An excerpt from the original text.(complete · 1865 words)
HAT THEY SAW IN THE COUNTRY OF EL DORADO.
Cacambo expressed his curiosity to the landlord, who made answer:
"I am very ignorant, but not the worse on that account. However, we have
in this neighbourhood an old man retired from Court who is the most
learned and most communicative person in the kingdom."
At once he took Cacambo to the old man. Candide acted now only a second
character, and accompanied his valet. They entered a very plain house,
for the door was only of silver, and the ceilings were only of gold, but
wrought in so elegant a taste as to vie with the richest. The
antechamber, indeed, was only encrusted with rubies and emeralds, but
the order in which everything was arranged made amends for this great
simplicity.
The old man received the strangers on his sofa, which was stuffed with
humming-birds' feathers, and ordered his servants to present them with
liqueurs in diamond goblets; after which he satisfied their curiosity
in the following terms:
"I am now one hundred and seventy-two years old, and I learnt of my late
father, Master of the Horse to the King, the amazing revolutions of
Peru, of which he had been an eyewitness. The kingdom we now inhabit is
the ancient country of the Incas, who quitted it very imprudently to
conquer another part of the world, and were at length destroyed by the
Spaniards.
"More wise by far were the princes of their family, who remained in
their native country; and they ordained, with the consent of the whole
nation, that none of the inhabitants should ever be permitted to quit
this little kingdom; and this has preserved our innocence and happiness.
The Spaniards have had a confused notion of this country, and have
called it El Dorado; and an Englishman, whose name was Sir Walter
Raleigh, came very near it about a hundred years ago; but being
surrounded by inaccessible rocks and precipices, we have hitherto been
sheltered from the rapaciousness of European nations, who have an
inconceivable passion for the pebbles and dirt of our land, for the sake
of which they would murder us to the last man."
The conversation was long: it turned chiefly on their form of
government, their manners, their women, their public entertainments,
and the arts. At length Candide, having always had a taste for
metaphysics, made Cacambo ask whether there was any religion in that
country.
The old man reddened a little.
"How then," said he, "can you doubt it? Do you take us for ungrateful
wretches?"
Cacambo humbly asked, "What was the religion in El Dorado?"
The old man reddened again.
"Can there be two religions?" said he. "We have, I believe, the religion
of all the world: we worship God night and morning."
"Do you worship but one God?" said Cacambo, who still acted as
interpreter in representing Candide's doubts.
"Surely," said the old man, "there are not two, nor three, nor four. I
must confess the people from your side of the world ask very
extraordinary questions."
Candide was not yet tired of interrogating the good old man; he wanted
to know in what manner they prayed to God in El Dorado.
"We do not pray to Him," said the worthy sage; "we have nothing to ask
of Him; He has given us all we need, and we return Him thanks without
ceasing."
Candide having a curiosity to see the priests asked where they were.
The good old man smiled.
"My friend," said he, "we are all priests. The King and all the heads of
families sing solemn canticles of thanksgiving every morning,
accompanied by five or six thousand musicians."
"What! have you no monks who teach, who dispute, who govern, who cabal,
and who burn people that are not of their opinion?"
"We must be mad, indeed, if that were the case," said the old man; "here
we are all of one opinion, and we know not what you mean by monks."
During this whole discourse Candide was in raptures, and he said to
himself:
"This is vastly different from Westphalia and the Baron's castle. Had
our friend Pangloss seen El Dorado he would no longer have said that the
castle of Thunder-ten-Tronckh was the finest upon earth. It is evident
that one must travel."
After this long conversation the old man ordered a coach and six sheep
to be got ready, and twelve of his domestics to conduct the travellers
to Court.
"Excuse me," said he, "if my age deprives me of the honour of
accompanying you. The King will receive you in a manner that cannot
displease you; and no doubt you will make an allowance for the customs
of the country, if some things should not be to your liking."
Candide and Cacambo got into the coach, the six sheep flew, and in less
than four hours they reached the King's palace situated at the extremity
of the capital. The portal was two hundred and twenty feet high, and one
hundred wide; but words are wanting to express the materials of which it
was built. It is plain such materials must have prodigious superiority
over those pebbles and sand which we call gold and precious stones.
