1 and who    
think men unreasonable for spending a   
whole day in chasing a hare which they  
would not have bought1 scarce know our  
nature4 ,the hare in itself would not   
screen us from the sight of death and   
calamities2 but the chase which turns   
away our attention from these1 does     
screen us4  ,the advice given to        
,pyrrhus to take the rest which he was  

about to seek with so much labour1 was  
full of difficulties4#fi  ,to bid a man 
live quietly is to bid him live happily4
 ,it is to advise him to be in a state  
perfectly happy1 in which he can think  
at leisure without finding therein a    
cause of distress4 ,this is to          
misunderstand nature4  ,as men who      
naturally understand their own condition
 avoid nothing so much as rest1 so there
 is nothing they leave undone in seeking
 turmoil4 ,not that they have an        
instinctive knowledge of true happiness 
444  ,so we are wrong in blaming them4  
,their error does not lie in seeking    
excitement1 if they seek it only as a   
diversion2 the evil is that they seek it
 as if the possession of the objects of 
their quest would make them really      
happy4 ,in this respect it is right to  
call their quest a vain one4 ,hence in  
all this both the censurers and the     
censured do not understand man's true   
nature4  ,and thus1 when we take the    
exception against them1 that what they  

seek with such fervour cannot satisfy   
them1 if they replied--as they should do
 if they considered the matter          
thoroughly--that they sought in it only 
a violent and impetuous occupation which
 turned their thoughts from self1 and   
that they therefore chose an attractive 
object to charm and ardently attract    
them1 they would leave their opponents  
without a reply4 ,but they do not make  
this reply1 because they do not know    
themselves4#gj ,they do not know that it
 is the chase1 and not the quarry1 which
 they seek4  ,dancing3 we must consider 
rightly where to place our feet4--,a    
gentleman sincerely believes that       
hunting is great and royal sport2 but a 
beater is not of this opinion4  ,they   
imagine that if they obtained such a    
post1 they would then rest with         
pleasure1 and are insensible of the     
insatiable nature of their desire4 ,they
 think they are truly seeking quiet1 and
 they are only seeking excitement4      
,they have a secret instinct which      

impels them to seek amusement and       
occupation abroad1 and which arises from
 the sense of their constant            
unhappiness4 ,they have another secret  
instinct1 a remnant of the greatness of 
our original nature1 which teaches them 
that happiness in reality consists only 
in rest1 and not in stir4 ,and of these 
two contrary instincts they form within 
themselves a confused idea1 which hides 
itself from their view in the depths of 
their soul1 inciting them to aim at rest
 through excitement1 and always to fancy
 that the satisfaction which they have  
not will come to them1 if1 by           
surmounting whatever difficulties       
confront them1 they can thereby open the
 door to rest4  ,thus passes away all   
man's life4 ,men seek rest in a struggle
 against difficulties2 and when they    
have conquered these1 rest becomes      
insufferable4 ,for we think either of   
the misfortunes we have or of those     
which threaten us4 ,and even if we      
should see ourselves sufficiently       

sheltered on all sides1 weariness of its
 own accord would not fail to arise from
 the depths of the heart wherein it has 
its natural roots1 and to fill the mind 
with its poison4  ,thus so wretched is  
man that he would weary even without any
 cause for weariness from the peculiar  
state of his disposition2 and so        
frivolous is he1 that1 though full of a 
thousand reasons for weariness1 the     
least thing1 such as playing billiards  
or hitting a ball1 is sufficient to     
amuse him4  ,but will you say what      
object has he in all this8 ,the pleasure
 of bragging to-morrow among his friends
 that he has played better than another4
 ,so others sweat in their own rooms to 
show to the learned that they have      
solved a problem in algebra1 which no   
one had hitherto been able to solve4    
,many more expose themselves to extreme 
perils1 in my opinion as foolishly1 in  
order to boast afterwards that they have
 captured a town4 ,lastly1 others wear  
themselves out in studying all these    

things1 not in order to become wiser1   
but only in order to prove that they    
know them2 and these are the most       
senseless of the band1 since they are so
 knowingly1 whereas one may suppose of  
the others1 that if they knew it1 they  
would no longer be foolish4  ,this man  
spends his life without weariness in    
playing every day for a small stake4    
,give him each morning the money he can 
win each day1 on condition he does not  
play2 you make him miserable4 ,it will  
perhaps be said that he seeks the       
amusement of play and not the winnings4 
,make him then play for nothing2 he will
 not become excited over it1 and will   
feel bored4 ,it is then not the         
amusement alone that he seeks2 a languid
 and passionless amusement will weary   
him4 ,he must get excited over it1 and  
deceive himself by the fancy that he    
will be happy to win what he would not  
have as a gift on condition of not      
playing2 and he must make for himself an
 object of passion1 and excite over it  

his desire1 his anger1 his fear1 to     
obtain his imagined end1 as children are
 frightened at the face they have       
blackened4  ,whence comes it that this  
man1 who lost his only son a few months 
ago1 or who this morning was in such    
trouble through being distressed by     
lawsuits and quarrels1 now no longer    
thinks of them8 ,do not wonder2 he is   
quite taken up in looking out for the   
boar which his dogs have been hunting so
 hotly for the last six hours4 ,he      
requires nothing more4 ,however full of 
sadness a man may be1 he is happy for   
the time1 if you can prevail upon him to
 enter into some amusement2 and however 
happy a man may be1 he will soon be     
discontented and wretched1 if he be not 
diverted and occupied by some passion or
 pursuit which prevents weariness from  
overcoming him4 ,without amusement there
 is no joy2 with amusement there is no  
sadness4 ,and this also constitutes the 
happiness of persons in high position1  
that they have a number of people to    

amuse them1 and have the power to keep  
themselves in this state4  ,consider    
this4 ,what is it to be superintendent1 
chancellor1 first president1 but to be  
in a condition wherein from early       
morning a large number of people come   
from all quarters to see them1 so as not
 to leave them an hour in the day in    
which they can think of themselves8 ,and
 when they are in disgrace and sent back
 to their country houses1 where they    
lack neither wealth nor servants to help
 them on occasion1 they do not fail to  
be wretched and desolate1 because no one
 prevents them from thinking of         
themselves4   #adj  ,how does it happen 
that this man1 so distressed at the     
death of his wife and his only son1 or  
who has some great lawsuit which annoys 
him1 is not at this moment sad1 and that
 he seems so free from all painful and  
disquieting thoughts8 ,we need not      
wonder2 for a ball has been served him1 
and he must return it to his companion4 
,he is occupied in catching it in its   

fall from the roof1 to win a game4 ,how 
can he think of his own affairs1 pray1  
when he has this other matter in hand8  
,here is a care worthy of occupying this
 great soul1 and taking away from him   
every other thought of the mind4 ,this  
man1 born to know the universe1 to judge
 all causes1 to govern a whole state1 is
 altogether occupied and taken up with  
the business of catching a hare4 ,and if
 he does not lower himself to this1 and 
wants always to be on the strain1 he    
will be more foolish still1 because he  
would raise himself above humanity2 and 
after all he is only a man1 that is to  
say capable of little and of much1 of   
all and of nothing2 he is neither angel 
nor brute1 but man4   #ada  ,men spend  
their time in following a ball or a     
hare2 it is the pleasure even of kings4 
#adb  ,diversion4--,is not the royal    
dignity sufficiently great in itself to 
make its possessor happy by the mere    
contemplation of what he is8 ,must he be
 diverted from this thought like        

ordinary folk8 ,i see well that a man is
 made happy by diverting him from the   
view of his domestic sorrows so as to   
occupy all his thoughts with the care of
 dancing well4 ,but will it be the same 
with a king1 and will he be happier in  
the pursuit of these idle amusements    
than in the contemplation of his        
greatness8 ,and what more satisfactory  
object could be presented to his mind8  
,would it not be a deprivation of his   
delight for him to occupy his soul with 
the thought of how to adjust his steps  
to the cadence of an air1 or of how to  
throw a ball skilfully1 instead of      
leaving it to enjoy quietly the         
contemplation of the majestic glory     
which encompasses him8 ,let us make the 
trial2 let us leave a king all alone to 
reflect on himself quite at leisure1    
without any gratification of the senses1
 without any care in his mind1 without  
society2 and we will see that a king    
without diversion is a man full of      
wretchedness4 ,so this is carefully     

avoided1 and near the persons of kings  
there never fail to be a great number of
 people who see to it that amusement    
follows business1 and who watch all the 
time of their leisure to supply them    
with delights and games1 so that there  
is no blank in it4 ,in fact1 kings are  
surrounded with persons who are         
wonderfully attentive in taking care    
that the king be not alone and in a     
state to think of himself1 knowing well 
that he will be miserable1 king though  
he be1 if he meditate on self4  ,in all 
this ,i am not talking of ,christian    
kings as ,christians1 but only as kings4
   #adc  ,diversion4--,men are entrusted
 from infancy with the care of their    
honour1 their property1 their friends1  
and even with the property and the      
honour of their friends4 ,they are      
overwhelmed with business1 with the     
study of languages1 and with physical   
exercise2#ga and they are made to       
understand that they cannot be happy    
unless their health1 their honour1 their

 fortune and that of their friends be in
 good condition1 and that a single thing
 wanting will make them unhappy4 ,thus  
they are given cares and business which 
make them bustle about from break of    
day4--,it is1 you will exclaim1 a       
strange way to make them happy6 ,what   
more could be done to make them         
miserable8--,indeed6 what could be done8
 ,we should only have to relieve them   
from all these cares2 for then they     
would see themselves3 they would reflect
 on what they are1 whence they came1    
whither they go1 and thus we cannot     
employ and divert them too much4 ,and   
this is why1 after having given them so 
much business1 we advise them1 if they  
have some time for relaxation1 to employ
 it in amusement1 in play1 and to be    
always fully occupied4  ,how hollow and 
full of ribaldry is the heart of man6   
#add  ,i spent a long time in the study 
of the abstract sciences1 and was       
disheartened by the small number of     
fellow-students in them4 ,when ,i       

commenced the study of man1 ,i saw that 
these abstract sciences are not suited  
to man1 and that ,i was wandering       
farther from my own state in examining  
them1 than others in not knowing them4  
,i pardoned their little knowledge2 but 
,i thought at least to find many        
companions in the study of man1 and that
 it was the true study which is suited  
to him4 ,i have been deceived2 still    
fewer study it than geometry4 ,it is    
only from the want of knowing how to    
study this that we seek the other       
studies4 ,but is it not that even here  
is not the knowledge which man should   
have1 and that for the purpose of       
happiness it is better for him not to   
know himself8   #ade  ,one thought alone
 occupies us2 we cannot think of two    
things at the same time4 ,this is lucky 
for us according to the world1 not      
according to ,god4   #adf  ,man is      
obviously made to think4 ,it is his     
whole dignity and his whole merit2 and  
his whole duty is to think as he ought4 

,now1 the order of thought is to begin  
with self1 and with its ,author and its 
end4  ,now1 of what does the world      
think8 ,never of this1 but of dancing1  
playing the lute1 singing1 making       
verses1 running at the ring1 etc41      
fighting1 making oneself king1 without  
thinking what it is to be a king and    
what to be a man4   #adg  ,we do not    
content ourselves with the life we have 
in ourselves and in our own being2 we   
desire to live an imaginary life in the 
mind of others1 and for this purpose we 
endeavour to shine4 ,we labour          
unceasingly to adorn and preserve this  
imaginary existence1 and neglect the    
real4 ,and if we possess calmness1 or   
generosity1 or truthfulness1 we are     
eager to make it known1 so as to attach 
these virtues to that imaginary         
existence4 ,we would rather separate    
them from ourselves to join them to it2 
and we would willingly be cowards in    
order to acquire the reputation of being
 brave4 ,a great proof of the           

nothingness of our being1 not to be     
satisfied with the one without the      
other1 and to renounce the one for the  
other6 ,for he would be infamous who    
would not die to preserve his honour4   
#adh  ,we are so presumptuous that we   
would wish to be known by all the world1
 even by people who shall come after1   
when we shall be no more2 and we are so 
vain that the esteem of five or six     
neighbours delights and contents us4    
#adi  ,we do not trouble ourselves about
 being esteemed in the towns through    
which we pass4 ,but if we are to remain 
a little while there1 we are so         
concerned4 ,how long is necessary8 ,a   
time commensurate with our vain and     
paltry life4   #aej  ,vanity is so      
anchored in the heart of man that a     
soldier1 a soldier's servant1 a cook1 a 
porter brags1 and wishes to have his    
admirers4 ,even philosophers wish for   
them4 ,those who write against it want  
to have the glory of having written     
well2#gb and those who read it desire   

the glory of having read it4 ,i who     
write this have perhaps this desire1 and
 perhaps those who will read it 444     
#aea  ,glory4--,admiration spoils all   
from infancy4 ,ah6 ,how well said6 ,ah6 
,how well done6 ,how well-behaved he is6
 etc4  ,the children of ,port-,royal1   
who do not receive this stimulus of envy
 and glory1 fall into carelessness4     
#aeb  ,pride4--,curiosity is only       
vanity4 ,most frequently we wish to know
 but to talk4 ,otherwise we would not   
take a sea voyage in order never to talk
 of it1 and for the sole pleasure of    
seeing without hope of ever             
communicating it4   #aec  ,of the desire
 of being esteemed by those with whom we
 are4--,pride takes such natural        
possession of us in the midst of our    
woes1 errors1 etc4 ,we even lose our    
life with joy1 provided people talk of  
it4  ,vanity3 play1 hunting1 visiting1  
false shame1 a lasting name4   #aed  ,i 
have no friends to your advantage4      
#aee  ,a true friend is so great an     

advantage1 even for the greatest lords1 
in order that he may speak well of them1
 and back them in their absence1 that   
they should do all to have one4 ,but    
they should choose well2 for1 if they   
spend all their efforts in the interests
 of fools1 it will be of no use1 however
 well these may speak of them2 and these
 will not even speak well of them if    
they find themselves on the weakest     
side1 for they have no influence2 and   
thus they will speak ill of them in     
company4   #aef  ,ferox gens1 nullam    
esse vitam sine armis rati4#gc--,they   
prefer death to peace2 others prefer    
death to war4  ,every opinion may be    
held preferable to life1 the love of    
which is so strong and so natural4#gd   
#aeg  ,contradiction3 contempt for our  
existence1 to die for nothing1 hatred of
 our existence4   #aeh  ,pursuits4--,the
 charm of fame is so great1 that we like
 every object to which it is attached1  
even death4   #aei  ,noble deeds are    
most estimable when hidden4 ,when ,i see

 some of these in history 7as p4        
#ahd7ge1 they please me greatly4 ,but   
after all they have not been quite      
hidden1 since they have been known2 and 
though people have done what they could 
to hide them1 the little publication of 
them spoils all1 for what was best in   
them was the wish to hide them4   #afj  
,sneezing absorbs all the functions of  
the soul1 as well as work does2 but we  
do not draw therefrom the same          
conclusions against the greatness of    
man1 because it is against his will4    
,and although we bring it on ourselves1 
it is nevertheless against our will that
 we sneeze4 ,it is not in view of the   
act itself2 it is for another end4 ,and 
thus it is not a proof of the weakness  
of man1 and of his slavery under that   
action4  ,it is not disgraceful for man 
to yield to pain1 and it is disgraceful 
to yield to pleasure4 ,this is not      
because pain comes to us from without1  
and we ourselves seek pleasure2 for it  
is possible to seek pain1 and yield to  

it purposely1 without this kind of      
baseness4 ,whence comes it1 then1 that  
reason thinks it honourable to succumb  
under stress of pain1 and disgraceful to
 yield to the attack of pleasure8 ,it is
 because pain does not tempt and attract
 us4 ,it is we ourselves who choose it  
voluntarily1 and will it to prevail over
 us4 ,so that we are masters of the     
situation2 and in this man yields to    
himself4 ,but in pleasure it is man who 
yields to pleasure4 ,now only mastery   
and sovereignty bring glory1 and only   
slavery brings shame4   #afa            
,vanity4--,how wonderful it is that a   
thing so evident as the vanity of the   
world is so little known1 that it is a  
strange and surprising thing to say that
 it is foolish to seek greatness6   #afb
  ,he who will know fully the vanity of 
man has only to consider the causes and 
effects of love4 ,the cause is a je ne  
sais quoi 7,corneille71#gf and the      
effects are dreadful4 ,this je ne sais  
quoi1 so small an object that we cannot 

recognise it1 agitates a whole country1 
princes1 armies1 the entire world4      
,cleopatra's nose3 had it been shorter1 
the whole aspect of the world would have
 been altered4   #afc  ,vanity4--,the   
cause and the effects of love3          
,cleopatra4   #afd  ,he who does not see
 the vanity of the world is himself very
 vain4 ,indeed who do not see it but    
youths who are absorbed in fame1        
diversion1 and the thought of the       
future8 ,but take away diversion1 and   
you will see them dried up with         
weariness4 ,they feel then their        
nothingness without knowing it2 for it  
is indeed to be unhappy to be in        
insufferable sadness as soon as we are  
reduced to thinking of self1 and have no
 diversion4   #afe  ,thoughts4--,in     
omnibus requiem qusivi4#gg ,if our      
condition were truly happy1 we would not
 need diversion from thinking of it in  
order to make ourselves happy4   #aff   
,diversion4--,death is easier to bear   
without thinking of it1 than is the     

thought of death without peril4   #afg  
,the miseries of human life have        
established all this3 as men have seen  
this1 they have taken up diversion4     
#afh  ,diversion4--,as men are not able 
to fight against death1 misery1         
ignorance1 they have taken it into their
 heads1 in order to be happy1 not to    
think of them at all4   #afi  ,despite  
these miseries1 man wishes to be happy1 
and only wishes to be happy1 and cannot 
wish not to be so4 ,but how will he set 
about it8 ,to be happy he would have to 
make himself immortal2 but1 not being   
able to do so1 it has occurred to him to
 prevent himself from thinking of death4
   #agj  ,diversion4--,if man were      
happy1 he would be the more so1 the less
 he was diverted1 like the ,saints and  
,god4--,yes2 but is it not to be happy  
to have a faculty of being amused by    
diversion8--,no2 for that comes from    
elsewhere and from without1 and thus is 
dependent1 and therefore subject to be  
disturbed by a thousand accidents1 which

 bring inevitable griefs4   #aga        
,misery4--,the only thing which consoles
 us for our miseries is diversion1 and  
yet this it the greatest of our         
miseries4 ,for it is this which         
principally hinders us from reflecting  
upon ourselves1 and which makes us      
insensibly ruin ourselves4 ,without this
 we should be in a state of weariness1  
and this weariness would spur us to seek
 a more solid means of escaping from it4
 ,but diversion amuses us1 and leads us 
unconsciously to death4   #agb  ,we do  
not rest satisfied with the present4 ,we
 anticipate the future as too slow in   
coming1 as if in order to hasten its    
course2 or we recall the past1 to stop  
its too rapid flight4 ,so imprudent are 
we that we wander in the times which are
 not ours1 and do not think of the only 
one which belongs to us2 and so idle are
 we that we dream of those times which  
are no more1 and thoughtlessly overlook 
that which alone exists4 ,for the       
present is generally painful to us4 ,we 

conceal it from our sight1 because it   
troubles us2 and if it be delightful to 
us1 we regret to see it pass away4 ,we  
try to sustain it by the future1 and    
think of arranging matters which are not
 in our power1 for a time which we have 
no certainty of reaching4  ,let each one
 examine his thoughts1 and he will find 
them all occupied with the past and the 
future4 ,we scarcely ever think of the  
present2 and if we think of it1 it is   
only to take light from it to arrange   
the future4 ,the present is never our   
end4 ,the past and the present are our  
means2 the future alone is our end4#gh  
,so we never live1 but we hope to live2 
and1 as we are always preparing to be   
happy1 it is inevitable we should never 
be so4   #agc  ,they say that eclipses  
foretoken misfortune1 because           
misfortunes are common1 so that1 as evil
 happens so often1 they often foretell  
it2 whereas if they said that they      
predict good fortune1 they would often  
be wrong4 ,they attribute good fortune  

only to rare conjunctions of the        
heavens2 so they seldom fail in         
prediction4   #agd                      
,misery4--,solomon#gi and ,job have best
 known and best spoken of the misery of 
man2 the former the most fortunate1 and 
the latter the most unfortunate of men2 
the former knowing the vanity of        
pleasures from experience1 the latter   
the reality of evils4   #age  ,we know  
ourselves so little1 that many think    
they are about to die when they are     
well1 and many think they are well when 
they are near death1 unconscious of     
approaching fever1#hj or of the abscess 
ready to form itself4   #agf            
,cromwell#ha was about to ravage all    
,christendom2 the royal family was      
undone1 and his own for ever            
established1 save for a little grain of 
sand which formed in his ureter4 ,rome  
herself was trembling under him2 but    
this small piece of gravel having formed
 there1 he is dead1 his family cast     
down1 all is peaceful1 and the king is  

restored4   #agg  ,three hosts4#hb      
,would he who had possessed the         
friendship of the ,king of ,england1 the
 ,king of ,poland1 and the ,queen of    
,sweden1 have believed he would lack a  
refuge and shelter in the world8   #agh 
,macrobius3#hc on the innocents slain by
 ,herod4   #agi  ,when ,augustus learnt 
that ,herod's own son was amongst the   
infants under two years of age1 whom he 
had caused to be slain1 he said that it 
was better to be ,herod's pig than his  
son4--,macrobius1 ,sat41 book ii1 chap4 
#d4   #ahj  ,the great and the humble   
have the same misfortunes1 the same     
griefs1 the same passions2#hd but the   
one is at the top of the wheel1 and the 
other near the centre1 and so less      
disturbed by the same revolutions4      
#aha  ,we are so unfortunate that we can
 only take pleasure in a thing on       
condition of being annoyed if it turn   
out ill1 as a thousand things can do1   
and do every hour4 ,he who should find  
the secret of rejoicing in the good1    

without troubling himself with its      
contrary evil1 would have hit the mark4 
,it is perpetual motion4   #ahb  ,those 
who have always good hope in the midst  
of misfortunes1 and who are delighted   
with good luck1 are suspected of being  
very pleased with the ill success of the
 affair1 if they are not equally        
distressed by bad luck2 and they are    
overjoyed to find these pretexts of     
hope1 in order to show that they are    
concerned and to conceal by the joy     
which they feign to feel that which they
 have at seeing the failure of the      
matter4   #ahc  ,we run carelessly to   
the precipice1 after we have put        
something before us to prevent us seeing
 it4     ,,section ,,iii  ,,of ,,the    
,,necessity ,,of ,,the ,,wager   #ahd   
,a letter to incite to the search after 
,god4  ,and then to make people seek    
,him among the philosophers1 sceptics1  
and dogmatists1 who disquiet him who    
inquires of them4   #ahe  ,the conduct  
of ,god1 who disposes all things kindly1

 is to put religion into the mind by    
reason1 and into the heart by grace4    
,but to will to put it into the mind and
 heart by force and threats is not to   
put religion there1 but terror1 terorrem
 potius quam religionem4   #ahf  ,nisi  
terrerentur et non docerentur1 improba  
quasi dominatio videretur 7,aug41 ,ep4  
#dh or #di71 ,contra ,mendacium ad      
,consentium4   #ahg  ,order4--,men      
despise religion2 they hate it1 and fear
 it is true4 ,to remedy this1 we must   
begin by showing that religion is not   
contrary to reason2 that it is          
venerable1 to inspire respect for it2   
then we must make it lovable1 to make   
good men hope it is true2 finally1 we   
must prove it is true4  ,venerable1     
because it has perfect knowledge of man2
 lovable1 because it promises the true  
good4   #ahh  ,in every dialogue and    
discourse1 we must be able to say to    
those who take offence1 ,of what do you 
complain8   #ahi  ,to begin by pitying  
unbelievers2 they are wretched enough by

 their condition4 ,we ought only to     
revile them where it is beneficial2 but 
this does them harm4   #aij  ,to pity   
atheists who seek1 for are they not     
unhappy enough8 ,to inveigh against     
those who make a boast of it4   #aia    
,and will this one scoff at the other8  
,who ought to scoff8 ,and yet1 the      
latter does not scoff at the other1 but 
pities him4   #aib  ,to reproach        
,miton#he with not being troubled1 since
 ,god will reproach him4   #aic  ,quid  
fiet hominibus qui minima contemnunt1   
majora non credunt8   #aid  444 ,let    
them at least learn what is the religion
 they attack1 before attacking it4 ,if  
this religion boasted of having a clear 
view of ,god1 and of possessing it open 
and unveiled1 it would be attacking it  
to say that we see nothing in the world 
which shows it with this clearness4 ,but
 since1 on the contrary1 it says that   
men are in darkness and estranged from  
,god1 that ,he has hidden ,himself from 
their knowledge1 that this is in fact   

the name which ,he gives ,himself in the
 ,scriptures1 ,deus absconditus2#hf and 
finally1 if it endeavours equally to    
establish these two things3 that ,god   
has set up in the ,church visible signs 
to make ,himself known to those who     
should seek ,him sincerely1 and that ,he
 has nevertheless so disguised them that
 ,he will only be perceived by those who
 seek ,him with all their heart2 what   
advantage can they obtain1 when1 in the 
negligence with which they make         
profession of being in search of the    
truth1 they cry out that nothing reveals
 it to them2 and since that darkness in 
which they are1 and with which they     
upbraid the ,church1 establishes only   
one of the things which she affirms1    
without touching the other1 and1 very   
far from destroying1 proves her         
doctrine8  ,in order to attack it1 they 
should have protested that they had made
 every effort to seek ,him everywhere1  
and even in that which the ,church      
proposes for their instruction1 but     

without satisfaction4 ,if they talked in
 this manner1 they would in truth be    
attacking one of her pretensions4 ,but  
,i hope here to show that no reasonable 
person can speak thus1 and ,i venture   
even to say that no one has ever done   
so4 ,we know well enough how those who  
are of this mind behave4 ,they believe  
they have made great efforts for their  
instruction1 when they have spent a few 
hours in reading some book of           
,scripture1 and have questioned some    
priest on the truths of the faith4      
,after that1 they boast of having made  
vain search in books and among men4     
,but1 verily1 ,i will tell them what ,i 
have often said1 that this negligence is
 insufferable4 ,we are not here         
concerned with the trifling interests of
 some stranger1 that we should treat it 
in this fashion2 the matter concerns    
ourselves and our all4  ,the immortality
 of the soul is a matter which is of so 
great consequence to us1 and which      
touches us so profoundly1 that we must  

have lost all feeling to be indifferent 
as to knowing what it is4 ,all our      
actions and thoughts must take such     
different courses1 according as there   
are or are not eternal joys to hope for1
 that it is impossible to take one step 
with sense and judgment1 unless we      
regulate our course by our view of this 
point which ought to be our ultimate    
end4  ,thus our first interest and our  
first duty is to enlighten ourselves on 
this subject1 whereon depends all our   
conduct4 ,therefore among those who do  
not believe1 ,i make a vast difference  
between those who strive with all their 
power to inform themselves1 and those   
who live without troubling or thinking  
about it4  ,i can have only compassion  
for those who sincerely bewail their    
doubt1 who regard it as the greatest of 
misfortunes1 and who1 sparing no effort 
to escape it1 make of this inquiry their
 principal and most serious occupations4
  ,but as for those who pass their life 
without thinking of this ultimate end of

 life1 and who1 for this sole reason    
that they do not find within themselves 
the lights which convince them of it1   
neglect to seek them elsewhere1 and to  
examine thoroughly whether this opinion 
is one of those which people receive    
with credulous simplicity1 or one of    
those which1 although obscure in        
themselves1 have nevertheless a solid   
and immovable foundation1 ,i look upon  
them in a manner quite different4  ,this
 carelessness in a matter which concerns
 themselves1 their eternity1 their all1 
moves me more to anger than pity2 it    
astonishes and shocks me2 it is to me   
monstrous4 ,i do not say this out of the
 pious zeal of a spiritual devotion4 ,i 
expect1 on the contrary1 that we ought  
to have this feeling from principles of 
human interest and self-love2 for this  
we need only see what the least         
enlightened persons see4  ,we do not    
require great education of the mind to  
understand that here is no real and     
lasting satisfaction2 that our pleasures

 are only vanity2 that our evils are    
infinite2 and1 lastly1 that death1 which
 threatens us every moment1 must        
infallibly place us within a few years  
under the dreadful necessity of being   
for ever either annihilated or unhappy4 
,there is nothing more real than this1  
nothing more terrible4 ,be we as heroic 
as we like1 that is the end which awaits
 the noblest life in the world4 ,let us 
reflect on this1 and then say whether it
 is not beyond doubt that there is no   
good in this life but in the hope of    
another2 that we are happy only in      
proportion as we draw near it2 and that1
 as there are no more woes for those who
 have complete assurance of eternity1 so
 there is no more happiness for those   
who have no insight into it4  ,surely   
then it is a great evil thus to be in   
doubt1 but it is at least an            
indispensable duty to seek when we are  
in such doubt2 and thus the doubter who 
does not seek is altogether completely  
unhappy and completely wrong4 ,and if   

besides this he is easy and content1    
professes to be so1 and indeed boasts of
 it2 if it is this state itself which is
 the subject of his joy and vanity1 ,i  
have no words to describe so silly a    
creature4  ,how can people hold these   
opinions8 ,what joy can we find in the  
expectation of nothing but hopeless     
misery8 ,what reason for boasting that  
we are in impenetrable darkness8 ,and   
how can it happen that the following    
argument occurs to a reasonable man8  ,i
 know not who put me into the world1 nor
 what the world is1 nor what ,i myself  
am4 ,i am in terrible ignorance of      
everything4 ,i know not what my body is1
 nor my senses1 nor my soul1 not even   
that part of me which thinks what ,i    
say1 which reflects on all and on       
itself1 and knows itself no more than   
the rest4 ,i see those frightful spaces 
of the universe which surround me1 and  
,i find myself tied to one corner of    
this vast expanse1 without knowing why  
,i am put in this place rather than in  

another1 nor why the short time which is
 given me to live is assigned to me at  
this point rather than at another of the
 whole eternity which was before me or  
which shall come after me4 ,i see       
nothing but infinites on all sides1     
which surround me as an atom1 and as a  
shadow which endures only for an instant
 and returns no more4 ,all ,i know is   
that ,i must soon die1 but what ,i know 
least is this very death which ,i cannot
 escape4  ,as ,i know not whence ,i     
come1 so ,i know not whither ,i go4 ,i  
know only that1 in leaving this world1  
,i fall for ever either into            
annihilation or into the hands of an    
angry ,god1 without knowing to which of 
these two states ,i shall be for ever   
assigned4 ,such is my state1 full of    
weakness and uncertainty4 ,and from all 
this ,i conclude that ,i ought to spend 
all the days of my life without caring  
to inquire into what must happen to me4 
,perhaps ,i might find some solution to 
my doubts1 but ,i will not take the     

trouble1 nor take a step to seek it2 and
 after treating with scorn those who are
 concerned with this care1 ,i will go   
without foresight and without fear to   
try the great event1 and let myself be  
led carelessly to death1 uncertain of   
the eternity of my future state4  ,who  
would desire to have for a friend a man 
who talks in this fashion8 ,who would   
choose him out from others to tell him  
of his affairs8 ,who would have recourse
 to him in affliction8 ,and indeed to   
what use in life could one put him8  ,in
 truth1 it is the glory of religion to  
have for enemies men so unreasonable3   
and their opposition to it is so little 
dangerous that it serves on the contrary
 to establish its truths4 ,for the      
,christian faith goes mainly to         
establish these two facts1 the          
corruption of nature1 and redemption by 
,jesus ,christ4 ,now ,i contend that if 
these men do not serve to prove the     
truth of the redemption by the holiness 
of their behaviour1 they at least serve 

admirably to show the corruption of     
nature by sentiments so unnatural4      
,nothing is so important to man as his  
own state1 nothing is so formidable to  
him as eternity2 and thus it is not     
natural that there should be men        
indifferent to the loss of their        
existence1 and to the perils of         
everlasting suffering4 ,they are quite  
different with regard to all other      
things4 ,they are afraid of mere        
trifles2 they foresee them2 they feel   
them4 ,and this same man who spends so  
many days and nights in rage and despair
 for the loss of office1 or for some    
imaginary insult to his honour1 is the  
very one who knows without anxiety and  
without emotion that he will lose all by
 death4 ,it is a monstrous thing to see 
in the same heart and at the same time  
this sensibility to trifles and this    
strange insensibility to the greatest   
objects4 ,it is an incomprehensible     
enchantment1 and a supernatural slumber1
 which indicates as its cause an        

all-powerful force4  ,there must be a   
strange confusion in the nature of man1 
that he should boast of being in that   
state in which it seems incredible that 
a single individual should be4 ,however1
 experience has shown me so great a     
number of such persons that the fact    
would be surprising1 if we did not know 
that the greater part of those who      
trouble themselves about the matter are 
disingenuous1 and not in fact what they 
say4 ,they are people who have heard it 
said that it is the fashion to be thus  
daring4 ,it is what they call shaking   
off the yoke1 and they try to imitate   
this4 ,but it would not be difficult to 
make them understand how greatly they   
deceive themselves in thus seeking      
esteem4 ,this is not the way to gain it1
 even ,i say among those men of the     
world who take a healthy view of things1
 and who know that the only way to      
succeed in this life is to make         
ourselves appear honourable1 faithful1  
judicious1 and capable of useful service

 to a friend2 because naturally men love
 only what may be useful to them4 ,now1 
what do we gain by hearing it said of a 
man that he has now thrown off the yoke1
 that he does not believe there is a    
,god who watches our actions1 that he   
considers himself the sole master of his
 conduct1 and that he thinks he is      
accountable for it only to himself8     
,does he think that he has thus brought 
us to have henceforth complete          
confidence in him1 and to look to him   
for consolation1 advice1 and help in    
every need of life8 ,do they profess to 
have delighted us by telling us that    
they hold our soul to be only a little  
wind and smoke1 especially by telling us
 this in a haughty and self-satisfied   
tone of voice8 ,is this a thing to say  
gaily8 ,is it not1 on the contrary1 a   
thing to say sadly1 as the saddest thing
 in the world8  ,if they thought of it  
seriously1 they would see that this is  
so bad a mistake1 so contrary to good   
sense1 so opposed to decency and so     

removed in every respect from that good 
breeding which they seek1 that they     
would be more likely to correct than to 
pervert those who had an inclination to 
follow them4 ,and indeed1 make them give
 an account of their opinions1 and of   
the reasons which they have for doubting
 religion1 and they will say to you     
things so feeble and so petty1 that they
 will persuade you of the contrary4 ,the
 following is what a person one day said
 to such a one very appositely3 ,if you 
continue to talk in this manner1 you    
will really make me religious4 ,and he  
was right1 for who would not have a     
horror of holding opinions in which he  
would have such contemptible persons as 
companions6  ,thus those who only feign 
these opinions would be very unhappy1 if
 they restrained their natural feelings 
in order to make themselves the most    
conceited of men4 ,if1 at the bottom of 
their heart1 they are troubled at not   
having more light1 let them not disguise
 the fact2 this avowal will not be      

shameful4 ,the only shame is to have    
none4 ,nothing reveals more an extreme  
weakness of mind than not to know the   
misery of a godless man4 ,nothing is    
more indicative of a bad disposition of 
heart than not to desire the truth of   
eternal promises4 ,nothing is more      
dastardly than to act with bravado      
before ,god4 ,let them then leave these 
impieties to those who are sufficiently 
ill-bred to be really capable of them4  
,let them at least be honest men1 if    
they cannot be ,christians4 ,finally1   
let them recognise that there are two   
kinds of people one can call reasonable2
 those who serve ,god with all their    
heart because they know ,him1 and those 
who seek ,him with all their heart      
because they do not know ,him4  ,but as 
for those who live without knowing ,him 
and without seeking ,him1 they judge    
themselves so little worthy of their own
 care1 that they are not worthy of the  
care of others2 and it needs all the    
charity of the religion which they      

despise1 not to despise them even to the
 point of leaving them to their folly4  
,but because this religion obliges us   
always to regard them1 so long as they  
are in this life1 as capable of the     
grace which can enlighten them1 and to  
believe that they may1 in a little time1
 be more replenished with faith than we 
are1 and that1 on the other hand1 we may
 fall into the blindness wherein they   
are1 we must do for them what we would  
they should do for us if we were in     
their place1 and call upon them to have 
pity upon themselves1 and to take at    
least some steps in the endeavour to    
find light4 ,let them give to reading   
this some of the hours which they       
otherwise employ so uselessly2 whatever 
aversion they may bring to the task1    
they will perhaps gain something1 and at
 least will not lose much4 ,but as for  
those who bring to the task perfect     
sincerity and a real desire to meet with
 truth1 those ,i hope will be satisfied 
and convinced of the proofs of a        

religion so divine1 which ,i have here  
collected1 and in which ,i have followed
 somewhat after this order 444   #aie   
,before entering into the proofs of the 
,christian religion1 ,i find it         
necessary to point out the sinfulness of
 those men who live in indifference to  
the search for truth in a matter which  
is so important to them1 and which      
touches them so nearly4  ,of all their  
errors1 this doubtless is the one which 
most convicts them of foolishness and   
blindness1 and in which it is easiest to
 confound them by the first glimmerings 
of common sense1 and by natural         
feelings4  ,for it is not to be doubted 
that the duration of this life is but a 
moment2 that the state of death is      
eternal1 whatever may be its nature2 and
 that thus all our actions and thoughts 
must take such different directions     
according to the state of that eternity1
 that it is impossible to take one step 
with sense and judgment1 unless we      
regulate our course by the truth of that

 point which ought to be our ultimate   
end4  ,there is nothing clearer than    
this2 and thus1 according to the        
principles of reason1 the conduct of men
 is wholly unreasonable1 if they do not 
take another course4  ,on this point1   
therefore1 we condemn those who live    
without thought of the ultimate end of  
life1 who let themselves be guided by   
their own inclinations and their own    
pleasures without reflection and without
 concern1 and1 as if they could         
annihilate eternity by turning away     
their thought from it1 think only of    
making themselves happy for the moment4 
,yet this eternity exists1 and death1   
which must open into it1 and threatens  
them every hour1 must in a little time  
infallibly put them under the dreadful  
necessity of being either annihilated or
 unhappy for ever1 without knowing which
 of these eternities is for ever        
prepared for them4  ,this is a doubt of 
terrible consequence4 ,they are in peril
 of eternal woe2 and thereupon1 as if   

the matter were not worth the trouble1  
they neglect to inquire whether this is 
one of those opinions which people      
receive with too credulous a facility1  
or one of those which1 obscure in       
themselves1 have a very firm1 though    
hidden1 foundation4 ,thus they know not 
whether there be truth or falsity in the
 matter1 nor whether there be strength  
or weakness in the proofs4 ,they have   
them before their eyes2 they refuse to  
look at them2 and in that ignorance they
 choose all that is necessary to fall   
into this misfortune if it exists1 to   
await death to make trial of it1 yet to 
be very content in this state1 to make  
profession of it1 and indeed to boast of
 it4 ,can we think seriously on the     
importance of this subject without being
 horrified at conduct so extravagant8   
,this resting in ignorance is a         
monstrous thing1 and they who pass their
 life in it must be made to feel its    
extravagance and stupidity1 by having it
 shown to them1 so that they may be     

confounded by the sight of their folly4 
,for this is how men reason1 when they  
choose to live in such ignorance of what
 they are1 and without seeking          
enlightenment4 ,i know not1 they say 444
   #aif  ,men lack heart2 they would not
 make a friend of it4   #aig  ,to be    
insensible to the extent of despising   
interesting things1 and to become       
insensible to the point which interests 
us most4   #aih  ,the sensibility of man
 to trifles1 and his insensibility to   
great things1 indicates a strange       
inversion4   #aii  ,let us imagine a    
number of men in chains1 and all        
condemned to death1 where some are      
killed each day in the sight of the     
others1 and those who remain see their  
own fate in that of their fellows1 and  
wait their turn1 looking at each other  
sorrowfully and without hope4 ,it is an 
image of the condition of men4   #bjj   
,a man in a dungeon1 ignorant whether   
his sentence be pronounced1 and having  
only one hour to learn it1 but this hour

 enough1 if he know that it is          
pronounced1 to obtain its repeal1 would 
act unnaturally in spending that hour1  
not in ascertaining his sentence1 but in
 playing piquet4 ,so it is against      
nature that man1 etc4 ,it is making     
heavy the hand of ,god4  ,thus not only 
the zeal of those who seek ,him proves  
,god1 but also the blindness of those   
who seek ,him not4   #bja  ,all the     
objections of this one and that one only
 go against themselves1 and not against 
religion4 ,all that infidels say 444    
#bjb  ,from those who are in despair at 
being without faith1 we see that ,god   
does not enlighten them2 but as to the  
rest1 we see there is a ,god who makes  
them blind4   #bjc  ,fascinatio         
nugacitatis4#hg--,that passion may not  
harm us1 let us act as if we had only   
eight hours to live4   #bjd  ,if we     
ought to devote eight hours of life1 we 
ought to devote a hundred years4   #bje 
,when ,i consider the short duration of 
my life1 swallowed up in the eternity   

before and after1 the little space which
 ,i fill1 and even can see1 engulfed in 
the infinite immensity of spaces of     
which ,i am ignorant1 and which know me 
not1 ,i am frightened1 and am astonished
 at being here rather than there2 for   
there is no reason why here rather than 
there1 why now rather than then4 ,who   
has put me here8 ,by whose order and    
direction have this place and time been 
allotted to me8 ,memoria hospitis unius 
diei prtereuntis4#hh   #bjf  ,the       
eternal silence of these infinite spaces
 frightens me4   #bjg  ,how many        
kingdoms know us not6   #bjh  ,why is my
 knowledge limited8 ,why my stature8    
,why my life to one hundred years rather
 than to a thousand8 ,what reason has   
nature had for giving me such1 and for  
choosing this number rather than another
 in the infinity of those from which    
there is no more reason to choose one   
than another1 trying nothing else8      
#bji  ,art thou less a slave by being   
loved and favoured by thy master8 ,thou 

art indeed well off1 slave4 ,thy master 
favours thee2 he will soon beat thee4   
#baj  ,the last act is tragic1 however  
happy all the rest of the play is2 at   
the last a little earth is thrown upon  
our head1 and that is the end for ever4 
#baa  ,we are fools to depend upon the  
society of our fellow-men4 ,wretched as 
we are1 powerless as we are1 they will  
not aid us2 we shall die alone4 ,we     
should therefore act as if we were      
alone1 and in that case should we build 
fine houses1 etc48 ,we should seek the  
truth without hesitation2 and1 if we    
refuse it1 we show that we value the    
esteem of men more than the search for  
truth4   #bab  ,instability4#hi--;,it is
 a horrible thing to feel all that we   
possess slipping away4   #bac  ,between 
us and heaven or hell there is only     
life1 which is the frailest thing in the
 world4   #bad  ,injustice4--,that      
presumption should be joined to meanness
 is extreme injustice4   #bae  ,to fear 
death without danger1 and not in danger1

 for one must be a man4   #baf  ,sudden 
death alone is feared2 hence confessors 
stay with lords4   #bag  ,an heir finds 
the title-deeds of his house4 ,will he  
say1 ,perhaps they are forged8 and      
neglect to examine them8   #bah         
,dungeon4--,i approve of not examining  
the opinion of ,copernicus2 but this4446
 ,it concerns all our life to know      
whether the soul be mortal or immortal4 
#bai  ,it is certain that the mortality 
or immortality of the soul must make an 
entire difference to morality4 ,and yet 
philosophers have constructed their     
ethics independently of this3 they      
discuss to pass an hour4  ,plato1 to    
incline to ,christianity4   #bbj  ,the  
fallacy of philosophers who have not    
discussed the immortality of the soul4  
,the fallacy of their dilemma in        
,montaigne4   #bba  ,atheists ought to  
say what is perfectly evident2 now it is
 not perfectly evident that the soul is 
material4   #bbb  ,atheists4--,what     
reason have they for saying that we     

cannot rise from the dead8 ,what is more
 difficult1 to be born or to rise again2
 that what has never been should be1 or 
that what has been should be again8 ,is 
it more difficult to come into existence
 than to return to it8 ,habit makes the 
one appear easy to us2 want of habit    
makes the other impossible4 ,a popular  
way of thinking6  ,why cannot a virgin  
bear a child8 ,does a hen not lay eggs  
without a cock8 ,what distinguishes     
these outwardly from others8 ,and who   
has told us that the hen may not form   
the germ as well as the cock8   #bbc    
,what have they to say against the      
resurrection1 and against the           
child-bearing of the ,virgin8 ,which is 
the more difficult1 to produce a man or 
an animal1 or to reproduce it8 ,and if  
they had never seen any species of      
animals1 could they have conjectured    
whether they were produced without      
connection with each other8   #bbd  ,how
 ,i hate these follies of not believing 
in the ,eucharist1 etc46 ,if the ,gospel

 be true1 if ,jesus ,christ be ,god1    
what difficulty is there8   #bbe        
,atheism shows strength of mind1 but    
only to a certain degree4   #bbf        
,infidels1 who profess to follow reason1
 ought to be exceedingly strong in      
reason4 ,what say they then8 ,do we not 
see1 say they1 that the brutes live and 
die like men1 and ,turks like           
,christians8 ,they have their           
ceremonies1 their prophets1 their       
doctors1 their saints1 their monks1 like
 us1 etc4 7,is this contrary to         
,scripture8 ,does it not say all this87 
,if you care but little to know the     
truth1 here is enough of it to leave you
 in repose4 ,but if you desire with all 
your heart to know it1 it is not enough2
 look at it in detail4 ,this would be   
sufficient for a question in philosophy2
 but not here1 where it concerns your   
all4 ,and yet1 after a trifling         
reflection of this kind1 we go to amuse 
ourselves1 etc4 ,let us inquire of this 
same religion whether it does not give a

 reason for this obscurity2 perhaps it  
will teach it to us4   #bbg  ,order by  
dialogues4--,what ought ,i to do8 ,i see
 only darkness everywhere4 ,shall ,i    
believe ,i am nothing8 ,shall ,i believe
 ,i am ,god8  ,all things change and    
succeed each other4 ,you are mistaken2  
there is 444   #bbh  ,objection of      
atheists3 ,but we have no light4   #bbi 
,this is what ,i see and what troubles  
me4 ,i look on all sides1 and ,i see    
only darkness everywhere4 ,nature       
presents to me nothing which is not     
matter of doubt and concern4 ,if ,i saw 
nothing there which revealed a          
,divinity1 ,i would come to a negative  
conclusion2 if ,i saw everywhere the    
signs of a ,creator1 ,i would remain    
peacefully in faith4 ,but1 seeing too   
much to deny and too little to be sure1 
,i am in a state to be pitied2 wherefore
 ,i have a hundred time wished that if a
 ,god maintains nature1 she should      
testify to ,him unequivocally1 and that1
 if the signs she gives are deceptive1  

she should suppress them altogether2    
that she should say everything or       
nothing1 that ,i might see which cause  
,i ought to follow4 ,whereas in my      
present state1 ignorant of what ,i am or
 of what ,i ought to do1 ,i know neither
 my condition nor my duty4 ,my heart    
inclines wholly to know where is the    
true good1 in order to follow it2       
nothing would be too dear to me for     
eternity4  ,i envy those whom ,i see    
living in the faith with such           
carelessness1 and who make such a bad   
use of a gift of which it seems to me ,i
 would make such a different use4   #bcj
  ,it is incomprehensible that ,god     
should exist1 and it is incomprehensible
 that ,he should not exist2 that the    
soul should be joined to the body1 and  
that we should have no soul2 that the   
world should be created1 and that it    
should not be created1 etc42 that       
original sin should be1 and that it     
should not be4   #bca  ,do you believe  
it to be impossible that ,god is        

infinite1 without parts8--,yes4 ,i wish 
therefore to show you an infinite and   
indivisible thing4 ,it is a point moving
 everywhere with an infinite velocity2  
for it is one in all places1 and is all 
totality in every place4  ,let this     
effect of nature1 which previously      
seemed to you impossible1 make you know 
that there may be others of which you   
are still ignorant4 ,do not draw this   
conclusion from your experiment1 that   
there remains nothing for you to know2  
but rather that there remains an        
infinity for you to know4   #bcb        
,infinite movement1 the point which     
fills everything1 the moment of rest2   
infinite without quantity1 indivisible  
and infinite4   #bcc                    
,infinite--nothing4--,our soul is cast  
into a body1 where it finds number1     
time1 dimension4 ,thereupon it reasons1 
and calls this nature1 necessity1 and   
can believe nothing else4  ,unity joined
 to infinity adds nothing to it1 no more
 than one foot to an infinite measure4  

,the finite is annihilated in the       
presence of the infinite1 and becomes a 
pure nothing4 ,so our spirit before     
,god1 so our justice before divine      
justice4 ,there is not so great a       
disproportion between our justice and   
that of ,god1 as between unity and      
infinity4  ,the justice of ,god must be 
vast like ,his compassion4 ,now justice 
to the outcast is less vast1 and ought  
less to offend our feelings than mercy  
towards the elect4  ,we know that there 
is an infinite1 and are ignorant of its 
nature4 ,as we know it to be false that 
numbers are finite1 it is therefore true
 that there is an infinity in number4   
,but we do not know what it is4 ,it is  
false that it is even1 it is false that 
it is odd2 for the addition of a unit   
can make no change in its nature4 ,yet  
it is a number1 and every number is odd 
or even 7this is certainly true of every
 finite number74 ,so we may well know   
that there is a ,god without knowing    
what ,he is4 ,is there not one          

substantial truth1 seeing there are so  
many things which are not the truth     
itself8  ,we know then the existence and
 nature of the finite1 because we also  
are finite and have extension4 ,we know 
the existence of the infinite1 and are  
ignorant of its nature1 because it has  
extension like us1 but not limits like  
us4 ,but we know neither the existence  
nor the nature of ,god1 because ,he has 
neither extension nor limits4  ,but by  
faith we know ,his existence2 in glory  
we shall know ,his nature4 ,now1 ,i have
 already shown that we may well know the
 existence of a thing1 without knowing  
its nature4  ,let us now speak according
 to natural lights4  ,if there is a     
,god1 ,he is infinitely                 
incomprehensible1 since1 having neither 
parts nor limits1 ,he has no affinity to
 us4 ,we are then incapable of knowing  
either what ,he is or if ,he is4 ,this  
being so1 who will dare to undertake the
 decision of the question8 ,not we1 who 
have no affinity to ,him4  ,who then    

will blame ,christians for not being    
able to give a reason for their belief1 
since they profess a religion for which 
they cannot give a reason8 ,they        
declare1 in expounding it to the world1 
that it is a foolishness1 stultitiam2#ij
 and then you complain that they do not 
prove it6 ,if they proved it1 they would
 not keep their word2 it is in lacking  
proofs1 that they are not lacking in    
sense4 ,yes1 but although this excuses  
those who offer it as such1 and takes   
away from them the blame of putting it  
forward without reason1 it does not     
excuse those who receive it4 ,let us    
then examine this point1 and say1 ,god  
is1 or ,he is not4 ,but to which side   
shall we incline8 ,reason can decide    
nothing here4 ,there is an infinite     
chaos which separated us4 ,a game is    
being played at the extremity of this   
infinite distance where heads or tails  
will turn up4 ,what will you wager8     
,according to reason1 you can do neither
 the one thing nor the other2 according 

to reason1 you can defend neither of the
 propositions4  ,do not then reprove for
 error those who have made a choice2 for
 you know nothing about it4 ,no1 but ,i 
blame them for having made1 not this    
choice1 but a choice2 for again both he 
who chooses heads and he who chooses    
tails are equally at fault1 they are    
both in the wrong4 ,the true course is  
not to wager at all4  ,yes2 but you must
 wager4 ,it is not optional4 ,you are   
embarked4 ,which will you choose then8  
,let us see4 ,since you must choose1 let
 us see which interests you least4 ,you 
have two things to lose1 the true and   
the good2 and two things to stake1 your 
reason and your will1 your knowledge and
 your happiness2 and your nature has two
 things to shun1 error and misery4 ,your
 reason is no more shocked in choosing  
one rather than the other1 since you    
must of necessity choose4 ,this is one  
point settled4 ,but your happiness8 ,let
 us weigh the gain and the loss in      
wagering that ,god is4 ,let us estimate 

these two chances4 ,if you gain1 you    
gain all2 if you lose1 you lose nothing4
 ,wager1 then1 without hesitation that  
,he is4--,that is very fine4 ,yes1 ,i   
must wager2 but ,i may perhaps wager too
 much4--,let us see4 ,since there is an 
equal risk of gain and of loss1 if you  
had only to gain two lives1 instead of  
one1 you might still wager4 ,but if     
there were three lives to gain1 you     
would have to play 7since you are under 
the necessity of playing71 and you would
 be imprudent1 when you are forced to   
play1 not to chance your life to gain   
three at a game where there is an equal 
risk of loss and gain4 ,but there is an 
eternity of life and happiness4 ,and    
this being so1 if there were an infinity
 of chances1 of which one only would be 
for you1 you would still be right in    
wagering one to win two1 and you would  
act stupidly1 being obliged to play1 by 
refusing to stake one life against three
 at a game in which out of an infinity  
of chances there is one for you1 if     

there were an infinity of an infinitely 
happy life to gain4 ,but there is here  
an infinity of an infinitely happy life 
to gain1 a chance of gain against a     
finite number of chances of loss1 and   
what you stake is finite4 ,it is all    
divided2 wherever the infinite is and   
there is not an infinity of chances of  
loss against that of gain1 there is no  
time to hesitate1 you must give all4    
,and thus1 when one is forced to play1  
he must renounce reason to preserve his 
life1 rather than risk it for infinite  
gain1 as likely to happen as the loss of
 nothingness4  ,for it is no use to say 
it is uncertain if we will gain1 and it 
is certain that we risk1 and that the   
infinite distance between the certainty 
of what is staked and the uncertainty of
 what will be gained1 equals the finite 
good which is certainly staked against  
the uncertain infinite4 ,it is not so1  
as every player stakes a certainty to   
gain an uncertainty1 and yet he stakes a
 finite certainty to gain a finite      

uncertainty1 without transgressing      
against reason4 ,there is not an        
infinite distance between the certainty 
staked and the uncertainty of the gain2 
that is untrue4 ,in truth1 there is an  
infinity between the certainty of gain  
and the certainty of loss4 ,but the     
uncertainty of the gain is proportioned 
to the certainty of the stake according 
to the proportion of the chances of gain
 and loss4 ,hence it comes that1 if     
there are as many risks on one side as  
on the other1 the course is to play     
even2 and then the certainty of the     
stake is equal to the uncertainty of the
 gain1 so far is it from fact that there
 is an infinite distance between them4  
,and so our proposition is of infinite  
force1 when there is the finite to stake
 in a game where there are equal risks  
of gain and of loss1 and the infinite to
 gain4 ,this is demonstrable2 and if men
 are capable of any truths1 this is one4
  ,i confess it1 ,i admit it4 ,but1     
still1 is there no means of seeing the  

faces of the cards8--,yes1 ,scripture   
and the rest1 etc4 ,yes1 but ,i have my 
hands tied and my mouth closed2 ,i am   
forced to wager1 and am not free4 ,i am 
not released1 and am so made that ,i    
cannot believe4 ,what1 then1 would you  
have me do8  ,true4 ,but at least learn 
your inability to believe1 since reason 
brings you to this1 and yet you cannot  
believe4 ,endeavour then to convince    
yourself1 not by increase of proofs of  
,god1 but by the abatement of your      
passions4 ,you would like to attain     
faith1 and do not know the way2 you     
would like to cure yourself of unbelief1
 and ask the remedy for it4 ,learn of   
those who have been bound like you1 and 
who now stake all their possessions4    
,these are people who know the way which
 you would follow1 and who are cured of 
an ill of which you would be cured4     
,follow the way by which they began2 by 
acting as if they believed1 taking the  
holy water1 having masses said1 etc4    
,even this will naturally make you      

believe1 and deaden your                
acuteness4--,but this is what ,i am     
afraid of4--,and why8 ,what have you to 
lose8  ,but to show you that this leads 
you there1 it is this which will lessen 
the passions1 which are your            
stumbling-blocks4  ,the end of this     
discourse4--,now1 what harm will befall 
you in taking this side8 ,you will be   
faithful1 honest1 humble1 grateful1     
generous1 a sincere friend1 truthful4   
,certainly you will not have those      
poisonous pleasures1 glory and luxury2  
but will you not have others8 ,i will   
tell you that you will thereby gain in  
this life1 and that1 at each step you   
take on this road1 you will see so great
 certainty of gain1 so much nothingness 
in what you risk1 that you will at last 
recognise that you have wagered for     
something certain and infinite1 for     
which you have given nothing4  ,ah6     
,this discourse transports me1 charms   
me1 etc4  ,if this discourse pleases you
 and seems impressive1 know that it is  

made by a man who has knelt1 both before
 and after it1 in prayer to that ,being1
 infinite and without parts1 before whom
 he lays all he has1 for you also to lay
 before ,him all you have for your own  
good and for ,his glory1 that so        
strength may be given to lowliness4     
#bcd  ,if we must not act save on a     
certainty1 we ought not to act on       
religion1 for it is not certain4 ,but   
how many things we do on an uncertainty1
 sea voyages1 battles6 ,i say then we   
must do nothing at all1 for nothing is  
certain1 and that there is more         
certainty in religion than there is as  
to whether we may see to-morrow2 for it 
is not certain that we may see          
to-morrow1 and it is certainly possible 
that we may not see it4 ,we cannot say  
as much about religion4 ,it is not      
certain that it is2 but who will venture
 to say that it is certainly possible   
that it is not8 ,now when we work for   
to-morrow1 and so on an uncertainty1 we 
act reasonably2 for we ought to work for

 an uncertainty according to the        
doctrine of chance which was            
demonstrated above4  ,saint ,augustine  
has seen that we work for an            
uncertainty1 on sea1 in battle1 etc4    
,but he has not seen the doctrine of    
chance which proves that we should do   
so4 ,montaigne has seen that we are     
shocked at a fool1 and that habit is    
all-powerful2 but he has not seen the   
reason of this effect4  ,all these      
persons have seen the effects1 but they 
have not seen the causes4 ,they are1 in 
comparison with those who have          
discovered the causes1 as those who have
 only eyes are in comparison with those 
who have intellect4 ,for the effects are
 perceptible by sense1 and the causes   
are visible only to the intellect4 ,and 
although these effects are seen by the  
mind1 this mind is1 in comparison with  
the mind which sees the causes1 as the  
bodily senses are in comparison with the
 intellect4   #bce  ,rem viderunt1      
causam non viderunt4   #bcf  ,according 

to the doctrine of chance1 you ought to 
put yourself to the trouble of searching
 for the truth2 for if you die without  
worshipping the ,true ,cause1 you are   
lost4--,but1 say you1 if ,he had wished 
me to worship ,him1 ,he would have left 
me signs of ,his will4--,he has done so2
 but you neglect them4 ,seek them1      
therefore2 it is well worth it4   #bcg  
,chances4--,we must live differently in 
the world1 according to these different 
assumptions3 7#a7 that we could always  
remain in it2 7#b7 that it is certain   
that we shall not remain here long1 and 
uncertain if we shall remain here one   
hour4 ,this last assumption is our      
condition4   #bch  ,what do you then    
promise me1 in addition to certain      
troubles1 but ten years of self-love    
7for ten years is the chance71 to try   
hard to please without success8   #bci  
,objection4--,those who hope for        
salvation are so far happy2 but they    
have as a counterpoise the fear of hell4
  ,reply4--,who has most reason to fear 

hell3 he who is in ignorance whether    
there is a hell1 and who is certain of  
damnation if there is2 or he who        
certainly believes there is a hell1 and 
hopes to be saved if there is8   #bdj   
,i would soon have renounced pleasure1  
say they1 had ,i faith4 ,for my part ,i 
tell you1 ,you would soon have faith1 if
 you renounced pleasure4 ,now1 it is for
 you to begin4 ,if ,i could1 ,i would   
give you faith4 ,i cannot do so1 nor    
therefore test the truth of what you    
say4 ,but you can well renounce         
pleasure1 and test whether what ,i say  
is true4   #bda  ,order4--,i would have 
far more fear of being mistaken1 and of 
finding that the ,christian religion was
 true1 than of not being mistaken in    
believing it true4     ,,section ,,iv   
,,of ,,the ,,means ,,of ,,belief   #bdb 
,preface to the second part4--,to speak 
of those who have treated of this       
matter4  ,i admire the boldness with    
which these persons undertake to speak  
of ,god4 ,in addressing their argument  

to infidels1 their first chapter is to  
prove ,divinity from the works of       
nature4#ia ,i should not be astonished  
at their enterprise1 if they were       
addressing their argument to the        
faithful2 for it is certain that those  
who have the living faith in their heart
 see at once that all existence is none 
other than the work of the ,god whom    
they adore4 ,but for those in whom this 
light is extinguished1 and in whom we   
purpose to rekindle it1 persons         
destitute of faith and grace1 who1      
seeking with all their light whatever   
they see in nature that can bring them  
to this knowledge1 find only obscurity  
and darkness2 to tell them that they    
have only to look at the smallest things
 which surround them1 and they will see 
,god openly1 to give them1 as a complete
 proof of this great and important      
matter1 the course of the moon and      
planets1 and to claim to have concluded 
the proof with such an argument1 is to  
give them ground for believing that the 

proofs of our religion are very weak4   
,and ,i see by reason and experience    
that nothing is more calculated to      
arouse their contempt4  ,it is not after
 this manner that ,scripture speaks1    
which has a better knowledge of the     
things that are of ,god4 ,it says1 on   
the contrary1 that ,god is a hidden     
,god1 and that1 since the corruption of 
nature1 ,he has left men in a darkness  
from which they can escape only through 
,jesus ,christ1 without whom all        
communion with ,god is cut off4 ,nemo   
novit ,patrem1 nisi ,filius1 et cui     
voluerit ,filius revelare4#ib  ,this is 
what ,scripture points out to us1 when  
it says in so many places that those who
 seek ,god find ,him4#ic ,it is not of  
that light1 like the noonday sun1 that  
this is said4 ,we do not say that those 
who seek the noonday sun1 or water in   
the sea1 shall find them2 and hence the 
evidence of ,god must not be of this    
nature4 ,so it tells us elsewhere3 ,vere
 tu es ,deus absconditus4#id   #bdc  ,it

 is an astounding fact that no canonical
 writer has ever made use of nature to  
prove ,god4 ,they all strive to make us 
believe in ,him4 ,david1 ,solomon1 etc41
 have never said1 ,there is no void1    
therefore there is a ,god4 ,they must   
have had more knowledge than the most   
learned people who came after them1 and 
who have all made use of this argument4 
,this is worthy of attention4   #bdd    
,why6 ,do you not say yourself that the 
heavens and birds prove ,god8 ,no4 ,and 
does your religion not say so8 ,no4 ,for
 although it is true in a sense for some
 souls to whom ,god gives this light1   
yet it is false with respect to the     
majority of men4   #bde  ,there are     
three sources of belief3 reason1 custom1
 inspiration4 ,the ,christian religion1 
which alone has reason1 does not        
acknowledge as her true children those  
who believe without inspiration4 ,it is 
not that she excludes reason and custom4
 ,on the contrary1 the mind must be     
opened to proofs1 must be confirmed by  

custom1 and offer itself in humbleness  
to inspirations1 which alone can produce
 a true and saving effect4 ,ne evacuetur
 crux ,christi4#ie   #bdf               
,order4--,after the letter ,that we     
ought to seek ,god1 to write the letter 
,on removing obstacles2 which is the    
discourse on the machine1#if on         
preparing the machine1 on seeking by    
reason4   #bdg  ,order4--,a letter of   
exhortation to a friend to induce him to
 seek4 ,and he will reply1 ,but what is 
the use of seeking8 ,nothing is seen4   
,then to reply to him1 ,do not despair4 
,and he will answer that he would be    
glad to find some light1 but that1      
according to this very religion1 if he  
believed in it1 it will be of no use to 
him1 and that therefore he prefers not  
to seek4 ,and to answer to that3 ,the   
machine4   #bdh  ,a letter which        
indicates the use of proofs by the      
machine4--,faith is different from      
proof2 the one is human1 the other is a 
gift of ,god4 ,justus ex fide vivit4#ig 

