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$Title{Works of Voltaire
Candide: Chapters 8 - 14}
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$Author{Voltaire}
$Affiliation{Assistant Professor Of History, Hofstra University}
$Subject{candide
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Title:       Works of Voltaire
Book:        Candide
Author:      Voltaire
Critic:      Sobel, Robert
Affiliation: Assistant Professor Of History, Hofstra University

Candide: Chapters 8 - 14

Chapter Eight Cunegonde's Story

     In this chapter, Cunegonde describes her adventures since she has
last seen Candide. Like him, she is an optimist. While Candide arrived at
his optimism through Pangloss' philosophy, Cunegonde is more of a believer
in the old Christian dogma that God is all-good and all-powerful, and
therefore evil cannot exist.

     One night, while she slept, the Bulgars (by the grace of God) arrived
at Thunder-ten-tronckh. They murdered her family. One tall Bulgar, seeing
her faint, began to rape her. Cunegonde recovered at this, and began to
fight her attacker. Such goings on were by no means usual at
Thunder-ten-tronckh. She was wounded on the left thigh, and still has a scar.
(Candide sympathizes, and asks to see the scar. Cunegonde promises that he
shall.)

     A Bulgar captain came upon the struggling pair, and killed the soldier.
He then had Cunegonde washed and taken to his quarters as a prisoner-of-war.
She took care of his washing and such. The captain was handsome but was no
philosopher; he had not been brought up by Pangloss.

     After a while the captain ran out of funds and grew tired of Cunegonde,
whom he sold to Don Issacher, a Jew who had a weakness for women. The Jew
tried to ravish Cunegonde, but she defended her honor. "A woman of honor can
be ravished once, but the experience is a tonic to her virtue." To make
Cunegonde more cooperative, Don Issacher took her to his country home, where
they settled down. (Cunegonde notes that this is where they are now. The
country home, she thinks, is every bit as nice as Thunder-ten-tronckh.)

     One day the Grand Inquisitor saw Cunegonde at mass, and asked to meet
her. Cunegonde was then taken to his palace, where she told the Grand
Inquisitor of her situation. She was shown that it is degrading to belong to a
Jew. The Grand Inquisitor asked Don Issacher to give Cunegonde to him; the
Jew, who was a court banker, refused. Then Don Issacher was threatened with an
auto-da-fe. The Jew relented, and entered into an agreement with the Grand
Inquisitor whereby the two men would share Cunegonde and the house between
them. Don Issacher was to get both on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays (the
Jewish sabbath). The agreement lasted for six months, but then the two men
quarreled over whether Saturday was the Jew's because of the Old Testament or
the Inquisitor's because of the New Testament. Cunegonde resisted both men,
and so they both desired her.

     After a while, the Grand Inquisitor invited Cunegonde to an auto-da-fe.
This was the same ceremony in which Candide was to have been killed. She was
shocked to see Pangloss there, and when he was hanged, she fainted. On
recovering, she saw Candide, standing stark naked. She was distressed (Candide
was handsomer that the Bulgar captain). Before she could speak, Candide was
flogged. Cunegonde asked herself what could have brought Candide to Lisbon, to
be hanged at the orders of the Grand Inquisitor. She doubted Pangloss; is this
really the best of all worlds?

     Cunegonde was frantic at the thought of Candide's being executed. She
thought of many things, but mostly of the kiss Candide had given her at
Thunder-ten-tronckh. That is why she ordered her old servant to bring Candide
to her home.

     The two lovers were hungry, and so ate their meal on the lovely couch on
which they sat. They were enjoying each other when Don Issacher arrived on the
scene.

Comment:

     Cunegonde's story is straight-forward, whereas Candide's contains many
reflections. This is Voltaire's way of saying that women are much more
realistic than men. Note that she says that the Grand Inquisitor and Don
Issacher both want her, and this was so because she has withheld her favors
from both men. This line is thrown out without elaboration; Cunegonde assumes
that all will realize that this is part of the native wisdom of women.
Cunegonde seems simple and unaffected, but underneath all of this is a wily
female. Her problems have been as great as those of Candide, but her life has
been easy, while he has suffered many injuries. When they meet, she is an
honored guest at the auto-da-fe; Candide is the victim. Voltaire seems to be
saying that it is wiser to be less of a philosopher and more of an opportunist
for the sake of survival.

