Letter 18 Letter 20
Usbek to his wife Zachi [1] in the Isfahan seraglio
You have offended me, Zachi, and I feel in my heart urges that you ought to fear if my departure did not leave you the time to change your behavior and calm the violent jealousy tormenting me.
I hear that you (...)
Letter 19 Letter 21
Usbek to the principal white eunuch [1]
You should tremble as you open this letter ; or rather you should have when you suffered Nadir’s treachery : you for whom, cold and languishing in old age, it is a crime to lift up your eyes on the fearsome objects of my love (...)
Jaron to the principal eunuch [1]
The farther Usbek travels from the seraglio, the more he turns his head toward his sacred wives. He sighs, he sheds tears ; his grief becomes bitter and his suspicions are reinforced. He wants to increase the number of their guards. He is going to send me (...)
Letter 20 Letter 22
Usbek to his friend Ibben in Smyrna
We have reached Livorno in forty days of sailing. It is a new city ; it bears witness to the genius of the dukes of Tuscany, who have turned a swampy village into the most flourishing city in Italy. [1]
Wives here enjoy (...)
Letter 21 Letter 23
Rica [1] to Ibben in Smyrna
We have been in Paris for a month, and have been the whole time in continual motion : a lot is involved in finding lodgings, locating the persons to whom we have been referred, and getting ourselves supplied with the necessary things, (...)
Letter 22 Letter 24
Usbek to Ibben in Smyrna
I have received a letter from your nephew Rhedi : he informs me that he is leaving Smyrna in order to see Italy ; that the sole aim of his journey is to acquire learning, and thereby make himself more worthy of you. I congratulate you on (...)
Letter 23 Letter 25
Usbek to Roxane in the seraglio in Isfahan
How fortunate you are, Roxane, to be in the fair land of Persia, and not in these poisonous climes where they know neither shame nor virtue ! How fortunate you are ! You live in my seraglio as in the domicile of innocence, (...)
Letter 24 Letter 26
Usbek to Nessir [1] in Isfahan
We are now in Paris, the proud rival of the city of the sun. [2]
When I left Smyrna, I requested my friend Ibben to convey to you a casket in which there were several presents for you ; you will receive this letter by the same (...)
Letter 25 Letter 27
Rica to *** [1]
Yesterday I saw something rather singular, although it occurs every day in Paris.
All the people assemble in the late afternoon, [2] and go perform a sort of scene which I have heard called Comedy. The principal movement is on a platform which (...)
Letter 26 Letter 28
Rica to Ibben in Smyrna
The pope is the chief of the Christians ; he is an old idol who is worshipped out of habit. He used to be feared even by princes, [1] for he deposed them as easily as our magnificent sovereigns depose the kinds of Imeretia and Georgia, [2] (...)
Montesquieu
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