René

Name: René
Author: François-René de Chateaubriand

With the Preface of 1805 and two reviews reprinted by the author

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RenéPreface · 1805 · p. 10

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French Page · Branch 16 of 94

Preface · 1805 · p. 10

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French

p. 10

la vie, est incroyable ; le cœur se retourne et se replie en cent manières, pour employer des forces qu’il sent lui être inutiles. Les anciens ont peu connu cette inquiétude secrète, cette aigreur des passions étouffées qui fermentent toutes ensemble : une grande existence politique, les jeux du gymnase et du champ de Mars, les affaires du forum et de la place publique, remplissoient tous leurs moments, et ne laissoient aucune place aux ennuis du cœur.

» D’une autre part, ils n’étoient pas enclins aux exagérations, aux espérances, aux craintes sans objet, à la mobilité des idées et des sentiments, à la perpétuelle inconstance, qui n’est qu’un dégoût constant, dispositions que nous acquérons dans la société intime des femmes. Les femmes, chez les peuples modernes, indépendamment de la passion qu’elles inspirent, influent encore sur tous les autres sentiments. Elles ont dans leur existence un certain abandon qu’elles font passer dans la nôtre ; elles rendent notre caractère d’homme moins décidé ; et nos passions, amollies par le mélange des leurs, prennent à la fois quelque chose d’incertain et de tendre…..

» Il suffiroit de joindre quelques infortunes à cet état indéterminé des passions, pour qu’il pût servir de fond à un drame admirable. Il est étonnant que les écrivains modernes n’aient pas encore songé à peindre cette singulière position

a.Source editor’s annotation1802. peu ou point connu, ‘knew little or nothing of’.

b.Source editor’s annotation1802. toutes dispositions que, ‘all of them dispositions that’.

c.Source editor’s annotation1802. Les femmes, indépendamment de la passion directe qu’elles font naître chez les peuples modernes, influent…, ‘Women, independently of the direct passion they arouse among modern peoples, influence…’.

d.Source editor’s annotation1802. At the five points Chateaubriand cuts the chapter. 1802 continues with two paragraphs on Christianity as the source of this vague, from Enfin, les Grecs et les Romains to dans un cœur solitaire. Given in full in Appendix I, no. 1.

e.Source editor’s annotation1802. Il ne faudroit que joindre quelques infortunes à cet état rêveur des sentimens, ‘One would need only to add some misfortunes to this dreamy state of the feelings’.

f.Source editor’s annotation1802. ne se soient pas emparé de cette singulière position des passions, ‘have not seized upon this singular position of the passions’.

René: Preface · 1805

Source p. 10

life is incredible; the heart turns and folds back on itself in a hundred ways, to employ powers it feels to be useless to it. The ancients knew little of this secret disquiet, this sourness of stifled passions all fermenting together: a great political existence, the games of the gymnasium and of the Field of Mars, the business of the forum and the public square filled all their moments, and left no room for the troubles of the heart.

’On the other hand, they were not given to exaggerations, to hopes and fears without object, to mobility of ideas and feelings, to perpetual inconstancy, which is only a constant disgust, dispositions that we acquire in the intimate society of women. Women, among modern peoples, independently of the passion they inspire, influence all the other feelings as well. They have in their existence a certain abandon which they pass into ours; they make our character as men less decided; and our passions, softened by mingling with theirs, take on at once something uncertain and tender…..

’It would be enough to add some misfortunes to this undetermined state of the passions for it to serve as the ground of an admirable drama. It is astonishing that modern writers have not yet thought of painting this singular position

a.Source editor’s annotation1802. peu ou point connu, ‘knew little or nothing of’.

b.Source editor’s annotation1802. toutes dispositions que, ‘all of them dispositions that’.

f.Source editor’s annotation1802. ne se soient pas emparé de cette singulière position des passions, ‘have not seized upon this singular position of the passions’.

About This Reading Edition

Chateaubriand’s tale of René and Amélie, with the Preface of 1805, two contemporary reviews, and the longer readings of 1802. This French–English edition preserves the 1826 printed pages, with a new English translation, author’s notes, variant readings, introduction and glossary.

Historical Text and Translation

François-René de Chateaubriand, Œuvres complètes, tome XVI (Paris: Ladvocat, 1826), pp. 1–16, 137–192 and 351–358, University of Toronto Library copy. Earlier witness: Génie du Christianisme, tome II (Paris: Migneret, 1802), pp. 158–216, Bibliothèque nationale de France copy.

About Diotimos Editions

This historical edition credits Diotimos Editions as its English translator.

Rights

The historical French source is in the public domain in the United States. New English translation and editorial matter © 2026 Diotimos Editions. Chateaubriand’s author notes and historical variants remain separately attributed.