Twenty beautiful damsels of the King's guard received Candide and
Cacambo as they alighted from the coach, conducted them to the bath, and
dressed them in robes woven of the down of humming-birds; after which
the great crown officers, of both sexes, led them to the King's
apartment, between two files of musicians, a thousand on each side. When
they drew near to the audience chamber Cacambo asked one of the great
officers in what way he should pay his obeisance to his Majesty; whether
they should throw themselves upon their knees or on their stomachs;
whether they should put their hands upon their heads or behind their
backs; whether they should lick the dust off the floor; in a word, what
was the ceremony?
"The custom," said the great officer, "is to embrace the King, and to
kiss him on each cheek."
Candide and Cacambo threw themselves round his Majesty's neck. He
received them with all the goodness imaginable, and politely invited
them to supper.
While waiting they were shown the city, and saw the public edifices
raised as high as the clouds, the market places ornamented with a
thousand columns, the fountains of spring water, those of rose water,
those of liqueurs drawn from sugar-cane, incessantly flowing into the
great squares, which were paved with a kind of precious stone, which
gave off a delicious fragrancy like that of cloves and cinnamon. Candide
asked to see the court of justice, the parliament. They told him they
had none, and that they were strangers to lawsuits. He asked if they had
any prisons, and they answered no. But what surprised him most and gave
him the greatest pleasure was the palace of sciences, where he saw a
gallery two thousand feet long, and filled with instruments employed in
mathematics and physics.
After rambling about the city the whole afternoon, and seeing but a
thousandth part of it, they were reconducted to the royal palace, where
Candide sat down to table with his Majesty, his valet Cacambo, and
several ladies. Never was there a better entertainment, and never was
more wit shown at a table than that which fell from his Majesty. Cacambo
explained the King's bon-mots to Candide, and notwithstanding they
were translated they still appeared to be bon-mots. Of all the things
that surprised Candide this was not the least.
They spent a month in this hospitable place. Candide frequently said to
Cacambo:
"I own, my friend, once more that the castle where I was born is nothing
in comparison with this; but, after all, Miss Cunegonde is not here, and
you have, without doubt, some mistress in Europe. If we abide here we
shall only be upon a footing with the rest, whereas, if we return to our
old world, only with twelve sheep laden with the pebbles of El Dorado,
we shall be richer than all the kings in Europe. We shall have no more
Inquisitors to fear, and we may easily recover Miss Cunegonde."
This speech was agreeable to Cacambo; mankind are so fond of roving, of
making a figure in their own country, and of boasting of what they have
seen in their travels, that the two happy ones resolved to be no longer
so, but to ask his Majesty's leave to quit the country.
"You are foolish," said the King. "I am sensible that my kingdom is but
a small place, but when a person is comfortably settled in any part he
should abide there. I have not the right to detain strangers. It is a
tyranny which neither our manners nor our laws permit. All men are free.
Go when you wish, but the going will be very difficult. It is impossible
to ascend that rapid river on which you came as by a miracle, and which
runs under vaulted rocks. The mountains which surround my kingdom are
ten thousand feet high, and as steep as walls; they are each over ten
leagues in breadth, and there is no other way to descend them than by
precipices. However, since you absolutely wish to depart, I shall give
orders to my engineers to construct a machine that will convey you very
safely. When we have conducted you over the mountains no one can
accompany you further, for my subjects have made a vow never to quit the
kingdom, and they are too wise to break it. Ask me besides anything that
you please."
"We desire nothing of your Majesty," says Candide, "but a few sheep
laden with provisions, pebbles, and the earth of this country."
The King laughed.
"I cannot conceive," said he, "what pleasure you Europeans find in our
yellow clay, but take as much as you like, and great good may it do
you."
At once he gave directions that his engineers should construct a machine
to hoist up these two extraordinary men out of the kingdom. Three
thousand good mathematicians went to work; it was ready in fifteen days,
and did not cost more than twenty million sterling in the specie of that
country. They placed Candide and Cacambo on the machine. There were two
great red sheep saddled and bridled to ride upon as soon as they were
beyond the mountains, twenty pack-sheep laden with provisions, thirty
with presents of the curiosities of the country, and fifty with gold,
diamonds, and precious stones. The King embraced the two wanderers very
tenderly.
Their departure, with the ingenious manner in which they and their sheep
were hoisted over the mountains, was a splendid spectacle. The
mathematicians took their leave after conveying them to a place of
safety, and Candide had no other desire, no other aim, than to present
his sheep to Miss Cunegonde.
"Now," said he, "we are able to pay the Governor of Buenos Ayres if Miss
Cunegonde can be ransomed. Let us journey towards Cayenne. Let us
embark, and we will afterwards see what kingdom we shall be able to
purchase."
