made a citizen lose a
considerable cause by a mistake, for which, after all, he was not
accountable, had given him the whole of his own estate, which was just
equal to what the other had lost.

He next produced a young man who, being desperately in love with a lady
whom he was going to marry, had yielded her up to his friend, whose
passion for her had almost brought him to the brink of the grave, and
at the same time had given him the lady's fortune.

He afterwards produced a soldier who, in the wars of Hircania, had
given a still more noble instance of generosity. A party of the enemy
having seized his mistress, he fought in her defense with great
intrepidity. At that very instant he was informed that another party,
at the distance of a few paces, were carrying off his mother; he
therefore left his mistress with tears in his eyes and flew to the
assistance of his mother. At last he returned to the dear object of his
love and found her expiring. He was just going to plunge his sword in
his own bosom; but his mother remonstrating against such a desperate
deed, and telling him that he was the only support of her life, he had
the courage to endure to live.

The judges were inclined to give the prize to the soldier. But the king
took up the discourse and said: "The action of the soldier, and those
of the other two, are doubtless very great, but they have nothing in
them surprising. Yesterday Zadig performed an action that filled me
with wonder. I had a few days before disgraced Coreb, my minister and
favorite. I complained of him in the most violent and bitter terms; all
my courtiers assured me that I was too gentle and seemed to vie with
each other in speaking ill of Coreb. I asked Zadig what he thought of
him, and he had the courage to commend him. I have read in our
histories of many people who have atoned for an error by the surrender
of their fortune; who have resigned a mistress; or preferred a mother
to the object of their affection; but never before did I hear of a
courtier who spoke favorably of a disgraced minister that labored under
the displeasure of his sovereign. I give to each of those whose
generous actions have been now recited twenty thousand pieces of gold;
but the cup I give to Zadig."

"May it please your majesty," said Zadig, "thyself alone deservest the
cup; thou hast performed an action of all others the most uncommon and
meritorious, since, notwithstanding thy being a powerful king, thou
wast