The Huron (L’Ingénu) Summary – Voltaire

The Huron (L’Ingénu), also known as The Simpleton, is a philosophical novella by Voltaire, first published in 1767. It follows a young Huron who arrives in France and encounters the customs, religious institutions, and political systems of European society. Through his directness and common sense, Voltaire satirizes religious intolerance, social conventions, and abuses of power.

The Huron Main Characters analysis

• The Huron (Hercules) — A brave, intelligent young man raised among the Hurons in North America. Nicknamed the Simpleton, he approaches European customs and beliefs with straightforward logic and questions practices that seem unreasonable.
• Abbé de Kerkabon — A kind-hearted prior who welcomes the Huron and eventually discovers that the young man is his nephew.
• Mademoiselle de Kerkabon — The prior’s unmarried sister, who is compassionate and deeply religious.
• Mademoiselle de Saint-Yves — A beautiful young woman who falls in love with the Huron and becomes his godmother after his baptism.
• Abbé de Saint-Yves — Mademoiselle de Saint-Yves’s brother, who opposes her relationship with the Huron.
• Gordon — An elderly Jansenist imprisoned in the Bastille who becomes the Huron’s friend and intellectual mentor.
• The Judge — A local official who wants Mademoiselle de Saint-Yves to marry his foolish son and helps turn the authorities against the Huron.
• Monsieur de Saint-Pouange — An influential court official who exploits his power over Mademoiselle de Saint-Yves.

The Huron Summary

Chapter 1. How the Prior of the Mountain Abbey and His Sister Met a Huron

Long ago, Saint Dunstan, an Irishman by birth, left his native shores and reached the French port of Saint-Malo. There he founded a small monastery, which he called the Priory of the Mountain, before returning to Ireland. The priory still existed in Voltaire’s time.

On the evening of July 15, 1689, Abbé de Kerkabon, prior of the Church of Our Lady of the Mountain, went for a walk with his sister, Mademoiselle de Kerkabon. The abbé was a good priest, but his parishioners liked him for another reason as well: he was the only clergyman in the area who did not have to be carried to bed after dinner with friends.

Abbé de Kerkabon was known not only for his excellent knowledge of theology but also for his appreciation of Rabelais’s writings.

Mademoiselle de Kerkabon had never married, although she had always hoped to do so. At forty-five, she looked relatively young and was kind, compassionate, and devout.

As the brother and sister walked along the coast, they remembered another brother who had gone to serve in the military in Canada with his wife in 1666. He had died there, and news had reached his family that his wife had also perished, reportedly having been eaten by the Iroquois.

During their walk, they noticed a small English vessel that had arrived to sell various goods in the area. Among the newcomers was a handsome young man who greeted Mademoiselle de Kerkabon with a friendly nod. His unusual appearance caught the siblings’ attention. He wore short clothing and light sandals, and his long hair was braided. He carried a bottle of Barbados liquor, a glass, and some biscuits. The young man offered the drink to the priest and his sister.

Since he spoke French fluently, it was clear that he was not English. He explained that he was a Huron, surprising Mademoiselle de Kerkabon because his fair skin differed from what she expected of a Native American. The Huron agreed to visit the brother and sister. When the abbé’s neighbors heard about him, they gathered at his home to meet the newcomer. There, the young man encountered Mademoiselle de Saint-Yves, the sister of another priest, Abbé de Saint-Yves. She was young and beautiful.

The guests learned that the Huron had been captured by the English, despite fighting bravely. His courage had impressed even his opponents, who eventually released him and invited him to visit England. He accepted because he loved traveling. He could not remember his parents. As a teenager, he had learned French from a prisoner and later improved his knowledge of the language with the help of a Huguenot, although he loved his native Huron language most of all.

The young man told the company about his love for a Huron woman named Abacaba. He had defeated another Native American who had competed for her, but although his beloved’s parents wanted to eat the defeated rival, he had released him. His happiness did not last long, however, because Abacaba was eaten by a bear.

Mademoiselle de Saint-Yves secretly felt relieved that the young man no longer had a beloved.

The newcomer’s name was the Huron, though everyone called him the Simpleton. He won over all the abbé’s guests, who decided that he should be baptized.

Historical notes: Father Quesnel was a Jansenist theologian to whom Voltaire attributed the novella to avoid censorship. The Hurons were a Native American people of North America. A Huguenot was a French Protestant.