,it is this faith that ,god ,himself    
puts into the heart1 of which the proof 
is often the instrument1 fides ex       
auditu2#ih but this faith is in the     
heart1 and makes us not say scio1 but   
credo4   #bdi  ,it is superstition to   
put one's hope in formalities2 but it is
 pride to be unwilling to submit to     
them4   #bej  ,the external must be     
joined to the internal to obtain        
anything from ,god1 that is to say1 we  
must kneel1 pray with the lips1 etc41 in
 order that proud man1 who would not    
submit himself to ,god1 may be now      
subject to the creature4#ii ,to expect  
help from these externals is            
superstition2 to refuse to join them to 
the internal is pride4   #bea  ,other   
religions1 as the pagan1 are more       
popular1 for they consist in externals4 
,but they are not for educated people4  
,a purely intellectual religion would be
 more suited to the learned1 but it     
would be of no use to the common people4
 ,the ,christian religion alone is      

adapted to all1 being composed of       
externals and internals4 ,it raises the 
common people to the internal1 and      
humbles the proud to the external2 it is
 not perfect without the two1 for the   
people must understand the spirit of the
 letter1 and the learned must submit    
their spirit to the letter4   #beb  ,for
 we must not misunderstand ourselves2 we
 are as much automatic as intellectual2 
and hence it comes that the instrument  
by which conviction is attained is not  
demonstrated alone4 ,how few things are 
demonstrated8 ,proofs only convince the 
mind4 ,custom is the source of our      
strongest and most believed proofs4 ,it 
bends the automaton1 which persuades the
 mind without its thinking about the    
matter4 ,who has demonstrated that there
 will be a to-morrow1 and that we shall 
die8 ,and what is more believed8 ,it is1
 then1 custom which persuades us of it2 
it is custom that makes so many men     
,christians2 custom that makes them     
,turks1 heathens1 artisans1 soldiers1   

etc4 7,faith in baptism is more received
 among ,christians than among ,turks47  
,finally1 we must have recourse to it   
when once the mind has seen where the   
truth is1 in order to quench our thirst1
 and steep ourselves in that belief1    
which escapes us at every hour2 for     
always to have proofs ready is too much 
trouble4 ,we must get an easier belief1 
which is that of custom1 which1 without 
violence1 without art1 without argument1
 makes us believe things1 and inclines  
all our powers to this belief1 so that  
out soul falls naturally into it4 ,it is
 not enough to believe only by force of 
conviction1 when the automaton is       
inclined to believe the contrary4 ,both 
our parts must be made to believe1 the  
mind by reasons which it is sufficient  
to have seen once in a lifetime1 and the
 automaton by custom1 and by not        
allowing it to incline to the contrary4 
,inclina cor meum1 ,deus4#ajj  ,the     
reason acts slowly1 with so many        
examinations1 and on so many principles1

 which must be always present1 that at  
every hour it falls asleep1 or wanders1 
through want of having all its          
principles present4 ,feeling does not   
act thus2 it acts in a moment1 and is   
always ready to act4 ,we must then put  
our faith in feeling2 otherwise it will 
be always vacillating4   #bec  ,two     
extremes3 to exclude reason1 to admit   
reason only4   #bed  ,it is not a rare  
thing to have to reprove the world for  
too much docility4 ,it is a natural vice
 like credulity1 and as pernicious4     
,superstition4   #bee  ,piety is        
different from superstition4  ,to carry 
piety as far as superstition is to      
destroy it4  ,the heretics reproach us  
for this superstitious submission4 ,this
 is to do what they reproach us for 444 
,infidelity1 not to believe in the      
,eucharist1 because it is not seen4     
,superstition to believe propositions4  
,faith1 etc4   #bef  ,i say there are   
few true ,christians1 even as regards   
faith4 ,there are many who believe but  

from superstition4 ,there are many who  
do not believe solely from wickedness4  
,few are between the two4  ,in this ,i  
do not include those who are of truly   
pious character1 nor all those who      
believe from a feeling in their heart4  
#beg  ,there are only three kinds of    
persons2 those who serve ,god1 having   
found ,him2 others who are occupied in  
seeking ,him1 not having found ,him2    
while the remainder live without seeking
 ,him1 and without having found ,him4   
,the first are reasonable and happy1 the
 last are foolish and unhappy2 those    
between are unhappy and reasonable4     
#beh  ,unusquisque sibi ,deum           
fingit4#aja  ,disgust4   #bei  ,ordinary
 people have the power of not thinking  
of that about which they do not wish to 
think4 ,do not meditate on the passages 
about the ,messiah1 said the ,jew to his
 son4 ,thus our people often act4 ,thus 
are false religions preserved1 and even 
the true one1 in regard to many persons4
  ,but there are some who have not the  

power of thus preventing thought1 and   
who think so much the more as they are  
forbidden4 ,these undo false religions1 
and even the true one1 if they do not   
find solid arguments4   #bfj  ,they hide
 themselves in the press1 and call      
numbers to their rescue4 ,tumult4       
,authority4--,so far from making it a   
rule to believe a thing because you have
 heard it1 you ought to believe nothing 
without putting yourself into the       
position as if you had never heard it4  
,it is your own assent to yourself1 and 
the constant voice of your own reason1  
and not of others1 that should make you 
believe4  ,belief is so important6 ,a   
hundred contradictions might be true4   
,if antiquity were the rule of belief1  
men of ancient time would then be       
without rule4 ,if general consent1 if   
men had perished8  ,false humanity1     
pride4  ,lift the curtain4 ,you try in  
vain2 if you must either believe1 or    
deny1 or doubt4 ,shall we then have no  
rule8 ,we judge that animals do well    

what they do4 ,is there no rule whereby 
to judge men8  ,to deny1 to believe1 and
 to doubt well1 are to a man what the   
race is to a horse4  ,punishment of     
those who sin1 error4   #bfa  ,those who
 do not love the truth take as a pretext
 that it is disputed1 and that a        
multitude deny it4 ,and so their error  
arises only from this1 that they do not 
love either truth or charity4 ,thus they
 are without excuse4   #bfb             
,superstition and lust4 ,scruples1 evil 
desires4 ,evil fear2 fear1 not such as  
comes from a belief in ,god1 but such as
 comes from a doubt whether ,he exists  
or not4 ,true fear comes from faith2    
false fear comes from doubt4 ,true fear 
is joined to hope1 because it is born of
 faith1 and because men hope in the ,god
 in whom they believe4 ,false fear is   
joined to despair1 because men fear the 
,god in whom they have no belief4 ,the  
former fear to lose ,him2 the latter    
fear to find ,him4   #bfc  ,a miracle1  
says one1 would strengthen my faith4 ,he

 says so when he does not see one4      
,reasons1 seen from afar1 appear to     
limit our view2 but when they are       
reached1 we begin to see beyond4        
,nothing stops the nimbleness of our    
mind4 ,there is no rule1 say we1 which  
has not some exceptions1 no truth so    
general which has not some aspect in    
which it fails4 ,it is sufficient that  
it be not absolutely universal to give  
us a pretext for applying the exceptions
 to the present subject1 and for saying1
 ,this is not always true2 there are    
therefore cases where it is not so4 ,it 
only remains to show that this is one of
 them2 and that is why we are very      
awkward or unlucky1 if we do not find   
one some day4   #bfd  ,we do not weary  
of eating and sleeping every day1 for   
hunger and sleepiness recur4 ,without   
that we should weary of them4 ,so1      
without the hunger for spiritual things1
 we weary of them4 ,hunger after        
righteousness1 the eighth beatitude4#ajb
   #bfe  ,faith indeed tells what the   

senses do not tell1 but not the contrary
 of what they see4 ,it is above them and
 not contrary to them4   #bff  ,how many
 stars have telescopes revealed to us   
which did not exist for our philosophers
 of old6 ,we freely attack ,holy        
,scripture on the great number of stars1
 saying1 ,there are only one thousand   
and twenty-eight1#ajc we know it4 ,there
 is grass on the earth1 we see it--from 
the moon we would not see it--and on the
 grass are leaves1 and in these leaves  
are small animals2 but after that no    
more4--,o presumptuous man6--,the       
compounds are composed of elements1 and 
the elements not4--,o presumptuous man6 
,here is a fine reflection4--,we must   
not say that there is anything which we 
do not see4--,we must then talk like    
others1 but not think like them4   #bfg 
,the last proceeding of reason is to    
recognise that there is an infinity of  
things which are beyond it4 ,it is but  
feeble if it does not see so far as to  
know this4 ,but if natural things are   

beyond it1 what will be said of         
supernatural8   #bfh  ,submission4--,we 
must know where to doubt1 where to feel 
certain1 where to submit4 ,he who does  
not do so1 understands not the force of 
reason4 ,there are some who offend      
against these three rules1 either by    
affirming everything as demonstrative1  
from want of knowing what demonstration 
is2 or by doubting everything1 from want
 of knowing where to submit2 or by      
submitting in everything1 from want of  
knowing where they must judge4   #bfi   
,submission is the use of reason in     
which consists true ,christianity4      
#bgj  ,st4 ,augustine4#ajd--,reason     
would never submit1 if it did not judge 
that there are some occasions on which  
it ought to submit4 ,it is then right   
for it to submit1 when it judges that it
 ought to submit4   #bga  ,wisdom sends 
us to childhood4 ,nisi efficiamini sicut
 parvuli4#aje   #bgb  ,there is nothing 
so conformable to reason as this        
disavowal of reason4   #bgc  ,if we     

submit everything to reason1 our        
religion will have no mysterious and    
supernatural element4 ,if we offend the 
principles of reason1 our religion will 
be absurd and ridiculous4   #bgd  ,all  
our reasoning reduces itself to yielding
 to feeling4  ,but fancy is like1 though
 contrary to feeling1 so that we cannot 
distinguish between these contraries4   
,one person says that my feeling is     
fancy1 another that his fancy is        
feeling4 ,we should have a rule4 ,reason
 offers itself2 but it is pliable in    
every sense2 and thus there is no rule4 
#bge  ,men often take their imagination 
for their heart2 and they believe they  
are converted as soon as they think of  
being converted4   #bgf  ,m4 de ,roannez
 said3 ,reasons come to me afterwards1  
but at first a thing pleases or shocks  
me without my knowing the reason1 and   
yet it shocks me for that reason which  
,i only discover afterwards4 ,but ,i    
believe1 not that it shocked him for the
 reasons which were found afterwards1   

but that these reasons were only found  
because it shocks him4   #bgg  ,the     
heart has its reasons1 which reason does
 not know4 ,we feel it in a thousand    
things4 ,i say that the heart naturally 
loves the ,universal ,being1 and also   
itself naturally1 according as it gives 
itself to them2 and it hardens itself   
against one or the other at its will4   
,you have rejected the one1 and kept the
 other4 ,is it by reason that you love  
yourself8   #bgh  ,it is the heart which
 experiences ,god1 and not the reason4  
,this1 then1 is faith3 ,god felt by the 
heart1 not by the reason4   #bgi  ,faith
 is a gift of ,god2 do not believe that 
we said it was a gift of reasoning4     
,other religions do not say this of     
their faith4 ,they only gave reasoning  
in order to arrive at it1 and yet it    
does not bring them to it4   #bhj  ,the 
knowledge of ,god is very far from the  
love of ,him4   #bha  ,heart1 instinct1 
principles4   #bhb  ,we know truth1 not 
only by the reason1 but also by the     

heart1 and it is in this last way that  
we know first principles2 and reason1   
which has no part in it1 tries in vain  
to impugn them4 ,the sceptics1 who have 
only this for their object1 labour to no
 purpose4 ,we know that we do not dream1
 and however impossible it is for us to 
prove it by reason1 this inability      
demonstrates only the weakness of our   
reason1 but not1 as they affirm1 the    
uncertainty of all our knowledge4 ,for  
the knowledge of first principles1 as   
space1 time1 motion1 number1 is as sure 
as any of those which we get from       
reasoning4 ,and reason must trust these 
intuitions of the heart1 and must base  
them on every argument4 7,we have       
intuitive knowledge of the              
tri-dimensional nature of space1 and of 
the infinity of number1 and reason then 
shows that there are no two square      
numbers one of which is double of the   
other4 ,principles are intuited1        
propositions are inferred1 all with     
certainty1 though in different ways47   

,and it is as useless and absurd for    
reason to demand from the heart proofs  
of her first principles1 before         
admitting them1 as it would be for the  
heart to demand from reason an intuition
 of all demonstrated propositions before
 accepting them4  ,this inability ought1
 then1 to serve only to humble reason1  
which would judge all1 but not to impugn
 our certainty1 as if only reason were  
capable of instructing us4 ,would to    
,god1 on the contrary1 that we had never
 need of it1 and that we knew everything
 by instinct and intuition6 ,but nature 
has refused us this boon4 ,on the       
contrary1 she has given us but very     
little knowledge of this kind2 and all  
the rest can be acquired only by        
reasoning4  ,therefore1 those to whom   
,god has imparted religion by intuition 
are very fortunate1 and justly          
convinced4 ,but to those who do not have
 it1 we can give it only by reasoning1  
waiting for ,god to give them spiritual 
insight1 without which faith is only    

human1 and useless for salvation4   #bhc
  ,order4--,against the objection that  
,scripture has no order4  ,the heart has
 its own order2 the intellect has its   
own1 which is by principle and          
demonstration4 ,the heart has another4  
,we do not prove that we ought to be    
loved by enumerating in order the causes
 of love2 that would be ridiculous4     
,jesus ,christ and ,saint ,paul employ  
the rule of love1 not of intellect2 for 
they would warm1 not instruct4 ,it is   
the same with ,saint ,augustine4 ,this  
order consists chiefly in digressions on
 each point to indicate the end1 and    
keep it always in sight4   #bhd  ,do not
 wonder to see simple people believe    
without reasoning4 ,god imparts to them 
love of ,him and hatred of self4 ,he    
inclines their heart to believe4 ,men   
will never believe with a saving and    
real faith1 unless ,god inclines their  
heart2 and they will believe as soon as 
,he inclines it4 ,and this is what      
,david knew well1 when he said3 ,inclina

 cor meum1 ,deus1 in 444#ajf   #bhe     
,religion is suited to all kinds of     
minds4 ,some pay attention only to its  
establishment1#ajg and this religion is 
such that its very establishment        
suffices to prove its truth4 ,others    
trace it even to the apostles4 ,the more
 learned go back to the beginning of the
 world4 ,the angels see it better still1
 and from a more distant time4   #bhf   
,those who believe without having read  
the ,testaments1 do so because they have
 an inward disposition entirely holy1   
and all that they hear of our religion  
conforms to it4 ,they feel that a ,god  
has made them2 they desire only to love 
,god2 they desire to hate themselves    
only4 ,they feel that they have no      
strength in themselves2 that they are   
incapable of coming to ,god2 and that if
 ,god does not come to them1 they can   
have no communion with ,him4 ,and they  
hear our religion say that men must love
 ,god only1 and hate self only2 but that
 all being corrupt and unworthy of ,god1

 ,god made ,himself man to unite        
,himself to us4 ,no more is required to 
persuade men who have this disposition  
in their heart1 and who have this       
knowledge of their duty and of their    
inefficiency4   #bhg  ,those whom we see
 to be ,christians without the knowledge
 of the prophets and evidences1         
nevertheless judge of their religion as 
well as those who have that knowledge4  
,they judge of it by the heart1 as      
others judge of it by the intellect4    
,god ,himself inclines them to believe1 
and thus they are most effectively      
convinced4  ,i confess indeed that one  
of those ,christians who believe without
 proofs will not perhaps be capable of  
convincing an infidel who will say the  
same of himself4 ,but those who know the
 proofs of religion will prove without  
difficulty that such a believer is truly
 inspired by ,god1 though he cannot     
prove it himself4  ,for ,god having said
 in ,his prophecies 7which are          
undoubtedly prophecies71 that in the    

reign of ,jesus ,christ ,he would spread
 ,his spirit abroad among nations1 and  
that the youths and maidens and children
 of the ,church would prophesy2#ajh it  
is certain that the ,spirit of ,god is  
in these1 and not in the others4   #bhh 
,instead of complaining that ,god had   
hidden ,himself1 you will give ,him     
thanks for having revealed so much of   
,himself2 and you will also give ,him   
thanks for not having revealed ,himself 
to haughty sages1 unworthy to know so   
holy a ,god4  ,two kinds of persons know
 ,him3 those who have a humble heart1   
and who love lowliness1 whatever kind of
 intellect they may have1 high or low2  
and those who have sufficient           
understanding to see the truth1 whatever
 opposition they may have to it4   #bhi 
,proof4--#a4 ,the ,christian religion1  
by its establishment1 having established
 itself so strongly1 so gently1 whilst  
contrary to nature4--#b4 ,the sanctity1 
the dignity1 and the humility of a      
,christian soul4--#c4 ,the miracles of  

,holy ,scripture4--#d4 ,jesus ,christ in
 particular4--#e4 ,the apostles in      
particular4--#f4 ,moses and the prophets
 in particular4--#g4 ,the ,jewish       
people4--#h4 ,the prophecies4--#i4      
,perpetuity2 no religion has            
perpetuity4--#aj4 ,the doctrine which   
gives a reason for everything4--#aa4    
,the sanctity of this law4--#ab4 ,by the
 course of the world4  ,surely1 after   
considering what is life and what is    
religion1 we should not refuse to obey  
the inclination to follow it1 if it     
comes into our heart2 and it is certain 
that there is no ground for laughing at 
those who follow it4   #bij  ,proofs of 
religion4--,morality1 ,doctrine1        
,miracles1 ,prophecies1 ,types4         
,,section ,v  ,,justice ,,and ,,the     
,,reason ,,of ,,effects   #bia  ,in the 
letter ,on ,injustice can come the      
ridiculousness of the law that the elder
 gets all4 ,my friend1 you were born on 
this side of the mountain1 it is        
therefore just that your elder brother  

gets everything4  ,why do you kill me8  
#bib  ,he lives on the other side of the
 water4   #bic  ,why do you kill me8    
,what6 do you not live on the other side
 of the water8 ,if you lived on this    
side1 my friend1 ,i should be an        
assassin1 and it would be unjust to slay
 you in this manner4 ,but since you live
 on the other side1 ,i am a hero1 and it
 is just4   #bid  ,on what shall man    
found the order of the world which he   
would govern8#aji ,shall it be on the   
caprice of each individual8 ,what       
confusion6 ,shall it be on justice8 ,man
 is ignorant of it4  ,certainly had he  
known it1 he would not have established 
this maxim1 the most general of all that
 obtain among men1 that each should     
follow the custom of his own country4   
,the glory of true equity would have    
brought all nations under subjection1   
and legislators would not have taken as 
their model the fancies and caprice of  
,persians and ,germans instead of this  
unchanging justice4 ,we should have seen

 it set up in all the ,states on earth  
and in all times2 whereas we see neither
 justice nor injustice which does not   
change its nature with change in        
climate4 ,three degrees of latitude     
reverse all jurisprudence2 a meridian   
decides the truth4 ,fundamental laws    
change after a few years of possession2 
right has its epochs2 the entry of      
,saturn into the ,lion marks to us the  
origin of such and such a crime4 ,a     
strange justice that is bounded by a    
river6 ,truth on this side of the       
,pyrenees1 error on the other side4     
,men admit that justice does not consist
 in these customs1 but that it resides  
in natural laws1 common to every        
country4 ,they would certainly maintain 
it obstinately1 if reckless chance which
 has distributed human laws had         
encountered even one which was          
universal2 but the farce is that the    
caprice of men has so many vagaries that
 there is no such law4  ,theft1 incest1 
infanticide1 parricide1 have all had a  

place among virtuous actions4 ,can      
anything be more ridiculous than that a 
man should have the right to kill me    
because he lives on the other side of   
the water1 and because his ruler has a  
quarrel with mine1 though ,i have none  
with him8  ,doubtless there are natural 
laws2 but good reason once corrupted has
 corrupted all4 ,nihil amplius nostrum  
est2#aaj quod nostrum dicimus1 artis    
est4 ,ex senatus--consultis et          
plebiscitis crimina exercentur4#aaa ,ut 
olim vitiis1 sic nunc legibus           
laboramus4#aab  ,the result of this     
confusion is that one affirms the       
essence of justice to be the authority  
of the legislator2 another1 the interest
 of the sovereign2#aac another1 present 
custom1#aad and this is the most sure4  
,nothing1 according to reason alone1 is 
just in itself2 all changes with time4  
,custom creates the whole of equity1 for
 the simple reason that it is accepted4 
,it is the mystical foundation of its   
authority2#aae whoever carries it back  

to first principles destroys it4        
,nothing is so faulty as those laws     
which correct faults4 ,he who obeys them
 because they are just1 obeys a justice 
which is imaginary1 and not the essence 
of law2 it is quite self-contained1 it  
is law and nothing more4 ,he who will   
examine its motive will find it so      
feeble and so trifling that if he be not
 accustomed to contemplate the wonders  
of human imagination1 he will marvel    
that one century has gained for it so   
much pomp and reverence4 ,the art of    
opposition and of revolution is to      
unsettle established customs1 sounding  
them even to their source1 to point out 
their want of authority and justice4 ,we
 must1 it is said1 get back to the      
natural and fundamental laws of the     
,state1 which an unjust custom has      
abolished4 ,it is a game certain to     
result in the loss of all2 nothing will 
be just on the balance4 ,yet people     
readily lend their ear to such          
arguments4 ,they shake off the yoke as  

soon as they recognise it2 and the great
 profit by their ruin1 and by that of   
these curious investigators of accepted 
customs4 ,but from a contrary mistake   
men sometimes think they can justly do  
everything which is not without an      
example4 ,that is why the wisest of     
legislators#aaf said that it was        
necessary to deceive men for their own  
good2 and another1 a good politician1   
,cum veritatem qua liberetur ignoret1   
expedit quod fallatur4#aag ,we must not 
see the fact of usurpation2 law was once
 introduced without reason1 and has     
become reasonable4 ,we must make it     
regarded as authoritative1 eternal1 and 
conceal its origin1 if we do not wish   
that it should soon come to an end4     
#bie  ,mine1 thine4--,this dog is mine1 
said those poor children2 that is my    
place in the sun4 ,here is the beginning
 and the image of the usurpation of all 
the earth4   #bif  ,when the question   
for consideration is whether we ought to
 make war1 and kill so many men--condemn

 so many ,spaniards to death--only one  
man is judge1 and he is an interested   
party4 ,there should be a third1 who is 
disinterested4   #big  ,veri            
juris4#aah--,we have it no more2 if we  
had it1 we should take conformity to the
 customs of a country as the rule of    
justice4 ,it is here that1 not finding  
justice1 we have found force1 etc4      
#bih  ,justice1 might4--,it is right    
that what is just should be obeyed2 it  
is necessary that what is strongest     
should be obeyed4 ,justice without might
 is helpless2 might without justice is  
tyrannical4 ,justice without might is   
gainsaid1 because there are always      
offenders2 might without justice is     
condemned4 ,we must then combine justice
 and might1 and for this end make what  
is just strong1 or what is strong just4 
,justice is subject to dispute2 might is
 easily recognised and is not disputed4 
,so we cannot give might to justice1    
because might has gainsaid justice1 and 
has declared that it is she herself who 

is just4 ,and thus being unable to make 
what is just strong1 we have made what  
is strong just4   #bii  ,the only       
universal rules are the laws of the     
country in ordinary affairs1 and of the 
majority in others4 ,whence comes this8 
,from the might which is in them4 ,hence
 it comes that kings1 who have power of 
a different kind1 do not follow the     
majority of their ministers4  ,no doubt 
equality of goods is just2 but1 being   
unable to cause might to obey justice1  
men have made it just to obey might4    
,unable to strengthen justice1 they have
 justified might2 so that the just and  
the strong should unite1 and there      
should be peace1 which is the sovereign 
good4   #cjj  ,when a strong man armed  
keepeth his goods1 his goods are in     
peace4#aai   #cja  ,why do we follow the
 majority8 ,it is because they have more
 reason8 ,no1 because they have more    
power4  ,why do we follow the ancient   
laws and opinions8 ,is it because they  
are more sound8 ,no1 but because they   

are unique1 and remove from us the root 
of difference4   #cjb  444 ,it is the   
effect of might1 not of custom4 ,for    
those who are capable of originality are
 few2 the greater number will only      
follow1 and refuse glory to those       
inventors who seek it by their          
inventions4 ,and if these are obstinate 
in their wish to obtain glory1 and      
despise those who do not invent1 the    
latter will call them ridiculous names1 
and would beat them with a stick4 ,let  
no one then boast of his subtlety1 or   
let him keep his complacency to himself4
   #cjc  ,might is the sovereign of the 
world1 and not opinion4--,but opinion   
makes use of might4--,it is might that  
makes opinion4 ,gentleness is beautiful 
in our opinion4 ,why8 ,because he who   
will dance on a rope will be alone1#abj 
and ,i will gather a stronger mob of    
people who will say that it is          
unbecoming4   #cjd  ,the cords which    
bind the respect of men to each other   
are in general cords of necessity2 for  

there must be different degrees1 all men
 wishing to rule1 and not all being able
 to do so1 but some being able4  ,let us
 then imagine we see society in the     
process of formation4 ,men will         
doubtless fight till the stronger party 
overcomes the weaker1 and a dominant    
party is established4 ,but when this is 
once determined1 the masters1 who do not
 desire the continuation of strife1 then
 decree that the power which is in their
 hands shall be transmitted as they     
please4 ,some place it in election by   
the people1 others in hereditary        
succession1 etc4  ,and this is the point
 where imagination begins to play its   
part4 ,till now power makes fact2 now   
power is sustained by imagination in a  
certain party1 in ,france in the        
nobility1 in ,switzerland in the        
burgesses1 etc4  ,these cords which bind
 the respect of men to such and such an 
individual are therefore the cords of   
imagination4   #cje  ,the ,swiss are    
offended by being called gentlemen1 and 

prove themselves true plebeians in order
 to be thought worthy of great office4  
#cjf  ,as duchies1 kingships1 and       
magistracies are real and necessary1    
because might rules all1 they exist     
everywhere and always4 ,but since only  
caprice makes such and such a one a     
ruler1 the principle is not constant1   
but subject to variation1 etc4   #cjg   
,the chancellor is grave1 and clothed   
with ornaments1 for his position is     
unreal4 ,not so the king1 he has power1 
and has nothing to do with the          
imagination4 ,judges1 physicians1 etc4  
appeal only to the imagination4   #cjh  
,the habit of seeing kings accompanied  
by guards1 drums1 officers1 and all the 
paraphernalia which mechanically inspire
 respect and awe1 makes their           
countenance1 when sometimes seen alone  
without these accompaniments1 impress   
respect and awe on their subjects2      
because we cannot separate in thought   
their persons from the surroundings with
 which we see them usually joined4 ,and 

the world1 which knows not that this    
effect is the result of habit1 believes 
that it arises by a natural force1      
whence come these words1 ,the character 
of ,divinity is stamped on his          
countenance1 etc4   #cji  ,justice4--,as
 custom determines what is agreeable1 so
 also does it determine justice4   #caj 
,king and tyrant4--,i1 too1 will keep my
 thoughts secret4  ,i will take care on 
every journey4  ,greatness of           
establishment1 respect for              
establishment4  ,the pleasure of the    
great is the power to make people happy4
  ,the property of riches is to be given
 liberally4  ,the property of each thing
 must be sought4 ,the property of power 
is to protect4  ,when force attacks     
humbug1 when a private soldier takes the
 square cap off a first president1 and  
throws it out of the window4   #caa     
,the government founded on opinion and  
imagination reigns for some time1 and   
this government is pleasant and         
voluntary2 that founded on might lasts  

for ever4 ,thus opinion is the queen of 
the world1 but might is its tyrant4     
#cab  ,justice is what is established2  
and thus all our established laws will  
necessarily be regarded as just without 
examination1 since they are established4
   #cac  ,sound opinions of the         
people4--,civil wars are the greatest of
 evils4#aba ,they are inevitable1 if we 
wish to reward desert2 for all will say 
they are deserving4 ,the evil we have to
 fear from a fool who succeeds by right 
of birth1 is neither so great nor so    
sure4   #cad  ,god has created all for  
,himself4 ,he has bestowed upon ,himself
 the power of pain and pleasure4  ,you  
can apply it to ,god1 or to yourself4   
,if to ,god1 the ,gospel is the rule4   
,if to yourself1 you will take the place
 of ,god4 ,as ,god is surrounded by     
persons full of charity1 who ask of ,him
 the blessings of charity that are in   
,his power1 so 444 ,recognise then and  
learn that you are only a king of lust1 
and take the ways of lust4   #cae  ,the 

reason of effects4--,it is wonderful    
that men would not have me honour a man 
clothed in brocade1 and followed by     
seven or eight lackeys6 ,why6 ,he will  
have me thrashed1 if ,i do not salute   
him4 ,this custom is a force4 ,it is the
 same with a horse in fine trappings in 
comparison with another6 ,montaigne#abb 
is a fool not to see what difference    
there is1 to wonder at our finding any1 
and to ask the reason4 ,indeed1 says he1
 how comes it1 etc4444   #caf  ,sound   
opinions of the people4--,to be spruce  
is not altogether foolish1 for it proves
 that a great number of people work for 
one4 ,it shows by one's hair1 that one  
has a valet1 a perfumer1 etc41 by one's 
band1 thread1 lace1 444 etc4 ,now it is 
not merely superficial nor merely       
outward show to have many arms at       
command4 ,the more arms one has1 the    
more powerful one is4 ,to be spruce is  
to show one's power4   #cag  ,deference 
means1 ,put yourself to inconvenience4  
,this is apparently silly1 but is quite 

right4 ,for it is to say1 ,i would      
indeed put myself to inconvenience if   
you required it1 since indeed ,i do so  
when it is of no service to you4        
,deference further serves to distinguish
 the great4 ,now if deference was       
displayed by sitting in an arm-chair1 we
 should show deference to everybody1 and
 so no distinction would be made2 but1  
being put to inconvenience1 we          
distinguish very well4   #cah  ,he has  
four lackeys4   #cai  ,how rightly do we
 distinguish men by external appearances
 rather than by internal qualities6     
,which of us two shall have precedence8 
,who will give place to the other8 ,the 
least clever4 ,but ,i am as clever as   
he4 ,we should have to fight over this4 
,he has four lackeys1 and ,i have only  
one4 ,this can be seen2 we have only to 
count4 ,it falls to me to yield1 and ,i 
am a fool if ,i contest the matter4 ,by 
this means we are at peace1 which is the
 greatest of boons4   #cbj  ,the most   
unreasonable things in the world become 

most reasonable1 because of the         
unruliness of men4 ,what is less        
reasonable than to choose the eldest son
 of a queen to rule a ,state8 ,we do not
 choose as captain of a ship the        
passenger who is of the best family4    
,this law would be absurd and unjust2   
but because men are so themselves1 and  
always will be so1 it becomes reasonable
 and just4 ,for whom will men choose1 as
 the most virtuous and able8 ,we at once
 come to blows1 as each claims to be the
 most virtuous and able4 ,let us then   
attach this quality to something        
indisputable4 ,this is the king's eldest
 son4 ,that is clear1 and there is no   
dispute4 ,reason can do no better1 for  
civil war is the greatest of evils4     
#cba  ,children are astonished to see   
their comrades respected4   #cbb  ,to be
 of noble birth is a great advantage4   
,in eighteen years it places a man      
within the select circle1 known and     
respected1 as another would have merited
 in fifty years4 ,it is a gain of thirty

 years without trouble4   #cbc  ,what is
 the ,ego8  ,suppose a man puts himself 
at a window to see those who pass by4   
,if ,i pass by1 can ,i say that he      
placed himself there to see me8 ,no2 for
 he does not think of me in particular4 
,but does he who loves someone on       
account of beauty really love that      
person8 ,no2 for the small-pox1 which   
will kill beauty without killing the    
person1 will cause him to love her no   
more4  ,and if one loves me for my      
judgment1 memory1 he does not love me1  
for ,i can lose these qualities without 
losing myself4 ,where1 then1 is this    
,ego1 if it be neither in the body nor  
in the soul8 ,and how love the body or  
the soul1 except for these qualities    
which do not constitute me1 since they  
are perishable8 ,for it is impossible   
and would be unjust to love the soul of 
a person in the abstract1 and whatever  
qualities might be therein4 ,we never1  
then1 love a person1 but only qualities4
  ,let us1 then1 jeer no more at those  

who are honoured on account of rank and 
office2 for we love a person only on    
account of borrowed qualities4   #cbd   
,the people have very sound opinions1   
for example3  #a4 ,in having preferred  
diversion and hunting to poetry4 ,the   
half-learned laugh at it1 and glory in  
being above the folly of the world2 but 
the people are right for a reason which 
these do not fathom4  #b4 ,in having    
distinguished men by external marks1 as 
birth or wealth4 ,the world again exults
 in showing how unreasonable this is2   
but it is very reasonable4 ,savages     
laugh at an infant king4#abc  #c4 ,in   
being offended at a blow1 on in desiring
 glory so much4 ,but it is very         
desirable on account of the other       
essential goods which are joined to it2 
and a man who has received a blow1      
without resenting it1 is overwhelmed    
with taunts and indignities4  #d4 ,in   
working for the uncertain2 in sailing on
 the sea2 in walking over a plank4      
#cbe  ,montaigne is wrong4 ,custom      

should be followed only because it is   
custom1 and not because it is reasonable
 or just4 ,but people follow it for this
 sole reason1 that they think it just4  
,otherwise they would follow it no      
longer1 although it were the custom2 for
 they will only submit to reason or     
justice4 ,custom without this would pass
 for tyranny2 but the sovereignty of    
reason and justice is no more tyrannical
 than that of desire4 ,they are         
principles natural to man4  ,it would   
therefore be right to obey laws and     
customs1 because they are laws2 but we  
should know that there is neither truth 
nor justice to introduce into them1 that
 we know nothing of these1 and so must  
follow what is accepted4 ,by this means 
we would never depart from them4 ,but   
people cannot accept this doctrine2 and1
 as they believe that truth can be      
found1 and that it exists in law and    
custom1 they believe them1 and take     
their antiquity as a proof of their     
truth1 and not simply of their authority

 apart from truth4 ,thus they obey laws1
 but they are liable to revolt when     
these are proved to be valueless2 and   
this can be shown of all1 looked at from
 a certain aspect4   #cbf               
,injustice4--,it is dangerous to tell   
the people that the laws are unjust2 for
 they obey them only because they think 
them just4 ,therefore it is necessary to
 tell them at the same time that they   
must obey them because they are laws1   
just as they must obey superiors1 not   
because they are just1 but because they 
are superiors4 ,in this way all sedition
 is prevented1 if this can be made      
intelligible1 and it be understood what 
is the proper definition of justice4    
#cbg  ,the world is a good judge of     
things1 for it is in natural ignorance1 
which is man's true state4#abd ,the     
sciences have two extremes which meet4  
,the first is the pure natural ignorance
 in which all men find themselves at    
birth4 ,the other extreme is that       
reached by great intellects1 who1 having

 run through all that men can know1 find
 they know nothing1 and come back again 
to that same ignorance from which they  
set out2 but this is a learned ignorance
 which is conscious of itself4 ,those   
between the two1 who have departed from 
natural ignorance and not been able to  
reach the other1 have some smattering of
 this vain knowledge1 and pretend to be 
wise4 ,these trouble the world1 and are 
bad judges of everything4 ,the people   
and the wise constitute the world2 these
 despise it1 and are despised4 ,they    
judge badly of everything1 and the world
 judges rightly of them4   #cbh  ,the   
reason of effects4--,continual          
alternation of pro and con4  ,we have   
then shown that man is foolish1 by the  
estimation he makes of things which are 
not essential2 and all these opinions   
are destroyed4 ,we have next shown that 
all these opinions are very sound1 and  
that thus1 since all these vanities are 
well founded1 the people are not so     
foolish as is said4 ,and so we have     

destroyed the opinion which destroyed   
that of the people4  ,but we must now   
destroy this last proposition1 and show 
that it remains always true that the    
people are foolish1 though their        
opinions are sound2 because they do not 
perceive the truth where it is1 and1 as 
they place it where it is not1 their    
opinions are always very false and very 
unsound4   #cbi  ,the reason of         
effects4--,the weakness of man is the   
reason why so many things are considered
 fine1 as to be good at playing the     
lute4 ,it is only an evil because of our
 weakness4   #ccj  ,the power of kings  
is founded on the reason and on the     
folly of the people1 and specially on   
their folly4 ,the greatest and most     
important thing in the world has        
weakness for its foundation1 and this   
foundation is wonderfully sure2 for     
there is nothing more sure than this1   
that the people will be weak4 ,what is  
based on sound reason is very ill       
founded1 as the estimate of wisdom4     

#cca  ,we can only think of ,plato and  
,aristotle in grand academic robes4     
,they were honest men1 like others1     
laughing with their friends1 and when   
they diverted themselves with writing   
their ,laws and the ,politics1 they did 
it as an amusement4 ,that part of their 
life was the least philosophic and the  
least serious2 the most philosophic was 
to live simply and quietly4 ,if they    
wrote on politics1 it was as if laying  
down rules for a lunatic asylum2 and if 
they presented the appearance of        
speaking of a great matter1 it was      
because they knew that the madmen1 to   
whom they spoke1 thought they were kings
 and emperors4 ,they entered into their 
principles in order to make their       
madness as little harmful as possible4  
#ccb  ,tyranny consists in the desire of
 universal power beyond its scope4      
,there are different assemblies of the  
strong1 the fair1 the sensible1 the     
pious1 in which each man rules at home1 
not elsewhere4 ,and sometimes they meet1

 and the strong and the fair foolishly  
fight as to who shall be master1 for    
their mastery is of different kinds4    
,they do not understand one another1 and
 their fault is the desire to rule      
everywhere4 ,nothing can effect this1   
not even might1 which is of no use in   
the kingdom of the wise1 and is only    
mistress of external actions4           
,tyranny--444 ,so these expressions are 
false and tyrannical3 ,i am fair1       
therefore ,i must be feared4 ,i am      
strong1 therefore ,i must be loved4 ,i  
am 444  ,tyranny is the wish to have in 
one way what can only be had in another4
 ,we render different duties to         
different merits2 the duty of love to   
the pleasant2 the duty of fear to the   
strong2 the duty of belief to the       
learned4  ,we must render these duties2 
it is unjust to refuse them1 and unjust 
to ask others4 ,and so it is false and  
tyrannical to say1 ,he is not strong1   
therefore ,i will not esteem him2 he is 
not able1 therefore ,i will not fear    

him4   #ccc  ,have you never seen people
 who1 in order to complain of the little
 fuss you make about them1 parade before
 you the example of great men who esteem
 them8 ,in answer ,i reply to them1     
,show me the merit whereby you have     
charmed these persons1 and ,i also will 
esteem you4   #ccd  ,the reason of      
effects4--,lust and force are the source
 of all our actions2 lust causes        
voluntary actions1 force involuntary    
ones4   #cce  ,the reason of            
effects4--,it is then true to say that  
all the world is under a delusion2 for1 
although the opinions of the people are 
sound1 they are not so as conceived by  
them1 since they think the truth to be  
where it is not4 ,truth is indeed in    
their opinions1 but not at the point    
where they imagine it4 ,thus it is true 
that we must honour noblemen1 but not   
because noble birth is real superiority1
 etc4   #ccf  ,the reason of            
effects4--,we must keep our thought     
secret1 and judge everything by it1     

while talking like the people4   #ccg   
,the reason of effects4--,degrees4 ,the 
people honour persons of high birth4    
,the semi-learned despise them1 saying  
that birth is not a personal1 but a     
chance superiority4 ,the learned honour 
them1 not for popular reasons1 but for  
secret reasons4 ,devout persons1 who    
have more zeal than knowledge1 despise  
them1 in spite of that consideration    
which makes them honoured by the        
learned1 because they judge them by a   
new light which piety gives them4 ,but  
perfect ,christians honour them by      
another and higher light4 ,so arise a   
succession of opinions for and against1 
according to the light one has4   #cch  
,true ,christians nevertheless comply   
with folly1 not because they respect    
folly1 but the command of ,god1 who for 
the punishment of men has made them     
subject to these follies4 ,omnis        
creatura subjecta est vanitati4#abe     
,liberabitur4#abf ,thus ,saint          
,thomas#abg explains the passage in     

,saint ,james on giving place to the    
rich1 that if they do it not in the     
sight of ,god1 they depart from the     
command of religion4     ,,section ,,vi 
,,the ,,philosophers   #cci  ,i can well
 conceive a man without hands1 feet1    
head 7for it is only experience which   
teaches us that the head is more        
necessary than feet74 ,but ,i cannot    
conceive man without thought2 he would  
be a stone or a brute4   #cdj  ,the     
arithmetical machine produces effects   
which approach nearer to thought than   
all the actions of animals4 ,but it does
 nothing which would enable us to       
attribute will to it1 as to the animals4
   #cda  ,the account of the pike and   
frog of ,liancourt4#abh ,they do it     
always1 and never otherwise1 nor any    
other thing showing mind4   #cdb  ,if an
 animal did by mind what it does by     
instinct1 and if it spoke by mind what  
it speaks by instinct1 in hunting1 and  
in warning its mates that the prey is   
found or lost2 it would indeed also     

speak in regard to those things which   
affect it closer1 as example1 ,gnaw me  
this cord which is wounding me1 and     
which ,i cannot reach4   #cdc  ,the beak
 of the parrot1 which it wipes1 although
 it is clean4   #cdd  ,instinct and     
reason1 marks of two natures4   #cde    
,reason commands us far more imperiously
 than a master2 for in disobeying the   
one we are unfortunate1 and in          
disobeying the other we are fools4      
#cdf  ,thought constitutes the greatness
 of man4   #cdg  ,man is but a reed1 the
 most feeble thing in nature2 but he is 
a thinking reed4 ,the entire universe   
need not arm itself to crush him4 ,a    
vapour1 a drop of water suffices to kill
 him4 ,but1 if the universe were to     
crush him1 man would still be more noble
 than that which killed him1 because he 
knows that he dies and the advantage    
which the universe has over him2 the    
universe knows nothing of this4  ,all   
our dignity consists1 then1 in thought4 
,by it we must elevate ourselves1 and   

not by space and time which we cannot   
fill4 ,let us endeavour1 then1 to think 
well2 this is the principle of morality4
   #cdh  ,a thinking reed4--,it is not  
from space that ,i must seek my dignity1
 but from the government of my thought4 
,i shall have no more if ,i possess     
worlds4 ,by space the universe          
encompasses and swallows me up like an  
atom2 by thought ,i comprehend the      
world4   #cdi  ,immateriality of the    
soul4--,philosophers#abi who have       
mastered their passions4 ,what matter   
could do that8   #cej  ,the             
,stoics4--,they conclude that what has  
been done once can be done always1 and  
that since the desire of glory imparts  
some power to those whom it possesses1  
others can do likewise4 ,there are      
feverish movements which health cannot  
imitate4  ,epictetus#acj concludes that 
since there are consistent ,christians1 
every man can easily be so4   #cea      
,those great spiritual efforts1 which   
the soul sometimes assays1 are things on

 which it does not lay hold4#aca ,it    
only leaps to them1 not as upon a       
throne1 for ever1 but merely for an     
instant4   #ceb  ,the strength of a     
man's virtue must not be measured by his
 efforts1 but by his ordinary life4     
#cec  ,i do not admire the excess of a  
virtue as of valour1 except ,i see at   
the same time the excess of the opposite
 virtue1 as in ,epaminondas1#acb who had
 the greatest valour and the greatest   
kindness4 ,for otherwise it is not to   
rise1 it is to fall4 ,we do not display 
greatness by going to one extreme1 but  
in touching both at once1 and filling   
all the intervening space4 ,but perhaps 
this is only a sudden movement of the   
soul from one to the other extreme1 and 
in fact it is ever at one point only1 as
 in the case of a firebrand4 ,be it so1 
but at least this indicates agility if  
not expanse of soul4   #ced  ,man's     
nature is not always to advance2 it has 
its advances and retreats4  ,fever has  
its cold and hot fits2 and the cold     

proves as well as the hot the greatness 
of the fire of fever4  ,the discoveries 
of men from age to age turn out the     
same4 ,the kindness and the malice of   
the world in general are the same4      
,plerumque grat principibus vices4#acc  
#cee  ,continuous eloquence wearies4    
,princes and kings sometimes play4 ,they
 are not always on their thrones4 ,they 
weary there4 ,grandeur must be abandoned
 to be appreciated4 ,continuity in      
everything is unpleasant4 ,cold is      
agreeable1 that we may get warm4        
,nature acts by progress1 itus et       
reditus4 ,it goes and returns1 then     
advances further1 then twice as much    
backwards1 then more forward than ever1 
etc4  ,the tide of the sea behaves in   
the same manner2 and so apparently does 
the sun in its course4   #cef  ,the     
nourishment of the body is little by    
little4 ,fullness of nourishment and    
smallness of substance4   #ceg  ,when we
 would pursue virtues to their extremes 
on either side1 vices present           

themselves1 which insinuate themselves  
insensibly there1 in their insensible   
journey towards the infinitely little3  
and vices present themselves in a crowd 
towards the infinitely great1 so that we
 lose ourselves in them1 and no longer  
see virtues4 ,we find fault with        
perfection itself4   #ceh  ,man is      
neither angel nor brute1 and the        
unfortunate thing is that he who would  
act the angel acts the brute4#acd   #cei
  ,we do not sustain ourselves in virtue
 by our own strength1 but by the        
balancing of two opposed vices1 just as 
we remain upright amidst two contrary   
gales4 ,remove one of the vices1 and we 
fall into the other4   #cfj  ,what the  
,stoics propose is so difficult and     
foolish6  ,the ,stoics lay down that all
 those who are not at the high degree of
 wisdom are equally foolish and vicious1
 as those who are two inches under      
water4   #cfa  ,the sovereign good4     
,dispute about the sovereign good4--,ut 
sis contentus temetipso et ex te        

nascentibus bonis4#ace ,there is a      
contradiction1 for in the end they      
advise suicide4 ,oh6 ,what a happy life1
 from which we are to free ourselves as 
from the plague6   #cfb  ,ex            
senatus-consultis et plebiscitis 444    
,to ask like passages4   #cfc  ,ex      
senatus-consultis et plebiscitis scelera
 exercentur4 ,sen4 #ehh4acf  ,nihil tam 
absurde dici potest quod non dicatur ab 
aliquo philosophorum4 ,divin4#acg       
,quibusdam destinatis sententiis        
consecrati qu non probant coguntur      
defendere4 ,cic4#ach  ,ut omnium rerum  
sic litterarum quoque intemperantia     
laboramus4 ,senec4#aci  ,id maxime      
quemque decet1 quod est cujusque suum   
maxime4#adj  ,hos natura modos primum   
dedit4#ada ,georg4  ,paucis opus est    
litteris ad bonam mentem4#adb  ,si      
quando turpe non sit1 tamen non est non 
turpe quum id a multitudine laudetur4   
,mihi sic usus est1 tibi ut opus est    
facto1 fac4#adc ,ter4   #cfd  ,rarum est
 enim ut satis se quisque vereatur4#add 

,tot circa unum caput tumultuantes      
deos4#ade  ,nihil turpius quam          
cognitioni assertionem prcurrere4       
,cic4#adf  ,nec me pudet1 ut istos1     
fateri nescire quid nesciam4#adg        
,melius non incipient4#adh   #cfe       
,thought4--,all the dignity of man      
consists in thought4 ,thought is        
therefore by its nature a wonderful and 
incomparable thing4 ,it must have       
strange defects to be contemptible4 ,but
 it has such1 so that nothing is more   
ridiculous4 ,how great it is in its     
nature6 ,how vile it is in its defects6 
,but what is this thought8 ,how foolish 
it is6   #cff  ,the mind of this        
sovereign judge of the world is not so  
independent that it is not liable to be 
disturbed by the first din about it4    
,the noise of a cannon is not necessary 
to hinder its thoughts2 it needs only   
the creaking of a weathercock or a      
pulley4 ,do not wonder if at present it 
does not reason well2 a fly is buzzing  
in its ears2 that is enough to render it

 incapable of good judgment4 ,if you    
wish it to be able to reach the truth1  
chase away that animal which holds its  
reason in check and disturbs that       
powerful intellect which rules towns and
 kingdoms4 ,here is a comical god6 ,o   
ridicolosissimo eroe6   #cfg  ,the power
 of flies2 they win battles1#adi hinder 
our soul from acting1 eat our body4     
#cfh  ,when it is said that heat is only
 the motions of certain molecules1 and  
light the conatus recedendi which we    
feel1#aej it astonishes us4 ,what6 ,is  
pleasure only the ballet of our spirits8
 ,we have conceived so different an idea
 of it6 ,and these sensations seem so   
removed from those others which we say  
are the same as those with which we     
compare them6 ,the sensation from the   
fire1 that warmth which affects us in a 
manner wholly different from touch1 the 
reception of sound and light1 all this  
appears to us mysterious1 and yet it is 
material like the blow of a stone4 ,it  
is true that the smallness of the       

spirits which enter into the pores      
touches other nerves1 but there are     
always some nerves touched4   #cfi      
,memory is necessary for all the        
operations of reason4   #cgj  ,chance   
gives rise to thoughts1 and chance      
removes them2 no art can keep or acquire
 them4  ,a thought has escaped me4 ,i   
wanted to write it down4 ,i write       
instead1 that it has escaped me4   #cga 
,when ,i was small1 ,i hugged my book2  
and because it sometimes happened to me 
to 444 in believing ,i hugged it1 ,i    
doubted4444   #cgb  ,in writing down my 
thought1 it sometimes escapes me2 but   
this makes me remember my weakness1 that
 ,i constantly forget4 ,this is as      
instructive to me as my forgotten       
thought2 for ,i strive only to know my  
nothingness4   #cgc  ,scepticism4--,i   
shall here write my thoughts without    
order1 and not perhaps in unintentional 
confusion2 that is true order1 which    
will always indicate my object by its   
very disorder4 ,i should do too much    

honour to my subject1 if ,i treated it  
with order1 since ,i want to show that  
it is incapable of it4   #cgd  ,what    
astonishes me most is to see that all   
the world is not astonished at its own  
weakness4 ,men act seriously1 and each  
follows his own mode of life1 not       
because it is in fact good to follow    
since it is the custom1 but as if each  
man knew certainly where reason and     
justice are4 ,they find themselves      
continually deceived1 and by a comical  
humility think it is their own fault1   
and not that of the art which they claim
 always to possess4 ,but it is well     
there are so many such people in the    
world1 who are not sceptics for the     
glory of scepticism1 in order to show   
that man is quite capable of the most   
extravagant opinions1 since he is       
capable of believing that he is not in a
 state of natural and inevitable        
weakness1 but1 on the contrary1 of      
natural wisdom4 ,nothing fortifies      
scepticism more than that there are some

 who are not sceptics2 if all were so1  
they would be wrong4   #cge  ,i have    
passed a great part of my life believing
 that there was justice1 and in this ,i 
was not mistaken2 for there is justice  
according as ,god has willed to reveal  
it to us4 ,but ,i did not take it so1   
and this is where ,i made a mistake2 for
 ,i believed that our justice was       
essentially just1 and that ,i had that  
whereby to know and judge of it4 ,but ,i
 have so often found my right judgment  
at fault1 that at last ,i have come to  
distrust myself1 and then others4 ,i    
have seen changes in all nations and    
men1 and thus after many changes of     
judgment regarding true justice1 ,i have
 recognised that our nature was but in  
continual change1 and ,i have not       
changed since2 and if ,i changed1 ,i    
would confirm my opinion4  ,the sceptic 
,arcesilaus1#aea who became a dogmatist4
   #cgf  ,this sect derives more        
strength from its enemies than from its 
friends2 for the weakness of man is far 

more evident in those who know it not   
than in those who know it4   #cgg       
,discourses on humility are a source of 
pride in the vain1 and of humility in   
the humble4 ,so those on scepticism     
cause believers to affirm4 ,few men     
speak humbly of humility1 chastely of   
chastity1 few doubtingly of scepticism4 
,we are only falsehood1 duplicity1      
contradiction2 we both conceal and      
disguise ourselves from ourselves4      
#cgh  ,scepticism4--,excess1 like defect
 of intellect1 is accused of madness4   
,nothing is good but mediocrity4 ,the   
majority has settled that1 and finds    
fault with him who escapes it at        
whichever end4 ,i will not oppose it4 ,i
 quite consent to put myself there1 and 
refuse to be at the lower end1 not      
because it is low1 but because it is an 
end2 for ,i would likewise refuse to be 
placed at the top4 ,to leave the mean is
 to abandon humanity4 ,the greatness of 
the human soul consists in knowing how  
to preserve the mean4 ,so far from      

greatness consisting in leaving it1 it  
consists in not leaving it4   #cgi  ,it 
is not good to have too much liberty4   
,it is not good to have all one wants4  
#chj  ,all good maxims are in the world4
 ,we only need to apply them4 ,for      
instance1 we do not doubt that we ought 
to risk our lives in defence of the     
public good2 but for religion1 no4  ,it 
is true there must be inequality among  
men2 but if this be conceded1 the door  
is opened not only to the highest power1
 but to the highest tyranny4  ,we must  
relax our minds a little2 but this opens
 the door to the greatest debauchery4   
,let us mark the limits4 ,there are no  
limits in things4 ,laws would put them  
there1 and the mind cannot suffer it4   
#cha  ,when we are too young1 we do not 
judge well2 so1 also1 when we are too   
old4 ,if we do not think enough1 or if  
we think too much on any matter1 we get 
obstinate and infatuated about it4 ,if  
one considers one's work immediately    
after having done it1 one is entirely   

prepossessed in its favour2 by delaying 
too long1 one can no longer enter into  
the spirit of it4 ,so with pictures seen
 from too far or too near2 there is but 
one exact point which is the true place 
wherefrom to look at them3 the rest are 
too near1 too far1 too high1 or too low4
 ,perspective determines that point in  
the art of painting4 ,but who shall     
determine it in truth and morality8     
#chb  ,when all is equally agitated1    
nothing appears to be agitated1 as in a 
ship4 ,when all tend to debauchery1 none
 appears to do so4 ,he who stops draws  
attention to the excess of others1 like 
a fixed point4   #chc  ,the licentious  
tell men of orderly lives that they     
stray from nature's path1 while they    
themselves follow it2 as people in a    
ship think those move who are on the    
shore4 ,on all sides the language is    
similar4 ,we must have a fixed point in 
order to judge4 ,the harbour decides for
 those who are in a ship2 but where     
shall we find a harbour in morality8    

#chd  ,contradiction is a bad sign of   
truth2 several things which are certain 
are contradicted2 several things which  
are false pass without contradiction4   
,contradiction is not a sign of falsity1
 nor the want of contradiction a sign of
 truth4   #che  ,scepticism4--,each     
thing here is partly true and partly    
false4 ,essential truth is not so2 it is
 altogether pure and altogether true4   
,this mixture dishonours and annihilates
 it4 ,nothing is purely true1 and thus  
nothing is true1 meaning by that pure   
truth4 ,you will say it is true that    
homicide is wrong4 ,yes2 for we know    
well the wrong and the false4 ,but what 
will you say is good8 ,chastity8 ,i say 
no2 for the world would come to an end4 
,marriage8 ,no2 continence is better4   
,not to kill8 ,no2 for lawlessness would
 be horrible1 and the wicked would kill 
all the good4 ,to kill8 ,no2 for that   
destroys nature4 ,we possess truth and  
goodness only in part1 and mingled with 
falsehood and evil4   #chf  ,if we      

dreamt the same thing every night1 it   
would affect us as much as the objects  
we see every day4 ,and if an artisan    
were sure to dream every night for      
twelve hours' duration that he was a    
king1 ,i believe he would be almost as  
happy as a king1 who should dream every 
night for twelve hours on end that he   
was an artisan4  ,if we were to dream   
every night that we were pursued by     
enemies1 and harassed by these painful  
phantoms1 or that we passed every day in
 different occupations1 as in making a  
voyage1 we should suffer almost as much 
as if it were real1 and should fear to  
sleep1 as we fear to wake when we dread 
in fact to enter on such mishaps4 ,and1 
indeed1 it would cause pretty nearly the
 same discomforts as the reality4  ,but 
since dreams are all different1 and each
 single one is diversified1 what is seen
 in them affects us much less than what 
we see when awake1 because of its       
continuity1 which is not1 however1 so   
continuous and level as not to change   

too2 but it changes less abruptly1      
except rarely1 as when we travel1 and   
then we say1 ,it seems to me ,i am      
dreaming4 ,for life is a dream a little 
less inconstant4   #chg  ,it may be that
 there are true demonstrations2 but this
 is not certain4 ,thus1 this proves     
nothing else but that it is not certain 
that all is uncertain1 to the glory of  
scepticism4   #chh  ,good sense4--,they 
are compelled to say1 ,you are not      
acting in good faith2 we are not asleep1
 etc4 ,how ,i love to see this proud    
reason humiliated and suppliant6 ,for   
this is not the language of a man whose 
right is disputed1 and who defends it   
with the power of armed hands4 ,he is   
not foolish enough to declare that men  
are not acting in good faith1 but he    
punishes this bad faith with force4     
#chi  ,ecclesiastes#aeb shows that man  
without ,god is in total ignorance and  
inevitable misery4 ,for it is wretched  
to have the wish1 but not the power4    
,now he would be happy and assured of   

some truth1 and yet he can neither know1
 nor desire not to know4 ,he cannot even
 doubt4   #cij  ,my ,god6 ,how foolish  
this talk is6 ,would ,god have made the 
world to damn it8 ,would ,he ask so much
 from persons so weak8 etc4 ,scepticism 
is the cure for this evil1 and will take
 down this vanity4   #cia               
,conversation4--,great words3 ,religion1
 ,i deny it4                            
,conversation4--,scepticism helps       
religion4   #cib  ,against              
,scepticism4--444 ,it is1 then1 a       
strange fact that we cannot define these
 things without obscuring them1 while we
 speak of them with all assurance4 ,we  
assume that all conceive of them in the 
same way2 but we assume it quite        
gratuitously1 for we have no proof of   
it4 ,i see1 in truth1 that the same     
words are applied on the same occasions1
 and that every time two men see a body 
change its place1 they both express     
their view of this same fact by the same
 word1 both saying that it has moved2   

and from this conformity of application 
we derive a strong conviction of a      
conformity of ideas4 ,but this is not   
absolutely or finally convincing1 though
 there is enough to support a bet on the
 affirmative1 since we know that we     
often draw the same conclusions from    
different premisses4  ,this is enough1  
at least1 to obscure the matter2 not    
that it completely extinguishes the     
natural light which assures us of these 
things4 ,the academicians#aec would have
 won4 ,but this dulls it1 and troubles  
the dogmatists to the glory of the      
sceptical crowd1 which consists in this 
doubtful ambiguity1 and in a certain    
doubtful dimness from which our doubts  
cannot take away all the clearness1 nor 
our own natural lights chase away all   
the darkness4   #cic  ,it is a singular 
thing to consider that there are people 
in the world who1 having renounced all  
the laws of ,god and nature1 have made  
laws for themselves which they strictly 
obey1 as1 for instance1 the soldiers of 

,mahomet1 robbers1 heretics1 etc4 ,it is
 the same with logicians4 ,it seems that
 their licence must be without any      
limits or barriers1 since they have     
broken through so many that are so just 
and sacred4   #cid  ,all the principles 
of sceptics1 stoics1 atheists1 etc41 are
 true4 ,but their conclusions are false1
 because the opposite principles are    
also true4   #cie  ,instinct1           
reason4--,we have an incapacity of      
proof1 insurmountable by all dogmatism4 
,we have an idea of truth1 invincible to
 all scepticism4   #cif  ,two things    
instruct man about his whole nature2    
instinct and experience4   #cig  ,the   
greatness of man is great in that he    
knows himself to be miserable4 ,a tree  
does not know itself to be miserable4   
,it is then being miserable to know     
oneself to be miserable2 but it is also 
being great to know that one is         
miserable4   #cih  ,all these same      
miseries prove man's greatness4 ,they   
are the miseries of a great lord1 of a  

deposed king4   #cii  ,we are not       
miserable without feeling it4 ,a ruined 
house is not miserable4 ,man only is    
miserable4 ,ego vir videns4#aed   #djj  
,the greatness of man4--,we have so     
great an idea of the soul of man that we
 cannot endure being despised1 or not   
being esteemed by any soul2 and all the 
happiness of men consists in this       
esteem4   #dja  ,glory4--,the brutes do 
not admire each other4 ,a horse does not
 admire his companion4 ,not that there  
is no rivalry between them in a race1   
but that is of no consequence2 for1 when
 in the stable1 the heaviest and most   
ill-formed does not give up his oats to 
another1 as men would have others do to 
them4 ,their virtue is satisfied with   
itself4   #djb  ,the greatness of man   
even in his lust1 to have known how to  
extract from it a wonderful code1 and to
 have drawn from it a picture of        
benevolence4   #djc  ,greatness4--,the  
reasons of effects indicate the         
greatness of man1 in having extracted so

 fair an order from lust4   #djd  ,the  
greatest baseness of man is the pursuit 
of glory4 ,but it is also the greatest  
mark of his excellence2 for whatever    
possessions he may have on earth1       
whatever health and essential comfort1  
he is not satisfied if he has not the   
esteem of men4 ,he values human reason  
so highly that1 whatever advantages he  
may have on earth1 he is not content if 
he is not also ranked highly in the     
judgment of man4 ,this is the finest    
position in the world4 ,nothing can turn
 him from that desire1 which is the most
 indelible quality of man's heart4  ,and
 those who most despise men1 and put    
them on a level with the brutes1 yet    
wish to be admired and believed by men1 
and contradict themselves by their own  
feelings2 their nature1 which is        
stronger than all1 convincing them of   
the greatness of man more forcibly than 
reason convinces them of their baseness4
   #dje  ,contradiction4--,pride        
counterbalancing all miseries4 ,man     

either hides his miseries1 or1 if he    
disclose them1 glories in knowing them4 
#djf  ,pride counterbalances and takes  
away all miseries4 ,here is a strange   
monster1 and a very plain aberration4   
,he is fallen from his place1 and is    
anxiously seeking it4 ,this is what all 
men do4 ,let us see who will have found 
it4   #djg  ,when malice has reason on  
its side1 it becomes proud1 and parades 
reason in all its splendour4 ,when      
austerity or stern choice has not       
arrived at the true good1 and must needs
 return to follow nature1 it becomes    
proud by reason of this return4   #djh  
,evil is easy1 and has infinite forms2  
good is almost unique4#aee ,but a       
certain kind of evil is as difficult to 
find as what we call good2 and often on 
this account such particular evil gets  
passed off as good4 ,an extraordinary   
greatness of soul is needed in order to 
attain to it as well as to good4   #dji 
,the greatness of man4--,the greatness  
of man is so evident1 that it is even   

proved by his wretchedness4 ,for what in
 animals is nature we call in man       
wretchedness2 by which we recognise     
that1 his nature being now like that of 
animals1 he has fallen from a better    
nature which once was his4  ,for who is 
unhappy at not being a king1 except a   
deposed king8 ,was ,paulus milius#aef   
unhappy at being no longer consul8 ,on  
the contrary1 everybody thought him     
happy in having been consul1 because the
 office could only be held for a time4  
,but men thought ,perseus so unhappy in 
being no longer king1 because the       
condition of kingship implied his being 
always king1 that they thought it       
strange that he endured life4 ,who is   
unhappy at having only one mouth8 ,and  
who is not unhappy at having only one   
eye8 ,probably no man ever ventured to  
mourn at not having three eyes4 ,but any
 one is inconsolable at having none4    
#daj  ,perseus1 ,king of                
,macedon4--,paulus milius reproached    
,perseus for not killing himself4   #daa

  ,notwithstanding the sight of all our 
miseries1 which press upon us and take  
us by the throat1 we have an instinct   
which we cannot repress1 and which lifts
 us up4   #dab  ,there is internal war  
in man between reason and the passions4 
,if he had only reason without passions 
444  ,if he had only passions without   
reason 444  ,but having both1 he cannot 
be without strife1 being unable to be at
 peace with the one without being at war
 with the other4 ,thus he is always     
divided against1 and opposed to himself4
   #dac  ,this internal war of reason   
against the passions has made a division
 of those who would have peace into two 
sects4 ,the first would renounce their  
passions1 and become gods2 the others   
would renounce reason1 and become brute 
beasts4 7,des ,barreaux47#aeg ,but      
neither can do so1 and reason still     
remains1 to condemn the vileness and    
injustice of the passions1 and to       
trouble the repose of those who abandon 
themselves to them2 and the passions    

keep always alive in those who would    
renounce them4   #dad  ,men are so      
necessarily mad1 that not to be mad     
would amount to another form of madness4
   #dae  ,the nature of man may be      
viewed in two ways3 the one according to
 its end1 and then he is great and      
incomparable2 the other according to the
 multitude1 just as we judge of the     
nature of the horse and the dog1        
popularly1 by seeing its fleetness1 et  
animum arcendi2 and then man is abject  
and vile4 ,these are the two ways which 
make us judge of him differently1 and   
which occasion such disputes among      
philosophers4  ,for one denies the      
assumption of the other4 ,one says1 ,he 
is not born for this end1 for all his   
actions are repugnant to it4 ,the other 
says1 ,he forsakes his end1 when he does
 these base actions4   #daf  ,for       
,port-,royal4#aeh ,greatness and        
wretchedness4--,wretchedness being      
deduced from greatness1 and greatness   
from wretchedness1 some have inferred   

man's wretchedness all the more because 
they have taken his greatness as a proof
 of it1 and others have inferred his    
greatness with all the more force1      
because they have inferred it from his  
very wretchedness4 ,all that the one    
party has been able to say in proof of  
his greatness has only served as an     
argument of his wretchedness to the     
others1 because the greater our fall1   
the more wretched we are1 and vice      
versa4 ,the one party is brought back to
 the other in an endless circle1 it     
being certain that in proportion as men 
possess light they discover both the    
greatness and the wretchedness of man4  
,in a word1 man knows that he is        
wretched4 ,he is therefore wretched1    
because he is so2 but he is really great
 because he knows it4   #dag  ,this     
twofold nature of man is so evident that
 some have thought that we had two      
souls4 ,a single subject seemed to them 
incapable of such sudden variations from
 unmeasured presumption to a dreadful   

dejection of heart4   #dah  ,it is      
dangerous to make man see too clearly   
his equality with the brutes without    
showing him his greatness4 ,it is also  
dangerous to make him see his greatness 
too clearly1 apart from his vileness4   
,it is still more dangerous to leave him
 in ignorance of both4 ,but it is very  
advantageous to show him both4 ,man must
 not think that he is on a level either 
with the brutes or with the angels1 nor 
must he be ignorant of both sides of his
 nature2 but he must know both4   #dai  
,i will not allow man to depend upon    
himself1 or upon another1 to the end    
that being without a resting-place and  
without repose 444   #dbj  ,if he exalt 
himself1 ,i humble him2 if he humble    
himself1 ,i exalt him2 and ,i always    
contradict him1 till he understands that
 he is an incomprehensible monster4     
#dba  ,i blame equally those who choose 
to praise man1 those who choose to blame
 him1 and those who choose to amuse     
themselves2 and ,i can only approve of  

those who seek with lamentation4   #dbb 
,it is good to be tired and wearied by  
the vain search after the true good1    
that we may stretch out our arms to the 
,redeemer4   #dbc  ,contraries4 ,after  
having shown the vileness and the       
greatness of man4--,let man now know his
 value4 ,let him love himself1 for there
 is in him a nature capable of good2 but
 let him not for this reason love the   
vileness which is in him4 ,let him      
despise himself1 for this capacity is   
barren2 but let him not therefore       
despise this natural capacity4 ,let him 
hate himself1 let him love himself2 he  
has within him the capacity of knowing  
the truth and of being happy1 but he    
possesses no truth1 either constant or  
satisfactory4  ,i would then lead man to
 the desire of finding truth2 to be free
 from passions1 and ready to follow it  
where he may find it1 knowing how much  
his knowledge is obscured by the        
passions4 ,i would indeed that he should
 hate in himself the lust which         

determined his will by itself1 so that  
it may not blind him in making his      
choice1 and may not hinder him when he  
has chosen4   #dbd  ,all these          
contradictions1 which seem most to keep 
me from the knowledge of religion1 have 
led me most quickly to the true one4    
,,section ,,vii  ,,morality ,,and       
,,doctrine   #dbe  ,second part4--,that 
man without faith cannot know the true  
good1 nor justice4  ,all men seek       
happiness4 ,this is without exception4  
,whatever different means they employ1  
they all tend to this end4#aei ,the     
cause of some going to war1 and of      
others avoiding it1 is the same desire  
in both1 attended with different views4 
,the will never takes the least step but
 to this object4 ,this is the motive of 
every action of every man1 even of those
 who hang themselves4  ,and yet after   
such a great number of years1 no one    
without faith has reached the point to  
which all continually look4 ,all        
complain1 princes and subjects1 noblemen

 and commoners1 old and young1 strong   
and weak1 learned and ignorant1 healthy 
and sick1 of all countries1 all times1  
all ages1 and all conditions4  ,a trial 
so long1 so continuous1 and so uniform1 
should certainly convince us of our     
inability to reach the good by our own  
efforts4 ,but example teaches us little4
 ,no resemblance is ever so perfect that
 there is not some slight difference2   
and hence we expect that our hope will  
not be deceived on this occasion as     
before4 ,and thus1 while the present    
never satisfies us1 experience dupes us1
 and from misfortune to misfortune leads
 us to death1 their eternal crown4      
,what is it then that this desire and   
this inability proclaim to us1 but that 
there was once in man a true happiness  
of which there now remain to him only   
the mark and empty trace1 which he in   
vain tries to fill from all his         
surroundings1 seeking from things absent
 the help he does not obtain in things  
present8 ,but these are all inadequate1 

because the infinite abyss can only be  
filled by an infinite and immutable     
object1 that is to say1 only by ,god    
,himself4  ,he only is our true good1   
and since we have forsaken ,him1 it is a
 strange thing that there is nothing in 
nature which has not been serviceable in
 taking ,his place2 the stars1 the      
heavens1 earth1 the elements1 plants1   
cabbages1 leeks1 animals1 insects1      
calves1 serpents1 fever1 pestilence1    
war1 famine1 vices1 adultery1 incest4   
,and since man has lost the true good1  
everything can appear equally good to   
him1 even his own destruction1 though so
 opposed to ,god1 to reason1 and to the 
whole course of nature4  ,some seek good
 in authority1 others in scientific     
research1 others in pleasure4 ,others1  
who are in fact nearer the truth1 have  
considered it necessary that the        
universal good1 which all men desire1   
should not consist in any of the        
particular things which can only be     
possessed by one man1 and which1 when   

shared1 afflict their possessor more by 
the want of the part he has not1 than   
they please him by the possession of    
what he has4 ,they have learned that the
 true good should be such as all can    
possess at once1 without diminution and 
without envy1 and which no one can lose 
against his will4 ,and their reason is  
that this desire being natural to man1  
since it is necessarily in all1 and that
 it is impossible not to have it1 they  
infer from it 444   #dbf  ,true nature  
being lost1 everything becomes its own  
nature2 as the true good being lost1    
everything becomes its own true good4   
#dbg  ,man does not know in what rank to
 place himself4 ,he has plainly gone    
astray1 and fallen from his true place  
without being able to find it again4 ,he
 seeks it anxiously and unsuccessfully  
everywhere in impenetrable darkness4    
#dbh  ,if it is a sign of weakness to   
prove ,god by nature1 do not despise    
,scripture2 if it is a sign of strength 
to have known these contradictions1     

esteem ,scripture4   #dbi  ,the vileness
 of man in submitting himself to the    
brutes1 and in even worshipping them4   
#dcj  ,for ,port ,royal4 ,the beginning1
 after having explained the             
incomprehensibility4--,the greatness and
 the wretchedness of man are so evident 
that the true religion must necessarily 
teach us both that there is in man some 
great source of greatness1 and a great  
source of wretchedness4 ,it must then   
give us a reason for these astonishing  
contradictions4  ,in order to make man  
happy1 it must prove to him that there  
is a ,god2 that we ought to love ,him2  
that our true happiness is to be in     
,him1 and our sole evil to be separated 
from ,him2 it must recognise that we are
 full of darkness which hinders us from 
knowing and loving ,him2 and that thus1 
as our duties compel us to love ,god1   
and our lusts turn us away from ,him1 we
 are full of unrighteousness4 ,it must  
give us an explanation of our opposition
 to ,god and to our own good4 ,it must  

teach us the remedies for these         
infirmities1 and the means of obtaining 
these remedies4 ,let us therefore       
examine all the religions of the world1 
and see if there be any other than the  
,christian which is sufficient for this 
purpose4  ,shall it be that of the      
philosophers1 who put forward as the    
chief good1 the good which is in        
ourselves8 ,is this the true good8 ,have
 they found the remedy for our ills8 ,is
 man's pride cured by placing him on an 
equality with ,god8 ,have those who have
 made us equal to the brutes1 or the    
,mahommedans who have offered us earthly
 pleasures as the chief good even in    
eternity1 produced the remedy for our   
lusts8 ,what religion1 then1 will teach 
us to cure pride and lust8 ,what        
religion will in fact teach us our good1
 our duties1 the weakness which turns us
 from them1 the cause of this weakness1 
the remedies which can cure it1 and the 
means of obtaining these remedies8  ,all
 other religions have not been able to  

do so4 ,let us see what the wisdom of   
,god will do4  ,expect neither truth1   
she says1 nor consolation from men4 ,i  
am she who formed you1 and who alone can
 teach you what you are4 ,but you are   
now no longer in the state in which ,i  
formed you4 ,i created man holy1        
innocent1 perfect4 ,i filled him with   
light and intelligence4 ,i communicated 
to him my glory and my wonders4 ,the eye
 of man saw then the majesty of ,god4   
,he was not then in the darkness which  
blinds him1 nor subject to mortality and
 the woes which afflict him4 ,but he has
 not been able to sustain so great glory
 without falling into pride4 ,he wanted 
to make himself his own centre1 and     
independent of my help4 ,he withdrew    
himself from my rule2 and1 on his making
 himself equal to me by the desire of   
finding his happiness in himself1 ,i    
abandoned him to himself4 ,and setting  
in revolt the creatures that were       
subject to him1 ,i made them his        
enemies2 so that man is now become like 

the brutes1 and so estranged from me    
that there scarce remains to him a dim  
vision of his ,author4 ,so far has all  
his knowledge been extinguished or      
disturbed6 ,the senses1 independent of  
reason1 and often the masters of reason1
 have led him into pursuit of pleasure4 
,all creatures either torment or tempt  
him1 and domineer over him1 either      
subduing him by their strength1 or      
fascinating him by their charms1 a      
tyranny more awful and more imperious4  
,such is the state in which men now are4
 ,there remains to them some feeble     
instinct of the happiness of their      
former state2 and they are plunged in   
the evils of their blindness and their  
lust1 which have become their second    
nature4  ,from this principle which ,i  
disclose to you1 you can recognise the  
cause of those contradictions which have
 astonished all men1 and have divided   
them into parties holding so different  
views4 ,observe1 now1 all the feelings  
of greatness and glory which the        

experience of so many woes cannot       
stifle1 and see if the cause of them    
must not be in another nature4  ,for    
,port-,royal to-morrow                  
7,prosopopa74--,it is in vain1 ,o men1  
that you seek within yourselves the     
remedy for your ills4 ,all your light   
can only reach the knowledge that not in
 yourselves will you find truth or good4
 ,the philosophers have promised you    
that1 and have been unable to do it4    
,they neither know what is your true    
good1 nor what is your true state4 ,how 
could they have given remedies for your 
ills1 when they did not even know them8 
,your chief maladies are pride1 which   
takes you away from ,god1 and lust1     
which binds you to earth2 and they have 
done nothing else but cherish one or    
other of these diseases4 ,if they gave  
you ,god as an end1 it was only to      
administer to your pride2 they made you 
think that you are by nature like ,him1 
and conformed to ,him4 ,and those who   
saw the absurdity of this claim put you 

on another precipice1 by making you     
understand that your nature was like    
that of the brutes1 and led you to seek 
your good in the lusts which are shared 
by the animals4 ,this is not the way to 
cure you of your unrighteousness1 which 
these wise men never knew4 ,i alone can 
make you understand who you are4444     
,adam1 ,jesus ,christ4  ,if you are     
united to ,god1 it is by grace1 not by  
nature4 ,if you are humbled1 it is by   
penitence1 not by nature4  ,thus this   
double capacity 444  ,you are not in the
 state of your creation4  ,as these two 
states are open1 it is impossible for   
you not to recognise them4 ,follow your 
own feelings1 observe yourselves1 and   
see if you do not find the lively       
characteristics of these two natures4   
,could so many contradictions be found  
in a simple subject8                    
--,incomprehensible4--,not all that is  
incomprehensible ceases to exist4       
,infinite number4 ,an infinite space    
equal to a finite4  --,incredible that  

