\tQuatre chercheurs de nouveaux mondes,
\nPresque nus \u00e9chapp\u00e9s \u00e0 la fureur des ondes,
\nUn Trafiquant, un Noble, un P\u00e2tre, un Fils de Roi,
\n\tR\u00e9duits au sort de B\u00e9lisaire,
\n\tDemandaient aux passants de quoi
\n\tPouvoir soulager leur mis\u00e8re.
\nDe raconter quel sort les avait assembl\u00e9s,
\nQuoique sous divers points tous quatre ils fussent n\u00e9s,
\n\tC\u2019est un r\u00e9cit de longue haleine.
\nIls s\u2019assirent enfin au bord d\u2019une fontaine :
\nL\u00e0 le conseil se tint entre les pauvres gens.
\nLe Prince s\u2019\u00e9tendit sur le malheur des grands.
\nLe P\u00e2tre fut d\u2019avis qu\u2019\u00e9loignant la pens\u00e9e
\n\tDe leur aventure pass\u00e9e,
\nChacun fit de son mieux, et s\u2019appliqu\u00e2t au soin
\n\tDe pourvoir au commun besoin.
\n\u00ab La plainte, ajouta-t-il, gu\u00e9rit-elle son homme ?
\nTravaillons : c\u2019est de quoi nous mener jusqu\u2019\u00e0 Rome. \u00bb
\nUn P\u00e2tre ainsi parler ! Ainsi parler ; croit-on
\nQue le Ciel n\u2019ait donn\u00e9 qu\u2019aux t\u00eates couronn\u00e9es
\n\tDe l\u2019esprit et de la raison,
\nEt que de tout berger, comme de tout mouton,
\n\tLes connaissances soient born\u00e9es ?
\nL\u2019avis de celui-ci fut d\u2019abord trouv\u00e9 bon
\nPar les trois \u00e9chou\u00e9s au bord de l\u2019Am\u00e9rique.
\nL\u2019un, c\u2019\u00e9tait le Marchand, savait l\u2019arithm\u00e9tique :
\n\u00ab \u00c0 tant par mois, dit-il, j\u2019en donnerai le\u00e7on.
\n\t\u2013 J\u2019enseignerai la politique \u00bb,
\nReprit le Fils de roi. Le Noble poursuivit :
\n\u00ab Moi, je sais le blason ; j\u2019en veux tenir \u00e9cole. \u00bb
\nComme si, devers l\u2019Inde, on e\u00fbt eu dans l\u2019esprit,
\nLa sotte vanit\u00e9 de ce jargon frivole !
\nLe P\u00e2tre dit : \u00ab Amis, vous parlez bien ; mais quoi !
\nLe mois a trente jours ; jusqu\u2019\u00e0 cette \u00e9ch\u00e9ance
\n\tJe\u00fbnerons-nous, par votre foi ?
\n\tVous me donnez une esp\u00e9rance
\nBelle, mais \u00e9loign\u00e9e ; et cependant j\u2019ai faim.
\nQui pourvoira de nous au d\u00eener de demain ?
\n\tOu plut\u00f4t sur quelle assurance
\nFondez-vous, dites-moi, le souper d\u2019aujourd\u2019hui ?
\n\tAvant tout autre, c\u2019est celui
\n\tDont il s\u2019agit. Votre science
\nEst courte l\u00e0-dessus : ma main y suppl\u00e9era. \u00bb
\n\t\u00c0 ces mots, le P\u00e2tre s\u2019en va
\nDans un bois : il y fit des fagots, dont la vente,
\nPendant cette journ\u00e9e et pendant la suivante,
\nEmp\u00eacha qu\u2019un long je\u00fbne \u00e0 la fin ne fit tant
\nQu\u2019ils allassent l\u00e0-bas exercer leur talent.
\n\tJe conclus de cette aventure,
\nQu\u2019il ne faut pas tant d\u2019art pour conserver ses jours,
\n\tEt gr\u00e2ce aux dons de la Nature,
\nLa main est le plus s\u00fbr et le plus prompt secours.<\/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-1329","poemes","type-poemes","status-publish","hentry","annee-166","poems-book-fables","poete-jean-de-la-fontaine"],"yoast_head":"\n