Rica describes a theater comedy, where people are running about indulging in romantic excesses, and describes an Opera performer who, seven or eight months pregnant by an Abbe who either raped her or seduced her with promises of marriage (her story varies), asks Rica to take her back to Ispahan, where she thinks she could make a very good living. Les deux personnages sont persans : Uzbek et Rica. Rica describes some people who are “society itself”: social butterflies who are always in a hurry, always talking to people, and constantly visiting, congratulating, or consoling others. Had he the King’s approval and protection, particularly in public, it is unlikely his enemies would have succeeded in carrying off whatever plot they had dreamed up. In Rome, Usbek believes the slaves were more efficiently used to the benefit of the republic. This letter is another satire on the economic system of John Law, with emphasis on the dubious value of paper money. Mais il ne s’est pas vraiment intéressé, ica au même. This he did, and he treated the women with so much more decency and courtesy that they preferred him over their real husband. He says that if he were castrated he would die of grief. Les lettres Persanes sont l'aventure de deux persans en France qui ont un regard très critique sur celle-ci. The family moved to Tiflis and then to Smyrna, where Apheridon brought his family with him. This, perhaps, is his reason for going so frequently out into the country. He’s excited and plans to continue to Paris by way of Marseille. Letter 140: Rica (Paris) to Usbek (elsewhere). They also frequently bet on the results. This is the first time one of Usbek’s wives openly defies him. Letter 144: Usbek (Paris) to Rica (also in Paris). After reading it, Astarte remembered who she was: a Guerbre woman who had every right to follow her customs, and who was still in love with Apheridon. Ils font part de leurs étonnements devant le comportement des Parisiens et devant leurs découvertes. An editor English kings rule as first among equals, and the only tie that can bind them is gratitude. Astarte used a file and rope to escape her seraglio and ran away with Apheridon. Letter 131: Rhedi (Venice) to Rica (Paris). Je ne t’en écris qu’en tremblant. Usbek believes very few of them are unfaithful to their husbands, because although they might flirt they are brought up with a sense of virtue that prevents them from doing more. He describes the French antipathy for people who keep slaves and eunuchs, but the man he quotes writes those institutions off as being the predictable vices of people raised by slaves and eunuchs instead of being well brought up. Zélis disagrees that women should be forced into the seraglio as adults, because it makes them miserable. Usbek, voyaging in a strange land, is experiencing doubt. Letter 114: Usbek (Paris) to Rhedi (Venice). Rica refuses. Letter 50: Rica (Paris) to an unknown person. Il consacre également beaucoup d'intérêt et de temps aux voyages. Letter 75: Usbek (Paris) to Rhedi (Venice). Rica describes a habit whereby people brag of their own modesty and virtue. de MONTESQUIEU, Baron de, Charles de Secondat. It is now 1718. People can be “great” by an accident of birth. Did Usbek travel as an unencumbered single man, the way Rica did, or is this not the first time he has abandoned his family for years on end? Letter 76: Usbek (Paris) to Ibben (Smyrna). Whether these are intellectual, spiritual, or sexual pleasures is not clear. He has been a courtier since early youth, yet he is committed to the cultivation of his own virtue and the rejection of vice. GradeSaver, 28 August 2017 Web. Les deux personnages sont persans : Uzbek et Rica. Usbek notices that people obey the law better when punishment is mild instead of severe. Rica is now mocking the French Academy, which is a kind of intellectual tribunal responsible for establishing and enforcing the rules of the French language. For many, religion is a subject of debate. Usbek imagines that in time he will soon see a royal decree stating that, owing to the immense number of favors granted to office-seekers and pension-seekers, the Crown is obliged to tax the peasants and working class for an extra fifth of their income in order to cover the expense. This letter presents a satire, in which the author criticizes the financial System of John Law. Their sleep is being interrupted constantly by new eunuchs who take turns waking the women up with suspicions that may or may not be real. Usbek is speculating as to why people behave unjustly. A great deal of debate and argument occurs there, while at the Sorbonne and the University people do it for a living. For the first time, Usbek mentions his “new” wife