,god should unite ,himself to us4--,this
 consideration is drawn only from the   
sight of our vileness4 ,but if you are  
quite sincere over it1 follow it as far 
as ,i have done1 and recognise that we  
are indeed so vile that we are incapable
 in ourselves of knowing if ,his mercy  
cannot make us capable of ,him4 ,for ,i 
would know how this animal1 who knows   
himself to be so weak1 has the right to 
measure the mercy of ,god1 and set      
limits to it1 suggested by his own      
fancy4 ,he has so little knowledge of   
what ,god is1 that he does not know what
 he himself is1 and1 completely         
disturbed at the sight of his own state1
 dares to say that ,god cannot make him 
capable of communion with ,him4  ,but ,i
 would ask him if ,god demands anything 
else from him than the knowledge and    
love of ,him1 and why1 since his nature 
is capable of love and knowledge1 he    
believes that ,god cannot make ,himself 
known and loved by him4 ,doubtless he   
knows at least that he exists1 and that 

he loves something4 ,therefore1 if he   
sees anything in the darkness wherein he
 is1 and if he finds some object of his 
love among the things on earth1 why1 if 
,god impart to him some ray of ,his     
essence1 will he not be capable of      
knowing and of loving ,him in the manner
 in which it shall please ,him to       
communicate ,himself to us8 ,there must 
then be certainly an intolerable        
presumption in arguments of this sort1  
although they seem founded on an        
apparent humility1 which is neither     
sincere nor reasonable1 if it does not  
make us admit that1 not knowing of      
ourselves what we are1 we can only learn
 it from ,god4  ,i do not mean that you 
should submit your belief to me without 
reason1 and ,i do not aspire to overcome
 you by tyranny4 ,in fact1 ,i do not    
claim to give you a reason for          
everything4 ,and to reconcile these     
contradictions1 ,i intend to make you   
see clearly1 by convincing proofs1 those
 divine signs in me1 which may convince 

you of what ,i am1 and may gain         
authority for me by wonders and proofs  
which you cannot reject2 so that you may
 then believe without 444 the things    
which ,i teach you1 since you will find 
no other ground for rejecting them1     
except that you cannot know of          
yourselves if they are true or not4     
,god has willed to redeem men1 and to   
open salvation to those who seek it4    
,but men render themselves so unworthy  
of it1 that it is right that ,god should
 refuse to some1 because of their       
obduracy1 what ,he grants to others from
 a compassion which is not due to them4 
,if ,he had willed to overcome the      
obstinacy of the most hardened1 ,he     
could have done so by revealing ,himself
 so manifestly to them that they could  
not have doubted of the truth of ,his   
essence2 as it will appear at the last  
day1 with such thunders and such a      
convulsion of nature1 that the dead will
 rise again1 and the blindest will see  
,him4  ,it is not in this manner that   

,he has willed to appear in ,his advent 
of mercy1 because1 as so many make      
themselves unworthy of ,his mercy1 ,he  
has willed to leave them in the loss of 
the good which they do not want4 ,it was
 not then right that ,he should appear  
in a manner manifestly divine1 and      
completely capable of convincing all    
men2 but it was also not right that ,he 
should come in so hidden a manner that  
,he could not be known by those who     
should sincerely seek ,him4 ,he has     
willed to make ,himself quite           
recognisable by those2 and thus1 willing
 to appear openly to those who seek ,him
 with all their heart1 and to be hidden 
from those who flee from ,him with all  
their heart1 ,he so regulates the       
knowledge of ,himself that ,he has given
 signs of ,himself1 visible to those who
 seek ,him1 and not to those who seek   
,him not4 ,there is enough light for    
those who only desire to see1 and enough
 obscurity for those who have a contrary
 disposition4   #dca  ,no other religion

 has recognised that man is the most    
excellent creature4 ,some1 which have   
quite recognised the reality of his     
excellence1 have considered as mean and 
ungrateful the low opinions which men   
naturally have of themselves2 and       
others1 which have thoroughly recognised
 how real is this vileness1 have treated
 with proud ridicule those feelings of  
greatness1 which are equally natural to 
man4  ,lift your eyes to ,god1 say the  
first2 see ,him whom you resemble1 and  
who has created you to worship ,him4    
,you can make yourselves like unto ,him2
 wisdom will make you equal to ,him1 if 
you will follow it4 ,raise your heads1  
free men1 says ,epictetus4 ,and others  
say1 ,bend your eyes to the earth1      
wretched worm that you are1 and consider
 the brutes whose companion you are4    
,what1 then1 will man become8 ,will he  
be equal to ,god or the brutes8 ,what a 
frightful difference6 ,what1 then1 shall
 we be8 ,who does not see from all this 
that man has gone astray1 that he has   

fallen from his place1 that he anxiously
 seeks it1 that he cannot find it again8
 ,and who shall then direct him to it8  
,the greatest men have failed4   #dcb   
,scepticism is true2 for1 after all1 men
 before ,jesus ,christ did not know     
where they were1 nor whether they were  
great or small4 ,and those who have said
 the one or the other1 knew nothing     
about it1 and guessed without reason and
 by chance4 ,they also erred always in  
excluding the one or the other4  ,quod  
ergo ignorantes1 quritis1 religio       
annuntiat vobis4#afj   #dcc  ,after     
having understood the whole nature of   
man4--,that a religion may be true1 it  
must have knowledge of our nature4 ,it  
ought to know its greatness and         
littleness1 and the reason of both4     
,what religion but the ,christian has   
known this8   #dcd  ,the chief arguments
 of the sceptics--,i pass over the      
lesser ones--are that we have no        
certainty of the truth of these         
principles apart from faith and         

revelation1 except in so far as we      
naturally perceive them in ourselves4   
,now this natural intuition is not a    
convincing proof of their truth2 since1 
having no certainty1 apart from faith1  
whether man was created by a good ,god1 
or by a wicked demon1#afa or by chance1 
it is doubtful whether these principles 
given to us are true1 or false1 or      
uncertain1 according to our origin4     
,again1 no person is certain1 apart from
 faith1 whether he is awake or sleeps1  
seeing that during sleep we believe that
 we are awake as firmly as we do when we
 are awake2 we believe that we see      
space1 figure1 and motion2 we are aware 
of the passage of time1 we measure it2  
and in fact we act as if we were awake4 
,so that half of our life being passed  
in sleep1 we have on our own admission  
no idea of truth1 whatever we may       
imagine4 ,as all our intuitions are then
 illusions1 who knows whether the other 
half of our life1 in which we think we  
are awake1 is not another sleep a little

 different from the former1 from which  
we awake when we suppose ourselves      
asleep8  ,and who doubts that1 if we    
dreamt in company1 and the dreams       
chanced to agree1 which is common       
enough1 and if we were always alone when
 awake1 we should believe that matters  
were reversed8 ,in short1 as we often   
dream that we dream1 heaping dream upon 
dream1 may it not be that this half of  
our life1 wherein we think ourselves    
awake1 is itself only a dream on which  
the others are grafted1 from which we   
wake at death1 during which we have as  
few principles of truth and good as     
during natural sleep1 these different   
thoughts which disturb us being perhaps 
only illusions like the flight of time  
and the vain fancies of our dreams8     
,these are the chief arguments on one   
side and the other4  ,i omit minor ones1
 such as the sceptical talk against the 
impressions of custom1 education1       
manners1 country1 and the like4 ,though 
these influence the majority of common  

folk1 who dogmatise only on shallow     
foundations1 they are upset by the least
 breath of the sceptics4 ,we have only  
to see their books if we are not        
sufficiently convinced of this1 and we  
shall very quickly become so1 perhaps   
too much4  ,i notice the only strong    
point of the dogmatists1 namely1 that1  
speaking in good faith and sincerely1 we
 cannot doubt natural principles4       
,against this the sceptics set up in one
 word the uncertainty of our origin1    
which includes that of our nature4 ,the 
dogmatists have been trying to answer   
this objection ever since the world     
began4  ,so there is open war among men1
 in which each must take a part1 and    
side either with dogmatism or           
scepticism4 ,for he who thinks to remain
 neutral is above all a sceptic4 ,this  
neutrality is the essence of the sect2  
he who is not against them is           
essentially for them4 ,in this appears  
their advantage4 ,they are not for      
themselves2 they are neutral1           

indifferent1 in suspense as to all      
things1 even themselves being no        
exception4  ,what then shall man do in  
this state8 ,shall he doubt everything8 
,shall he doubt whether he is awake1    
whether he is being pinched1 or whether 
he is being burned8 ,shall he doubt     
whether he doubts8 ,shall he doubt      
whether he exists8 ,we cannot go so far 
as that2 and ,i lay it down as a fact   
that there never has been a real        
complete sceptic4 ,nature sustains our  
feeble reason1 and prevents it raving to
 this extent4  ,shall he then say1 on   
the contrary1 that he certainly         
possesses truth--he who1 when pressed   
ever so little1 can show no title to it1
 and is forced to let go his hold8      
,what a chimera then is man6 ,what a    
novelty6 ,what a monster1 what a chaos1 
what a contradiction1 what a prodigy6   
,judge of all things1 imbecile worm of  
the earth2 depositary of truth1 a sink  
of uncertainty and error2 the pride and 
refuse of the universe6  ,who will      

unravel this tangle8 ,nature confutes   
the sceptics1 and reason confutes the   
dogmatists4 ,what then will you become1 
,o men6 who try to find out by your     
natural reason what is your true        
condition8 ,you cannot avoid one of     
these sects1 nor adhere to one of them4 
,know then1 proud man1 what a paradox   
you are to yourself4 ,humble yourself1  
weak reason2 be silent1 foolish nature2 
learn that man infinitely transcends    
man1 and learn from your ,master your   
true condition1 of which you are        
ignorant4 ,hear ,god4  ,for in fact1 if 
man had never been corrupt1 he would    
enjoy in his innocence both truth and   
happiness with assurance2 and if man had
 always been corrupt1 he would have no  
idea of truth or bliss4 ,but1 wretched  
as we are1 and more so than if there    
were no greatness in our condition1 we  
have an idea of happiness1 and cannot   
reach it4 ,we perceive an image of      
truth1 and possess only a lie4          
,incapable of absolute ignorance and of 

certain knowledge1 we have thus been    
manifestly in a degree of perfection    
from which we have unhappily fallen4    
,it is1 however1 an astonishing thing   
that the mystery furthest removed from  
our knowledge1 namely1 that of the      
transmission of sin1 should be a fact   
without which we can have no knowledge  
of ourselves4 ,for it is beyond doubt   
that there is nothing which more shocks 
our reason than to say that the sin of  
the first man has rendered guilty those1
 who1 being so removed from this source1
 seem incapable of participation in it4 
,this transmission does not only seem to
 us impossible1 it seems also very      
unjust4 ,for what is more contrary to   
the rules of our miserable justice than 
to damn eternally an infant incapable of
 will1 for a sin wherein he seems to    
have so little a share1 that it was     
committed six thousand years before he  
was in existence8 ,certainly nothing    
offends us more rudely than this        
doctrine2 and yet1 without this mystery1

 the most incomprehensible of all1 we   
are incomprehensible to ourselves4 ,the 
knot of our condition takes its twists  
and turns in this abyss1 so that man is 
more inconceivable without this mystery 
than this mystery is inconceivable to   
man4  ,whence it seems that ,god1       
willing to render the difficulty of our 
existence unintelligible to ourselves1  
has concealed the knot so high1 or1     
better speaking1 so low1 that we are    
quite incapable of reaching it2 so that 
it is not by the proud exertions of our 
reason1 but by the simple submissions of
 reason1 that we can truly know         
ourselves4  ,these foundations1 solidly 
established on the inviolable authority 
of religion1 make us know that there are
 two truths of faith equally certain3   
the one1 that man1 in the state of      
creation1 or in that of grace1 is raised
 above all nature1 made like unto ,god  
and sharing in ,his divinity2 the other1
 that in the state of corruption and    
sin1 he is fallen from this state and   

made like unto the beasts4  ,these two  
propositions are equally sound and      
certain4 ,scripture manifestly declares 
this to us1 when it says in some places3
 ,delici me esse cum filiis hominum4#afb
 ,effundam spiritum meum super omnem    
carnem4#afc ,dii estis#afd1 etc42 and in
 other places1 ,omnis caro fnum4#afe    
,homo assimilatus est jumentis          
insipientibus1 et similis factus est    
illis4#aff ,dixi in corde meo de filiis 
hominum4 ,eccles4 iii4  ,whence it      
clearly seems that man by grace is made 
like unto ,god1 and a partaker in ,his  
divinity1 and that without grace he is  
like unto the brute beasts4   #dce      
,without this divine knowledge what     
could men do but either become elated by
 the inner feeling of their past        
greatness which still remains to them1  
or become despondent at the sight of    
their present weakness8 ,for1 not seeing
 the whole truth1 they could not attain 
to perfect virtue4 ,some considering    
nature as incorrupt1 others as          

incurable1 they could not escape either 
pride or sloth1 the two sources of all  
vice2 since they cannot but either      
abandon themselves to it through        
cowardice1 or escape it by pride4 ,for  
if they knew the excellence of man1 they
 were ignorant of his corruption2 so    
that they easily avoided sloth1 but fell
 into pride4 ,and if they recognised the
 infirmity of nature1 they were ignorant
 of its dignity2 so that they could     
easily avoid vanity1 but it was to fall 
into despair4 ,thence arise the         
different schools of the ,stoics and    
,epicureans1 the ,dogmatists1           
,academicians1 etc4  ,the ,christian    
religion alone has been able to cure    
these two vices1 not by expelling the   
one through means of the other according
 to the wisdom of the world1 but by     
expelling both according to the         
simplicity of the ,gospel4 ,for it      
teaches the righteous that it raises    
them even to a participation in divinity
 itself2 that in this lofty state they  

still carry the source of all           
corruption1 which renders them during   
all their life subject to error1 misery1
 death1 and sin2 and it proclaims to the
 most ungodly that they are capable of  
the grace of their ,redeemer4 ,so making
 those tremble whom it justifies1 and   
consoling those whom it condemns1       
religion so justly tempers fear with    
hope through that double capacity of    
grace and of sin1 common to all1 that it
 humbles infinitely more than reason    
alone can do1 but without despair2 and  
it exalts infinitely more than natural  
pride1 but without inflating2 thus      
making it evident that alone being      
exempt from error and vice1 it alone    
fulfils the duty of instructing and     
correcting men4  ,who then can refuse to
 believe and adore this heavenly light8 
,for is it not clearer than day that we 
perceive within ourselves ineffaceable  
marks of excellence8 ,and is it not     
equally true that we experience every   
hour the results of our deplorable      

condition8 ,what does this chaos and    
monstrous confusion proclaim to us but  
the truth of these two states1 with a   
voice so powerful that it is impossible 
to resist it8   #dcf  ,weakness4--,every
 pursuit of men is to get wealth2 and   
they cannot have a title to show that   
they possess it justly1 for they have   
only that of human caprice2 nor have    
they strength to hold it securely4 ,it  
is the same with knowledge1 for disease 
takes it away4 ,we are incapable both of
 truth and goodness4   #dcg  ,we desire 
truth1 and find within ourselves only   
uncertainty4  ,we seek happiness1 and   
find only misery and death4  ,we cannot 
but desire truth and happiness1 and are 
incapable of certainty or happiness4    
,this desire is left to us1 partly to   
punish us1 partly to make us perceive   
wherefrom we are fallen4   #dch  ,if man
 is not made for ,god1 why is he only   
happy in ,god8 ,if man is made for ,god1
 why is he so opposed to ,god8   #dci   
,nature corrupted4--,man does not act by

 reason1 which constitutes his being4   
#ddj  ,the corruption of reason is shown
 by the existence of so many different  
and extravagant customs4 ,it was        
necessary that truth should come1 in    
order that man should no longer dwell   
within himself4   #dda  ,for myself1 ,i 
confess that so soon as the ,christian  
religion reveals the principle that     
human nature is corrupt and fallen from 
,god1 that opens my eyes to see         
everywhere the mark of this truth3 for  
nature is such that she testifies       
everywhere1 both within man and without 
him1 to a lost ,god and a corrupt       
nature4   #ddb  ,man's true nature1 his 
true good1 true virtue1 and true        
religion1 are things of which the       
knowledge is inseparable4   #ddc        
,greatness1 wretchedness4--,the more    
light we have1 the more greatness and   
the more baseness we discover in man4   
,ordinary men--those who are more       
educated3 philosophers1 they astonish   
ordinary men--,christians1 they astonish

 philosophers4  ,who will then be       
surprised to see that religion only     
makes us know profoundly what we already
 know in proportion to our light8   #ddd
  ,this religion taught to her children 
what men have only been able to discover
 by their greatest knowledge4   #dde    
,original sin is foolishness to men1 but
 it is admitted to be such4 ,you must   
not then reproach me for the want of    
reason in this doctrine1 since ,i admit 
it to be without reason4 ,but this      
foolishness is wiser than all the wisdom
 of men1 sapientius est hominibus4#afg  
,for without this1 what can we say that 
man is8 ,his whole state depends on this
 imperceptible point4 ,and how should it
 be perceived by his reason1 since it is
 a thing against reason1 and since      
reason1 far from finding it out by her  
own ways1 is averse to it when it is    
presented to her8   #ddf  ,of original  
sin4#afh ,ample tradition of original   
sin according to the ,jews4  ,on the    
saying in ,genesis viii1 #ba3 ,the      

imagination of man's heart is evil from 
his youth4  ,r4 ,moses ,haddarschan3    
,this evil leaven is placed in man from 
the time that he is formed4  ,massechet 
,succa3 ,this evil leaven has seven     
names in ,scripture4 ,it is called evil1
 the foreskin1 uncleanness1 an enemy1 a 
scandal1 a heart of stone1 the north    
wind2 all this signifies the malignity  
which is concealed and impressed in the 
heart of man4  ,midrasch ,tillim says   
the same thing1 and that ,god will      
deliver the good nature of man from the 
evil4  ,this malignity is renewed every 
day against man1 as it is written1      
,psalm xxxvii1 #cb3 ,the wicked watcheth
 the righteous1 and seeketh to slay him2
 but ,god will not abandon him4 ,this   
malignity tries the heart of man in this
 life1 and will accuse him in the other4
 ,all this is found in the ,talmud4     
,midrasch ,tillim on ,psalm iv1 #d3     
,stand in awe and sin not4 ,stand in awe
 and be afraid of your lust1 and it will
 not lead you into sin4 ,and on ,psalm  

xxxvi1 #a3 ,the wicked has said within  
his own heart1 ,let not the fear of ,god
 be before me4 ,that is to say that the 
malignity natural to man has said that  
to the wicked4  ,midrasch el ,kohelet3  
,better is a poor and wise child than an
 old and foolish king who cannot foresee
 the future4#afi ,the child is virtue1  
and the king is the malignity of man4   
,it is called king because all the      
members obey it1 and old because it is  
in the human heart from infancy to old  
age1 and foolish because it leads man in
 the way of perdition1 which he does not
 foresee4 ,the same thing is in         
,midrasch ,tillim4  ,bereschist ,rabba  
on ,psalm xxxv1 #aj3 ,lord1 all my bones
 shall bless ,thee1 which deliverest the
 poor from the tyrant4 ,and is there a  
greater tyrant than the evil leaven8    
,and on ,proverbs xxv1 #ba3 ,if thine   
enemy be hungry1 give him bread to eat4 
,that is to say1 if the evil leaven     
hunger1 give him the bread of wisdom of 
which it is spoken in ,proverbs ix41 and

 if he be thirsty1 give him the water of
 which it is spoken in ,isaiah lv4      
,midrasch ,tillim says the same thing1  
and that ,scripture in that passage1    
speaking of the enemy1 means the evil   
leaven2 and that1 in giving him that    
bread and that water1 we heap coals of  
fire on his head4  ,midrasch el ,kohelet
 on ,ecclesiastes ix1 #ad3 ,a great king
 besieged a little city4 ,this great    
king is the evil leaven2 the great      
bulwarks built against it are           
temptations2 and there has been found a 
poor wise man who has delivered it--that
 is to say1 virtue4  ,and on ,psalm xli1
 #a3 ,blessed is he that considereth the
 poor4  ,and on ,psalm lxxviii1 #ci3    
,the spirit passeth away1 and cometh not
 again2 whence some have erroneously    
argued against the immortality of the   
soul4 ,but the sense is that this spirit
 is the evil leaven1 which accompanies  
man till death1 and will not return at  
the resurrection4  ,and on ,psalm ciii  
the same thing4  ,and on ,psalm xvi4    

,principles of ,rabbinism3 two          
,messiahs4   #ddg  ,will it be said     
that1 as men have declared that         
righteousness has departed the earth1   
they therefore knew of original         
sin8--,nemo ante obitum beatus          
est#agj--that is to say1 they knew death
 to be the beginning of eternal and     
essential happiness8   #ddh  ,miton sees
 well that nature is corrupt1 and that  
men are averse to virtue2 but he does   
not know why they cannot fly higher4    
#ddi  ,order4--,after ,corruption to    
say3 ,it is right that all those who are
 in that state should know it1 both     
those who are content with it1 and those
 who are not content with it2 but it is 
not right that all should see           
,redemption4   #dej  ,if we do not know 
ourselves to be full of pride1 ambition1
 lust1 weakness1 misery1 and injustice1 
we are indeed blind4 ,and if1 knowing   
this1 we do not desire deliverance1 what
 can we say of a man4448  ,what1 then1  
can we have but esteem for a religion   

which knows so well the defects of man1 
and desire for the truth of a religion  
which promises remedies so desirable8   
#dea  ,all men naturally hate one       
another4 ,they employ lust as far as    
possible in the service of the public   
weal4 ,but this is only a pretence and a
 false image of love2 for at bottom it  
is only hate4   #deb  ,to pity the      
unfortunate is not contrary to lust4 ,on
 the contrary1 we can quite well give   
such evidence of friendship1 and acquire
 the reputation of kindly feeling1      
without giving anything4   #dec  ,from  
lust men have found and extracted       
excellent rules of policy1 morality1 and
 justice2 but in reality this vile root 
of man1 this figmentum malum1#aga is    
only covered1 it is not taken away4     
#ded  ,injustice4--,they have not found 
any other means of satisfying lust      
without doing injury to others4   #dee  
,self is hateful4 ,you1 ,miton1 conceal 
it2 you do not for that reason destroy  
it2 you are1 then1 always hateful4      

--,no2 for in acting as we do to oblige 
everybody1 we give no more occasion for 
hatred of us4--,that is true1 if we only
 hated in ,self the vexation which comes
 to us from it4 ,but if ,i hate it      
because it is unjust1 and because it    
makes itself the centre of everything1  
,i shall always hate it4  ,in a word1   
the ,self has two qualities3 it is      
unjust in itself since it makes itself  
the centre of everything2 it is         
inconvenient to others since it would   
enslave them2 for each ,self is the     
enemy1 and would like to be the tyrant  
of all others4 ,you take away its       
inconvenience1 but not its injustice1   
and so you do not render it lovable to  
those who hate injustice2 you render it 
lovable only to the unjust1 who do not  
any longer find in it an enemy4 ,and    
thus you remain unjust1 and can please  
only the unjust4   #def  ,it is a       
perverted judgment that makes every one 
place himself above the rest of the     
world1 and prefer his own good1 and the 

continuance of his own good fortune and 
life1 to that of the rest of the world6 
#deg  ,each one is all in all to        
himself2 for he being dead1 all is dead 
to him4 ,hence it comes that each       
believes himself to be all in all to    
everybody4 ,we must not judge of nature 
by ourselves1 but by it4   #deh  ,all   
that is in the world is the lust of the 
flesh1 or the lust of the eyes1 or the  
pride of life2 libido sentiendi1 libido 
sciendi1 libido dominandi4#agb ,wretched
 is the cursed land which these three   
rivers of fire enflame rather than      
water6#agc ,happy they who1 on these    
rivers1 are not overwhelmed nor carried 
away1 but are immovably fixed1 not      
standing but seated on a low and secure 
base1 whence they do not rise before the
 light1 but1 having rested in peace1    
stretch out their hands to ,him1 who    
must lift them up1 and make them stand  
upright and firm in the porches of the  
holy ,jerusalem6 ,there pride can no    
longer assail them nor cast them down2  

and yet they weep1 not to see all those 
perishable things swept away by the     
torrents1 but at the remembrance of     
their loved country1 the heavenly       
,jerusalem1 which they remember without 
ceasing during their prolonged exile4   
#dei  ,the rivers of ,babylon rush and  
fall and sweep away4  ,o holy ,sion1    
where all is firm and nothing falls6    
,we must sit upon the waters1 not under 
them or in them1 but on them2 and not   
standing but seated2 being seated to be 
humble1 and being above them to be      
secure4 ,but we shall stand in the      
porches of ,jerusalem4  ,let us see if  
this pleasure is stable or transitory2  
if it pass away1 it is a river of       
,babylon4   #dfj  ,the lust of the      
flesh1 the lust of the eyes1 pride1     
etc4--,there are three orders of things3
 the flesh1 the spirit1 and the will4   
,the carnal are the rich and kings2 they
 have the body as their object4         
,inquirers and scientists2 they have the
 mind as their object4 ,the wise2 they  

have righteousness as their object4     
,god must reign over all1 and all men   
must be brought back to ,him4 ,in things
 of the flesh lust reigns specially2 in 
intellectual matters1 inquiry specially2
 in wisdom1 pride specially4 ,not that a
 man cannot boast of wealth or          
knowledge1 but it is not the place for  
pride2 for in granting to a man that he 
is learned1 it is easy to convince him  
that he is wrong to be proud4 ,the      
proper place for pride is in wisdom1 for
 it cannot be granted to a man that he  
has made himself wise1 and that he is   
wrong to be proud2 for that is right4   
,now ,god alone gives wisdom1 and that  
is why ,qui gloriatur1 in ,domino       
glorietur4#agd   #dfa  ,the three lusts 
have made three sects2 and the          
philosophers have done no other thing   
than follow one of the three lusts4     
#dfb  ,search for the true              
good4--,ordinary men place the good in  
fortune and external goods1 or at least 
in amusement4 ,philosophers have shown  

the vanity of all this1 and have placed 
it where they could4   #dfc  ,against   
the philosophers who believe in ,god    
without ,jesus ,christ                  
,philosophers4--,they believe that ,god 
alone is worthy to be loved and admired2
 and they have desired to be loved and  
admired of men1 and do not know their   
own corruption4 ,if they feel full of   
feelings of love and admiration1 and    
find therein their chief delight1 very  
well1 let them think themselves good4   
,but if they find themselves averse to  
,him1 if they have no inclination but   
the desire to establish themselves in   
the esteem of men1 and if their whole   
perfection consists only in making      
men--but without constraint--find their 
happiness in loving them1 ,i declare    
that this perfection is horrible4 ,what6
 they have known ,god1 and have not     
desired solely that men should love     
,him1 but that men should stop short at 
them6 ,they have wanted to be the object
 of the voluntary delight of men4   #dfd

  ,philosophers4--,we are full of things
 which take us out of ourselves4  ,our  
instinct makes us feel that we must seek
 our happiness outside ourselves4 ,our  
passions impel us outside1 even when no 
objects present themselves to excite    
them4 ,external objects tempt us of     
themselves1 and call to us1 even when we
 are not thinking of them4 ,and thus    
philosophers have said in vain1 ,retire 
within yourselves1 you will find your   
good there4 ,we do not believe them1 and
 those who believe them are the most    
empty and the most foolish4   #dfe  ,the
 ,stoics say1 ,retire within yourselves2
 it is there you will find your rest4   
,and that is not true4  ,others say1 ,go
 out of yourselves2 seek happiness in   
amusement4 ,and this is not true4       
,illness comes4  ,happiness is neither  
without us nor within us4 ,it is in     
,god1 both without us and within us4    
#dff  ,had ,epictetus seen the way      
perfectly1 he would have said to men1   
,you follow a wrong road2 he shows that 

there is another1 but he does not lead  
to it4 ,it is the way of willing what   
,god wills4 ,jesus ,christ alone leads  
to it3 ,via1 veritas4#age  ,the vices of
 ,zeno#agf himself4   #dfg  ,the reason 
of effects4--,epictetus4#agg ,those who 
say1 ,you have a headache2 this is not  
the same thing4 ,we are assured of      
health1 and not of justice2 and in fact 
his own was nonsense4  ,and yet he      
believed it demonstrable1 when he said1 
,it is either in our power or it is not4
 ,but he did not perceive that it is not
 in our power to regulate the heart1 and
 he was wrong to infer this from the    
fact that there were some ,christians4  
#dfh  ,no other religion has proposed to
 men to hate themselves4 ,no other      
religion then can please those who hate 
themselves1 and who seek a ,being truly 
lovable4 ,and these1 if they had never  
heard of the religion of a ,god         
humiliated1 would embrace it at once4   
#dfi  ,i feel that ,i might not have    
been2 for the ,ego consists in my       

thoughts4 ,therefore ,i1 who think1     
would not have been1 if my mother had   
been killed before ,i had life4 ,i am   
not then a necessary being4 ,in the same
 way ,i am not eternal or infinite2 but 
,i see plainly that there exists in     
nature a necessary ,being1 eternal and  
infinite4   #dgj  ,had ,i seen a        
miracle1 say men1 ,i should become      
converted4 ,how can they be sure they   
would do a thing of the nature of which 
they are ignorant8 ,they imagine that   
this conversion consists in a worship of
 ,god which is like commerce1 and in a  
communion such as they picture to       
themselves4 ,true religion consists in  
annihilating self before that ,universal
 ,being1 whom we have so often provoked1
 and who can justly destroy us at any   
time2 in recognising that we can do     
nothing without ,him1 and have deserved 
nothing from ,him but ,his displeasure4 
,it consists in knowing that there is an
 unconquerable opposition between us and
 ,god1 and that without a mediator there

 can be no communion with ,him4   #dga  
,it is unjust that men should attach    
themselves to me1 even though they do it
 with pleasure and voluntarily4 ,i      
should deceive those in whom ,i had     
created this desire2 for ,i am not the  
end of any1 and ,i have not the         
wherewithal to satisfy them4 ,am ,i not 
about to die8 ,and thus the object of   
their attachment will die4 ,therefore1  
as ,i would be blamable in causing a    
falsehood to be believed1 though ,i     
should employ gentle persuasion1 though 
it should be believed with pleasure1 and
 though it should give me pleasure2 even
 so ,i am blamable in making myself     
loved1 and if ,i attract persons to     
attach themselves to me4 ,i ought to    
warn those who are ready to consent to a
 lie1 that they ought not to believe it1
 whatever advantage comes to me from it2
 and likewise that they ought not to    
attach themselves to me2 for they ought 
to spend their life and their care in   
pleasing ,god1 or in seeking ,him4      

#dgb  ,self-will will never be          
satisfied1 though it should have command
 of all it would2 but we are satisfied  
from the moment we renounce it4 ,without
 it we cannot be discontented2 with it  
we cannot be content4   #dgc  ,let us   
imagine a body full of thinking         
members4#agh   #dgd  ,members1 ,to      
commence with that4--,to regulate the   
love which we owe to ourselves1 we must 
imagine a body full of thinking members1
 for we are members of the whole1 and   
must see how each member should love    
itself1 etc4444   #dge  ,if the feet and
 the hands had a will of their own1 they
 could only be in their order in        
submitting this particular will to the  
primary will which governs the whole    
body4 ,apart from that1 they are in     
disorder and mischief2 but in willing   
only the good of the body1 they         
accomplish their own good4   #dgf  ,we  
must love ,god only and hate self only4 
,if the foot had always been ignorant   
that it belonged to the body1 and that  

there was a body on which it depended1  
if it had only had the knowledge and the
 love of self1 and if it came to know   
that it belonged to a body on which it  
depended1 what regret1 what shame for   
its past life1 for having been useless  
to the body which inspired its life1    
which would have annihilated it if it   
had rejected it and separated it from   
itself1 as it kept itself apart from the
 body6 ,what prayers for its            
preservation in it6 ,and with what      
submission would it allow itself to be  
governed by the will which rules the    
body1 even to consenting1 if necessary1 
to be cut off1 or it would lose its     
character as member6 ,for every member  
must be quite willing to perish for the 
body1 for which alone the whole is4     
#dgg  ,it is false that we are worthy of
 the love of others2 it is unfair that  
we should desire it4 ,if we were born   
reasonable and impartial1 knowing       
ourselves and others1 we should not give
 this bias to our will4 ,however1 we are

 born with it2 therefore born unjust1   
for all tends to self4 ,this is contrary
 to all order4 ,we must consider the    
general good2 and the propensity to self
 is the beginning of all disorder1 in   
war1 in politics1 in economy1 and in the
 particular body of man4 ,the will is   
therefore depraved4  ,if the members of 
natural and civil communities tend      
towards the weal of the body1 the       
communities themselves ought to look to 
another more general body of which they 
are members4 ,we ought therefore to look
 to the whole4 ,we are therefore born   
unjust and depraved4   #dgh  ,when we   
want to think of ,god1 is there nothing 
which turns us away1 and tempts us to   
think of something else8 ,all this is   
bad1 and is born in us4   #dgi  ,if     
there is a ,god1 we must love ,him only1
 and not the creatures of a day4 ,the   
reasoning of the ungodly in the book of 
,wisdom#agi is only based upon the      
non-existence of ,god4 ,on that         
supposition1 say they1 let us take      

delight in the creatures4 ,that is the  
worst that can happen4 ,but if there    
were a ,god to love1 they would not have
 come to this conclusion1 but to quite  
the contrary4 ,and this is the          
conclusion of the wise3 ,there is a     
,god1 let us therefore not take delight 
in the creatures4  ,therefore all that  
incites us to attach ourselves to the   
creatures is bad2 since it prevents us  
from serving ,god if we know ,him1 or   
from seeking ,him if we know ,him not4  
,now we are full of lust4 ,therefore we 
are full of evil2 therefore we ought to 
hate ourselves and all that excited us  
to attach ourselves to any other object 
than ,god only4   #dhj  ,to make the    
members happy1 they must have one will1 
and submit it to the body4   #dha  ,the 
examples of the noble deaths of the     
,lacedmonians and others scarce touch   
us4 ,for what good is it to us8 ,but the
 example of the death of the martyrs    
touches us2 for they are our members4   
,we have a common tie with them4 ,their 

resolution can form ours1 not only by   
example1 but because it has perhaps     
deserved ours4 ,there is nothing of this
 in the examples of the heathen4 ,we    
have no tie with them2 as we do not     
become rich by seeing a stranger who is 
so1 but in fact by seeing a father or a 
husband who is so4   #dhb               
,morality4--,god having made the heavens
 and the earth1 which do not feel the   
happiness of their being1 ,he has willed
 to make beings who should know it1 and 
who should compose a body of thinking   
members4 ,for our members do not feel   
the happiness of their union1 of their  
wonderful intelligence1 of the care     
which has been taken to infuse into them
 minds1 and to make them grow and       
endure4 ,how happy they would be if they
 saw and felt it6 ,but for this they    
would need to have intelligence to know 
it1 and good-will to consent to that of 
the universal soul4 ,but if1 having     
received intelligence1 they employed it 
to retain nourishment for themselves    

without allowing it to pass to the other
 members1 they would hate rather than   
love themselves2 their blessedness1 as  
well as their duty1 consisting in their 
consent to the guidance of the whole    
soul to which they belong1 which loves  
them better than they love themselves4  
#dhc  ,to be a member is to have neither
 life1 being1 nor movement1 except      
through the spirit of the body1 and for 
the body4  ,the separate member1 seeing 
no longer the body to which it belongs1 
has only a perishing and dying          
existence4 ,yet it believes it is a     
whole1 and seeing not the body on which 
it depends1 it believes it depends only 
on self1 and desires to make itself both
 centre and body4 ,but not having in    
itself a principle of life1 it only goes
 astray1 and is astonished in the       
uncertainty of its being2 perceiving in 
fact that it is not a body1 and still   
not seeing that it is a member of a     
body4 ,in short1 when it comes to know  
itself1 it has returned as it were to   

its own home1 and loves itself only for 
the body4 ,it deplores its past         
wanderings4  ,it cannot by its nature   
love any other thing1 except for itself 
and to subject it to self1 because each 
thing loves itself more than all4 ,but  
in loving the body1 it loves itself1    
because it only exists in it1 by it1 and
 for it4 ,qui adhret ,deo unus spiritus 
est4#ahj  ,the body loves the hand2 and 
the hand1 if it had a will1 should love 
itself in the same way as it is loved by
 the soul4 ,all love which goes beyond  
this is unfair4  ,adhrens ,deo unus     
spiritus est4 ,we love ourselves1       
because we are members of ,jesus        
,christ4 ,we love ,jesus ,christ1       
because ,he is the body of which we are 
members4 ,all is one1 one is in the     
other1 like the ,three ,persons4   #dhd 
,two laws#aha suffice to rule the whole 
,christian ,republic better than all the
 laws of statecraft4   #dhe  ,the true  
and only virtue1 then1 is to hate self  
7for we are hateful on account of lust71

 and to seek a truly lovable being to   
love4 ,but as we cannot love what is    
outside ourselves1 we must love a being 
who is in us1 and is not ourselves2 and 
that is true of each and all men4 ,now1 
only the ,universal ,being is such4 ,the
 kingdom of ,god is within us2#ahb the  
universal good is within us1 is         
ourselves--and not ourselves4   #dhf    
,the dignity of man in his innocence    
consisted in using and having dominion  
over the creatures1 but now in          
separating himself from them1 and       
subjecting himself to them4   #dhg      
,every religion is false1 which as to   
its faith does not worship one ,god as  
the origin of everything1 and which as  
to its morality does not love one only  
,god as the object of everything4   #dhh
  444 ,but it is impossible that ,god   
should ever be the end1 if ,he is not   
the beginning4 ,we lift our eyes on     
high1 but lean upon the sand2 and the   
earth will dissolve1 and we shall fall  
whilst looking at the heavens4   #dhi   

,if there is one sole source of         
everything1 there is one sole end of    
everything2 everything through ,him1    
everything for ,him4 ,the true religion1
 then1 must teach us to worship ,him    
only1 and to love ,him only4 ,but as we 
find ourselves unable to worship what we
 know not1 and to love any other object 
but ourselves1 the religion which       
instructs us in these duties must       
instruct us also of this inability1 and 
teach us also the remedies for it4 ,it  
teaches us that by one man all was lost1
 and the bond broken between ,god and   
us1 and that by one man the bond is     
renewed4  ,we are born so averse to this
 love of ,god1 and it is so necessary   
that we must be born guilty1 or ,god    
would be unjust4   #dij  ,men1 not being
 accustomed to form merit1 but only to  
recompense it where they find it formed1
 judge of ,god by themselves4   #dia    
,the true religion must have as a       
characteristic the obligation to love   
,god4 ,this is very just1 and yet no    

other religion has commanded this2 ours 
has done so4 ,it must also be aware of  
human lust and weakness2 ours is so4 ,it
 must have adduced remedies for this2   
one is prayer4 ,no other religion has   
asked of ,god to love and follow ,him4  
#dib  ,he who hates not in himself his  
self-love1 and that instinct which leads
 him to make himself ,god1 is indeed    
blinded4 ,who does not see that there is
 nothing so opposed to justice and      
truth8 ,for it is false that we deserve 
this1 and it is unfair and impossible to
 attain it1 since all demand the same   
thing4 ,it is1 then1 a manifest         
injustice which is innate in us1 of     
which we cannot get rid1 and of which we
 must get rid4  ,yet no religion has    
indicated that this was a sin2 or that  
we were born in it2 or that we were     
obliged to resist it2 or has thought of 
giving us remedies for it4   #dic  ,the 
true religion teaches our duties2 our   
weaknesses1 pride1 and lust2 and the    
remedies1 humility and mortification4   

#did  ,the true religion must teach     
greatness and misery2 must lead to the  
esteem and contempt of self1 to love and
 to hate4   #die  ,if it is an          
extraordinary blindness to live without 
investigating what we are1 it is a      
terrible one to live an evil life1 while
 believing in ,god4   #dif  ,experience 
makes us see an enormous difference     
between piety and goodness4   #dig      
,against those who1 trusting to the     
mercy of ,god1 live heedlessly1 without 
doing good works4--,as the two sources  
of our sins are pride and sloth1 ,god   
has revealed to us two of ,his          
attributes to cure them1 mercy and      
justice4 ,the property of justice is to 
humble pride1 however holy may be our   
works1 et non intres in judicium1#ahc   
etc42 and the property of mercy is to   
combat sloth by exhorting to good works1
 according to that passage3 ,the        
goodness of ,god leadeth to             
repentance1#ahd and that other of the   
,ninevites3 ,let us do penance to see if

 peradventure ,he will pity us4#ahe ,and
 thus mercy is so far from authorising  
slackness1 that it is on the contrary   
the quality which formally attacks it2  
so that instead of saying1 ,if there    
were no mercy in ,god we should have to 
make every kind of effort after virtue1 
we must say1 on the contrary1 that it is
 because there is mercy in ,god1 that we
 must make every kind of effort4   #dih 
,it is true there is difficulty in      
entering into godliness4 ,but this      
difficulty does not arise from the      
religion which begins in us1 but from   
the irreligion which is still there4 ,if
 our senses were not opposed to         
penitence1 and if our corruption were   
not opposed to the purity of ,god1 there
 would be nothing in this painful to us4
 ,we suffer only in proportion as the   
vice which is natural to us resists     
supernatural grace4 ,our heart feels    
torn asunder between these opposed      
efforts4 ,but it would be very unfair to
 impute this violence to ,god1 who is   

drawing us on1 instead of to the world1 
which is holding us back4 ,it is as a   
child1 which a mother tears from the    
arms of robbers1 in the pain it suffers1
 should love the loving and legitimate  
violence of her who procures its        
liberty1 and detest only the impetuous  
and tyrannical violence of those who    
detain it unjustly4 ,the most cruel war 
which ,god can make with men in this    
life is to leave them without that war  
which ,he came to bring4 ,i came to send
 war1#ahf ,he says1 and to teach them of
 this war4 ,i came to bring fire and the
 sword4#ahg ,before ,him the world lived
 in this false peace4   #dii  ,external 
works4--,there is nothing so perilous as
 what pleases ,god and man4 ,for those  
states1 which please ,god and man1 have 
one property which pleases ,god1 and    
another which pleases men2 as the       
greatness of ,saint ,teresa4 ,what      
pleased ,god was her deep humility in   
the midst of her revelations2 what      
pleased men was her light4 ,and so we   

torment ourselves to imitate her        
discourses1 thinking to imitate her     
conditions1 and not so much to love what
 ,god loves1 and to put ourselves in the
 state which ,god loves4  ,it is better 
not to fast1 and thereby humbled1 than  
to fast and be self-satisfied therewith4
 ,the ,pharisee and the ,publican4#ahh  
,what use will memory be to me1 if it   
can alike hurt and help me1 and all     
depends upon the blessing of ,god1 who  
gives only to things done for ,him1     
according to ,his rules and in ,his     
ways1 the manner being as important as  
the thing1 and perhaps more2 since ,god 
can bring forth good out of evil1 and   
without ,god we bring forth evil out of 
good8   #ejj  ,the meaning of the words1
 good and evil4   #eja  ,first step3 to 
be blamed for doing evil1 and praised   
for doing good4  ,second step3 to be    
neither praised1 nor blamed4   #ejb     
,abraham#ahi took nothing for himself1  
but only for his servants4 ,so the      
righteous man takes for himself nothing 

of the world1 nor the applause of the   
world1 but only for his passions1 which 
he uses as their master1 saying to the  
one1 ,go1 and to another1 ,come4 ,sub te
 erit appetitus tuus4#aij ,the passions 
thus subdued are virtues4 ,even ,god    
attributes to ,himself avarice1         
jealousy1 anger2 and these are virtues  
as well as kindness1 pity1 constancy1   
which are also passions4 ,we must employ
 them as slaves1 and1 leaving to them   
their food1 prevent the soul from taking
 any of it4 ,for1 when the passions     
become masters1 they are vices2 and they
 give their nutriment to the soul1 and  
the soul nourishes itself upon it1 and  
is poisoned4   #ejc  ,philosophers have 
consecrated the vices by placing them in
 ,god ,himself4 ,christians have        
consecrated the virtues4   #ejd  ,the   
just man acts by faith in the least     
things2 when he reproves his servants1  
he desires their conversion by the      
,spirit of ,god1 and prays ,god to      
correct them2 and he expects as much    

from ,god as from his own reproofs1 and 
prays ,god to bless his corrections4    
,and so in all his other actions he     
proceeds with the ,spirit of ,god2 and  
his actions deceive us by reason of the 
444 or suspension of the ,spirit of ,god
 in him2 and he repents in his          
affliction4   #eje  ,all things can be  
deadly to us1 even the things made to   
serve us2 as in nature walls can kill   
us1 and stairs can kill us1 if we do not
 walk circumspectly4  ,the least        
movement affects all nature2 the entire 
sea changes because of a rock4 ,thus in 
grace1 the least action affects         
everything by its consequences2         
therefore everything is important4  ,in 
each action we must look beyond the     
action at our past1 present1 and future 
state1 and at others whom it affects1   
and see the relations of all those      
things4 ,and then we shall be very      
cautious4   #ejf  ,let ,god not impute  
to us our sins1 that is to say1 all the 
consequences and results of our sins1   

which are dreadful1 even those of the   
smallest faults1 if we wish to follow   
them out mercilessly6   #ejg  ,the      
spirit of grace2 the hardness of the    
heart2 external circumstances4   #ejh   
,grace is indeed needed to turn a man   
into a saint2 and he who doubts it does 
not know what a saint or a man is4      
#eji  ,philosophers4--,a fine thing to  
cry to a man who does not know himself1 
that he should come of himself to ,god6 
,and a fine thing to say so to a man who
 does know himself6   #eaj  ,man is not 
worthy of ,god1 but he is not incapable 
of being made worthy4  ,it is unworthy  
of ,god to unite ,himself to wretched   
man2 but it is not unworthy of ,god to  
pull him out of his misery4   #eaa  ,if 
we would say that man is too            
insignificant to deserve communion with 
,god1 we must indeed be very great to   
judge of it4   #eab  ,it is1 in peculiar
 phraseology1 wholly the body of ,jesus 
,christ1 but it cannot be said to be the
 whole body of ,jesus ,christ4#aia ,the 

union of two things without change does 
not enable us to say that one becomes   
the other2 the soul thus being united to
 the body1 the fire to the timber1      
without change4 ,but change is necessary
 to make the form of the one become the 
form of the other2 thus the union of the
 ,word to man4 ,because my body without 
my soul would not make the body of a    
man2 therefore my soul united to any    
matter whatsoever will make my body4 ,it
 does not distinguish the necessary     
condition from the sufficient condition2
 the union is necessary1 but not        
sufficient4 ,the left arm is not the    
right4  ,impenetrability is a property  
of matter4  ,identity de numers in      
regard to the same time requires the    
identity of matter4  ,thus if ,god      
united my soul to a body in ,china1 the 
same body1 idem numero1 would be in     
,china4  ,the same river which runs     
there is idem numero as that which runs 
at the same time in ,china4   #eac  ,why
 ,god has established prayer4  #a4 ,to  

communicate to ,his creatures the       
dignity of causality4 #b4 ,to teach us  
from whom our virtue comes4 #c4 ,to make
 us deserve other virtues by work4      
7,but to keep ,his own pre-eminence1 ,he
 grants prayer to whom ,he pleases47    
,objection3 ,but we believe that we hold
 prayer of ourselves4  ,this is absurd2 
for since1 though having faith1 we      
cannot have virtues1 how should we have 
faith8 ,is there a greater distance     
between infidelity and faith than       
between faith and virtue8  ,merit4 ,this
 word is ambiguous4  ,meruit habere     
,redemptorem4  ,meruit tam sacra membra 
tangere4  ,digno tam sacra membra       
tangere4  ,non sum dignus4#aib  ,qui    
manducat indignus#aic  ,dignus est      
accipere4#aid  ,dignare me4  ,god is    
only bound according to ,his promises4  
,he has promised to grant justice to    
prayers2 ,he has never promised prayer  
only to the children of promise4  ,saint
 ,augustine has distinctly said that    
strength would be taken away from the   

righteous4 ,but it is by chance that he 
said it2 for it might have happened that
 the occasion of saying it did not      
present itself4 ,but his principles make
 us see that when the occasion for it   
presented itself1 it was impossible that
 he should not say it1 or that he should
 say anything to the contrary4 ,it is   
then rather that he was forced to say   
it1 when the occasion presented itself1 
than that he said it1 when the occasion 
presented itself1 the one being of      
necessity1 the other of chance4 ,but the
 two are all that we can ask4   #ead    
,the elect will be ignorant of their    
virtues1 and the outcast of the         
greatness of their sins3 ,lord1 when saw
 we ,thee an hungered1 thirsty8         
etc4#aieaif   #eae  ,romans iii1 #bg4   
,boasting is excluded4 ,by what law8 ,of
 works8 nay1 but by faith4 ,then faith  
is not within our power like the deeds  
of the law1 and it is given to us in    
another way4   #eaf  ,comfort           
yourselves4 ,it is not from yourselves  

that you should expect grace2 but1 on   
the contrary1 it is in expecting nothing
 from yourselves1 that you must hope for
 it4   #eag  ,every condition1 and even 
the martyrs1 have to fear1 according to 
,scripture4  ,the greatest pain of      
purgatory is the uncertainty of the     
judgment4 ,deus absconditus4   #eah     
,john viii4 ,multi crediderunt in eum4  
,dicebat ergo ,jesus3 ,si manseritis 444
 ,,vere mei discipuli eritis1 et        
,,veritas ,,liberabit ,,vos4            
,responderunt3 ,semen ,abrah sumus1 et  
nemini servimus unquam4  ,there is a    
great difference between disciples and  
true disciples4 ,we recognise them by   
telling them that the truth will make   
them free2 for if they answer that they 
are free1 and that it is in their power 
to come out of slavery to the devil1    
they are indeed disciples1 but not true 
disciples4   #eai  ,the law has not     
destroyed nature1 but has instructed it2
 grace has not destroyed the law1 but   
has made it act4 ,faith received at     

baptism is the source of the whole life 
of ,christians and of the converted4    
#ebj  ,grace will always be in the      
world1 and nature also2 so that the     
former is in some sort natural4 ,and    
thus there will always be ,pelagians1   
and always ,catholics1 and always       
strife2 because the first birth makes   
the one1 and the grace of the second    
birth the other4   #eba  ,the law       
imposed what it did not give4 ,grace    
gives what is imposes4   #ebb  ,all     
faith consists in ,jesus ,christ and in 
,adam1 and all morality in lust and in  
grace4   #ebc  ,there is no doctrine    
more appropriate to man than this1 which
 teaches him his double capacity of     
receiving and of losing grace1 because  
of the double peril to which he is      
exposed1 of despair or of pride4   #ebd 
,the philosophers did not prescribe     
feelings suitable to the two states4    
,they inspired feelings of pure         
greatness1 and that is not man's state4 
,they inspired feelings of pure         

littleness1 and that is not man's state4
  ,there must be feelings of humility1  
not from nature1 but from penitence1 not
 to rest in them1 but to go on to       
greatness4 ,there must be feelings of   
greatness1 not from merit1 but from     
grace1 and after having passed through  
humiliation4   #ebe  ,misery induces    
despair1 pride induces presumption4 ,the
 ,incarnation shows man the greatness of
 his misery by the greatness of the     
remedy which he required4   #ebf  ,the  
knowledge of ,god without that of man's 
misery causes pride4 ,the knowledge of  
man's misery without that of ,god causes
 despair4 ,the knowledge of ,jesus      
,christ constitutes the middle course1  
because in ,him we find both ,god and   
our misery4   #ebg  ,jesus ,christ is a 
,god whom we approach without pride1 and
 before whom we humble ourselves without
 despair4   #ebh  444 ,not a degradation
 which renders us incapable of good1 nor
 a holiness exempt from evil4   #ebi  ,a
 person told me one day that on coming  

from confession he felt great joy and   
confidence4 ,another told me that he    
remained in fear4 ,whereupon ,i thought 
that these two together would make one  
good man1 and that each was wanting in  
that he had not the feeling of the      
other4 ,the same often happens in other 
things4   #ecj  ,he who knows the will  
of his master will be beaten with more  
blows1 because of the power he has by   
his knowledge4 ,qui justus est1         
justificetur adhuc1#aig because of the  
power he has by justice4 ,from him who  
has received most1 will the greatest    
reckoning be demanded1 because of the   
power he has by this help4   #eca       
,scripture has provided passages of     
consolation and of warning for all      
conditions4  ,nature seems to have done 
the same thing by her two infinities1   
natural and moral2 for we shall always  
have the higher and the lower1 the more 
clever and the less clever1 the most    
exalted and the meanest1 in order to    
humble our pride1 and exalt our         

humility4   #ecb  ,comminutum cor       
7,saint ,paul74 ,this is the ,christian 
character4 ,alba has named you1 ,i know 
you no more 7,corneille74#aih ,that is  
the inhuman character4 ,the human       
character is the opposite4   #ecc       
,there are only two kinds of men3 the   
righteous who believe themselves        
sinners2 the rest1 sinners1 who believe 
themselves righteous4   #ecd  ,we owe a 
great debt to those who point out       
faults4 ,for they mortify us4 ,they     
teach us that we have been despised4    
,they do not prevent our being so in the
 future2 for we have many other faults  
for which we may be despised4 ,they     
prepare for us the exercise of          
correction and freedom from fault4      
#ece  ,man is so made that by           
continually telling him he is a fool he 
believes it1 and by continually telling 
it to himself he makes himself believe  
it4 ,for man holds an inward talk with  
his self alone1 which it behoves him to 
regulate well3 ,corrumpunt bonos mores  

colloquia prava4#aii ,we must keep      
silent as much as possible and talk with
 ourselves only of ,god1 whom we know to
 be true2 and thus we convince ourselves
 of the truth4   #ecf  ,christianity is 
strange4 ,it bids man recognise that he 
is vile1 even abominable1 and bids him  
desire to be like ,god4 ,without such a 
counterpoise1 this dignity would make   
him horribly vain1 or this humiliation  
would make him terribly abject4   #ecg  
,with how little pride does a ,christian
 believe himself united to ,god6 ,with  
how little humiliation does he place    
himself on a level with the worms of    
earth6  ,a glorious manner to welcome   
life and death1 good and evil6   #ech   
,what difference in point of obedience  
is there between a soldier and a        
,carthusian monk8 ,for both are equally 
under obedience and dependent1 both     
engaged in equally painful exercises4   
,but the soldier always hopes to        
command1 and never attains this1 for    
even captains and princes are ever      

slaves and dependants2 still he ever    
hopes and ever works to attain this4    
,whereas the ,carthusian monk makes a   
vow to be always dependent4 ,so they do 
not differ in their perpetual thraldom1 
in which both of them always exist1 but 
in the hope1 which one always has1 and  
the other never4   #eci  ,the hope which
 ,christians have of possessing an      
infinite good is mingled with real      
enjoyment as well as with fear2 for it  
is not as with those who should hope for
 a kingdom1 of which they1 being        
subjects1 would have nothing2 but they  
hope for holiness1 for freedom from     
injustice1 and they have something of   
this4   #edj  ,none is so happy as a    
true ,christian1 nor so reasonable1     
virtuous1 or amiable4   #eda  ,the      
,christian religion alone makes man     
altogether lovable and happy4 ,in       
honesty1 we cannot perhaps be altogether
 lovable and happy4   #edb              
,preface4--,the metaphysical proofs of  
,god are so remote from the reasoning of

 men1 and so complicated1 that they make
 little impression2 and if they should  
be of service to some1 it would be only 
during the moment that they see such    
demonstration2 but an hour afterwards   
they fear they have been mistaken4      
,quod curiositate cognoverunt superbia  
amiserunt4#bjj  ,this is the result of  
the knowledge of ,god obtained without  
,jesus ,christ2 it is communion without 
a mediator with the ,god whom they have 
known without a mediator4 ,whereas those
 who have known ,god by a mediator know 
their own wretchedness4   #edc  ,the    
,god of the ,christians is a ,god who   
makes the soul feel that ,he is her only
 good1 that her only rest is in ,him1   
that her only delight is in loving ,him2
 and who makes her at the same time     
abhor the obstacles which keep her back1
 and prevent her from loving ,god with  
all her strength4 ,self-love and lust1  
which hinder us1 are unbearable to her4 
,thus ,god makes her feel that she has  
this root of self-love which destroys   

her1 and which ,he alone can cure4      
#edd  ,jesus ,christ did nothing but    
teach men that they loved themselves1   
that they were slaves1 blind1 sick1     
wretched1 and sinners2 that ,he must    
deliver them1 enlighten1 bless1 and heal
 them2 that this would be effected by   
hating self1 and by following ,him      
through suffering and the death on the  
cross4   #ede  ,without ,jesus ,christ  
man must be in vice and misery2 with    
,jesus ,christ man is free from vice and
 misery2 in ,him is all our virtue and  
all our happiness4 ,apart from ,him     
there is but vice1 misery1 darkness1    
death1 despair4   #edf  ,we know ,god   
only by ,jesus ,christ4 ,without this   
mediator all communion with ,god is     
taken away2 through ,jesus ,christ we   
know ,god4 ,all those who have claimed  
to know ,god1 and to prove ,him without 
,jesus ,christ1 have had only weak      
proofs4 ,but in proof of ,jesus ,christ 
we have the prophecies1 which are solid 
and palpable proofs4 ,and these         

prophecies1 being accomplished and      
proved true by the event1 mark the      
certainty of these truths1 and therefore
 the divinity of ,christ4 ,in ,him then1
 and through ,him1 we know ,god4 ,apart 
from ,him1 and without the ,scripture1  
without original sin1 without a         
necessary ,mediator promised and come1  
we cannot absolutely prove ,god1 nor    
teach right doctrine and right morality4
 ,but through ,jesus ,christ1 and in    
,jesus ,christ1 we prove ,god1 and teach
 morality and doctrine4 ,jesus ,christ  
is then the true ,god of men4  ,but we  
know at the same time our wretchedness2 
for this ,god is none other than the    
,saviour of our wretchedness4 ,so we can
 only know ,god well by knowing our     
iniquities4 ,therefore those who have   
known ,god1 without knowing their       
wretchedness1 have not glorified ,him1  
but have glorified themselves4 ,quia 444
 non cognovit per sapientiam 444 placuit
 ,deo per stultitiam prdicationis salvos
 facere4#bja   #edg  ,not only do we    

know ,god by ,jesus ,christ alone1 but  
we know ourselves only by ,jesus        
,christ4 ,we know life and death only   
through ,jesus ,christ4 ,apart from     
,jesus ,christ1 we do not know what is  
our life1 nor our death1 nor ,god1 nor  
ourselves4  ,thus without the           
,scripture1 which has ,jesus ,christ    
alone for its object1 we know nothing1  
and see only darkness and confusion in  
the nature of ,god1 and in our own      
nature4   #edh  ,it is not only         
impossible but useless to know ,god     
without ,jesus ,christ4 ,they have not  
departed from ,him1 but approached2 they
 have not humbled themselves1 but 444   
,quo quisque optimus est1 pessimus1 si  
hoc ipsum1 quod optimus est1 adscribat  
sibi4   #edi  ,i love poverty because   
,he loved it4 ,i love riches because    
they afford me the means of helping the 
very poor4 ,i keep faith with everybody2
 ,i do not render evil to those who     
wrong me1 but ,i wish them a lot like   
mine1 in which ,i receive neither evil  

nor good from men4 ,i try to be just1   
true1 sincere1 and faithful to all men2 
,i have a tender heart for those to whom
 ,god has more closely united me2 and   
whether ,i am alone1 or seen of men1 ,i 
do all my actions in the sight of ,god1 
who must judge of them1 and to whom ,i  
have consecrated them all4  ,these are  
my sentiments2 and every day of my life 
,i bless my ,redeemer1 who has implanted
 them in me1 and who1 of a man full of  
weakness1 of miseries1 of lust1 of      
pride1 and of ambition1 has made a man  
free from all these evils by the power  
of ,his grace1 to which all the glory of
 it is due1 as of myself ,i have only   
misery and error4   #eej  ,dignior      
plagis quam osculis non timeo quia amo4 
#eea  ,the ,sepulchre of ,jesus         
,christ4--,jesus ,christ was dead1 but  
seen on the ,cross4 ,he was dead1 and   
hidden in the ,sepulchre4  ,jesus       
,christ was buried by the saints alone4 
,jesus ,christ wrought no miracle at the
 ,sepulchre4  ,only the saints entered  

it4  ,it is there1 not on the ,cross1   
that ,jesus ,christ takes a new life4   
,it is the last mystery of the ,passion 
and the ,redemption4  ,jesus ,christ had
 nowhere to rest on earth but in the    
,sepulchre4  ,his enemies only ceased to
 persecute ,him at the ,sepulchre4      
#eeb  ,the ,mystery of ,jesus4--,jesus  
suffers in ,his passions the torments   
which men inflict upon ,him2 but in ,his
 agony ,he suffers the torments which   
,he inflicts on ,himself2 turbare       
semetipsum4#bjb ,this is a suffering    
from no human1 but an almighty hand1 for
 ,he must be almighty to bear it4       
,jesus seeks some comfort at least in   
,his three dearest friends1 and they are
 asleep4 ,he prays them to bear with    
,him for a little1 and they leave ,him  
with entire indifference1 having so     
little compassion that it could not     
prevent their sleeping even for a       
moment4 ,and thus ,jesus was left alone 
to the wrath of ,god4  ,jesus is alone  
on the earth1 without any one not only  

to feel and share ,his suffering1 but   
even to know of it2 ,he and ,heaven were
 alone in that knowledge4  ,jesus is in 
a garden1 not of delight as the first   
,adam1 where he lost himself and the    
whole human race1 but in one of agony1  
where ,he saved ,himself and the whole  
human race4  ,he suffers this affliction
 and this desertion in the horror of    
night4  ,i believe that ,jesus never    
complained but on this single occasion2 
but then ,he complained as if he could  
no longer bear ,his extreme suffering4  
,my soul is sorrowful1 even unto        
death4#bjc  ,jesus seeks companionship  
and comfort from men4 ,this is the sole 
occasion in all ,his life1 as it seems  
to me4 ,but ,he receives it not1 for    
,his disciples are asleep4  ,jesus will 
be in agony even to the end of the      
world4 ,we must not sleep during that   
time4  ,jesus1 in the midst of this     
universal desertion1 including that of  
,his own friends chosen to watch with   
,him1 finding them asleep1 is vexed     

because of the danger to which they     
expose1 not ,him1 but themselves2 ,he   
cautions them for their own safety and  
their own good1 with a sincere          
tenderness for them during their        
ingratitude1 and warns them that the    
spirit is willing and the flesh weak4   
,jesus1 finding them still asleep1      
without being restrained by any         
consideration for themselves or for     
,him1 has the kindness not to waken     
them1 and leaves them in repose4  ,jesus
 prays1 uncertain of the will of ,his   
,father1 and fears death2 but1 when ,he 
knows it1 ,he goes forward to offer     
,himself to death4 ,eamus4              
,processit#bjd 7,john74  ,jesus asked of
 men and was not heard4  ,jesus1 while  
,his disciples slept1 wrought their     
salvation4 ,he has wrought that of each 
of the righteous while they slept1 both 
in their nothingness before their birth1
 and in their sins after their birth4   
,he prays only once that the cup pass   
away1 and then with submission2 and     

twice that it come if necessary4  ,jesus
 is weary4  ,jesus1 seeing all ,his     
friends asleep and all ,his enemies     
wakeful1 commits ,himself entirely to   
,his ,father4  ,jesus does not regard in
 ,judas his enmity1 but the order of    
,god1 which ,he loves and admits1 since 
,he calls him friend4  ,jesus tears     
,himself away from ,his disciples to    
enter into ,his agony2 we must tear     
ourselves away from our nearest and     
dearest to imitate ,him4  ,jesus being  
in agony and in the greatest affliction1
 let us pray longer4  ,we implore the   
mercy of ,god1 not that ,he may leave us
 at peace in our vices1 but that ,he may
 deliver us from them4  ,if ,god gave us
 masters by ,his own hand1 oh6 how      
necessary for us to obey them with a    
good heart6 ,necessity and events follow
 infallibly4  --,console thyself1 thou  
wouldst not seek ,me1 if thou hadst not 
found ,me4  ,i thought of thee in ,mine 
agony1 ,i have sweated such drops of    
blood for thee4  ,it is tempting ,me    

rather than proving thyself1 to think if
 thou wouldst do such and such a thing  
on an occasion which has not happened2  
,i shall act in thee if it occur4  ,let 
thyself be guided by ,my rules2 see how 
well ,i have led the ,virgin and the    
saints who have let ,me act in them4    
,the ,father loves all that ,i do4      
,dost thou wish that it always cost ,me 
the blood of ,my humanity1 without thy  
shedding tears8  ,thy conversion is ,my 
affair2 fear not1 and pray with         
confidence as for ,me4  ,i am present   
with thee by ,my ,word in ,scripture1 by
 ,my ,spirit in the ,church and by      
inspiration1 by ,my power in the        
priests1 by ,my prayer in the faithful4 
,physicians will not heal thee1 for thou
 wilt die at last4 ,but it is ,i who    
heal thee1 and make the body immortal4  
,suffer bodily chains and servitude1 ,i 
deliver thee at present only from       
spiritual servitude4  ,i am more a      
friend to thee than such and such an    
one1 for ,i have done for thee more than

 they1 they would not have suffered what
 ,i have suffered from thee1 and they   
would not have died for thee as ,i have 
done in the time of thine infidelities  
and cruelties1 and as ,i am ready to do1
 and do1 among my elect and at the ,holy
 ,sacrament4  ,if thou knewest thy sins1
 thou wouldst lose heart4  --,i shall   
lose it then1 ,lord1 for on ,thy        
assurance ,i believe their malice4      
--,no1 for ,i1 by whom thou learnest1   
can heal thee of them1 and what ,i say  
to thee is a sign that ,i will heal     
thee4 ,in proportion to thy expiation of
 them1 thou wilt know them1 and it will 
be said to thee3 ',behold1 thy sins are 
forgiven thee4' ,repent1 then1 for thy  
hidden sins1 and for the secret malice  
of those which thou knowest4  --,lord1  
,i give ,thee all4  --,i love thee more 
ardently than thou hast loved thine     
abominations1 ut immundus pro luto4  ,to
 ,me be the glory1 not to thee1 worm of 
the earth4  ,ask thy confessor1 when ,my
 own words are to thee occasion of evil1

 vanity1 or curiosity4  --,i see in me  
depths of pride1 curiosity1 and lust4   
,there is no relation between me and    
,god1 nor ,jesus ,christ the ,righteous4
 ,but ,he has been made sin for me2 all 
,thy scourges are fallen upon ,him4 ,he 
is more abominable than ,i1 and1 far    
from abhorring me1 ,he holds ,himself   
honoured that ,i go to ,him and succour 
,him4  ,but ,he has healed ,himself1 and
 still more so will ,he heal me4  ,i    
must add my wounds to ,his1 and join    
myself to ,him2 and ,he will save me in 
saving ,himself4 ,but this must not be  
postponed to the future4  ,eritis sicut 
dii scientes bonum et malum4#bje ,each  
one creates his god1 when judging1 ,this
 is good or bad2 and men mourn or       
rejoice too much at events4  ,do little 
things as though they were great1       
because of the majesty of ,jesus ,christ
 who does them in us1 and who lives our 
life2 and do the greatest things as     
though they were little and easy1       
because of ,his omnipotence4   #eec  ,it

 seems to me that ,jesus ,christ only   
allowed ,his wounds to be touched after 
,his resurrection3 ,noli me tangere4#bjf
 ,we must unite ourselves only to ,his  
sufferings4  ,at the ,last ,supper ,he  
gave ,himself in communion as about to  
die2 to the disciples at ,emmaus as     
risen from the dead2 to the whole       
,church as ascended into heaven4   #eed 
,compare not thyself with others1 but   
with ,me4 ,if thou dost not find ,me in 
those with whom thou comparest thyself1 
thou comparest thyself to one who is    
abominable4 ,if thou findest ,me in     
them1 compare thyself to ,me4 ,but whom 
wilt thou compare8 ,thyself1 or ,me in  
thee8 ,if it is thyself1 it is one who  
is abominable4 ,if it is ,i1 thou       
comparest ,me to ,myself4 ,now ,i am    
,god in all4  ,i speak to thee1 and     
often counsel thee1 because thy director
 cannot speak to thee1 for ,i do not    
want thee to lack a guide4  ,and perhaps
 ,i do so at his prayers1 and thus he   
leads thee without thy seeing it4 ,thou 

wouldst not seek ,me1 if thou didst not 
possess ,me4  ,be not therefore         
troubled4     ,,section ,,viii  ,,the   
,,fundamentals ,,of ,,the ,,christian   
,,religion   #eee  444 ,men blaspheme   
what they do not know4 ,the ,christian  
religion consists in two points4 ,it is 
of equal concern to men to know them1   
and it is equally dangerous to be       
ignorant to them4 ,and it is equally of 
,god's mercy that ,he has given         
indications of both4  ,and yet they take
 occasion to conclude that one of these 
points does not exist1 from that which  
should have caused them to infer the    
other4 ,the sages who have said there is
 only one ,god have been persecuted1 the
 ,jews were hated1 and still more the   
,christians4 ,they have seen by the     
light of nature that if there be a true 
religion on earth1 the course of all    
things must tend to it as to a centre4  
,the whole course of things must have   
for its object the establishment and the
 greatness of religion4 ,men must have  

within them feelings suited to what     
religion teaches us4 ,and1 finally1     
religion must so be the object and      
centre to which all things tend1 that   
whoever knows the principles of religion
 can give an explanation both of the    
whole nature of man in particular1 and  
of the whole course of the world in     
general4  ,and on this ground they take 
occasion to revile the ,christian       
religion1 because they misunderstand it4
 ,they imagine that it consists simply  
in the worship of a ,god considered as  
great1 powerful1 and eternal2 which is  
strictly deism1 almost as far removed   
from the ,christian religion as atheism1
 which is its exact opposite4 ,and      
thence they conclude that this religion 
is not true1 because they do not see    
that all things concur to the           
establishment of this point1 that ,god  
does not manifest ,himself to men with  
all the evidence which ,he could show4  
,but let them conclude what they will   
against deism1 they will conclude       

nothing against the ,christian religion1
 which properly consists in the mystery 
of the ,redeemer1 who1 uniting in       
,himself the two natures1 human and     
divine1 has redeemed men from the       
corruption of sin in order to reconcile 
them in ,his divine person to ,god4     
,the ,christian religion1 then1 teaches 
men these two truths2 that there is a   
,god whom men can know1 and that there  
is a corruption in their nature which   
renders them unworthy of ,him4 ,it is   
equally important to men to know both   
these points2 and it is equally         
dangerous for man to know ,god without  
knowing his own wretchedness1 and to    
know his own wretchedness without       
knowing the ,redeemer who can free him  
from it4 ,the knowledge of only one of  
these points gives rise either to the   
pride of philosophers1 who have known   
,god1 and not their own wretchedness1 or
 to the despair of atheists1 who know   
their own wretchedness1 but not the     
,redeemer4  ,and1 as it is alike        

necessary to man to know these two      
points1 so is it alike merciful of ,god 
to have made us know them4 ,the         
,christian religion does this2 it is in 
this that it consists4  ,let us herein  
examine the order of the world1 and see 
if all things do not tend to establish  
these two chief points of this religion3
 ,jesus ,christ is the end of all1 and  
the centre to which all tends4 ,whoever 
knows ,him knows the reason of          
everything4  ,those who fall into error 
err only through failure to see one of  
these two things4 ,we can then have an  
excellent knowledge of ,god without that
 of our own wretchedness1 and of our own
 wretchedness without that of ,god4 ,but
 we cannot know ,jesus ,christ without  
knowing at the same time both ,god and  
our own wretchedness4  ,therefore ,i    
shall not undertake here to prove by    
natural reasons either the existence of 
,god1 or the ,trinity1 or the           
immortality of the soul1 or anything of 
that nature2 not only because ,i should 

not feel myself sufficiently able to    
find in nature arguments to convince    
hardened atheists1 but also because such
 knowledge without ,jesus ,christ is    
useless and barren4 ,though a man should
 be convinced that numerical proportions
 are immaterial truths1 eternal and     
dependent on a first truth1 in which    
they subsist1 and which is called ,god1 
,i should not think him far advanced    
towards his own salvation4  ,the ,god of
 ,christians is not a ,god who is simply
 the author of mathematical truths1 or  
of the order of the elements2 that is   
the view of heathens and ,epicureans4   
,he is not merely a ,god who exercises  
,his providence over the life and       
fortunes of men1 to bestow on those who 
worship ,him a long and happy life4     
,that was the portion of the ,jews4 ,but
 the ,god of ,abraham1 the ,god of      
,isaac1 the ,god of ,jacob1 the ,god of 
,christians1 is a ,god of love and of   
comfort1 a ,god who fills the soul and  
heart of those whom ,he possesses1 a    

