Que j\u2019ai toujours ha\u00ef les pens\u00e9es du vulgaire !
\nQu\u2019il me semble profane, injuste, et t\u00e9m\u00e9raire,
\nMettant de faux milieux entre la chose et lui,
\nEt mesurant par soi ce qu\u2019il voit en autrui !
\nLe ma\u00eetre d\u2019\u00c9picure en fit l\u2019apprentissage.
\nSon pays le crut fou. Petits esprits ! Mais quoi ?
\n\tAucun n\u2019est proph\u00e8te chez soi.
\nCes gens \u00e9taient les fous, D\u00e9mocrite, le sage.
\nL\u2019erreur alla si loin qu\u2019Abd\u00e8re d\u00e9puta
\n\tVers Hippocrate, et l\u2019invita,
\n\tPar lettres et par ambassade,
\n\u00c0 venir r\u00e9tablir la raison du malade.
\n\u00ab Notre concitoyen, disaient-ils en pleurant,
\nPerd l\u2019esprit : la lecture a g\u00e2t\u00e9 D\u00e9mocrite.
\nNous l\u2019estimerions plus s\u2019il \u00e9tait ignorant.
\n\u00ab Aucun nombre, dit-il, les mondes ne limite :
\n\t\u00ab Peut-\u00eatre m\u00eame ils sont remplis
\n\t\u00ab De D\u00e9mocrites infinis. \u00bb
\nNon content de ce songe, il y joint les atomes,
\nEnfants d\u2019un cerveau creux, invisibles fant\u00f4mes ;
\nEt, mesurant les cieux sans bouger d\u2019ici-bas,
\nIl conna\u00eet l\u2019Univers, et ne se conna\u00eet pas.
\nUn temps fut qu\u2019il savait accorder les d\u00e9bats :
\n\tMaintenant il parle \u00e0 lui-m\u00eame.
\nVenez, divin mortel ; sa folie est extr\u00eame. \u00bb
\nHippocrate n\u2019eut pas trop de foi pour ces gens ;
\nCependant il partit. Et voyez, je vous prie,
\n\tQuelles rencontres dans la vie
\nLe sort cause ! Hippocrate arriva dans le temps
\nQue celui qu\u2019on disait n\u2019avoir raison ni sens
\n\tCherchait dans l\u2019homme et dans la b\u00eate
\nQuel si\u00e8ge a la raison, soit le c\u0153ur, soit la t\u00eate.
\nSous un ombrage \u00e9pais, assis pr\u00e8s d\u2019un ruisseau,
\n\tLes labyrinthes d\u2019un cerveau
\nL\u2019occupaient. Il avait \u00e0 ses pieds maint volume,
\nEt ne vit presque pas son ami s\u2019avancer,
\n\tAttach\u00e9 selon sa coutume.
\nLeur compliment fut court, ainsi qu\u2019on peut penser :
\nLe sage est m\u00e9nager du temps et des paroles.
\nAyant donc mis \u00e0 part les entretiens frivoles,
\nEt beaucoup raisonn\u00e9 sur l\u2019homme et sur l\u2019esprit,
\n\tIls tomb\u00e8rent sur la morale.
\n\tIl n\u2019est pas besoin que j\u2019\u00e9tale
\n\tTout ce que l\u2019un et l\u2019autre dit.
\n\tLe r\u00e9cit pr\u00e9c\u00e9dent suffit
\nPour montrer que le peuple est juge r\u00e9cusable.
\n\tEn quel sens est donc v\u00e9ritable
\n\tCe que j\u2019ai lu dans certain lieu,
\n\tQue sa voix est la voix de Dieu ?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"parent":0,"template":"","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}}},"annee":[166],"poems-book":[142],"poemes-theme":[],"poete":[151],"class_list":["post-1291","poemes","type-poemes","status-publish","hentry","annee-166","poems-book-fables","poete-jean-de-la-fontaine"],"yoast_head":"\n