by Jean Meslier
After that, let everyone think, let everyone judge, let everyone say, and let everyone do however and whatever they please with me, I don’t care one bit. Let men get along and govern themselves as they will, let them be wise or insane, let them be good or wicked, let them say about me and do with me whatever they wish after my death, I hardly care about that. I already participate so little in what goes on in the world. The dead, whom I am about to join, are concerned about nothing and they worry about nothing. Thus, I will end this with nothing, I too am no more than nothing, and soon I will be nothing, etc.
* * *
[1] My book God / Reason / Nature: Post-Christian Thought, 1537-1650 offers a collection of these texts.
[2] “Jean Meslier, prêtre athée et révolutionnaire”, The French Review, Vol 77, No. 1 (Oct., 2003), p. 117 (https://www.jstor.org/stable/3133015)
[3] Pages 59-60 in the French edition.
[4] These can be found in my eBook The First Atheist (2017).
[5] Ira O. Wade, The Clandestine Organization and Diffusion of Philosophic Ideas in France from 1700 to 1750 (1967), p. 92.
[6] Moene, op. cit.
[7] Voltaire, letter 5061 to Mr. Damilaville, 10 Oct 1762.
[8] http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b90605955.
[9] Translator: “As witnesses to them and to the Gentiles.” Matt. 10:18.
[10] Hoc sentite in vobis. “Feel that also in yourselves” (Philippians 2:5)
[11] Vidi sub sole in loco judicii impietatem et in loco justitiae iniquitatem. (Ecclesiastes 3:16).
[12] Laudavi magis mortuos quam viventes: et feliciorem utroque judicavi, qui nec dum natus est, nec vidit mala quae sub sole fiunt. (Eccl. 4:2)
[13] Fr. politique
[14] Translator: Jean de La Bruyère, Caractères, Chapter, “Des Jugements”.
[15] Erganes, the King of Ethiopia, put all of Jupiter's priests to death in one of his cities, because they had filled the city with errors and superstition. Dict. Histor. The king of Babylon did the same thing to the priests of Bel. Daniel 14:21.
[16] Julius III.
[17] Boniface VIII.
[18] Acts 20:35.
[19] Essays, Book. III, Ch. 13.
[20] Job. 29:15-17.
[21] Ibidem, ibid. 17.
[22] Telem. Vol. 2, p. 84.
[23] Essays, Book 2, Ch. 6
[24] The Turkish Spy, Vol. 3, Letter 78., 1715 edition (Translator: L'espion turc, by Giovanni Paolo Marana (1642 - 1693)).
[25] Essays, Book II, Chap. 16.
[26] Montaigne, Essays, Book 12, Chapter 12, “Apology for Raymond Sebond”.
[27] Montaigne, ibid.
[28] See chapter 14 in the Book of Wisdom.
[29] Hist. Rom. Vol. III.
[30] Essays, Book 2, Ch. 12.
[31] Acts 12:21.
[32] Essays, Book 2, Chapter 12.
[33] Ibid.
[34] (Translator: Montaigne, ibid.)
[35] Pliny, Book 2, 7 (Translator: I.e. Pliny the Elder’s Natural History)
[36] Montaigne, Essays, ibid.
[37] Translator: Montaigne has “Thracians” here.
[38] Ibid.
[39] Ibid.
[40] The Christians take a quite different view; they glory in preaching the birth and death of their God Christ.
[41] Genesis 4:26.
[42] Wisdom 14:27.
[43] Ibid.
[44] Ibid., 16.
[45] Ibid., 17.
[46] Ibid., 18.
[47] Book of Wisdom, 14:22.
[48] Ibid. 14:27.
[49] Essays, Book 2, Chapter 12.
[50] Numbers 12:6
[51] Book of Kings 3:3, 10 (Translator: rather, 1 Samuel 3:3, 10)
[52] On the Sunday of the Octave of the Nativity of J. C. Book of Wisdom 18:15.
[53] Essays, Book I, Ch. 31 (Hazlitt translation)
[54] Ibid. Chapter 23.
[55] Recueil des Confer: Vol. 5, page 375.
[56] Montaigne, Essays, Book 3, Chapter 11.
[57] Translator: from Lucian, “The Lover of Lies, or the Doubter”.
[58] Sess. 6. Ch. 8.
[59] Hebrews 11:6.
[60] Prov. 25:27.
[61] Hebrews 11:1.
[62] Essays, Book 2, chapter 12.
[63] Juv. Sat.. 15. 36.
[64] Translator: “Each people is filled with fury against the other because each hates its neighbours' Gods, deeming that none can be held as deities save its own” (Ramsay translation).
[65] Characters, “Of Freethinkers”, 24.
[66] Pico della Mirandola.
[67] Richard de Saint Victor.
[68] Essays, Book 2, Ch. 12.
[69] Dict. Hist.
[70] Fastes, Book IV
[71] Histories Book 4 Number 81.