,god who makes them conscious of their  
inward wretchedness1 and ,his infinite  
mercy1 who unites ,himself to their     
inmost soul1 who fills it with humility 
and joy1 with confidence and love1 who  
renders them incapable of any other end 
than ,himself4  ,all who seek ,god      
without ,jesus ,christ1 and who rest in 
nature1 either find no light to satisfy 
them1 or come to form for themselves a  
means of knowing ,god and serving ,him  
without a mediator4 ,thereby they fall  
either into atheism1 or into deism1 two 
things which the ,christian religion    
abhors almost equally4  ,without ,jesus 
,christ the world would not exist2 for  
it should needs be either that it would 
be destroyed or be a hell4  ,if the     
world existed to instruct man of ,god1  
,his divinity would shine through every 
part in it in an indisputable manner2   
but as it exists only by ,jesus ,christ1
 and for ,jesus ,christ1 and to teach   
men both their corruption and their     
redemption1 all displays the proofs of  

these two truths4  ,all appearance      
indicates neither a total exclusion nor 
a manifest presence of divinity1 but the
 presence of a ,god who hides ,himself4 
,everything bears this character4  444  
,shall he alone who knows his nature    
know it only to be miserable8 ,shall he 
alone who knows it be alone unhappy8    
444 ,he must not see nothing at all1 nor
 must he see sufficient for him to      
believe he possesses it2 but he must see
 enough to know that he has lost it4    
,for to know of his loss1 he must see   
and not see2 and that is exactly the    
state in which he naturally is4  444    
,whatever part he takes1 ,i shall not   
leave him at rest 444   #eef  444 ,it is
 then true that everything teaches man  
his condition1 but he must understand   
this well4 ,for it is not true that all 
reveals ,god1 and it is not true that   
all conceals ,god4 ,but it is at the    
same time true that ,he hides ,himself  
from those who tempt ,him1 and that ,he 
reveals ,himself to those who seek ,him1

 because men are both unworthy and      
capable of ,god2 unworthy by their      
corruption capable by their original    
nature4   #eeg  ,what shall we conclude 
from all our darkness1 but our          
unworthiness8   #eeh  ,if there never   
had been any appearance of ,god1 this   
eternal deprivation would have been     
equivocal1 and might have as well       
corresponded with the absence of all    
divinity1 as with the unworthiness of   
men to know ,him2 but ,his occasional1  
though not continual1 appearances remove
 the ambiguity1 ,if ,he appeared once1  
,he exists always2 and thus we cannot   
but conclude both that there is a ,god1 
and that men are unworthy of ,him4      
#eei  ,we do not understand the glorious
 state of ,adam1 nor the nature of his  
sin1 nor the transmission of it to us4  
,these are matters which took place     
under conditions of a nature altogether 
different from our own1 and which       
transcend our present understanding4    
,the knowledge of all this is useless to

 us as a means of escape from it2 and   
all that we are concerned to know1 is   
that we are miserable1 corrupt1         
separated from ,god1 but ransomed by    
,jesus ,christ1 whereof we have         
wonderful proofs on earth4  ,so the two 
proofs of corruption and redemption are 
drawn from the ungodly1 who live in     
indifference to religion1 and from the  
,jews who are irreconcilable enemies4   
#efj  ,there are two ways of proving the
 truths of our religion2 one by the     
power of reason1 the other by the       
authority of him who speaks4  ,we do not
 make use of the latter1 but of the     
former4 ,we do not say1 ,this must be   
believed1 for ,scripture1 which says it1
 is divine4 ,but we say that it must be 
believed for such and such a reason1    
which are feeble arguments1 as reason   
may be bent to everything4   #efa       
,there is nothing on earth that does not
 show either the wretchedness of man1 or
 the mercy of ,god2 either the weakness 
of man without ,god1 or the strength of 

man with ,god4   #efb  ,it will be one  
of the confusions of the damned to see  
that they are condemned by their own    
reason1 by which they claimed to condemn
 the ,christian religion4   #efc  ,the  
prophecies1 the very miracles and proofs
 of our religion1 are not of such a     
nature that they can be said to be      
absolutely convincing4 ,but they are    
also of such a kind that it cannot be   
said that it is unreasonable to believe 
them4 ,thus there is both evidence and  
obscurity to enlighten some and confuse 
others4 ,but the evidence is such that  
it surpasses1 or at least equals1 the   
evidence to the contrary2 so that it is 
not reason which can determine men not  
to follow it1 and thus it can only be   
lust or malice of heart4 ,and by this   
means there is sufficient evidence to   
condemn1 and insufficient to convince2  
so that it appears in those who follow  
it1 that it is grace1 and not reason1   
which makes them follow it2 and in those
 who shun it1 that it is lust1 not      

reason1 which makes them shun it4  ,vere
 discipuli1 vere ,isralita1 vere liberi1
 vere cibus4#bjg   #efd  ,recognise1    
then1 the truth of religion in the very 
obscurity of religion1 in the little    
light we have of it1 and in the         
indifference which we have to knowing   
it4   #efe  ,we understand nothing of   
the works of ,god1 if we do not take as 
a principle that ,he has willed to blind
 some1 and enlighten others4   #eff     
,the two contrary reasons4 ,we must     
begin with that2 without that we        
understand nothing1 and all is          
heretical2 and we must even add at the  
end of each truth that the opposite     
truth is to be remembered4   #efg       
,objection4 ,the ,scripture is plainly  
full of matters not dictated by the     
,holy ,spirit4--,answer4 ,then they do  
not harm faith4--,objection4 ,but the   
,church has decided that all is of the  
,holy ,spirit4--,answer4 ,i answer two  
things3 first1 the ,church has not so   
decided2 secondly1 if she should so     

decide1 it could be maintained4  ,do you
 think that the prophecies cited in the 
,gospel are related to make you believe8
 ,no1 it is to keep you from believing4 
#efh  ,canonical4--,the heretical books 
in the beginning of the ,church serve to
 prove the canonical4   #efi  ,to the   
chapter on the ,fundamentals must be    
added that on ,typology touching the    
reason of types3 why ,jesus ,christ was 
prophesied as to ,his first coming2 why 
prophesied obscurely as to the manner4  
#egj  ,the reason why4 ,types4--,they   
had to deal with a carnal people and to 
render them the depositary of the       
spiritual covenant4 ,to give faith to   
the ,messiah1 it was necessary there    
should have been precedent prophecies1  
and that these should be conveyed by    
persons above suspicion1 diligent1      
faithful1 unusually zealous1 and known  
to all the world4  ,to accomplish all   
this1 ,god chose this carnal people1 to 
whom ,he entrusted the prophecies which 
foretell the ,messiah as a deliverer1   

and as a dispenser of those carnal goods
 which this people loved4 ,and thus they
 have had an extraordinary passion for  
their prophets1 and1 in sight of the    
whole world1 have had charge of these   
books which foretell their ,messiah1    
assuring all nations that ,he should    
come1 and in the way foretold in the    
books1 which they held open to the whole
 world4 ,yet this people1 deceived by   
the poor and ignominious advent of the  
,messiah1 have been ,his most cruel     
enemies4 ,so that they1 the people least
 open to suspicion in the world of      
favouring us1 the most strict and most  
zealous that can be named for their law 
and their prophets1 have kept the books 
incorrupt4 ,hence those who have        
rejected and crucified ,jesus ,christ1  
who has been to them an offence1 are    
those who have charge of the books which
 testify of ,him1 and state that ,he    
will be an offence and rejected4        
,therefore they have shown it was ,he by
 rejecting ,him1 and ,he has been alike 

proved both by the righteous ,jews who  
received ,him1 and by the unrighteous   
who rejected ,him1 both facts having    
been foretold4  ,wherefore the          
prophecies have a hidden and spiritual  
meaning1 to which this people were      
hostile1 under the carnal meaning which 
they loved4 ,if the spiritual meaning   
had been revealed1 they would not have  
loved it1 and1 unable to bear it1 they  
would not have been zealous of the      
preservation of their books and their   
ceremonies2 and if they had loved these 
spiritual promises1 and had preserved   
them incorrupt till the time of the     
,messiah1 their testimony would have had
 no force1 because they had been his    
friends4  ,therefore it was well that   
the spiritual meaning should be         
concealed2 but1 on the other hand1 if   
this meaning had been so hidden as not  
to appear at all1 it could not have     
served as a proof of the ,messiah4 ,what
 then was done8 ,in a crowd of passages 
it has been hidden under the temporal   

meaning1 and in a few has been clearly  
revealed2 besides that the time and the 
state of the world have been so clearly 
foretold that it is clearer than the    
sun4 ,and in some places this spiritual 
meaning is so clearly expressed1 that it
 would require a blindness like that    
which the flesh imposes on the spirit   
when it is subdued by it1 not to        
recognise it4  ,see1 then1 what has been
 the prudence of ,god4 ,this meaning is 
concealed under another in an infinite  
number of passages1 and in some1 though 
rarely1 it is revealed2 but yet so that 
the passages in which it is concealed   
are equivocal1 and can suit both        
meanings2 whereas the passages where it 
is disclosed are unequivocal1 and can   
only suit the spiritual meaning4  ,so   
that this cannot lead us into error1 and
 could only be misunderstood by so      
carnal a people4  ,for when blessings   
are promised in abundance1 what was to  
prevent them from understanding the true
 blessings1 but their covetousness1     

which limited the meaning to worldly    
goods8 ,but those whose only good was in
 ,god referred them to ,god alone4 ,for 
there are two principles1 which divide  
the wills of men1 covetousness and      
charity4 ,not that covetousness cannot  
exist along with faith in ,god1 nor     
charity with worldly riches2 but        
covetousness uses ,god1 and enjoys the  
world1 and charity is the opposite4     
,now the ultimate end gives names to    
things4 ,all which prevents us from     
attaining it1 is called an enemy to us4 
,thus the creatures1 however good1 are  
the enemies of the righteous1 when they 
turn them away from ,god1 and ,god      
,himself is the enemy of those whose    
covetousness ,he confounds4  ,thus as   
the significance of the word enemy is   
dependent on the ultimate end1 the      
righteous understood by it their        
passions1 and the carnal the            
,babylonians2 and so these terms were   
obscure only for the unrighteous4 ,and  
this is what ,isaiah says3 ,signa legem 

in electis meis1#bjh and that ,jesus    
,christ shall be a stone of stumbling4  
,but1 ,blessed are they who shall not be
 offended in him4 ,hosea1#bji ult41 says
 excellently1 ,where is the wise8 and he
 shall understand what ,i say4 ,the     
righteous shall know them1 for the ways 
of ,god are right2 but the transgressors
 shall fall therein4   #ega  ,hypothesis
 that the apostles were impostors4--,the
 time clearly1 the manner               
obscurely4--,five typical proofs4       
#afjj prophets4   #bjjj          #djj   
scattered4   #egb  ,blindness of        
,scripture4--,the ,scripture1 said the  
,jews1 says that we shall not know      
whence ,christ will come 7,john vii1    
#bg1 and xii1 #cd74 ,the ,scripture says
 that ,christ abideth for ever1 and ,he 
said that ,he should die4 ,therefore1   
says ,saint ,john1#baj they believed    
not1 though ,he had done so many        
miracles1 that the word of ,isaiah might
 be fulfilled3 ,he hath blinded them1   
etc4   #egc  ,greatness4--,religion is  

so great a thing that it is right that  
those who will not take the trouble to  
seek it1 if it be obscure1 should be    
deprived of it4 ,why1 then1 do any      
complain1 if it be such as can be found 
by seeking8   #egd  ,all things work    
together for good to the elect1 even the
 obscurities of ,scripture2 for they    
honour them because of what is divinely 
clear4 ,and all things work together for
 evil to the rest of the world1 even    
what is clear2 for they revile such1    
because of the obscurities which they do
 not understand4   #ege  ,the general   
conduct of the world towards the        
,church3 ,god willing to blind and to   
enlighten4--,the event having proved the
 divinity of these prophecies1 the rest 
ought to be believed4 ,and thereby we   
see the order of the world to be of this
 kind4 ,the miracles of the ,creation   
and the ,deluge being forgotten1 ,god   
sends the law and the miracles of       
,moses1 the prophets who prophesied     
particular things2 and to prepare a     

lasting miracle1 ,he prepares prophecies
 and their fulfilment2 but1 as the      
prophecies could be suspected1 ,he      
desires to make them above suspicion1   
etc4   #egf  ,god has made the blindness
 of this people subservient to the good 
of the elect4   #egg  ,there is         
sufficient clearness to enlighten the   
elect1 and sufficient obscurity to      
humble them4 ,there is sufficient       
obscurity to blind the reprobate1 and   
sufficient clearness to condemn them1   
and make them inexcusable4--,saint      
,augustine1 ,montaigne1 ,sbond4  ,the   
genealogy of ,jesus ,christ in the ,old 
,testament is intermingled with so many 
others that are useless1 that it cannot 
be distinguished4 ,if ,moses had kept   
only the record of the ancestors of     
,christ1 that might have been too plain4
 ,if he had not noted that of ,jesus    
,christ1 it might not have been         
sufficiently plain4 ,but1 after all1    
whoever looks closely sees that of      
,jesus ,christ expressly traced through 

,tamar1#baa ,ruth1#bab etc4  ,those who 
ordained these sacrifices1 knew their   
uselessness2 those who have declared    
their uselessness1 have not ceased to   
practise them4  ,if ,god had permitted  
only one religion1 it had been too      
easily known2 but when we look at it    
closely1 we clearly discern the truth   
amidst this confusion4  ,the            
premiss4--,moses was a clever man4 ,if1 
then1 he ruled himself by his reason1 he
 would say nothing clearly which was    
directly against reason4  ,thus all the 
very apparent weaknesses are strength4  
,example2 the two genealogies in ,saint 
,matthew and ,saint ,luke4 ,what can be 
clearer than that this was not          
concerted8   #egh  ,god 7and the        
,apostles71 foreseeing that the seeds of
 pride would make heresies spring up1   
and being unwilling to give them        
occasion to arise from correct          
expressions1 has put in ,scripture and  
the prayers of the ,church contrary     
words and sentences to produce their    

fruit in time4  ,so in morals ,he gives 
charity1 which produces fruits contrary 
to lust4   #egi  ,nature has some       
perfections to show that she is the     
image of ,god1 and some defects to show 
that she is only ,his image4   #ehj     
,god prefers rather to incline the will 
than the intellect4 ,perfect clearness  
would be of use to the intellect1 and   
would harm the will4 ,to humble pride4  
#eha  ,we make an idol of truth itself2 
for truth apart from charity is not     
,god1 but ,his image and idol1 which we 
must neither love nor worship2 and still
 less must we love or worship its       
opposite1 namely1 falsehood4  ,i can    
easily love total darkness2 but if ,god 
keeps me in a state of semi-darkness1   
such partial darkness displeases me1    
and1 because ,i do not see therein the  
advantage of total darkness1 it is      
unpleasant to me4 ,this is a fault1 and 
a sign that ,i make for myself an idol  
of darkness1 apart from the order of    
,god4 ,now only ,his order must be      

worshipped4   #ehb  ,the feeble-minded  
are people who know the truth1 but only 
affirm it so far as consistent with     
their own interest4 ,but1 apart from    
that1 they renounce it4   #ehc  ,the    
world exists for the exercise of mercy  
and judgment1 not as if men were placed 
in it out of the hands of ,god1 but as  
hostile to ,god2 and to them ,he grants 
by grace sufficient light1 that they may
 return to ,him1 if they desire to seek 
and follow ,him2 and also that they may 
be punished1 if they refuse to seek or  
follow ,him4   #ehd  ,that ,god has     
willed to hide ,himself4--,if there were
 only one religion1 ,god would indeed be
 manifest4 ,the same would be the case1 
if there were no martyrs but in our     
religion4  ,god being thus hidden1 every
 religion which does not affirm that    
,god is hidden1 is not true2 and every  
religion which does not give the reason 
of it1 is not instructive4 ,our religion
 does1 all this3 ,vere tu es ,deus      
absconditus4   #ehe  ,if there were no  

obscurity1 man would not be sensible of 
his corruption2 if there were no light1 
man would not hope for a remedy4 ,thus1 
it is not only fair1 but advantageous to
 us1 that ,god be partly hidden and     
partly revealed2 since it is equally    
dangerous to man to know ,god without   
knowing his own wretchedness1 and to    
know his own wretchedness without       
knowing ,god4   #ehf  ,this religion1 so
 great in miracles1 saints1 blameless   
,fathers1 learned and great witnesses1  
martyrs1 established kings as ,david1   
and ,isaiah1 a prince of the blood1 and 
so great in science1 after having       
displayed all her miracles and all her  
wisdom1 rejects all this1 and declares  
that she has neither wisdom nor signs1  
but only the cross and foolishness4     
,for those1 who1 by these signs and that
 wisdom1 have deserved your belief1 and 
who have proved to you their character1 
declare to you that nothing of all this 
can change you1 and render you capable  
of knowing and loving ,god1 but the     

power of the foolishness of the cross   
without wisdom and signs1 and not the   
signs without this power4 ,thus our     
religion is foolish in respect to the   
effective cause1 and wise in respect to 
the wisdom which prepares it4   #ehg    
,our religion is wise and foolish4      
,wise1 because it is the most learned1  
and the most founded on miracles1       
prophecies1 etc4 ,foolish1 because it is
 not all this which makes us belong to  
it4 ,this makes us indeed condemn those 
who do not belong to it2 but it does not
 cause belief in those who do belong to 
it4 ,it is the cross that makes them    
believe1 ne evacuata sit crux4 ,and so  
,saint ,paul1 who came with wisdom and  
signs1 says that he has come neither    
with wisdom nor with signs2 for he came 
to convert4 ,but those who come only to 
convince1 can say that they come with   
wisdom and with signs4     ,,section    
,,ix  ,,perpetuity   #ehh  ,on the fact 
that the ,christian religion is not the 
only religion4--,so far is this from    

being a reason for believing that it is 
not the true one1 that1 on the contrary1
 it makes us see that it is so4   #ehi  
,men must be sincere in all religions2  
true heathens1 true ,jews1 true         
,christians4   #eij           ,j4 ,c4   
,heathens  ,mahomet              _/     
,ignorance         of ,god4   #eia  ,the
 falseness of other religions4--,they   
have no witnesses4 ,jews have4 ,god     
defies other religions to produce such  
signs3 ,isaiah xliii1 #i2 xliv1 #h4     
#eib  ,history of ,china4#bac-;,i       
believe only the histories1 whose       
witnesses got themselves killed4  ,which
 is the more credible of the two1 ,moses
 or ,china8  ,it is not a question of   
seeing this summarily4 ,i tell you there
 is in it something to blind1 and       
something to enlighten4  ,by this one   
word ,i destroy all your reasoning4 ,but
 ,china obscures1 say you2 and ,i       
answer1 ,china obscures1 but there is   
clearness to be found2 seek it4  ,thus  
all that you say makes for one of the   

views1 and not at all against the other4
 ,so this serves1 and does no harm4  ,we
 must then see this in detail2 we must  
put the papers on the table4   #eic     
,against the history of ,china4 ,the    
historians of ,mexico1 the five         
suns1#bad of which the last is only     
eight hundred years old4  ,the          
difference between a book accepted by a 
nation1 and one which makes a nation4   
#eid  ,mahomet was without authority4   
,his reasons then should have been very 
strong1 having only their own force4    
,what does he say then1 that we must    
believe him8   #eie  ,the ,psalms are   
chanted throughout the whole world4     
,who renders testimony to ,mahomet8     
,himself4 ,jesus ,christ#bae desires    
,his own testimony to be as nothing4    
,the quality of witnesses necessitates  
their existence always and everywhere2  
and he1 miserable creature1 is alone4   
#eif  ,against ,mahomet4--,the ,koran is
 not more of ,mahomet than the ,gospel  
is of ,saint ,matthew1 for it is cited  

by many authors from age to age4 ,even  
its very enemies1 ,celsus and ,porphyry1
 never denied it4  ,the ,koran says     
,saint ,matthew was an honest man4#baf  
,therefore ,mahomet was a false prophet 
for calling honest men wicked1 or for   
not agreeing with what they have said of
 ,jesus ,christ4   #eig  ,it is not by  
that which is obscure in ,mahomet1 and  
which may be interpreted in a mysterious
 sense1 that ,i would have him judged1  
but by what is clear1 as his paradise   
and the rest4 ,in that he is ridiculous4
 ,and since what is clear is ridiculous1
 it is not right to take his obscurities
 for mysteries4  ,it is not the same    
with the ,scripture4 ,i agree that there
 are in it obscurities as strange as    
those of ,mahomet2 but there are        
admirably clear passages1 and the       
prophecies are manifestly fulfilled4    
,the cases are therefore not on a par4  
,we must not confound1 and put on one   
level things which only resemble each   
other in their obscurity1 and not in the

 clearness1 which requires us to        
reverence the obscurities4   #eih  ,the 
difference between ,jesus ,christ and   
,mahomet4--,mahomet was not foretold2   
,jesus ,christ was foretold4  ,mahomet  
slew2 ,jesus ,christ caused ,his own to 
be slain4  ,mahomet forbade reading2 the
 ,apostles ordered reading4  ,in fact   
the two are so opposed1 that if ,mahomet
 took the way to succeed from a worldly 
point of view1 ,jesus ,christ1 from the 
same point of view1 took the way to     
perish4 ,and instead of concluding that1
 since ,mahomet succeeded1 ,jesus       
,christ might well have succeeded1 we   
ought to say that since ,mahomet        
succeeded1 ,jesus ,christ should have   
failed4   #eii  ,any man can do what    
,mahomet has done2 for he performed no  
miracles1 he was not foretold4 ,no man  
can do what ,christ has done4   #fjj    
,the heathen religion has no foundation 
at the present day4 ,it is said once to 
have had a foundation by the oracles    
which spoke4 ,but what are the books    

which assure us of this8 ,are they so   
worthy of belief on account of the      
virtue of their authors8 ,have they been
 preserved with such care that we can be
 sure that they have not been meddled   
with8  ,the ,mahometan religion has for 
a foundation the ,koran and ,mahomet4   
,but has this prophet1 who was to be the
 last hope of the world1 been foretold8 
,what sign has he that every other man  
has not1 who chooses to call himself a  
prophet8 ,what miracles does he himself 
say that he has done8 ,what mysteries   
has he taught1 even according to his own
 tradition8 ,what was the morality1 what
 the happiness held out by him8  ,the   
,jewish religion must be differently    
regarded in the tradition of the ,holy  
,bible1 and in the tradition of the     
people4 ,its morality and happiness are 
absurd in the tradition of the people1  
but are admirable in that of the ,holy  
,bible4 7,and all religion is the same2 
for the ,christian religion is very     
different in the ,holy ,bible and in the

 casuists47 ,the foundation is          
admirable2 it is the most ancient book  
in the world1 and the most authentic2   
and whereas ,mahomet1 in order to make  
his own book continue in existence1     
forbade men to read it1 ,moses1#bag for 
the same reason1 ordered every one to   
read his4  ,our religion is so divine   
that another divine religion has only   
been the foundation of it4   #fja       
,order4--,to see what is clear and      
indisputable in the whole state of the  
,jews4   #fjb  ,the ,jewish religion is 
wholly divine in its authority1 its     
duration1 its perpetuity1 its morality1 
its doctrine1 and its effects4   #fjc   
,the only science contrary to common    
sense and human nature is that alone    
which has always existed among men4     
#fjd  ,the only religion contrary to    
nature1 to common sense1 and to our     
pleasure1 is that alone which has always
 existed4   #fje  ,no religion but our  
own has taught that man is born in sin4 
,no sect of philosophers has said this4 

,therefore none have declared the truth4
  ,no sect or religion has always       
existed on earth1 but the ,christian    
religion4   #fjf  ,whoever judges of the
 ,jewish religion by its coarser forms  
will misunderstand it4 ,it is to be seen
 in the ,holy ,bible1 and in the        
tradition of the prophets1 who have made
 it plain enough that they did not      
interpret the law according to the      
letter4 ,so our religion is divine in   
the ,gospel1 in the ,apostles1 and in   
tradition2 but it is absurd in those who
 tamper with it4  ,the ,messiah1        
according to the carnal ,jews1 was to be
 a great temporal prince4 ,jesus        
,christ1 according to carnal            
,christians1#bah has come to dispense us
 from the love of ,god1 and to give us  
sacraments which shall do everything    
without our help4 ,such is not the      
,christian religion1 nor the ,jewish4   
,true ,jews and true ,christians have   
always expected a ,messiah who should   
make them love ,god1 and by that love   

triumph over their enemies4   #fjg  ,the
 carnal ,jews hold a midway place       
between ,christians and heathens4 ,the  
heathens know not ,god1 and love the    
world only4 ,the ,jews know the true    
,god1 and love the world only4 ,the     
,christians know the true ,god1 and love
 not the world4 ,jews and heathens love 
the same good4 ,jews and ,christians    
know the same ,god4  ,the ,jews were of 
two kinds2 the first had only heathen   
affections1 the other had ,christian    
affections4   #fjh  ,there are two kinds
 of men in each religion3 among the     
heathen1 worshippers of beasts1 and the 
worshippers of the one only ,god of     
natural religion2 among the ,jews1 the  
carnal1 and the spiritual1 who were the 
,christians of the old law2 among       
,christians1 the coarser-minded1 who are
 the ,jews of the new law4 ,the carnal  
,jews looked for a carnal ,messiah2 the 
coarser ,christians believe that the    
,messiah has dispensed them from the    
love of ,god2 true ,jews and true       

,christians worship a ,messiah who makes
 them love ,god4   #fji  ,to show that  
the true ,jews and the true ,christians 
have but the same religion4--,the       
religion of the ,jews seemed to consist 
essentially in the fatherhood of        
,abraham1 in circumcision1 in           
sacrifices1 in ceremonies1 in the ,ark1 
in the temple1 in ,jerusalem1 and1      
finally1 in the law1 and in the covenant
 with ,moses4  ,i say that it consisted 
in none of those things1 but only in the
 love of ,god1 and that ,god disregarded
 all the other things4  ,that ,god did  
not accept the posterity of ,abraham4   
,that the ,jews were to be punished like
 strangers1 if they transgressed4 ,deut4
 viii1 #ai2 ,if thou do at all forget   
the ,lord thy ,god1 and walk after other
 gods1 ,i testify against you this day  
that ye shall surely perish1 as the     
nations which the ,lord destroyeth      
before your face4  ,that strangers1 if  
they loved ,god1 were to be received by 
,him as the ,jews4 ,isaiah lvi1 #c3 ,let

 not the stranger say1 ',the ,lord will 
not receive me4' ,the strangers who join
 themselves unto the ,lord to serve ,him
 and love ,him1 will ,i bring unto my   
holy mountain1 and accept therein       
sacrifices1 for mine house is a house of
 prayer4  ,that the true ,jews          
considered their merit to be from ,god  
only1 and not from ,abraham4 ,isaiah    
lxiii1 #af2 ,doubtless thou art our     
,father1 though ,abraham be ignorant of 
us1 and ,israel acknowledge us not4     
,thou art our ,father and our ,redeemer4
  ,moses himself told them that ,god    
would not accept persons4 ,deut4 x1 #ag3
 ,god1 said he1 regardeth neither       
persons nor sacrifices4  ,the ,sabbath  
was only a sign1 ,exod4 xxxi1 #ac2 and  
in memory of the escape from ,egypt1    
,deut4 v1 #ai4 ,therefore it is no      
longer necessary1 since ,egypt must be  
forgotten4  ,circumcision was only a    
sign1 ,gen4 xvii1 #aa4 ,and thence it   
came to pass that1 being in the desert1 
they were not circumcised because they  

could not be confounded with other      
peoples2 and after ,jesus ,christ came1 
it was no longer necessary4  ,that the  
circumcision of the heart is commanded4 
,deut4 x1 #af2 ,jeremiah iv1 #d3 ,be ye 
circumcised in heart2 take away the     
superfluities of your heart1 and harden 
yourselves not4 ,for your ,god is a     
mighty ,god1 strong and terrible1 who   
accepteth not persons4  ,that ,god said 
,he would one day do it4 ,deut4 xxx1 #f2
 ,god will circumcise thine heart1 and  
the heart of thy seed1 that thou mayest 
love ,him with all thine heart4  ,that  
the uncircumcised in heart shall be     
judged4 ,jeremiah ix1 #bf3 ,for ,god    
will judge the uncircumcised peoples1   
and all the people of ,israel1 because  
he is uncircumcised in heart4  ,that the
 external is of no avail apart from the 
internal4 ,joel ii1 #ac3 ,scindite corda
 vestra1 etc42 ,isaiah lviii1 #c1 #d1   
etc4  ,the love of ,god is enjoined in  
the whole of ,deuteronomy4 ,deut4 xxx1  
#ai3 ,i call heaven and earth to record 

that ,i have set before you life and    
death1 that you should choose life1 and 
love ,god1 and obey ,him1 for ,god is   
your life4  ,that the ,jews1 for lack of
 that love1 should be rejected for their
 offences1 and the heathen chosen in    
their stead4 ,hosea i1 #aj2 ,deut4      
xxxii1 #bj4 ,i will hide myself from    
them in view of their latter sins1 for  
they are a froward generation without   
faith4 ,they have moved me to jealousy  
with that which is not ,god1 and ,i will
 move them to jealousy with those which 
are not a people1 and with an ignorant  
and foolish nation4 ,isaiah lxv1 #a4    
,that temporal goods are false1 and that
 the true good is to be united to ,god4 
,psalm cxliii1 #ae4  ,that their feasts 
are displeasing to ,god4 ,amos v1 #ba4  
,that the sacrifices of the ,jews       
displeased ,god4 ,isaiah lxvi4 #a-c2 i1 
,,ii2 ,jer4 vi1 #bj2 ,david1            
,miserere4--,even on the part of the    
good1 ,expectavi4 ,psalm xlix1 #h1 #i1  
#aj1 #aa1 #ab1 #ac and #ad4  ,that ,he  

has established them only for their     
hardness4 ,micah1 admirably1 vi2 #a     
,kings xv1 #bb2 ,hosea vi1 #f4  ,that   
the sacrifices of the ,gentiles will be 
accepted of ,god1 and that ,god will    
take no pleasure in the sacrifices of   
the ,jews4 ,malachi i1 ,,ii4  ,that ,god
 will make a new covenant with the      
,messiah1 and the old will be annulled4 
,jer4 xxxi1 #ca4 ,mandata non bona4     
,ezek4  ,that the old things will be    
forgotten4 ,isaiah xliii1 #ah1 #ai2 lxv 
#ag1 #aj4  ,that the ,ark will no longer
 be remembered4 ,jer4 iii1 #ae1 #af4    
,that the temple should be rejected4    
,jer4 vii1 #ab1 #ac1 #ad4  ,that the    
sacrifices should be rejected1 and other
 pure sacrifices established4 ,malachi  
i1 ,,ii4  ,that the order of ,aaron's   
priesthood should be rejected1 and that 
of ,melchizedek introduced by the       
,messiah4 ,ps4 ,dixit ,dominus4  ,that  
this priesthood should be eternal4      
,ibid4  ,that ,jerusalem should be      
rejected1 and ,rome admitted4 ,ps4      

,dixit ,dominus4  ,that the name of the 
,jews should be rejected1 and a new name
 given4 ,isaiah lxv1 #ae4  ,that this   
last name should be more excellent than 
that of the ,jews1 and eternal4 ,isaiah 
lvi1 #e4  ,that the ,jews should be     
without prophets 7,amos71 without a     
king1 without princes1 without          
sacrifice1 without an idol4  ,that the  
,jews should nevertheless always remain 
a people4 ,jer4 xxxi1 #cf4   #faj       
,republic4--,the ,christian             
republic--and even the ,jewish--has only
 had ,god for ruler1 as ,philo the ,jew 
notices1 ,on ,monarchy4  ,when they     
fought1 it was for ,god only2 their     
chief hope was in ,god only2 they       
considered their towns as belonging to  
,god only1 and kept them for ,god4 #a   
,chron4 xix1 #ac4   #faa  ,gen4 xvii1   
#g4 ,statuam pactum meum inter me et te 
fdere sempiterno 444 ut sim ,deus       
tuus4444  ,et tu ergo custodies pactum  
meum4   #fab  ,perpetuity4--,that       
religion has always existed on earth1   

which consists in believing that man has
 fallen from a state of glory and of    
communion with ,god into a state of     
sorrow1 penitence1 and estrangement from
 ,god1 but that after this life we shall
 be restored by a ,messiah who should   
have come4 ,all things have passed away1
 and this has endured1 for which all    
things are4  ,men have in the first age 
of the world been carried away into     
every kind of debauchery1 and yet there 
were saints1 as ,enoch1 ,lamech1 and    
others1 who waited patiently for the    
,christ promised from the beginning of  
the world4 ,noah saw the wickedness of  
men at its height2 and he was held      
worthy to save the world in his person1 
by the hope of the ,messiah of whom he  
was the type4 ,abraham was surrounded by
 idolaters1 when ,god made known to him 
the mystery of the ,messiah1 whom he    
welcomed from afar4#bai ,in the time of 
,isaac and ,jacob abomination was spread
 over all the earth2 but these saints   
lived in faith2 and ,jacob1 dying and   

blessing his children1 cried in a       
transport which made him break off his  
discourse1 ,i await1 ,o my ,god1 the    
,saviour whom ,thou hast promised4      
,salutare taum expectabo1 ,domine4#bbj  
,the ,egyptians were infected both with 
idolatry and magic2 the very people of  
,god were led astray by their example4  
,yet ,moses and others believed ,him    
whom they saw not1 and worshipped ,him1 
looking to the eternal gifts which ,he  
was preparing for them4  ,the ,greeks   
and ,latins then set up false deities2  
the poets made a hundred different      
theologies1 while the philosophers      
separated into a thousand different     
sects2 and yet in the heart of ,juda    
there were always chosen men who        
foretold the coming of this ,messiah1   
which was known to them alone4  ,he came
 at length in the fullness of time1 and 
time has since witnessed the birth of so
 many schisms and heresies1 so many     
political revolutions1 so many changes  
in all things2 yet this ,church1 which  

worships ,him who has always been       
worshipped1 has endured uninterruptedly4
 ,it is a wonderful1 incomparable1 and  
altogether divine fact that this        
religion1 which has always endured1 has 
always been attacked4 ,it has been a    
thousand times on the eve of universal  
destruction1 and every time it has been 
in that state1 ,god has restored it by  
extraordinary acts of ,his power4 ,this 
is astonishing1 as also that it has     
preserved itself without yielding to the
 will of tyrants4 ,for it is not strange
 that a ,state endures1 when its laws   
are sometimes made to give way to       
necessity1 but that 444 7,see the       
passage indicated in ,montaigne47   #fac
  ,states would perish if they did not  
often make their laws give way to       
necessity4 ,but religion has never      
suffered this1 or practised it4 ,indeed1
 there must be these compromises1 or    
miracles4 ,it is not strange to be saved
 by yieldings1 and this is not strictly 
self-preservation2 besides1 in the end  

they perish entirely4 ,none has endured 
a thousand years4 ,but the fact that    
this religion has always maintained     
itself1 inflexible as it is1 proves its 
divinity4   #fad  ,whatever may be said1
 it must be admitted that the ,christian
 religion has something astonishing in  
it4 ,some will say1 ,this is because you
 were born in it4 ,far from it2 ,i      
stiffen myself against it for this very 
reason1 for fear this prejudice bias me4
 ,but although ,i am born in it1 ,i     
cannot help finding it so4   #fae       
,perpetuity4--,the ,messiah has always  
been believed in4 ,the tradition from   
,adam was fresh in ,noah and in ,moses4 
,since then the prophets have foretold  
him1 while at the same time foretelling 
other things1 which1 being from time to 
time fulfilled in the sight of men1     
showed the truth of their mission1 and  
consequently that of their promises     
touching the ,messiah4 ,jesus ,christ   
performed miracles1 and the ,apostles   
also1 who converted all the heathen2 and

 all the prophecies being thereby       
fulfilled1 the ,messiah is for ever     
proved4   #faf  ,perpetuity4--,let us   
consider that since the beginning of the
 world the expectation of worship of the
 ,messiah has existed uninterruptedly2  
that there have been found men1 who said
 that ,god had revealed to them that a  
,redeemer was to be born1 who should    
save ,his people2 that ,abraham came    
afterwards1 saying that he had had a    
revelation that the ,messiah was to     
spring from him by a son1 whom he should
 have2 that ,jacob declared that1 of his
 twelve sons1 the ,messiah would spring 
from ,judah2 that ,moses and the        
prophets then came to declare the time  
and the manner of ,his coming2 that they
 said their law was only temporary till 
that of the ,messiah1 that it should    
endure till then1 but that the other    
should last for ever2 that thus either  
their law1 or that of the ,messiah1 of  
which it was the promise1 would be      
always upon the earth2 that1 in fact1 it

 has always endured2 that at last ,jesus
 ,christ came with all the circumstances
 foretold4 ,this is wonderful4   #fag   
,this is positive fact4 ,while all      
philosophers separate into different    
sects1 there is found in one corner of  
the world the most ancient people in it1
 declaring that all the world is in     
error1 that ,god has revealed to them   
the truth1 that they will always exist  
on the earth4 ,in fact1 all other sects 
come to an end1 this one still endures1 
and has done so for four thousand years4
  ,they declare that they hold from     
their ancestors that man has fallen from
 communion with ,god1 and is entirely   
estranged from ,god1 but that ,he has   
promised to redeem them2 that this      
doctrine shall always exist on the      
earth2 that their law has a double      
signification2 that during sixteen      
hundred years they have had people1 whom
 they believed prophets1 foretelling    
both the time and the manner2 that four 
hundred years after they were scattered 

everywhere1 because ,jesus ,christ was  
to be everywhere announced2 that ,jesus 
,christ came in the manner1 and at the  
time foretold2 that the ,jews have since
 been scattered abroad under a curse1   
and nevertheless still exist4   #fah  ,i
 see the ,christian religion founded    
upon a preceding religion1 and this is  
what ,i find as a fact4  ,i do not here 
speak of the miracles of ,moses1 of     
,jesus ,christ1 and of the ,apostles1   
because they do not at first seem       
convincing1 and because ,i only wish    
here to put in evidence all those       
foundations of the ,christian religion  
which are beyond doubt1 and which cannot
 be called in question by any person    
whatsoever4 ,it is certain that we see  
in many places of the world a peculiar  
people1 separated from all other peoples
 of the world1 and called the ,jewish   
people4  ,i see then a crowd of         
religions in many parts of the world and
 in all times2 but their morality cannot
 please me1 nor can their proofs        

convince me4 ,thus ,i should equally    
have rejected the religion of ,mahomet  
and of ,china1 of the ancient ,romans   
and of the ,egyptians1 for the sole     
reason1 that none having more marks of  
truth than another1 nor anything which  
should necessarily persuade me1 reason  
cannot incline to one rather than the   
other4  ,but1 in thus considering this  
changeable and singular variety of      
morals and beliefs at different times1  
,i find in one corner of the world a    
peculiar people1 separated from all     
other peoples on earth1 the most ancient
 of all1 and whose histories are earlier
 by many generations than the most      
ancient which we possess4  ,i find1     
then1 this great and numerous people1   
sprung from a single man1 who worship   
one ,god1 and guide themselves by a law 
which they say that they obtained from  
,his own hand4 ,they maintain that they 
are the only people in the world to whom
 ,god has revealed ,his mysteries2 that 
all men are corrupt and in disgrace with

 ,god2 that they are all abandoned to   
their senses and their own imagination1 
whence come the strange errors and      
continual changes which happen among    
them1 both of religions and of morals1  
whereas they themselves remain firm in  
their conduct2 but that ,god will not   
leave other nations in this darkness for
 ever2 that there will come a ,saviour  
for all2 that they are in the world to  
announce ,him to men2 that they are     
expressly formed to be forerunners and  
heralds of this great event1 and to     
summon all nations to join with them in 
the expectation of this ,saviour4  ,to  
meet with this people is astonishing to 
me1 and seems to me worthy of attention4
 ,i look at the law which they boast of 
having obtained from ,god1 and ,i find  
it admirable4 ,it is the first law of   
all1 and is of such a kind that1 even   
before the term law was in currency     
among the ,greeks1 it had1 for nearly a 
thousand years earlier1 been            
uninterruptedly accepted and observed by

 the ,jews4 ,i likewise think it strange
 that the first law of the world happens
 to be the most perfect2 so that the    
greatest legislators have borrowed their
 laws from it1 as is apparent from the  
law of the ,twelve ,tables at           
,athens1#bba afterwards taken by the    
,romans1 and as it would be easy to     
prove1 if ,josephus#bbb and others had  
not sufficiently dealt with this        
subject4   #fai  ,advantages of the     
,jewish people4--,in this search the    
,jewish people at once attracts my      
attention by the number of wonderful and
 singular facts which appear about them4
  ,i first see that they are a people   
wholly composed of brethren1 and whereas
 all others are formed by the assemblage
 of an infinity of families1 this1      
though so wonderfully fruitful1 has all 
sprung from one man alone1 and1 being   
thus all one flesh1 and members one of  
another1 they constitute a powerful     
state of one family4 ,this is unique4   
,this family1 or people1 is the most    

ancient within human knowledge1 a fact  
which seems to me to inspire a peculiar 
veneration for it1 especially in view of
 our present inquiry2 since if ,god had 
from all time revealed ,himself to men1 
it is to these we must turn for         
knowledge of the tradition4  ,this      
people is not eminent solely by their   
antiquity1 but is also singular by their
 duration1 which has always continued   
from their origin till now4 ,for whereas
 the nations of ,greece and of ,italy1  
of ,lacedmon1 of ,athens and of ,rome1  
and others who came long after1 have    
long since perished1 these ever remain1 
and in spite of the endeavours of many  
powerful kings who have a hundred times 
tried to destroy them1 as their         
historians testify1 and as it is easy to
 conjecture from the natural order of   
things during so long a space of years1 
they have nevertheless been preserved   
7and this preservation has been         
foretold72 and extending from the       
earliest times to the latest1 their     

history comprehends in its duration all 
our histories which it preceded by a    
long time4  ,the law by which this      
people is governed is at once the most  
ancient law in the world1 the most      
perfect1 and the only one which has been
 always observed without a break in a   
state4 ,this is what ,josephus admirably
 proves1 against ,apion1#bbc and also   
,philo#bbd the ,jew1 in different       
places1 where they point out that it is 
so ancient that the very name of law was
 only known by the oldest nation more   
than a thousand years afterwards2 so    
that ,homer1 who has written the history
 of so many states1 has never used the  
term4 ,and it is easy to judge of its   
perfection by simply reading it2 for we 
see that it has provided for all things 
with so great wisdom1 equity1 and       
judgment1 that the most ancient         
legislators1 ,greek and ,roman1 having  
had some knowledge of it1 have borrowed 
from it their principal laws2 this is   
evident from what are called the ,twelve

 ,tables1 and from the other proofs     
which ,josephus gives4  ,but this law is
 at the same time the severest and      
strictest of all in respect to their    
religious worship1 imposing on this     
people1 in order to keep them to their  
duty1 a thousand peculiar and painful   
observances1 on pain of death4 ,whence  
it is very astonishing that it has been 
constantly preserved during many        
centuries by a people1 rebellious and   
impatient as this one was2 while all    
other states have changed their laws    
from time to time1 although these were  
far more lenient4  ,the book which      
contains this law1 the first of all1 is 
itself the most ancient book in the     
world1 those of ,homer1 ,hesiod1 and    
others1 being six or seven hundred years
 later4   #fbj  ,the creation and the   
deluge being past1 and ,god no longer   
requiring to destroy the world1 nor to  
create it anew1 nor to give such great  
signs of ,himself1 ,he began to         
establish a people on the earth1        

purposely formed1 who were to last until
 the coming of the people whom the      
,messiah should fashion by ,his spirit4 
#fba  ,the creation of the world        
beginning to be distant1 ,god provided a
 single contemporary historian1 and     
appointed a whole people as guardians of
 this book1 in order that this history  
might be the most authentic in the      
world1 and that all men might thereby   
learn a fact so necessary to know1 and  
which could only be known through that  
means4   #fbb  ,japhet begins the       
genealogy4  ,joseph folds his arms1 and 
prefers the younger4#bbe   #fbc  ,why   
should ,moses make the lives of men so  
long1 and their generations so few8     
,because it is not the length of years1 
but the multitude of generations1 which 
renders things obscure4 ,for truth is   
perverted only by the change of men4    
,and yet he puts two things1 the most   
memorable that were ever imagined1      
namely1 the creation and the deluge1 so 
near that we reach from one to the      

other4   #fbd  ,shem1 who saw ,lamech1  
who saw ,adam1 saw also ,jacob1 who saw 
those who saw ,moses2 therefore the     
deluge and the creation are true4 ,this 
is conclusive among certain people who  
understand it rightly4   #fbe  ,the     
longevity of the patriarchs1 instead of 
causing the loss of past history1       
conduced1 on the contrary1 to its       
preservation4 ,for the reason why we are
 sometimes insufficiently instructed in 
the history of our ancestors1 is that we
 have never lived long with them1 and   
that they are often dead before we have 
attained the age of reason4 ,now1 when  
men lived so long1 children lived long  
with their parents4 ,they conversed long
 with them4 ,but what else could be the 
subject of their talk save the history  
of their ancestors1 since to that all   
history was reduced1 and men did not    
study science or art1 which now form a  
large part of daily conversation8 ,we   
see also that in these days tribes took 
particular care to preserve their       

genealogies4   #fbf  ,i believe that    
,joshua was the first of ,god's people  
to have this name1 as ,jesus ,christ was
 the last of ,god's people4   #fbg      
,antiquity of the ,jews4--,what a       
difference there is between one book and
 another6 ,i am not astonished that the 
,greeks made the ,iliad1 nor the        
,egyptians and the ,chinese their       
histories4  ,we have only to see how    
this originates4 ,these fabulous        
historians are not contemporaneous with 
the facts about which they write4 ,homer
 composes a romance1 which he gives out 
as such1 and which is received as such2 
for nobody doubted that ,troy and       
,agamemnon no more existed than did the 
golden apple4 ,accordingly he did not   
think of making a history1 but solely a 
book to amuse2 he is the only writer of 
his time2 the beauty of the work has    
made it last1 every one learns it and   
talks of it1 it is necessary to know it1
 and each one knows it by heart4 ,four  
hundred years afterwards the witnesses  

of these facts are no longer alive1 no  
one knows of his own knowledge if it be 
a fable or a history2 one has only      
learnt it from his ancestors1 and this  
can pass for truth4  ,every history     
which is not contemporaneous1 as the    
books of the ,sibyls and                
,trismegistus1#bbf and so many others   
which have been believed by the world1  
are false1 and found to be false in the 
course of time4 ,it is not so with      
contemporaneous writers4  ,there is a   
great difference between a book which an
 individual writes1 and publishes to a  
nation1 and a book which itself creates 
a nation4 ,we cannot doubt that the book
 is as old as the people4   #fbh        
,josephus hides the shame of his nation4
  ,moses does not hide his own shame4   
,quis mihi det ut omnes prophetent8#bbg 
,he was weary of the multitude4   #fbi  
,the sincerity of the                   
,jews4--,maccabees1#bbh after they had  
no more prophets2 the ,masorah1 since   
,jesus ,christ4  ,this book will be a   

testimony for you4#bbi  ,defective and  
final letters4  ,sincere against their  
honour1 and dying for it2 this has no   
example in the world1 and no root in    
nature4   #fcj  ,sincerity of the       
,jews4--,they preserve lovingly and     
carefully the book in which ,moses      
declares that they have been all their  
life ungrateful to ,god1 and that he    
knows they will be still more so after  
his death2 but that he calls heaven and 
earth to witness against them1 and that 
he has taught them enough4  ,he declares
 that ,god1 being angry with them1 shall
 at last scatter them among all the     
nations of the earth2 that as they have 
offended ,him by worshipping gods who   
were not their ,god1 so ,he will provoke
 them by calling a people who are not   
,his people2 that ,he desires that all  
,his words be preserved for ever1 and   
that ,his book be placed in the ,ark of 
the ,covenant to serve for ever as a    
witness against them4  ,isaiah says the 
same thing1 xxx4   #fca  ,on            

,esdras4--,the story that the books were
 burnt with the temple proved false by  
,maccabees3 ,jeremiah gave them the law4
  ,the story that he recited the whole  
by heart4 ,josephus and ,esdras point   
out that he read the book4 ,baronius1   
,ann41 p4 #ahj3 ,nullus penitus         
,hebrorum antiquorum reperitur qui      
tradiderit libros periisse et per       
,esdram esse restitutos1 nisi in ,,iv   
,esdr4  ,the story that he changed the  
letters4  ,philo1 in ,vita ,moysis3     
,illa lingua ac character quo antiquitus
 scripta est lex sic permansit usque ad 
,,lxx4  ,josephus says that the ,law was
 in ,hebrew when it was translated by   
the ,seventy4  ,under ,antiochus and    
,vespasian1 when they wanted to abolish 
the books1 and when there was no        
prophet1 they could not do so4 ,and     
under the ,babylonians1 when no         
persecution had been made1 and when     
there were so many prophets1 would they 
have let them be burnt8  ,josephus      
laughs at the ,greeks who would not bear

 444  ,tertullian4#bcj--,perinde potuit 
abolefactam eam violentia cataclysmi in 
spiritu rursus reformare1 quemadmodum et
 ,hierosolymis ,babylonia expugnatione  
deletis1 omne instrumentum ,judaic      
literatur per ,esdram constat           
restauratum4  ,he says that ,noah could 
as easily have restored in spirit the   
book of ,enoch1 destroyed by the        
,deluge1 as ,esdras could have restored 
the ,scriptures lost during the         
,captivity4  77       1    444          
1        4#bca ,he alleges this to prove
 that it is not incredible that the     
,seventy may have explained the holy    
,scriptures with that uniformity which  
we admire in them4 ,and he took that    
from ,saint ,irenus4#bcb  ,saint        
,hilary1 in his preface to the ,psalms1 
says that ,esdras arranged the ,psalms  
in order4  ,the origin of this tradition
 comes from the #adth chapter of the    
fourth book of ,esdras4 ,deus           
glorificatus est1 et ,scriptur vere     
divin credit sunt1 omnibus eandem et    

eisdem verbis et eisdem nominibus       
recitantibus ab initio usque ad finem1  
uti et prsentes gentes cognoscerent     
quoniam per inspirationem ,dei          
interpretat sunt ,scriptur1 et non esset
 mirabile ,deum hoc in eis operatum3    
quando in ea captivitate populi qu facta
 est a ,nabuchodonosor1 corruptis       
scripturis et post #gj annos ,judis     
descendentibus in regionem suam1 et post
 deinde temporibus ,artaxerxis ,persarum
 regis1 inspiravit ,esdr sacerdoti      
tribus ,levi prteritorum prophetarum    
omnes rememorare sermones1 et restituere
 populo eam legem qu data est per       
,moysen4   #fcb  ,against the story in  
,esdras1 #b ,maccab4 ii2--,josephus1    
,antiquities1 ,,ii1 i--,cyrus took      
occasion from the prophecy of ,isaiah to
 release the people4 ,the ,jews held    
their property in peace under ,cyrus in 
,babylon2 hence they could well have the
 ,law4  ,josephus1 in the whole history 
of ,esdras1 does not say one word about 
this restoration4--#b ,kings xvii1 #bg4 

#fcc  ,if the story in ,esdras#bcc is   
credible1 then it must be believed that 
the ,scripture is ,holy ,scripture2 for 
this story is based only on the         
authority of those who assert that of   
the ,seventy1 which shows that the      
,scripture is holy4  ,therefore if this 
account be true1 we have what we want   
therein2 if not1 we have it elsewhere4  
,and thus those who would ruin the truth
 of our religion1 founded on ,moses1    
establish it by the same authority by   
which they attack it4 ,so by this       
providence it still exists4   #fcd      
,chronology of ,rabbinism4 7,the        
citations of pages are from the book    
,pugio47  ,page #bg4 ,r4 ,hakadosch     
7anno #bjj71 author of the ,mischna1 or 
vocal law1 or second law4  ,commentaries
 on the ,mischna 7anno #cdj73 ,the one  
,siphra4 ,barajetot4 ,talmud ,hierosol4 
,tosiphtot4  ,bereschit ,rabah1 by ,r4  
,osaiah ,rabah1 commentary on the       
,mischna4  ,bereschit ,rabah1 ,bar      
,naconi1 are subtle and pleasant        

discourses1 historical and theological4 
,this same author wrote the books called
 ,rabot4  ,a hundred years after the    
,talmud ,hierosol was composed the      
,babylonian ,talmud1 by ,r4 ,ase1 ,a4,d4
 #ddj1 by the universal consent of all  
the ,jews1 who are necessarily obliged  
to observe all that is contained        
therein4  ,the addition of ,r4 ,ase is  
called the ,gemara1 that is to say1 the 
commentary on the ,mischna4  ,and the   
,talmud includes together the ,mischna  
and the ,gemara4   #fce  ,if does not   
indicate indifference3 ,malachi1        
,isaiah4  ,is41 ,si volumus1 etc4  ,in  
quacumque die4   #fcf                   
,prophecies4--,the sceptre was not      
interrupted by the captivity in         
,babylon1 because the return was        
promised and foretold4   #fcg  ,proofs  
of ,jesus ,christ4--,captivity1 with the
 assurance of deliverance within seventy
 years1 was not real captivity4 ,but now
 they are captives without any hope4    
,god has promised them that even though 

,he should scatter them to the ends of  
the earth1 nevertheless if they were    
faithful to ,his law1 ,he would assemble
 them together again4 ,they are very    
faithful to it1 and remain oppressed4   
#fch  ,when ,nebuchadnezzar carried away
 the people1 for fear they should       
believe that the sceptre had departed   
from ,judah1 they were told beforehand  
that they would be there for a short    
time1 and that they would be restored4  
,they were always consoled by the       
prophets2 and their kings continued4    
,but the second destruction is without  
promise of restoration1 without         
prophets1 without kings1 without        
consolation1 without hope1 because the  
sceptre is taken away for ever4   #fci  
,it is a wonderful thing1 and worthy of 
particular attention1 to see this       
,jewish people existing so many years in
 perpetual misery1 it being necessary as
 a proof of ,jesus ,christ1 both that   
they should exist to prove ,him1 and    
that they should be miserable because   

they crucified ,him2 and though to be   
miserable and to exist are              
contradictory1 they nevertheless still  
exist in spite of their misery4   #fdj  
,they are visibly a people expressly    
created to serve as a witness to the    
,messiah 7,isaiah1 xliii1 #i2 xliv1 #h74
 ,they keep the books1 and love them1   
and do not understand them4 ,and all    
this was foretold2 that ,god's judgments
 are entrusted to them1 but as a sealed 
book4     ,,section ,x  ,,typology      
#fda  ,proof of the two ,testaments at  
once4--,to prove the two at one stroke1 
we need only see if the prophecies in   
one are fulfilled in the other4 ,to     
examine the prophecies1 we must         
understand them4 ,for if we believe they
 have only one meaning1 it is certain   
that the ,messiah has not come2 but if  
they have two meanings1 it is certain   
that ,he has come in ,jesus ,christ4    
,the whole problem then is to know if   
they have two meanings4  ,that the      
,scripture has two meanings1 which      

,jesus ,christ and the ,apostles have   
given1 is shown by the following proofs3
  #a4 ,proof by ,scripture itself4  #b4 
,proof by the ,rabbis4 ,moses           
,maimonides says that it has two        
aspects1 and that the prophets have     
prophesied ,jesus ,christ only4  #c4    
,proof by the ,kabbala4#bcd  #d4 ,proof 
by the mystical interpretation which the
 ,rabbis themselves give to ,scripture4 
#e4 ,proof by the principles of the     
,rabbis1 that there are two meanings2   
that there are two advents of the       
,messiah1 a glorious and an humiliating 
one1 according to their desert2 that the
 prophets have prophesied of the        
,messiah only--the ,law is not eternal1 
but must change at the coming of the    
,messiah--that then they shall no more  
remember the ,red ,sea2 that the ,jews  
and the ,gentiles shall be mingled4  #f4
 ,proof by the key which ,jesus ,christ 
and the ,apostles give us4   #fdb       
,isaiah1 li4 ,the ,red ,sea an image of 
the ,redemption4 ,ut sciatis quod filius

 hominis habet potestatem remittendi    
peccata1 tibi dico3 ,surge4#bce ,god1   
wishing to show that ,he could form a   
people holy with an invisible holiness1 
and fill them with an eternal glory1    
made visible things4 ,as nature is an   
image of grace1 ,he has done in the     
bounties of nature what ,he would do in 
those of grace1 in order that we might  
judge that ,he could make the invisible1
 since ,he made the visible excellently4
  ,therefore ,he saved this people from 
the deluge2 ,he has raised them up from 
,abraham1 redeemed them from their      
enemies1 and set them at rest4  ,the    
object of ,god was not to save them from
 the deluge1 and raise up a whole people
 from ,abraham1 only in order to bring  
them into a rich land4  ,and even grace 
is only the type of glory1 for it is not
 the ultimate end4 ,it has been         
symbolised by the law1 and itself       
symbolises glory4 ,but it is the type of
 it1 and the origin or cause4  ,the     
ordinary life of men is like that of the

 saints4 ,they all seek their           
satisfaction1 and differ only in the    
object in which they place it2 they call
 those their enemies who hinder them1   
etc4 ,god has then shown the power which
 ,he has of giving invisible blessings1 
by that which ,he has shown ,himself to 
have over things visible4   #fdc        
,types4--,god1 wishing to form for      
,himself an holy people1 whom ,he should
 separate from all other nations1 whom  
,he should deliver from their enemies1  
and should put into a place of rest1 has
 promised to do so1 and has foretold by 
,his prophets the time and the manner of
 ,his coming4 ,and yet1 to confirm the  
hope of ,his elect1 ,he has made them   
see in it an image through all time1    
without leaving them devoid of          
assurances of ,his power and of ,his    
will to save them4 ,for1 at the creation
 of man1 ,adam was the witness1 and     
guardian of the promise of a ,saviour1  
who should be born of woman1 when men   
were still so near the creation that    

they could not have forgotten their     
creation and their fall4 ,when those who
 had seen ,adam were no longer in the   
world1 ,god sent ,noah whom ,he saved1  
and drowned the whole earth by a miracle
 which sufficiently indicated the power 
which ,he had to save the world1 and the
 will which ,he had to do so1 and to    
raise up from the seed of woman ,him    
whom ,he had promised4 ,this miracle was
 enough to confirm the hope of men4     
,the memory of the deluge being so fresh
 among men1 while ,noah was still alive1
 ,god made promises to ,abraham1 and1   
while ,shem was still living1 sent      
,moses1 etc4444   #fdd  ,types4--,god1  
willing to deprive ,his own of          
perishable blessings1 created the       
,jewish people in order to show that    
this was not owing to lack of power4    
#fde  ,the ,synagogue did not perish1   
because it was a type4 ,but because it  
was only a type1 it fell into servitude4
 ,the type existed till the truth came1 
in order that the ,church should be     

always visible1 either in the sign which
 promised it1 or in substance4   #fdf   
,that the law was figurative4   #fdg    
,two errors3 #a4 ,to take everything    
literally4 #b4 ,to take everything      
spiritually4   #fdh  ,to speak against  
too greatly figurative language4   #fdi 
,there are some types clear and         
demonstrative1 but others which seem    
somewhat far-fetched1 and which convince
 only those who are already persuaded4  
,these are like the ,apocalyptics4 ,but 
the difference is that they have none   
which are certain1 so that nothing is so
 unjust as to claim that theirs are as  
well founded as some of ours2 for they  
have none so demonstrative as some of   
ours4 ,the comparison is unfair4 ,we    
must not put on the same level1 and     
confound things1 because they seem to   
agree in one point1 while they are so   
different in another4 ,the clearness in 
divine things requires us to revere the 
obscurities in them4  ,it is like men1  
who employ a certain obscure language   

among themselves4 ,those who should not 
understand it1 would understand only a  
foolish meaning4   #fej  ,extravagances 
of the ,apocalyptics1 ,preadamites1     
,millenarians1 etc4--,he who would base 
extravagant opinions on ,scripture1     
will1 for example1 base them on this4   
,it is said that this generation shall  
not pass till all these things be       
fulfilled4#bcf ,upon that ,i will say   
that after that generation will come    
another generation1 and so on ever in   
succession4  ,solomon and the ,king are 
spoken of in the second book of         
,chronicles1 as if they were two        
different persons4 ,i will say that they
 were two4   #fea  ,particular          
,types4--,a double law1 double tables of
 the law1 a double temple1 a double     
captivity4   #feb  ,types4--,the        
prophets prophesied by symbols of a     
girdle1 a beard and burnt hair1 etc4    
#fec  ,difference between dinner and    
supper4#bcg  ,in ,god the word does not 
differ from the intention1 for ,he is   

true2 nor the word from the effect1 for 
,he is powerful2 nor the means from the 
effect1 for ,he is wise4 ,bern41 ,ult4  
,sermo in ,missam4  ,augustine1 ,de     
,civit4 ,dei1 v1 #aj4 ,this rule is     
general4 ,god can do everything1 except 
those things1 which if ,he could do1 ,he
 would not be almighty1 as dying1 being 
deceived1 lying1 etc4  ,several         
,evangelists for the confirmation of the
 truth2 their difference useful4  ,the  
,eucharist after the ,lord's ,supper4   
,truth after the type4  ,the ruin of    
,jerusalem1 a type of the ruin of the   
world1 forty years after the death of   
,jesus4 ,i know not1 as a man1 or as an 
ambassador 7,mark xiii1 #cb74 7,matthew 
xxiv1 #cf47  ,jesus condemned by the    
,jews and the ,gentiles4  ,the ,jews and
 the ,gentiles typified by the two sons4
 ,aug41 ,de ,civ41 xx1 #bi4   #fed  ,the
 six ages1 the six ,fathers of the six  
ages1 the six wonders at the beginning  
of the six ages1 the six mornings at the
 beginning of the six ages4#bch   #fee  

