"But
after all, I have still some diamonds left, with which I can easily
procure Miss Cunegund's liberty. It is a pity though she is grown so
ugly."
Then turning to Martin, "What think you, friend," said he, "whose
condition is most to be pitied, the Emperor Achmet's, the Emperor
Ivan's, King Charles Edward's, or mine?"
"Faith, I cannot resolve your question," said Martin, "unless I
had been in the breasts of you all."
"Ah!" cried Candide, "was Pangloss here now, he would have known,
and satisfied me at once."
"I know not," said Martin, "in what balance your Pangloss could have
weighed the misfortunes of mankind, and have set a just estimation
on their sufferings. All that I pretend to know of the matter is
that there are millions of men on the earth, whose conditions are a
hundred times more pitiable than those of King Charles Edward, the
Emperor Ivan, or Sultan Achmet."
"Why, that may be," answered Candide.
In a few days they reached the Bosphorus; and the first thing
Candide did was to pay a high ransom for Cacambo; then, without losing
time, he and his companions went on board a galley, in order to search
for his Cunegund on the banks of the Propontis, notwithstanding she
was grown so ugly.
There were two slaves among the crew of the galley, who rowed very
ill, and to whose bare backs the master of the vessel frequently
applied a lash.
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