IV 
  
A JESTER 
  
THE New Year broke in a chaos of mud and 
snow, crossed by a thousand carriages, spar-
kling with joys and sweetmeats, swarming with 
greeds and with despairs; the official delirium 
of a great city in conspiracy to disturb the 
brain of even the strongest solitary. 
In the midst of this topsy-turvyness and 
hubbub an ass was trotting smartly, tormented 
by a knave with a whip. 
As the ass was about to turn the corner of a 
pavement, a fine gentleman gloved and 
groomed, in a glossy suit, uncomfortably fash-
ionable, bowed ceremoniously before the hum-
ble animal, and said, taking off his hat, “A 
happy New Year to you,” then went back to his 
comrades, whoever they were, with a fatuous 
air, as if to ask them to ass their approbation 
to his self-content. 
The ass did not perceive this would-be wit, 
and continued to run zealously where his duty 
called him. As for me, I was seized suddenly 
with immeasurable rage against this magnifi-
cent imbecile, who appeared to me to concen-
trate in himself the entire spirit of France.