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Joseph Joubert

The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume I

Name: The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume I
Author: Joseph Joubert

Complete Notebooks · French with an independent English translation.

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The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume IYEAR 1789. · Entry 177

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French Page · Branch 177 of 3781

YEAR 1789. · Entry 177

Translator notesBook Mode

French

p. 353

[Le Tasse.]

C’est ici le premier ouvrage de la jeunesse du Tasse. Ceux qui ont voulu depuis peu ravir à ce poëme la gloire d’avoir eu pour auteur ce poëte immortel, se sont étrangement trompez. Il leur suffira pour se désabuser de lire les préfaces du Rinaldo dans les éditions de 1500, etc. Ils y verront toute l’histoire de ce livre. C’est là qu’ils apprendront que le Tasse étudioit le droit dans l’université de Padoue sous X... lorsque, par les conseils de etc. C’est là qu’il raconte...

Il avoit alors dix-sept ans et le Renaud ne coûta que dix mois; il semble ceppendant ne se ressentir ni du... de cet âge ni de cette précipitation. On trouveroit plutôt dans le [ ] le caractère d’une imagination défleurie que celui d’une verve encore indomptée. Je parle du stile. Quant aux événemens, ils sont peu sages et l’imitateur en leur donnant souvent une exposition, un autre cours et d’autres nœuds a souvent embéli l’ouvrage.

Le Tasse s’excuse dans la préface que j’ai citée de n’avoir pas orné la tête de ses chants de ces prologues que l’Arioste avoit mis en vogue et qui étoient alors une nouveauté. Il en donne une raison qui ne fait pas moins d’honneur à son goût et à son esprit que son poëme n’en fait à son imagination. Dans un poëme, dit-il à peu près, où la variété des événemens en interrompt le fil sans cesse, il est nécessaire que l’auteur se montre et parle en son nom, de temps [en temps] de même que dans des pays inconnus et tortueux un guide doit etc. Il s’établit ainsi dans ces ouvrages implexes une sorte d’unité d’une espèce particulière, c’est l’unité d’écrivain. Ce mot est profond.

Ceci me conduit à parler des ouvrages en prose du Tasse et de ses principes littéraires. Ils sont peu connus et très dignes de l’être. C’étoit sur son art un penseur profond. Quiquonque faira sur son etc. — rendra aux lettres un service important.

Ce caractère de penseur paroit dans les vers même du Tasse. Ils sont courts et ont cette forme qui conviendroit à des sentences. Il ne ressemble pas par les tournures de son stile aux poètes anciens, mais il ressemble aux anciens sages. Il n’y a pas dans, etc. — dont on ne pût trouver en eux des modèles. On les blâme... Ils sont convenables. Rien ne peut... Cette grande et raison... [nable] etc.

On ne trouvera pas dans cette imitation le même stile que dans l’original. Celui-là est étroit, serré; sa phrase est court vêtue. Le corselet et les brassards. Celui-ci est riche, abondant, pompeux et déployé. Voici ce que pensoit de cet etc...

On verra dans cet ouvrage son nom, son pays, sa famille, ceux etc. Quant aux louanges qu’on lui donne ici, je ne chercherai point à en dissimuler... Je n’ai voulu parler ici de lui que pour le louer. Son pays lui a fait plus d’honneur. Rien ne manqueroit... un seul manque à son bonheur, celui d’avoir aujourd’hui pour témoin de ses opérations celle à laquelle [il] est dédié, femme digne d’hommages et que le Tasse eût lui-même chantée sur son tombeau. Que cette réflexion amère n’attriste ni l’auteur ni le lecteur. Les souvenirs...

Car c’est un ouvrage du Tasse...

S2.Source editor’s annotationDu « 19 septembre 1789 », extraits sous ce titre « Du dialogue du Tasse qui a pour titre le père de famille » et « M. de St-Pierre, de l’Emulation. Vues d’un solitaire ». Et un cahier « Dialogues du Tasse — l’Esprit — le Secrétaire — le Père de famille — Traduits par Jean Baudoin. Paris. Courbé, 1632, in-8° », extraits; puis « Vie du Tasse. Paris. Etienne Michallet, 1690. »

S3.Source editor’s annotationCet « imitateur », n’est-ce pas Menu de Chomorceau? A la suite des « Couplets chantés sous l’ormeau dans les bois de Vindouard où l’on avoit dansé aux chansons. » Joubert écrit en note : « Le Renaud, poëme oublié de la jeunesse du Tasse. Mʳ Menu de Chomorceau qui en a publié une imitation a véritablement embéli quelques épisodes et plusieurs descriptions de cet ouvrage. Voyez entre autre l’aventure de la fontaine d’amour et l’art avec lequel l’habile imitateur a déguisé ce qu’elle avoit de révoltant, même en augmentant tout ce qui dans ce morceau est passion, délire, volupté. Voyez aussi le temple de l’opinion amoureuse, etc. » Autre feuillet : « Jean Etienne Menu de Chomorceau, né le 28 mai 1724, lieutenant-général au baillage de Villeneuve-le-Roi, etc. Ouvrages imprimés... » Suit une bibliographie, sans dates, mais qui donne des extraits de l’Année littéraire 1785.

The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume I: YEAR 1789.

p. 354

[Tasso.]

This is the first work of Tasso’s youth. Those who have lately wished to rob this poem of the glory of having that immortal poet as its author have been strangely mistaken. To undeceive themselves, they need only read the prefaces to Rinaldo in the editions of 1500, etc. They will see the whole history of the book there. It is there they will learn that Tasso was studying law at the University of Padua under X... when, on the advice of etc. It is there that he recounts...

