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French Page · Branch 75 of 94
René · p. 190
French
p. 190grins. Votre sœur a expié sa faute ; mais, s’il faut ici dire ma pensée, je crains que, par une épouvantable justice, un aveu sorti du sein de la tombe n’ait troublé votre âme à son tour. Que faites-vous seul au fond des forêts où vous consumez vos jours, négligeant tous vos devoirs ? Des saints, me direz-vous, se sont ensevelis dans les déserts ? Ils y étoient avec leurs larmes, et employoient à éteindre leurs passions le temps que vous perdez peut-être à allumer les vôtres. Jeune présomptueux qui avez cru que l’homme se peut suffire à lui-même ! La solitude est mauvaise à celui qui n’y vit pas avec Dieu ; elle redouble les puissances de l’âme, en même temps qu’elle leur ôte tout sujet pour s’exercer. Quiconque a reçu des forces doit les consacrer au service de ses semblables ; s’il les laisse inutiles, il en est d’abord puni par une secrète misère, et tôt ou tard le ciel lui envoie un châtiment effroyable. »
Troublé par ces paroles, René releva du sein de Chactas sa tête humiliée. Le Sachem aveugle se prit à sourire ; et ce sourire de la bouche, qui ne se marioit plus à celui des yeux, avoit quelque chose de mystérieux et de céleste. « Mon fils, dit le vieil amant d’Atala, il nous parle sévèrement ; il corrige et le vieillard et le jeune
René
Source p. 190Your sister has expiated her fault; but, if I must speak my mind here, I fear that, by a dreadful justice, a confession come from the bosom of the tomb has in its turn troubled your soul. What are you doing alone in the depths of the forests, where you consume your days neglecting all your duties? Saints, you will tell me, have buried themselves in the wildernesses? They were there with their tears, and spent in quenching their passions the time that you are perhaps wasting in kindling yours. Presumptuous young man, who have believed that man can suffice to himself! Solitude is bad for him who does not live in it with God; it redoubles the powers of the soul, at the same time as it takes from them every object on which to exercise themselves. Whoever has received strength must devote it to the service of his fellows; if he leaves it unused, he is punished for it first by a secret misery, and sooner or later heaven sends him a fearful chastisement.”
Troubled by these words, René raised his humbled head from Chactas’s breast. The blind Sachem began to smile; and this smile of the mouth, which was no longer matched by that of the eyes, had something mysterious and heavenly about it. “My son,” said Atala’s old lover, “he speaks to us severely; he corrects both the old man and the young
Socrates
Reading René · René · René · p. 190
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.