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Let's Analyse the Pattern
The Paradise Problem - Why Perfect Isn't Enough
Humans become restless even in perfect conditions because meaning comes from choice, struggle, and the ability to be special rather than from comfort alone.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to identify when dissatisfaction stems not from bad circumstances but from the absence of meaningful choice and challenge.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when you feel restless despite having what you thought you wanted—ask yourself what element of choice or growth might be missing.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Key Quotes & Analysis
"The door was only of silver, and the ceilings were only of gold, but wrought in so elegant a taste as to vie with the richest."
Context: Describing the 'simple' house where precious metals are treated as basic building materials
Voltaire uses irony to show how El Dorado's values completely reverse European priorities. What Europeans kill for, El Doradans use for everyday construction. This forces readers to question which society is actually civilized.
In Today's Words:
Their 'basic' house had silver doors and gold ceilings, like it was no big deal.
"More wise by far were the princes of their family, who remained in their native country."
Context: Explaining why El Dorado's ancestors chose isolation over conquest
This directly challenges European expansion and the idea that conquest brings glory. The 'wise' choice was to stay home and build a good society rather than destroy others for gold and power.
In Today's Words:
The smart ones stayed home instead of trying to take over the world.
"We have no monks to dispute, no lawyers to cavil, no judges to condemn."
Context: Describing El Dorado's lack of European institutions
Voltaire attacks the religious and legal systems of his time by showing a society that functions perfectly without them. This implies these institutions create more problems than they solve.
In Today's Words:
We don't have people arguing about religion, lawyers twisting words, or judges throwing people in jail.
Thematic Threads
Identity
In This Chapter
Candide needs to feel special and chosen rather than equal in paradise
Development
Evolved from his naive optimism to understanding that identity requires distinction
In Your Life:
You might notice feeling empty after achieving something you thought would complete you.
Class
In This Chapter
Even in a classless society, Candide craves the status that wealth would bring elsewhere
Development
Continued exploration of how class shapes desires even in its absence
In Your Life:
You might find yourself wanting to stand out or be recognized even in egalitarian settings.
Social Expectations
In This Chapter
The King respects their freedom to leave despite not understanding their choice
Development
Shows how different societies have different expectations about what constitutes a good life
In Your Life:
You might feel pressure to be grateful for good circumstances even when they don't fulfill you.
Human Relationships
In This Chapter
Love for Cunegonde makes paradise feel empty and meaningless
Development
Reinforces that relationships give life meaning beyond material conditions
In Your Life:
You might realize that achievements feel hollow without people you care about to share them with.
Personal Growth
In This Chapter
Candide chooses uncertainty and struggle over guaranteed comfort
Development
Shows growth from passive acceptance to active choice-making
In Your Life:
You might find yourself choosing difficult paths that feel more authentic than easy ones.
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
Why does Candide want to leave El Dorado even though it's a perfect society with no suffering, conflict, or want?
analysis • surface - 2
What does Candide's restlessness in paradise reveal about what humans actually need to feel fulfilled?
analysis • medium - 3
Think about someone you know who achieved their dream job, relationship, or lifestyle but then seemed dissatisfied. What parallels do you see with Candide's experience?
application • medium - 4
How would you handle the Paradise Problem in your own life - that feeling of restlessness even when things are going well?
application • deep - 5
What does this chapter suggest about the relationship between struggle, choice, and meaning in human life?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Design Your Meaningful Challenge
Think of an area in your life where things are comfortable but you feel restless or unfulfilled. Design a voluntary challenge that would add meaning without creating unnecessary suffering. Write down what the challenge would be, why it matters to you, and what you hope to gain from choosing this difficulty over easy comfort.
Consider:
- •Focus on challenges that align with your values, not just arbitrary difficulty
- •Consider how this challenge would help you grow or contribute to others
- •Think about whether this restlessness signals a need for change or just normal human nature
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you got something you thought you wanted but felt empty afterward. What did that experience teach you about the difference between comfort and fulfillment?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 19: The Price of Sugar and Broken Dreams
Candide and Cacambo's journey back to the real world begins badly when they reach Surinam, where they'll encounter the harsh realities that make El Dorado's perfection seem like a distant dream. Their wealth will attract new dangers, and Candide will meet a pessimistic philosopher whose dark worldview challenges everything he's learned so far.