Chapter 2. The Huron, Nicknamed the Simpleton, Learns About His Parents

The Simpleton woke very early, hunted a great deal of game, and brought it to his hospitable hosts. As a keepsake, he gave them his most precious possession: a talisman he wore around his neck. It contained two small portraits, in which the abbé recognized his brother, a captain, and the captain’s wife. After asking the Huron many questions, the brother and sister became convinced that the Simpleton was their nephew.

The young man admitted that he knew the works of Rabelais and Shakespeare, but he was unfamiliar with the Bible, a book considered essential for his baptism. Mademoiselle de Saint-Yves kept looking at the Simpleton, paying no attention to the judge’s son, to whom she had just been introduced.

Chapter 3. The Huron, Nicknamed the Simpleton, Embraces Christianity

The Simpleton had an excellent memory and quickly learned the New Testament by heart. However, he struggled to understand its meaning because he did not realize that the events described in it had taken place more than 1,690 years earlier.

After his uncle explained the matter to him, the young man agreed to become a Christian. Yet he could not understand why the baptismal ritual had changed so much over the centuries, why Catholics did not practice circumcision, or why the Apostle James’s instruction to confess one’s faults to one another was supposed to be understood as a call to repentance.

Misunderstanding the words of the Gospel, the Huron nearly subjected himself to an operation and almost beat a monk while trying to force him to confess his sins. These oddities were forgiven because the Huron’s baptism was considered the most important event.

When the appointed time for the ceremony arrived, however, the Huron had disappeared. Mademoiselle de Kerkabon and Mademoiselle de Saint-Yves happened to spot him standing in the middle of the river, his arms crossed over his chest.

Chapter 4. The Simpleton Is Baptized

The Simpleton explained to the prior and the abbé that he was standing in the middle of the river because he was waiting to be baptized. Everyone tried to persuade him to leave the water, explaining that the ceremony had to take place in a church. The young man refused, citing the Gospel, and even argued with the bishop.

Only Mademoiselle de Saint-Yves managed to convince him. The baptism took place with great solemnity, and Mademoiselle de Saint-Yves became the Simpleton’s godmother. The newly baptized young man was given the name Hercules.

Chapter 5. The Simpleton Falls in Love

After the guests had left, the Simpleton and Mademoiselle de Saint-Yves were alone together. Without hesitation, the young man declared his love for her. She promised to speak to her brother about consenting to their marriage and advised the young man to seek the support of his uncle and aunt. He replied that he did not need his relatives’ permission because he was accustomed to making his own decisions.

The following morning, over breakfast, the prior suggested that his nephew become a subdeacon and eventually take over his benefice. The inheritance left to the young man by his parents, the prior explained, would not be enough to provide him with a comfortable life.

The nephew rejected his uncle’s proposal in turn, revealing his intention to marry the beautiful Mademoiselle de Saint-Yves. His uncle was dismayed and explained that such a marriage was impossible because marrying one’s godmother was considered a grave sin.

The Simpleton indignantly pointed out that the book his uncle had given him said nothing about it being sinful to marry a woman who had helped him become a Christian. He had also noticed that many things people did every day were not mentioned in the book, while the things it prescribed were often ignored. This contradiction both puzzled and angered him. He warned his uncle that he would renounce Christianity if he was not allowed to marry his beloved.

His aunt, meanwhile, expressed hope that the pope would grant a special dispensation, allowing their nephew to be happy with the woman he loved. The young man was willing to travel to the pope to obtain permission, although he found it strange that his happiness should depend on a person who lived in another country and spoke another language.

At that moment, the judge entered the room and became furious. He wanted Mademoiselle de Saint-Yves to marry his foolish son.

Chapter 6. The Simpleton Rushes to His Beloved and Becomes Furious

When the Simpleton arrived at the home of Abbé de Saint-Yves, he asked an elderly servant where her young mistress’s room was and rushed inside. Seeing the woman he loved, he hurried to her bed and explained to the frightened girl that he had come to marry her. Mademoiselle de Saint-Yves struggled to fend him off until her brother, the abbé, arrived to help her, accompanied by his housekeeper, a servant, and another priest.

The young man justified his behavior by appealing to his promises and the laws of honor, accusing his beloved of breaking those same laws.

The abbé tried to explain that the Simpleton’s conduct was disgraceful and contrary to the rules of civilized society. Marriage, he said, required an agreement formalized by priests, witnesses, and notaries. The Simpleton replied that people who needed so many safeguards were evidently lacking in honesty.

What shocked him most was that obedience was regarded as a virtue. He was perceptive enough to recognize the flattery in the abbé’s words, yet he believed the promises he made. Only Mademoiselle de Saint-Yves’s influence persuaded the others to remove their unwelcome visitor. After consulting the judge, her brother decided to send her to a convent.

