The Indiscreet Jewels

The Indiscreet Jewels

By Denis Diderot.

Translated by R. Freeman.

Table of Contents

1. Titlepage
2. Imprint
3. Dedication
4. The Indiscreet Toys
   1. I: Birth of Mangogul
   2. II: Education of Mangogul
   3. III: Which May Be Regarded as the First of This History
   4. IV: Evocation of the Genius
   5. V: Mangogul’s Dangerous Temptation
   6. VI: First Trial of the Ring
   7. VII: Second Trial of the Ring
   8. VIII: Third Trial of the Ring
   9. IX: The State of the Academy of Sciences at Banza
   10. X: Less Learned and Less Tedious Than the Preceding. Continuation of the Academical Sitting
   11. XI: Fourth Trial of the Ring
   12. XII: Fifth Trial of the Ring
   13. XIII: Of the Opera at Banza
   14. XIV: Orcotomus’s Experiments
   15. XV: The Bramins
   16. XVI: The Muzzles
   17. XVII: The Two Devouts
   18. XVIII: The Toyman’s Return
   19. XIX: Seventh Trial of the Ring
   20. XX: Eighth Trial of the Ring
   21. XXI: Ninth Trial of the Ring
   22. XXII: A Sketch of Mangogul’s Moral Philosophy
   23. XXIII: Tenth Trial of the Ring
   24. XXIV: Eleventh Trial of the Ring
   25. XXV: Twelfth Trial of the Ring
   26. XXVI: Mirzoza’s Metaphysics
   27. XXVII: Sequel of the Preceding Conversation
   28. XXVIII: Thirteenth Trial of the Ring
   29. XXIX: The Best Perhaps, and the Least Read of This History
   30. XXX: Fourteenth Trial of the Ring
   31. XXXI: Was Mangogul in the Right?
   32. XXXII: The Fifteenth Trial of the Ring
   33. XXXIII: Sixteenth Trial of the Ring
   34. XXXIV: Seventeenth Trial of the Ring
   35. XXXV: Conversation on Literature
   36. XXXVI: Eighteenth and Nineteenth Trials of the Ring
   37. XXXVII: Mirzoza’s Dream
   38. XXXVIII: Twenty-First and Twenty-Second Trials of the Ring
   39. XXXIX: Dreams
   40. XL: Twenty-Third Trial of the Ring
   41. XLI: The History of Selim’s Travels
   42. XLII: Twenty-Fourth and Twenty-Fifth Trial of the Ring
   43. XLIII: Selim at Banza
   44. XLIV: Twenty-Sixth Trial of the Ring
   45. XLV: Cydalisa
   46. XLVI: Twenty-Seventh Trial of the Ring
   47. XLVII: Prodigious Events of the Reign of Kanaglou, Mangogul’s Grandfather
   48. XLVIII: Twenty-Eighth Trial of the Ring
   49. XLIX: Twenty-Ninth Trial of the Ring
   50. L: Platonic Love
   51. LI: Thirtieth and Last Trial of the Ring
5. Endnotes
6. Colophon
7. Uncopyright

Imprint

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To
Zima.

Zima, embrace the moment. The Aga Narkis entertains your mother, and your governess is upon the watch in a balcony for your father’s return: take, read, fear nothing. But even though the Bijoux indiscrets should be found behind your toilet, do you think it would be a matter of wonder? No, Zima, no; it is well known, that Le Sopha, the Tanzai, and the Confessions have been under your pillow. Do you hesitate still? Know then, that Aglaé has not disdained to set her hand to the work, which you blush to accept. “Aglaé,” say you, “the sober Aglaé!”⁠—The same. While Zima was straying with, or perhaps contriving how to get rid of the young Bonza Alleluia; Aglaé amused herself innocently, by relating to me the adventures of Zaide, Alphana, Fannia, etc.⁠—furnished me with the few strokes, which please me in the history of Mangogul, revised it, and pointed me out the means of making it better: for if Aglaé is one of the most virtuous and least edifying women in Congo; she is likewise one of the least jealous of wit, and one of the most witty. Can Zima now think, that it becomes her to play the scrupulous? Once more, Zima, take, read, read all; even without excepting the narrative of the Rambling Toy, which may be interpreted to you, without any expense to your virtue, provided the interpreter be neither your spiritual director nor your lover.

The Indiscreet Toys

I

Birth of Mangogul

Hiaouf Zeles Tanzai had already reigned long in great Chechianea, and this voluptuous prince still continued to be the delight of his subjects. Acajou king of Minutia had undergone the fate predicted by his father: Zulmis was no more: the Count De ⸻ was still living: Splendidus, Angola, Misapouf and some other potentates of the Indies and Asia were carried off by sudden deaths. The people tired of obeying weak sovereigns, had shaken off the yoke of their posterity; and the descendants of those unfortunate monarchs rambled unknown, or not regarded, in the provinces of their empires. The grandson of the illustrious Scheherazad was the only one who maintain’d his throne: and he was obeyed in Indostan by the name of Schach Baam, at the time when Mangogul was born in Congo. Thus it appears, that the death of several sovereigns was the mournful epoch of his birth.

His father Erguebzed