An excerpt from the original text.(complete · 1120 words)
F A SUPPER WHICH CANDIDE AND MARTIN TOOK WITH SIX STRANGERS, AND WHO
THEY WERE.[34]
One evening that Candide and Martin were going to sit down to supper
with some foreigners who lodged in the same inn, a man whose complexion
was as black as soot, came behind Candide, and taking him by the arm,
said:
"Get yourself ready to go along with us; do not fail."
Upon this he turned round and saw--Cacambo! Nothing but the sight of
Cunegonde could have astonished and delighted him more. He was on the
point of going mad with joy. He embraced his dear friend.
"Cunegonde is here, without doubt; where is she? Take me to her that I
may die of joy in her company."
"Cunegonde is not here," said Cacambo, "she is at Constantinople."
"Oh, heavens! at Constantinople! But were she in China I would fly
thither; let us be off."
"We shall set out after supper," replied Cacambo. "I can tell you
nothing more; I am a slave, my master awaits me, I must serve him at
table; speak not a word, eat, and then get ready."
Candide, distracted between joy and grief, delighted at seeing his
faithful agent again, astonished at finding him a slave, filled with the
fresh hope of recovering his mistress, his heart palpitating, his
understanding confused, sat down to table with Martin, who saw all these
scenes quite unconcerned, and with six strangers who had come to spend
the Carnival at Venice.
Cacambo waited at table upon one of the strangers; towards the end of
the entertainment he drew near his master, and whispered in his ear:
"Sire, your Majesty may start when you please, the vessel is ready."
On saying these words he went out. The company in great surprise looked
at one another without speaking a word, when another domestic approached
his master and said to him:
"Sire, your Majesty's chaise is at Padua, and the boat is ready."
The master gave a nod and the servant went away. The company all stared
at one another again, and their surprise redoubled. A third valet came
up to a third stranger, saying:
"Sire, believe me, your Majesty ought not to stay here any longer. I am
going to get everything ready."
And immediately he disappeared. Candide and Martin did not doubt that
this was a masquerade of the Carnival. Then a fourth domestic said to a
fourth master:
"Your Majesty may depart when you please."
Saying this he went away like the rest. The fifth valet said the same
thing to the fifth master. But the sixth valet spoke differently to the
sixth stranger, who sat near Candide. He said to him:
"Faith, Sire, they will no longer give credit to your Majesty nor to me,
and we may perhaps both of us be put in jail this very night. Therefore
I will take care of myself. Adieu."
The servants being all gone, the six strangers, with Candide and Martin,
remained in a profound silence. At length Candide broke it.
"Gentlemen," said he, "this is a very good joke indeed, but why should
you all be kings? For me I own that neither Martin nor I is a king."
Cacambo's master then gravely answered in Italian:
"I am not at all joking. My name is Achmet III. I was Grand Sultan many
years. I dethroned my brother; my nephew dethroned me, my viziers were
beheaded, and I am condemned to end my days in the old Seraglio. My
nephew, the great Sultan Mahmoud, permits me to travel sometimes for my
health, and I am come to spend the Carnival at Venice."
A young man who sat next to Achmet, spoke then as follows:
"My name is Ivan. I was once Emperor of all the Russias, but was
dethroned in my cradle. My parents were confined in prison and I was
educated there; yet I am sometimes allowed to travel in company with
persons who act as guards; and I am come to spend the Carnival at
Venice."
The third said:
"I am Charles Edward, King of England; my father has resigned all his
legal rights to me. I have fought in defence of them; and above eight
hundred of my adherents have been hanged, drawn, and quartered. I have
been confined in prison; I am going to Rome, to pay a visit to the King,
my father, who was dethroned as well as myself and my grandfather, and I
am come to spend the Carnival at Venice."
The fourth spoke thus in his turn:
"I am the King of Poland; the fortune of war has stripped me of my
hereditary dominions; my father underwent the same vicissitudes; I
resign myself to Providence in the same manner as Sultan Achmet, the
Emperor Ivan, and King Charles Edward, whom God long preserve; and I am
come to the Carnival at Venice."
The fifth said:
"I am King of Poland also; I have been twice dethroned; but Providence
has given me another country, where I have done more good than all the
Sarmatian kings were ever capable of doing on the banks of the Vistula;
I resign myself likewise to Providence, and am come to pass the Carnival
at Venice."
It was now the sixth monarch's turn to speak:
"Gentlemen," said he, "I am not so great a prince as any of you;
however, I am a king. I am Theodore, elected King of Corsica; I had the
title of Majesty, and now I am scarcely treated as a gentleman. I have
coined money, and now am not worth a farthing; I have had two
secretaries of state, and now I have scarce a valet; I have seen myself
on a throne, and I have seen myself upon straw in a common jail in
London. I am afraid that I shall meet with the same treatment here
though, like your majesties, I am come to see the Carnival at Venice."