Chapter Nine Relating Further Adventures Of Cunegonde, Candide, The Grand
Inquisitor, And The Jew

     Issacher was distressed at seeing the two lovers together. He asked
whether Cunegonde felt obliged to share her favors with one and all, drew out
a dagger and attacked Candide. Our hero had been given a sword by the old
woman, however, and he unsheathed it and killed the Jew. "Holy Virgin,"
Cunegonde exclaimed (in a most modern tone). "What will happen to us now? A
man killed in my house! If the police come, we are done for."

     Candide regrets the death of Pangloss; the philosopher would have given
them good advice if he were alive. In his absence, they decide to consult the
old woman. She was about to speak when the door opened, and in walked the
Grand Inquisitor. Candide's mind worked quickly. If the Inquisitor called for
help, both he and Cunegonde would be burnt at the stake. The Inquisitor had
had Candide whipped, and besides, he was a rival and must be eliminated.
Without giving the matter more thought, Candide killed the Grand Inquisitor.

     Cunegonde bewails their fate; they will now surely be excommunicated.
Candide has killed a Jew and a priest in less than two minutes. Our hero
replies that a man in love doesn't know what he is doing, especially if he has
been whipped by the Inquisition.

     The old woman then gives her advice. They must take the horses in the
stable and flee., Cunegonde must be sure to take her jewels with her. The
three mount the horses and make off for Cadiz.

     Shortly after they left the house, the police arrived. The Inquisitor was
buried in a beautiful church, while the Jew was thrown on a dunghill.
Meanwhile Candide, Cunegonde, and the old woman reached the small town of
Avacena, and went to an inn there.

Comment:

     Having finished with the episode in Lisbon, Voltaire must find a way to
remove his hero to another location, and another moral and story. Thus, he has
him kill Cunegonde's two patrons and flee to Cadiz, an important port of
embarkation for the New World. Note the differing reactions of Candide and
Cunegonde to the murders (or killings). The woman is fearful; what will be the
result of all this? Candide, on the other hand, has perfect justifications for
the deaths. Note also the fates of the victims. Both men were similar in
morals and actions; if anything, the Inquisitor was the more corrupt. But he
is buried with the full honors of a Cardinal in a church, while the Jew,
being an infidel, is thrown on the dungheap.

Chapter Ten Describing The Distressing Circumstances In Which Candide,
Cunegonde, And The Old Woman Reached Cadiz, And How They Set Sail For The New
World

     Cunegonde was robbed of her jewels, and bewailed her fate; where would
she find more Jews and Inquisitors to replace them? The old woman suspected a
friar who stayed with them the night of the theft. Candide, quoting Pangloss,
said that since worldly goods are common to all men, everyone has the right to
take them. It would have been nice, however, if the friar had left them with
enough money to finish their journey. In response to his question, Cunegonde
says that they do not have a farthing. The old woman suggests that they sell
one of the horses, and that she ride behind Cunegonde (although it will be
difficult, since she has only one buttock).

     The horse was sold to a Benedictine prior for a few pesetas. The three
then continued their journey, and at long last reached Cadiz. The fleet was at
Cadiz, being provisioned for a trip to Paraguay, where they were to put down a
group of Jesuits and Indians. These people were inciting tribes to revolt
against the Kings of Spain and Portugal, and had to be taught a lesson.
Candide showed his skill at drilling to the General, and was so impressive
that he was made a captain of infantry in the little army. And so the
fortunes of the three travellers, once so low, reached a high point.

     The trip to Paraguay was filled by many arguments centering around
Pangloss' philosophy. Candide hopes that all will go well in the New World; he
admits that some bad things had happened in Spain and Portugal. Cunegonde
shudders at the things she has seen and experienced. Cunegonde is calmed by
Candide, who notes that the waters are calmer and the winds less variable
than in Europe; surely this is a good omen. Still, she admits to having lost
almost all hope. The old woman interrupts this dialogue: if they had had the
misfortunes she experienced, they would not complain. Cunegonde thought it
amusing for the old woman to pretend to have had unfortunate experiences.
Calling her by name for the first time (Abigail), Cunegonde recounts her
experiences, and asks how the old woman can rival them, especially as the
younger woman is a baron's daughter and has never served as a kitchen maid.

     Abigail replies that Cunegonde knows nothing of her birth, and that if
she would be shown her buttock, Cunegonde might suspend her judgment. This
intrigued the young people, and they listened to Abigail's story.

