
[Extrait des Œuvres complètes de Diderot, éditées par Jules Assézat, 5 ème volume, Paris, Garnier Frères, 1875.]
In a modest winter room, a respected father—renowned for his honesty and piety—draws his children and the village priest close to the fire. He begins with a wry comparison between his own labor as a blacksmith and his son's intellectual pursuits, then turns to a solemn reflection on the hidden perils of a good reputation. The conversation, intimate yet charged, offers a glimpse into the values that shaped his household and the community that mourns his approaching death.
He then recounts a moment when his generosity almost cost the family everything: a desperate plea from the impoverished heirs of an aged clergyman led him to intervene, sealing the priest’s estate and confronting a procession of destitute souls. Through this episode he illustrates how even well‑intentioned acts can threaten one’s stability, warning his children to balance kindness with prudence. The dialogue remains a tender exploration of duty, humility, and the fragile line between virtue and ruin.
Language
fr
Duration
~51 minutes (49K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Laurent Vogel and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF/Gallica) at http://gallica.bnf.fr)
Release date
2009-04-25
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1713–1784
A sharp, curious voice of the French Enlightenment, this writer helped shape one of the era’s boldest intellectual projects: the Encyclopédie. His work ranges from philosophy and criticism to fiction, often mixing big ideas with wit and lively conversation.
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by Denis Diderot

by Denis Diderot

by Denis Diderot

by Denis Diderot

by Denis Diderot

by Denis Diderot

by Denis Diderot

by Denis Diderot