Roxana, bringing the total to four: Zachi, Zéphis, Fatmé, and Roxana. Rica is sending a copy of a Frenchman’s description of Spain which presents a critical view of the contemporary Spanish monarchy and of the Inquisition. de MONTESQUIEU, Charles Louis de. Persian Letters (Lettres persanes) is a satirical work, by Charles de Secondat, baron de Montesquieu, recounting the experiences of two Persian noblemen, Usbek and Rica, who are traveling through France. Letter 112: Usbek (Paris) to an unknown person. Letter 107: Usbek (Paris) to Rhedi (Venice). Also, in such societies, women have the option of ending their pregnancies. Cela permet d’éviter la censure. Lettre 30 des Lettres persanes de Montesquieu. Young Rhedi from Smyrna has arrived at Venice, where he is astonished to see towers and churches rising out of the water. Letter 155: Usbek (Paris) to Nessir (Ispahan). Back in Letter 8, he asserted that following the commands of his own heart was better than following the “maxims” of his enemies or submitting himself to rules. Another man has been ruined by converting his income into worthless bank-notes. Il n'a point de mines d'or comme le roi d'Espagne son voisin; mais il a plus de richesses que lui, parce qu'il les tire de la vanité de ses sujets, plus inépuisable que les mines. They survived by living far away from their self-absorbed fellows. Rica describes a man who has a great deal of income from his land, but is ruined by excessive debt. So Solim won’t get to spill any blood after all—he is dead because Roxana found a way to kill him before he attacked her—and the other wives, if they are still alive, are free to leave or to do whatever else they please. Note the 1718 date on the letter. Usbek believes it is impossible that God should predict the future, “because that which has not happened does not exist, and consequently, cannot be known.” God cannot read a will that does not exist, because until the mind is made up, the thing to be decided is not inside it. This produces a Catch-22 of sorts: if one follows the law of honor (and fights a duel) he will be condemned to death, but if he does not, he is banished socially. The letter writer believes that if he was allowed to punish the wayward women and run the seraglio the way he knows how, everything would be orderly and Usbek would be shown the proper respect. Letter 37: Usbek (Paris) to Ibben (Smyrna). He asks Usbek to explain what he means by the idea that “men were made to be virtuous” and that “justice is as indispensable to existence as life itself”. Not affiliated with Harvard College. A 24 ans, à la mort de son père, il est avocat et gros propriétaire. Even as she competes with the other women, refusing to dance in sync with them, Usbek thinks it’s out of love for him. Letter 129: Rica (Paris) to Usbek (out in the country). Rica describes the Parisians’ response to him. Il laisse derrière lui les cinq épouses de son sérail (Zachi, Zéphis, Fatmé, Zélis, et Roxane) aux soins d’un certain nombre d’eunuques noirs. Letter 133: Rica (Paris) to an unknown person. The women enter the bathing area one at a time, at an appointed hour, and there is silence overall since the women do not interact with each other or communicate. Narsit reports that the Chief Eunuch has died. Rica describes the young King, Louis XV. Solim has decided he is going to punish, and he’s thrilled at the idea. He believes that disputes are almost always clearly defined and easily decided. " Tu ne le croiras pas peut-être" p.82 "Je n'ai eu a peine le temps de m'étonner" p.83 L’architecture : « Les maisons y sont si hautes qu’on jugerait qu’elles ne sont habitées que par des astrologues. II - Lettre II - Usbek, Les Lettres persanes, œuvre épistolaire de Montesquieu publiée en 1721, racontent le voyage à Paris de deux Persans, Usbek et Rica. Usbek is suggesting that he, personally, has been wrongly accused or punished for excellence. But this statement blatantly contradicts Usbek’s attitude and conduct toward his wives. Letter 31: Rhedi (Venice) to Usbek (Paris). There is a visible beginning, development, and ending […]." As a judge, he feels no need to stuff his head with knowledge, because the lawyers tell him everything he needs to know while presenting their case. The women are relaxed, happy, and having a good time except for Roxana who maintains her customary aloof behavior. The monk forces Rica out of the library, shuts the door, and rushes off to his prayers, because being seen there is far more important than performing the work for which the monastery was built. Two days after his death, a letter for the Chief Eunuch arrived. The translation is in the public domain and is available at, http://rbsche.people.wm.edu/teaching/plp/, Letter 