Candide and Martin, While Thus Reasoning with Each Other, DrawNear to the Coast of France

At length they descried the coast of France, when Candide said to Martin, “Pray Monsieur Martin, were you ever in France?”

“Yes, sir,” said Martin, “I have been in several provinces of that kingdom. In some, one half of the people are fools and madmen; in some, they are too artful; in others, again, they are, in general, either very good-natured or very brutal; while in others, they affect to be witty, and in all, their ruling passion is love, the next is slander, and the last is to talk nonsense.”

“But, pray, Monsieur Martin, were you ever in Paris?”

“Yes,