[72] Confer., Vol. 5, 297.
[73] Book 5.
[74] Diod. Bk. 4, Ch. 5; Bk. 6, Ch. 2
[75] Book 10
[76] Exodus 8:7
[77] Dic. Hist.
[78] Translator: I.e., Gabriel Naudé, Apology for All the Great Men Accused of Magic. Ch. 13.
[79] Essays, Book 3, Ch. 11. (This is a paraphrase and patching together of quotes from Montaigne’s chapter than a precise quote.)
[80] Matt. 24:5,11,24
[81] Thes. 2:2, 9, 10
[82] 1 Kings 22:24
[83] Essays, Book I, chapter XXII.
[84] Essays, Book III, Ch. XI
[85] Essays, Book 2, ch. 12.
[86] The Turkish Spy, Vol. 6, Letter 7.
[87] Jean de La Bruyère, Characters, from the chapter: “Les Esprits Forts” (Van Laun translation).
[88] In his prologue to Paulina
[89] Hanc garrula anus, hanc delirus senex, hanc Sophista verbosus, hanc universi praesumunt, lacerant, docent antequam discant.... et ne parum hoc sit, qua dam facilitate verborum, imo audacia edisserunt quod ipsi non intelligunt. Taceo de meis similibus, qui si forte ad scripturas sanctas post saeculares litteras venerint et sermone composito aures populi mulserint, quidquid dixerint, hoc legem Dei putant, nec scire dignantur quid Prophetae, quid Apostoli senserint, se ad suum sensum incongrua aptant testimonia. Quasi grande sit et non viciosissimum docendi genus depravare sententias et ad voluntatem suam scripturam trahere repugnantem. — Puerilia sunt haec et circulatorum ludo similia docere quod ignores: imo ut cum stomacho loquor, ne hoc quidem scire quod nescias...
[90] apud Latinos tot sunt exemplaria quot codices et unus quisque pro arbitrio suo vel addiderit vel addiderit vel subtraxerit quod ei visum est, et utique verum esse non posse quod dissonet... quae stultitia post quam vera dixerint proferre quae falsa sunt.
[91] Si septuaginta interpretum pura, et ut ab eis in Graecum versa est, editio permanserit, superflue me Chromati Episcoporum sanctissime atque doctissime impelleres ut haebrea tibi volumina latino sermone transferrem et quod enim semel aures hominum occupaverat et nascentis ecclesiae roboraverat fidem justum erat etiam nostro silentio comprobari, nunc vero cum pro varietate Regionum diversa ferantur exemplaria et germana illa antiqua quae translatio corrupta sit atque violata, nostri arbitrii putes aut operibus judicare quid verum sit aut novum opus in veteri opere Iudere, illudentibus que judaeis cornicum ut dicitur oculos figere.... certe Apostoli et Evangelistae 70 interpretes noverant, et unde eis haec quae in 70 interpretibus non habentur.
[92] Libere cum vobis loquor, ita in Graecis et Latinis Codicibus hic nominum liber viciosus est ut non tam haebrea quam barbara quaedam et Sarmatica nomina conjecta arbitrandum sit. Nec hoc 70 interpretibus, qui spiritu sancto pleni, ea quae vera fuerunt transtulerant, sed scriptorum culpae adscribendum, dum de emendatis inemendata scriptitant: et saepe tria nomina subtractis e medio sillabio, in unum vocabulum cogunt, vel e regione unum nomen, propter latitudinem suam in duo vel tria vocabula dividunt. Sed et ipsae apellationes, non nomines ut plaerique existimant, sed urbes et regiones et saltas et Provincias sonent et oblique sub interpretatione et figura eorum quaedam narrantur historiae.
[94] Magnus siquidem hic in nostris Codicibus error inotescit, dum quod in eádem re alius Evangelista plus discit, in alio quia minus putaverint addiderunt, vel dum eundem sensum alius aliter expressit: ille qui unum e quatuor primum legeret ad ejus exemplum caeteros quoque et existimaverint emendandos; unde accidit ut apud nos mixta sunt ornnia et in Marco plura Lucae, atque Mathaei rursum in Mathaeo plura Joannis et Marci, et in caeteris reliquorum qude aliis propria sunt inveniantur.
[95] Psalterium Romae dudum positus emendaram: et juxta 70 interpretes licet cursim, magna tamen ex parte correxeram. Quod quia rursum videtis, ô Paula et Eustochium, Scriptorum vitio depravatum, plusque antiquum errorem, quam novam emendationem valere: me cogitis, ut veluti quodam novali, scissum jam arvum exerceam, et obliquis sulcis renascentes spinas eradicem: aequum esse dicentes, ut quod crebro male pullulat crebius succidatur.
[96] Esdras 4:14.
[97] Chron. page 162.
[98] Chron. P. 287.
[99] Niceph. L. 4, Ch. 24.
[100] Chron. p. 355.
