Francois Sureau. Clairefond
EXCLUSIVE – The writer gave the traditional “Speech on Virtue” at the French Academy this Thursday. It praises courage through the portrait of four men who have shown extraordinary civil courage: Thomas More, Auguste Scheurer-Kestner, André Gide and Jean Cavaillès. A brilliant exercise in admiration, published exclusively by Le Figaro.
When it comes to virtue, as we know, we tend to talk about what we don’t have. Hypocrisy is not the only homage born of vice, preaching and propaganda also come from it. Julien Green claimed that the pious books were written by the devil. Despotic states appeal to liberty, lustful peoples to chastity, violent nations to pacifism. Virtue is perhaps above all a regret, and this regret takes whatever form the personal, religious or political imagination gives it. However, I will not go into the chapter on culpes and I will go into Montyon, that lawyer in Châtelet, who became Councilor of State, then Intendant and, endowed with immense fortune, donated it by will to the disinherited and the French Academy, with the responsibility of each year to have one of its members read “a speech praising a virtuous act.” My first thought was to extol a virtue seldom described, flight…
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