Diotimos Library · Journals, Notebooks & Fragments Collection · Bilingual Edition
The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume II
Complete Notebooks · French with an independent English translation.
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French Page · Branch 1032 of 4529
Mr. Hochet and Mme de Sévigné. · Entry 4813
French
p. 206319 septembre.
(A Villeneuve, premier jour.) Les esprits pénétrans dépassent les préliminaires. Ils ne s’arrêtent pas sur le bord des questions, et ils n’y arrêtent personne.
Le ton. — Ch. Delalot rit en piaffant. Il se rengorge et se mire dans ses injures comme un dindon qui fait sa rouë. Vit de mépris : je ne dis pas de celui qu’il inspire, mais de celui qu’il ressent. Il a plu à la divine providence de faire haïr la vérité en la plaçant dans cette bouche.
— quand on l’a lu, et on se sent devenu pire.
— et le tourment de se connoître.
... de ne pas frapper à la tête, mais la sienne est invulnérable.
Il ne ressemble qu’à Jurien. Si pourtant ce n’est pas trop insulter Jurien.
... plus soigné qu’il ne convient à la médiocrité de ses pensées.
The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume II: Mr. Hochet and Mme de Sévigné.
p. 2064September 19.
(At Villeneuve, first day.) Penetrating minds go beyond the preliminaries. They do not stop at the edge of questions, and they stop no one there.
Tone. — Ch. Delalot laughs while prancing. He puffs himself up and admires himself in his insults like a turkey spreading its tail. Lives on contempt: I do not mean the contempt he inspires, but the contempt he feels. It has pleased divine providence to make truth hated by placing it in this mouth.
— when one has read him, and one feels one has become worse.
— and the torment of knowing oneself.
... not to strike at the head, but his is invulnerable.
He resembles only Jurien. If, however, that is not too great an insult to Jurien.
... more carefully worked than befits the mediocrity of his thoughts.
Socrates
Reading The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume II · Mr. Hochet and Mme de Sévigné. · Entry 4813
Ask about a concept, passage, contradiction, or connection.
Socrates will begin with this book and its sources.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 II continues the notebooks and includes seventy undated pieces. 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.