Diotimos Library · Journals, Notebooks & Fragments Collection · Bilingual Edition

Joseph Joubert

The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume II

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

Complete Notebooks · French with an independent English translation.

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The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume IIYEAR 1817 · Entry 7734

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Facing Pages · Branch 3953 of 4529

YEAR 1817 · Entry 7734

Translator notesBook Mode

French

p. 7905

3 avril.

Voltaire. Il avoit beaucoup de ce bon sens qui sert à la satire, c’est à dire une grande pénétration pour découvrir les maux et les défauts de la société. Mais il n’en cherchoit point les remèdes. Ils sembloient n’exister que pour sa bile ou sa bonne humeur, car il en rioit et s’en irritoit sans s’arrêter jamais à les plaindre. Esprit satirique s’il en fût et dont les tragédies même ne sont qu’une satire de quelque opinion.

The Notebooks of Joseph Joubert, Volume II: YEAR 1817

p. 7906

April 3.

Voltaire. He had much of that good sense which serves satire, that is, great penetration in discovering the evils and defects of society. But he did not seek their remedies. They seemed to exist only for his bile or his good humor, for he laughed at them and grew irritated by them without ever pausing to pity them. A satirical mind if ever there was one, and whose very tragedies are only a satire of some opinion.

S3.Source editor’s annotationNotebook.

T29.The two objects, denied remedies, only, bile/good-humor alternative, laughing/irritation and never-pitying clause remain. They retains the evils/defects antecedent, and the last fragment preserves very/only/some. The repeated April 3 is a separate notebook entry, as its own source note records. And retains the intact et before the final relative clause.

T32.This one-word source-editor annotation remains separate and attached to the second April 3 heading, rather than added to Joubert’s prose.

T149.The complete 3 remains, with raised 3 after avril and before its period. The separate Carnet. annotation identifies this repeated-date unit’s provenance without merging it with the preceding sheet unit. The fragment Voltaire., unhyphenated c’est à dire, beaucoup, point negative, restrictive n’exister que, alternative bile/bonne humeur, two imperfect reactions and sans...jamais remain. Color/native 393 show a peaked circumflex in fût; the anomalous printed form is retained. Sati-/rique is a complete wrap; lowercase starts c’est/défauts/sembloient/rioit/rique/quelque are identifiable despite soft margins. The source collation records the 861 dates/left contours, abbat/quiquonque/stile spellings, poësie/poëte/inouï upper pairs, fût contour, all three call positions and raised sheet ordinal, with the individual reading qualifications retained.

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.