[101] Timothy 1:4
[102] Titus 3:9
[103] Luke 3:21
[104] Matthew 17:1, Mark 9:2, Luke 9:28.
[105] John 2:18; 5:1, 6:4, 7:2, 11:55, 12:12.
[106] Matt. 4:1, Mark 1:12; Luke 4:1
[107] John 2:11
[108] Matt. 4:13
[109] Luke 4:16, 31
[110] Matt. 4:18; Mark 1:16; Luke 5
[111] John 1:6, 40, 45
[112] John 13:5
[113] Matt: 26:43, Mark 14:37, Luke 22:45
[114] Non in die festo ne... Matt. 26:5.
[115] Matt. 26:17, Mark 14:12; Luke 26:7.
[116] Matt. 27:55, Mark 15:40, Luke 23:49.
[117] John 19:25.
[118] Matt. 28:9, 17.
[119] Mark 16:9, 12,14.
[120] Luke 24:13, 36.
[121] John. 20:15, 19, 26
[122] John 21:1
[123] Matt. 28:16.
[124] Mark 16:14.
[125] Luke 24:50.
[126] John 20:19 and 21:1.
[127] Matt. 28:20.
[128] Luke 24:50.
[129] Acts 1:12
[130] Luke 24:13, 29, 51.
[131] Acts 1:3.
[132] Deut. 1:17.
[133] Deut. 16:19.
[134] Lev. 19:15.
[135] Deut. 10:17.
[136] Wisdom 6:8.
[137] Ibid. 11:25.
[138] Gen 12.1
[139] Ibid. 17: 10, 12
[140] Ibid. 17: 11.
[141] Ibid. 17:8.
[142] Genesis 12:1,2,3; 18:18; 26:4; 22:17; 28:14.
[143] Gen. 22:16; Ps. 89:4; Eccl. 44:22; Hebr. 6:13, 14
[144] Ex. 19:5, 6.
[145] Exod.23:20, 26, 27.
[146] Deut. 7:5, 6, 7.
[147] Deut. 7:14.
[148] Deut. 14:2.
[149] Deut. 26:18, 19.
[150] Joshua 6:4-20.
[151] Ibid. 10:13.
[152] Gen. 16:7, 9
[153] Gen. 20:6.
[154] Gen. 19:14.
[155] Judges 13:3-5.
[156] 2 Kings 19:35.
[157] 1 Sam. 6:19.
[158] 2 Sam. 24: 15.
[159] Deut. 29:4.
[160] Wisdom 10:10.
[161] * Act. 5: 15.
[162] See the 3rd May, in the Vie des Saints.
[163] Apolog. des Grands Hommes, Tome I, Page 13.
[164] Apologie des Grands Hommes, Vol. 2, pag. 458
[165] John 3:6
[166] John 10:10.
[167] Matt. 18:11.
[168] Luke 19:10.
[169] John 1:19.
[170] John 3:7.
[171] Tit. 2:11.
[172] Eph. 5:25.
[173] John 12:32.
[174] Gen. 12:1.
[175] Ibid. 12:7.
[176] Ibid. 15:1.
[177] Ibid. 15:17.
[178] Ibid. 15:18.
[179] Ibid. 17:1.
[180] Ibid. 17:2.
[181] Ibid. 17:4.
[182] Ibid. 17:5.
[183] Ibid. 17:7.
[184] Ibid. 17:10.
[185] Ibid. 17:11.
[186] Ibid. 17:12.
[187] Ibid. 17:22, 27.
[188] Ibid. 22:1.
[189] Ibid. 22:2.
[190] Ibid. 22:3
[191] Gen. 27:1.
[192] Gen. 26: 4, 24.
[193] Gen. 28:11, 18.
[194] Ibid. 31:12.
[195] Gen. 32:25, 28.
[196] Exodus 29:9.
[197] Gen. 8:21.
[198] Exodus 25:1.
[199] Ibid., 25:8.
[200] Ibid. 29:4
[201] Exod. 29:1-20.
[202] Exod. 29:21, 29, 36, 38, 44, 45.
[203] Levit. 1:1-10.
[204] Levit. 1:11-16.
[205] Levit. 5:15.
[206] See, on this subject, the IX chapter of Leviticus, and the 16th chapter on the scapegoat, and many other places also.
[207] Num. 15:1-11.
[208] Esdras 4:30
[209] The Turkish Spy. Vol. 3, Letter 40.
[210] 1:29
[211] Montaigne, Essays, book 2, ch. 12.
[212] Nouveau Théâtre du monde, Tome 2: Page 1329.
[213] Essays, Book 1, Ch. 30.
[214] Theatre du Monde, vol. 1, pg. 121.
[215] Essays, Book 2, Ch. 12.
[216] Lucretius, Book 1, 88
[217]Jeremiah 23:15.
[218] Revelation 15.
[219] Josephus, The Jewish History, Vol. 1, Ch. 13.
