"
Candide, as he was returning home, made profound reflections on
the Turk's discourse.
"This good old man," said he to Pangloss and Martin, "appears to
me to have chosen for himself a lot much preferable to that of the six
Kings with whom we had the honor to sup."
"Human grandeur," said Pangloss, "is very dangerous, if we believe
the testimonies of almost all philosophers; for we find Eglon, King of
Moab, was assassinated by Aod; Absalom was hanged by the hair of his
head, and run through with three darts; King Nadab, son of Jeroboam,
was slain by Baaza; King Ela by Zimri; Okosias by Jehu; Athaliah by
Jehoiada; the Kings Jehooiakim, Jeconiah, and Zedekiah, were led
into captivity: I need not tell you what was the fate of Croesus,
Astyages, Darius, Dionysius of Syracuse, Pyrrhus, Perseus, Hannibal,
Jugurtha, Ariovistus, Caesar, Pompey, Nero, Otho, Vitellius, Domitian,
Richard II of England, Edward II, Henry VI, Richard Ill, Mary
Stuart, Charles I, the three Henrys of France, and the Emperor Henry
IV."
"Neither need you tell me," said Candide, "that we must take care of
our garden."
"You are in the right," said Pangloss; "for when man was put into
the garden of Eden, it was with an intent to dress it; and this proves
that man was not born to be idle.
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