1: from Usbek (Tauris) to his friend Rustan (Ispahan). She then regarded him as an enemy who had outraged her, and for three months she could not look at him without blushing with what Usbek describes as modesty. A physician from a nearby country cured the Troglodites during a great plague, but they refused to pay him for his effort. Usbek speculates about the effect of colonial expansion on population. He asks the monk about some of the books, but the monk has no clue. Usbek describes two groups of people maintained by Parisians: courtesans and “dervishes” or priests. Letter 21: Usbek (Smyrna) to the Chief White Eunuch (the Seraglio in Ispahan). He’s fashionable because of his novelty. He calls Usbek on his flattery, saying that he respects the life of the Mollahs but doesn’t have the courage to embrace and follow it. Nargum is extolling the “Tartars”, meaning the Mongols, whom he describes as the “veritable ruler of the earth”. — Excerpted from Persian Letters on Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.Translation by John Davidson, 1899. Il s'agit d'un roman épistolaire qui présente la correspondance de deux Persans. He believes that fallen soldiers should have their names immortalized for posterity, and he is greatly impressed with a king who would establish such an institution. Letter 47: Zachi (the Seraglio at Ispahan) to Usbek (Paris). He says her love for him has been shaken, although it has been due to his own conduct, and claims Zachi is derelict in her duty. Yet to a modern reader, this letter contains a warning. They are to purchase the eunuch they need. Ibben relates the tale of a Guerbre Zoroastrian man named Apheridon and his wife Astarte. Usbek is complaining about the price of wine. Ce sont des philosophes qui abordent de nombreux thèmes politiques, sociaux et philosophiques, en se basant sur des valeurs telles que le progrès, la raison et la liberté. There is not necessarily any truth to Rhedi’s assertion that the ancient world was more populous, however some resources such as the trees that once covered that part of the world had been long since depleted. The second letter "included" by Rica is an allegorical satire about a man who, armed with a bag of winds, defrauds the people of Betica of much of their wealth. Le texte est court, mais le poison a fait effet très vite. However Usbek does not appear to have taken into account any actual census or quantitative information about the Americas. The First Eunuch is writing to a man he regards as a son. There has been a change of position with regard to the Spanish ambassador. She has no reason to live, now that the man she loved is dead, and oh, by the way, she has also murdered the eunuchs. Citations Le texte est tragique (son destin est fatal, elle meurt à la fin) et polémique (elle s'attaque à l'homme, dénonce la condition de soumission des femmes). Rica acknowledges that both he and Levi are from groups of people known for their superstition. This letter is written a week after Zélis’s challenge. She is upset because the Chief Black Eunuch has accused her of inappropriate conduct with a female slave Zelida. He claims to be traveling in search of knowledge, but asks what is being said about his departure. He lost control of himself and took some physical liberties with a woman in his care, and she blackmailed him into allowing her to do whatever she wanted. He flatters each of the older women by pretending to think that she is about twenty years younger than she really is. He also believes that the only kind of just wars are to repel an attacking enemy or to aid an ally who is under attack (thereby interfering in a dispute between nations). But in the seraglio she has discovered pleasures of which Usbek knows nothing. In closing, Rhedi reflects on a “happier time” or Golden Age in which everything was peaceful and simple. He believes that the best government is the one run with the least amount of difficulty and friction. The Ottoman Empire has just been shaken by two different defeats. He thinks perhaps Usbek has found other friends to occupy his time. He does not really believe that the arrangement of certain letters on a page can protect a person from accident or disease. Now the reader learns where Usbek has been going during his frequent departures from Paris. Letter 53: Zélis (the Seraglio at Ispahan) to Usbek (Paris). Accordingly, instead of resulting in a lot of children, polygamy as practiced in the Persian fashion limits the population because of all the people necessary to provide slaves for the seraglio, which ensures they are not available to marry and reproduce. Ajoute à cela ce qui n’est pas parvenu à ma connoissance ; car sûrement tu es trahi. Usbek