,adam forma futuri4#bci ,the six days to
 form the one1 the six ages to form the 
other4 ,the six days1 which ,moses      
represents for the formation of ,adam1  
are only the picture of the six ages to 
form ,jesus ,christ and the ,church4 ,if
 ,adam had not sinned1 and ,jesus       
,christ had not come1 there had been    
only one covenant1 only one age of men1 
and the creation would have been        
represented as accomplished at one      
single time4   #fef  ,types4--,the      
,jewish and ,egyptian peoples were      
plainly foretold by the two individuals 
whom ,moses met2 the ,egyptian beating  
the ,jew1 ,moses avenging him and       
killing the ,egyptian1 and the ,jew     
being ungrateful4   #feg  ,the symbols  
of the ,gospel for the state of the sick
 soul are sick bodies2 but because one  
body cannot be sick enough to express it
 well1 several have been needed4 ,thus  
there are the deaf1 the dumb1 the blind1
 the paralytic1 the dead ,lazarus1 the  
possessed4 ,all this crowd is in the    

sick soul4   #feh  ,types4--,to show    
that the ,old ,testament is only        
figurative1 and that the prophets       
understood by temporal blessings other  
blessings1 this is the proof3  ,first1  
that this would be unworthy of ,god4    
,secondly1 that their discourses express
 very clearly the promise of temporal   
blessings1 and that they say            
nevertheless that their discourses are  
obscure1 and that their meaning will not
 be understood4 ,whence it appears that 
this secret meaning was not that which  
they openly expressed1 and that         
consequently they meant to speak of     
other sacrifices1 of another deliverer1 
etc4 ,they say that they will be        
understood only in the fullness of time 
7,jer4 xxx1 ult474  ,the third proof is 
that their discourses are contradictory1
 and neutralise each other2 so that if  
we think that they did not mean by the  
words law and sacrifice anything else   
than that of ,moses1 there is a plain   
and gross contradiction4 ,therefore they

 meant something else1 sometimes        
contradicting themselves in the same    
chapter4 ,now1 to understand the meaning
 of an author 444   #fei  ,lust has     
become natural to us1 and has made our  
second nature4 ,thus there are two      
natures in us--the one good1 the other  
bad4 ,where is ,god8 ,where you are not1
 and the kingdom of ,god is within you4 
,the ,rabbis4   #ffj  ,penitence1 alone 
of all these mysteries1 has been        
manifestly declared to the ,jews1 and by
 ,saint ,john1 the ,forerunner2 and then
 the other mysteries2 to indicate that  
in each man1 as in the entire world1    
this order must be observed4   #ffa     
,the carnal ,jews understood neither the
 greatness nor the humiliation of the   
,messiah foretold in their prophecies4  
,they misunderstood ,him in ,his        
foretold greatness1 as when ,he said    
that the ,messiah should be lord of     
,david1 though his son1 and that ,he was
 before ,abraham1 who had seen ,him4    
,they did not believe ,him so great as  

to be eternal1 and they likewise        
misunderstood ,him in ,his humiliation  
and in ,his death4 ,the ,messiah1 said  
they1 abideth for ever1 and this man    
says that he shall die4#bdj ,therefore  
they believed ,him neither mortal nor   
eternal2 they only sought in ,him for a 
carnal greatness4   #ffb                
,typical4--,nothing is so like charity  
as covetousness1 and nothing is so      
opposed to it4 ,thus the ,jews1 full of 
possessions which flattered their       
covetousness1 were very like            
,christians1 and very contrary4 ,and by 
this means they had the two qualities   
which it was necessary they should have1
 to be very like the ,messiah to typify 
,him1 and very contrary not to be       
suspected witnesses4   #ffc             
,typical4--,god made use of the lust of 
the ,jews to make them minister to      
,jesus ,christ1 who brought the remedy  
for their lust4   #ffd  ,charity is not 
a figurative precept4 ,it is dreadful to
 say that ,jesus ,christ1 who came to   

take away types in order to establish   
the truth1 came only to establish the   
type of charity1 in order to take away  
the existing reality which was there    
before4  ,if the light be darkness1 how 
great is that darkness6#bda   #ffe      
,fascination4 ,somnum suum4#bdb ,figura 
hujus mundi4#bdc  ,the ,eucharist4      
,comedes panem tuum4#bdd ,panem nostrum4
  ,inimici ,dei terram lingent4#bde     
,sinners lick the dust1 that is to say1 
love earthly pleasures4  ,the ,old      
,testament contained the types of future
 joy1 and the ,new contains the means of
 arriving at it4 ,the types were of joy2
 the means of penitence2 and            
nevertheless the ,paschal ,lamb was     
eaten with bitter herbs1 cum            
amaritudinibus4#bdf  ,singularis sum ego
 donec transeam4#bdg--;,jesus ,christ   
before ,his death was almost the only   
martyr4   #fff  ,typical4--,the         
expressions1 sword1 shield4             
,potentissime4   #ffg  ,we are          
estranged1 only by departing from       

charity4 ,our prayers and our virtues   
are abominable before ,god1 if they are 
not the prayers and the virtues of      
,jesus ,christ4 ,and our sins will never
 be the object of mercy1 but of the     
justice of ,god1 if they are not those  
of ,jesus ,christ4 ,he has adopted our  
sins1 and has admitted us into union    
with ,him1 for virtues are ,his own1 and
 sins are foreign to ,him2 while virtues
 are foreign to us1 and our sins are our
 own4  ,let us change the rule which we 
have hitherto chosen for judging what is
 good4 ,we had our own will as our rule4
 ,let us now take the will of ,god2 all 
that ,he wills is good and right to us1 
all that ,he does not will is bad4  ,all
 that ,god does not permit is forbidden4
 ,sins are forbidden by the general     
declaration that ,god has made1 that ,he
 did not allow them4 ,other things which
 ,he has left without general           
prohibition1 and which for that reason  
are said to be permitted1 are           
nevertheless not always permitted4 ,for 

when ,god removed some one of them from 
us1 and when1 by the event1 which is a  
manifestation of the will of ,god1 it   
appears that ,god does not will that we 
should have a thing1 that is then       
forbidden to us as sin2 since the will  
of ,god is that we should not have one  
more than another4 ,there is this sole  
difference between these two things1    
that it is certain that ,god will never 
allow sin1 while it is not certain that 
,he will never allow the other4 ,but so 
long as ,god does not permit it1 we     
ought to regard it as sin2 so long as   
the absence of ,god's will1 which alone 
is all goodness and all justice1 renders
 it unjust and wrong4   #ffh  ,to change
 the type1 because of our weakness4     
#ffi  ,types4--,the ,jews had grown old 
in these earthly thoughts1 that ,god    
loved their father ,abraham1 his flesh  
and what sprung from it2 that on account
 of this ,he had multiplied them1 and   
distinguished them from all other       
nations1 without allowing them to       

intermingle2 that when they were        
languishing in ,egypt1 ,he brought them 
out with all these great signs in their 
favour2 that ,he fed them with manna in 
the desert1 and led them into a very    
rich land2 that ,he gave them kings and 
a well-built temple1 in order to offer  
up beasts before ,him1 by the shedding  
of whose blood they should be purified2 
and that at last ,he was to send them   
the ,messiah to make them masters of all
 the world1 and foretold the time of    
,his coming4  ,the world having grown   
old in these carnal errors1 ,jesus      
,christ came at the time foretold1 but  
not with the expected glory2 and thus   
men did not think it was ,he4 ,after    
,his death1 ,saint ,paul#bdh came to    
teach men that all these things had     
happened in allegory2 that the kingdom  
of ,god did not consist in the flesh1   
but in the spirit2 that the enemies of  
men were not the ,babylonians1 but the  
passions2 that ,god delighted not in    
temples made with hands1 but in a pure  

and contrite heart2 that the            
circumcision of the body was            
unprofitable1 but that of the heart was 
needed2 that ,moses had not given them  
the bread from heaven1 etc4#bdi  ,but   
,god1 not having desired to reveal these
 things to this people who were unworthy
 of them1 and having nevertheless       
desired to foretell them1 in order that 
they might be believed1 foretold the    
time clearly1 and expressed the things  
sometimes clearly1 but very often in    
figures1 in order that those who loved  
symbols might consider them1 and those  
who loved what was symbolised might see 
it therein4  ,all that tends not to     
charity is figurative4  ,the sole aim of
 the ,scripture is charity4  ,all which 
tends not to the sole end is the type of
 it4 ,for since there is only one end1  
all which does not lead to it in express
 terms is figurative4  ,god thus varies 
that sole precept of charity to satisfy 
our curiosity1 which seeks for variety1 
by that variety which still leads us to 

the one thing needful4 ,for one thing   
alone is needful1#bej and we love       
variety2 and ,god satisfies both by     
these varieties1 which lead to the one  
thing needful4  ,the ,jews have so much 
loved the shadows1 and have so strictly 
expected them1 that they have           
misunderstood the reality1 when it came 
in the time and manner foretold4  ,the  
,rabbis take the breasts of the         
,spouse#bea for types1 and all that does
 not express the only end they have1    
namely1 temporal good4  ,and ,christians
 take even the ,eucharist as a type of  
the glory at which they aim4   #fgj     
,the ,jews1 who have been called to     
subdue nations and kings1 have been the 
slaves of sin2 and the ,christians1     
whose calling has been to be servants   
and subjects1 are free children4#beb    
#fga  ,a formal point4--,when ,saint    
,peter and the ,apostles deliberated    
about abolishing circumcision1 where it 
was a question of acting against the law
 of ,god1 they did not heed the         

prophets1 but simply the reception of   
the ,holy ,spirit in the persons        
uncircumcised4#bec  ,they thought it    
more certain that ,god approved of those
 whom ,he filled with ,his ,spirit1 than
 it was that the law must be obeyed4    
,they knew that the end of the law was  
only the ,holy ,spirit2 and that thus1  
as men certainly had this without       
circumcision1 it was not necessary4     
#fgb  ,fac secundum exemplar quod tibi  
ostensum est in monte4#bed--,the ,jewish
 religion then has been formed on its   
likeness to the truth of the ,messiah2  
and the truth of the ,messiah has been  
recognised by the ,jewish religion1     
which was the type of it4  ,among the   
,jews the truth was only typified2 in   
heaven it is revealed4  ,in the ,church 
it is hidden1 and recognised by its     
resemblance to the type4  ,the type has 
been made according to the truth1 and   
the truth has been recognised according 
to the type4  ,saint ,paul#bee says     
himself that people will forbid to      

marry1 and he himself speaks of it to   
the ,corinthians in a way which is a    
snare4 ,for if a prophet had said the   
one1 and ,saint ,paul had then said the 
other1 he would have been accused4      
#fgc  ,typical4--,do all things         
according to the pattern which has been 
shown thee on the mount4 ,on which      
,saint ,paul says that the ,jews have   
shadowed forth heavenly things4#bef     
#fgd  444 ,and yet this ,covenant1 made 
to blind some and enlighten others1     
indicated in those very persons1 whom it
 blinded1 the truth which should be     
recognised by others4 ,for the visible  
blessings which they received from ,god 
were so great and so divine1 that ,he   
indeed appeared able to give them those 
that are invisible1 and a ,messiah4     
,for nature is an image of ,grace1 and  
visible miracles are images of the      
invisible4 ,ut sciatis 444 tibi dico3   
,surge4  ,isaiah says that ,redemption  
will be as the passage of the ,red ,sea4
  ,god has then shown by the deliverance

 from ,egypt1 and from the sea1 by the  
defeat of kings1 by the manna1 by the   
whole genealogy of ,abraham1 that ,he   
was able to save1 to send down bread    
from heaven1 etc42 so that the people   
hostile to ,him are the type and the    
representation of the very ,messiah whom
 they know not1 etc4  ,he has then      
taught us at last that all these things 
were only types1 and what is true       
freedom1 a true ,israelite1 true        
circumcision1 true bread from heaven1   
etc4  ,in these promises each one finds 
what he has most at heart1 temporal     
benefits or spiritual1 ,god or the      
creatures2 but with this difference1    
that those who therein seek the         
creatures find them1 but with many      
contradictions1 with a prohibition      
against loving them1 with the command to
 worship ,god only1 and to love ,him    
only1 which is the same thing1 and1     
finally1 that the ,messiah came not for 
them2 whereas those who therein seek    
,god find ,him1 without any             

contradiction1 with the command to love 
,him only1 and that the ,messiah came in
 the time foretold1 to give them the    
blessings which they ask4  ,thus the    
,jews had miracles and prophecies1 which
 they say fulfilled and the teaching of 
their law was to worship and love ,god  
only2 it was also perpetual4 ,thus it   
had all the marks of the true religion2 
and so it was4 ,but the ,jewish teaching
 must be distinguished from the teaching
 of the ,jewish law4 ,now the ,jewish   
teaching was not true1 although it had  
miracles and prophecy and perpetuity1   
because it had not this other point of  
worshipping and loving ,god only4   #fge
  ,the veil1 which is upon these books  
for the ,jews1 is there also for evil   
,christians1 and for all who do not hate
 themselves4  ,but how well disposed men
 are to understand them and to know     
,jesus ,christ1 when they truly hate    
themselves6   #fgf  ,a type conveys     
absence and presence1 pleasure and pain4
  ,a cipher has a double meaning1 one   

clear1 and one in which it is said that 
the meaning is hidden4   #fgg           
,types4--,a portrait conveys absence and
 presence1 pleasure and pain4 ,the      
reality excludes absence and pain4  ,to 
know if the law and the sacrifices are a
 reality or a type1 we must see if the  
prophets1 in speaking of these things1  
confined their view and their thought to
 them1 so that they saw only the old    
covenant2 or if they saw therein        
something else of which they were the   
representation1 for in a portrait we see
 the thing figured4 ,for this we need   
only examine what they say of them4     
,when they say that it will be eternal1 
do they mean to speak of that covenant  
which they say will be changed2 and so  
of the sacrifices1 etc48  ,a cipher has 
two meanings4 ,when we find out an      
important letter in which we discover a 
clear meaning1 and in which it is       
nevertheless said that the meaning is   
veiled and obscure1 that it is hidden1  
so that we might read the letter without

 seeing it1 and interpret it without    
understanding it1 what must we think but
 that here is a cipher with a double    
meaning1 and the more so if we find     
obvious contradictions in the literal   
meaning8 ,the prophets have clearly said
 that ,israel would be always loved by  
,god1 and that the law would be eternal2
 and they have said that their meaning  
would not be understood1 and that it was
 veiled4  ,how greatly then ought we to 
value those who interpret the cipher1   
and teach us to understand the hidden   
meaning1 especially if the principles   
which they educe are perfectly clear and
 natural6 ,this is what ,jesus ,christ  
did1 and the ,apostles4 ,they broke the 
seal2 ,he rent the veil1 and revealed   
the spirit4 ,they have taught us through
 this that the enemies of man are his   
passions2 that the ,redeemer would be   
spiritual1 and ,his reign spiritual2    
that there would be two advents1 one in 
lowliness to humble the proud1 the other
 in glory to exalt the humble2 that     

,jesus ,christ would be both ,god and   
man4   #fgh  ,types4--,jesus ,christ    
opened their mind to understand the     
,scriptures4  ,two great revelations are
 these4 7#a7 ,all things happened to    
them in types3 vere ,isralit1 vere      
liberi1 true bread from ,heaven4 7#b7 ,a
 ,god humbled to the ,cross4 ,it was    
necessary that ,christ should suffer in 
order to enter into glory1 that ,he     
should destroy death through death4#beg 
,two advents4   #fgi  ,types4--,when    
once this secret is disclosed1 it is    
impossible not to see it4 ,let us read  
the ,old ,testament in this light1 and  
let us see if the sacrifices were real2 
if the fatherhood of ,abraham was the   
true cause of the friendship of ,god2   
and if the promised land was the true   
place of rest4 ,no4 ,they are therefore 
types4 ,let us in the same way examine  
all those ordained ceremonies1 all those
 commandments which are not of charity1 
and we shall see that they are types4   
,all these sacrifices and ceremonies    

were then either types or nonsense4 ,now
 these are things too clear1 and too    
lofty1 to be thought nonsense4  ,to know
 if the prophets confined their view in 
the ,old ,testament1 or saw therein     
other things4   #fhj  ,typical4--,the   
key of the cipher4 ,veri                
adoratores4#beh--;,ecce agnus ,dei qui  
tollit peccata mundi4#bei   #fha  ,is4  
i1 #ba4 ,change of good into evil1 and  
the vengeance of ,god4 ,is4 x1 ,i2 xxvi1
 #bj2 xxviii1 ,i4 ,miracles3 ,is4       
xxxiii1 #i2 xl1 #ag2 xli1 #bf2 xliii1   
#ac4  ,jer4 xi1 #ba2 xv1 #ab2 xvii1 #i4 
,pravum est cor omnium et incrustabile2 
quis cognoscet illud8 that is to say1   
,who can know all its evil8 ,for it is  
already known to be wicked4 ,ego        
dominus1 etc4--vii1 #ad1 ,faciam domui  
huic1 etc4 ,trust in external           
sacrifices--vii1 #bb1 ,quia non sum     
locutus1 etc4 ,outward sacrifice is not 
the essential point--xi1 #ac1 ,secundum 
numerum1 etc4 ,a multitude of doctrines4
  ,is4 xliv1 #bj-bd2 liv1 #h2 lxiii1    

#ab-ag2 lxvi1 #ag4 ,jer4 ii1 #ce2 iv1   
#bb-bd2 v1 #d1 #bi-ca2 vi1 #af2 xxiii1  
#ae-ag4   #fhb  ,types1--,the letter    
kills4 ,all happened in types4 ,here is 
the cipher which ,saint ,paul gives us4 
,christ must suffer4 ,an humiliated     
,god4 ,circumcision of the heart1 true  
fasting1 true sacrifice1 a true temple4 
,the prophets have shown that all these 
must be spiritual4  ,not the meat which 
perishes1 but that which does not       
perish4  ,ye shall be free indeed4#bfj  
,then the other freedom was only a type 
of freedom4  ,i am the true bread from  
,heaven4#bfa   #fhc                     
,contradiction4--,we can only describe a
 good character by reconciling all      
contrary qualities1 and it is not enough
 to keep up a series of harmonious      
qualities1 without reconciling          
contradictory ones4 ,to understand the  
meaning of an author1 we must make all  
the contrary passages agree4  ,thus1 to 
understand ,scripture1 we must have a   
meaning in which all the contrary       

passages are reconciled4 ,it is not     
enough to have one which suits many     
concurring passages2 but it is necessary
 to have one which reconciles even      
contradictory passages4  ,every author  
has a meaning in which all the          
contradictory passages agree1 or he has 
no meaning at all4 ,we cannot affirm the
 latter of ,scripture and the prophets2 
they undoubtedly are full of good sense4
 ,we must then seek for a meaning which 
reconciles all discrepancies4  ,the true
 meaning then is not that of the ,jews2 
but in ,jesus ,christ all the           
contradictions are reconciled4  ,the    
,jews could not reconcile the cessation 
of the royalty and principality1        
foretold by ,hosea1 with the prophecy of
 ,jacob4  ,if we take the law1 the      
sacrifices1 and the kingdom as          
realities1 we cannot reconcile all the  
passages4 ,they must then necessarily be
 only types4 ,we cannot even reconcile  
the passages of the same author1 nor of 
the same book1 nor sometimes of the same

 chapter1 which indicates copiously what
 was the meaning of the author4 ,as when
 ,ezekiel1 chap1 xx1 says that man will 
not live by the commandments of ,god and
 will live by them4   #fhd  ,types4--,if
 the law and the sacrifices are the     
truth1 it must please ,god1 and must not
 displease ,him4 ,if they are types1    
they must be both pleasing and          
displeasing4  ,now in all the ,scripture
 they are both pleasing and displeasing4
 ,it is said that the law shall be      
changed2 that the sacrifice shall be    
changed2 that they shall be without law1
 without a prince1 and without a        
sacrifice2 that a new covenant shall be 
made2 that the law shall be renewed2    
that the precepts which they have       
received are not good2 that their       
sacrifices are abominable2 that ,god has
 demanded none of them4  ,it is said1 on
 the contrary1 that the law shall abide 
for ever2 that this covenant shall be   
for ever2 that sacrifice shall be       
eternal2 that the sceptre shall never   

depart from among them1 because it shall
 not depart from them till the eternal  
,king comes4  ,do all these passages    
indicate what is real8 ,no4 ,do they    
then indicate what is typical8 ,no1 but 
what is either real or typical4 ,but the
 first passages1 excluding as they do   
reality1 indicate that all this is only 
typical4  ,all these passages together  
cannot be applied to reality2 all can be
 said to be typical2 therefore they are 
not spoken of reality1 but of the type4 
,agnus occisus est ab origine mundi4#bfb
 ,a sacrificing judge4   #fhe           
,contradictions4--,the sceptre till the 
,messiah--without king or prince4  ,the 
eternal law--changed4  ,the eternal     
covenant--a new covenant4  ,good        
laws--bad precepts4 ,ezekiel4   #fhf    
,types4--,when the word of ,god1 which  
is really true1 is false literally1 it  
is true spiritually4 ,sede a dextris    
meis3#bfc this is false literally1      
therefore it is true spiritually4  ,in  
these expressions1 ,god is spoken of    

after the manner of men2 and this means 
nothing else but that the intention     
which men have in giving a seat at their
 right hand1 ,god will have also4 ,it is
 then an indication of the intention of 
,god1 not of ,his manner of carrying it 
out4  ,thus when it is said1 ,god has   
received the odour of your incense1 and 
will in recompense give you a rich land1
 that is equivalent to saying that the  
same intention which a man would have1  
who1 pleased with your perfumes1 should 
in recompense give you a rich land1 ,god
 will have towards you1 because you have
 had the same intention as a man has    
towards him to whom he presents         
perfumes4 ,so iratus est1 a jealous     
,god1#bfd etc4 ,for1 the things of ,god 
being inexpressible1 they cannot be     
spoken of otherwise1 and the ,church    
makes use of them even to-day3 ,quia    
confortavil seras1#bfe etc4  ,it is not 
allowable to attribute to ,scripture the
 meaning which is not revealed to us    
that it has4 ,thus1 to say that the     

closed mem#bff of ,isaiah signifies six 
hundred1 has not been revealed4 ,it     
might be said that the final tsade and  
he deficientes may signify mysteries4   
,but it is not allowable to say so1 and 
still less to say this is the way of the
 philosopher's stone4 ,but we say that  
the literal meaning is not the true     
meaning1 because the prophets have      
themselves said so4   #fhg  ,i do not   
say that the mem is mystical4   #fhh    
,moses 7,deut4 xxx7 promises that ,god  
will circumcise their heart to render   
them capable of loving ,him4   #fhi     
,one saying of ,david1 or of ,moses1 as 
for instance that ,god will circumcise  
the heart1 enables us to judge of their 
spirit4 ,if all their other expressions 
were ambiguous1 and left us in doubt    
whether they were philosophers or       
,christians1 one saying of this kind    
would in fact determine all the rest1 as
 one sentence of ,epictetus decides the 
meaning of all the rest to be the       
opposite4 ,so far ambiguity exists1 but 

not afterwards4   #fij  ,if one of two  
persons1 who are telling silly stories1 
uses language with a double meaning1    
understood in his own circle1 while the 
other uses it with only one meaning1 any
 one not in the secret1 who hears them  
both talk in this manner1 will pass upon
 them the same judgment4 ,but if        
afterwards1 in the rest of their        
conversation one says angelic things1   
and the other always dull commonplaces1 
he will judge that the one spoke in     
mysteries1 and not the other2 the one   
having sufficiently shown that he is    
incapable of such foolishness1 and      
capable of being mysterious2 and the    
other that he is incapable of mystery1  
and capable of foolishness4  ,the ,old  
,testament is a cipher4   #fia  ,there  
are some that see clearly that man has  
no other enemy than lust1 which turns   
him from ,god1 and not ,god2 and that he
 has no other good than ,god1 and not a 
rich land4 ,let those who believe that  
the good of man is in the flesh1 and    

evil in what turns him away from sensual
 pleasures1 satiate themselves with     
them1 and die in them4 ,but let those   
who seek ,god with all their heart1 who 
are only troubled at not seeing ,him1   
who desire only to possess ,him1 and    
have as enemies only those who turn them
 away from ,him1 who are grieved at     
seeing themselves surrounded and        
overwhelmed with such enemies1 take     
comfort4 ,i proclaim to them happy news4
 ,there exists a ,redeemer for them4 ,i 
shall show ,him to them4 ,i shall show  
that there is a ,god for them4 ,i shall 
not show ,him to others4 ,i shall make  
them see that a ,messiah has been       
promised1 who should deliver them from  
their enemies1 and that ,one has come to
 free them from their iniquities1 but   
not from their enemies4  ,when ,david   
foretold that the ,messiah would deliver
 ,his people from their enemies1 one can
 believe that in the flesh these would  
be the ,egyptians2 and then ,i cannot   
show that the prophecy was fulfilled4   

,but one can well believe also that the 
enemies would be their sins2 for indeed 
the ,egyptians were not their enemies1  
but their sins were so4 ,this word1     
enemies1 is therefore ambiguous4 ,but if
 he says elsewhere1 as he does1 that ,he
 will deliver ,his people from their    
sins1 as indeed do ,isaiah and others1  
the ambiguity is removed1 and the double
 meaning of enemies is reduced to the   
simple meaning of iniquities4 ,for if he
 had sins in his mind1 he could well    
denote them as enemies2 but if he       
thought of enemies1 he could not        
designate them as iniquities4  ,now     
,moses1 ,david1 and ,isaiah used the    
same terms4 ,who will say then that they
 have not the same meaning1 and that    
,david's meaning1 which is plainly      
iniquities when he spoke of enemies1 was
 not the same as that of ,moses when    
speaking of enemies8  ,daniel 7ix7 prays
 for the deliverance of the people from 
the captivity of their enemies4 ,but he 
was thinking of sins1 and1 to show this1

 he says that ,gabriel came to tell him 
that his prayer was heard1 and that     
there were only seventy weeks to wait1  
after which the people would be freed   
from iniquity1 sin would have an end1   
and the ,redeemer1 the ,holy of ,holies1
 would bring eternal justice1 not legal1
 but eternal4     ,,section ,,xi  ,,the 
,,prophecies   #fib  ,when ,i see the   
blindness and the wretchedness of man1  
when ,i regard the whole silent         
universe1 and man without light1 left to
 himself1 and1 as it were1 lost in this 
corner of the universe1 without knowing 
who has put him there1 what he has come 
to do1 what will become of him at death1
 and incapable of all knowledge1 ,i     
become terrified1 like a man who should 
be carried in his sleep to a dreadful   
desert island1 and should awake without 
knowing where he is1 and without means  
of escape4 ,and thereupon ,i wonder how 
people in a condition so wretched do not
 fall into despair4 ,i see other persons
 around me of a like nature4 ,i ask them

 if they are better informed than ,i am4
 ,they tell me that they are not4 ,and  
thereupon these wretched and lost       
beings1 having looked around them1 and  
seen some pleasing objects1 have given  
and attached themselves to them4 ,for my
 own part1 ,i have not been able to     
attach myself to them1 and1 considering 
how strongly it appears that there is   
something else than what ,i see1 ,i have
 examined whether this ,god has not left
 some sign of ,himself4  ,i see many    
contradictory religions1 and            
consequently all false save one4 ,each  
wants to be believed on its own         
authority1 and threatens unbelievers4 ,i
 do not therefore believe them4 ,every  
one can say this2 every one can call    
himself a prophet4 ,but ,i see that     
,christian religion wherein prophecies  
are fulfilled2 and that is what every   
one cannot do4   #fic  ,and what crowns 
all this is prediction1 so that it      
should not be said that it is chance    
which has done it4  ,whosoever1 having  

only a week to live1 will not find out  
that it is expedient to believe that all
 this is not a stroke of chance 444     
,now1 if the passions had no hold on us1
 a week and a hundred years would amount
 to the same thing4   #fid              
,prophecies4--,great ,pan is dead4#bfg  
#fie  ,susceperunt verbum cum omni      
aviditate1 scrutantes ,scripturas1 si   
ita se haberent4#bfh   #fif  ,prodita   
lege4--,impleta cerne4--,implenda       
collige4   #fig  ,we understand the     
prophecies only when we see the events  
happen4 ,thus the proofs of retreat1    
discretion1 silence1 etc4 are proofs    
only to those who know and believe them4
  ,joseph so internal in a law so       
external4  ,outward penances dispose to 
inward1 as humiliations to humility4    
,thus the 444   #fih  ,the synagogue has
 preceded the church2 the ,jews1 the    
,christians4 ,the prophets have foretold
 the ,christians2 ,saint ,john1 ,jesus  
,christ4   #fii  ,it is glorious to see 
with the eyes of faith the history of   

,herod and of ,csar4   #gjj  ,the zeal  
of the ,jews for their law and their    
temple 7,josephus1 and ,philo the ,jew1 
,ad ,caum74 ,what other people had such 
a zeal8 ,it was necessary they should   
have it4  ,jesus ,christ foretold as to 
the time and the state of the world4    
,the ruler taken from the thigh1#bfi and
 the fourth monarchy4 ,how lucky we are 
to see this light amidst this darkness6 
,how fine it is to see1 with the eyes of
 faith1 ,darius and ,cyrus1 ,alexander1 
the ,romans1 ,pompey and ,herod working1
 without knowing it1 for the glory of   
the ,gospel6   #gja  ,zeal of the       
,jewish people for the law1 especially  
after there were no more prophets4      
#gjb  ,while the prophets were for      
maintaining the law1 the people were    
indifferent4 ,but since there have been 
no more prophets1 zeal has succeeded    
them4   #gjc  ,the devil troubled the   
zeal of the ,jews before ,jesus ,christ1
 because he would have been their       
salvation1 but not since4  ,the ,jewish 

people scorned by the ,gentiles2 the    
,christian people persecuted4   #gjd    
,proof4--,prophecies with their         
fulfilment2 what has preceded and what  
has followed ,jesus ,christ4   #gje     
,the prophecies are the strongest proof 
of ,jesus ,christ4 ,it is for them also 
that ,god has made most provision2 for  
the event which has fulfilled them is a 
miracle existing since the birth of the 
,church to the end4 ,so ,god has raised 
up prophets during sixteen hundred      
years1 and1 during four hundred years   
afterwards1 ,he has scattered all these 
prophecies among all the ,jews1 who     
carried them into all parts of the      
world4 ,such was the preparation for the
 birth of ,jesus ,christ1 and1 as ,his  
,gospel was to be believed by all the   
world1 it was not only necessary that   
there should be prophecies to make it   
believed1 but that these prophecies     
should exist throughout the whole world1
 in order to make it embraced by the    
whole world4   #gjf  ,but it was not    

enough that the prophecies should exist4
 ,it was necessary that they should be  
distributed throughout all places1 and  
preserved throughout all times4 ,and in 
order that this agreement might not be  
taken for an effect of chance1 it was   
necessary that this should be foretold4 
,it is far more glorious for the        
,messiah that the ,jews should be the   
spectators1 and even the instruments of 
,his glory1 besides that ,god had       
reserved them4   #gjg                   
,prophecies4--,the time foretold by the 
state of the ,jewish people1 by the     
state of the heathen1 by the state of   
the temple1 by the number of years4     
#gjh  ,one must be bold to predict the  
same thing in so many ways4 ,it was     
necessary that the four idolatrous or   
pagan monarchies1 the end of the kingdom
 of ,judah1 and the seventy weeks1      
should happen at the same time1 and all 
this before the second temple was       
destroyed4   #gji  ,prophecies4--,if one
 man alone had made a book of           

predictions about ,jesus ,christ1 as to 
the time and the manner1 and ,jesus     
,christ had come in conformity to these 
prophecies1 this fact would have        
infinite weight4  ,but there is much    
more here4 ,here is a succession of men 
during four thousand years1 who1        
consequently and without variation1     
come1 one after another1 to foretell    
this same event4 ,here is a whole people
 who announce it1 and who have existed  
for four thousand years1 in order to    
give corporate testimony of the         
assurances which they have1 and from    
which they cannot be diverted by        
whatever threats and persecutions people
 may make against them4 ,this is far    
more important4   #gaj  ,predictions of 
particular things4--,they were strangers
 in ,egypt1 without any private         
property1 either in that country or     
elsewhere4 ,there was not the least     
appearance1 either of the royalty which 
had previously existed so long1 or of   
that supreme council of seventy judges  

which they called the ,sanhedrin1 and   
which1 having been instituted by ,moses1
 lasted to the time of ,jesus ,christ4  
,all these things were as far removed   
from their state at that time as they   
could be1 when ,jacob1 dying1 and       
blessing his twelve children1 declared  
to them1 that they would be proprietors 
of a great land1 and foretold in        
particular to the family of ,judah1 that
 the kings1 who would one day rule them1
 should be of his race2 and that all his
 brethren should be their subjects2 and 
that even the ,messiah1 who was to be   
the expectation of nations1 should      
spring from him2 and that the kingship  
should not be taken away from ,judah1   
nor the ruler and law-giver of his      
descendants1 till the expected ,messiah 
should arrive in his family4  ,this same
 ,jacob1 disposing of this future land  
as though he had been its ruler1 gave a 
portion to ,joseph more than to the     
others4 ,i give you1 said he1 one part  
more than to your brothers4 ,and        

blessing his two children1 ,ephraim and 
,manasseh1 whom ,joseph had presented to
 him1 the elder1 ,manasseh1 on his      
right1 and the young ,ephraim on his    
left1 he put his arms crosswise1 and    
placing his right hand on the head of   
,ephraim1 and his left on ,manasseh1 he 
blessed them in this manner4 ,and1 upon 
,joseph's representing to him that he   
was preferring the younger1 he replied  
to him with admirable resolution3 ,i    
know it well1 my son2 but ,ephraim will 
increase more than ,manasseh4 ,this has 
been indeed so true in the result1 that1
 being alone almost as fruitful as the  
two entire lines which composed a whole 
kingdom1 they have been usually called  
by the name of ,ephraim alone4  ,this   
same ,joseph1 when dying1 bade his      
children carry his bones with them when 
they should go into that land1 to which 
they only came two hundred years        
afterwards4  ,moses1 who wrote all these
 things so long before they happened1   
himself assigned to each family portions

 of that land before they entered it1 as
 though he had been its ruler4 ,in fact 
he declared that ,god was to raise up   
from their nation and their race a      
prophet1 of whom he was the type2 and he
 foretold them exactly all that was to  
happen to them in the land which they   
were to enter after his death1 the      
victories which ,god would give them1   
their ingratitude towards ,god1 the     
punishments which they would receive for
 it1 and the rest of their adventures4  
,he gave them judges who should make the
 division4 ,he prescribed the entire    
form of political government which they 
should observe1 the cities of refuge    
which they should build1 and 444   #gaa 
,the prophecies about particular things 
are mingled with those about the        
,messiah1 so that the prophecies of the 
,messiah should not be without proofs1  
nor the special prophecies without      
fruit4   #gab  ,perpetual captivity of  
the ,jews4--,jer4 xi1 #aa3 ,i will bring
 evil upon ,judah from which they shall 

not be able to escape4  ,types4--,is4 v3
 ,the ,lord had a vineyard1 from which  
,he looked for grapes2 and it brought   
forth only wild grapes4 ,i will         
therefore lay it waste1 and destroy it2 
the earth shall only bring forth thorns1
 and ,i will forbid the clouds from     
raining upon it4 ,the vineyard of the   
,lord is the house of ,israel1 and the  
men of ,judah ,his pleasant plant4 ,i   
looked that they should do justice1 and 
they bring forth only iniquities4  ,is4 
viii3 ,sanctify the ,lord with fear and 
trembling2 let ,him be your only dread1 
and ,he shall be to you for a sanctuary1
 but for a stone of stumbling and a rock
 of offence to both the houses of       
,israel1 for a gin and for a snare to   
the inhabitants of ,jerusalem2 and many 
among them shall stumble against that   
stone1 and fall1 and be broken1 and be  
snared1 and perish4 ,hide my words1 and 
cover my law for my disciples4  ,i will 
then wait in patience upon the ,lord    
that hideth and concealeth ,himself from

 the house of ,jacob4  ,is4 xxix3 ,be   
amazed and wonder1 people of ,israel2   
stagger and stumble1 and be drunken1 but
 not with wine2 stagger1 but not with   
strong drink4 ,for the ,lord hath poured
 out upon you the spirit of deep sleep4 
,he will close your eyes2 ,he will cover
 your princes and your prophets that    
have visions4 7,daniel xii3 ,the wicked 
shall not understand1 but the wise shall
 understand4 ,hosea1 the last chapter1  
the last verse1 after many temporal     
blessings1 says3 ,who is wise1 and he   
shall understand these things1 etc487   
,and the visions of all the prophets are
 become unto you as a sealed book1 which
 men deliver to one that is learned1 and
 who can read2 and he saith1 ,i cannot  
read it1 for it is sealed4 ,and when the
 book is delivered to them that are not 
learned1 they say ,i am not learned4    
,wherefore the ,lord said1 ,forasmuch as
 this people with their lips do honour  
me1 but have removed their heart far    
from me1--there is the reason and the   

cause of it2 for if they adored ,god in 
their hearts1 they would understand the 
prophecies1--and their fear towards me  
is taught by the precept of man4        
,therefore1 behold1 ,i will proceed to  
do a marvellous work among this people1 
even a marvellous work and a wonder2 for
 the wisdom of their wise men shall     
perish1 and their understanding shall be
 hid4  ,prophecies4 ,proofs of          
,divinity4--,is4 xli3 ,shew the things  
that are to come hereafter1 that we may 
know that ye are gods3 we will incline  
our heart unto your words4 ,teach us the
 things that have been at the beginning1
 and declare us things for to come4  ,by
 this we shall know that ye are gods4   
,yea1 do good or do evil1 if you can4   
,let us then behold it and reason       
together4 ,behold1 ye are of nothing1   
and only an abomination1 etc4 ,who1     
7among contemporary writers71 hath      
declared from the beginning that we may 
know of the things done from the        
beginning and origin8 that we may say1  

,you are righteous4 ,there is none that 
teacheth us1 yea1 there is none that    
declareth the future4  ,is4 xlii3 ,i am 
the ,lord1 and my glory will ,i not give
 to another4 ,i have foretold the things
 which have come to pass1 and things    
that are to come do ,i declare4 ,sing   
unto ,god a new song in all the earth4  
,bring forth the blind people that have 
eyes and see not1 and the deaf that have
 ears and hear not4 ,let all the nations
 be gathered together4 ,who among them  
can declare this1 and shew us former    
things1 and things to come8 ,let them   
bring forth their witnesses1 that they  
may be justified2 or let them hear1 and 
say1 ,it is truth4  ,ye are my          
witnesses1 saith the ,lord1 and my      
servant whom ,i have chosen2 that ye may
 know and believe me1 and understand    
that ,i am ,he4  ,i have declared1 and  
have saved1 and ,i alone have done      
wonders before your eyes3 ye are my     
witnesses1 said the ,lord1 that ,i am   
,god4  ,for your sake ,i have brought   

down the forces of the ,babylonians4 ,i 
am the ,lord1 your ,holy ,one and       
creator4  ,i have made a way in the sea1
 and a path in the mighty waters4 ,i am 
,he that drowned and destroyed for ever 
the mighty enemies that have resisted   
you4  ,remember ye not the former       
things1 neither consider the things of  
old4  ,behold1 ,i will do a new thing2  
now it shall spring forth2 shall ye not 
know it8 ,i will even make a way in the 
wilderness1 and rivers in the desert4   
,this people have ,i formed for myself2 
,i have established them to shew forth  
my praise1 etc4  ,i1 even ,i1 am ,he    
that blotteth out thy transgressions for
 mine own sake1 and will not remember   
thy sins4 ,put in remembrance your      
ingratitude3 see thou1 if thou mayest be
 justified4 ,thy first father hath      
sinned1 and thy teachers have           
transgressed against me4  ,is4 xliv3 ,i 
am the first1 and ,i am the last1 saith 
the ,lord4 ,let him who will equal      
himself to me1 declare the order of     

things since ,i appointed the ancient   
people1 and the things that are coming4 
,fear ye not3 have ,i not told you all  
these things8 ,ye are my witnesses4     
,prophecy of ,cyrus4--,is4 xlv1 #d3 ,for
 ,jacob's sake1 mine elect1 ,i have     
called thee by thy name4  ,is4 xlv1 #ba3
 ,come and let us reason together4 ,who 
hath declared this from ancient time8   
,who hath told it from that time8 ,have 
not ,i1 the ,lord8  ,is4 xlvi3 ,remember
 the former things of old1 and know     
there is none like me1 declaring the end
 from the beginning1 and from ancient   
times the things that are not yet done1 
saying1 ,my counsel shall stand1 and ,i 
will do all my pleasure4  ,is4 xlii3    
,behold1 the former things are come to  
pass1 and new things do ,i declare2     
before they spring forth ,i tell you of 
them4  ,is4 xlviii1 #c3 ,i have declared
 the former things from the beginning2  
,i did them suddenly2 and they came to  
pass4 ,because ,i know that thou art    
obstinate1 that thy spirit is           

rebellious1 and thy brow brass2 ,i have 
even declared it to thee before it came 
to pass3 lest thou shouldst say that it 
was the work of thy gods1 and the effect
 of their commands4  ,thou hast seen all
 this2 and will not ye declare it8 ,i   
have shewed thee new things from this   
time1 even hidden things1 and thou didst
 not know them4 ,they are created now1  
and not from the beginning2 ,i have kept
 them hidden from thee2 lest thou       
shouldst say1 ,behold1 ,i knew them4    
,yea1 thou knewest not2 yea1 thou       
heardest not2 yea1 from that time that  
thine ear was not opened3 for ,i knew   
that thou couldst deal very             
treacherously1 and wast called a        
transgressor from the womb4             
,reprobation of the ,jews and conversion
 of the ,gentiles4--,is4 lxv3 ,i am     
sought of them that asked not for me2 ,i
 am found of them that sought me not2 ,i
 said1 ,behold me1 behold me1 behold me1
 unto a nation that did not call upon my
 name4  ,i have spread out my hands all 

the day unto an unbelieving people1     
which walketh in a way that was not     
good1 after their own thoughts2 a people
 that provoketh me to anger continually 
by the sins they commit in my face2 that
 sacrificeth to idols1 etc4  ,these     
shall be scattered like smoke in the day
 of my wrath1 etc4  ,your iniquities1   
and the iniquities of your fathers1 will
 ,i assemble together1 and will         
recompense you for all according to your
 works4  ,thus saith the ,lord1 ,as the 
new wine is found in the cluster1 and   
one saith1 ,destroy it not1 for a       
blessing is in it and the promise of    
fruit3 for my servants' sake ,i will not
 destroy all ,israel4  ,thus ,i will    
bring forth a seed out of ,jacob and out
 of ,judah1 an inheritor of my          
mountains1 and mine elect and my        
servants shall inherit it1 and my       
fertile and abundant plains2 but ,i will
 destroy all others1 because you have   
forgotten your ,god to serve strange    
gods4 ,i called1 and ye did not answer2 

,i spake1 and ye did not hear2 and ye   
did choose the thing which ,i forbade4  
,therefore thus saith the ,lord1        
,behold1 my servants shall eat1 but ye  
shall be hungry2 my servants shall      
rejoice1 but ye shall be ashamed2 my    
servants shall sing for joy of heart1   
but ye shall cry and howl for vexation  
of spirit4  ,and ye shall leave your    
name for a curse unto my chosen3 for the
 ,lord shall slay thee1 and call ,his   
servants by another name1 that he who   
blesseth himself in the earth shall     
bless himself in ,god1 etc41 because the
 former troubles are forgotten4  ,for1  
behold1 ,i create new heavens and a new 
earth2 and the former things shall not  
be remembered1 nor come into mind4  ,but
 be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that
 which ,i create2 for1 behold1 ,i create
 ,jerusalem a rejoicing1 and her people 
a joy4  ,and ,i will rejoice in         
,jerusalem and joy in my people2 and the
 voice of weeping shall no more be heard
 in her1 nor the voice of crying4       

,before they call1 ,i will answer2 and  
while they are yet speaking1 ,i will    
hear4 ,the wolf and the lamb shall feed 
together1 and the lion shall eat straw  
like the bullock2 and dust shall be the 
serpent's meat4 ,they shall not hurt nor
 destroy in all my holy mountain4  ,is4 
lvi1 #c3 ,thus saith the ,lord1 ,keep ye
 judgment1 and do justice3 for my       
salvation is near to come1 and my       
righteousness to be revealed4  ,blessed 
is the man that doeth this1 that keepeth
 the ,sabbath1 and keepeth his hand from
 doing any evil4  ,neither let the      
strangers that have joined themselves to
 me1 say1 ,god will separate me from    
,his people4 ,for thus saith the ,lord3 
,whoever will keep my ,sabbath1 and     
choose the things that please me1 and   
take hold of my covenant2 even unto them
 will ,i give in mine house a place and 
a name better than that of sons and of  
daughters3 ,i will give them an         
everlasting name1 that shall not be cut 
off4  ,is4 lix1 #i3 ,therefore for our  

iniquities is justice far from us3 we   
wait for light1 but behold obscurity2   
for brightness1 but we walk in darkness4
 ,we grope for the wall like the blind2 
we stumble at noon day as in the night3 
we are in desolate places as dead men4  
,we roar all like bears1 and mourn sore 
like doves2 we look for judgment1 but   
there is none2 for salvation1 but it is 
far from us4  ,is4 lxvi1 #ah3 ,but ,i   
know their works and their thoughts2 it 
shall come that ,i will gather all      
nations and tongues1 and they shall see 
my glory4  ,and ,i will set a sign among
 them1 and ,i will send those that      
escape of them unto the nations1 to     
,africa1 to ,lydia1 to ,italy1 to       
,greece1 and to the people that have not
 heard my fame1 neither have seen my    
glory4 ,and they shall bring your       
brethren4  ,jer4 vii4 ,reprobation of   
the ,temple3 ,go ye unto ,shiloth1 where
 ,i set my name at the first1 and see   
what ,i did to it for the wickedness of 
my people4 ,and now1 because ye have    

done all these works1 saith the ,lord1  
,i will do unto this house1 wherein my  
name is called upon1 wherein ye trust1  
and unto the place which ,i gave to your
 priests1 as ,i have done to ,shiloth4  
7,for ,i have rejected it1 and made     
myself a temple elsewhere47  ,and ,i    
will cast you out of my sight1 as ,i    
have cast out all your brethren1 even   
the seed of ,ephraim4 7,rejected for    
ever47 ,therefore pray not for this     
people4  ,jer4 vii1 #bb3 ,what avails it
 you to add sacrifice to sacrifice8 ,for
 ,i spake not unto your fathers1 when ,i
 brought them out of the land of ,egypt1
 concerning burnt offerings or          
sacrifices4 ,but this thing commanded ,i
 them1 saying1 ,obey and be faithful to 
my commandments1 and ,i will be your    
,god1 and ye shall be my people4 7,it   
was only after they had sacrificed to   
the golden calf that ,i gave myself     
sacrifices to turn into good an evil    
custom47  ,jer4 vii1 #d3 ,trust ye not  
in lying words1 saying1 ,the temple of  

the ,lord1 the temple of the ,lord1 the 
temple of the ,lord1 are these4   #gac  
,the ,jews witnesses for ,god4 ,is4     
xliii1 #i2 xliv1 #h4  ,prophecies       
fulfilled4--,i ,kings xiii1 #b4--;,i    
,kings xxiii1 #af4--;,joshua vi1        
#bf4--;,i ,kings xvi1 #cd4--;,deut4     
xxiii4  ,malachi i1 ,,ii4 ,the sacrifice
 of the ,jews rejected1 and the         
sacrifice of the heathen1 7even out of  
,jerusalem17 and in all places4  ,moses1
 before dying1 foretold the calling of  
the ,gentiles1 ,deut4 xxxii1 #ba1 and   
the reprobation of the ,jews4  ,moses   
foretold what would happen to each      
tribe4  ,prophecy4--,your name shall be 
a curse unto mine elect1 and ,i will    
give them another name4  ,make their    
heart fat1#bgj and how8 by flattering   
their lust and making them hope to      
satisfy it4   #gad  ,prophecy4--,amos   
and ,zechariah4 ,they have sold the just
 one1 and therefore will not be         
recalled4--,jesus ,christ betrayed4     
,they shall no more remember ,egypt4    

,see ,is4 xliii1 #af1 #ag1 #ah1 #ai4    
,jer4 xxiii1 #f1 #g4  ,prophecy4--,the  
,jews shall be scattered abroad4 ,is4   
xxvii1 #f4--;,a new law1 ,jerem4 xxxi1  
#cb4  ,malachi4 ,grotius4--,the second  
temple glorious4--,jesus ,christ will   
come4 ,haggai ii1 #g1 #h1 #i1 #aj4  ,the
 calling of the ,gentiles4 ,joel ii1    
#bh4 ,hosea ii1 #bd4 ,deut4 xxxii1 #ba4 
,malachi i1 #aa4   #gae  ,hosea         
iii4--,is4 xlii1 xlviii1 liv1 lx1 lxi1  
last verse4 ,i foretold it long since   
that they might know that it is ,i4     
,jaddus to ,alexander4   #gaf           
,prophecies4--,the promise that ,david  
will always have descendants4 ,jer4     
xiii1 #ac4   #gag  ,the eternal reign of
 the race of ,david1 #b ,chron41 by all 
the prophecies1 and with an oath4 ,and  
it was not temporally fulfilled4 ,jer4  
xxiii1 #bj4   #gah  ,we might perhaps   
think that1 when the prophets foretold  
that the sceptre should not depart from 
,judah until the eternal ,king came1    
they spoke to flatter the people1 and   

that their prophecy was proved false by 
,herod4 ,but to show that this was not  
their meaning1 and that1 on the         
contrary1 they knew well that this      
temporal kingdom should cease1 they said
 that they would be without a king and  
without a prince1 and for a long time4  
,hosea iii1 #d4   #gai  ,non habemus    
regem nisi ,csarem4#bga ,therefore      
,jesus ,christ was the ,messiah1 since  
they had no longer any king but a       
stranger1 and would have no other4      
#gbj  ,we have no king but ,csar4   #gba
  ,daniel ii3 ,all thy soothsayers and  
wise men cannot shew unto thee the      
secret which thou hast demanded4 ,but   
there is a ,god in heaven who can do so1
 and that hath revealed to thee in thy  
dream what shall be in the latter days1 
7,this dream must have caused him much  
misgiving47  ,and it is not by my own   
wisdom that ,i have knowledge of this   
secret1 but by the revelation of this   
same ,god1 that hath revealed it to me1 
to make it manifest in thy presence4    

,thy dream was then of this kind4 ,thou 
sawest a great image1 high and terrible1
 which stood before thee4 ,his head was 
of gold1 his breast and arms of silver1 
his belly and his thighs of brass1 his  
legs of iron1 his feet part of iron and 
part of clay4 ,thus thou sawest till    
that a stone was cut out without hands1 
which smote the image upon his feet1    
that were of iron and of clay1 and brake
 them to pieces4  ,then was the iron1   
the clay1 the brass1 the silver1 and the
 gold broken to pieces together1 and the
 wind carried them away2 but this stone 
that smote the image became a great     
mountain1 and filled the whole earth4   
,this is the dream1 and now ,i will give
 thee the interpretation thereof4  ,thou
 who art the greatest of kings1 and to  
whom ,god hath given a power so vast    
that thou art renowned among all        
peoples1 art the head of gold which thou
 hast seen4 ,but after thee shall arise 
another kingdom inferior to thee1 and   
another third kingdom of brass1 which   

shall bear rule over all the earth4     
,but the fourth kingdom shall be strong 
as iron1 and even as iron breaketh in   
pieces and subdueth all things1 so shall
 this empire break in pieces and bruise 
all4  ,and whereas thou sawest the feet 
and toes1 part of clay and part of iron1
 the kingdom shall be divided2 but there
 shall be in it of the strength of iron 
and of the weakness of clay4  ,but as   
iron cannot be firmly mixed with clay1  
so they who are represented by the iron 
and by the clay1 shall not cleave one to
 another though united by marriage4     
,now in the days of these kings shall   
,god set up a kingdom1 which shall never
 be destroyed1 nor ever be delivered up 
to other people4 ,it shall break in     
pieces and consume all these kingdoms1  
and it shall stand for ever1 according  
as thou sawest that the stone was cut   
out of the mountain without hands1 and  
that it fell from the mountain1 and     
brake in pieces the iron1 the clay1 the 
silver1 and the gold4 ,god hath made    

known to thee what shall come to pass   
hereafter4 ,this dream is certain1 and  
the interpretation thereof sure4  ,then 
,nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face      
towards the earth1 etc4  ,daniel viii1  
#h4 ,daniel having seen the combat of   
the ram and of the he-goat1 who         
vanquished him and ruled over the earth1
 whereof the principal horn being broken
 four others came up toward the four    
winds of heaven1 and out of one of them 
came forth a little horn1 which waxed   
exceedingly great toward the south1 and 
toward the east1 and toward the land of 
,israel1 and it waxed great even to the 
host of heaven2 and it cast down some of
 the stars1 and stamped upon them1 and  
at last overthrew the prince1 and by him
 the daily sacrifice was taken away1 and
 the place of his sanctuary was cast    
down4  ,this is what ,daniel saw4 ,he   
sought the meaning of it1 and a voice   
cried in this manner1 ',gabriel1 make   
this man to understand the vision1' ,and
 ,gabriel said3  ,the ram which thou    

sawest is the king of the ,medes and    
,persians1 and the he-goat is the king  
of ,greece1 and the great horn that is  
between his eyes is the first king of   
this monarchy4  ,now that being broken1 
whereas four stood up for it1 four      
kingdoms shall stand up out of the      
nation1 but not in his power4  ,and in  
the latter time of their kingdom1 when  
iniquities are come to the full1 there  
shall arise a king1 insolent and strong1
 but not by his own power1 to whom all  
things shall succeed after his own will2
 and he shall destroy the holy people1  
and through his policy also he shall    
cause craft to prosper in his hand1 and 
he shall destroy many4 ,he shall also   
stand up against the ,prince of princes1
 but he shall perish miserably1 and     
nevertheless by a violent hand4  ,daniel
 ix1 #bj4 ,whilst ,i was praying with   
all my heart1 and confessing my sin and 
the sin of all my people1 and           
prostrating myself before my ,god1 even 
,gabriel1 whom ,i had seen in the vision

 at the beginning1 came to me and       
touched me about the time of the evening
 oblation1 and he informed me and said1 
,o ,daniel1 ,i am now come forth to give
 thee the knowledge of things4 ,at the  
beginning of thy supplications ,i came  
to shew that which thou didst desire1   
for thou are greatly beloved3 therefore 
understand the matter1 and consider the 
vision4 ,seventy weeks are determined   
upon thy people1 and upon thy holy city1
 to finish the transgression1 and to    
make an end of sins1 and to abolish     
iniquity1 and to bring in everlasting   
righteousness2 to accomplish the vision 
and the prophecies1 and to anoint the   
,most ,holy4 7,after which this people  
shall be no more thy people1 nor this   
city the holy city4 ,the times of wrath 
shall be passed1 and the years of grace 
shall come for ever47  ,know therefore1 
and understand1 that1 from the going    
forth of the commandment to restore and 
to build ,jerusalem unto the ,messiah   
the ,prince1 shall be seven weeks1 and  

three score and two weeks4 7,the        
,hebrews were accustomed to divide      
numbers1 and to place the small first4  
,thus1 #g and #fb make #fi4 ,of this #gj
 there will then remain the #gjth1 that 
is to say1 the #g last years of which he
 will speak next47  ,the street shall be
 built again1 and the wall1 even in     
troublous times4 ,and after three score 
and two weeks1 7which have followed the 
first seven4 ,christ will then be killed
 after the sixty-nine weeks1 that is to 
say1 in the last week71 the ,christ     
shall be cut off1 and a people of the   
prince that shall come shall destroy the
 city and the sanctuary1 and overwhelm  
all1 and the end of that war shall      
accomplish the desolation4  ,now one    
week1 7which is the seventieth1 which   
remains71 shall confirm the covenant    
with many1 and in the midst of the week1
 7that is to say1 the last three and a  
half years71 he shall cause the         
sacrifice and the oblation to cease1 and
 for the overspreading of abominations  

he shall make it desolate1 even until   
the consummation1 and that determined   
shall be poured upon the desolate4      
,daniel xi4 ,the angel said to ,daniel3 
,there shall stand up yet1 7after       
,cyrus1 under whom this still is71 three
 kings in ,persia1 7,cambyses1 ,smerdis1
 ,darius72 and the fourth who shall then
 come1 7,xerxes7 shall be far richer    
than they all1 and far stronger1 and    
shall stir up all his people against the
 ,greeks4  ,but a mighty king shall     
stand up1 7,alexander71 that shall rule 
with great dominion1 and do according to
 his will4 ,and when he shall stand up1 
his kingdom shall be broken1 and shall  
be divided in four parts toward the four
 winds of heaven1 7as he had said above1
 vii1 #f2 viii1 #h71 but not his        
posterity2 and his successors shall not 
equal his power1 for his kingdom shall  
be plucked up1 even for others besides  
these1 7his four chief successors74     
,and the king of the south1 7,ptolemy1  
son of ,lagos1 ,egypt71 shall be strong2

 but one of his princes shall be strong 
above him1 and his dominion shall be a  
great dominion1 7,seleucus1 ,king of    
,syria4 ,appian says that he was the    
most powerful of ,alexander's           
successors74  ,and in the end of years  
they shall join themselves together1 and
 the king's daughter of the south1      
7,berenice1 daughter of ,ptolemy        
,philadelphus1 son of the other         
,ptolemy71 shall come to the king of the
 north1 7to ,antiochus ,deus1 ,king of  
,syria and of ,asia1 son of ,seleucus   
,lagidas71 to make peace between these  
princes4  ,but neither she nor her seed 
shall have a long authority2 for she and
 they that brought her1 and her         
children1 and her friends1 shall be     
delivered to death4 7,berenice and her  
son were killed by ,seleucus            
,callinicus47  ,but out of a branch of  
her roots shall one stand up1 7,ptolemy 
,euergetes was the issue of the same    
father as ,berenice71 which shall come  
with a mighty army into the land of the 

king of the north1 where he shall put   
all under subjection1 and he shall also 
carry captive into ,egypt their gods1   
their princes1 their gold1 their silver1
 and all their precious spoils1 7if he  
had not been called into ,egypt by      
domestic reasons1 says ,justin1 he would
 have entirely stripped ,seleucus72 and 
he shall continue several years when the
 king of the north can do nought against
 him4  ,and so he shall return into his 
kingdom4 ,but his sons shall be stirred 
up1 and shall assemble a multitude of   
great forces1 7,seleucus ,ceraunus1     
,antiochus the ,great74 ,and their army 
shall come and overthrow all2 wherefore 
the king of the south shall be moved    
with choler1 and shall also form a great
 army1 and fight him1 7,ptolemy         
,philopator against ,antiochus the      
,great at ,raphia71 and conquer2 and his
 troops shall become insolent1 and his  
heart shall be lifted up1 7this ,ptolemy
 desecrated the temple2 ,josephus73 he  
shall cast down many ten thousands1 but 

he shall not be strengthened by it4 ,for
 the king of the north1 7,antiochus the 
,great71 shall return with a greater    
multitude than before1 and in those     
times also a great number of enemies    
shall stand up against the king of the  
south1 7during the reign of the young   
,ptolemy ,epiphanes72 also the apostates
 and robbers of thy people shall exalt  
themselves to establish the vision2 but 
they shall fall4 7,those who abandon    
their religion to please ,euergetes1    
when he will send his troops to ,scopas2
 for ,antiochus will again take ,scopas1
 and conquer them47 ,and the king of the
 north shall destroy the fenced cities1 
and the arms of the south shall not     
withstand1 and all shall yield to his   
will2 he shall stand in the land of     
,israel1 and it shall yield to him4 ,and
 thus he shall think to make himself    
master of all the empire of ,egypt1     
7despising the youth of ,epiphanes1 says
 ,justin74 ,and for that he shall make  
alliance with him1 and give his daughter

 7,cleopatra1 in order that she may     
betray her husband4 ,on which ,appian   
says that doubting his ability to make  
himself master of ,egypt by force1      
because of the protection of the        
,romans1 he wished to attempt it by     
cunning74 ,he shall wish to corrupt her1
 but she shall not stand on his side1   
neither be for him4 ,then he shall turn 
his face to other designs1 and shall    
think to make himself master of some    
isles1 7that is to say1 seaports71 and  
shall take many1 7as ,appian says74     
,but a prince shall oppose his          
conquests1 7,scipio ,africanus1 who     
stopped the progress of ,antiochus the  
,great1 because he offended the ,romans 
in the person of their allies71 and     
shall cause the reproach offered by him 
to cease4 ,he shall then return into his
 kingdom and there perish1 and be no    
more4 7,he was slain by his soldiers47  
,and he who shall stand up in his       
estate1 7,seleucus ,philopator or       
,soter1 the son of ,antiochus the       

,great71 shall be a tyrant1 a raiser of 
taxes in the glory of the kingdom1      
7which means the people71 but within a  
few days he shall be destroyed1 neither 
in anger nor in battle4 ,and in his     
place shall stand up a vile person1     
unworthy of the honour of the kingdom1  
but he shall come in cleverly by        
flatteries4 ,all armies shall bend      
before him2 he shall conquer them1 and  
even the prince with whom he has made a 
covenant4 ,for having renewed the league
 with him1 he shall work deceitfully1   
and enter with a small people into his  
province1 peaceably and without fear4   
,he shall take the fattest places1 and  
shall do that which his fathers have not
 done1 and ravage on all sides4 ,he     
shall forecast great devices during his 
time4   #gbb  ,prophecies4--,the seventy
 weeks of ,daniel are ambiguous as      
regards the term of commencement1       
because of the terms of the prophecy2   
and as regards the term of conclusion1  
because of the differences among        

chronologists4 ,but all this difference 
extends only to two hundred years4      
#gbc  ,predictions4--,that in the fourth
 monarchy1 before the destruction of the
 second temple1 before the dominion of  
the ,jews was taken away1 in the        
seventieth week of ,daniel1 during the  
continuance of the second temple1 the   
heathen should be instructed1 and       
brought to the knowledge of the ,god    
worshipped by the ,jews2 that those who 
loved ,him should be delivered from     
their enemies1 and filled with ,his fear
 and love4  ,and it happened that in the
 fourth monarchy1 before the destruction
 of the second temple1 etc41 the heathen
 in great number worshipped ,god1 and   
led an angelic life4 ,maidens dedicated 
their virginity and their life to ,god4 
,men renounced their pleasures4 ,what   
,plato could only make acceptable to a  
few men1 specially chosen and           
instructed1 a secret influence imparted1
 by the power of a few words1 to a      
hundred million ignorant men4  ,the rich

 left their wealth4 ,children left the  
dainty homes of their parents to go into
 the rough desert4 7,see ,philo the     
,jew47 ,all this was foretold a great   
while ago4 ,for two thousand years no   
heathen had worshipped the ,god of the  
,jews2 and at the time foretold1 a great
 number of the heathen worshipped this  
only ,god4 ,the temples were destroyed4 
,the very kings made submission to the  
cross4 ,all this was due to the ,spirit 
of ,god1 which was spread abroad upon   
the earth4  ,no heathen1 since ,moses   
until ,jesus ,christ1 believed according
 to the very ,rabbis4 ,a great number of
 the heathen1 after ,jesus ,christ1     
believed in the books of ,moses1 kept   
them in substance and spirit1 and only  
rejected what was useless4   #gbd       
,prophecies4--,the conversion of the    
,egyptians 7,isaiah xix1 #ai72 an altar 
in ,egypt to the true ,god4   #gbe      
,prophecies4--,in ,egypt4--,pugio       
,fidei1 p4 #fei4 ,talmud4  ,it is a     
tradition among us1 that1 when the      

