The Online Library of Liberty

A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.

• Voltaire
• Publisher’s Preface.
• Oliver H. G. Leigh., Introduction.
• Oliver Goldsmith On Voltaire.
• Victor Hugo On Voltaire.
• Candide; Or, the Optimist. Part I.
• Chapter I.: How Candide Was Brought Up In a Magnificent Castle and How He Was Driven Thence.
• Chapter II.: What Befell Candide Among the Bulgarians.
• Chapter III.: How Candide Escaped From the Bulgarians, and What Befell Him Afterwards.
• Chapter IV.: How Candide Found His Old Master Pangloss Again and What Happened to Him.
• Chapter V.: A Tempest, a Shipwreck, an Earthquake; and What Else Befell Dr. Pangloss, Candide, and James the Anabaptist.
• Chapter VI.: How the Portuguese Made a Superb Auto-da-fé to Prevent Any Future Earthquakes, and How Candide Underwent Public Flagellation.
• Chapter VII.: How the Old Woman Took Care of Candide, and How He Found the Object of His Love.
• Chapter VIII.: Cunegund’s Story.
• Chapter IX.: What Happened to Cunegund, Candide, the Grand Inquisitor, and the Jew.
• Chapter X.: In What Distress Candide, Cunegund, and the Old Woman Arrive At Cadiz; and of Their Embarkation.
• Chapter XI.: The History of the Old Woman.
• Chapter XII.: The Adventures of the Old Woman Continued.
• Chapter XIII.: How Candide Was Obliged to Leave the Fair Cunegund and the Old Woman.
• Chapter XIV.: The Reception Candide and Cacambo Met With Among the Jesuits In Paraguay.
• Chapter XV.: How Candide Killed the Brother of His Dear Cunegund.
• Chapter XVI.: What Happened to Our Two Travellers With Two Girls, Two Monkeys, and the Savages, Called Oreillons.
• Chapter XVII.: Candide and His Valet Arrive In the Country of El Dorado—what They Saw There.
• Chapter XVIII.: What They Saw In the Country of El Dorado.
• Chapter XIX.: What Happened to Them At Surinam, and How Candide Became Acquainted With Martin.
• Chapter XX.: What Befell Candide and Martin On Their Passage.
• Chapter XXI.: Candide and Martin, While Thus Reasoning With Each Other, Draw Near to the Coast of France.
• Chapter XXII.: What Happened to Candide and Martin In France.
• Chapter XXIII.: Candide and Martin Touch Upon the English Coast—what They See There.
• Chapter XXIV.: Of Pacquette and Friar Giroflée.
• Chapter XXV.: Candide and Martin Pay a Visit to Seignor Pococuranté, a Noble Venetian.
• Chapter XXVI.: Candide and Martin Sup With Six Sharpers—who They Were.
• Chapter XXVII.: Candide’s Voyage to Constantinople.
• Chapter XXVIII.: What Befell Candide, Cunegund, Pangloss, Martin, Etc.
• Chapter XXIX.: In What Manner Candide Found Miss Cunegund and the Old Woman Again.
• Chapter XXX.: Conclusion.
• Part II.
• Chapter I.: How Candide Quitted His Companions, and What Happened to Him.
• Chapter II.: What Befell Candide In This House—how He Got Out of It.
• Chapter III.: Candide’s Reception At Court and What Followed.
• Chapter IV.: Fresh Favors Conferred On Candide; His Great Advancement.
• Chapter V.: How Candide Became a Very Great Man, and Yet Was Not Contented.
• Chapter VI.: The Pleasures of Candide.
• Chapter VII.: The History of Zirza.
• Chapter VIII.: Candide’s Disgusts—an Unexpected Meeting.
• Chapter IX.: Candide’s Disgraces, Travels, and Adventures.
• Chapter X.: Candide and Pangloss Arrive At the Propontis—what They Saw There—what Became of Them.
• Chapter XI.: Candide Continues His Travels.
• Chapter XII.: Candide Still Continues His Travels—new Adventures.
• Chapter XIII.: The History of Zenoida—how Candide Fell In Love With Her.
• Chapter XIV.: Continuation of the Loves of Candide.
• Chapter XV.: The Arrival of Wolhall—a Journey to Copenhagen.
• Chapter XVI.: How Candide Found His Wife Again and Lost His Mistress.
• Chapter XVII.: How Candide Had a Mind to Kill Himself, and Did Not Do It—what Happened to Him At an Inn.
• Chapter XVIII.: Candide and Cacambo Go Into a Hospital—whom They Meet There.
• Chapter XIX.: New Discoveries.
• Chapter XX.: Consequence of Candide’s Misfortune—how He Found His Mistress Again—the Fortune That Happened to Him.

CHAPTER XXIII.

candide and martin touch upon the english coast—what they see there.

“Ah Pangloss! Pangloss! ah Martin! Martin! ah my dear Miss Cunegund! what sort of a world is this?” Thus exclaimed Candide as soon as he got on board the Dutch ship. “Why something very foolish, and very abominable,” said Martin. “You are acquainted with England,” said Candide; “are they as great fools in that country as in France?” “Yes, but in a different manner,” answered Martin. “You know that these two nations are at war about a few acres of barren land in the neighborhood of Canada, and that they have expended much greater sums in the contest than all Canada is worth. To say exactly whether there are a greater number fit to be inhabitants of a madhouse in the one country than the other, exceeds the limits of my imperfect capacity; I know in general that the people we are going to visit are of a very dark and gloomy disposition.”

As they were chatting thus together they arrived at Portsmouth. The shore on each side the harbor was lined with a multitude of people, whose eyes were steadfastly fixed on a lusty man who was kneeling down on the deck of one of the men-of-war, with something tied before his eyes. Opposite to this personage stood four soldiers, each of whom shot three bullets into his skull, with all the composure imaginable; and when it was done, the whole company went away perfectly well satisfied. “What the devil is all this for?” said Candide, “and what demon, or foe of mankind, lords it thus tyrannically over the world?” He then asked who was that lusty man who had been sent out of the world with so much ceremony. When he received for answer, that it was an admiral. “And pray why do you put your admiral to death?” “Because he did not put a sufficient number of his fellow-creatures to death. You must know, he had an engagement with a French admiral, and it has been proved against him that he was not near enough to his antagonist.” “But,” replied Candide, “the French admiral must have been as far from him.” “There is no doubt of that; but in this country it is found requisite, now and then, to put an admiral to death, in order to encourage the others to fight.”

Candide was so shocked at what he saw and heard, that he would not set foot on shore, but made a bargain with the Dutch skipper (were he even to rob him like the captain of Surinam) to carry him directly to Venice.

The skipper was ready in two days. They sailed along the coast of France, and passed within sight of Lisbon, at which Candide trembled. From thence they proceeded to the Straits, entered the Mediterranean, and at length arrived at Venice. “God be praised,” said Candide, embracing Martin, “this is the place where I am to behold my beloved Cunegund once again. I can confide in Cacambo, like another self. All is well, all very well, all as well as possible.”