- Justine or the Misfortunes of Virtue

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Marquis De Sade

Justine or The Misfortunes Of Virtue

Justine Or The Misfortunes of Virtue

By the Marquis de SadeThe ultimate triumph of philosophy would be to cast light upon the mysterious ways in whichProvidence moves to achieve the designs it has for man, and then to deduce therefrom some planof conduct which would enable that two-legged wretch, forever buffeted by the whims of theSupreme Being who is said to direct his steps no less despotically, to know how to interpret whatProvidence decrees for him and to select a path to follow which would forestall the bizarrecaprices of the Fate to which a score of different names are given but whose nature is stilluncertain.For if, taking social conventions as our starting-point and remaining faithful to the respect forthem which education has bred in us, it should by mischance occur that through the perversity of others we encounter only thorns while evil persons gather nothing but roses, then will not a man,possessed of a stock of virtue insufficient to allow him to rise above the thoughts inspired bythese unhappy circumstances, calculate that he would do as well to swim with the torrent asagainst it? And will he not say that when virtue, however fine a thing it be, unhappily proves tooweak to resist evil, then virtue becomes the worst path he can follow, and will he not concludethat in an age that is utterly corrupt, the best policy is to do as others do? Or if you prefer, let theman have a degree of learning and allow him to abuse the knowledge he has acquired: will he notthen say, like the angel Jesrad in Voltaire’s

Zadig,

that there is no evil from which some gooddoes not flow? And will he not add of his own accord that, since in the imperfect fabric of thiscorrupt world of ours there is a sum of evil equal to the sum of good, the continuing equilibriumof the world requires that there be as many good people as wicked people, and that it follows thatin the general scheme of things it matters not if such and such a man be good or wicked; thatsince misfortune persecutes virtue, and prosperity is the almost invariable accompaniment of vice (a matter of complete indifference to Nature), then is it not infinitely better to side with thewicked who prosper than with the good who perish? It is therefore important to guard against thedangerous sophisms of philosophy, and essential to show that when examples of suffering virtueare thrust before a corrupt soul in which principles of goodness are not entirely extinct, then eventhat straying soul may be returned to goodness as surely as if the road to virtue were littered withthe most glittering prizes and the most flattering rewards. It is of course a cruel thing to have todepict the heap of misfortunes which overwhelms the sweet, feeling woman whose respect forvirtue is unmatched, and on the other hand to portray the sparkling good fortune of her sister whoscorned virtue all her life

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And yet if some good should come from our sketching of these twopictures, shall we take ourselves to task for laying them before the public? Shall we feel remorsefor establishing an exact account which will enable the wise man, who reads with profit anddraws the ineffable lesson of submission to the will of Providence, to answer part of his secretstock of unanswered questions and heed the fatal warning that it is often to redirect our steps tothe path of duty that Heaven strikes those next to us who best appear to have discharged theirs?Such are the sentiments which led us to take up our pen, and it is in deference to theirunimpeachable sincerity that we ask of our readers a modicum of attention and sympathy for themisfortunes of unhappy, wretched Justine.* * *

The Comtesse de Lorsange was one of those votaries of Venus who owe their fortune to abewitching face and a generous measure of loose conduct and underhand dealing, and whoseletters patent of nobility, however imposing, being concocted out of the impertinence of thosewho seek them and the stupid credulity of those who issue them, exist only in the archives of Cythera.

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She had dark hair, a vivacious manner, a fine figure, marvellously expressive black eyes, much wit, and above all that fashionable lack of religious belief which, lending extrasavour to passion, makes the woman suspected of harbouring it a special object of attraction. Shehad nevertheless been given the finest of educations. Daughter of a merchant in a large way of business in the rue Saint-Honoré, she was brought up with her sister three years her junior in oneof the best convents in Paris where, until the age of 15, she was never denied good counsel orteachers nor good books or talents. At an age which can prove fatal to the virtue of any youngwoman, she lost everything in a single day. Cruel bankruptcy brought her father to so ruinous apass that his only means of escaping the most dreadful fate was to flee in haste to England,leaving his daughters in the care of his wife who died of grief within the space of one week afterhis departure. The one or two relatives who remained deiiberated on what was to be done withthe girls. Their inheritance amounting to about a hundred écus apiece, it was decided that theconvent doors be thrown open to them, that they be given their due and allowed to make theirown way. Mine de Lorsange, then known as Juliette, was already to all intents and purposes asmature in character and mind as she was to be at 30, which was her age at the time we tell thisstory. She seemed alive only to the sensation of being free and did not pause for a moment toreflect upon the cruel reverses which had snapped the chains which had bound her. But her sisterJustine, who had just turned 12, gloomy and melancholic by disposition yet blessed withsurprising gentleness and sensitivity, having none of her sister’s artfulness and guile but theingenuousness, candour, and honesty which were to make her stumble into many traps, Justinefelt the full horror of her situation. Her face was quite unlike Juliette’s. Where the features of theone were all artifice, cunning, and coquetry, the other’s were remarkable for their modesty,refinement, and shyness. A virginal air, large, engaging blue eyes, dazzling skin, a slender, well-shaped figure, a voice to move the heart, teeth of ivory, and beautiful fair hair—so much, inoutline sketch, for the younger sister whose simple grace and delightful expression were of toofine, too delicate a stamp not to elude the brush which would capture them entire.Both were given twenty-four hours to quit the convent and complete freedom to fend forthemselves with their hundred écus. Overjoyed to be her own mistress, Juliette attempted brieflyto dry Justine’s tears, but seeing that she would not succeed, left off comforting her and fell toscolding. She told her she was a foolish girl and said that given their ages and pretty faces, it wasunheard of for girls to starve to death. She quoted the instance of one of their neighbour’sdaughters who had escaped from her father’s house and was now sumptuously kept by atax~farmer

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and lived in great style in Paris. Justine was horrified by this pernicious example.She said she would die rather than follow her lead and categorically refused to share a lodgingwith her sister Juliette once she saw that she had set her mind on the kind of abominable life shehad commended so warmly.And so the moment it was clear that their intentions were so different, the sisters went theirseparate ways, making no promises to meet again. Would Juliette, who, she claimed, would

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One of seven Ionian islands which, in Greek mythology, was sacred to Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty. Inthe imagery of 18

th

-century French gallantry, Cythera stood for sexual licence.

2

Was a private citizen who brought from the King a licence to raise taxes in a given area to an agreed amount.

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typos and some words are unclear; esp at beginning of each line

reply03 / 05 / 2011

more likes could i download it?

reply12 / 21 / 2009