,messiah shall come1 the house of ,god1 
destined for the dispensation of ,his   
,word1 shall be full of filth and       
impurity2 and that the wisdom of the    
scribes shall be corrupt and rotten4    
,those who shall be afraid to sin1 shall
 be rejected by the people1 and treated 
as senseless fools4  ,is4 xlix3 ,listen1
 ,o isles1 unto me1 and hearken1 ye     
people1 from afar3 ,the ,lord hath      
called me by my name from the womb of my
 mother2 in the shadow of ,his hand hath
 ,he hid me1 and hath made my words like
 a sharp sword1 and said unto me1 ,thou 
art my servant in whom ,i will be       
glorified4 ,then ,i said1 ,lord1 have ,i
 laboured in vain8 have ,i spent my     
strength for nought8 yet surely my      
judgment is with ,thee1 ,o ,lord1 and my
 work with ,thee4 ,and now1 saith the   
,lord1 that formed me from the womb to  
be ,his servant1 to bring ,jacob and    
,israel again to ,him1 ,thou shalt be   
glorious in my sight1 and ,i will be thy
 strength4 ,it is a light thing that    

thou shouldst convert the tribes of     
,jacob2 ,i have raised thee up for a    
light to the ,gentiles1 that thou mayest
 be my salvation unto the ends of the   
earth4 ,thus saith the ,lord to him whom
 man despiseth1 to him whom the nation  
abhorreth1 to a servant of rulers1      
,princes and kings shall worship thee1  
because the ,lord is faithful that hath 
chosen thee4  ,again saith the ,lord    
unto me1 ,i have heard thee in the days 
of salvation and of mercy1 and ,i will  
preserve thee for a covenant of the     
people1 to cause to inherit the desolate
 nations1 that thou mayest say to the   
prisoners3 ,go forth2 to them that are  
in darkness show yourselves1 and possess
 these abundant and fertile lands4 ,they
 shall not hunger nor thirst1 neither   
shall the heat nor sun smite them2 for  
he that hath mercy upon them shall lead 
them1 even by the springs of waters     
shall he guide them1 and make the       
mountains a way before them4 ,behold1   
the peoples shall come from all parts1  

from the east and from the west1 from   
the north and from the south4 ,let the  
heavens give glory to ,god2 let the     
earth be joyful2 for it hath pleased the
 ,lord to comfort ,his people1 and ,he  
will have mercy upon the poor who hope  
in ,him4  ,yet ,sion dared to say3 ,the 
,lord hath forsaken me1 and hath        
forgotten me4 ,can a woman forget her   
child1 that she should not have         
compassion on the son of her womb8 but  
if she forget1 yet will not ,i forget   
thee1 ,o ,sion4 ,i will bear thee always
 between my hands1 and thy walls are    
continually before me4 ,they that shall 
build thee are come1 and thy destroyers 
shall go forth of thee4 ,lift up thine  
eyes round about1 and behold2 all these 
gather themselves together1 and come to 
thee4 ,as ,i live1 saith the ,lord1 thou
 shalt surely clothe thee with them all1
 as with an ornament4 ,thy waste and thy
 desolate places1 and the land of thy   
destruction1 shall even now be too      
narrow by reason of the inhabitants1 and

 the children thou shalt have after thy 
barrenness shall say again in thy ears3 
,the place is too strait for me3 give   
place to me that ,i may dwell4 ,then    
shalt thou say in thy heart3 ,who hath  
begotten me these1 seeing ,i have lost  
my children1 and am desolate1 a captive1
 and removing to and fro8 and who       
brought up these8 ,behold1 ,i was left  
alone2 these1 where had they been8 ,and 
the ,lord shall say to thee3 ,behold1 ,i
 will lift up mine hand to the          
,gentiles1 and set up my standard to the
 people2 and they shall bring thy sons  
in their arms and in their bosoms4 ,and 
kings shall be their nursing fathers1   
and queens their nursing mothers2 they  
shall bow down to thee with their face  
toward the earth1 and lick up the dust  
of thy feet2 and thou shalt know that ,i
 am the ,lord2 for they shall not be    
ashamed that wait for me4 ,shall the    
prey be taken from the mighty8 ,but even
 if the captives be taken away from the 
strong1 nothing shall hinder me from    

saving thy children1 and from destroying
 thy enemies2 and all flesh shall know  
that ,i am the ,lord1 thy ,saviour and  
thy ,redeemer1 the mighty ,one of       
,jacob4  ,thus saith the ,lord3 ,what is
 the bill of this divorcement1 wherewith
 ,i have put away the synagogue8 and why
 have ,i delivered it into the hands of 
your enemies8 ,is it not for your       
iniquities and for your transgressions  
that ,i have put it away8  ,for ,i came1
 and no man received me2 ,i called and  
there was none to hear4 ,is my arm      
shortened1 that ,i cannot redeem8       
,therefore ,i will show the tokens of   
mine anger2 ,i will clothe the heavens  
with darkness1 and make sackcloth their 
covering4  ,the ,lord hath given me the 
tongue of the learned that ,i should    
know how to speak a word in season to   
him that is weary4 ,he hath opened mine 
ear1 and ,i have listened to ,him as a  
master4  ,the ,lord hath revealed ,his  
will1 and ,i was not rebellious4  ,i    
gave my body to the smiters1 and my     

cheeks to outrage2 ,i hid not my face   
from shame and spitting4 ,but the ,lord 
hath helped me2 therefore ,i have not   
been confounded4  ,he is near that      
justifieth me2 who will contend with me8
 who will be mine adversary1 and accuse 
me of sin1 ,god himself being my        
protector8  ,all men shall pass away1   
and be consumed by time2 let those that 
fear ,god hearken to the voice of ,his  
servant2 let him that languisheth in    
darkness put his trust in the ,lord4    
,but as for you1 ye do but kindle the   
wrath of ,god upon you2 ye walk in the  
light of your fire and in the sparks    
that ye have kindled4 ,this shall ye    
have of mine hand2 ye shall lie down in 
sorrow4  ,hearken to me1 ye that follow 
after righteousness1 ye that seek the   
,lord3 look unto the rock whence ye are 
hewn1 and to the hole of the pit whence 
ye are digged4 ,look unto ,abraham1 your
 father1 and unto ,sarah that bare you3 
for ,i called him alone1 when childless1
 and increased him4 ,behold1 ,i have    

comforted ,zion1 and heaped upon her    
blessings and consolations4  ,hearken   
unto me1 my people1 and give ear unto   
me3 for a law shall proceed from me1 and
 ,i will make my judgment to rest for a 
light of the ,gentiles4  ,amos viii4    
,the prophet1 having enumerated the sins
 of ,israel1 said that ,god had sworn to
 take vengeance on them4  ,he says this3
 ,and it shall come to pass in that day1
 saith the ,lord1 that ,i will cause the
 sun to go down at noon1 and ,i will    
darken the earth in the clear day2 and  
,i will turn your feasts into mourning1 
and all your songs into lamentation4    
,you all shall have sorrow and          
suffering1 and ,i will make this nation 
mourn as for an only son1 and the end   
therefore as a bitter day4 ,behold1 the 
days come1 saith the ,lord1 that ,i will
 send a famine in the land1 not a famine
 of bread1 nor a thirst for water1 but  
of hearing the words of the ,lord4 ,and 
they shall wander from sea to sea1 and  
from the north even to the east2 they   

shall run to and fro to seek the word of
 the ,lord1 and shall not find it4  ,in 
that day shall the fair virgins and     
young men faint for thirst4 ,they that  
have followed the idols of ,samaria1 and
 sworn by the god of ,dan1 and followed 
the manner of ,beersheba1 shall fall1   
and never rise up again4  ,amos iii1 #b3
 ,ye only have ,i known of all the      
families of the earth for my people4    
,daniel xii1 #g4 ,having described all  
the extent of the reign of the ,messiah1
 he says3 ,all these things shall be    
finished1 when the scattering of the    
people of ,israel shall be accomplished4
  ,haggai ii1 #d3 ,ye who1 comparing    
this second house with the glory of the 
first1 despise it1 be strong1 saith the 
,lord1 be strong1 ,o ,zerubbabel1 and ,o
 ,jesus1 the high priest1 be strong1 all
 ye people of the land1 and work4 ,for  
,i am with you1 saith the ,lord of      
hosts2 according to the word that ,i    
covenanted with you when ye came out of 
,egypt1 so my spirit remaineth among    

you4 ,fear ye not4 ,for thus saith the  
,lord of hosts3 ,yet one little while1  
and ,i will shake the heavens1 and the  
earth1 and the sea1 and the dry land1 7a
 way of speaking to indicate a great and
 an extraordinary change72 and ,i will  
shake all nations1 and the desire of all
 the ,gentiles shall come2 and ,i will  
fill this house with glory1 saith the   
,lord4  ,the silver is mine1 and the    
gold is mine1 saith the ,lord1 7that is 
to say1 it is not by that that ,i wish  
to be honoured2 as it is said elsewhere3
 ,all the beasts of the field are mine1 
what advantages me that they are offered
 me in sacrifice874 ,the glory of this  
latter house shall be greater than of   
the former1 saith the ,lord of hosts2   
and in this place will ,i establish my  
house1 saith the ,lord4  ,according to  
all that thou desiredst in ,horeb in the
 day of the assembly1 saying1 ,let us   
not hear again the voice of the ,lord1  
neither let us see this fire any more1  
that we die not4#bgb ,and the ,lord said

 unto me1 ,their prayer is just4 ,i will
 raise them up a prophet from among     
their brethren1 like unto thee1 and will
 put my words in his mouth2 and he shall
 speak unto them all that ,i shall      
command him4 ,and it shall come to pass1
 that whosoever will not hearken unto my
 words which he will speak in my name1  
,i will require it of him4  ,genesis    
xlix3 ,judah1 thou art he whom thy      
brethren shall praise1 and thou shalt   
conquer thine enemies2 thy father's     
children shall bow down before thee4    
,judah is a lion's whelp3 from the prey1
 my son1 thou art gone up1 and art      
couched as a lion1 and as a lioness that
 shall be roused up4  ,the sceptre shall
 not depart from ,judah1 nor a lawgiver 
from between his feet1 until ,shiloh    
come2 and unto him shall the gathering  
of the people be4   #gbf  ,during the   
life of the ,messiah4--nigmatis4--,ezek4
 xvii4  ,his forerunner4 ,malachi iii4  
,he will be born an infant4 ,is4 ix4    
,he will be born in the village of      

,bethlehem4 ,micah v4 ,he will appear   
chiefly in ,jerusalem1 and will be a    
descendant of the family of ,judah and  
of ,david4  ,he is to blind the learned 
and the wise1 ,is4 vi1 viii1 xxix1 etc42
 and to preach the ,gospel to the lowly1
 ,is4 xxix2 to open the eyes of the     
blind1 give health to the sick1 and     
bring light to those that languish in   
darkness4 ,is4 lxi4  ,he is to show the 
perfect way1 and be the teacher of the  
,gentiles4 ,is4 lv2 xlii1 #a-g4  ,the   
prophecies are to be unintelligible to  
the wicked1 ,dan4 xii2 ,hosea xiv1 #aj2 
but they are to be intelligible to those
 who are well informed4  ,the           
prophecies1 which represent ,him as     
poor1 represent ,him as master of the   
nations4 ,is4 lii1 #ad1 etc42 liii2     
,zech4 ix1 #i4  ,the prophecies1 which  
foretell the time1 foretell ,him only as
 master of the nations and suffering1   
and not as in the clouds nor as judge4  
,and those1 which represent ,him thus as
 judge and in glory1 do not mention the 

time4 ,when the ,messiah is spoken of as
 great and glorious1 it is as the judge 
of the world1 and not its ,redeemer4    
,he is to be the victim for the sins of 
the world4 ,is4 xxxix1 liii1 etc4  ,he  
is to be the precious corner-stone4 ,is4
 xxviii1 #af4  ,he is to be a stone of  
stumbling and offence4 ,is4 viii4       
,jerusalem is to dash against this      
stone4  ,the builders are to reject this
 stone4 ,ps4 cxvii1 #bb4  ,god is to    
make this stone the chief corner-stone4 
,and this stone is to grow into a huge  
mountain1 and fill the whole earth4     
,dan4 ii4  ,so ,he is to be rejected1   
despised1 betrayed 7,ps4 cviii1 #h71    
sold 7,zech4 xi1 #ab71 spit upon1       
buffeted1 mocked1 afflicted in          
innumerable ways1 given gall to drink   
7,ps4 lxviii71 pierced 7,zech4 xii71    
,his feet and ,his hands pierced1 slain1
 and lots cast for ,his raiment4  ,he   
will raise again 7,ps4 xv7 the third day
 7,hosea vi1 #c74  ,he will ascend to   
heaven to sit on the right hand4 ,ps4   

cx4  ,the kings will arm themselves     
against ,him4 ,ps4 ii4  ,being on the   
right hand of the ,father1 ,he will be  
victorious over ,his enemies4  ,the     
kings of the earth and all nations will 
worship ,him4 ,is4 lx4  ,the ,jews will 
continue as a nation4 ,jeremiah4  ,they 
will wander1 without kings1 etc4 7,hosea
 iii71 without prophets 7,amos71 looking
 for salvation and finding it not       
7,isaiah74  ,calling of the ,gentiles by
 ,jesus ,christ4 ,is4 lii1 #ae2 lv1 #e2 
lx1 etc4 ,ps4 lxxxi4  ,hosea i1 #i3 ,ye 
are not my people1 and ,i will not be   
your ,god1 when ye are multiplied after 
the dispersion4 ,in the places where it 
was said1 ,ye are not my people1 ,i will
 call them my people4   #gbg  ,it was   
not lawful to sacrifice outside of      
,jerusalem1 which was the place that the
 ,lord had chosen1 nor even to eat the  
tithes elsewhere4 ,deut4 xii1 #e1 etc42 
,deut4 xiv1 #bc1 etc42 xv1 #bj2 xvi1 #b1
 #g1 #aa1 #ae4  ,hosea foretold that    
they should be without a king1 without a

 prince1 without a sacrifice1 and       
without an idol2 and this prophecy is   
now fulfilled1 as they cannot make a    
lawful sacrifice out of ,jerusalem4     
#gbh  ,predictions4--,it was foretold   
that1 in the time of the ,messiah1 ,he  
should come to establish a new covenant1
 which should make them forget the      
escape from ,egypt 7,jer4 xxiii1 #e2    
,is4 xliii1 #aj72 that ,he should place 
,his law not in externals1 but in the   
heart2 that ,he should put ,his fear1   
which had only been from without1 in the
 midst of the heart4 ,who does not see  
the ,christian law in all this8   #gbi  
444 ,that then idolatry would be        
overthrown2 that this ,messiah would    
cast down all idols1 and bring men into 
the worship of the true ,god4  ,that the
 temples of the idols would be cast     
down1 and that among all nations1 and in
 all places of the earth1 ,he would be  
offered a pure sacrifice1 not of beasts4
  ,that ,he would be king of the ,jews  
and ,gentiles4 ,and we see this king of 

the ,jews and ,gentiles oppressed by    
both1 who conspire ,his death2 and ruler
 of both1 destroying the worship of     
,moses in ,jerusalem1 which was its     
centre1 where ,he made ,his first       
,church2 and also the worship of idols  
in ,rome1 the centre of it1 where ,he   
made ,his chief ,church4   #gcj         
,prophecies4--,that ,jesus ,christ will 
sit on the right hand1 till ,god has    
subdued ,his enemies4  ,therefore ,he   
will not subdue them ,himself4   #gca   
444 ,then they shall teach no more every
 man his neighbour1 saying1 ,here is the
 ,lord1 for ,god shall make ,himself    
known to all4#bgc  444 ,your sons shall 
prophesy4#bgd ,i will put my spirit and 
my fear in your heart4  ,all that is the
 same thing4 ,to prophesy is to speak of
 ,god1 not from outward proofs1 but from
 an inward and immediate feeling4   #gcb
  ,that ,he would teach men the perfect 
way4  ,and there has never come1 before 
,him nor after ,him1 any man who has    
taught anything divine approaching to   

this4   #gcc  444 ,that ,jesus ,christ  
would be small in ,his beginning1 and   
would then increase4 ,the little stone  
of ,daniel4  ,if ,i had in no wise heard
 of the ,messiah1 nevertheless1 after   
such wonderful predictions of the course
 of the world which ,i see fulfilled1 ,i
 see that ,he is divine4 ,and if ,i knew
 that these same books foretold a       
,messiah1 ,i should be sure that ,he    
would come2 and seeing that they place  
,his time before the destruction of the 
second temple1 ,i should say that ,he   
had come4   #gcd  ,prophecies4--,that   
the ,jews would reject ,jesus ,christ1  
and would be rejected of ,god1 for this 
reason1 that the chosen vine brought    
forth only wild grapes4 ,that the chosen
 people would be fruitless1 ungrateful1 
and unbelieving1 populum non credentem  
et contradicentem4#bge ,that ,god would 
strike them with blindness1 and in full 
noon they would grope like the blind2   
and that a forerunner would go before   
,him4   #gce  ,transfixerunt4 ,zech4    

xii1 #aj4  ,that a deliverer should     
come1 who would crush the demon's head1 
and free ,his people from their sins1 ex
 omnibus iniquitatibus2 that there      
should be a ,new ,covenant1 which would 
be eternal2 that there should be another
 priesthood after the order of          
,melchisedek1 and it should be eternal2 
that the ,christ should be glorious1    
mighty1 strong1 and yet so poor that ,he
 would not be recognised1 nor taken for 
what ,he is1 but rejected and slain2    
that ,his people who denied ,him should 
no longer be ,his people2 that the      
idolaters should receive ,him1 and take 
refuge in ,him2 that ,he should leave   
,zion to reign in the centre of         
idolatry2 that nevertheless the ,jews   
should continue for ever2 that ,he      
should be of ,judah1 and when there     
should be no longer a king4             
,,section ,,xii  ,,proofs ,,of ,,jesus  
,,christ   #gcf  444 ,therefore ,i      
reject all other religions4 ,in that way
 ,i find an answer to all objections4   

,it is right that a ,god so pure should 
only reveal ,himself to those whose     
hearts are purified4 ,hence this        
religion is lovable to me1 and ,i find  
it now sufficiently justified by so     
divine a morality4 ,but ,i find more in 
it4  ,i find it convincing that1 since  
the memory of man has lasted1 it was    
constantly announced to men that they   
were universally corrupt1 but that a    
,redeemer should come2 that it was not  
one man who said it1 but innumerable    
men1 and a whole nation expressly made  
for the purpose1 and prophesying for    
four thousand years4 ,this is a nation  
which is more ancient than every other  
nation4 ,their books1 scattered abroad1 
are four thousand years old4  ,the more 
,i examine them1 the more truths ,i find
 in them3 an entire nation foretell ,him
 before ,his advent1 and an entire      
nation worship ,him after ,his advent2  
what has preceded and what has followed2
 in short1 people without idols and     
kings1 this synagogue which was         

foretold1 and these wretches who        
frequent it1 and who1 being our enemies1
 are admirable witnesses of the truth of
 these prophecies1 wherein their        
wretchedness and even their blindness   
are foretold4  ,i find this succession1 
this religion1 wholly divine in its     
authority1 in its duration1 in its      
perpetuity1 in its morality1 in its     
conduct1 in its doctrine1 in its        
effects4 ,the frightful darkness of the 
,jews was foretold3 ,eris palpans in    
meridie4#bgf ,dabitur liber scienti     
literas1 et dicet3 ,non possum          
legere4#bgg ,while the sceptre was still
 in the hands of the first foreign      
usurper1 there is the report of the     
coming of ,jesus ,christ4  ,so ,i hold  
out my arms to my ,redeemer1 who1 having
 been foretold for four thousand years1 
has come to suffer and to die for me on 
earth1 at the time and under all the    
circumstances foretold4 ,by ,his grace1 
,i await death in peace1 in the hope of 
being eternally united to ,him4 ,yet ,i 

live with joy1 whether in the prosperity
 which it pleases ,him to bestow upon   
me1 or in the adversity which ,he sends 
for my good1 and which ,he has taught me
 to bear by ,his example4   #gcg  ,the  
prophecies having given different signs 
which should all happen at the advent of
 the ,messiah1 it was necessary that all
 these signs should occur at the same   
time4 ,so it was necessary that the     
fourth monarchy should have come1 when  
the seventy weeks of ,daniel were ended2
 and that the sceptre should have then  
departed from ,judah4 ,and all this     
happened without any difficulty4 ,then  
it was necessary that the ,messiah      
should come2 and ,jesus ,christ then    
came1 who was called the ,messiah4 ,and 
all this again was without difficulty4  
,this indeed shows the truth of the     
prophecies4   #gch  ,the prophets       
foretold1 and were not foretold4 ,the   
saints again were foretold1 but did not 
foretell4 ,jesus ,christ both foretold  
and was foretold4   #gci  ,jesus        

,christ1 whom the two ,testaments       
regard1 the ,old as its hope1 the ,new  
as its model1 and both as their centre4 
#gdj  ,the two oldest books in the world
 are those of ,moses and ,job1 the one a
 ,jew and the other a ,gentile4 ,both of
 them look upon ,jesus ,christ as their 
common centre and object3 ,moses in     
relating the promises of ,god to        
,abraham1 ,jacob1 etc41 and his         
prophecies2 and ,job1 ,quis mihi det    
ut1#bgh etc4 ,scio enim quod redemptor  
meus vivit1 etc4   #gda  ,the ,gospel   
only speaks of the virginity of the     
,virgin up to the time of the birth of  
,jesus ,christ4 ,all with reference to  
,jesus ,christ4   #gdb  ,proofs of      
,jesus ,christ4      ,why was the book  
of ,ruth preserved8      ,why the story 
of ,tamar8   #gdc  ,pray that ye enter  
not into temptation4#bgi ,it is         
dangerous to be tempted2 and people are 
tempted because they do not pray4  ,et  
tu conversus confirma fratres tuos4 ,but
 before1 conversus ,jesus respexit      

,petrum4  ,saint ,peter asks permission 
to strike ,malchus1 and strikes before  
hearing the answer4 ,jesus ,christ      
replies afterwards4  ,the word1         
,galilee1 which the ,jewish mob         
pronounced as if by chance1 in accusing 
,jesus ,christ before ,pilate1 afforded 
,pilate a reason for sending ,jesus     
,christ to ,herod4 ,and thereby the     
mystery was accomplished1 that ,he      
should be judged by ,jews and ,gentiles4
 ,chance was apparently the cause of the
 accomplishment of the mystery4   #gdd  
,those who have a difficulty in         
believing seek a reason in the fact that
 the ,jews do not believe4 ,were this so
 clear1 say they1 why did the ,jews not 
believe8 ,and they almost wish that they
 had believed1 so as not to be kept back
 by the example of their refusal4 ,but  
it is their very refusal that is the    
foundation of our faith4 ,we should be  
much less disposed to the faith1 if they
 were on our side4 ,we should then have 
a more ample pretext4 ,the wonderful    

thing is to have made the ,jews great   
lovers of the things foretold1 and great
 enemies of their fulfilment4   #gde    
,the ,jews were accustomed to great and 
striking miracles1 and so1 having had   
the great miracles of the ,red ,sea and 
of the land of ,canaan as an epitome of 
the great deeds of their ,messiah1 they 
therefore looked for more striking      
miracles1 of which those of ,moses were 
only the patterns4   #gdf  ,the carnal  
,jews and the heathen have their        
calamities1 and ,christians also4 ,there
 is no ,redeemer for the heathen1 for   
they do not so much as hope for one4    
,there is no ,redeemer for the ,jews2   
they hope for ,him in vain4 ,there is a 
,redeemer only for ,christians4 7,see   
,perpetuity47   #gdg  ,in the time of   
the ,messiah the people divided         
themselves4 ,the spiritual embraced the 
,messiah1 and the coarser-minded        
remained to serve as witnesses of ,him4 
#gdh  ,if this was clearly foretold to  
the ,jews1 how did they not believe it1 

or why were they not destroyed for      
resisting a fact so clear8  ,i reply3 in
 the first place1 it was foretold both  
that they would not believe a thing so  
clear1 and that they would not be       
destroyed4 ,and nothing is more to the  
glory of the ,messiah2 for it was not   
enough that there should be prophets2   
their prophets must be kept above       
suspicion4 ,now1 etc4   #gdi  ,if the   
,jews had all been converted by ,jesus  
,christ1 we should have none but        
questionable witnesses4 ,and if they had
 been entirely destroyed1 we should have
 no witnesses at all4   #gej  ,what do  
the prophets say of ,jesus ,christ8     
,that ,he will be clearly ,god8 ,no2 but
 that ,he is a ,god truly hidden2 that  
,he will be slighted2 that none will    
think that it is ,he2 that ,he will be a
 stone of stumbling1 upon which many    
will stumble1 etc4 ,let people then     
reproach us no longer for want of       
clearness1 since we make profession of  
it4  ,but1 it is said1 there are        

obscurities4--,and without that1 no one 
would have stumbled over ,jesus ,christ1
 and this is one of the formal          
pronouncements of the prophets3         
,excca#bhj 444   #gea  ,moses first     
teaches the ,trinity1 original sin1 the 
,messiah4  ,david3 a great witness2 a   
king1 good1 merciful1 a beautiful soul1 
a sound mind1 powerful4 ,he prophesies1 
and his wonder comes to pass4 ,this is  
infinite4  ,he had only to say that he  
was the ,messiah1 if he had been vain2  
for the prophecies are clearer about him
 than about ,jesus ,christ4 ,and the    
same with ,saint ,john4   #geb  ,herod  
was believed to be the ,messiah4 ,he had
 taken away the sceptre from ,judah1 but
 he was not of ,judah4 ,this gave rise  
to a considerable sect4  ,curse of the  
,greeks upon those who count three      
periods of time4  ,in what way should   
the ,messiah come1 seeing that through  
,him the sceptre was to be eternally in 
,judah1 and at ,his coming the sceptre  
was to be taken away from ,judah8  ,in  

order to effect that seeing they should 
not see1 and hearing they should not    
understand1 nothing could be better     
done4   #gec  ,homo existens te ,deum   
facit4  ,scriptum est1 ,dii estis1 et   
non potest solvi ,scriptura4  ,hc       
infirmitas non est ad vitam et est ad   
mortem4  ,lazarus dormit1 et deinde     
dixit3 ,lazarus mortuus est4#bha   #ged 
,the apparent discrepancy of the        
,gospels4#bhb   #gee  ,what can we have 
but reverence for a man who foretells   
plainly things which come to pass1 and  
who declares his intention both to blind
 and to enlighten1 and who intersperses 
obscurities among the clear things which
 come to pass8   #gef  ,the time of the 
first advent was foretold2 the time of  
the second is not so2 because the first 
was to be obscure1 and the second is to 
be brilliant1 and so manifest that even 
,his enemies will recognise it4 ,but1 as
 ,he was first to come only in          
obscurity1 and to be known only of those
 who searched the ,scriptures 444   #geg

  ,god1 in order to cause the ,messiah  
to be known by the good and not to be   
known by the wicked1 made ,him to be    
foretold in this manner4 ,if the manner 
of the ,messiah had been clearly        
foretold1 there would have been no      
obscurity1 even for the wicked4 ,if the 
time had been obscurely foretold1 there 
would have been obscurity1 even for the 
good4 ,for their goodness of heart would
 not have made them understand1 for     
instance1 that the closed mem signifies 
six hundred years4 ,but the time has    
been clearly foretold1 and the manner in
 types4  ,by this means1 the wicked1    
taking the promised blessings for       
material blessings1 have fallen into    
error1 in spite of the clear prediction 
of the time2 and the good have not      
fallen in error4 ,for the understanding 
of the promised blessings depends on the
 heart1 which calls good that which it  
loves2 but the understanding of the     
promised time does not depend on the    
heart4 ,and thus the clear prediction of

 the time1 and the obscure prediction of
 the blessings1 deceive the wicked      
alone4   #geh  ,either the ,jews or the 
,christians must be wicked4   #gei  ,the
 ,jews reject ,him1 but not all4 ,the   
saints receive ,him1 and not the        
carnal-minded4 ,and so far is this from 
being against ,his glory1 that it is the
 last touch which crowns it4 ,for their 
argument1 the only one found in all     
their writings1 in the ,talmud and in   
the ,rabbinical writings1 amounts only  
to this1 that ,jesus ,christ has not    
subdued the nations with sword in hand1 
gladiumt uum1 potentissime4#bhc 7,is    
this all they have to say8 ,jesus       
,christ has been slain1 say they4 ,he   
has failed4 ,he has not subdued the     
heathen with ,his might4 ,he has not    
bestowed upon us their spoil4 ,he does  
not give riches4 ,is this all they have 
to say8 ,it is in this respect that ,he 
is lovable to me4 ,i would not desire   
,him whom they fancy47 ,it is evident   
that it is only ,his life which has     

prevented them from accepting ,him2 and 
through this rejection they are         
irreproachable witnesses1 and1 what is  
more1 they thereby accomplish the       
prophecies4  ,by means of the fact that 
this people have not accepted ,him1 this
 miracle here has happened4 ,the        
prophecies were the only lasting        
miracles which could be wrought1 but    
they were liable to be denied4   #gfj   
,the ,jews1 in slaying ,him in order not
 to receive ,him as the ,messiah1 have  
given ,him the final proof of being the 
,messiah4  ,and in continuing not to    
recognise ,him1 they made themselves    
irreproachable witnesses4 ,both in      
slaying ,him1 and in continuing to deny 
,him1 they have fulfilled the prophecies
 7,isa4 lx2 ,ps4 lxxi74   #gfa  ,what   
could the ,jews1 ,his enemies1 do8 ,if  
they receive ,him1 they give proof of   
,him by their reception2 for then the   
guardians of the expectation of the     
,messiah receive ,him4 ,if they reject  
,him1 they give proof of ,him by their  

rejection4   #gfb  ,the ,jews1 in       
testing if ,he were ,god1 have shown    
that ,he was man4   #gfc  ,the ,church  
has had as much difficulty in showing   
that ,jesus ,christ was man1 against    
those who denied it1 as in showing that 
he was ,god2 and the probabilities were 
equally great4   #gfd  ,source of       
contradictions4--,a ,god humiliated1    
even to the death on the cross2 a       
,messiah triumphing over death by his   
own death4 ,two natures in ,jesus       
,christ1 two advents1 two states of     
man's nature4   #gfe  ,types4--,saviour1
 father1 sacrificer1 offering1 food1    
king1 wise1 law-giver1 afflicted1 poor1 
having to create a people whom ,he must 
lead and nourish1 and bring into ,his   
land4444  ,jesus ,christ4 ,offices4--,he
 alone had to create a great people1    
elect1 holy1 and chosen2 to lead1       
nourish1 and bring it into the place of 
rest and holiness2 to make it holy to   
,god2 to make it the temple of ,god2 to 
reconcile it to1 and save it from1 the  

wrath of ,god2 to free it from the      
slavery of sin1 which visibly reigns in 
man2 to give laws to this people1 and   
engrave these laws on their heart2 to   
offer ,himself to ,god for them1 and    
sacrifice ,himself for them2 to be a    
victim without blemish1 and ,himself the
 sacrificer1 having to offer ,himself1  
,his body1 and ,his blood1 and yet to   
offer bread and wine to ,god 444        
,ingrediens mundum4#bhd  ,stone upon    
stone4#bhe  ,what preceded and what     
followed4 ,all the ,jews exist still1   
and are wanderers4   #gff  ,of all that 
is on earth1 ,he partakes only of the   
sorrows1 not of the joys4 ,he loves ,his
 neighbours1 but ,his love does not     
confine itself within these bounds1 and 
overflows to ,his own enemies1 and then 
to those of ,god4   #gfg  ,jesus ,christ
 typified by ,joseph1 the beloved of his
 father1 sent by his father to see his  
brethren1 etc41 innocent1 sold by his   
brethren for twenty pieces of silver1   
and thereby becoming their lord1 their  

saviour1 the saviour of strangers1 and  
the saviour of the world2 which had not 
been but for their plot to destroy him1 
their sale and their rejection of him4  
,in prison ,joseph innocent between two 
criminals2 ,jesus ,christ on the cross  
between two thieves4 ,joseph foretells  
freedom to the one1 and death to the    
other1 from the same omens4 ,jesus      
,christ saves the elect1 and condemns   
the outcast for the same sins4 ,joseph  
foretells only2 ,jesus ,christ acts4    
,joseph asks him who will be saved to   
remember him1 when he comes into his    
glory2 and he whom ,jesus ,christ saves 
asks that ,he will remember him1 when   
,he comes into ,his kingdom4   #gfh     
,the conversion of the heathen was only 
reserved for the grace of the ,messiah4 
,the ,jews have been so long in         
opposition to them without success2 all 
that ,solomon and the prophets said has 
been useless4 ,sages1 like ,plato and   
,socrates1 have not been able to        
persuade them4   #gfi  ,after many      

persons had gone before1 ,jesus ,christ 
at last came to say3#bhf ,here am ,i1   
and this is the time4 ,that which the   
prophets have said was to come in the   
fullness of time1 ,i tell you ,my       
apostles will do4 ,the ,jews shall be   
cast out4 ,jerusalem shall be soon      
destroyed4 ,and the heathen shall enter 
into the knowledge of ,god4 ,my apostles
 shall do this after you have slain the 
heir of the vineyard4  ,then the        
apostles said to the ,jews3 ,you shall  
be accursed1 7,celsus laughed at it72   
and to the heathen1 ,you shall enter    
into the knowledge of ,god4 ,and this   
then came to pass4   #ggj  ,jesus       
,christ came to blind those who saw     
clearly1 and to give sight to the blind2
 to heal the sick1 and leave the healthy
 to die2 to call to repentance1 and to  
justify sinners1 and to leave the       
righteous in their sins2 to fill the    
needy1 and leave the rich empty4   #gga 
,holiness4--,effundam spiritum meum4#bhg
 ,all nations were in unbelief and lust4

 ,the whole world now became fervent    
with love4 ,princes abandoned their     
pomp2 maidens suffered martyrdom4       
,whence came this influence8 ,the       
,messiah was come4 ,these were the      
effect and sign of ,his coming4   #ggb  
,destruction of the ,jews and heathen by
 ,jesus ,christ3 ,omnes gentes venient  
et adorabunt eum4#bhh ,parum est ut1#bhi
 etc4 ,postula a me4#bij ,adorabunt eum 
omnes reges4#bia ,testes iniqui4#bib    
,dabit maxillam percutienti4#bic        
,dederunt fel in escam4#bid   #ggc      
,jesus ,christ for all1 ,moses for a    
nation4  ,the ,jews blessed in ,abraham3
 ,i will bless those that bless         
thee4#bie ,but3 ,all nations blessed in 
his seed4#bif ,parum est ut1 etc4       
,lumen ad revelationem gentium4#big     
,non fecit taliter omni nationi1#bih    
said ,david1 in speaking of the ,law4   
,but1 in speaking of ,jesus ,christ1 we 
must say3 ,fecit taliter omni nationi4  
,parum est ut1 etc41 ,isaiah4 ,so it    
belongs to ,jesus ,christ to be         

universal4 ,even the ,church offers     
sacrifice only for the faithful4 ,jesus 
,christ offered that of the cross for   
all4   #ggd  ,there is heresy in always 
explaining omnes by all1 and heresy in  
not explaining it sometimes by all4     
,bibite ex hoc omnes2#bii the ,huguenots
 are heretics in explaining it by all4  
,in quo omnes peccaverunt2#cjj the      
,huguenots are heretics in excepting the
 children of true believers4 ,we must   
then follow the ,fathers and tradition  
in order to know when to do so1 since   
there is heresy to be feared on both    
sides4   #gge  ,ne timeas pusillus      
grex4#cja ,timore et tremore4--,quid    
ergo8 ,ne timeas modo timeas4 ,fear not1
 provided you fear2 but if you fear not1
 then fear4  ,qui me recipit1 non me    
recipit1 sed eum qui me misit4#cjb      
,nemo scit1 neque ,filius4  ,nubes      
lucida obumbravit4  ,saint ,john#cjc was
 to turn the hearts of the fathers to   
the children1 and ,jesus ,christ#cjd to 
plant division4 ,there is not           

contradiction4   #ggf  ,the effects in  
communi and in particulari4 ,the        
semi-,pelagians err in saying of in     
communi what is true only in            
particulari2 and the ,calvinists in     
saying in particulari what is true in   
communi4 7,such is my opinion47   #ggg  
,omnis ,juda regio1 et ,jerosolomymi    
universi1 et baptizabantur4#cje ,because
 of all the conditions of men who came  
there4 ,from these stones there can come
 children unto ,abraham4#cjf   #ggh  ,if
 men knew themselves1 ,god would heal   
and pardon them4 ,ne convertantur et    
sanem eos1 et dimittantur eis           
peccata4#cjg   #ggi  ,jesus ,christ     
never condemned without hearing4 ,to    
,judas3 ,amice1 ad quid venisti8#cjh ,to
 him that had not on the wedding        
garment1 the same4   #ghj  ,the types of
 the completeness of the ,redemption1 as
 that the sun gives light to all1       
indicate only completeness2 but the     
types of exclusions1 as of the ,jews    
elected to the exclusion of the         

,gentiles1 indicate exclusion4  ,jesus  
,christ the ,redeemer of all4--,yes1 for
 ,he has offered1 like a man who has    
ransomed all those who were willing to  
come to ,him4 ,if any die on the way1 it
 is their misfortune2 but1 so far as ,he
 was concerned1 ,he offered them        
redemption4--,that holds good in this   
example1 where he who ransoms and he who
 prevents death are two persons1 but not
 of ,jesus ,christ1 who does both these 
things4--,no1 for ,jesus ,christ1 in the
 quality of ,redeemer1 is not perhaps   
,master of all2 and thus1 in so far as  
it is in ,him1 ,he is the ,redeemer of  
all4  ,when it is said that ,jesus      
,christ did not die for all1 you take   
undue advantage of a fault in men who at
 once apply this exception to           
themselves2 and this is to favour       
despair1 instead of turning them from it
 to favour hope4 ,for men thus accustom 
themselves in inward virtues by outward 
customs4   #gha  ,the victory over      
death4 ,what is a man advantaged if he  

gain the whole world and lose his own   
soul8#cji ,whosoever will save his soul1
 shall lose it4#caj  ,i am not come to  
destroy the law1 but to fulfil4#caa     
,lambs took not away the sins of the    
world1 but ,i am the lamb which taketh  
away the sins4#cab  ,moses#cac hath not 
led you out of captivity1 and made you  
truly free4   #ghb  444 ,then ,jesus    
,christ comes to tell men that they have
 no other enemies but themselves2 that  
it is their passions which keep them    
apart from ,god2 that ,he comes to      
destroy these1 and give them ,his grace1
 so as to make of them all one ,holy    
,church2 that ,he comes to bring back   
into this ,church the heathen and ,jews2
 that ,he comes to destroy the idols of 
the former and the superstition of the  
latter4 ,to this all men are opposed1   
not only from the natural opposition of 
lust2 but1 above all1 the kings of the  
earth1 as had been foretold1 join       
together to destroy this religion at its
 birth4 7,proph43 ,quare fremuerunt     

gentes 444 reges terr 444 adversus      
,christum47#cad  ,all that is great on  
earth is united together2 the learned1  
the wise1 the kings4 ,the first write2  
the second condemn2 the last kill4 ,and 
notwithstanding all these oppositions1  
these men1 simple and weak1 resist all  
these powers1 subdue even these kings1  
these learned men and these sages1 and  
remove idolatry from all the earth4 ,and
 all this is done by the power which had
 foretold it4   #ghc  ,jesus ,christ    
would not have the testimony of devils1 
nor of those who were not called1 but of
 ,god and ,john the ,baptist4   #ghd  ,i
 consider ,jesus ,christ in all persons 
and in ourselves3 ,jesus ,christ as a   
,father in ,his ,father1 ,jesus ,christ 
as a ,brother in ,his ,brethren1 ,jesus 
,christ as poor in the poor1 ,jesus     
,christ as rich in the rich1 ,jesus     
,christ as ,doctor and ,priest in       
priests1 ,jesus ,christ as ,sovereign in
 princes1 etc4 ,for by ,his glory ,he is
 all that is great1 being ,god2 and by  

,his mortal life ,he is all that is poor
 and abject4 ,therefore ,he has taken   
this unhappy condition1 so that ,he     
could be in all persons1 and the model  
of all conditions4   #ghe  ,jesus       
,christ is an obscurity 7according to   
what the world calls obscurity71 such   
that historians1 writing only of        
important matters of states1 have hardly
 noticed ,him4   #ghf  ,on the fact that
 neither ,josephus1 nor ,tacitus1 nor   
other historians have spoken of ,jesus  
,christ4--,so far is this from telling  
against ,christianity1 that on the      
contrary it tells for it4 ,for it is    
certain that ,jesus ,christ has existed2
 that ,his religion has made a great    
talk2 and that these persons were not   
ignorant of it4 ,thus it is plain that  
they purposely concealed it1 or that1 if
 they did speak of it1 their account has
 been suppressed or changed4   #ghg  ,i 
have reserved me seven thousand4#cae ,i 
love the worshippers unknown to the     
world and to the very prophets4   #ghh  

,as ,jesus ,christ remained unknown     
among men1 so ,his truth remains among  
common opinions without external        
difference4 ,thus the ,eucharist among  
ordinary bread4   #ghi  ,jesus would not
 be slain without the forms of justice2 
for it is far more ignominious to die by
 justice than by an unjust sedition4    
#gij  ,the false justice of ,pilate only
 serves to make ,jesus ,christ suffer2  
for he causes ,him to be scourged by his
 false justice1 and afterwards puts ,him
 to death4 ,it would have been better to
 have put ,him to death at once4 ,thus  
it is with the falsely just4 ,they do   
good and evil works to please the world1
 and to show that they are not          
altogether of ,jesus ,christ2 for they  
are ashamed of ,him4 ,and at last1 under
 great temptation and on great          
occasions1 they kill ,him4   #gia  ,what
 man ever had more renown8 ,the whole   
,jewish people foretell ,him before ,his
 coming4 ,the ,gentile people worship   
,him after ,his coming4 ,the two        

peoples1 ,gentile and ,jewish1 regard   
,him as their centre4  ,and yet what man
 enjoys this renown less8 ,of           
thirty-three years1 ,he lives thirty    
without appearing4 ,for three years ,he 
passes as an impostor2 the priests and  
the chief people reject ,him2 ,his      
friends and ,his nearest relatives      
despise ,him4 ,finally1 ,he dies1       
betrayed by one of ,his own disciples1  
denied by another1 and abandoned by all4
  ,what part1 then1 has ,he in this     
renown8 ,never had man so much renown2  
never had man more ignominy4 ,all that  
renown has served only for us1 to render
 us capable of recognising ,him2 and ,he
 had none of it for ,himself4   #gib    
,the infinite distance between body and 
mind is a symbol of the infinitely more 
infinite distance between mind and      
charity2 for charity is supernatural4   
,all the glory of greatness has no      
lustre for people who are in search of  
understanding4  ,the greatness of clever
 men is invisible to kings1 to the rich1

 to chiefs1 and to all the worldly      
great4  ,the greatness of wisdom1 which 
is nothing if not of ,god1 is invisible 
to the carnal-minded and to the clever4 
,these are three orders differing in    
kind4  ,great geniuses have their power1
 their glory1 their greatness1 their    
victory1 their lustre1 and have no need 
of worldly greatness1 with which they   
are not in keeping4 ,they are seen1 not 
by the eye1 but by the mind2 this is    
sufficient4  ,the saints have their     
power1 their glory1 their victory1 their
 lustre1 and need no worldly or         
intellectual greatness1 with which they 
have no affinity2 for these neither add 
anything to them1 nor take away anything
 from them4 ,they are seen of ,god and  
the angels1 and not of the body1 nor of 
the curious mind4 ,god is enough for    
them4  ,archimedes1#caf apart from his  
rank1 would have the same veneration4   
,he fought no battles for the eyes to   
feast upon2 but he has given his        
discoveries to all men4 ,oh6 how        

brilliant he was to the mind6  ,jesus   
,christ1 without riches1 and without any
 external exhibition of knowledge1 is in
 ,his own order of holiness4 ,he did not
 invent2 ,he did not reign4 ,but ,he was
 humble1 patient1 holy1 holy to ,god1   
terrible to devils1 without any sin4    
,oh6 in what great pomp1 and in what    
wonderful splendour1 ,he is come to the 
eyes of the heart1 which perceive       
wisdom6  ,it would have been useless for
 ,archimedes to have acted the prince in
 his books on geometry1 although he was 
a prince4  ,it would have been useless  
for our ,lord ,jesus ,christ to come    
like a king1 in order to shine forth in 
,his kingdom of holiness4 ,but ,he came 
there appropriately in the glory of ,his
 own order4  ,it is most absurd to take 
offence at the lowliness of ,jesus      
,christ1 as if ,his lowliness were in   
the same order as the greatness which   
,he came to manifest4 ,if we consider   
this greatness in ,his life1 in ,his    
passion1 in ,his obscurity1 in ,his     

death1 in the choice of ,his disciples1 
in their desertion1 in ,his secret      
resurrection1 and the rest1 we shall see
 it to be so immense1 that we shall have
 no reason for being offended at a      
lowliness which is not of that order4   
,but there are some who can only admire 
worldly greatness1 as though there were 
no intellectual greatness2 and others   
who only admire intellectual greatness1 
as though there were not infinitely     
higher things in wisdom4  ,all bodies1  
the firmament1 the stars1 the earth and 
its kingdoms1 are not equal to the      
lowest mind2 for mind knows all these   
and itself2 and these bodies nothing4   
,all bodies together1 and all minds     
together1 and all their products1 are   
not equal to the least feeling of       
charity4 ,this is of an order infinitely
 more exalted4  ,from all bodies        
together1 we cannot obtain one little   
thought2 this is impossible1 and of     
another order4 ,from all bodies and     
minds1 we cannot produce a feeling of   

true charity2 this is impossible1 and of
 another and supernatural order4   #gic 
,why did ,jesus ,christ not come in a   
visible manner1 instead of obtaining    
testimony of ,himself from preceding    
prophecies8 ,why did ,he cause ,himself 
to be foretold in types8   #gid  ,if    
,jesus ,christ had only come to         
sanctify1 all ,scripture and all things 
would tend to that end2 and it would be 
quite easy to convince unbelievers4 ,if 
,jesus ,christ had only come to blind1  
all ,his conduct would be confused2 and 
we would have no means of convincing    
unbelievers4 ,but as ,he came in        
sanctificationem et in scandalum1#cag as
 ,isaiah says1 we cannot convince       
unbelievers1 and they cannot convince   
us4 ,but by this very fact we convince  
them2 since we say that in ,his whole   
conduct there is no convincing proof on 
one side or the other4   #gie  ,jesus   
,christ does not say that ,he is not of 
,nazareth1 in order to leave the wicked 
in their blindness2 nor that ,he is not 

,joseph's son4   #gif  ,proofs of ,jesus
 ,christ4--,jesus ,christ said great    
things so simply1 that it seems as      
though ,he had not thought them great2  
and yet so clearly that we easily see   
what ,he thought of them4 ,this         
clearness1 joined to this simplicity1 is
 wonderful4   #gig  ,the style of the   
gospel is admirable in so many ways1 and
 among the rest in hurling no invectives
 against the persecutors and enemies of 
,jesus ,christ4 ,for there is no such   
invective in any of the historians      
against ,judas1 ,pilate1 or any of the  
,jews4  ,if this moderation of the      
writers of the ,gospels had been        
assumed1 as well as many other traits of
 so beautiful a character1 and they had 
only assumed it to attract notice1 even 
if they had not dared to draw attention 
to it themselves1 they would not have   
failed to secure friends1 who would have
 made such remarks to their advantage4  
,but as they acted thus without         
pretence1 and from wholly disinterested 

motives1 they did not point it out to   
any one2 and ,i believe that many such  
facts have not been noticed till now1   
which is evidence of the natural        
disinterestedness with which the thing  
has been done4   #gih  ,an artisan who  
speaks of wealth1 a lawyer who speaks of
 war1 of royalty1 etc42 but the rich man
 rightly speaks of wealth1 a king speaks
 indifferently of a great gift he has   
just made1 and ,god rightly speaks of   
,god4   #gii  ,who has taught the       
evangelists the qualities of a perfectly
 heroic soul1 that they paint it so     
perfectly in ,jesus ,christ8 ,why do    
they make ,him weak in ,his agony8 ,do  
they not know how to paint a resolute   
death8 ,yes1 for the same ,saint ,luke  
paints the death of ,saint ,stephen as  
braver than that of ,jesus ,christ4     
,they make ,him therefore capable of    
fear1 before the necessity of dying has 
come1 and then altogether brave4  ,but  
when they make ,him so troubled1 it is  
when ,he afflicts ,himself2 and when men

 afflict ,him1 ,he is altogether strong4
   #hjj  ,proof of ,jesus ,christ4--,the
 supposition that the apostles were     
impostors is very absurd4 ,let us think 
it out4 ,let us imagine those twelve    
men1 assembled after the death of ,jesus
 ,christ1 plotting to say that ,he was  
risen4 ,by this they attack all the     
powers4 ,the heart of man is strangely  
inclined to fickleness1 to change1 to   
promises1 to gain4 ,however little any  
of them might have been led astray by   
all these attractions1 nay more1 by the 
fear of prisons1 tortures1 and death1   
they were lost4 ,let us follow up this  
thought4   #hja  ,the apostles were     
either deceived or deceivers4 ,either   
supposition has difficulties2 for it is 
not possible to mistake a man raised    
from the dead 444  ,while ,jesus ,christ
 was with them1 ,he could sustain them4 
,but1 after that1 if ,he did not appear 
to them1 who inspired them to act8      
,,section ,,xiii  ,,the ,,miracles      
#hjb  ,the beginning4--,miracles enable 

us to judge of doctrine1 and doctrine   
enables us to judge of miracles4  ,there
 are false miracles and true4 ,there    
must be a distinction1 in order to know 
them2 otherwise they would be useless4  
,now they are not useless2 on the       
contrary1 they are fundamental4 ,now the
 rule which is given to us must be such1
 that it does not destroy the proof     
which the true miracles give of the     
truth1 which is the chief end of the    
miracles4  ,moses has given two rules3  
that the prediction does not come to    
pass 7,deut4 xviii71 and that they do   
not lead to idolatry 7,deut4 xiii72 and 
,jesus ,christ#cah one4  ,if doctrine   
regulates miracles1 miracles are useless
 for doctrine4  ,if miracles            
regulate4444  ,objection to the         
rule4--,the distinction of the times4   
,one rule during the time of ,moses1    
another at present4   #hjc              
,miracle4--,it is an effect1 which      
exceeds the natural power of the means  
which are employed for it2 and what is  

not a miracle is an effect1 which does  
not exceed the natural power of the     
means which are employed for it4 ,thus1 
those who heal by invocation of the     
devil do not work a miracle2 for that   
does not exceed the natural power of the
 devil4 ,but 444   #hjd  ,the two       
fundamentals2 one inward1 the other     
outward2 grace and miracles2 both       
supernatural4   #hje  ,miracles and     
truth are necessary1 because it is      
necessary to convince the entire man1 in
 body and soul4   #hjf  ,in all times1  
either men have spoken of the true ,god1
 or the true ,god has spoken to men4    
#hjg  ,jesus ,christ has verified that  
,he was the ,messiah1 never in verifying
 ,his doctrine by ,scripture and the    
prophecies1 but always by ,his miracles4
  ,he proves by a miracle that ,he      
remits sins4  ,rejoice not in your      
miracles1 said ,jesus ,christ1 but      
because your names are written in       
heaven4#cai  ,if they believe not       
,moses1 neither will they believe one   

risen from the dead4  ,nicodemus        
recognises by ,his miracles that ,his   
teaching is of ,god4 ,scimus quia       
venisti a ,deo magister2 nemo enim      
potest hc signa facere qu tu facis nisi 
,deus fuerit cum eo4#cbj ,he does not   
judge of the miracles by the teaching1  
but of the teaching by the miracles4    
,the ,jews had a doctrine of ,god as we 
have one of ,jesus ,christ1 and         
confirmed by miracles4 ,they were       
forbidden to believe every worker of    
miracles2 and they were further         
commanded to have recourse to the chief 
priests1 and to rely on them4  ,and     
thus1 in regard to their prophets1 they 
had all those reasons which we have for 
refusing to believe the workers of      
miracles4  ,and yet they were very      
sinful in rejecting the prophets1 and   
,jesus ,christ1 because of their        
miracles2 and they would not have been  
culpable1 if they had not seen the      
miracles4 ,nisi fecissem 444 peccatum   
non haberent4#cba ,therefore all belief 

rests upon miracles4  ,prophecy is not  
called miracle2 as ,saint ,john speaks  
of the first miracle in ,cana1 and then 
of what ,jesus ,christ says to the woman
 of ,samaria1 when ,he reveals to her   
all her hidden life4 ,then ,he heals the
 centurion's son2 and ,saint ,john calls
 this the second miracle4#cbb   #hjh    
,the combinations of miracles4   #hji   
,the second miracle can suppose the     
first1 but the first cannot suppose the 
second4   #haj  ,had it not been for the
 miracles1 there would have been no sin 
in not believing in ,jesus ,christ4     
#haa  ,i should not be a ,christian1 but
 for the miracles1 said ,saint          
,augustine4   #hab  ,miracles4--,how ,i 
hate those who make men doubt of        
miracles6 ,montaigne#cbc speaks of them 
as he should in two places4 ,in one1 we 
see how careful he is2 and yet1 in the  
other1 he believes1 and makes sport of  
unbelievers4  ,however it may be1 the   
,church is without proofs if they are   
right4   #hac  ,montaigne against       

miracles4  ,montaigne for miracles4     
#had  ,it is not possible to have a     
reasonable belief against miracles4     
#hae  ,unbelievers the most credulous4  
,they believe the miracles of           
,vespasian1 in order not to believe     
those of ,moses4   #haf  ,title3 ,how it
 happens that men believe so many liars1
 who say that they have seen miracles1  
and do not believe any of those who say 
that they have secrets to make men      
immortal1 or restore youth to           
them4--,having considered how it happens
 that so great credence is given to so  
many impostors1 who say they have       
remedies1 often to the length of men    
putting their lives into their hands1 it
 has appeared to me that the true cause 
is that there are true remedies4 ,for it
 would not be possible that there should
 be so many false remedies1 and that so 
much faith should be placed in them1 if 
there were none true4 ,if there had     
never been any remedy for any ill1 and  
all ills had been incurable1 it is      

impossible that men should have imagined
 that they could give remedies1 and     
still more impossible that so many      
others should have believed those who   
boasted of having remedies2 in the same 
way as did a man boast of preventing    
death1 no one would believe him1 because
 there is no example of this4 ,but as   
there were a number of remedies found to
 be true by the very knowledge of the   
greatest men1 the belief of men is      
thereby induced2 and1 this being known  
to be possible1 it has been therefore   
concluded that it was4 ,for people      
commonly reason thus3 ,a thing is       
possible1 therefore it is2 because the  
thing cannot be denied generally1 since 
there are particular effects which are  
true1 the people1 who cannot distinguish
 which among these particular effects   
are true1 believe them all4 ,in the same
 way1 the reason why so many false      
effects are credited to the moon1 is    
that there are some true1 as the tide4  
,it is the same with prophecies1        

miracles1 divination by dreams1         
sorceries1 etc4 ,for if there had been  
nothing true in all this1 men would have
 believed nothing of them2 and thus1    
instead of concluding that there are no 
true miracles because there are so many 
false1 we must1 on the contrary1 say    
that there certainly are true miracles1 
since there are false1 and that there   
are false miracles only because some are
 true4 ,we must reason in the same way  
about religion2 for it would not be     
possible that men should have imagined  
so many false religions1 if there had   
not been a true one4 ,the objection to  
this is that savages have a religion2   
but the answer is that they have heard  
the true spoken of1 as appears by the   
deluge1 circumcision1 the cross of      
,saint ,andrew1 etc4   #hag  ,having    
considered how it comes that there are  
so many false miracles1 false           
revelations1 sorceries1 etc41 it has    
seemed to me that the true cause is that
 there are some true2 for it would not  

be possible that there should be so many
 false miracles1 if there were none     
true1 nor so many false revelations1 if 
there were none true1 nor so many false 
religions1 if there were not one true4  
,for if there had never been all this1  
it is almost impossible that men should 
have imagined it1 and still more        
impossible that so many others should   
have believed it4 ,but as there have    
been very great things true1 and as they
 have been believed by great men1 this  
impression has been the cause that      
nearly everybody is rendered capable of 
believing also the false4 ,and thus1    
instead of concluding that there are no 
true miracles1 since there are so many  
false1 it must be said1 on the contrary1
 that there are true miracles1 since    
there are so many false2 and that there 
are false ones only because there are   
true2 and that in the same way there are
 false religions because there is one   
true4--,objection to this3 savages have 
a religion4 ,but this is because they   

have heard the true spoken of1 as       
appears by the cross of ,saint ,andrew1 
the deluge1 circumcision1 etc4--,this   
arises from the fact that the human     
mind1 finding itself inclined to that   
side by the truth1 becomes thereby      
susceptible of all the falsehoods of    
this 444   #hah  ,jeremiah xxiii1 #cb4  
,the miracles of the false prophets4 ,in
 the ,hebrew and ,vatable#cbd they are  
the tricks4  ,miracle does not always   
signify miracle4 ,i ,sam4 xiv1 #ae2     
miracle signifies fear1 and is so in the
 ,hebrew4 ,the same evidently in ,job   
xxxiii1 #g2 and also ,isaiah xxi1 #d2   
,jeremiah xliv1 #ab4 ,portentum         
signifies simulacrum1 ,jeremiah l1 #ch2 
and it is so in the ,hebrew and         
,vatable4 ,isaiah viii1 #ah4 ,jesus     
,christ says that ,he and ,his will be  
in miracles4   #hai  ,if the devil      
favoured the doctrine which destroys    
him1 he would be divided against        
himself1 as ,jesus ,christ said4 ,if    
,god favoured the doctrine which        

destroys the ,church1 ,he would be      
divided against ,himself4 ,omne regnum  
divisum4#cbe ,for ,jesus ,christ wrought
 against the devil1 and destroyed his   
power over the heart1 of which exorcism 
is the symbolisation1 in order to       
establish the kingdom of ,god4 ,and thus
 ,he adds1 ,si in digito ,dei 444 regnum
 ,dei ad vos4#cbf   #hbj  ,there is a   
great difference between tempting and   
leading into error4 ,god tempts1 but ,he
 does not lead into error4 ,to tempt is 
to afford opportunities1 which impose no
 necessity2 if men do not love ,god1    
they will do a certain thing4 ,to lead  
into error is to place a man under the  
necessity of inferring and following out
 what is untrue4   #hba  ,abraham and   
,gideon are above revelation4 ,the ,jews
 blinded themselves in judging of       
miracles by the ,scripture4 ,god has    
never abandoned ,his true worshippers4  
,i prefer to follow ,jesus ,christ than 
any other1 because ,he has miracle1     
prophecy1 doctrine1 perpetuity1 etc4    

,the ,donatists4 ,no miracle which      
obliges them to say it is the devil4    
,the more we particularise ,god1 ,jesus 
,christ1 the ,church 444   #hbb  ,if    
there were no false miracles1 there     
would be certainty4 ,if there were no   
rule to judge of them1 miracles would be
 useless1 and there would be no reason  
for believing4  ,now there is1 humanly  
speaking1 no human certainty1 but we    
have reason4   #hbc  ,either ,god has   
confounded the false miracles1 or ,he   
has foretold them2 and in both ways ,he 
has raised ,himself above what is       
supernatural with respect to us1 and has
 raised us to it4   #hbd  ,miracles     
serve not to convert1 but to condemn4   
7,q4 #aac1 ,a4 #aj1 ,ad4 #b47cbg   #hbe 
,reasons why we do not believe4  ,john  
xii1 #cg4 ,cum autem tanta signa        
fecisset1 non credebant in eum1 ut sermo
 ,isay impleretur4 ,exccavit1 etc4  ,hc 
dixit ,isaias1 quando vidit gloriam ejus
 et locutus est de eo4  ,judi signa     
petunt et ,grci sapientiam qurunt1 nos  

autem ,jesum crucifixum4 ,sed plenum    
signis1 sed plenum sapientia2 vos autem 
,christum non crucifixum et religionem  
sine miraculis et sine sapientia4#cbh   
,what makes us not believe in the true  
miracles1 is want of love4 ,john3 ,sed  
vos non creditis1 quia non estis ex     
ovibus4#cbi ,what makes us believe the  
false is want of love4 ,,ii ,thess4 ii4 
,the foundation of religion4 ,it is the 
miracles4 ,what then8 ,does ,god speak  
against miracles1 against the           
foundations of the faith which we have  
in ,him8  ,if there is a ,god1 faith in 
,god must exist on earth4 ,now the      
miracles of ,jesus ,christ are not      
foretold by ,antichrist1 but the        
miracles of ,antichrist are foretold by 
,jesus ,christ4 ,and so if ,jesus       
,christ were not the ,messiah1 ,he would
 have indeed led into error4 ,when      
,jesus ,christ foretold the miracles of 
,antichrist1 did ,he think of destroying
 faith in ,his own miracles8  ,moses    
foretold ,jesus ,christ1 and bade to    

follow ,him4 ,jesus ,christ foretold    
,antichrist1 and forbade to follow him4 
,it was impossible that in the time of  
,moses men should keep their faith for  
,antichrist1 who was unknown to them4   
,but it is quite easy1 in the time of   
,antichrist1 to believe in ,jesus       
,christ1 already known4  ,there is no   
reason for believing in ,antichrist1    
which there is not for believing in     
,jesus ,christ4 ,but there are reasons  
for believing in ,jesus ,christ1 which  
there are not for believing in the      
other4   #hbf  ,judges xiii1 #bc3 ,if   
the ,lord were pleased to kill us1 ,he  
would not have shewed us all these      
things4  ,hezekiah1 ,sennacherib4       
,jeremiah4 ,hananiah1 the false prophet1
 dies in seven months4  #b ,macc4 iii4  
,the temple1 ready for pillage1         
miraculously succoured4--#b ,macc4 xv4  
#a ,kings xvii4 ,the widow to ,elijah1  
who had restored her son1 ,by this ,i   
know that thy words are true4  #a ,kings
 xviii4 ,elijah with the prophets of    

,baal4  ,in the dispute concerning the  
true ,god and the truth of religion1    
there has never happened any miracle on 
the side of error1 and not of truth4    
#hbg  ,opposition4--,abel1 ,cain2       
,moses1 the ,magicians2 ,elijah1 the    
false prophets3 ,jeremiah1 ,hananiah2   
,micaiah1 the false prophets2 ,jesus    
,christ1 the ,pharisees2 ,st4 ,paul1    
,bar-jesus2 the ,apostles1 the          
,exorcists2 ,christians1 unbelievers2   
,catholics1 heretics2 ,elijah1 ,enoch1  
,antichrist4   #hbh  ,jesus ,christ says
 that the ,scriptures testify of ,him4  
,but ,he does not point out in what     
respect4  ,even the prophecies could not
 prove ,jesus ,christ during ,his life2 
and so1 men would not have been culpable
 for not believing in ,him before ,his  
death1 had the miracles not sufficed    
without doctrine4 ,now those who did not
 believe in ,him1 when ,he was still    
alive1 were sinners1 as ,he said        
,himself1 and without excuse4 ,therefore
 they must have had proof beyond doubt1 

which they resisted4 ,now1 they had not 
the prophecies1 but only the miracles4  
,therefore the latter suffice1 when the 
doctrine is not inconsistent with them2 
and they ought to be believed4  ,john   
vii1 #dj4 ,dispute among the ,jews as   
among the ,christians of to-day4 ,some  
believed in ,jesus ,christ2 others      
believed ,him not1 because of the       
prophecies which said that ,he should be
 born in ,bethlehem4 ,they should have  
considered more carefully whether ,he   
was not4 ,for ,his miracles being       
convincing1 they should have been quite 
sure of these supposed contradictions of
 ,his teaching to ,scripture2 and this  
obscurity did not excuse1 but blinded   
them4 ,thus those who refuse to believe 
in the miracles in the present day on   
account of a supposed contradiction1    
which is unreal1 are not excused4  ,the 
,pharisees said to the people1 who      
believed in ,him1 because of ,his       
miracles3 ,this people who knoweth not  
the law are cursed4 ,but have any of the

 rulers or of the ,pharisees believed on
 him8 ,for we know that out of ,galilee 
ariseth no prophet4 ,nicodemus answered3
 ,doth our law judge any man before it  
hear him1 and specially1 such a man who 
works such miracles8   #hbi  ,the       
prophecies were ambiguous2 they are no  
longer so4   #hcj  ,the five            
propositions were ambiguous2 they are no
 longer so4   #hca  ,miracles are no    
longer necessary1 because we have had   
them already4 ,but when tradition is no 
longer minded2 when the ,pope alone is  
offered to us2 when he has been imposed 
upon2 and when the true source of truth1
 which is tradition1 is thus excluded2  
and the ,pope1 who is its guardian1 is  
biased2 the truth is no longer free to  
appear4 ,then1 as men speak no longer of
 truth1 truth itself must speak to men4 
,this is what happened in the time of   
,arius4 7,miracles under ,diocletian and
 under ,arius47   #hcb  ,miracle4--,the 
people concluded this of themselves2 but
 if the reason of it must be given to   

you 444  ,it is unfortunate to be in    
exception to the rule4 ,the same must be
 strict1 and opposed to exception4 ,but 
yet1 as it is certain that there are    
exceptions to a rule1 our judgment must 
though strict1 be just4   #hcc  ,john   
vi1 #bf3 ,non quia vidisti signum1 sed  
quia saturati estis4  ,those who follow 
,jesus ,christ because of ,his miracles 
honour ,his power in all the miracles   
which it produces4 ,but those who1      
making profession to follow ,him because
 of ,his miracles1 follow ,him in fact  
only because ,he comforts them and      
satisfies them with worldly blessings1  
discredit ,his miracles1 when they are  
opposed to their own comforts4  ,john   
ix3 ,non est hic homo a ,deo1 quia      
sabbatum non custodit4 ,alii3 ,quomodo  
potest homo peccator hc signa facere8   
,which is the most clear8  ,this house  
is not of ,god2 for they do not there   
believe that the five propositions are  
in ,jansenius4 ,others3 ,this house is  
of ,god2 for in it there are wrought    

strange miracles4  ,which is the most   
clear8  ,tu quid dicis8 ,dico quia      
propheta est4 ,nisi esset hic a ,deo1   
non poterat facere quidquam4#ccj   #hcd 
,in the ,old ,testament1 when they will 
turn you from ,god4 ,in the ,new1 when  
they will turn you from ,jesus ,christ4 
,these are the occasions for excluding  
particular miracles from belief4 ,no    
others need be excluded4  ,does it      
therefore follow that they would have   
the right to exclude all the prophets   
who came to them8 ,no2 they would have  
sinned in not excluding those who denied
 ,god1 and would have sinned in         
excluding those who did not deny ,god4  
,so soon1 then1 as we see a miracle1 we 
must either assent to it1 or have       
striking proofs to the contrary4 ,we    
must see if it denies a ,god1 or ,jesus 
,christ1 or the ,church4   #hce  ,there 
is a great difference between not being 
for ,jesus ,christ and saying so1 and   
not being for ,jesus ,christ and        
pretending to be so4 ,the one party can 

do miracles1 not the others4 ,for it is 
clear of the one party1 that they are   
opposed to the truth1 but not of the    
others2 and thus miracles are clearer4  
#hcf  ,that we must love one ,god only  
is a thing so evident1 that it does not 
require miracles to prove it4   #hcg    
,jesus ,christ performed miracles1 then 
the apostles1 and the first saints in   
great number2 because the prophecies not
 being yet accomplished1 but in the     
process of being accomplished by them1  
the miracles alone bore witness to them4
 ,it was foretold that the ,messiah     
should convert the nations4 ,how could  
this prophecy be fulfilled without the  
conversion of the nations8 ,and how     
could the nations be converted to the   
,messiah1 if they did not see this final
 effect of the prophecies which prove   
,him8 ,therefore1 till ,he had died1    
risen again1 and converted the nations1 
all was not accomplished2 and so        
miracles were needed during all this    
time4 ,now they are no longer needed    

against the ,jews2 for the accomplished 
prophecies constitute a lasting miracle4
   #hch  ,though ye believe not ,me1    
believe at least the works4#cca ,he     
refers them1 as it were1 to the         
strongest proof4  ,it had been told to  
the ,jews1 as well as to ,christians1   
that they should not always believe the 
prophets2 but yet the ,pharisees and    
,scribes are greatly concerned about    
,his miracles1 and try to show that they
 are false1 or wrought by the devil4    
,for they must needs be convinced1 if   
they acknowledge that they are of ,god4 
,at the present day we are not troubled 
to make this distinction4 ,still it is  
very easy to do3 those who deny neither 
,god nor ,jesus ,christ do no miracles  
which are not certain4 ,nemo facit      
virtutem in nomine meo1 et cito possit  
de me male loqui4#ccb  ,but we have not 
to draw this distinction4 ,here is a    
sacred relic4#ccc ,here is a thorn from 
the crown of the ,saviour of the world1 
over whom the prince of this world has  

no power1 which works miracles by the   
peculiar power of the blood shed for us4
 ,now ,god ,himself chooses this house  
in order to display conspiciously       
therein ,his power4  ,these are not men 
who do miracles by an unknown and       
doubtful virtue1 which makes a decision 
difficult for us4 ,it is ,god ,himself4 
,it is the instrument of the ,passion of
 ,his only ,son1 who1 being in many     
places1 chooses this1 and makes men come
 from all quarters there to receive     
these miraculous alleviations in their  
weaknesses4   #hci  ,the ,church has    
three kinds of enemies3 the ,jews1 who  
have never been of her body2 the        
heretics1 who have withdrawn from it2   
and the evil ,christians1 who rend her  
from within4  ,these three kinds of     
different adversaries usually attack her
 in different ways4 ,but here they      
attack her in one and the same way4 ,as 
they are all without miracles1 and as   
the ,church has always had miracles     
against them1 they have all had the same

 interest in evading them2 and they all 
make use of this excuse1 that doctrine  
must not be judged by miracles1 but     
miracles by doctrine4 ,there were two   
parties among those who heard ,jesus    
,christ3 those who followed ,his        
teaching on account of ,his miracles2   
others who said4444 ,there were two     
parties in the time of ,calvin4444      
,there are now the ,jesuits1 etc4   #hdj
  ,miracles furnish the test in matters 
of doubt1 between ,jews and heathens1   
,jews and ,christians1 ,catholics and   
heretics1 the slandered and slanderers1 
between the two crosses4  ,but miracles 
would be useless to heretics2 for the   
,church1 authorised by miracles which   
have already obtained belief1 tells us  
that they have not the true faith4      
,there is no doubt that they are not in 
it1 since the first miracles of the     
,church exclude belief of theirs4 ,thus 
there is miracle against miracle1 both  
the first and greatest being on the side
 of the ,church4  ,these nuns1#ccd      

astonished at what is said1 that they   
are in the way of perdition2 that their 
confessors are leading them to ,geneva2 
that they suggest to them that ,jesus   
,christ is not in the ,eucharist1 nor on
 the right hand of the ,father2 know    
that all this is false1 and therefore   
offer themselves to ,god in this state4 
,vide si via iniquitatis in me est4#cce 
,what happens thereupon8 ,this place1   
which is said to be the temple of the   
devil1 ,god makes ,his own temple4 ,it  
is said that the children must be taken 
away from it4 ,god heals them there4 ,it
 is said that it is the arsenal of hell4
 ,god makes of it the sanctuary of ,his 
grace4 ,lastly1 they are threatened with
 all the fury and vengeance of heaven2  
and ,god overwhelms them with favours4  
,a man would need to have lost his      
senses to conclude from this that they  
are therefore in the way of perdition4  
7,we have without doubt the same signs  
as ,saint ,athanasius47   #hda  ,si tu  
es ,christus1 dic nobis4#ccf  ,opera qu 

ego facio in nomine patris mei1 hc      
testimonium perhibent de me4 ,sed vos   
non creditis quia non estis ex ovibus   
meis4 ,oves me vocem meam audiunt4#ccg  
,john vi1 #cj4 ,quod ergo tu facis      
signum ut videamus et credamus          
tibi8--,non dicunt3 ,quam doctrinam     
prdicas8  ,nemo potest facere signa qu  
tu facis nisi ,deus4#cch  #b ,macc4 xiv1
 #ae4 ,deus qui signis evidentibus suam 
portionem protegit4  ,volumus signum    
videre de clo1 tentantes eum4 ,luke xi1 
#af4  ,generatio prava signum qurit2 et 
non dabitur4#cci  ,et ingemiscens ait3  
,quid generatio ista signum qurit8      
7,mark viii1 #ab47 ,they asked a sign   
with an evil intention4  ,et non poterat
 facere4#cdj ,and yet he promises them  
the sign of ,jonah1 the great and       
wonderful miracle of his resurrection4  
,nisi videritis1 non creditis4#cda ,he  
does not blame them for not believing   
unless there are miracles1 but for not  
believing unless they are themselves    
spectators of them4  ,antichrist in     

signis mendacibus1 says ,saint ,paul1 #b
 ,thess4 ii4  ,secundum operationem     
,satan1 in seductione iis qui pereunt eo
 quod charitatem veritatis non          
receperunt ut salvi fierent1 ideo mittet
 illis ,deus optationes erroris ut      
credant mendacio4  ,as in the passage of
 ,moses3 ,tentat enim vos ,deus1 utrum  
diligatis eum4#cdb  ,ecce prdixi vobis3 
vos ergo videte4#cdc   #hdb  ,here is   
not the country of truth4 ,she wanders  
unknown amongst men4 ,god has covered   
her with a veil1 which leaves her       
unrecognised by those who do not hear   
her voice4 ,room is opened for          
blasphemy1 even against the truths that 
are at least very likely4 ,if the truths
 of the ,gospel are published1 the      
contrary is published too1 and the      
questions are obscured1 so that the     
people cannot distinguish4 ,and they    
ask1 ,what have you to make you believed
 rather than others8 ,what sign do you  
give8 ,you have only words1 and so have 
we4 ,if you had miracles1 good and well4