Comment:

     This is another transitional chapter, one which takes the action from one
area to the next. It also serves to introduce Abigail's story, which is told
in the following chapter. Thus, there is little to interest us here. Once
again, Voltaire shows his anti-clerical sentiments by having a friar steal
Cunegonde's jewels. Candide escapes from Cadiz through his military knowledge;
he could have left by no other means. One interesting note is Candide's
reaction to the loss of the jewels. He says that since all goods belong to all
men, perhaps the friar had the right to take them-a satire of Rousseau's
philosophy. Candide also remarks that it would have been nice if the friar had
left enough money for them to continue their travels. In the next few
chapters, Voltaire will mount a strong attack against Rousseau, especially
that philosopher's "Noble Savage" thesis.

Chapter Eleven The Old Woman's Story

     The old woman was not always so ugly and worn. She was the daughter of
Pope Urban X and the Princess of Palestrina. (In a footnote, Voltaire notes
that there has been no Pope Urban X and praises the author for not ascribing a
bastard to an actual Pope, showing his tenderness. Of course, voltaire
indicates by this footnote that it was quite common for Popes to have
bastards.)

     Until she was fourteen, the old woman lived in grand palaces and had all
she could want. By that time she was already the object of desires. She had
beautiful breasts and eyes. Poets praised her eyes, and dressing maids fell
back in astonishment at the beauty of her body.

     Abigail had been betrothed to the Prince of Massa-Carrara, her equal in
beauty, charm and grace. They loved each other dearly. The marriage was
planned, and was to have been celebrated with great pomp. The whole of Italy
seemed engaged in preparing for the great day. Just before the wedding,
however, the Prince's former mistress invited him to have a drink of chocolate
with her. He died less than two hours later in horrible convulsions.

     The intended bride and her mother were naturally distressed by this
event, and they decided to leave their home for a while and travel to an
estate the mother owned near Gaeta. But again their plans were altered; their
yacht was attacked by Moorish pirates. "Our soldiers defended themselves like
the Pope's guard: they fell on their knees and threw away their arms, begging
the pirates for absolution at the point of death."

     The soldiers were stripped naked, as were all the ladies aboard the
yacht. Then the Moors proceeded to search one and all. "What surprised me more
was that they put their fingers into a place where we women normally admit
nothing but a syringetube. This seemed to me an unusual custom, but that is
how we regard everything new when we first leave our native country." Abigail
soon learned that the pirates were searching for diamonds, which women often
hide in such places and remarked parenthetically that the Maltese Knights of
St. John follow the same procedures; it is an established point of
international law.

     The women were taken to Morocco on a slave ship, and they suffered many
indignities. All were attacked regularly. "I was ravishingly lovely, the
pattern of beauty and grace; and I was a virgin-but not for long." The pirate
captain, "an odious negro," tore her virginity from her, and considered that
he was doing her a favor.
 //SS"Abigail And The Pirates"
"I was ravishingly lovely, the
pattern of beauty and grace; and I was a virgin-but not for long.
//SE

     Morocco was bloody at the time of their arrival. The fifty sons of
Emperor Muley Ismael were fighting to take power, and there were fifty wars
going on at once. The pirates were subdued by a rival faction soon after they
disembarked, and the gold and women were carried off. The old woman notes that
people who live in the tropics have hotter blood and desires, than those to
the north. They fought like lions over the money and the women. "A Moor seized
my mother by the right arm, and my captain's lieutenant held her by the left;
a Moroccan soldier took her by one leg, while one of our pirates clung to the
otwer." Similar things happened to all the other women. The captain tried to
hide Abigail behind him, and defend her with his sword. She saw all the other
women torn limb from limb by the sailors. Soon all were either dead or dying,
in one large heap. Such events were quite common at the time. "Yet they will
not miss one of the five daily prayers prescribed by Mahomet."

     The old woman freed herself from the pile of corpses and crawled to the
shade of a large orange tree. There she collapsed and fell asleep, overcome by
exhaustion. She was awakened by a good looking European, who muttered words of
appreciation at her beauty while standing over her almost dead body.