The other five kings listened to this speech with generous compassion.
Each of them gave twenty sequins to King Theodore to buy him clothes and
linen; and Candide made him a present of a diamond worth two thousand
sequins.
"Who can this private person be," said the five kings to one another,
"who is able to give, and really has given, a hundred times as much as
any of us?"
Just as they rose from table, in came four Serene Highnesses, who had
also been stripped of their territories by the fortune of war, and were
come to spend the Carnival at Venice. But Candide paid no regard to
these newcomers, his thoughts were entirely employed on his voyage to
Constantinople, in search of his beloved Cunegonde.
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Let's Analyse the Pattern
The illusion that external validation and titles create permanent identity, when all status is actually borrowed and temporary.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to recognize when authority is real versus borrowed, and how quickly power structures can shift.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when someone's confidence comes from their title versus their actual abilities—and observe how differently they handle challenges.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Key Quotes & Analysis
"Cunegonde is not here, she is at Constantinople."
Context: When Candide desperately asks about his beloved after their surprise reunion
This simple statement redirects the entire story toward a new destination and shows how love drives Candide's journey more than any philosophy. Even as a slave, Cacambo remains loyal and helpful to his former master.
In Today's Words:
She's not here, she's on the other side of the world.
"I am a slave, my master awaits me, I must serve him at table."
Context: Explaining why he can't talk freely with Candide during their reunion
Shows how quickly circumstances can change anyone's status. The faithful Cacambo, once free, now must serve others but hasn't lost his essential goodness or loyalty.
In Today's Words:
I'm stuck in this job, my boss is waiting, I have to get back to work.
"We are not the only ones who have met with misfortunes."
Context: When the fallen rulers realize they share similar fates
Acknowledges that suffering and loss are universal experiences, not unique to any individual. This wisdom comes from having lost everything and gained perspective on what really matters.
In Today's Words:
We're not the only ones who've had bad luck.
Thematic Threads
Class
In This Chapter
Six dethroned monarchs reveal how quickly the highest social positions can disappear, yet they maintain dignity through mutual support
Development
Evolved from earlier chapters showing rigid class barriers to now revealing how fluid and unstable those barriers actually are
In Your Life:
You might see this when layoffs hit management just as hard as workers, or when the 'successful' neighbor suddenly faces foreclosure.
Identity
In This Chapter
Former rulers struggle with who they are when stripped of titles and power, some adapting better than others
Development
Builds on Candide's own identity crisis from losing his castle life, now showing how this affects people at every level
In Your Life:
You experience this when your job title changes, your kids move out, or any role that defined you suddenly ends.
Social Expectations
In This Chapter
The absurdity of six kings at one table shows how meaningless social hierarchies become when circumstances change
Development
Continues theme from earlier chapters about arbitrary social rules, now showing their ultimate fragility
In Your Life:
You see this when former bosses become your peers, or when economic changes level the playing field unexpectedly.
Human Relationships
In This Chapter
The fallen kings show genuine kindness to each other, bonding over shared loss rather than competing
Development
Develops from earlier chapters showing fake relationships based on status to real connections based on shared humanity
In Your Life:
You find this when crisis reveals who your real friends are—often not the ones you expected.
Personal Growth
In This Chapter
Those who accept their fall with grace fare better than those still clinging to past glory
Development
Continues Candide's learning journey, showing different models of how people adapt to major life changes
In Your Life:
You face this choice whenever you experience a major setback—whether to fight reality or adapt to new circumstances.
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
What's shocking about the dinner guests Candide meets, and how do they each handle their fall from power?
analysis • surface - 2
Why do you think Voltaire chose to put six dethroned kings at one dinner table? What point is he making about power and status?
analysis • medium - 3
Where do you see people today whose identity is completely tied to their job title, position, or status? What happens when they lose it?
application • medium - 4
If you suddenly lost your current role or status tomorrow, what parts of yourself would remain unchanged? How could you build more of those transferable strengths?
application • deep - 5
What does this dinner scene reveal about the difference between borrowed power and personal worth?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Status Inventory Check
Make two lists: one of all the titles, roles, and positions that currently define you (job title, parent, homeowner, team captain, etc.), and another of the skills, values, and qualities you'd still have if all those external labels disappeared tomorrow. Compare the lists and identify which column feels more substantial to you right now.
Consider:
- •Notice which list was easier to write - external labels or internal qualities
- •Consider how much of your daily confidence comes from each column
- •Think about whether you're building more external status or internal strength
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you lost a role or status that mattered to you. How did it feel, and what did you discover about yourself in the process? What would you do differently now to prepare for such transitions?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 27: Reunion on the Galley
With Cunegonde's location finally revealed, Candide prepares for the journey to Constantinople. But what will he find when he reaches the woman he's been chasing across continents? The reunion he's dreamed of may not match the reality waiting for him.