 ,that doctrine ought to be supported by
 miracles is a truth1 which they misuse 
in order to revile doctrine4 ,and if    
miracles happen1 it is said that        
miracles are not enough without         
doctrine2 and this is another truth1    
which they misuse in order to revile    
miracles4  ,jesus ,christ cured the man 
born blind1 and performed a number of   
miracles on the ,sabbath day4 ,in this  
way ,he blinded the ,pharisees1 who said
 that miracles must be judged by        
doctrine4  ,we have ,moses3 but1 as for 
this fellow1 we know not from whence he 
is4#cdd ,it is wonderful that you know  
not whence ,he is1 and yet ,he does such
 miracles4  ,jesus ,christ spoke neither
 against ,god1 nor against ,moses4      
,antichrist and the false prophets1     
foretold by both ,testaments1 will speak
 openly against ,god and against ,jesus 
,christ4 ,who is not hidden 444 ,god    
would not allow him1 who would be a     
secret enemy1 to do miracles openly4    
,in a public dispute where the two      

parties profess to be for ,god1 for     
,jesus ,christ1 for the ,church1        
miracles have never been on the side of 
the false ,christians1 and the other    
side has never been without a miracle4  
,he hath a devil4 ,john x1 #ba4 ,and    
others said1 ,can a devil open the eyes 
of the blind8  ,the proofs which ,jesus 
,christ and the apostles draw from      
,scripture are not conclusive2 for they 
say only that ,moses foretold that a    
prophet should come4 ,but they do not   
thereby prove that this is ,he2 and that
 is the whole question4 ,these passages 
therefore serve only to show that they  
are not contrary to ,scripture1 and that
 there appears no inconsistency1 but not
 that there is agreement4 ,now this is  
enough1 namely1 exclusion of            
inconsistency1 along with miracles4     
,there is a mutual duty between ,god and
 men4 ,we must pardon ,him this saying3 
,quid debui8#cde ,accuse me1 said ,god  
in ,isaiah4  ,god must fulfil ,his      
promises1 etc4  ,men owe it to ,god to  

accept the religion which ,he sends4    
,god owes it to men not to lead them    
into error4 ,now1 they would be led into
 error1 if the workers of miracles      
announced a doctrine which should not   
appear evidently false to the light of  
common sense1 and if a greater worker of
 miracles had not already warned men not
 to believe them4  ,thus1 if there were 
divisions in the ,church1 and the       
,arians1 for example1 who declared      
themselves founded on ,scripture just as
 the ,catholics1 had done miracles1 and 
not the ,catholics1 men should have been
 led into error4  ,for1 as a man1 who   
announces to us the secrets of ,god1 is 
not worthy to be believed on his private
 authority1 and that is why the ungodly 
doubt him2 so when a man1 as a token of 
the communion which he has with ,god1   
raises the dead1 foretells the future1  
removes the seas1 heals the sick1 there 
is none so wicked as not to bow to him1 
and the incredulity of ,pharaoh and the 
,pharisees is the effect of a           

supernatural obduracy4  ,when1          
therefore1 we see miracles and a        
doctrine not suspicious1 both on one    
side1 there is no difficulty4 ,but when 
we see miracles and suspicious doctrine 
on the same side1 we must then see which
 is the clearest4 ,jesus ,christ was    
suspected4  ,bar-jesus blinded4#cdf ,the
 power of ,god surpasses that of ,his   
enemies4  ,the ,jewish exorcists#cdg    
beaten by the devils1 saying1 ,jesus ,i 
know1 and ,paul ,i know2 but who are ye8
  ,miracles are for doctrine1 and not   
doctrine for miracles4  ,if the miracles
 are true1 shall we be able to persuade 
men of all doctrine8 ,no2 for this will 
not come to pass4 ,si angelus4#cdh 444  
,rule3 we must judge of doctrine by     
miracles2 we must judge of miracles by  
doctrine4 ,all this is true1 but        
contains no contradiction4  ,for we must
 distinguish the times4  ,how glad you  
are to know the general rules1 thinking 
thereby to set up dissension1 and render
 all useless6 ,we shall prevent you1 my 

father2 truth is one and constant4  ,it 
is impossible1 from the duty of ,god to 
men1 that a man1 hiding his evil        
teaching1 and only showing the good1    
saying that he conforms to ,god and the 
,church1 should do miracles so as to    
instil insensibly a false and subtle    
doctrine4 ,this cannot happen4  ,and    
still less1 that ,god1 who knows the    
heart1 should perform miracles in favour
 of such a one4   #hdc  ,the three marks
 of religion3 perpetuity1 a good life1  
miracles4 ,they destroy perpetuity by   
their doctrine of probability2 a good   
life by their morals2 miracles by       
destroying either their truth or the    
conclusions to be drawn from them4  ,if 
we believe them1 the ,church will have  
nothing to do with perpetuity1 holiness1
 and miracles4 ,the heretics deny them1 
or deny the conclusions to be drawn from
 them2 they do the same4 ,but one would 
need to have no sincerity in order to   
deny them1 or again to lose one's senses
 in order to deny the conclusions to be 

drawn from them4  ,nobody has ever      
suffered martyrdom for the miracles     
which he says he has seen2 for the folly
 of men goes perhaps to the length of   
martyrdom1 for those which the ,turks   
believe by tradition1 but not for those 
which they have seen4   #hdd  ,the      
heretics have always attacked these     
three marks1 which they have not4   #hde
  ,first objection3 ,an angel from      
heaven4#cdi ,we must not judge of truth 
by miracles1 but of miracles by truth4  
,therefore the miracles are useless4    
,now they are of use1 and they must not 
be in opposition to the truth4          
,therefore what ,father ,lingende#cej   
has said1 that ,god will not permit that
 a miracle may lead into error4444      
,when there shall be a controversy in   
the same ,church1 miracle will decide4  
,second objection3 ,but ,antichrist will
 do miracles4  ,the magicians of        
,pharaoh did not entice to error4 ,thus 
we cannot say to ,jesus respecting      
,antichrist1 ,you have led me into      

error4 ,for ,antichrist will do them    
against ,jesus ,christ1 and so they     
cannot lead into error4 ,either ,god    
will not permit false miracles1 or ,he  
will procure greater4  ,jesus ,christ   
has existed since the beginning of the  
world3 this is more impressive than all 
the miracles of ,antichrist4  ,if in the
 same ,church there should happen a     
miracle on the side of those in error1  
men would be led into error4 ,schism is 
visible2 a miracle is visible4 ,but     
schism is more a sign of error than a   
miracle is a sign of truth4 ,therefore a
 miracle cannot lead into error4  ,but  
apart from schism1 error is not so      
obvious as a miracle is obvious4        
,therefore a miracle could lead into    
error4  ,ubi est ,deus tuus8#cea        
,miracles show ,him1 and are a light4   
#hdf  ,one of the anthems for ,vespers  
at ,christmas3 ,exortum est in tenebris 
lumen rectis corde4#ceb   #hdg  ,if the 
compassion of ,god is so great that ,he 
instructs us to our benefit1 even when  

,he hides ,himself1 what light ought we 
not to expect from ,him when ,he reveals
 ,himself8   #hdh  ,will ,est et non est
 be received in faith itself as well as 
in miracles8 ,and if it is inseparable  
in the others 444  ,when ,saint         
,xavier#cec works miracles4--,saint     
,hilary4 ,ye wretches1 who oblige us to 
speak of miracles4  ,unjust judges1 make
 not your own laws on the moment2 judge 
by those which are established1 and by  
yourselves4 ,v qui conditis leges       
iniquas4#ced  ,miracles endless1 false4 
,in order to weaken your adversaries1   
you disarm the whole ,church4  ,if they 
say that our salvation depends upon     
,god1 they are heretics4 ,if they say   
that they are obedient to the ,pope1    
that is hypocrisy4 ,if they are ready to
 subscribe to all the articles1 that is 
not enough4 ,if they say that a man must
 not be killed for an apple1 they attack
 the morality of ,catholics4 ,if        
miracles are done among them1 it is not 
a sign of holiness1 and is1 on the      

contrary1 a symptom of heresy4  ,this   
way in which the ,church has existed is 
that truth has been without dispute1 or1
 if it has been contested1 there has    
been the ,pope1 or1 failing him1 there  
has been the ,church4   #hdi  ,the five 
propositions#cee condemned1 but no      
miracle2 for the truth was not attacked4
 ,but the ,sorbonne 444 but the bull4444
  ,it is impossible that those who love 
,god with all their heart should fail to
 recognise the ,church2 so evident is   
she4--,it is impossible that those who  
do not love ,god should be convinced of 
the ,church4  ,miracles have such       
influence that it was necessary that    
,god should warn men not to believe in  
them in opposition to ,him1 all clear as
 it is that there is a ,god4 ,without   
this they would have been able to       
disturb men4  ,and thus so far from     
these passages1 ,deut4 xiii1 making     
against the authority of the miracles1  
nothing more indicates their influence4 
,and the same in respect of ,antichrist4

 ,to seduce1 if it were possible1 even  
the elect4#cef   #hej  ,the history of  
the man born blind4  ,what says ,saint  
,paul8 ,does he continually speak of the
 evidence of the prophecies8 ,no1 but of
 his own miracle4 ,what says ,jesus     
,christ8 ,does ,he speak of the evidence
 of the prophecies8 ,no2 ,his death had 
not fulfilled them4 ,but ,he says1 ,si  
non fecissem4#ceg ,believe the works4   
,two supernatural foundations of our    
wholly supernatural religion2 one       
visible1 the other invisible2 miracles  
with grace1 miracles without grace4     
,the synagogue1 which had been treated  
with love as a type of the ,church1 and 
with hatred1 because it was only the    
type1 has been restored1 being on the   
point of falling when it was well with  
,god1 and thus a type4  ,miracles prove 
the power which ,god has over hearts1 by
 that which ,he exercises over bodies4  
,the ,church has never approved a       
miracle among heretics4  ,miracles a    
support of religion3 they have been the 

test of ,jews2 they have been the test  
of ,christians1 saints1 innocents1 and  
true believers4  ,a miracle among       
schismatics is not so much to be feared2
 for schism1 which is more obvious than 
a miracle1 visibly indicates their      
error4 ,but when there is no schism1 and
 error is in question1 miracle decides4 
,si non fecissem qu alius non fecit4    
,the wretches who have obliged us to    
speak of miracles4  ,abraham and ,gideon
 confirm faith by miracles4  ,judith4   
,god speaks at last in their greatest   
oppression4  ,if the cooling of love    
leaves the ,church almost without       
believers1 miracles will rouse them4    
,this is one of the last effects of     
grace4  ,if one miracle were wrought    
among the ,jesuits6  ,when a miracle    
disappoints the expectation of those in 
whose presence it happens1 and there is 
a disproportion between the state of    
their faith and the instrument of the   
miracle1 it ought then to induce them to
 change4 ,but with you it is otherwise4 

,there would be as much reason in saying
 that1 if the ,eucharist raised a dead  
man1 it would be necessary for one to   
turn a ,calvinist rather than remain a  
,catholic4 ,but when it crowns the      
expectation1 and those1 who hoped that  
,god would bless the remedies1 see      
themselves healed without remedies 444  
,the ungodly4--,no sign has ever        
happened on the part of the devil       
without a stronger sign on the part of  
,god1 or even without it having been    
foretold that such would happen4   #hea 
,unjust persecutors of those whom ,god  
visibly protects4 ,if they reproach you 
with your excesses1 they speak as the   
heretics4 ,if they say that the grace of
 ,jesus ,christ distinguishes us1 they  
are heretics4 ,if they do miracles1 it  
is the mark of their heresy4            
,ezekiel4--,they say3 ,these are the    
people of ,god who speak thus4  ,it is  
said1 ,believe in the ,church2#ceh but  
it is not said1 ,believe in miracles2   
because the last is natural1 and not the

 first4 ,the one had need of a precept1 
not the other4 ,hezekiah4  ,the         
synagogue was only a type1 and thus it  
did not perish2 and it was only a type1 
and so it is decayed4 ,it was a type    
which contained the truth1 and thus it  
has lasted until it no longer contained 
the truth4  ,my reverend father1 all    
this happened in types4 ,other religions
 perish2 this one perishes not4         
,miracles are more important than you   
think4 ,they have served for the        
foundation1 and will serve for the      
continuation of the ,church till        
,antichrist1 till the end4  ,the two    
witnesses4  ,in the ,old ,testament and 
the ,new1 miracles are performed in     
connection with types4 ,salvation1 or a 
useless thing1 if not to show that we   
must submit to the ,scriptures3 type of 
the sacrament4   #heb  ,we must judge   
soberly of divine ordinances1 my father4
  ,saint ,paul in the isle of ,malta4   
#hec  ,the hardness of the ,jesuits1    
then1 surpasses that of the ,jews1 since

 those refused to believe ,jesus ,christ
 innocent only because they doubted if  
,his miracles were of ,god4 ,whereas the
 ,jesuits1 though unable to doubt that  
the miracles of ,port-,royal are of     
,god1 do not cease to doubt still the   
innocence of that house4   #hed  ,i     
suppose that men believe miracles4 ,you 
corrupt religion either in favour of    
your friends1 or against your enemies4  
,you arrange it at your will4   #hee    
,on the miracle4--,as ,god has made no  
family more happy1 let it also be the   
case that ,he find none more thankful4  
,,section ,,xiv  ,,appendix3 ,,polemical
 ,,fragments   #hef  ,clearness1        
obscurity4--,there would be too great   
darkness1 if truth had not visible      
signs4 ,this is a wonderful one1 that it
 has always been preserved in one       
,church and one visible assembly of men4
 ,there would be too great clearness1 if
 there were only one opinion in this    
,church4 ,but in order to recognise what
 is true1 one has only to look at what  

has always existed2 for it is certain   
that truth has always existed1 and that 
nothing false has always existed4   #heg
  ,the history of the ,church ought     
properly to be called the history of    
truth4   #heh  ,there is a pleasure in  
being in a ship beaten about by a storm1
 when we are sure that it will not      
founder4 ,the persecutions which harass 
the ,church are of this nature4   #hei  
,in addition to so many other signs of  
piety1 they#cei are also persecuted1    
which is the best sign of piety4   #hfj 
,the ,church is in an excellent state1  
when it is sustained by ,god only4      
#hfa  ,the ,church has always been      
attacked by opposite errors1 but perhaps
 never at the same time1 as now4 ,and if
 she suffer more because of the         
multiplicity of errors1 she derives this
 advantage from it1 that they destroy   
each other4  ,she complains of both1 but
 far more of the ,calvinists1 because of
 the schism4  ,it is certain that many  
of the two opposite sects are deceived4 

,they must be disillusioned4  ,faith    
embraces many truths which seem to      
contradict each other4 ,there is a time 
to laugh1 and a time to weep1#cfj etc4  
,responde4 ,ne respondeas1#cfa etc4     
,the source of this is the union of the 
two natures in ,jesus ,christ2 and also 
the two worlds 7the creation of a new   
heaven and a new earth2 a new life and a
 new death2 all things double1 and the  
same names remaining72 and finally the  
two natures that are in the righteous1  
7for they are the two worlds1 and a     
member and image of ,jesus ,christ4 ,and
 thus all the names suit them3          
righteous1 yet sinners2 dead1 yet       
living2 living1 yet dead2 elect1 yet    
outcast1 etc474  ,there are then a great
 number of truths1 both of faith and of 
morality1 which seem contradictory1 and 
which all hold good together in a       
wonderful system4 ,the source of all    
heresies is the exclusion of some of    
these truths2 and the source of all the 
objections which the heretics make      

against us is the ignorance of some of  
our truths4 ,and it generally happens   
that1 unable to conceive the connection 
of two opposite truths1 and believing   
that the admission of one involves the  
exclusion of the other1 they adhere to  
the one1 exclude the other1 and think of
 us as opposed to them4 ,now exclusion  
is the cause of their heresy2 and       
ignorance that we hold the other truth  
causes their objections4  #ast example3 
,jesus ,christ is ,god and man4 ,the    
,arians1 unable to reconcile these      
things1 which they believe incompatible1
 say that ,he is man2 in this they are  
,catholics4 ,but they deny that ,he is  
,god2 in this they are heretics4 ,they  
allege that we deny ,his humanity2 in   
this they are ignorant4  #bnd example3  
,on the subject of the ,holy ,sacrament4
 ,we believe that1 the substance of the 
bread being changed1 and being          
consubstantial with that of the body of 
our ,lord1 ,jesus ,christ is therein    
really present4 ,that is one truth4     

,another is that this ,sacrament is also
 a type of the cross and of glory1 and a
 commemoration of the two4 ,that is the 
,catholic faith1 which comprehends these
 two truths which seem opposed4  ,the   
heresy of to-day1 not conceiving that   
this ,sacrament contains at the same    
time both the presence of ,jesus ,christ
 and a type of ,him1 and that it is a   
sacrifice and a commemoration of a      
sacrifice1 believes that neither of     
these truths can be admitted without    
excluding the other for this reason4    
,they fasten to this point alone1 that  
this ,sacrament is typical2 and in this 
they are not heretics4 ,they think that 
we exclude this truth2 hence it comes   
that they raise so many objections to us
 out of the passages of the ,fathers    
which assert it4 ,finally1 they deny the
 presence2 and in this they are         
heretics4  #crd example3 ,indulgences4  
,the shortest way1 therefore1 to prevent
 heresies is to instruct in all truths2 
and the surest way to refute them is to 

declare them all4 ,for what will the    
heretics say8  ,in order to know whether
 an opinion is a ,father's 444   #hfb   
,all err the more dangerously1 as they  
each follow a truth4 ,their fault is not
 in following a falsehood1 but in not   
following another truth4   #hfc  ,truth 
is so obscure in these times1 and       
falsehood so established1 that unless we
 love the truth1 we cannot know it4     
#hfd  ,if there is ever a time in which 
we must make profession of two opposite 
truths1 it is when we are reproached for
 omitting one4 ,therefore the ,jesuits  
and ,jansenists are wrong in concealing 
them1 but the ,jansenists more so1 for  
the ,jesuits have better made profession
 of the two4   #hfe  ,two kinds of      
people make things equal to one another1
 as feasts to working days1 ,christians 
to priests1 all things among them1 etc4 
,and hence the one party conclude that  
what is then bad for priests is also so 
for ,christians1 and the other that what
 is not bad for ,christians is lawful   

for priests4   #hff  ,if the ancient    
,church was in error1 the ,church is    
fallen4 ,if she should be in error      
to-day1 it is not the same thing2 for   
she has always the superior maxim of    
tradition from the hand of the ancient  
,church2 and so this submission and this
 conformity to the ancient ,church      
prevail and correct all4 ,but the       
ancient ,church did not assume the      
future ,church1 and did not consider    
her1 as we assume and consider the      
ancient4   #hfg  ,that which hinders us 
in comparing what formerly occurred in  
the ,church with what we see there now1 
is that we generally look upon ,saint   
,athanasius1#cfb ,saint ,theresa1 and   
the rest1 as crowned with glory1 and    
acting towards us as gods4 ,now that    
time has cleared up things1 it does so  
appear4 ,but at the time when he was    
persecuted1 this great saint was a man  
called ,athanasius2 and ,saint ,theresa 
was a nun4 ,elias was a man subject to  
like passions as we are1 says ,saint    

,james1 to disabuse ,christians of that 
false idea which makes us reject the    
example of the saints1 as               
disproportioned to our state4 ,they were
 saints1 say we1 they are not like us4  
,what then actually happened8 ,saint    
,athanasius was a man called            
,athanasius1 accused of many crimes1    
condemned by such and such a council for
 such and such a crime4 ,all the bishops
 assented to it1 and finally the ,pope4 
,what said they to those who opposed    
this8 ,that they disturbed the peace1   
that they created schism1 etc4  ,zeal1  
light4 ,four kinds of persons3 zeal     
without knowledge2 knowledge without    
zeal2 neither knowledge nor zeal2 both  
zeal and knowledge4 ,the first three    
condemned him4 ,the last acquitted him1 
were excommunicated by the ,church1 and 
yet saved the ,church4   #hfh  ,if      
,saint ,augustine came at the present   
time1 and was as little authorised as   
his defenders1 he would accomplish      
nothing4 ,god directs ,his ,church well1

 by having sent him before with         
authority4   #hfi  ,god has not wanted  
to absolve without the ,church4 ,as she 
has part in the offence1 ,he desires her
 to have part in the pardon4 ,he        
associates her with this power1 as kings
 their parliaments4 ,but if she absolves
 or binds without ,god1 she is no longer
 the ,church4 ,for1 as in the case of   
parliament1 even if the king have       
pardoned a man1 it must be ratified2 but
 if parliament ratifies without the     
king1 or refuses to ratify on the order 
of the king1 it is no longer the        
parliament of the king1 but a rebellious
 assembly4   #hgj  ,the ,church1 the    
,pope4 ,unity1 plurality4--,considering 
the ,church as a unity1 the ,pope1 who  
is its head1 is as the whole4           
,considering it as a plurality1 the     
,pope is only a part of it4 ,the        
,fathers have considered the ,church now
 in the one way1 now in the other4 ,and 
thus they have spoken differently of the
 ,pope4 7,saint ,cyprian3 ,sacerdos     

,dei47 ,but in establishing one of these
 truths1 they have not excluded the     
other4 ,plurality which is not reduced  
to unity is confusion2 unity which does 
not depend on plurality is tyranny4     
,there is scarcely any other country    
than ,france in which it is permissible 
to say that the ,council is above the   
,pope4   #hga  ,the ,pope is head4 ,who 
else is known of all8 ,who else is      
recognised by all1 having power to      
insinuate himself into all the body1    
because he holds the principal shoot1   
which insinuates itself everywhere8 ,how
 easy it was to make this degenerate    
into tyranny6 ,that is why ,christ has  
laid down for them this precept3 ,vos   
autem non sic4#cfc   #hgb  ,the ,pope   
hates and fears the learned1 who do not 
submit to him at will4   #hgc  ,we must 
not judge of what the ,pope is by some  
words of the ,fathers--as the ,greeks   
said in a council1 important rules--but 
by the acts of the ,church and the      
,fathers1 and by the canons4  ,duo aut  

tres in unum4#cfd ,unity and plurality4 
,it is an error to exclude one of the   
two1 as the papists do who exclude      
plurality1 or the ,huguenots who exclude
 unity4   #hgd  ,would the ,pope be     
dishonoured by having his knowledge from
 ,god and tradition2 and is it not      
dishonouring him to separate him from   
this holy union8   #hge  ,god does not  
perform miracles in the ordinary conduct
 of ,his ,church4 ,it would be a strange
 miracle if infallibility existed in one
 man4 ,but it appears so natural for it 
to reside in a multitude1 since the     
conduct of ,god is hidden under nature1 
as in all ,his other works4   #hgf      
,kings dispose of their own power2 but  
the ,popes cannot dispose of theirs4    
#hgg  ,summum jus1 summa injuria4  ,the 
majority is the best way1 because it is 
visible1 and has strength to make itself
 obeyed4 ,yet it is the opinion of the  
least able4  ,if men could have done it1
 they would have placed might in the    
hands of justice4 ,but as might does not

 allow itself to be managed as men want1
 because it is a palpable quality1      
whereas justice is a spiritual quality  
of which men dispose as they please1    
they have placed justice in the hands of
 might4 ,and thus that is called just   
which men are forced to obey4  ,hence   
comes the right of the sword1 for the   
sword gives a true right4 ,otherwise we 
should see violence on one side and     
justice on the other 7end of the twelfth
 ,provincial74 ,hence comes the         
injustice of the ,fronde1#cfe which     
raises its alleged justice against      
power4 ,it is not the same in the       
,church1 for there is a true justice and
 no violence4   #hgh                    
,injustice4--,jurisdiction is not given 
for the sake of the judge1 but for that 
of the litigant4 ,it is dangerous to    
tell this to the people4 ,but the people
 have too much faith in you2 it will not
 harm them1 and may serve you4 ,it      
should therefore be made known4 ,pasce  
oves meas1#cff non tuas4 ,you owe me    

pasturage4   #hgi  ,men like certainty4 
,they like the ,pope to be infallible in
 faith1 and grave doctors to be         
infallible in morals1 so as to have     
certainty4   #hhj  ,the ,church teaches1
 and ,god inspires1 both infallibly4    
,the work of the ,church is of use only 
as a preparation for grace or           
condemnation4 ,what it does is enough   
for condemnation1 not for inspiration4  
#hha  ,every time the ,jesuits may      
impose upon the ,pope1 they will make   
all ,christendom perjured4  ,the ,pope  
is very easily imposed upon1 because of 
his occupations1 and the confidence     
which he has in the ,jesuits2 and the   
,jesuits are very capable of imposing   
upon him by means of calumny4   #hhb    
,the wretches who have obliged me to    
speak of the basis of religion4   #hhc  
,sinners purified without penitence2 the
 righteous justified without love2 all  
,christians without the grace of ,jesus 
,christ2 ,god without power over the    
will of men2 a predestination without   

mystery2 a redemption without certitude6
   #hhd  ,any one is made a priest1 who 
wants to be so1 as under ,jeroboam4#cfg 
,it is a horrible thing that they       
propound to us the discipline of the    
,church of to-day as so good1 that it is
 made a crime to desire to change it4   
,formerly it was infallibly good1 and it
 was thought that it could be changed   
without sin2 and now1 such as it is1 we 
cannot wish it changed6 ,it has indeed  
been permitted to change the custom of  
not making priests without such great   
circumspection1 that there were hardly  
any who were worthy2 and it is not      
allowed to complain of the custom which 
makes so many who are unworthy6   #hhe  
,heretics4--,ezekiel4 ,all the heathen1 
and also the ,prophet1 spoke evil of    
,israel4 ,but the ,israelites were so   
far from having the right to say to him1
 ,you speak like the heathen1 that he is
 most forcible upon this1 that the      
heathen say the same as he4   #hhf  ,the
 ,jansenists are like the heretics in   

the reformation of morality2 but you are
 like them in evil4   #hhg  ,you are    
ignorant of the prophecies1 if you do   
not know that all this must happen2     
princes1 prophets1 ,pope1 and even the  
priests4 ,and yet the ,church is to     
abide4 ,by the grace of ,god we have not
 come to that4 ,woe to these priests6   
,but we hope that ,god will bestow ,his 
mercy upon us that we shall not be of   
them4  ,saint ,peter1 ii3 false prophets
 in the past1 the image of future ones4 
#hhh  444 ,so that if it is true1 on the
 one hand1 that some lax monks1 and some
 corrupt casuists1 who are not members  
of the hierarchy1 are steeped in these  
corruptions1 it is1 on the other hand1  
certain that the true pastors of the    
,church1 who are the true guardians of  
the ,divine ,word1 have preserved it    
unchangeably against the efforts of     
those who have attempted to destroy it4 
,and thus true believers have no pretext
 to follow that laxity1 which is only   
offered to them by the strange hands of 

these casuists1 instead of the sound    
doctrine which is presented to them by  
the fatherly hands of their own pastors4
 ,and the ungodly and heretics have no  
ground for publishing these abuses as   
evidence of imperfection in the         
providence of ,god over ,his ,church2   
since1 the ,church consisting properly  
in the body of the hierarchy1 we are so 
far from being able to conclude from the
 present state of matters that ,god has 
abandoned her to corruption1 that it has
 never been more apparent than at the   
present time that ,god visibly protects 
her from corruption4  ,for if some of   
these men1 who1 by an extraordinary     
vocation1 have made profession of       
withdrawing from the world and adopting 
the monks' dress1 in order to live in a 
more perfect state than ordinary        
,christians1 have fallen into excesses  
which horrify ordinary ,christians1 and 
have become to us what the false        
prophets were among the ,jews2 this is a
 private and personal misfortune1 which 

must indeed be deplored1 but from which 
nothing can be inferred against the care
 which ,god takes of ,his ,church2 since
 all these things are so clearly        
foretold1 and it has been so long since 
announced that these temptations would  
arise from people of this kind2 so that 
when we are well instructed1 we see in  
this rather evidence of the care of ,god
 than of ,his forgetfulness in regard to
 us4   #hhi  ,tertullian3 ,nunquam      
,ecclesia reformabitur4   #hij          
,heretics1 who take advantage of the    
doctrine of the ,jesuits1 must be made  
to know that it is not that of the      
,church the doctrine of the ,church1 and
 that our divisions do not separate us  
from the altar4   #hia  ,if in differing
 we condemned1 you would be right4      
,uniformity without diversity is useless
 to others2 diversity without uniformity
 is ruinous for us4 ,the one is harmful 
outwardly2 the other inwardly4   #hib   
,by showing the truth1 we cause it to be
 believed2 but by showing the injustice 

of ministers1 we do not correct it4 ,our
 mind is assured by a proof of          
falsehood2 our purse is not made secure 
by proof of injustice4   #hic  ,those   
who love the ,church lament to see the  
corruption of morals2 but laws at least 
exist4 ,but these corrupt the laws4 ,the
 model is damaged4   #hid  ,men never do
 evil so completely and cheerfully as   
when they do it from religious          
conviction4   #hie  ,it is in vain that 
the ,church has established these words1
 anathemas1 heresies1 etc4 ,they are    
used against her4   #hif  ,the servant  
knoweth not what his lord doeth1 for the
 master tells him only the act and not  
the intention4#cfh ,and this is why he  
often obeys slavishly1 and defeats the  
intention4 ,but ,jesus ,christ has told 
us the object4 ,and you defeat that     
object4   #hig  ,they cannot have       
perpetuity1 and they seek universality2 
and therefore they make the whole       
,church corrupt1 that they may be       
saints4   #hih  ,against those who      

misuse passages of ,scripture1 and who  
pride themselves in finding one which   
seems to favour their error4--,the      
chapter for ,vespers1 ,passion ,sunday1 
the prayer for the king4  ,explanation  
of these words3 ,he that is not with me 
is against me4#cfi ,and of these others3
 ,he that is not against you is for     
you4#cgj ,a person who says3 ,i am      
neither for nor against1 we ought to    
reply to him 444   #hii  ,he who will   
give the meaning of ,scripture1 and does
 not take it from ,scripture1 is an     
enemy of ,scripture4 7,aug41 ,de ,doct4 
,christ47   #ijj  ,humilibus dat        
gratiam2 an ideo non dedit              
humilitatem8#cga  ,sui eum non          
receperunt2 quotquot autem non          
receperunt an non erant sui8#cgb   #ija 
,it must indeed be1 says ,feuillant1    
that this is not so certain2 for        
controversy indicates uncertainty1      
7,saint ,athanasius1 ,saint ,chrysostom1
 morals1 unbelievers74  ,the ,jesuits   
have not made the truth uncertain1 but  

they have made their own ungodliness    
certain4  ,contradiction has always been
 permitted1 in order to blind the       
wicked2 for all that offends truth or   
love is evil4 ,this is the true         
principle4   #ijb  ,all religions and   
sects in the world have had natural     
reason for a guide4 ,christians alone   
have been constrained to take their     
rules from without themselves1 and to   
acquaint themselves with those which    
,jesus ,christ bequeathed to men of old 
to be handed down to true believers4    
,this constraint wearies these good     
,fathers4 ,they desire1 like other      
people1 to have liberty to follow their 
own imaginations4 ,it is in vain that we
 cry to them1 as the prophets said to   
the ,jews of old3 ,enter into the       
,church2 acquaint yourselves with the   
precepts which the men of old left to   
her1 and follow those paths4 ,they have 
answered like the ,jews3 ,we will not   
walk in them2 but we will follow the    
thoughts of our hearts2 and they have   

said1 ,we will be as the other          
nations4#cgc   #ijc  ,they make a rule  
of exception4  ,have the men of old     
given absolution before penance8 ,do    
this as exceptional4 ,but of the        
exception you make a rule without       
exception1 so that you do not even want 
the rule to be exceptional4   #ijd  ,on 
confessions and absolutions without     
signs of regret4  ,god regards only the 
inward2 the ,church judges only by the  
outward4 ,god absolves as soon as ,he   
sees penitence in the heart2 the ,church
 when she sees it in works4 ,god will   
make a ,church pure within1 which       
confounds1 by its inward and entirely   
spiritual holiness1 the inward impiety  
of proud sages and ,pharisees2 and the  
,church will make an assembly of men    
whose external manners are so pure as to
 confound the manners of the heathen4   
,if there are hypocrites among them1 but
 so well disguised that she does not    
discover their venom1 she tolerates     
them2 for1 though they are not accepted 

of ,god1 whom they cannot deceive1 they 
are of men1 whom they do deceive4 ,and  
thus she is not dishonoured by their    
conduct1 which appears holy4 ,but you   
want the ,church to judge neither of the
 inward1 because that belongs to ,god   
alone1 nor of the outward1 because ,god 
dwells only upon the inward2 and thus1  
taking away from her all choice of men1 
you retain in the ,church the most      
dissolute1 and those who dishonour her  
so greatly1 that the synagogues of the  
,jews and sects of philosophers would   
have banished them as unworthy1 and have
 abhorred them as impious4   #ije  ,the 
easiest conditions to live in according 
to the world are the most difficult to  
live in according to ,god1 and vice     
versa4 ,nothing is so difficult         
according to the world as the religious 
life2 nothing is easier than to live it 
according to ,god4 ,nothing is easier1  
according to the world1 than to live in 
high office and great wealth2 nothing is
 more difficult than to live in them    

according to ,god1 and without acquiring
 an interest in them and a liking for   
them4   #ijf  ,the casuists submit the  
decision to the corrupt reason1 and the 
choice of decisions to the corrupt will1
 in order that all that is corrupt in   
the nature of man may contribute to his 
conduct4   #ijg  ,but is it probable    
that probability gives assurance8       
,difference between rest and security of
 conscience4 ,nothing gives certainty   
but truth2 nothing gives rest but the   
sincere search for truth4   #ijh  ,the  
whole society itself of their casuists  
cannot give assurance to a conscience in
 error1 and that is why it is important 
to choose good guides4  ,thus they will 
be doubly culpable1 both in having      
followed ways which they should not have
 followed1 and in having listened to    
teachers to whom they should not have   
listened4   #iji  ,can it be anything   
but compliance with the world which     
makes you find things probable8 ,will   
you make us believe that it is truth1   

and that if duelling were not the       
fashion1 you would find it probable that
 they might fight1 considering the      
matter in itself8   #iaj  ,must we kill 
to prevent there being any wicked8 ,this
 is to make both parties wicked instead 
of one4 ,vince in bono malum4#cgd       
7,saint ,augustine47   #iaa             
,universal4--,ethics and language are   
special1 but universal sciences4   #iab 
,probability4--,each one can employ it2 
no one can take it away4   #iac  ,they  
allow lust to act1 and check scruples2  
whereas they should do the contrary4    
#iad  ,montalte4#cge--,lax opinions     
please men so much1 that it is strange  
that theirs displease4 ,it is because   
they have exceeded all bounds4 ,again1  
there are many people who see the truth1
 and who cannot attain to it2 but there 
are few who do not know that the purity 
of religion is opposed to our           
corruptions4 ,it is absurd to say that  
an eternal recompense is offered to the 
morality of ,escobar4   #iae            

,probability4--,they have some true     
principles2 but they misuse them4 ,now1 
the abuse of truth ought to be as much  
punished as the introduction of         
falsehood4  ,as if there were two hells1
 one for sins against love1 the other   
for those against justice6   #iaf       
,probability4#cgf--,the earnestness of  
the saints in seeking the truth was     
useless1 if the probable is trustworthy4
 ,the fear of the saints who have always
 followed the surest way 7,saint        
,theresa having always followed her     
confessor74   #iag  ,take away          
probability1 and you can no longer      
please the world2 give probability1 and 
you can no longer displease it4   #iah  
,these are the effects of the sins of   
the peoples and of the ,jesuits4 ,the   
great have wished to be flattered4 ,the 
,jesuits have wished to be loved by the 
great4 ,they have all been worthy to be 
abandoned to the spirit of lying1 the   
one party to deceive1 the others to be  
deceived4 ,they have been avaricious1   

ambitious1 voluptuous4 ,coacervabunt    
tibi magistros4#cgg ,worthy disciples of
 such masters1 they have sought         
flatterers1 and have found them4   #iai 
,if they do not renounce their doctrine 
of probability1 their good maxims are as
 little holy as the bad1 for they are   
founded on human authority2 and thus1 if
 they are more just1 they will be more  
reasonable1 but not more holy4 ,they    
take after the wild stem on which they  
are grafted4  ,if what ,i say does not  
serve to enlighten you1 it will be of   
use to the people4  ,if these#cgh are   
silent1 the stones will speak4  ,silence
 is the greatest persecution2 the saints
 were never silent4 ,it is true that a  
call is necessary2 but it is not from   
the decrees of the ,council that we must
 learn whether we are called1 it is from
 the necessity of speaking4 ,now1 after 
,rome has spoken1 and we think that she 
has condemned the truth1 and that they  
have written it1 and after the books    
which have said the contrary are        

censured2 we must cry out so much the   
louder1 the more unjustly we are        
censured1 and the more violently they   
would stifle speech1 until there come a 
,pope who hears both parties1 and who   
consults antiquity to do justice4 ,so   
the good ,popes will find the ,church   
still in outcry4  ,the ,inquisition and 
the ,society#cgi are the two scourges of
 the truth4  ,why do you not accuse them
 of ,arianism8 ,for1 though they have   
said that ,jesus ,christ is ,god1       
perhaps they mean by it not the natural 
interpretation1 but as it is said1 ,dii 
estis4  ,if my ,letters are condemned at
 ,rome1 that which ,i condemn in them is
 condemned in heaven4 ,ad tuum1 ,domine 
,jesu1 tribunal appello4  ,you          
yourselves are corruptible4  ,i feared  
that ,i had written ill1 seeing myself  
condemned2 but the example of so many   
pious writings makes me believe the     
contrary4 ,it is no longer allowable to 
write well1 so corrupt or ignorant is   
the ,inquisition6  ,it is better to obey

 ,god than men4  ,i fear nothing2 ,i    
hope for nothing4 ,it is not so with the
 bishops4 ,port-,royal fears1 and it is 
bad policy to disperse them2 for they   
will fear no longer and will cause      
greater fear4 ,i do not even fear your  
like censures1 if they are not founded  
on those of tradition4 ,do you censure  
all8 ,what6 even my respect8 ,no4 ,say  
then what1 or you will do nothing1 if   
you do not point out the evil1 and why  
it is evil4 ,and this is what they will 
have great difficulty in doing4         
,probability4--,they have given a       
ridiculous explanation of certitude2    
for1 after having established that all  
their ways are sure1 they have no longer
 called that sure which leads to heaven 
without danger of not arriving there by 
it1 but that which leads there without  
danger of going out of that road4   #ibj
  444 ,the saints indulge in subtleties 
in order to think themselves criminals1 
and impeach their better actions4 ,and  
these indulge in subtleties in order to 

excuse the most wicked4  ,the heathen   
sages erected a structure equally fine  
outside1 but upon a bad foundation2 and 
the devil deceived men by this apparent 
resemblance based upon the most         
different foundation4  ,man never had so
 good a cause as ,i2 and others have    
never furnished so good a capture as    
you4444  ,the more they point out       
weakness in my person1 the more they    
authorise my cause4  ,you say that ,i am
 a heretic4 ,is that lawful8 ,and if you
 do not fear that men do justice1 do you
 not fear that ,god does justice8  ,you 
will feel the force of the truth1 and   
you will yield to it 444  ,there is     
something supernatural in such a        
blindness4 ,digna necessitas4#chj       
,mentiris impudentissime 444  ,doctrina 
sua noscitur vir 444  ,false piety1 a   
double sin4  ,i am alone against thirty 
thousand4 ,no4 ,protect1 you1 the court2
 protect1 you1 deception2 let me protect
 the truth4 ,it is all my strength4 ,if 
,i lose it1 ,i am undone4 ,i shall not  

lack accusations1 and persecutions4 ,but
 ,i possess the truth1 and we shall see 
who will take it away4  ,i do not need  
to defend religion1 but you do not need 
to defend error and injustice4 ,let     
,god1 out of ,his compassion1 having no 
regard to the evil which is in me1 and  
having regard to the good which is in   
you1 grant us all grace that truth may  
not be overcome in my hands1 and that   
falsehood 444   #iba  ,probable4--,let  
us see if we seek ,god sincerely1 by    
comparison of the things which we love4 
,it is probable that this food will not 
poison me4 ,it is probable that ,i shall
 not lose my action by not prosecuting  
it 444   #ibb  ,it is not absolution    
only which remits sins by the sacrament 
of penance1 but contrition1 which is not
 real if it does not seek the sacrament4
   #ibc  ,people who do not keep their  
word1 without faith1 without honour1    
without truth1 deceitful in heart1      
deceitful in speech2 for which that     
amphibious animal in fable was once     

reproached1 which held itself in a      
doubtful position between the fish and  
the birds 444  ,it is important to kings
 and princes to be considered pious2 and
 therefore they must confess themselves 
to you4     ,,notes   ,the following    
brief notes are mainly based on those of
 ,m4 ,brunschvicg4 ,but those of ,,mm4  
,faugre1 ,molinier1 and ,havet have also
 been consulted4 ,the biblical          
references are to the ,authorised       
,english ,version4 ,those in the text   
are to the ,vulgate1 except where it has
 seemed advisable to alter the reference
 to the ,english ,version4   #a ,p4 #a1 
l4 #a4 ,the difference between the      
mathematical and the     intuitive      
mind4--,pascal is here distinguishing   
the logical or     discursive type of   
mind1 a good example of which is found  
in     mathematical reasoning1 and what 
we should call the intuitive type     of
 mind1 which sees everything at a       
glance4 ,a practical man of sound       
judgment exemplifies the latter2 for he 

is in fact guided by     impressions of 
past experience1 and does not           
consciously reason from     general     
principles4  #b ,p4 #b1 l4 #cd4 ,there  
are different kinds1 etc4--,this is     
probably a     subdivision of the       
discursive type of mind4  #c ,p4 #c1 l4 
#ca4 ,by rule4--,this is an emendation  
by ,m4 ,brunschvicg4     ,the ,,ms4 has 
sans rgle4  #d ,p4 #d1 l4 #c4 ,i judge  
by my watch4--,pascal is said to have   
always     carried a watch attached to  
his left wrist-band4  #e ,p4 #e1 l4 #ba4
 ,scaramouch4--,a traditional character 
in ,italian     comedy4  #f ,p4 #e1 l4  
#bb4 ,the doctor4--,also a traditional  
character in ,italian     comedy4  #g   
,p4 #e1 l4 #bd4 ,cleobuline4--,princess1
 and afterwards ,queen of     ,corinth1 
figures in the romance of ,mademoiselle 
de ,scudry1 entitled     ,artamne ou le 
,grand ,cyrus4 ,she is enamoured of one 
of her     subjects1 ,myrinthe4 ,but she
 loved him without thinking of love2 and
     remained so long in that error1    

that this affection was no longer in    
a state to be overcome1 when she became 
aware of it4 ,the character     is      
supposed to have been drawn from        
,christina of ,sweden4  #h ,p4 #f1 l4   
#ba4 ,rivers are1 etc4--,apparently     
suggested by a chapter     in ,rabelais3
 ,how we descended in the isle of ,odes1
 in which the     roads walk4  #i ,p4   
#f1 l4 #cj4 ,salomon de ,tultie4--,a    
pseudonym adopted by ,pascal as     the 
author of the ,provincial ,letters4  #aj
 ,p4 #g1 l4 #g4 ,abstine et sustine4--,a
 maxim of the ,stoics4  #aa ,p4 #g1 l4  
#h4 ,follow nature4--,the maxim in which
 the ,stoics summed      up their       
positive ethical teaching4  #ab ,p4 #g1 
l4 #i4 ,as ,plato4--,compare ,montaigne1
 ,essais1 iii1 #i4  #ac ,p4 #i1 l4 #bi4 
,we call this jargon poetical           
beauty4--,according to      ,m4 ,havet1 
,pascal refers here to ,malherbe and his
 school4  #ad ,p4 #aj1 l4 #bc4 ,ne quid 
nimis4--,nothing in excess1 a celebrated
      maxim in ancient ,greek           

philosophy4  #ae ,p4 #aa1 l4 #bf4 ,that 
epigram about two one-eyed people4--,m4 
,havet      points out that this is not 
,martial's1 but is to be found in       
,epigrammatum ,delectus1 published by   
,port-,royal in #afei4                  
,lumine on dextro1 capta est ,leonilla  
sinistro1           ,et potis est forma 
vincere uterque deos4           ,blande 
puer1 lumen quod habes concede parenti1 
,sic tu ccus ,amor1 sic erit ilia       
,venus4  #af ,p4 #aa1 l4 #bi4 ,ambitiosa
 recidet ornamenta4--,horace1 ,de ,arte 
,poetica1 #ddg4  #ag ,p4 #ac1 l4 #b4    
,cartesian4--,one who follows the       
philosophy of      ,descartes           
7#aeif-afej71 the father of modern      
philosophy4  #ah ,p4 #ac1 l4 #h4 ,le    
,matre4--,a famous ,french advocate in  
,pascal's      time4 ,his ,plaidoyers el
 ,harangues appeared in #afeg4          
,plaidoyer      ,,vi is entitled ,pour  
un fils mis en religion par force1 and  
on      the first page occurs the word  
rpandre3 ,dieu qui rpand des            

aveuglements et des tnbres sur les      
passions illgitimes4      ,pascal's     
reference is probably to this passage4  
#ai ,p4 #ac1 l4 #ab4 ,the               
,cardinal4--,mazarin4 ,he was one of    
those      statesmen who do not like    
condolences4  #bj ,p4 #ad1 l4 #ab4      
,saint ,thomas4--,thomas ,aquinas       
7#abbc-gd71 one of the      greatest    
scholastic philosophers4  #ba ,p4 #ad1  
l4 #af4 ,charron4--,a friend of         
,montaigne4 ,his ,trait de la           
,sagesse 7#afja71 which is not a large  
book1 contains #aag chapters1      each 
of which is subdivided4  #bb ,p4 #ad1 l4
 #ag4 ,of the confusion of              
,montaigne4--,the ,essays of            
,montaigne follow each other without any
 kind of order4  #bc ,p4 #ad1 l4 #bg4   
,mademoiselle de ,gournay4--,the adopted
 daughter of      ,montaigne4 ,she      
published in #aeie an edition of his    
,essais1 and1      in a ,preface 7added 
later71 she defends him on this point4  
#bd ,p4 #ae1 l4 #a4 ,people without     

eyes4--,montaigne1 ,essais1 ii1 #ab4    
#be ,p4 #ae1 l4 #a4 ,squaring the       
circle4--,ibid41 ii1 #ad4  #bf ,p4 #ae1 
l4 #a4 ,a greater world4--,ibid41 ii1   
#ab4  #bg ,p4 #ae1 l4 #b4 ,on suicide   
and on death4--,ibid41 ii1 #c4  #bh ,p4 
#ae1 l4 #c4 ,without fear and without   
repentance4--,ibid41 iii41      #b4  #bi
 ,p4 #ae1 l4 #g4 7#gcj1 #bca74--,these  
two references of ,pascal are to the    
edition of the ,essais of ,montaigne1   
published in #afcf4  #cj ,p4 #af1 l4    
#cb4 ,the centre which is everywhere1   
and the      circumference nowhere4--,m4
 ,havet traces this saying to           
,empedocles4 ,pascal must have read it  
in ,mlle de ,gournay's preface      to  
her edition of ,montaigne's ,essais4    
#ca ,p4 #ah1 l4 #cc4 ,i will speak of   
the whole4--,this saying of             
,democritus is quoted by ,montaigne1    
,essais1 ii1 #ab4  #cb ,p4 #ah1 l4 #cg4 
,principles of ,philosophy4--,the title 
of one of      ,descartes's             
philosophical writings1 published in    

#afdd4 ,see note on      p4 #ac1 l4 #h  
above4  #cc ,p4 #ah1 l4 #ci4 ,de omni   
scibili4--,the title under which ,pico  
della      ,mirandola announced nine    
hundred propositions which he proposed  
to      uphold publicly at ,rome in     
#adhf4  #cd ,p4 #ai1 l4 #bf4 ,beneficia 
eo usque lta sunt4--,tacitus1 ,ann41    
lib4 iv1 c4 xviii4 ,compare ,montaigne1 
,essais1 iii1 #h4  #ce ,p4 #ba1 l4 #ce4 
,modus quo1 etc4--,st4 ,augustine1 ,de  
,civ4 ,dei1 xxi1      #aj4 ,montaigne1  
,essais1 ii1 #ab4  #cf ,p4 #bb1 l4 #h4  
,felix qui1 etc4--,virgil1 ,georgics1   
ii1 #dhi1 quoted      by ,montaigne1    
,essais1 iii1 #aj4  #cg ,p4 #bb1 l4 #aj4
 ,nihil admirari1 etc4--,horace1        
,epistles1 ,i4 vi4 #a4      ,montaigne1 
,essais1 ii1 #aj4  #ch ,p4 #bb1 l4 #ai4 
#cid4--;,a reference to ,montaigne1     
,essais1 ii1 #ab4  #ci ,p4 #bb1 l4 #bj4 
#cie4--;,ibid4  #dj ,p4 #bb1 l4 #bb4    
#cii4--;,ibid4  #da ,p4 #bb1 l4 #bh4    
,harum sententiarum4--,cicero1 ,tusc41  
i1 #aa1      ,montaigne1 ,essais1 ii1   

#ab4  #db ,p4 #bb1 l4 #ci4 ,felix qui1  
etc4--,see above1 notes on p4 #bb1 l4 #h
      and l4 #aj4  #dc ,p4 #bb1 l4 #dj4 
#bhj kinds of sovereign good in         
,montaigne4--,essais1 ii1 #ab4  #dd ,p4 
#bc1 l4 #a4 ,part ,i1 #a1 #b1 c4 #a1    
section #d4--,this reference      is to 
,pascal's ,trait du vide4  #de ,p4 #bc1 
l4 #be4 ,how comes it1 etc4--,montaigne1
 ,essais1 iii1 #h4  #df ,p4 #bc1 l4 #bi4
 ,see ,epictetus1 ,diss41 iv1 #f4 ,he   
was a great ,roman      ,stoic in the   
time of ,domitian4  #dg ,p4 #bd1 l4 #i4 
,it is natural1 etc4--,compare          
,montaigne1 ,essais1 i1      #d4  #dh   
,p4 #bd1 l4 #ab4 ,imagination4--,this   
fragment is suggestive of               
,montaigne4 ,see ,essais1 iii1 #h4  #di 
,p4 #be1 l4 #af4 ,if the greatest       
philosopher1 etc4 ,see ,raymond         
,sebond's ,apologie1 from which ,pascal 
has derived his      illustrations4  #ej
 ,p4 #bf1 l4 #a4 ,furry                 
cats4--,montaigne1 ,essais1 ii1 #h4  #ea
 ,p4 #bf1 l4 #ca4 ,della opinione1      

etc4--,no work is known under this      
name4 ,it may refer to a treatise by    
,carlo ,flori1 which bears a      title 
like this4 ,but its date 7#afij7 is     
after ,pascal's death      7#affb71     
though there may have been earlier      
editions4  #eb ,p4 #bg1 l4 #ab4 ,source 
of error in diseases4--,montaigne1      
,essais1      ii1 #ab4  #ec ,p4 #bg1 l4 
#bg4 ,they rival each other1            
etc4--,ibid4  #ed ,p4 #bh1 l4 #ca4 ,n   
iste1 etc4--,terence1 ,heaut41 ,,iv1 i1 
#h4      ,montaigne1 ,essais1 iii1 #a4  
#ee ,p4 #bh1 l4 #ae4 ,quasi quidquam1   
etc4--,plin41 ii1 #g4 ,montaigne1       
ibid4  #ef ,p4 #bh1 l4 #bi4 ,quod       
crebro1 etc4--,cicero1 ,de ,divin41 ii1 
#di4  #eg ,p4 #bi1 l4 #a4 ,spongia      
solis4--,the spots on the sun4 ,pascal  
sees in      them the beginning of the  
darkening of the sun1 and thinks that   
there will therefore come a day when    
there will be no sun4  #eh ,p4 #bi1 l4  
#ae4 ,custom is a second nature1        
etc4--,montaigne1      ,essais1 i1 #bb4 

#ei ,p4 #bi1 l4 #ai4 ,omne animal4--,see
 ,genesis vii1 #ad4  #fj ,p4 #cj1 l4    
#bb4 ,hence savages1 etc4--,montaigne1  
,essais1 i1 #bb4  #fa ,p4 #cb1 l4 #c4 ,a
 great part of ,europe1 etc4--,an       
allusion to the      ,reformation4  #fb 
,p4 #cc1 l4 #ac4 ,alexander's           
chastity4--,pascal apparently has in    
mind ,alexander's treatment of ,darius's
 wife and daughters after the           
battle of ,issus4  #fc ,p4 #cd1 l4 #ag4 
,lustravit lampade terras4--,part of    
,cicero's      translation of two lines 
from ,homer1 ,odyssey1 xviii1 #acf4     
,montaigne1 ,essais1 ii1 #ab4           
,tales sunt hominum mentes1 quali pater 
ipse           ,jupiter auctiferas      
lustravit lampade terras4  #fd ,p4 #cd1 
l4 #cb4 ,nature gives1 etc4--,montaigne1
 ,essais1 i1 #ai4  #fe ,p4 #cg1 l4 #bc4 
,our nature consists1 etc4--,montaigne1 
,essais1      iii1 #ac4  #ff ,p4 #ch1 l4
 #a4 ,weariness4--,compare ,montaigne1  
,essais1 ii1 #ab4  #fg ,p4 #ch1 l4 #h4  
,csar was too old1 etc4--,see           

,montaigne1 ,essais1      ii1 #cd4  #fh 
,p4 #ch1 l4 #cj4 ,a mere trifle1        
etc4--,montaigne1 ,essais1 iii1 #d4  #fi
 ,p4 #dj1 l4 #ba4 ,advice given to      
,pyrrhus4--,ibid41 i1 #db4  #gj ,p4 #da1
 l4 #b4 ,they do not know1 etc4--,ibid41
 i1 #ai4  #ga ,p4 #dd1 l4 #ad4 ,they    
are1 etc4--,compare ,montaigne1 ,essais1
 i1 #ch4  #gb ,p4 #df1 l4 #g4 ,those who
 write1 etc4--,a thought of ,cicero in  
,pro      ,archia1 mentioned by         
,montaigne1 ,essais1 i1 #da4  #gc ,p4   
#dg1 l4 #c4 ,ferox gens4--,livy1 xxxiv1 
#ag4 ,montaigne1 ,essais1      i1 #dj4  
#gd ,p4 #dg1 l4 #e4 ,every opinion1     
etc4--,montaigne1 ibid4  #ge ,p4 #dg1 l4
 #ab4 #ahd4--,this is a reference to    
,montaigne1 ,essais1 i1      #dj4 ,see  
also ibid41 iii1 #aj4  #gf ,p4 #dh1 l4  
#h4 ,i know not what 7,corneille74--,see
 ,mde1 ,,ii1 vi1      and ,rodogune1 ,i1
 v4  #gg ,p4 #dh1 l4 #bb4 ,in omnibus   
requiem qusivi4--,eccles4 xxiv1 ,,ii1 in
      the ,vulgate4  #gh ,p4 #ej1 l4 #e4
 ,the future alone is our               

end4--,montaigne1 ,essais1 i1      #c4  
#gi ,p4 #ej1 l4 #ad4                    
,solomon4--,considered by ,pascal as the
 author of      ,ecclesiastes4  #hj ,p4 
#ej1 l4 #bj4 ,unconscious of approaching
 fever4--,compare      ,montaigne1      
,essais1 i1 #ai4  #ha ,p4 #ej1 l4 #bb4  
,cromwell4--,cromwell died in #afeh of a
 fever1 and      not of the gravel4 ,the
 ,restoration took place in #affj1 and  
this      fragment was written about    
that date4  #hb ,p4 #ej1 l4 #bh4 ,the   
three hosts4--,charles ,i was beheaded  
in #afdi2      ,queen ,christina of     
,sweden abdicated in #afed2 ,jean       
,casimir1 ,king of      ,poland1 was    
deposed in #afef4  #hc ,p4 #ej1 l4 #cb4 
,macrobius4--,a ,latin writer of the    
fifth century4 ,he      was a           
,neo-,platonist in philosophy4 ,one of  
his works is entitled      ,saturnalia4 
#hd ,p4 #ea1 l4 #e4 ,the great and the  
humble1 etc4--,see ,montaigne1          
,essais1 ii1 #ab4  #he ,p4 #ec1 l4 #e4  
,miton4--,a man of fashion in ,paris    

known to ,pascal4  #hf ,p4 #ec1 l4 #ae4 
,deus absconditus4--,is4 xiv1 #ae4  #hg 
,p4 #fj1 l4 #bf4 ,fascinatio            
nugacitatis4--,book of ,wisdom iv1 #ab4 
#hh ,p4 #fa1 l4 #aj4 ,memoria hospitis1 
etc4--,book of ,wisdom v1 #ae4  #hi ,p4 
#fb1 l4 #e4 ,instability4--,compare     
,montaigne1 ,essais1 iii1 #ab4  #ij ,p4 
#ff1 l4 #ai4 ,foolishness1              
stultitium4--,i ,cor4 i1 #ah4  #ia ,p4  
#ga1 l4 #e4 ,to prove ,divinity from the
 works of nature4--,a      traditional  
argument of the ,stoics like ,cicero and
 ,seneca1 and of      rationalist       
theologians like ,raymond ,sebond1      
,charron1 etc4 ,it is      the argument 
from ,design in modern philosophy4  #ib 
,p4 #ga1 l4 #bg4 ,nemo novit1           
etc4--,matthew xi1 #bg4 ,in the         
,vulgate1      it is ,neque patrem quis 
novit1 etc4 ,pascal's biblical          
quotations      are often incorrect4    
,many seem to have been made from       
memory4  #ic ,p4 #ga1 l4 #cj4 ,those who
 seek ,god find ,him4--,matthew vii1 #g4

  #id ,p4 #gb1 l4 #c4 ,vere tu es ,deus 
absconditus4--,is4 xiv1 #ae4  #ie ,p4   
#gb1 l4 #bb4 ,ne evacuetur crux         
,christi4--,i ,cor4 i1 #ag4 ,in the     
,vulgate we haveut non instead of ne4   
#if ,p4 #gb1 l4 #be4 ,the machine4--,a  
,cartesian expression4 ,descartes       
considered animals as mere automata4    
,according to ,pascal1 whatever         
does not proceed in us from reflective  
thought is a product of a      necessary
 mechanism1 which has its root in the   
body1 and which is      continued into  
the mind in imagination and the         
passions4 ,it is      therefore         
necessary for man so to alter1 and      
adjust this mechanism1      that it will
 always follow1 and not obstruct1 the   
good will4  #ig ,p4 #gc1 l4 #c4 ,justus 
ex fide vivit4--,romans i1 #ag4  #ih ,p4
 #gc1 l4 #e4 ,fides ex auditu4--,romans 
x1 #ag4  #ii ,p4 #gc1 l4 #ab4 ,the      
creature4--,what is purely natural in   
us4  #ajj ,p4 #gd1 l4 #ae4 ,inclina cor 
meum1 ,deus4--,ps4 cxix1 #cf4  #aja ,p4 

#ge1 l4 #aa4 ,unus quisque sibi ,deum   
fingit4--,see ,book of ,wisdom       xv1
 #f1 #af4  #ajb ,p4 #gf1 l4 #cd4 ,eighth
 beatitude4--,matthew v1 #aj4 ,it is to 
the       fourth beatitude that the     
thought directly refers4  #ajc ,p4 #gg1 
l4 #f4 ,one thousand and                
twenty-eight4--,the number of the       
stars according to ,ptolemy's catalogue4
  #ajd ,p4 #gg1 l4 #bi4 ,saint          
,augustine4--,epist4 cxx1 #c4  #aje ,p4 
#gh1 l4 #a4 ,nisi efficiamini sicut     
parvuli4--,matthew xviii1 #c4  #ajf ,p4 
#hj1 l4 #bj4 ,inclina cor meum1 ,deus1  
in4444--,ps4 cxix1 #cf4  #ajg ,p4 #hj1  
l4 #bb4 ,its establishment4--,the       
constitution of the       ,christian    
,church4  #ajh ,p4 #ha1 l4 #bj4 ,the    
youths and maidens and children of the  
,church       would prophesy4--,joel ii1
 #bh4  #aji ,p4 #hc1 l4 #aa4 ,on what1  
etc4--,see ,montaigne1 ,essais1 ii1 #ab4
  #aaj ,p4 #hd1 l4 #af4 ,nihil amplius  
444 est4--,ibid4 ,cicero1 ,de           
,finibus1 v1 #ba4  #aaa ,p4 #hd1 l4 #ag4

 ,ex senatus 444                        
exercentur4--,montaigne1 ,essais1       
iii1 #a4 ,seneca1 ,letters1 #ie4  #aab  
,p4 #hd1 l4 #ah4 ,ut olim 444           
laboramus4--,montaigne1 ,essais1 iii1   
#ac4 ,tacitus1 ,ann41 iii1 #be4  #aac   
,p4 #hd1 l4 #bj4 ,the interest of the   
sovereign4--,the view of                
,thrasymachus in ,plato's ,republic1 i1 
#cch4  #aad ,p4 #hd1 l4 #ba4 ,another1  
present custom4--,the doctrine of the   
,cyrenaics4 ,montaigne1 ,essais1 iii1   
#ac4  #aae ,p4 #hd1 l4 #bd4 ,the        
mystical foundation of its              
authority4--,montaigne1 ,essais1 iii1   
#ac4 ,see also ii1 #ab4  #aaf ,p4 #he1  
l4 #b4 ,the wisest of                   
legislators4--,plato4 ,see ,republic1   
ii1 #chi1 and v1 #dei4  #aag ,p4 #he1 l4
 #d4 ,cum veritatem1 etc4--,an inexact  
quotation from ,st4       ,augustine1   
,de ,civ4 ,dei1 iv1 #bg4 ,montaigne1    
,essais1 ii1 #ab4  #aah ,p4 #he1 l4 #ag4
 ,veri juris4--,cicero1 ,de ,officiis1  
iii1 #ag4       ,montaigne1 ,essais1    

iii1 ,i4  #aai ,p4 #hf1 l4 #i4 ,when a  
strong man1 etc4--,luke xi1 #ba4  #abj  
,p4 #hf1 l4 #bf4 ,because he who will1  
etc4--,see ,epictetus1 ,diss41          
iii1 #ab4  #aba ,p4 #hh1 l4 #ai4 ,civil 
wars are the greatest of                
evils4--,montaigne1       ,essais1 iii1 
#aa4  #abb ,p4 #hi1 l4 #e4              
,montaigne4--,essais1 i1 #db4  #abc ,p4 
#ia1 l4 #h4 ,savages laugh at an infant 
king4--,an allusion to a       visit of 
some savages to ,europe4 ,they were     
greatly astonished to       see grown   
men obey the child king1 ,charles ,,ix4 
,montaigne1       ,essais1 i1 #cj4  #abd
 ,p4 #ib1 l4 #h4 ,man's true            
state4--,see ,montaigne1 ,essais1 i1    
#ed4  #abe ,p4 #ie1 l4 #c4 ,omnis 444   
vanitati4--,eccles4 iii1 #ai4  #abf ,p4 
#ie1 l4 #d4 ,liberabitur4--,romans viii1
 #bj-ba4  #abg ,p4 #ie1 l4 #d4 ,saint   
,thomas4--,in his ,commentary on the    
,epistle of       ,st4 ,james4 ,james   
ii1 #a4  #abh ,p4 #if1 l4 #i4 ,the      
account of the pike and frog of         

,liancourt4--,the       story is        
unknown4 ,the ,duc de ,liancourt led a  
vicious life in       youth1 but was    
converted by his wife4 ,he became one of
 the firmest       supporters of        
,port-,royal4  #abi ,p4 #ig1 l4 #ah4    
,philosophers4--,the ,stoics4  #acj ,p4 
#ig1 l4 #bd4 ,epictetus4--,diss41 iv1   
#g4  #aca ,p4 #ig1 l4 #bf4 ,those great 
spiritual efforts1 etc4--,on this1 and  
the following fragment1 see ,montaigne1 
,essais1 ii1 #bi4  #acb ,p4 #ih1 l4 #c4 
,epaminondas4--,praised by ,montaigne1  
,essais1 ii1       #cf4 ,see also iii1  
#a4  #acc ,p4 #ih1 l4 #ag4 ,plerumque   
grat principibus vices4--,horace1       
,odes1 ,,iii1 xxix1 #ac1 cited by       
,montaigne1 ,essais1 i1 #db4 ,horace    
has divitibus instead of principibus4   
#acd ,p4 #ii1 l4 #d4 ,man is neither    
angel nor brute1 etc4--,montaigne1      
,essais1 iii1 #ac4  #ace ,p4 #ii1 l4    
#ad4 ,ut sis contentus1 etc4--,a        
quotation from ,seneca4       ,see      
,montaigne1 ,essais1 ii1 #c4  #acf ,p4  

#ii1 l4 #ba4 ,sen4 #ehh4--,seneca1      
,letter to ,lucilius1 xv4               
,montaigne1 ,essais1 iii1 ,i4  #acg ,p4 
#ii1 l4 #bc4 ,divin4--,cicero1 ,de      
,divin41 ii1 #eh4  #ach ,p4 #ii1 l4 #be4
 ,cic4--,cicero1 ,tusc1 ii1 #b4 ,the    
quotation is       inaccurate4          
,montaigne1 ,essais1 ii1 #ab4  #aci ,p4 
#ii1 l4 #bg4 ,senec4--,seneca1 ,epist41 
#ajf4  #adj ,p4 #ii1 l4 #bh4 ,id maxime1
 etc4--,cicero1 ,de ,off41 i1 #ca4  #ada
 ,p4 #ii1 l4 #bi4 ,hos natura1          
etc4--,virgil1 ,georgics1 ii1 #bj4  #adb
 ,p4 #ii1 l4 #cj4 ,paucis opus1         
etc4--,seneca1 ,epist41 #ajf4  #adc ,p4 
#ajj1 l4 #c4 ,mihi sic usus1            
etc4--,terence1 ,heaut41 ,i1 i1 #bh4    
#add ,p4 #ajj1 l4 #d4 ,rarum est1       
etc4--,quintilian1 x1 #g4  #ade ,p4     
#ajj1 l4 #e4 ,tot circa1 etc4--,m4      
,seneca1 ,suasori1 i1 #d4  #adf ,p4     
#ajj1 l4 #f4 ,cic4--,cicero1 ,acad41 i1 
#de4  #adg ,p4 #ajj1 l4 #g4 ,nec me     
pudet1 etc4--,cicero1 ,tusc41 i1 #be4   
#adh ,p4 #ajj1 l4 #h4 ,melius non       

incipiet4--,the rest of the quotation is
       quam desinet4 ,seneca1 ,epist41  
#gb4  #adi ,p4 #ajj1 l4 #be4 ,they win  
battles4--,montaigne1 in his ,essais1   
ii1 #ab1 relates that the ,portuguese   
were compelled to raise the       siege 
of ,tamly on account of the number of   
flies4  #aej ,p4 #ajj1 l4 #bg4 ,when it 
is said1 etc4--,by ,descartes4  #aea ,p4
 #ajb1 l4 #bj4 ,arcesilaus4--,a follower
 of ,pyrrho1 the sceptic4       ,he     
lived in the third century before       
,christ4  #aeb ,p4 #aje1 l4 #bj4        
,ecclesiastes4--,eccles4 viii1 #ag4     
#aec ,p4 #ajf1 l4 #af4 ,the             
academicians4--,dogmatic sceptics1 as   
opposed       to sceptics who doubt     
their own doubt4  #aed ,p4 #ajg1 l4 #aj4
 ,ego vir videns4--,lamentations iii1   
,i4  #aee ,p4 #ajh1 l4 #bf4 ,evil is    
easy1 etc4--,the ,pythagoreans          
considered       the good as certain and
 finite1 and evil as uncertain and      
infinite4 ,montaigne1 ,essais1 i1 #i4   
#aef ,p4 #aji1 l4 #g4 ,paulus           

milius4--,montaigne1 ,essais1 i1 #ai4   
,cicero1 ,tusc41 v1 #dj4  #aeg ,p4 #aji1
 l4 #cj4 ,des ,barreaux4--,author of a  
licentious love song4       ,he was born
 in #afjb1 and died in #afgc4 ,balzac   
call him the new       ,bacchus4  #aeh  
,p4 #aaj1 l4 #af4 ,for                  
,port-,royal4--,the letters1 ,a4 ,p4    
,r41 occur in       several places1 and 
are generally thought to indicate what  
will be       afterwards treated in     
lectures or conferences at ,port-,royal1
 the       famous ,cistercian abbey1    
situated about eighteen miles from      
,paris4       ,founded early in the     
thirteenth century1 it acquired its     
greatest       fame in its closing      
years4 ,louis ,,xiv was induced to      
believe it       heretical2 and the     
monastery was finally demolished in     
#agaa4 ,its       downfall was no doubt 
brought about by the ,jesuits4  #aei ,p4
 #aac1 l4 #d4 ,they all tend to this    
end4--,montaigne1 ,essais1       i1 #ai4
  #afj ,p4 #aai1 l4 #ae4 ,quod ergo1    

etc4--,acts xvii1 #bc4  #afa ,p4 #aai1  
l4 #bf4 ,wicked demon4--,descartes had  
suggested the       possibility of the  
existence of an evil genius to justify  
his       method of universal doubt4    
,see his ,first ,meditation4 ,the       
argument is quite ,cartesian4  #afb ,p4 
#abb1 l4 #ah4 ,delici me1               
etc4--,proverbs viii1 #ca4  #afc ,p4    
#abb1 l4 #ah4 ,effundam spiritum1       
etc4--,is4 xliv1 #c2 ,joel ii1          
#bh4  #afd ,p4 #abb1 l4 #ai4 ,dii       
estis4--,ps4 lxxxii1 #f4  #afe ,p4 #abb1
 l4 #bj4 ,omnis caro fnum4--,is4 xl1 #f4
  #aff ,p4 #abb1 l4 #bj4 ,homo          
assimilatus1 etc4--,ps4 xlix1 #bj4  #afg
 ,p4 #abd1 l4 #bd4 ,sapientius est      
hominibus4--#a ,cor4 i1 #be4  #afh ,p4  
#abe1 l4 #a4 ,of original sin4--,the    
citations from the ,rabbis in       this
 fragment are borrowed from a work of   
the ,middle ,ages1       entitled ,pugio
 christianorum ad impiorum perfidiam    
jugulandam et       maxime judorum4 ,it 
was written in the thirteenth century by