He was then seventeen, and Renaud took only ten months; yet it seems to bear the marks neither of the... of that age nor of that haste. One would sooner find in the [ ] the character of an imagination whose bloom is gone than that of an inspiration still untamed. I am speaking of the style. As for the events, they are not very judicious, and the imitator, by often giving them an exposition, another course, and other complications, has often embellished the work.

In the preface I have cited, Tasso excuses himself for not having adorned the beginnings of his cantos with those prologues Ariosto had brought into fashion, which were then a novelty. He gives a reason that does no less honor to his taste and mind than his poem does to his imagination. In a poem, he says in substance, where the variety of events continually interrupts its thread, the author must show himself and speak in his own name from time [to time], just as in unfamiliar and winding country a guide must etc. Thus in these complex works a kind of unity of a particular sort is established: the unity of the writer. That expression is profound.

This leads me to speak of Tasso’s prose works and his literary principles. They are little known and well deserve to be. He was a profound thinker on his art. Whoever makes on his etc. — will render an important service to letters.

This character of a thinker appears even in Tasso’s verses. They are short and have the form that would suit maxims. In the turns of his style he does not resemble the ancient poets, but he resembles the ancient sages. There is none in, etc. — for which one could not find models in them. They are blamed... They are fitting. Nothing can... This great and reason... [able] etc.

One will not find in this imitation the same style as in the original. That one is narrow, close-packed; its sentence is scantily clad. The corselet and the armguards. This one is rich, abundant, sumptuous, and unfolded. Here is what he thought of this etc...

In this work one will see his name, his country, his family, those etc. As for the praises given him here, I shall not seek to conceal... I wished to speak of him here only to praise him. His country has done him greater honor. Nothing would be lacking... only one is lacking to his happiness: to have today as witness to his labors the woman to whom [it] is dedicated, a woman worthy of homage, whom Tasso himself would have celebrated in song at her tomb. Let this bitter reflection sadden neither author nor reader. Memories...

For it is a work by Tasso...

S2.Source editor’s annotationFrom “September 19, 1789,” extracts under this title: “From Tasso’s dialogue entitled The Father of the Family” and “M. de St-Pierre, On Emulation. Views of a Solitary.” And a notebook: “Dialogues of Tasso — the Spirit — the Secretary — the Father of the Family — translated by Jean Baudoin. Paris. Courbé, 1632, octavo,” extracts; then “Life of Tasso. Paris. Etienne Michallet, 1690.”

S3.Source editor’s annotationIs this “imitator” not Menu de Chomorceau? Following the “Verses sung beneath the elm in the woods of Vindouard, where people had danced to songs,” Joubert writes in a note: “Renaud, a forgotten poem of Tasso’s youth. Mr Menu de Chomorceau, who published an imitation of it, truly embellished some episodes and several descriptions in the work. See, among others, the adventure of the fountain of love, and the art with which the skillful imitator disguised what was repellent in it, even while heightening everything in this passage that is passion, delirium, voluptuousness. See also the temple of amorous opinion, etc.” Another leaf: “Jean Etienne Menu de Chomorceau, born May 28, 1724, lieutenant-general of the bailiwick of Villeneuve-le-Roi, etc. Printed works...” A bibliography follows, without dates, but giving extracts from the Année littéraire of 1785.

T11.Tasso’s date, the unnamed X..., blank brackets, and unfinished phrases are retained from this draft. The English does not supply names, missing arguments, or a corrected chronology.

T12.Complex works renders ouvrages implexes, a critical term for works with interwoven actions or plots. The unity of the writer retains Joubert’s proposed term. The source editor’s supplied de temps [en temps] is represented by from time [to time].

T13.The French breaks off at raison... and supplies [nable]. The English reason... [able] transfers that intervention to the corresponding English suffix. The surrounding fragments remain unfinished.

T14.That one and This one preserve Celui-là and Celui-ci. Their precise assignment to the imitation and the original is not certain enough to replace them with explicit labels. The scantily clad sentence, corselet, and armguards retain the passage’s clothing and armor images.

About This Reading Edition

Joubert’s notebooks return to the work of thinking and writing, the demands of friendship, and questions of faith, beauty and conduct. This edition pairs the French with a new English translation, preserving the order of the chosen source and the unfinished character of its fragments. Dates and source references allow readers to follow a thought through time or return to its printed context.

Historical Text and Translation

The French text follows André Beaunier’s 1938 edition of Les Carnets de Joseph Joubert, published by Gallimard from Joubert’s autograph manuscripts. Volume I presents the entries on printed pages 32–475. French and English are aligned paragraph by paragraph, retaining the source order, printed dates and page references so readers can return to the facsimile.

About Diotimos Editions

Diotimos Editions prepared this new English translation directly from the French, preserving Joubert’s distinctions, recurring images, ambiguities and unfinished thoughts. Translator’s notes clarify wording, references and uncertain readings: Essential keeps notes that help explain a passage, while All includes technical detail. Annotations from the 1938 source edition remain distinct from the new translator’s notes.

Rights

The linked facsimile records identify the French source as public domain in the United States. The new English translation and editorial notes are © 2026 Diotimos, with source annotations and new editorial contributions credited separately. This edition pairs the complete French notebooks with an independent English translation, preserving the distinction between Joubert’s text and its accompanying notes.