Comment:

     There are several interesting points-besides those dealing with the
Pope's illegitimate children-in this chapter. Voltaire agrees with Rousseau in
the belief that Locke's tabular rasa theory is valid; at birth, all are
without prejudices and other devices held by culture and civilization. But
where Rousseau is hopeful, Voltaire is cynical about the future of man. All
civilizations are corrupt; all contain cruel and irrational institutions. In
this chapter, and several which follow, Voltaire pokes fun at non-European
societies. We shall see, for example, the bloody civilizations of the
Americas. Rousseau calls the Indians "Noble Savages." Voltaire considers them
more savage than noble. In this section, he alludes to the Moslem
civilization. Some writers of the Enlightenment considered Islam a superior
religion and civilization than Christianity and the West. Islam had a
tradition of culture and learning at a time when Europe was in the "Dark
Ages," and Islam was more tolerant of religious differences than the Europe of
the Reformation period and after. Yet, we find in this chapter a description
of a bloody battle, which did not prevent the Moslems from their five prayers
a day. Like the Christians, then, the Moslems are faithful to the forms of
religion, but often ignore the content.

Chapter Twelve The Old Woman's Misfortunes Continued

     Abigail was delighted to hear her native language. She told the man of
her misadventures, and then fell into a swoon. He carried her to a nearby
house, where he put her to bed, gave her something to eat, and then left her
to sleep. Later on he waited on her with great care and told her that she was
the most beautiful person he had ever seen, regretting that he could not
restore her virginity to her.

     The man was born at Naples, where they castrate two thousand boys a year.
(During this period, musical pieces were written for the castrato voice.
Castratos were children who were castrated to prevent them from attaining
puberty, at which time their voices would change. Thus, a boy soprano might
become a tenor or baritone. A castrated boy soprano would become a castrato.)
Some of the children died, some attained great fame with their beautiful
voices; others became prime ministers. This man had had a successful
operation; he was organist to the Princess of Palestrina.

     Abigail was overcome. The Princess of Palestrina was her mother! She
tells her protector this, and he is amazed. He had been her teacher, and even
then she showed promise of beauty. You are right, says Abigail, and her mother
is in that pile of corpses not far from here. The woman then told her
protector of her experiences, and he told of his. He had been sent to the King
of Morocco by a Christian prince as part of a trade for gunpowder and other
war materials, which would enable the prince to destroy other Christian
princes. Now the protector (a castrated person is called a eunuch) is finished
with his mission, and is about to return to Italy. He offers to take the woman
home with him.

     The woman was overcome with gratitude, and thanked her protector. But
instead of returning her to Italy, he sold her to the Governor of Algiers.
Soon after, a plague broke out in the province, and  spread over three
continents. (The old woman asks Cunegonde what she knows of plagues. Cunegonde
replies that she knows nothing of such things. The old woman says that plagues
are far worse than earthquakes, and that she caught it.) Thus, a well-brought
up bastard of the Pope had yet another misfortuneadded to her young life! She
did not die, however, but the eunuch, the Governor, and almost the entire
harem perished.

     When the first effects of the plague passed, the Governor's slaves were
sold. A trader purchased her, and took her to Tunis. There she was sold to
another trader, who took her to Tripoli, where she was again sold. Then to
Alexandria, to Smyrna, and to Constantinople, each time being sold to another
trader. In the end she belonged to a captain of the Sultan's guard, who went
to Azov to fight the Russians.

     The captain took his harem with him, housing the women in a fortress
near the Sea of Azov. The Russians attacked, destroyed the city, and set siege
to the fortress, hoping to starve the inhabitants into submission. The
soldiers guarding the harem swore never to surrender, but soon ate the
eunuchs. Then they decided to eat the women.

     A Moslem priest delivered a sermon of life to the soldiers. "Do not kill
the women," he said. "Instead, cut one buttock from each lady, and eat that.
Then, you may cut other pieces if the siege lasts. Allah will be pleased at
such a charitable action, and the siege will be relieved." The soldiers
agreed, and that is how the old woman lost one of her buttocks.

     Soon after the Turks had finished their meal, the Russians overcame the
fortress, and killed every soldier. The Russians ignored the women, many of
whom were near death. But French surgeons are everywhere; one of them was
found, and he saved many of the women's lives. He assured the ladies that such
practices as cutting off buttocks were quite common, and in accord with the
laws of warfare.

     As soon as the women could walk, they were sent to Moscow. Abigail was
sold to a noble, who made her his gardener and whipped her twenty times a day.
Two days later he was broken at the wheel for court intrigues, and she
escaped. She made her way across Russia and then across Europe, growing old
in the process (with only half a behind). But she never forgot that she was
a daughter of the Pope, and was in love with life. "This ridiculous weakness
is perhaps one of our most melancholy propensities; for is there anything more
stupid than to be eager to go on carrying a burden which one would gladly
throw away, to loathe one's very being and yet hold it fast, to fondle the
snake that devours us until it has eaten our hearts away?"

