Kabanata Kabanata 10 · IN WHAT DISTRESS CANDIDE, CUNEGONDE, AND THE OLD WOMAN ARRIVED AT CADIZ;

AND OF THEIR EMBARKATION.

"Who was it that robbed me of my money and jewels?" said Cunegonde, all

bathed in tears. "How shall we live? What shall we do? Where find

Inquisitors or Jews who will give me more?"

"Alas!" said the old woman, "I have a shrewd suspicion of a reverend

Grey Friar, who stayed last night in the same inn with us at Badajos.

God preserve me from judging rashly, but he came into our room twice,

and he set out upon his journey long before us."

"Alas!" said Candide, "dear Pangloss has often demonstrated to me that

the goods of this world are common to all men, and that each has an

equal right to them. But according to these principles the Grey Friar

ought to have left us enough to carry us through our journey. Have you

nothing at all left, my dear Cunegonde?"

"Not a farthing," said she.

"What then must we do?" said Candide.

"Sell one of the horses," replied the old woman. "I will ride behind

Miss Cunegonde, though I can hold myself only on one buttock, and we

shall reach Cadiz."

In the same inn there was a Benedictine prior who bought the horse for a

cheap price. Candide, Cunegonde, and the old woman, having passed

through Lucena, Chillas, and Lebrixa, arrived at length at Cadiz. A

fleet was there getting ready, and troops assembling to bring to reason

the reverend Jesuit Fathers of Paraguay, accused of having made one of

the native tribes in the neighborhood of San Sacrament revolt against

the Kings of Spain and Portugal. Candide having been in the Bulgarian

service, performed the military exercise before the general of this

little army with so graceful an address, with so intrepid an air, and

with such agility and expedition, that he was given the command of a

company of foot. Now, he was a captain! He set sail with Miss Cunegonde,

the old woman, two valets, and the two Andalusian horses, which had

belonged to the grand Inquisitor of Portugal.

During their voyage they reasoned a good deal on the philosophy of poor

Pangloss.

"We are going into another world," said Candide; "and surely it must be

there that all is for the best. For I must confess there is reason to

complain a little of what passeth in our world in regard to both

natural and moral philosophy."

"I love you with all my heart," said Cunegonde; "but my soul is still

full of fright at that which I have seen and experienced."

"All will be well," replied Candide; "the sea of this new world is

already better than our European sea; it is calmer, the winds more

regular. It is certainly the New World which is the best of all possible

worlds."

"God grant it," said Cunegonde; "but I have been so horribly unhappy

there that my heart is almost closed to hope."

"You complain," said the old woman; "alas! you have not known such

misfortunes as mine."

Cunegonde almost broke out laughing, finding the good woman very

amusing, for pretending to have been as unfortunate as she.

"Alas!" said Cunegonde, "my good mother, unless you have been ravished

by two Bulgarians, have received two deep wounds in your belly, have had

two castles demolished, have had two mothers cut to pieces before your

eyes, and two of your lovers whipped at an _auto-da-fe_, I do not

conceive how you could be more unfortunate than I. Add that I was born a

baroness of seventy-two quarterings--and have been a cook!"

"Miss," replied the old woman, "you do not know my birth; and were I to

show you my backside, you would not talk in that manner, but would

suspend your judgment."

This speech having raised extreme curiosity in the minds of Cunegonde

and Candide, the old woman spoke to them as follows.