Diotimos Library · Literary Fiction Collection · Bilingual Edition
Swipe or use the arrow keys.
Facing Pages · Branch 62 of 94
René · p. 177
French
p. 177vis : elle me répondit que, sur le point de se consacrer à Dieu, il ne lui étoit pas permis de donner une pensée au monde ; que si je l’aimois, j’éviterois de l’accabler de ma douleur. Elle ajoutoit : « Cependant si votre projet est de paroître à l’autel le jour de ma profession, daignez m’y servir de père ; ce rôle est le seul digne de votre courage, le seul qui convienne à notre amitié et à mon repos. »
» Cette froide fermeté qu’on opposoit à l’ardeur de mon amitié me jeta dans de violents transports. Tantôt j’étois près de retourner sur mes pas ; tantôt je voulois rester, uniquement pour troubler le sacrifice. L’enfer me suscitoit jusqu’à la pensée de me poignarder dans l’église, et de mêler mes derniers soupirs aux vœux qui m’arrachoient ma sœur. La supérieure du couvent me fit prévenir qu’on avoit préparé un banc dans le sanctuaire, et elle m’invitoit à me rendre à la cérémonie, qui devoit avoir lieu dès le lendemain.
» Au lever de l’aube, j’entendis le premier son des cloches….. Vers dix heures, dans une sorte d’agonie, je me traînai au monastère. Rien ne peut plus être tragique quand on a assisté à un pareil spectacle ; rien ne peut plus être douloureux quand on y a survécu.
René
Source p. 177her: she answered that, being on the point of consecrating herself to God, she was not permitted to give a thought to the world; that if I loved her, I would avoid overwhelming her with my grief. She added: ‘However, if your plan is to appear at the altar on the day of my profession, deign to act there as my father; that part is the only one worthy of your courage, the only one befitting our friendship and my repose.’
“This cold firmness set against the ardour of my friendship threw me into violent transports. Now I was on the point of turning back; now I wanted to stay, solely to disturb the sacrifice. Hell prompted in me even the thought of stabbing myself in the church, and of mingling my last sighs with the vows that were tearing my sister from me. The superior of the convent sent word that a bench had been prepared in the sanctuary, and invited me to attend the ceremony, which was to take place the very next day.
“At the break of dawn I heard the first sound of the bells….. Toward ten o’clock, in a kind of agony, I dragged myself to the monastery. Nothing can be tragic any more when one has witnessed such a spectacle; nothing can be painful any more when one has survived it.
Socrates
Reading René · René · René · p. 177
Ask about a concept, passage, contradiction, or connection.
Socrates will begin with this book and its sources.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.