Les Bijoux Indiscrets, or, The Indiscreet ToysDiderot, Denis
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Les Bijoux Indiscrets, or, The Indiscreet Toys
Diderot, Denis
Erotic fiction; Louis XV, King of France, 1710-1774 -- Fiction
Now, altho' they unanimously agreed that the thing was supernatural;
yet as the people of Congo admitted two principles, and professed a
sort of Manicheism, they were divided in opinion, to which of these two
principles the chit-chat of the Toys ought to be attributed.
Those who had seldom or never been out of their cells, and had turned
over nothing but their books, ascribed the prodigy to Brama. "There is
none but he," said they, "that can interrupt the course of nature; and
time will shew, that in all this he has most profound views."
Those on the contrary, who frequented the toilets, and were oftner
surprized at bed-sides than in their closets, fearing lest some
indiscreet Toy or other might unveil their hypocrisy, laid their
prattle to the charge of Cadabra, a mischief-making deity, and a sworn
enemy to Brama and his servants. This latter system was exposed to
terrible objections, and had not so direct a tendency towards the
reformation of morals. Nay, its defenders did not impose on themselves
about it. But the business was, to screen themselves: and in order to
compass that, religion had not a single minister, who would not have
sacrificed the Pagodas and their Altars a hundred times over.
Mangogul and Mirzoza assisted regularly at the religious service of
Brama, and the whole empire was informed thereof by the news-papers.
On a certain day appointed for celebrating one of the principal
solemnities in the great Mosq, they were present. The Bramin, whose
turn it was to explain the law, mounted the rostrum, pour'd forth a
volley of affected phrases and fulsome compliments on the Sultan and
his favorite; and made an eloquent peroration on the manner of sitting
orthodoxly in company. He had already demonstrated the necessity
thereof by numberless authorities, when being instantaneously seized
with a fit of sacred enthusiasm, he spoke this declamation, which had
the greater effect, as it came in quite unexpected.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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