the Senator Pococurante, who lives in
that fine house at the Brenta, where they say he entertains
foreigners in the most polite manner. They pretend this man is a
perfect stranger to uneasiness."--"I should be glad to see so
extraordinary a being," said Martin. Candide thereupon sent a
messenger to Signor Pococurante, desiring permission to wait on him
the next day.

Candide and his friend Martin went into a gondola on the Brenta,
and arrived at the palace of the noble Pococurante: the gardens
were laid out in elegant taste, and adorned with fine marble
statues; his palace was built after the most approved rules of
architecture. The master of the house, who was a man of sixty, and
very rich, received our two travellers with great politeness, but
without much ceremony, which somewhat disconcerted Candide, but was
not at all displeasing to Martin.

As soon as they were seated, two very pretty girls, neatly dressed,
brought in chocolate, which was extremely well frothed. Candide
could not help making encomiums upon their beauty and graceful
carriage. "The creatures are well enough," said the senator. "I
make them my companions, for I am heartily tired of the ladies of
the town, their coquetry, their jealousy, their quarrels, their
humors, their meannesses, their pride, and their folly. I am weary
of making sonnets, or of paying for sonnets to be made, on them;
but, after all, these two girls begin to grow very indifferent to
me."

After having refreshed himself, Candide walked into a large
gallery, where he was struck with the sight of a fine collection of
paintings. "Pray," said Candide, "by what master are the two first
of these?"--"They are Raphael's," answered the senator. "I gave a
great deal of money for them seven years ago, purely out of
curiosity, as they were said to be the finest pieces in Italy: but
I cannot say they please me; the coloring is dark and heavy; the
figures do not swell nor come out enough; and the drapery is very
bad. In short, notwithstanding the encomiums lavished upon them,
they are not, in my opinion, a true representation of nature. I
approve of no paintings but where I think I behold Nature herself;
and there are very few, if any, of that kind to be met with. I have
what is called a fine collection, but I