       ,raymond ,martin1 a ,catalonian  
monk4 ,an edition of it appeared in     
#afea1 edited by ,bosquet1 ,bishop of   
,lodve4  #afi ,p4 #abe1 l4 #bd4 ,better 
is a poor and wise child1 etc4--,eccles4
       iv1 #ac4  #agj ,p4 #abf1 l4 #ag4 
,nemo ante1 etc4--,see ,ovid1 ,met41    
iii1 #acg1 and       ,montaigne1        
,essais1 i1 #ah4  #aga ,p4 #abg1 l4 #aj4
 ,figmentum4--,borrowed from the        
,vulgate1 ,ps4 ciii1       #ad4  #agb   
,p4 #abh4 l4 #e4 ,all that is in the    
world1 etc4--,first ,epistle of         
,st4 ,john1 ii1 #af4  #agc ,p4 #abh1 l4 
#g4 ,wretched is1 etc4--,m4 ,faugre     
thinks this thought       is taken from 
,st4 ,augustine's ,commentary on ,ps4   
cxxxvii1 ,super       flumina           
,babylonis4  #agd ,p4 #abi1 l4 #f4 ,qui 
gloriatur1 etc4--#a ,cor4 i1 #ca4  #age 
,p4 #acj1 l4 #ac4 ,via1 veritas4--,john 
xiv1 #f4  #agf ,p4 #acj1 l4 #ad4        
,zeno4--,the original founder of        
,stoicism4  #agg ,p4 #acj1 l4 #ae4      
,epictetus4--,diss41 iv1 #f1 #g4  #agh  

,p4 #aca1 l4 #cb4 ,a body full of       
thinking members4--,see ,i ,cor4 xii4   
#agi ,p4 #acc1 l4 #e4 ,book of          
,wisdom4--ii1 #f4  #ahj ,p4 #acd1 l4    
#bh4 ,qui adhret1 etc4--#a ,cor4 vi1    
#ag4  #aha ,p4 #acd1 l4 #cf4 ,two       
laws4--,matthew xxii1 #ce-dj2 ,mark xii1
 #bh-ca4  #ahb ,p4 #ace1 l4 #f4 ,the    
kingdom of ,god is within us4--,luke    
xvii1 #bi4  #ahc ,p4 #acg1 l4 #a4 ,et   
non1 etc4--,ps4 cxliii1 #b4  #ahd ,p4   
#acg1 l4 #c4 ,the goodness of ,god      
leadeth to repentance4--,romans         
ii1 #d4  #ahe ,p4 #acg1 l4 #e4 ,let us  
do penance1 etc4--,see ,jonah iii1 #h1  
#i4  #ahf ,p4 #acg1 l4 #bg4 ,i came to  
send war4--,matthew x1 #cd4  #ahg ,p4   
#acg1 l4 #bh4 ,i came to bring fire and 
the sword4--,luke xii1       #di4  #ahh 
,p4 #ach1 l4 #b4 ,pharisee and the      
,publican4--,parable in ,luke xviii1    
#i-ad4  #ahi ,p4 #ach1 l4 #ac4          
,abraham4--,genesis xiv1 #bb-bd4  #aij  
,p4 #ach1 l4 #ag4 ,sub te erit appetitus
 tuus4--,genesis iv1 #g4  #aia ,p4 #adj1

 l4 #a4 ,it is1 etc4--,a discussion on  
the ,eucharist4  #aib ,p4 #adj1 l4 #cd4 
,non sum dignus4--,luke vii1 #f4  #aic  
,p4 #adj1 l4 #ce4 ,qui manducat         
indignus4--,i ,cor4 xi1 #bi4  #aid ,p4  
#adj1 l4 #cf4 ,dignus est               
accipere4--,apoc4 iv1 ,,ii4  #aie ,p4   
#ada4 ,in the ,french edition on which  
this translation is based       there   
was inserted the following fragment     
after ,no4 #eac3          ,work out your
 own salvation with fear4               
,proofs of prayer4 ,petenti dabitur4    
,therefore it is in our power to ask4   
,on the other hand1 there is            
,god4 ,so it is not in our power1 since 
the obtaining of 7the         grace7 to 
pray to ,him is not in our power4 ,for  
since salvation         is not in us1   
and the obtaining of such grace is from 
,him1         prayer is not in our      
power4          ,the righteous man      
should then hope no more in ,god1 for he
 ought         not to hope1 but to      
strive to obtain what he wants4         

,let us conclude then that1 since man is
 now unrighteous since         the first
 sin1 and ,god is unwilling that he     
should thereby not         be estranged 
from ,him1 it is only by a first effect 
that he is         not estranged4       
,therefore1 those who depart from ,god  
have not this first effect              
without which they are not estranged    
from ,god1 and those who do         not 
depart from ,god have this first effect4
 ,therefore1 those         whom we have 
seen possessed for some time of grace by
 this first         effect1 cease to    
pray1 for want of this first effect4    
,then ,god abandons the first in this   
sense4          ,it is doubtful1 however
 that this fragment should be included  
in         the ,penses1 and it has      
seemed best to separate it from the     
text4 ,it has only once before          
appeared--in the edition of             
,michaut 7#ahif74 ,the first half of it 
has been freely translated         in   
order to give an interpretation in      

accordance with a         suggestion    
from ,m4 ,emile ,boutroux1 the eminent  
authority on         ,pascal4 ,the      
meaning seems to be this4 ,in one sense 
it is in our         power to ask from  
,god1 who promises to give us what we   
ask4 ,but1         in another sense1 it 
is not in our power to ask2 for it is   
not         in our power to obtain the  
grace which is necessary in asking4     
,we know that salvation is not in our   
power4 ,therefore some         condition
 of salvation is not in our power4 ,now 
the conditions         of salvation are 
two3 7#a7 ,the asking for it1 and 7#b7  
the         obtaining it4 ,but ,god     
promises to give us what we ask4 ,hence 
the         obtaining is in our power4  
,therefore the condition which is not   
in our power must be the first1 namely1 
the asking4 ,prayer         presupposes 
a grace which it is not within our power
 to obtain4          ,after giving the  
utmost consideration to the second half 
of this         obscure fragment1 and   

seeking assistance from some eminent    
scholars1 the translator has been       
compelled to give a strictly            
literal translation of it1 without      
attempting to make sense4  #aif ,p4     
#ada1 l4 #ad4 ,lord1 when saw we1       
etc4--,matthew xxv1 #cg4  #aig ,p4 #adc1
 l4 #ai4 ,qui justus est1 justificetur  
adhuc4--,apoc4 xxii1       ,,ii4  #aih  
,p4 #add1 l4 #b4 ,corneille4--,see his  
,horace1 ,,ii1 iii4  #aii ,p4 #add1 l4  
#ae4 ,corrumpunt mores1 etc4--,i ,cor4  
xv1 #cc4  #bjj ,p4 #ade4 l4 #be4 ,quod  
curiositate1 etc4--,st4 ,augustine1     
,sermon       ,,cxli4  #bja ,p4 #adf1 l4
 #cd4 ,quia 444 facere4--,i ,cor4 i1    
#ba4  #bjb ,p4 #adh1 l4 #g4 ,turbare    
semetipsum4--,john xi1 #cc4 ,the text is
       turbavit seipsum4  #bjc ,p4 #adh1
 l4 #be4 ,my soul is sorrowful even unto
 death4--,mark xiv1       #cd4  #bjd ,p4
 #adi1 l4 #c4 ,eamus4 ,processit4--,john
 xviii1 #d4 ,but eamus does       not   
occur4 ,see1 however1 ,matthew xxvi1    
#df4  #bje ,p4 #aej1 l4 #cf4 ,eritis    

sicut1 etc4--,genesis iv1 #e4  #bjf ,p4 
#aea1 l4 #b4 ,noli me tangere4--,john   
xx1 #ag4  #bjg ,p4 #aef1 l4 #ad4 ,vere  
discipuli1 etc4--,allusions to ,john    
viii1 #ca1       i1 #dg2 viii1 #cf2 vi1 
#cb4  #bjh ,p4 #aeh1 l4 #da4 ,signa     
legem in electis meis4--,is4 viii1 #af4 
,the       text of the ,vulgate is in   
discipulis meis4  #bji ,p4 #aei1 l4 #b4 
,hosea4--xiv1 #i4  #baj ,p4 #aei1 l4    
#ac4 ,saint ,john4--xii1 #ci4  #baa ,p4 
#afj1 l4 #ag4 ,tamar4--,genesis xxxviii1
 #bd-cj4  #bab ,p4 #afj1 l4 #ag4        
,ruth4--,ruth iv1 #ag-bb4  #bac ,p4     
#afc1 l4 #ac4 ,history of ,china4--,a   
,history of ,china in ,latin       had  
been published in #afeh4  #bad ,p4 #afd1
 l4 ,i4 ,the five suns1                 
etc4--,montaigne1 ,essais1 iii1 #f4     
#bae ,p4 #afd1 l4 #i4 ,jesus            
,christ4--,john v1 #ca4  #baf ,p4 #afd1 
l4 #ag4 ,the ,koran says1 etc4--,there  
is no mention of       ,saint ,matthew  
in the ,koran2 but it speaks of the     
,apostles       generally4  #bag ,p4    

#afe1 l4 #ce4 ,moses4--,deut4 xxxi1 #aa4
  #bah ,p4 #aff1 l4 #bc4 ,carnal        
,christians4--,jesuits and ,molinists4  
#bai ,p4 #agj1 l4 #ad4 ,whom he welcomed
 from afar4--,john viii1 #ef4  #bbj ,p4 
#agj1 l4 #ai4 ,salutare1 etc4--,genesis 
xdix1 #ah4  #bba ,p4 #agc1 l4 #cc4 ,the 
,twelve ,tables at ,athens4--,there were
 no such       tables4 ,about #dej      
,b4,c4 a commission is said to have been
 appointed       in ,rome to visit      
,greece and collect information to frame
 a code of       law4 ,this is now      
doubted1 if not entirely discredited4   
#bbb ,p4 #agc1 l4 #ce4                  
,josephus4--,reply to ,apion1 ii1 #af4  
,josephus1 the       ,jewish historian1 
gained the favour of ,titus1 and        
accompanied him       to the siege of   
,jerusalem4 ,he defended the ,jews      
against a       contemporary grammarian1
 named ,apion1 who had written a violent
       satire on the ,jews4  #bbc ,p4   
#agd1 l4 #bg4 ,against ,apion4--ii1 #ci4
 ,see preceding note4  #bbd ,p4 #agd1 l4

 #bh4 ,philo4--,a ,jewish philosopher1  
who lived in the       first century of 
the ,christian era4 ,he was one of the  
founders of       the ,alexandrian      
school of thought4 ,he sought to        
reconcile ,jewish       tradition with  
,greek thought4  #bbe ,p4 #age1 l4 #bj4 
,prefers the younger4--,see ,no4 #gaj4  
#bbf ,p4 #agf1 l4 #cb4 ,the books of the
 ,sibyls and ,trismegistus4--,the       
,sibyls were the old ,roman             
prophetesses4 ,their predictions were   
preserved in three books at ,rome1 which
 ,tarquinius ,superbus had       bought 
from the ,sibyl of ,erythr4             
,trismegistus was the ,greek name       
of the ,egyptian god ,thoth1 who was    
regarded as the originator of           
,egyptian culture1 the god of religion1 
of writing1 and of the arts       and   
sciences4 ,under his name there existed 
forty-two sacred books1       kept by   
the ,egyptian priests4  #bbg ,p4 #agg1  
l4 #c4 ,quis mihi1 etc4--,numbers xi1   
#bi4 ,quis tribuat ut       omnis       

populus prophetet8  #bbh ,p4 #agg1 l4   
#be4 ,maccabees4--#b ,macc4 xi1 #b4     
#bbi ,p4 #agg1 l4 #g4 ,this book1       
etc4--,is4 xxx1 #h4  #bcj ,p4 #agh1 l4  
#i4 ,tertullian4--,a ,christian writer  
in the second       century after       
,christ4 ,the quotation is from his ,de 
,cultu ,femin41       ii1 #c4  #bca ,p4 
#agh1 l4 #af4 771 etc4--,eusebius1      
,hist41 lib4 v1 c4 #h4  #bcb ,p4 #agh1  
l4 #bb4 ,and he took that from ,saint   
,irenus4--,hist41       lib4 x1 c #be4  
#bcc ,p4 #agi1 l4 #e4 ,the story in     
,esdras4--#b ,esdras xiv4 ,god appears  
to       ,esdras in a bush1 and orders  
him to assemble the people and          
deliver the message4 ,esdras replies    
that the law is burnt4 ,then       ,god 
commands him to take five scribes to    
whom for forty days ,he       dictates  
the ancient law4 ,this story conflicted 
with many passages       in the         
prophets1 and was therefore rejected    
from the ,canon at the       ,council of
 ,trent4  #bcd ,p4 #aha1 l4 #ad4 ,the   

,kabbala4--,the fantastic secret        
doctrine of       interpretation of     
,scripture1 held by a number of ,jewish 
rabbis4  #bce ,p4 #aha1 l4 #bf4 ,ut     
sciatis1 etc4--,mark ii1 #aj1 #aa4  #bcf
 ,p4 #ahc1 l4 #bi4 ,this generation1    
etc4--,matthew xxiv1 #cd4  #bcg ,p4     
#ahd1 l4 #aa4 ,difference between dinner
 and supper4--,luke xiv1       #ab4     
#bch ,p4 #ahd1 l4 #bh4 ,the six ages1   
etc4--,m4 ,havet has traced this to a   
chapter in ,st4 ,augustine1 ,de ,genesi 
contra ,manichos1 i1 #bc4  #bci ,p4     
#ahd1 l4 #ca4 ,forma futuri4--,romans v1
 #ad4  #bdj ,p4 #ahf1 l4 #ac4 ,the      
,messiah1 etc4--,john xii1 #cd4  #bda   
,p4 #ahf1 l4 #cj4 ,if the light1        
etc4--,matthew vi1 #bc4  #bdb ,p4 #ahg1 
l4 #a4 ,somnum suum4--,ps4 lxxvi1 #e4   
#bdc ,p4 #ahg1 l4 #a4 ,figura hujus     
mundi4--#a ,cor4 vii1 #ca4  #bdd ,p4    
#ahg1 l4 #b4 ,comedes panem             
tuum4--,deut4 viii1 #i4 ,panem          
nostrum1 ,luke xi1 #c4  #bde ,p4 #ahg1  
l4 #c4 ,inimici ,dei terram             

lingent4--,ps4 lxxii1 #i4  #bdf ,p4     
#ahg1 l4 #h4 ,cum                       
amaritudinibus4--,exodus xii1 #h4 ,the  
,vulgate       has cum lacticibus       
agrestibus4  #bdg ,p4 #ahg1 l4 #i4      
,singularis sum ego donec               
transeam4--,ps4 cxli1 #aj4  #bdh ,p4    
#ahh1 l4 #ai4 ,saint ,paul4--,galatians 
iv1 #bd2 ,i ,cor4 iii1 #af1       #ag2  
,hebrews ix1 #bd2 ,romans ii1 #bh1 #bi4 
#bdi ,p4 #ahh1 l4 #be4 ,that ,moses1    
etc4--,john vi1 #cb4  #bej ,p4 #ahi1 l4 
#c4 ,for one thing alone is             
needful4--,luke x1 #db4  #bea ,p4 #ahi1 
l4 #i4 ,the breasts of the              
,spouse4--,song of ,solomon iv1 #e4     
#beb ,p4 #ahi1 l4 #ae4 ,and the         
,christians1 etc4--,romans vi1 #bj2     
viii1       #ad1 #ae4  #bec ,p4 #ahi1 l4
 #ag4 ,when ,saint ,peter1 etc4--,acts  
xv4 ,see ,genesis       xvii1 #aj2      
,leviticus xii1 #c4  #bed ,p4 #ahi1 l4  
#bg4 ,fac secundum1 etc4--,exodus xxv1  
#dj4  #bee ,p4 #aij1 l4 #a4 ,saint      
,paul4--#a ,tim4 iv1 #c2 #a ,cor4 vii4  

#bef ,p4 #aij1 l4 #g4 ,the ,jews1       
etc4--,hebrews viii1 #e4  #beg ,p4 #aib1
 l4 #ae4 ,that ,he should destroy death 
through       death4--,hebrews ii1 #ad4 
#beh ,p4 #aib1 l4 #cj4 ,veri            
adoratores4--,john iv1 #bc4  #bei ,p4   
#aib1 l4 #cj4 ,ecce agnus1 etc4--,john  
i1 #bi4  #bfj ,p4 #aic1 l4 #ae4 ,ye     
shall be free indeed4--,john viii1 #cf4 
#bfa ,p4 #aic1 l4 #ag4 ,i am the true   
bread from heaven4--,ibid41 vi1 #cb4    
#bfb ,p4 #aid1 l4 #bg4 ,agnus occisus1  
etc4--,apoc4 xiii1 #h4  #bfc ,p4 #aid1  
l4 #cd4 ,sede a dextris meis4--,ps4 cx1 
#a4  #bfd ,p4 #aie1 l4 #ab4 ,a jealous  
,god4--,exodus xx1 #e4  #bfe ,p4 #aie1  
l4 #ad4 ,quia confortavit seras4--,ps4  
cxlvii1 #ac4  #bff ,p4 #aie1 l4 #ag4    
,the closed mem4--,the allusions here   
are to       certain peculiarities in   
,jewish writing4 ,there are some letters
       written in two ways1 closed or   
open1 as the mem4  #bfg ,p4 #aii1 l4 #a4
 ,great ,pan is dead4--,plutarch1 ,de   
,defect4 ,orac41       xvii4  #bfh ,p4  

#aii1 l4 #b4 ,susceperunt verbum1       
etc4--,acts xvii1 #aa4  #bfi ,p4 #aii1  
l4 #bj4 ,the ruler taken from the       
thigh4--,genesis xlix1       #aj4  #bgj 
,p4 #bjh1 l4 #f4 ,make their heart      
fat4--,is4 vi1 #aj2 ,john xii1 #dj4     
#bga ,p4 #bji1 l4 #a4 ,non habemus regem
 nisi ,csarem4--,john xix1 #ae4  #bgb   
,p4 #bah1 l4 #ag4 ,in ,horeb1           
etc4--,deut4 xviii1 #af-ai4  #bgc ,p4   
#bbj1 l4 #cd4 ,then they shall teach1   
etc4--,jeremiah xxxi1 #cd4  #bgd ,p4    
#bba1 l4 #a4 ,your sons shall           
prophesy4--,joel ii1 #bh4  #bge ,p4     
#bba1 l4 #bj4 ,populum1 etc4--,is4 lxv1 
#b2 ,romans x1 #ba4  #bgf ,p4 #bbb1 l4  
#be4 ,eris palpans in meridie4--,deut4  
xxviii1 #bi4  #bgg ,p4 #bbb1 l4 #bf4    
,dabitur liber1 etc4--,is4 xxix1 #ab4   
,the quotation       is inaccurate4     
#bgh ,p4 #bbc1 l4 #bd4 ,quis mihi1      
etc4--,job xix1 #bc-be4  #bgi ,p4 #bbd1 
l4 #a4 ,pray1 etc4--,the fragments here 
are ,pascal's notes       on ,luke4 ,see
 chaps4 xxii and xxiii4  #bhj ,p4 #bbe1 

l4 #bj4 ,excca4--,is4 vi1 #aj4  #bha ,p1
 #bbf1 l4 #i4 ,lazarus dormit1          
etc4--,john xi1 #aa1 #ad4  #bhb ,p4     
#bbf1 l4 #aj4 ,the apparent discrepancy 
of the ,gospels4--,to       reconcile   
the apparent discrepancies in the       
,gospels1 ,pascal wrote       a short   
life of ,christ4  #bhc ,p4 #bbg1 l4 #ac4
 ,gladium tuum1 potentissime4--,ps4 xlv1
 #c4  #bhd ,p4 #bbh1 l4 #be4 ,ingrediens
 mundum4--,hebrews x1 #e4  #bhe ,p4     
#bbh1 l4 #bf4 ,stone upon stone4--,mark 
xiii1 #b4  #bhf ,p4 #bbi1 l4 #bj4 ,jesus
 ,christ at last1 etc4--,see ,mark xii4 
#bhg ,p4 #bcj1 l4 #a4 ,effundam spiritum
 meum4--,joel ii1 #bh4  #bhh ,p4 #bcj1  
l4 #f4 ,omnes gentes 444 eum4--,ps4     
xxii1 #bg4  #bhi ,p4 #bcj1 l4 #g4 ,parum
 est ut1 etc4--,is4 xlix1 #f4  #bij ,p4 
#bcj1 l4 #g4 ,postula a me4--,ps4 ii1   
#h4  #bia ,p4 #bcj1 l4 #h4 ,adorabunt   
444 reges4--,ps4 lxxii1 #aa4  #bib ,p4  
#bcj1 l4 #h4 ,testes iniqui4--,ps4 xxv1 
#aa4  #bic ,p4 #bcj1 l4 #h4 ,dabit      
maxillam percutienti4--,lamentations    

iii1 #cj4  #bid ,p4 #bcj1 l4 #i4        
,dederunt fel in escam4--,ps4 lxix1 #ba4
  #bie ,p4 #bcj1 l4 #aa4 ,i will bless  
them that bless thee4--,genesis xii1    
#c4  #bif ,p4 #bcj1 l4 #ab4 ,all nations
 blessed in his seed4--,ibid41 xxii1    
#ah4  #big ,p4 #bcj1 l4 #ac4 ,lumen ad  
revelationem gentium4--,luke ii1 #cb4   
#bih ,p4 #bcj1 l4 #ad4 ,non fecit       
taliter1 etc4--,ps4 cxlvii1 #bj4  #bii  
,p4 #bcj1 l4 #bj4 ,bibite ex hoc        
omnes4--,matthew xxvi1 #bg4  #cjj ,p4   
#bcj1 l4 #bb4 ,in quo omnes             
peccaverunt4--,romans v1 #ab4  #cja ,p4 
#bcj1 l4 #bf4 ,ne timeas pusillus       
grex4--,luke xii1 #cb4  #cjb ,p4 #bcj1  
l4 #bi4 ,qui me1 etc4--,matthew x1 #dj4 
#cjc ,p4 #bcj1 l4 #cb4 ,saint           
,john4--,luke i1 #ag4  #cjd ,p4 #bcj1 l4
 #cc4 ,jesus ,christ4--,ibid41 xii1 #ea4
  #cje ,p4 #bca1 l4 #e4 ,omnis ,juda1   
etc4--,mark i1 #e4  #cjf ,p4 #bca1 l4   
#g4 ,from these stones1 etc4--,matthew  
iii1 #i4  #cjg ,p4 #bca1 l4 #i4 ,ne     
convertantur1 etc4--,mark iv1 #ab4  #cjh

 ,p4 #bca1 l4 #aa4 ,amice1 ad quid      
venisti8--,matthew xxvi1 #ej4  #cji ,p4 
#bca1 l4 #ca4 ,what is a man1           
etc4--,luke ix1 #be4  #caj ,p4 #bca1 l4 
#cb4 ,whosoever will1 etc4--,ibid41 #bd4
  #caa ,p4 #bcb1 l4 #a4 ,i am not come1 
etc4--,matthew v1 #ag4  #cab ,p4 #bcb1  
l4 #b4 ,lambs took not1 etc4--,see ,john
 i1 #bi4  #cac ,p4 #bcb1 l4 #d4         
,moses4--,ibid41 vi1 #cb2 viii1 #cf4    
#cad ,p4 #bcb1 l4 #ae4 ,quare1          
etc4--,ps4 ii1 #a1 #b4  #cae ,p4 #bcc1  
l4 #h4 ,i have reserved me seven        
thousand4--#a ,kings xix1       #ah4    
#caf ,p4 #bcd1 l4 #bg4                  
,archimedes4--,the founder of statics   
and       hydrostatics4 ,he was born at 
,syracuse in #bhg ,b4,c41 and was killed
       in #bab ,b4,c4 ,he was not a     
prince1 though a relative of a king4 ,m4
       ,havet points out that ,cicero   
talks of him as an obscure man          
7,tusc1 v1 #bc74  #cag ,p4 #bce1 l4 #cc4
 ,in sanctificationem et in             
scandalum4--,is4 viii1       #ad4  #cah 

,p4 #bch1 l4 #aa4 ,jesus ,christ4--,mark
 ix1 #ci4  #cai ,p4 #bci1 l4 #g4        
,rejoice not1 etc4--,luke x1 #bj4  #cbj 
,p4 #bci1 l4 #ab4 ,scimus1 etc4--,john  
iii1 #b4  #cba ,p4 #bci1 l4 #be4 ,nisi  
fecissem 444 haberent4--,ibid41 xv1 #bd4
  #cbb ,p4 #bci1 l4 #cb4 ,the second    
miracle4--,ibid41 iv1 #ed4  #cbc ,p4    
#bdj1 l4 #f4 ,montaigne4--,essais1 ii1  
#bf1 and iii1 #aa4  #cbd ,p4 #bdb1 l4   
#i4 ,vatable4--,professor of ,hebrew at 
the ,collge       ,royal1 founded by    
,francis ,i4 ,an edition of the ,bible  
with notes       under his name1 which  
were not his1 was published in #aeci4   
#cbe ,p4 #bdb1 l4 #ai4 ,omne regnum     
divisum4--,matthew xii1 #be2 ,luke xi1  
#ag4  #cbf ,p4 #bdb1 l4 #bc4 ,si in     
digito 444 vos4--,luke xi1 #bj4  #cbg   
,p4 #bdc1 l4 #ab4 ,q4 #aac1 ,a4 #aj1    
,ad4 #b4--,thomas ,aquinas's ,summa1    
,pt4 ,i1 ,question #aac1 ,article #aj1  
,reply to the ,second ,objection4  #cbh 
,p4 #bdc1 l4 #ah4 ,judi signa petunt1   
etc4--,i ,cor4 i1 #bb4  #cbi ,p4 #bdc1  

l4 #bc4 ,sed vos1 etc4--,john x1 #bf4   
#ccj ,p4 #bdf1 l4 #ae4 ,tu quid dicis8  
etc4--,john ix1 #ag1 #cc4  #cca ,p4     
#bdg1 l4 #ad4 ,though ye believe not1   
etc4--,john x1 #ch4  #ccb ,p4 #bdg1 l4  
#be4 ,nemo facit1 etc4--,mark ix1 #ci4  
#ccc ,p4 #bdg1 l4 #bg4 ,a sacred        
relic4--,this is a reference to the     
miracle of the ,holy ,thorn4 ,marguerite
 ,prier1 ,pascal's niece1 was           
cured of a fistula lachrymalis on #bd   
,march1 #afef1 after her eye       was  
touched with this sacred relic1 supposed
 to be a thorn from       the crown of  
,christ4 ,this miracle made a great     
impression upon       ,pascal4  #ccd ,p4
 #bdh1 l4 #bc4 ,these nuns4--,of        
,port-,royal1 as to which1 see note     
on page #aaj1 line #af1 above4 ,they    
were accused of ,calvinism4  #cce ,p4   
#bdh1 l4 #bh4 ,vide si1 etc4--,ps4      
cxxxix1 #bd4  #ccf ,p4 #bdi1 l4 #a4 ,si 
tu1 etc4--,luke xxii1 #fg4  #ccg ,p4    
#bdi1 l4 #b4 ,opera qu1 etc4--,john v1  
#cf2 x1 #bf-bg4  #cch ,p4 #bdi1 l4 #g4  

,nemo potest1 etc4--,john iii1 #b4  #cci
 ,p4 #bdi1 l4 #aa4 ,generatio prava1    
etc4--,matthew xii1 #ci4  #cdj ,p4 #bdi1
 l4 #ad4 ,et non poterat facere4--,mark 
vi1 #e4  #cda ,p4 #bdi1 l4 #af4 ,nisi   
videritis1 non creditis4--,john iv1 #h1 
#dh4  #cdb ,p4 #bdi1 l4 #bc4 ,tentat    
enim1 etc4--,deut4 xiii1 #c4  #cdc ,p4  
#bdi1 l4 #be4 ,ecce prdixi vobis3 vos   
ergo videte4--,matthew       xxiv1 #be1 
#bf4  #cdd ,p4 #bej1 l4 #g4 ,we have    
,moses1 etc4--,john ix1 #bi4  #cde ,p4  
#bej1 l4 #cj4 ,quid debui4--,is4 v1 #c1 
#d4 ,the ,vulgate is ,quis       est    
quod debui ultra facere vine me1 et non 
feci ei4  #cdf ,p4 #bea1 l4 #ab4        
,bar-jesus blinded4--,acts xiii1 #f-aa4 
#cdg ,p4 #bea1 l4 #ad4 ,the ,jewish     
exorcists4--,ibid41 xix1 #ac-af4  #cdh  
,p4 #bea1 l4 #ah4 ,si                   
angelus4--,galatians i1 #h4  #cdi ,p4   
#beb1 l4 #aj4 ,an angel from            
heaven4--,see previous note4  #cej ,p4  
#beb1 l4 #ad4 ,father                   
,lingende4--,claude de ,lingendes1 an   

eloquent ,jesuit preacher1 who died in  
#affj4  #cea ,p4 #beb1 l4 #cc4 ,ubi est 
,deus tuus8--,ps4 xiii1 #c4  #ceb ,p4   
#beb1 l4 #cd4 ,exortum est1 etc4--,ps4  
cxii1 #d4  #cec ,p4 #bec1 l4 #f4 ,saint 
,xavier4--,saint ,franois ,xavier1 the  
friend       of ,ignatius ,loyola1      
became a ,jesuit4  #ced ,p4 #bec1 l4 #i4
 ,v qui1 etc4--,is4 x1 ,i4  #cee ,p4    
#bec1 l4 #bd4 ,the five                 
propositions4--,see ,preface4  #cef ,p4 
#bec1 l4 #cf4 ,to seduce1 etc4--,mark   
xiii1 #bb4  #ceg ,p4 #bed1 l4 #f4 ,si   
non fecissem4--,john xv1 #bd4  #ceh ,p4 
#bee1 l4 #aa4 ,believe in the           
,church4--,matthew xviii1 #ag-bj4  #cei 
,p4 #beg1 l4 #ad4 ,they4--,the          
,jansenists1 who believed in the system 
of evangelical doctrine deduced from    
,augustine by ,cornelius       ,jansen  
7#aehe-afch71 the ,bishop of ,ypres4    
,they held that interior       grace is 
irresistible1 and that ,christ died for 
all1 in reaction       against the      
ordinary ,catholic dogma of the freedom 

of the will1       and merely sufficient
 grace4  #cfj ,p4 #beh1 l4 #d4 ,a time  
to laugh1 etc4--,eccles4 iii1 #d4  #cfa 
,p4 #beh1 l4 #d4 ,responde4 ,ne         
respondeas4--,prov4 xxvi1 #d1 #e4  #cfb 
,p4 #bfj1 l4 #c4 ,saint                 
,athanasius4--,patriarch of ,alexandria1
       accused of rape1 of murder1 and  
of sacrilege4 ,he was condemned by      
the ,councils of ,tyre1 ,aries1 and     
,milan4 ,pope ,liberius is said to      
have finally ratified the condemnation  
in ,a4,d4 #ceg4 ,athanasius       here  
stands for ,jansenius1 ,saint ,thersea  
for ,mother ,anglique1 and              
,liberius for ,clement ,,ix4  #cfc ,p4  
#bfa1 l4 #ag4 ,vos autem non sic4--,luke
 xxii1 #bf4  #cfd ,p4 #bfa1 l4 #bc4 ,duo
 aut tres in unum4--,john x1 #cj2 ,first
 ,epistle       of ,st4 ,john1 ,v1 #h4  
#cfe ,p4 #bfb1 l4 #ah4 ,the             
,fronde4--,the party which rose against 
,mazarin       and the ,court during the
 minority of ,louis ,,xiv4 ,they led to 
civil       war4  #cff ,p4 #bfb1 l4 #be4

 ,pasce oves meas4--,john xxi1 #ag4     
#cfg ,p4 #bfc1 l4 #ad4 ,jeroboam4--,i   
,kings xii1 #ca4  #cfh ,p4 #bfe1 l4 #ba4
 ,the servant1 etc4--,john xv1 #ae4     
#cfi ,p4 #bff1 l4 #d4 ,he that is not1  
etc4--,matthew xii1 #cj4  #cgj ,p4 #bff1
 l4 #e4 ,he that is not1 etc4--,mark ix1
 #dj4  #cga ,p4 #bff1 l4 #aa4 ,humilibus
 dot gratiam4--,james iv1 #f4  #cgb ,p4 
#bff1 l4 #ab4 ,sui eum non1 etc4--,john 
i1 #aa1 #ab4  #cgc ,p4 #bff1 l4 #cc4 ,we
 will be as the other nations4--,i ,sam4
 viii1       #bj4  #cgd ,p4 #bfh1 l4    
#ai4 ,vince in bono malum4--,romans xii1
 #ba4  #cge ,p4 #bfh1 l4 #bf4           
,montalte4--,see note on page #f1 line  
#cj1 above4  #cgf ,p4 #bfi1 l4 #aa4     
,probability4--,the doctrine in         
casuistry that of       two probable    
views1 both reasonable1 one may follow  
his own       inclinations1 as a        
doubtful law cannot impose a certain    
obligation4 ,it was held by the         
,jesuits1 the famous religious order    
founded in #aecd by ,ignatius ,loyola4  

,this section of the ,penses       is   
directed chiefly against them4  #cgg ,p4
 #bfi1 l4 #bb4 ,coacervabunt sibi       
magistros4--#b ,tim4 iv1 #c4  #cgh ,p4  
#bgj1 l4 #c4 ,these4--,the writers of   
,port-,royal4  #cgi ,p4 #bgj1 l4 #ae4   
,the ,society4--,the ,society of ,jesus4
  #chj ,p4 #bga1 l4 #ae4 ,digna         
necessitas4--,book of ,wisdom xix1 #d4  
,,index  ,the figures refer to the      
numbers of the ,penses1 and not to the  
pages4   ,,abraham1   took nothing for  
himself1 #ejb2   from stones can come   
children unto1 #ggg2   and ,gideon1 #hba
  ,absolutions1 without signs of regret1
 #ijc1 #ijd  ,act1 the last1 is tragic1 
#baj  ,adam1   compared with ,christ1   
#eea2   his glorious state1 #eei2       
forma futuri1 #fee  ,advent1 the time of
 the first1 foretold1 #gef  ,age1       
influences judgment1 #cha2   the six    
ages1 #fed  ,alexander1 the example of  
his chastity1 #ajc  ,amusements1        
dangerous to the ,christian life1 #aa   
,animals1 intelligence and instinct of1 

#cdj1 #cdb  ,antichrist1   miracles of1 
foretold by ,christ1 #hbe2   will speak 
openly against ,god1 #hdb2   miracles   
of1 cannot lead into error1 #hde        
,apocalyptics1 extravagances of the1    
#fej  ,apostles1   hypothesis that they 
were deceivers1 #ega2   foresaw         
heresies1 #egh2   supposition that they 
were either deceived or deceivers1 #hja 
,aquinas1 ,thomas1 #fa1 #cch            
,arcesilaus1 the sceptic1 became a      
dogmatist1 #cge  ,archimedes1 greatness 
of1 #gib  ,arians1 where they go wrong1 
#hfa  ,aristotle1 and ,plato1 #cca      
,arius1 miracles in his time1 #hca      
,athanasius1 ,st41 #hfg  ,atheism1 shows
 a certain strength of mind1 #bbe       
,atheists1   who seek1 to be pitied1    
#aij2   ought to say what is perfectly  
evident1 #bba2   objections of1 against 
the ,resurrection and the ,virgin       
,birth1   #bbb1 #bbc2   objection of1   
#bbh  ,augustine1 ,st41   saw that we   
work for an uncertainty1 #bcd2   on the 
submission of reason1 #bgj2   on        

miracles1 #haa2   his authority1 #hfh   
,augustus1 his saying about ,herod's    
son1 #agi  ,authority1 in belief1 #bfj  
,authors1 vanity of certain1 #dc        
,automatism1 human1 #beb   ,babylon1    
rivers of1 #dei  ,beauty1   a certain   
standard of1 #cb2   poetical1 #cc       
,belief1   three sources of1 #bde2      
rule of1 #bfj2   of simple people1 #bhd2
   without reading the ,testaments1     
#bhf2   the ,cross creates1 #ehg2       
reasons why there is no1 in the         
miracles1 #hbe  ,bias1 leads to error1  
#ih  ,birth1   noble1 an advantage1     
#cbb2   persons of high1 honoured and   
despised1 #ccg  ,blame1 and praise1 #eja
  ,blood1 example of the circulation of1
 #if  ,body1   nourishment of the1 #cef2
   the1 and its members1 #dge1 #dgf2    
infinite distance between mind and1 #gib
  ,brutes1 no mutual admiration among   
the1 #dja   ,csar1 compared with        
,alexander and ,augustus1 #acb          
,calling1 chance decides the choice of  
a1 #ig  ,calvinism1 error of1 #ggf      

,canonical1 the heretical books prove   
the1 #efh  ,carthusian monk1 difference 
between a soldier and a1 #ech           
,casuists1   true believers have no     
pretext for following their laxity1     
#hhh2   submit the decision to a        
corrupted reason1 #ijf2   cannot give   
assurance to a conscience in error1     
#ijh2   allow lust to act1 #iac         
,causes1 seen by the intellect and not  
by the senses1 #bcd  ,catholic1 the1    
doctrine1 of the ,holy ,sacrament1 #hfa 
,ceremonies1 ordained in the ,old       
,testament1 are types1 #fgi  ,certain1  
nothing is1 #bcd  ,chance1   according  
to the doctrine of chance1 one should   
believe in ,god1 #bcc2   and work for an
 uncertainty1 #bcd2   and seek the      
truth1 #bcf2   gives rise to thoughts1  
#cgj  ,chancellor1 the position of the1 
uneral1 #cjg  ,character1 the           
,christian1 the human1 and the inhuman1 
#ecb  ,charity1   nothing so like it as 
covetousness1 #ffb2   not a figurative  
precept1 #ffd2   the sole aim of the    

,scripture1 #ffi  ,charron1 the         
divisions of1 #fb  ,children1           
frightened at the face they have        
blackened1 #hh2   of ,port-,royal1 #aea2
   illustration of usurpation from1 #bie
  ,china1 ,history of1 #eib1 #eic       
,christianity1   alone cures pride and  
sloth1 #dce2   is strange1 #ecf2        
consists in two points1 #eee2   evidence
 for1 #efc2   is wise and foolish1 #ehg 
,christians1   few true1 #bef2   without
 the knowledge of the prophecies and    
evidences1 #bhg2   comply with folly1   
#cch2   humility of1 #ecg2   their hope1
 #eci2   their happiness1 #edj2   the   
,god of1 #edc  ,church1   history of    
the1 #heg2   the1 in persecution1 like a
 ship in a storm1 #heh2   when in a good
 state1 #hfj2   has always been attacked
 by opposite errors1 #hfa2   the1 and   
tradition1 #hff2   absolution and the1  
#hfi2   the ,pope and the1 #hgj2   the1 
and infallibility1 #hge2   true justice 
in the1 #hgg2   the work of the1 #hhj2  
the discipline of the1 #hhd2   the      

anathemas of the1 #hie  ,cicero1 false  
beauties in1 #ca  ,cipher1   a1 has a   
double meaning1 #fgf1 #fgg2   key of1   
#fhj2   the1 given by ,st4 ,paul1 #fhb  
,circumcision1   only a sign1 #fji2     
the apostles and1 #fga  ,clearness1     
sufficient1 for the elect1 #egg2   and  
obscurity1 #hef  ,cleobuline1 the       
passion of1 #ac  ,cleopatra1   the nose 
of1 #afb2   and love1 #afc              
,compliments1 #eg  ,conditions1 the     
easiest1 to live in1 according to the   
world and to   ,god1 #ije  ,condolences1
 formal1 #ef  ,confession1 #ajj2        
different effects of1 #ebi              
,contradiction1 #aeg2   a bad sign of   
truth1 #chd  ,conversion1 the1 #dgj2    
of the heathen1 #gfh  ,copernicus1 #bah 
,cords1 the1 which bind the respect of  
men to each other1 #cjd  ,correct1 how  
to1 with advantage1 #i  ,cripple1 why a1
 does not offend us1 and a fool does1   
#hj  ,cromwell1 death of1 #agf  ,custom1
   is our nature1 #hi2   our natural    
principles1 principles of1 #ib2   a     

second nature1 #ic2   the source of our 
strongest beliefs1 #beb  ,cyrus1        
prediction of1 #gab   ,damned1 the1     
condemned by their own reason1 #efb     
,daniel1 #gba2   the seventy weeks of1  
#gbb  ,david1   a saying of1 #fhi2   the
 eternal reign of the race of1 #gaf1    
#gag  ,death1   easier to bear without  
thinking of it1 #aff2   men do not think
 of1 #afh2   fear of1 #bae1 #baf2       
examples of the noble deaths of the     
,lacedmonians1 #dha  ,deference1 meaning
 of1 #cag  ,deeds1 noble1 best when     
hidden1 #aei  ,deism1 as far removed    
from ,christianity as atheism1 #eee     
,democritus1 saying of1 #gb             
,demonstrations1 not certain that there 
are true1 #chg  ,descartes1 #gf1 #gg1   
#gh1 #gi  ,devil1   the1 and miracle1   
#hjc2   the1 and doctrine1 #hai         
,disciples1 and true disciples1 #eah    
,discourses1 on humility1 #cgg          
,diseases1 a source of error1 #hb       
,disproportion of man1 #gb  ,diversion1 
reason why men seek1 #aci1 #adj1 #ada1  

#adb1 #adc1 #afh1 #agj  ,docility1 #bed 
,doctor1 the1 #ab  ,doctrine1 and       
miracles1 #hjb1 #hdb  ,dogmatism1 and   
scepticism1 #dcd  ,dream1 life like a1  
#chf  ,duty1 and the passions1 #ajd     
,ecclesiastes1 #chi  ,eclipses1 why said
 to foretoken misfortune1 #agc  ,ego1   
what is the1 #cbc2   consists in        
thought1 #dfi  ,egyptians1 conversion of
 the1 #gbd  ,elect1   the1 ignorant of  
their virtues1 #ead2   all things work  
together for good to the1 #egd          
,eloquence1 #ae1 #af1 #be1 #bf          
,emilius1 ,paulus1 #dji1 #daj  ,enemies1
 meaning of1 in the prophecies1 #egj1   
#fia  ,epictetus1 #hj1 #dff1 #dfg       
,error1 a common1 when advantageous1 #ah
  ,esdras1 the story in1 #fca1 #fcb1    
#fcc  ,eternity1 existence of1 #aie     
,ethics1   consoles us1 #fg2   a special
 science1 #iaa  ,eucharist1 the1 #bbd1  
#eab1 #ghh  ,evangelists1 the1 painted a
 perfectly heroic soul in ,jesus        
,christ1 #gii  ,evil1 infinite forms of1
 #djh  ,examples1 in demonstration1 #dj 

,exception1 and the rule1 #hcb1 #ijc    
,excuses1 on1 #eh  ,external1 the1 must 
be joined to the internal1 #bej         
,ezekiel1 spoke evil of ,israel1 #hhe   
,faith1   different from proof1 #bdh2   
and miracle1 #bfc2   and the senses1    
#bfd2   what is1 #bgh2   without1 man   
cannot know the true good or justice1   
#dbe2   consists in ,jesus ,christ1 #ebb
  ,fancy1   effects of1 #hf2   confused 
with feeling1 #bgd  ,faults1 we owe a   
great debt to those who point out1 #ecd 
,fear1 good and bad1 #bfb  ,feeling1    
and reasoning1 #c1 #bgd2   harmed in the
 same way as the understanding1 #f      
,flies1 the power of1 #cff1 #cfg        
,friend1 importance of a true1 #aee     
,fundamentals1 the two1 #hjd   ,galilee1
 the word1 #gdc  ,gentiles1   conversion
 of the1 #gab2   calling of the1 #gac   
,gentleman1   the universal quality1    
#ce2   man never taught to be a1 #fh    
,glory1 #aea1 #dja2   the greatest      
baseness of man is the pursuit of1 #djd 
,god1   the conduct of1 #ahe2   is      

infinite1 #bca1 #bcc2   infinitely      
incomprehensible1 #bcc2   we should     
wager that there is a1 #bcc2   a ,deus  
absconditus1 #aid1 #bdb2   knowledge of1
 is not the love of ,him1 #bhj2   two   
kinds of persons know1 #bhh2   has      
created all for ,himself1 #cad2   the   
wisdom of1 #dcj2   must reign over all1 
#dfj2   we must love ,him only1 #dgi2   
not true that all reveals1 #eef2   has  
willed to blind some and to enlighten   
others1 #efe1 #ege2   foresaw heresies1 
#egh2   has willed to hide ,himself1    
#ehd2   formed for ,himself the ,jewish 
people1 #fdc2   the word does not differ
 from the intention in1 #fec2   the     
greatness of ,his compassion1 #hdg2     
has not wanted to absolve without the   
,church1 #hfi  ,godliness1 why          
difficult1 #dih  ,good1 the inquiry into
 the sovereign1 #gc1 #dfb  ,gospel1 the 
style of the1 admirable1 #gig  ,grace1  
unites us to ,god1 #dcj1 #ejg2          
necessary to turn a man into a saint1   
#ejh2   the law and1 #eai1 #eba2        

nature and1 #ebj2   morality and1 #ebb2 
man's capacity for1 #ebc  ,great1 the1  
and the humble have the same            
misfortunes1 #ahj  ,greatness1   the1 of
 man1 #cig1 #cih1 #djj1 #dji2           
constituted by thought1 #cdf2   even in 
his lust1 #djb1 #djc2   and wretchedness
 of man1 #daf1 #dag1 #dah1 #dbc1 #dcj1  
#ddc   ,haggai1 #gbe  ,happiness1   all 
men seek1 #dbe2   is in ,god1 #dfe      
,happy1 in order to be1 man does not    
think of death1 #afi  ,hate1 all men    
naturally1 one another1 #dea  ,heart1   
the1 has its reasons1 #bgg2             
experiences ,god1 #bgh2   we know truth1
 not only by the reason1 but also by    
the1 #bhb2   has its own order1 #bhc    
,heresy1 #ggd2   source of all1 #hfa    
,heretics1   and the three marks of     
religion1 #hdc1 #hdd2   and the         
,jesuits1 #hij  ,herod1 #agh1 #agi      
,hosts1 the three1 #agg   ,image1 an1 of
 the condition of men1 #aii             
,imagination1   that deceitful part in  
man1 #hb2   enlarges little objects1    

#hd2   magnifies a nothing1 #he2   often
 mistaken for the heart1 #bge2   judges1
 etc41 appeal only to the1 #cjg         
,inconstancy1 in1 #aab1 #aac  ,infinite1
   the1 of greatness and of littleness1 
#gb2   and the finite1 #bcc  ,injustice1
 #bad1 #aia1 #bic1 #cbf1 #hgh           
,instability1 #bab  ,intellect1         
different kinds of1 #b  ,isaiah1 #gab1  
#gbe   ,jacob1 #fab1 #gaj  ,jansenists1 
the1 are persecuted1 #hei2   are like   
the heretics1 #hhf  ,jeremiah1 #gac1    
#hah  ,jesuits1   the1 unjust           
persecutors1 #hea2   hardness of the1   
#hec2   and ,jansenists1 #hfd2   impose 
upon the ,pope1 #hha2   effects of their
 sins1 #iah2   do not keep their word1  
#ibc  ,jesus ,christ   employs the rule 
of love1 #bhc2   is a ,god whom we      
approach without pride1 #ebg2   ,his    
teaching1 #edd2   without1 man must be  
in misery1 #ede2   ,god known only      
through1 #edf2   we know ourselves only 
through1 #edg2   useless to know ,god   
without1 #edh2   the sepulchre of1 #eea2

   the mystery of1 #eeb2   and ,his     
wounds1 #eec2   genealogy of1 #egg2     
came at the time foretold1 #ffi2        
necessary for ,him to suffer1 #fgh2     
the ,messiah1 #gai2   prophecies about1 
#gcj1 #gcc1 #gcd2   foretold1 and was   
foretold1 #gch2   how regarded by the   
,old and ,new ,testaments1 #bci2   what 
the prophets say of1 #gej2   ,his       
office1 #gfe2   typified by ,joseph1    
#gfg2   what ,he came to say1 #gfi1     
#ghb2   came to blind1 etc41 #ggj2      
never condemned without hearing1 #ggi2  
,redeemer of all1 #ghj2   would not have
 the testimony of devils1 #ghc2   an    
obscurity1 #ghe1 #ghh2   would not be   
slain without the forms of justice1     
#ghi2   no man had more renown than1    
#gia2   absurd to take offence at the   
lowliness of1 #gib2   came in           
sanctificationem et in scandalum1 #gid2 
said great things simply1 #gif2         
verified that ,he was the ,messiah1     
#hjg2   and miracles1 #hbh  ,jews1      
their religion must be differently      

regarded in the ,bible and in     their 
tradition1 #fjj2   and is wholly divine1
 #fjb2   the carnal1 #fjf1 #fjg1 #ffa1  
#gdf2   true1 and true ,christians have 
the same religion1 #fji2   their        
advantages1 #fai2   their antiquity1    
#fbg2   their sincerity1 #fbi1 #fcj2    
their long and miserable existence1     
#fci2   the1 expressly made to witness  
to the ,messiah1 #fdj2   earthly        
thoughts of the1 #ffi2   were the slaves
 of sin1 #fgj2   their zeal for the law1
 #gjj1 #gja2   the devil troubled their 
zeal1 #gjc2   their captivity1 #gab2    
reprobation of the1 #gab2   accustomed  
to great miracles1 #gde2   the1 but not 
all1 reject ,christ1 #gei2   the1 in    
slaying ,him1 have proved ,him to be the
 ,messiah1 #gfj2   their dilemma1 #gfa  
,job and ,solomon1 #agd  ,john1 ,st41   
the ,baptist1 #gge  ,joseph1 #fbb1 #fig1
 #gfg  ,josephus1 #fbh1 #ghf  ,joshua1  
#fbf  ,judgment1   the1 and the         
intellect1 #d2   of another easily      
prejudiced1 #aje  ,just1 the1 act by    

faith1 #ejd  ,justice1   the1 of ,god1  
#bcc2   relation of1 to law and custom1 
#bid1 #cbe2   and might1 #bih1 #bii2    
determined by custom1 #cji2   is what is
 established1 #cab   ,king1   the1      
surrounded by people to amuse him1 #aci2
   a1 without amusement1 is full of     
wretchedness1 #adb2   why he inspires   
respect1 #cjh2   and tyrant1 #caj2   on 
what his power is founded1 #ccj         
,knowledge1   limitations of man's1 #gb2
   of ourselves impossible1 apart from  
the mystery of the transmission     of  
sin1 #dcd2   of ,god and of man's       
wretchedness found in ,christ1 #ebf     
,koran1 the1 #eif   ,lackeys1 afford a  
means of social distinction1 #cah1 #cai 
,language1 #bg1 #de1 #di1 #ec1 #ed1 #ei1
 #fdh  ,law1   the1 and nature1 #eai2   
the1 and grace1 #eba2   the1 of the     
,jews1 the oldest and most perfect1 #fah
  ,laws1   the1 are the only universal  
rules1 #bii2   two1 rule the ,christian 
,republic1 #dhd  ,liancourt1 the frog   
and the pike of1 #cda  ,life1   human1 a

 perpetual illusion1 #ajj2   we desire  
to live an imaginary1 #adg2   short     
duration of1 #bje2   only1 between us   
and heaven or hell1 #bac  ,love1        
nature of self-1 #ajj1 #dee2   causes   
and effects of1 #afb1 #afc2   nothing so
 opposed to justice and truth as self-1 
#dib  ,lusts1 the three1 #deh1 #dfj1    
#dfa   ,machine1   the1 #bdf1 #bdg2     
the arithmetical1 #cdj  ,macrobius1     
#agh1 #agi  ,magistrates1 make a show to
 strike the imagination1 #hb  ,mahomet1 
#eij2   without authority1 #eid2   his  
own witness1 #eie2   a false prophet1   
#eif2   is ridiculous1 #eig2            
difference between ,christ and1 #eih1   
#eii2   religion of1 #fjj  ,man1   full 
of wants1 #cf2   misery of1 without     
,god1 #fj1 #chi2   disproportion of1    
#gb2   a subject of error1 #hc2         
naturally credulous1 #abe2   description
 of1 #aaf2   condition of1 #abg2        
disgraceful for1 to yield to pleasure1  
#afj2   despises religion1 #ahg2   lacks
 heart1 #aif2   his sensibility to      

trifles1 #aig2   a thinking reed1 #cdg1 
#cdh2   neither angel1 nor brute1 #ceh2 
necessarily mad1 #dad2   two views of   
the nature of1 #dae2   does not know his
 rank1 #dbg2   a chimera1 #dcd2   the   
two vices of1 #dce2   pursues wealth1   
#dcf2   only happy in ,god1 #dch2   does
 not act by reason1 #dci2   unworthy of 
,god1 #eaj2   is of two kinds1 #ecc2    
holds an inward talk with himself1 #ece2
   without ,christ1 must be in vice and 
misery1 #ede2   everything teaches him  
his condition1 #eef  ,martial1 epigrams 
of1 #da  ,master and servant1 #ecj1 #hif
  ,materialism1 on1 #gb1 #ge  ,members1 
we are1 of the whole1 #dgd1 #dgg1 #dhb1 
#dhc  ,memory1   intuitive1 #ie2        
necessary for reason1 #cfi  ,merit1 men 
and1 #dij  ,messiah1   necessary that   
there should be preceding prophecies    
about the1 #egj2   the1 according to the
 carnal ,jews and carnal ,christians1   
#fjf2   the1 has always been believed   
in1 #fae2   and expected1 #faf2         
prophecies about the1 #gbf1 #gbh1 #gbi2 

,herod believed to be the1 #geb  ,mind1 
difference between the mathematical and 
the intuitive1 #a2   and body1 #gb1     
#gib2   natural for it to believe1 #ha2 
the1 easily disturbed1 #cff  ,miracles1 
and belief1 #bfc2   a test of doctrine1 
#hjb1 #hdb1 #hde2   definition of1 #hjc2
   necessary1 #hje2   ,christ and #hjg1 
#haj1 #hbh1 #hcc1 #hcg1 #hch2           
,montaigne and1 #hab1 #hac2   the reason
 people believe false1 #haf1 #hag2      
the1 of the false prophets1 #hah2       
false1 #hbb1 #hbc2   their use1 #hbd2   
the foundation of religion1 #hbe1 #hbf1 
#hej2   no longer necessary1 #hca2   the
 miracle of the ,holy ,thorn1 #hch1     
#hee2   the test in matters of doubt1   
#hdj2   one mark of religion1 #hdc      
,misery1   diversion alone consoles us  
for1 and is the greatest1 #aga2   proves
 man's greatness1 #cih2   we have an    
instinct which raises us above1 #daa2   
induces despair1 #ebe  ,miton1 #aib1    
#ddh1 #dee  ,montaigne1 #ah2   criticism
 of1 #fb1 #fc1 #fd1 #fe2 #bbj1 #bcd1    

#cbe1 #hab1 #hac  ,moses1 #egg1 #eib1   
#fbc1 #fbh1 #fhh1 #fhi1 #gea1 #hjb      
,nature   has made her truths           
independent of one another1 #ba2   and  
theology1 #bi2   is corrupt1 #fj2   has 
set us in the centre1 #gj2   only a     
first custom1 #ic2   makes us unhappy in
 every state1 #aji2   imitates herself1 
#aaj2   diversifies1 #abj2   always     
begins the same things again1 #aba2     
our1 consists in motion1 #abi2   and    
,god1 #bbi1 #bdb1 #bdc1 #bdd2   acts by 
progress1 #cee2   the least movement    
affects all1 #eje2   perfections and    
imperfections of1 #egi2   an image of   
grace1 #fgd  ,nebuchadnezzar1 #gba      
,novelty1 power of the charms of1 #hb   
,obscurity1   the1 of religion shows its
 truth1 #efd2   without1 man would not  
be sensible of corruption1 #ehe         
,opinion1 the queen of the world1 #caa  
,outward1 the ,church judges only by    
the1 #ijd   ,painting1 vanity of1 #acd  
,passion1   makes us forget duty1 #ajd2 
we are sure of pleasing a man1 if we    

know his ruling1 #ajf2   how to prevent 
the harmful effect of1 #bjc             
,patriarchs1 longevity of1 #fbe  ,paul1 
,st41 #bhc1 #ecb1 #fgb1 #fhb1 #heb      
,pelagians1 the semi-1 #ggf  ,penitence1
 #ffj1 #ibb  ,people1   ordinary1 have  
the power of not thinking of that about 
which they do     not want to think1    
#bei2   sound opinions of the people1   
#cac1 #caf1 #cbd  ,perpetuity1 #fab1    
#fae1 #faf  ,perseus1 #daj  ,persons1   
only three kinds of1 #beg2   two kinds  
of1 know ,god1 #bhh  ,peter1 ,st41 #fga1
 #gdc  ,philosophers1   the1 have       
confused ideas of things1 #gb2          
influence of imagination upon1 #hb2     
disquiet inquirers1 #ahd2   made their  
ethics independent of the immortality of
 the soul1   #bai1 #bbj2   have mastered
 their passions1 #cdi2   believe in ,god
 without ,christ1 #dfc2   their motto1  
#dfd2   have consecrated vices1 #ejc2   
what they advise1 #eji2   did not       
prescribe suitable feelings1 #ebd       
,piety1 different from superstition1    

#bee  ,pilate1 the false justice of1    
#gij  ,plato1 #bai1 #cca  ,poets1 #cd1  
#ch1 #ci  ,pope1 the1 #hgj1 #hga1 #hgb1 
#hgc1 #hgd1 #hgi1 #hha  ,port-,royal1   
#aea1 #hch1 #iai  ,prayer1 why          
established1 #eac  ,predictions   of    
particular things1 #gaj2   of ,cyrus1   
#gab2   of events in the fourth         
monarchy1 #gbc2   of the ,messiah1 #gbh1
 #gcj  ,present1 we do not rest         
satisfied with the1 #agb  ,presumption  
of men1 #adh  ,pride1 #aeb1 #aec1 #djf  
,probability1 the ,jesuitical doctrine  
of1 #ija1 #ijg1 #iji1 #iab1 #iae1 #iaf1 
#iag1 #iai1 #iba  ,proofs1   of         
religion1 #bhi1 #bij2   metaphysical1 of
 ,god1 #edb  ,prophecies1   the1        
entrusted to the ,jews1 #egj2   the     
strongest proof of ,christ1 #gje2       
necessarily distributed1 #gjf2   about  
,christ1 #gji1 #gbf1 #gcj1 #gcb1 #gce2  
proofs of divinity1 #gab2   in ,egypt1  
#gbe  ,prophets1   the1 prophesied by   
symbols1 #feb2   their discourses       
obscure1 #feh2   their meaning veiled1  

#fgg2   zeal after the1 #gjb2   did not 
speak to flatter the people1 #gah2      
foretold1 #gch  ,propositions1   the    
five1 #hcj1 #hdi   ,purgatory1 #eah     
,provincial ,letters1 the1 #eb1 #iai    
,pyrrhus1 advice given to1 #aci         
,rabbinism1 chronology of1 #fcd  ,reason
   and the imagination1 #hb2   and the  
senses1 #hc2   recognises an infinity of
 things beyond it1 #bfg2   submission   
of1 #bfh1 #bfi1 #bgj1 #bgb2   the heart 
and1 #bgg1 #bgh1 #bhb2   and instinct1  
#cdd1 #cie2   commands us imperiously1  
#cde2   and the passions1 #dab1 #dac2   
corruption of1 #ddj  ,reasoning1 reduces
 itself to yielding to feeling1 #bgd    
,redemption1   the ,red ,sea an image of
 the1 #fdb2   the completeness of the1  
#ghj  ,religion1   its true nature and  
the necessity of studying it1 #aid2     
sinfulness of indifference to it1 #aie2 
whether certain1 #bcd2   suited to all  
kinds of minds1 #bhe2   true1 #dgj1     
#did2   test of the falsity of a1 #dhg2 
two ways of proving its truths1 #efj2   

the ,christian1 has something           
astonishing in it1 #fad2   the          
,christian1 founded upon a preceding1   
#fah2   reasons for preferring the      
,christian1 #gcf2   three marks of1     
#hdc2   and natural reason1 #ijb        
,republic1 the ,christian1 #dhb1 #faj   
,rivers1 moving roads1 #ag  ,roannez1   
,m4 de1 a saying of1 #bgf  ,rule1 a1    
necessary to judge a work1 #e           
,sabbath1 the1 only a sign1 #fji        
,sacrifices1 of the ,jews and ,gentiles1
 #fji  ,salvation1 happiness of those   
who hope for1 #bci  ,scaramouch1 #ab    
,scepticism1 #cgc1 #cgf1 #cgh1 #che1    
#cib1 #cid2   truth of1 #dcb2   chief   
arguments of1 #dcd  ,sciences1 vanity of
 the1 #fg  ,scripture1   and the number 
of stars1 #bff2   its order1 #bhc2   has
 provided passages for all conditions of
 life1 #eca2   literal inspiration of1  
#efg2   blindness of1 #egb2   and       
,mahomet1 #eig2   extravagant opinions  
founded on1 #fej2   how to understand1  
#fhc1 #fhf2   against those who misuse  

passages of1 #hih  ,self1   necessary to
 know1 #ff2   the little knowledge we   
have of1 #age  ,sensations1 and         
molecules1 #cfh  ,senses1   perceptions 
of the1 always true1 #i2   perceive no  
extreme1 #gb2   mislead the reason1 #hc 
,silence1   eternal1 of infinite space1 
#bjf2   the greatest persecution1 #iai  
,sin1 original1 #dde1 #ddf1 #ddg        
,sneezing1 absorbs all the functions of 
the soul1 #afj  ,soul1   immortality of 
the1 #aid1 #bai1   #bbj2 immaterial1    
#cdi  ,spongia solis1 #ia  ,stoics1 the1
 #cej1 #cfj1 #dfe  ,struggle1 the1 alone
 pleases us1 #ace  ,style1 charm of a   
natural1 #bi  ,swiss1 the1 #cje         
,symmetry1 #bh  ,synagogue1 the1 a type1
 #fde1 #hea   ,talent1 chief1 #aah      
,temple1 reprobation of the1 #gab       
,testaments1   proof of the two1 at     
once1 #fda2   proof that the ,old is    
figurative1 #feh2   the ,old and the    
,new1 #ffe  ,theology1 a science1 #aae  
,theresa1 ,st41 #dii1 #hfg1 #iaf        
,thought1   one1 alone occupies us1     

#ade2   constitutes man's greatness1    
#cdf2   and dignity1 #cfe2   sometimes  
escapes us1 #cgj1 #cgb  ,time1 effects  
of1 #abb1 #abc  ,truth1   nothing shows 
man the1 #hc2   different degrees in    
man's aversion to1 #ajj2   the pretext  
that it is disputed1 #bfa2   known by   
the heart1 #bhb2   we desire1 #dcg2     
here is not the country of1 #hdb2       
obscure in these times1 #hfc  ,types1   
#egj1 #fdb1 #fdc1 #fdd1 #fde1 #fef1     
#feg1 #feh1 #ffi1 #fgd1 #fgh1 #fhf2     
the law typical1 #fdf1 #fhd2   some1    
clear and demonstrative1 #fdi2          
particular1 #fea1 #feb1 #fec2   are like
 portraits1 #fgf1 #fgg2   the sacrifices
 are1 #fgi1 #fhd  ,tyranny1 #ccb        
,understanding1 different kinds of1 #b  
,universe1   the relation of man to the1
 #gb2   his superiority to it1 #cdg     
,vanity1   is anchored in man's heart1  
#aej2   effects of1 #aea1 #aec2         
curiosity only1 #aeb2   little known1   
#afa2   love and1 #afb1 #afc2   only    
youths do not see the world's1 #afd     

,variety1 #aad1 #aae  ,vices1 some1 only
 lay hold on us through others1 #ajb    
,virtues1   division of1 #bj2   measure 
of1 #ceb2   excess of1 #cec1 #ceg2      
only the balancing of opposed vices1    
#cei2   the true1 #dhe   ,weariness1    
in leaving favourite pursuits1 #abh2    
nothing so insufferable to man as1 #aca 
,will1   natural for the1 to love1 #ha2 
one of the chief factors in belief1 #ii2
   self-1 will never be satisfied1 #dgb2
   is depraved1 #dgg2   ,god prefers to 
incline the1 rather than the intellect1 
#ehj  ,words1   and meanings1 #bc1 #ej2 
repeated in a discourse1 #dh2           
superfluous1 #di1 #ei  ,works1          
necessity to do good1 #dig2   external1 
#dii  ,world1   the1 a good judge of    
things1 #cbg2   all the1 under a        
delusion1 #cce2   all the1 not          
astonished at its own weakness1 #cad2   
all good maxims are in the1 #chj2   the1
 exists for the exercise of mercy and   
judgment1 #ehc   ,transcribers' note    
,numbered anchors changed to letter     

anchors for the four footnotes in the   
introduction4  ,all the notes at the end
 of the text were numbered and          
appropriate anchors inserted in the     
text4  ,note ,no4 #ed on page #bh has   
the wrong line number and is positioned 
two notes after where it should be4     
,corrected the position4  judgment was  
consistently used throughout the text4  
,page ,pense ,details                #i 
#cb beauty whch consists - ,typo for    
which4 ,corrected4               #cg    
#aba that is infinite - ,added a period 
at the end of the             sentence4 
#df     #aed ,mismatched brackets in    
original text4               #ge        
#bfj youself - corrected to yourself4   
#hf     #cja ,it is because they have   
more reason8 - ,as in image4            
#abi     #dfc feel ull of feelings -    
,typo corrected to feel full of         
feelings4              #acc     #dgi the
 worst that can can happen - deleted one
 can4              #acd     #dhd        
,supplied missing period at the end4    

#aeh     #egj those whose whose only    
good - deleted one whose                
#afb     #ehg they come with wisdom and 
with signs4 - ,typo corrected           
to they come with wisdom and with signs4
              #afe     #eih ,jesus      
,christ caused ,his wn to be slain4 -   
,typo             corrected to ,jesus   
,christ caused ,his own to be slain4    
#agj     #fab ,salutare taum expectabo1 
,domine4 - ,as in image4                
#aha     #fda but it they have - ,typo  
corrected to but if they                
have4              #bhb         ,endnote
 #baj4 - ,p4 #aeh1 l4 #ac4 ,saint       
,john4--xii1 #ci4                       
-,corrected to ,p4 #aei1 l4 #ac4 ,saint 
,john4--xii1 #ci4              #bhf     
,endnote #cca4 ,though ye believe not1  
ect4--,john x1 #ch4                     
-,corrected to ,though ye believe not1  
etc4--,john x1 #ch4