     The old woman met many who hate their lives, but only twelve of these
committed suicide. She ended by becoming a servant in Don Issacher's house.
Now she is waiting woman to Cunegonde. She would not have told her story if
not asked. The old woman tells Cunegonde that it would be amusing to persuade
each passenger on the ship to tell his or her story, "and if you find even
one who has not often cursed his life and told himself that he is the most
miserable man alive, you can throw me into the sea head first."

Comment:

     Despite its appearance, Candide is a serious work by a bitter
man who sees the stupidities of his world, and has the wit to unmask them.
Voltaire makes us laugh, but at the same time recognize the inconsistencies
and stupidities of his times, and our own. There is little satire in this
chapter, with the exception of the priest's suggestion for the cutting off of
buttocks instead of complete cannibalism. Here we have the hypocrisy of
Eastern religion, which is as bad as that of the West. Later on, the old woman
is assured that such treatment is in accord with the laws of warfare. Thus,
this barbaric practice is sanctified by the Church and State alike. Of course,
all of this is gross exaggeration, the method by which Voltaire points out
the foibles of societies. Yet, it is and was true that the civil and
religious authorities condone many barbaric practices. This is the only
important piece of satire in the chapter. Allowing for minor exaggerations,
the old woman's story might almost be true. Thus, Voltaire presents a stark
picture of his society and adds, at the end, that the old woman's story is not
unusual; everyone on the boat could tell similar tales. Such are the
irrationalities we must face that all of us, at one time or another, wish to
give up our lives out of despair, despite the fact that life is our greatest
possession.

Chapter Thirteen How Candide Was Forced To Leave The Lovely Cunegonde And The
Old Woman

     After having heard the old woman's story, Cunegonde paid her the respect
due a person of her rank. She also asked the other passengers to tell of their
adventures. After hearing them, she admitted that the old woman was right.
Candide wished Pangloss had not died, for the philosopher would undoubtedly
have had some observations to make on the matter.

     At long last, the ship reached Buenos Aires. The three travellers went
to see Governor Don Fernando d'Ibaraa y Figueora y Mascarenes y Lampourdos y
Souza, who was (obviously) a nobleman. The Governor was most arrogant. He also
had a greed for women, and was immediately taken by Cunegonde. He asked
whether she were the captain's wife or sister. This alarmed Candide, who was
confused as to the answer. She was not his wife, but on the other hand she
was not his sister, and he could not claim that she was. In addition, Candide
was too pure to make up a white lie. So Candide replied that Cunegonde would
soon become his wife, and he asked the Governor to attend the wedding.

     The Governor smiled, and told Candide to review his troops. While our
hero was gone, the Governor declared his love for Cunegonde, and swore to
marry her the following day. Cunegonde asked for time to collect her thoughts.
She then asked the old woman for advice. The old woman advised her to marry
the Governor; for she may have a coat of arms, but hasn't a farthing to her
name. Besides, why should Cunegonde defend her fidelity, especially after her
sexual escapades of the past few years. The old woman said that if she were
Cunegonde, she would marry the Governor without a moment's hestitation. While
they talked, a ship entered the harbor, with a group of secret police and a
Spanish magistrate aboard.

     The old woman was correct when she guessed that the friar had stolen
Cunegonde's jewels at Badajoz. The friar tried to sell the jewels to a
jeweller, who on recognizing them as belonging to the Inquisitor, turned the
friar over to the Inquisition. Before being hanged, the friar confessed that
he had stolen the jewels from Cunegonde, and described the three travellers.
The Spanish officials on the ship had been sent to find and punish them. The
old woman, on realizing what had happened, saw what was to be done. She drew
Cunegonde aside, and told her she had nothing to fear since it was Candide
who had killed the Inquisitor; the Inquisition was not after her. Besides, the
Governor lover her and would not allow her to be molested in any way. The old
woman then spoke to Candide, advising him to flee so as to avoid being burned
at the stake. Cunegonde had to be abandoned once again. Where would Candide
find shelter?

Comment:

     The Governor's long name implies Voltaire's distaste for the pomp
and falseness of the nobility of his period. The old woman, after having gone
through many ordeals, advises Cunegonde to be an opportunist, and look out for
herself. One wonders what Pangloss would have said at such a moment; he was
the idealist as opposed to the old woman, a realist. The old woman advises
Candide to flee. This will save him from certain death, and also remove an
annoying person from the path she has chosen for Cunegonde.