is a morose pedant not given to verbal quips. Zelida’s mother does not object, nor does Zelida herself. Letter 105: Usbek (Paris) to Ibben (Smyrna). She recalls an erotic scene in which she and Usbek’s other wives, having asserted their superiority in beauty, challenged him to pick the most beautiful. Letter 93: Usbek (Paris) to Rhedi (Venice). Usbek begins by flattering the “divine Mollah”, praising his perfection and knowledge. But he does not believe that such self-interested behavior, or injustice, is ever committed by God. Letter 81: Usbek (Paris) to Rhedi (Venice). Il s’agit là d’un courrier envoyé par Rica à, Lettres Persanes Le roi de France est le plus puissant prince de l'Europe. He asks Rustan to say nothing of it to the King, because so much of what the comedic charlatan mocks is actually true. Two months passed in the struggle, at which point Usbek essentially raped her. This, for a courtier, is an incredibly naive statement. Letter 89: Usbek (Paris) to Rhedi (Venice). To prevent disaster to himself, the Chief Eunuch turns on the women, effectively throwing them under a bus by pretending he was never involved in the deception. During this time, Usbek notices that the Ottoman Empire is in ruins. Ils échangent leurs impressions, leurs étonnements et critiques sur la société du XVIII e siècle, notamment en France où voyagent Usbek et Rica, et à Venise, où se trouve Rhédi. He blames Zachi for a “gratuitous wrong” in order to satisfy her “sinful desires”, and questions what would happen if she were actually allowed her freedom or if she escaped the seraglio. This is a continuation of the last letter. Usbek places all power in Solim, to enforce his vengeance. Rica himself carries about an impressive number of passages from the holy Koran along with the names of various dervishes and saintly people. Letter 15: the First Eunuch (the Seraglio at Ispahan) to Jaron, the black Eunuch (Erzeroum). Also present is an astrologer and a Quidnunc, both of which predict imminent disaster. Usbek has been stepping out of Paris a lot lately, except all his letters originate from there. Lettres Persanes. Zachi was caught in bed with one of her maids, and the Chief Eunuch has intercepted a letter but does not know who the addressee might be. He describes his encounter with a casuist who specializes in finding excuses and weaseling out of duty. Aram Vartanian, “Eroticism and Politics in the Lettres persanes”, Romanic Review 60 (1969), p. 23-33. Rica describes the ongoing debate over the French Constitution and asserts that it is the women who are chiefly responsible for the changes in government. Letter 142: Rica (Paris) to Usbek (elsewhere). This is a contrast with what Usbek appears to be doing (moping and complaining to and about his wives). Lettre II Usbek au premier eunuque noir (Ispahan) Usbek possède un, Montesquieu : « Lettres persanes », 1721. Accordingly, the other wrong for which Usbek rebukes Zachi might also be either imaginary or committed by some other woman. Letter 46: Usbek (Paris) to Rhedi (Venice). Letter 137: Rica (Paris) to an unknown person. Usbek believes there should be magistrates to mediate disputes between citizens, but that nobody should interfere in disputes between nations. The dowry had been agreed upon and the marriage consummated, but Suphis mutilated the girl, claiming she was not a virgin, and sent her back to her father. Letter 95: Usbek (Paris) to Rhedi (Venice). et d'autres livres, articles d'art et de collection similaires disponibles sur AbeBooks.fr. Apheridon fell in love with his sister, but their father knew that such a marriage was taboo under Islamic customs and law. He begs for the benefit of the Mollah’s divine knowledge. L’étonnement de Rica à propos des français, se transfère en indignation. So the justice and pro-social regard for other people’s well-being, which Usbek studiously ignores, is a virtue he preaches but does not seem to practice. He relates how, during the first days of their marriage, Roxana ran away from him and hid. Solim has bad news: despite the beatings and the constant surveillance, and perhaps because she herself is not being watched since she has managed to deflect suspicion onto the other women, Roxana managed to sneak a lover into the seraglio. Furthermore, he asks Rustan to not defend Usbek or offer any explanation except to his friends. When the girl reached maturity, she was married to a eunuch. Lettres persanes : critique sociale julien et malo conculusion Montesquieu ne se contente pas de faire de la satire de la mode, mais aussi une satire du roi et des moeurs Francaises. This suggests that Usbek did not tell anyone of the reason behind his departure, and that it was abrupt and unexpected.