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Appendix II · Reviews · p. 354
French
p. 354gens qui se sont imaginé que la bizarrerie étoit inséparable du génie, et qui ont commencé par la bizarrerie en attendant le génie.
Au reste, le sujet de René n’est qu’un des points de vue de cette partie littéraire dont nous devons rendre compte. Elle en offre plusieurs autres qui paroîtront aussi neufs que féconds ; mais leur examen se rattache aux questions les plus intéressantes de la littérature, et il ne faut pas trop se hâter de juger le résultat de plusieurs années de travail et de méditation.
P. M.
[A short ornamental rule.]
Article inséré dans le Mercure du 1er. thermidor
an XIII (20 juillet 1805).
Tout ce qui porte le caractère de l’invention, tout ce qui dépasse d’un vol hardi le cercle des idées communes, étonne d’abord l’expérience, et déconcerte le jugement des sages. Il ne faut pas s’en plaindre, et l’homme de génie doit souffrir avec respect leurs contradictions. La raison, qui marche toujours appuyée sur ces principes, s’avance lentement à la découverte de la vérité ; elle éprouve toutes les doctrines avec une défiance salutaire ; et son jugement se forme et s’établit dans la maturité des temps. La médiocrité arrogante se fait gloire
René: Appendix II · Reviews
Source p. 354men who have imagined that eccentricity was inseparable from genius, and who have begun with eccentricity while waiting for genius.
For the rest, the subject of René is only one of the aspects of that literary part of which we are to give an account. It offers several others that will seem as new as they are fruitful; but their examination belongs to the most interesting questions of literature, and one must not be in too great a hurry to judge the result of several years of work and meditation.
P. M.
Article published in the Mercure of 1 Thermidor
Everything that bears the character of invention, everything that passes with a bold flight beyond the circle of common ideas, at first astonishes experience and disconcerts the judgement of the wise. There is no cause to complain of it, and the man of genius must suffer their contradictions with respect. Reason, which always walks leaning on its principles, advances slowly toward the discovery of truth; it tests every doctrine with a salutary mistrust; and its judgement is formed and settled in the ripeness of time. Arrogant mediocrity glories
Socrates
Reading René · Appendix II · Reviews · Appendix II · Reviews · p. 354
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.