Chapter Fourteen The Reception Candide And Cacambo Met With From The Jesuits
Of Paraguay

     It seems that there was a fourth member of the band which fled from
Cadiz: a servant of the type often found in Spain and the colonies. This
servant, Cacambo, had mixed blood and had served in a variety of jobs.
Cacambo was devoted to Candide, and on hearing the old woman's advice,
immediately saddled two thoroughbreds. He urged Candide to leave while the
coast was clear. Candide burst into tears at the suggestion. He was sorry to
leave Cunegonde, especially since the Governor had agreed to come to their
wedding. And what would happen to Cunegonde now? Cacambo assured hi  that all
would be well.

     "Women are never at a loss. God looks over them." Candide asks his
servant where they were going. Cacambo replies that they had been going to
make war on the Jesuits before this turn in their fortunes had taken place.
Now that things were changed, they would instead fight on the side of the
Jesuits. He is certain the Jesuits will be delighted to have a trained
military man like Candide on their side. "When you don't get what you want
on one side, you find it on the other." Candide asks Cacambo if he had been
to Paraguay before. The servant replies that he had once been in the employ
of the College of Assumption, and knows the land well. He explains that the
Jesuits have a wonderful system. They own the entire land and the people own
nothing: this is a masterpiece of reason and justice. The Jesuits are most
godlike. They fight the Kings of Spain and Portugal in Paraguay, and absolve
them of sins in Europe. In Paraguay they kill Spaniards, and in Madrid they
bless them.

     The two set out on their journey. At the first frontier post, Cacambo
tells the guard that a captain wishes to speak with the Jesuits. News of
their arrival is sent to the city. Candide and Cacambo are disarmed and
dismounted, and taken to the Jesuit colonel. The colonel makes a sign, and
the two men are surrounded by soldiers. They are told they must wait; only the
Father Provincial is allowed to speak to Spaniards, and he gives them only
three hours to stay in the country. Cacambo asks the whereabouts of the Father
Provincial, and is told that he has said mass, and is now on parade. The
visitors will not be able to kiss his spurs for another three hours. Cacambo
tells the soldier that Candide is not a Spaniard, but a German, and is
hungry. Can't they have something to eat while they wait? The colonel is told
of this, and agrees to speak with Candide.

     Candide is taken to a beautiful arbor, and is served a meal on gold
dishes; the Paraguayans eat corn on wooden dishes in the open fields.

     The colonel was a handsome young man with a proud look on his face.
Before sitting down, Candide kissed the hem of the colonel's cassock. The
colonel spoke in German, asking Candide if he were a German. Candide replied
that he was. The colonel (a Jesuit as well), asked Candide what part of
Germany he was from. Candide (perhaps assuming the colonel hated Germans)
replied that he came from "that dirty province of Westphalia," and the castle
at Thunder-ten-tronckh. This amazes the colonel. He asks if it really can be
Candide. Both men are astonished, and embrace. The Jesuit colonel is none
other than Cunegonde's brother, who all had thought dead! How happy Pangloss
would have been to have seen this.

     The colonel dismisses the servants, and embraces Candide again, giving
thanks to God all the while. Candide tells the colonel that Cunegonde is still
alive. The colonel asks, where, and Candide tells him that she is with the
Governor at Buenos Aires. He admits that he had come to Paraguay to make war
on the Jesuits. The two men continue their meal, while waiting for the Father
Provincial. Meanwhile, the colonel tells Candide his story.

Comment:

     Note how easily Candide changes sides in the war. Cacambo, like
the old woman, is a realist, and tells his master that it doesn't really
matter which side you fight on in a war; fight for the side which offers you
the most. This is Voltaire's comment on the meaning of war, and an answer to
those who fought for holy causes. Voltaire was born in the aftermath of the
wars of the Reformation, which divided Europe in two, and later into still
more camps. Millions were killed, and Voltaire, studying the history of the
period, concluded that it was not worth a single death. His strong
anti-clerical feelings can be traced in part to this. Note too his discussion
of the differences in position taken by the Jesuits in Europe and Paraguay.
The Jesuits were a contentious group at the time Candide was written; because
of their maneuverings, they were finally expelled from France and other
countries in Europe. Voltaire shows their duplicity and cunning. Such
maneuverings may be permissible in a political organization, but are they to
be condoned in a religious order? Voltaire considered the Catholic Church more
a political than religious organization, and wrote of it as such. In this
chapter we have another example of Voltaire's reintroducing a character
because it suits his purposes. This time it is Cunegonde's brother; other
examples will follow.