When the Simpleton returned to his uncle’s home, he openly described what had happened. He listened to the ensuing lecture, but it did nothing to change his feelings. The next morning, he decided to visit his beloved again. Learning from the judge that she had been sent to a convent, he set off to find her. He was horrified to discover that the convent was essentially a prison for young women. The desperate lover decided to set it on fire and rescue her, even if he had to perish alongside her. Mademoiselle de Kerkabon lost hope that her nephew would ever become a clergyman.

Chapter 7. The Simpleton Repels the English

Life had lost its meaning for the Simpleton. At times, he hated himself, his homeland, the whole province of Lower Brittany where he lived, and even his baptism. At other times, he blessed everything that connected him to his beloved. He alternated between wanting to burn down the convent and abandoning the idea so that she would not be harmed.

As he approached the shore, he heard drums beating and people shouting. The English were landing, and nobody knew what they intended to do. The Huron hurried to a boat and rowed out to the admiral’s ship. The Englishmen laughed at his questions about their plans, gave him some punch, and sent him away.

Offended by his former friends, the Huron decided to defend his countrymen. He opened fire on the English, killed three men, and wounded the admiral. His actions inspired the French with courage, and the enemy fled. His countrymen praised the Simpleton as a hero.

However, the young man then persuaded a group of local youths to join him in rescuing his fiancée. The judge, who had been hiding in a cellar, heard about their plans and informed the military. The Simpleton and his companions were consequently taken back home.

His uncle and aunt realized that their nephew would never become a clergyman, but that he might make an excellent soldier.

During the battle, the Simpleton found a purse full of money that may have belonged to the admiral. The commanders and senior officers gave him numerous certificates and recommendations so that he could travel to Versailles and receive a reward. His uncle and aunt also gave him money for the journey, hoping he would bring honor to their province. The young man, however, dreamed of obtaining the king’s permission to marry Mademoiselle de Saint-Yves.

Chapter 8. The Simpleton Travels to the King and Dines with Huguenots Along the Way

The Simpleton’s journey took him through the town of Saumur, which seemed sparsely populated to him. He commented on this during dinner at an inn and received a reply from a group of Protestants who were also staying there.

The Protestants told him of their suffering. After the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, fifty thousand French Protestants had been forced to flee their homeland to escape being compelled to convert to Catholicism. Some joined the English forces and fought in the war against their former countrymen.

Moved by their story, the Simpleton promised to reveal the truth to the king and help the Protestants. He then invited everyone present to his wedding, for which he also hoped to obtain the monarch’s permission. His companions at dinner wondered whether he was a nobleman traveling in disguise or a royal jester.

An undercover Jesuit spy was sitting at the table. He sent a denunciation of the Huron to the authorities, and the Simpleton arrived in Versailles at the same time as the report.

Chapter 9. The Simpleton Arrives in Versailles and Is Received at Court

When the Simpleton arrived in Versailles, he approached the royal palace from the kitchen courtyard and asked the servants what time he could see the king. They mocked him, and he got into a fight that one of the royal guards eventually managed to stop.

The Simpleton befriended the guardsman and learned that anyone seeking an audience with the king had to pass through a series of lower-ranking officials first. After examining the Simpleton’s certificates, one military official told him that he could purchase the rank of lieutenant. The young man was insulted by the suggestion and argued with the official, insisting that he should receive the rank without payment in recognition of his bravery in battle.

Meanwhile, two letters arrived in Versailles. One was delivered to Father de La Chaise, the confessor of Louis XIV, and denounced the Simpleton for sympathizing with the Huguenots. The other was sent to the king’s influential adviser, Monsieur de Louvois, by the judge, who accused the young man of planning to burn down convents and abduct women.

As a result of these denunciations, the Simpleton was arrested and sent to the Bastille. He was placed in a cell with Gordon, a Jansenist who had already been imprisoned there for two years.

Chapter 10. The Simpleton Is Imprisoned in the Bastille with a Jansenist

The Simpleton’s time in the Bastille was not wasted. He devoted himself to self-improvement, studying various subjects and discussing challenging theological questions with the Jansenist.

After learning about French history, the Simpleton concluded that history was nothing more than a record of crimes and misfortunes.

Although he had found himself in trouble, the young man worried more about the people he loved than about his own fate.

Chapter 11. How the Simpleton Develops His Abilities

The Simpleton became fascinated by philosophy. His learned friend shared his private thoughts and reflections on life, art, and history with the young man. Gordon was astonished by his talent. Subjects that the older prisoner had spent fifty years studying, the Simpleton mastered in just a few months.

When he began studying astronomy, the young man regretted that his imprisonment prevented him from seeing the sky.

Chapter 12. What the Simpleton Thought About Plays

Among the books the Simpleton read were numerous plays. He liked Tartuffe best. However, when Gordon offered him a play that was widely considered the greatest of its kind, the young man read it and said that he did not like it. He felt that the work resembled people who were often unworthy of the positions they occupied.

The Simpleton acknowledged that taste was a matter of personal judgment and that his own preferences might not yet be fully developed. He also admitted that he could be mistaken, but explained that he was accustomed to expressing what he thought—or, more precisely, what he felt.

He then began reading passages from the plays he had enjoyed.

Chapter 13. The Beautiful Mademoiselle de Saint-Yves Travels to Versailles

The Simpleton spent nearly a year in prison. During that time, his relatives and beloved received a letter from a guardsman in Versailles informing them that the young man was being held in the Bastille.

Worried about their nephew’s disappearance, his uncle and aunt set out to find him, securing the support of several senior church officials. They even visited Father de La Chaise, the king’s confessor. He promised to help them but failed to keep his word. The brother and sister returned home without learning anything about their nephew’s whereabouts.

Mademoiselle de Saint-Yves then decided to search for the Simpleton herself. She even fled her home because her brother intended to marry her off to the judge’s son. To avoid arousing suspicion, she behaved gently toward everyone. On the night before the planned wedding, she secretly left for Versailles.

She carefully concealed her tracks, and her plan worked: the abbé, the judge, and the judge’s son went to Paris in pursuit of her.

Mademoiselle de Saint-Yves found the guardsman to confirm that her beloved was still alive. He also advised her whom she might approach for help. None of the people he recommended were available in Versailles, so she decided to turn to the last person on his list, Monsieur de Saint-Pouange.

Chapter 14. The Development of the Simpleton’s Mind

The Simpleton made rapid progress in his studies. His unusual upbringing and natural qualities helped him, for he saw life as it really was.

He felt sorry for the elderly Jansenist but argued that Jansenism was merely a sect and that every sect promoted mistaken ideas. The old prisoner repeatedly reflected on the young man’s arguments until he began to doubt whether his own beliefs were correct.

On one point, however, the two prisoners agreed completely: every person had the right to be free and happy. The elderly Jansenist even changed his attitude toward love and became the Simpleton’s confidant in matters of the heart.

Chapter 15. The Beautiful Mademoiselle de Saint-Yves Resists Tender Advances

Mademoiselle de Saint-Yves clung to the hope of securing the Simpleton’s release. Accompanied by a friend with whom she was staying, she went to see Monsieur de Saint-Pouange.

When she saw her brother there, she became frightened, but her companion encouraged her. Once the abbé had left the reception room, the young woman entered. Everyone present was struck by her beauty.

Monsieur de Saint-Pouange promised to help her heroic lover but suggested that they continue their conversation that evening because the matter was complicated.

Mademoiselle de Saint-Yves agreed and returned later with her friend.

Her companion waited in the antechamber while the meeting took place. Abandoning all restraint, Saint-Pouange proposed that the beautiful Breton woman sacrifice her honor by becoming intimate with him in exchange for her beloved’s freedom. She left his rooms in silence and confusion. Later, she told her devout friend what had happened. The friend advised her to seek guidance from an influential priest.

Chapter 16. Mademoiselle de Saint-Yves Seeks Advice from a Jesuit

After hearing Mademoiselle de Saint-Yves’s confession, the Jesuit was outraged by the man who had tried to seduce her. His anger lasted until he learned the seducer’s identity: Monsieur de Saint-Pouange.

Frightened by the influential courtier, the priest changed his approach. He gave the young woman examples of cases in which the Church had not only absolved women who had been unfaithful to their husbands but had even justified such actions when they were intended to save a beloved person.

Mademoiselle de Saint-Yves left the Jesuit even more frightened and confused than before.

Chapter 17. She Falls Victim to Her Own Virtue

Mademoiselle de Saint-Yves begged her friend to kill her. Instead, the woman continued trying to persuade her, explaining that this was the only way to save the Simpleton’s life. She claimed that women often resorted to similar sacrifices to secure promotions or higher ranks for their husbands.

The young woman was distraught and even wanted to complain directly to the king, but her friend believed that doing so would only make matters worse.

Meanwhile, a letter arrived from Saint-Pouange inviting Mademoiselle de Saint-Yves to dinner and enclosing a pair of diamond earrings.

Her friend accompanied her to the dinner, forcibly put the earrings on her, and then slipped away unnoticed after the meal.

The host showed Mademoiselle de Saint-Yves an order for the Simpleton’s release, a financial reward, and his appointment to a military position.

After a prolonged struggle, many tears, and desperate resistance, the young woman felt compelled to submit to her fate.

Chapter 18. She Frees Her Beloved and the Jansenist

Holding the order for her beloved’s release, Mademoiselle de Saint-Yves arrived in Paris.

The prison governor summoned the Simpleton to his office. He sympathized with the young man because he was an honest person. Overwhelmed with joy, the lovers both fainted. When they regained consciousness, they told each other what had happened to them.

Mademoiselle de Saint-Yves concealed her terrible secret because she did not want to cause the Simpleton further suffering. However, he asked her to secure the release of his elderly friend, who had become like a father to him.

For her beloved’s sake, she agreed. She wrote to the man who had seduced her, and he sent an order for the Jansenist’s release along with a request to meet her again. The young woman refused to see Saint-Pouange, the deputy minister, while the Simpleton hurried off to free his friend.

Chapter 19. The Simpleton, the Beautiful Mademoiselle de Saint-Yves, and Their Relatives Reunite

At last, the noble young woman was reunited with her family. Her brother apologized to her, while the prior and his sister wept with joy. Mademoiselle de Saint-Yves told them about the changes that had taken place in the Simpleton.

The young man soon returned with his friend and explained how the elderly Gordon had helped him become a better person. The abbé was astonished by the influence his sister had acquired at court.

At that moment, Mademoiselle de Saint-Yves’s friend appeared and insistently urged the young woman to leave with her, also demanding the return of the earrings.

The Simpleton overheard their conversation and frowned, while his fiancée turned pale. She threw the earrings onto the floor and accused her companion of having ruined her and brought about her destruction.

The messenger disappeared. Overwhelmed and distressed, the beautiful Mademoiselle de Saint-Yves went to bed and did not come down for dinner.

The others listened to the Jansenist’s stories and discussed the wedding, while the Simpleton dreamed of a happy life with his beloved.

Meanwhile, the abbé went to check on his sister and was alarmed by her condition. She had developed a fever. A local doctor proved inattentive and prescribed the wrong medicine, causing her condition to worsen. Her emotional suffering may have harmed her health even more than the treatment.

Chapter 20. The Beautiful Mademoiselle de Saint-Yves Dies, and What Happens Afterwards

Another doctor was summoned, but he was no more helpful. He seemed better at arguing with his colleagues than treating his patient. Within two days, the illness became fatal.

The family gathered around Mademoiselle de Saint-Yves’s bed. Her fiancé wept and spoke tenderly to her. Only when he referred to her as his wife did she cry out that she was unworthy of the title and deserved punishment instead. She confessed everything that had been tormenting her.

The Simpleton did not regard her actions as a disgrace but as a sacrifice made out of love. His words seemed to give the dying woman renewed strength.

Suddenly, a messenger from the royal court arrived for the prior. A letter from Father de La Chaise’s servant stated that the royal confessor knew about the injustice done to the prior’s nephew. He invited Abbé de Kerkabon and the Simpleton to an audience at which the young man’s case would certainly be discussed.

The Simpleton tore the letter into tiny pieces and threw them in the messenger’s face. His uncle, meanwhile, wrote a letter apologizing for his nephew’s behavior.

The beautiful Mademoiselle de Saint-Yves was dying. Her final words expressed her love for the Simpleton.

The young man no longer wanted to live, and his relatives tried to prevent him from taking his own life. His grief was beyond words. His stern, terrible silence, sorrowful eyes, trembling lips, and shaking body filled everyone around him with a mixture of compassion and horror. His anguish left them speechless, allowing only a few incoherent words to escape their lips.

While two priests were conducting the funeral service, Saint-Pouange arrived with Mademoiselle de Saint-Yves’s former companion. He had fallen in love with the beautiful young woman and had decided to come for her himself. When he learned that the Breton woman had died, he repented and wept. He apologized to the Simpleton and promised to make amends, even if it took the rest of his life.

At first, the Simpleton wanted to kill the man who had wronged him and then take his own life. However, he had no weapon with him, and people were watching him closely.

Time eventually changed him. The Simpleton became a good officer, but he preserved the memory of his beloved until the end of his days. His aunt was proud of her nephew. Abbé de Saint-Yves and the prior received lucrative positions. The elderly Gordon obtained a benefice and remained friends with the Simpleton for the rest of his life. The diamond earrings stayed with Mademoiselle de Saint-Yves’s companion in Versailles.