the origins of contemporary france-2-第75章

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heads；　their　health；　and　more　besides。　　One　〃old　trooper；　who　had

been　over　fifty　years　in　the　service；　died　on　the　way　home；　used　up

with　cordials　and　excess　of　pleasure。〃　In　short；　the　joy　is

excessive；　as　it　should　be　on　the　great　day　when　the　wish　of　an

entire　century　is　accomplished。　…　Behold　ideal　felicity；　as

displayed　in　the　books　and　illustrations　of　the　time！　The　natural

man　buried　underneath　an　artificial　civilization　is　disinterred；　and

again　appears　as　in　early　days；　as　in　Tahiti；　as　in　philosophic　and

literary　pastorals；　as　in　bucolic　and　mythological　operas；

confiding；　affectionate；　and　happy。　　〃The　sight　of　all　these　beings

again　restored　to　the　sweet　sentiments　of　primitive　brotherhood　is

an　exquisite　delight　almost　too　great　for　the　soul　to　support；〃　and

the　Frenchman；　more　light…hearted　and　far　more　childlike　than　he　is

to…day；　gives　himself　up　unrestrainedly　to　his　social；　sympathetic；

and　generous　instincts。　Whatever　the　imagination　of　the　day　offers

him　to　increase　his　emotions；　all　the　classical；　rhetorical；　and

dramatic　material　at　his　command；　are　employed　for　the　embellishment

of　his　festival。　　Already　wildly　enthusiastic；　he　is　anxious　to

increase　his　enthusiasm。　…　At　Lyons；　the　fifty　thousand　confederates

from　the　south　range　themselves　in　line　of　battle　around　an

artificial　rock；　fifty　feet　high；　covered　with　shrubs；　and

surmounted　by　a　Temple　of　Concord　in　which　stands　a　huge　statue　of

Liberty；　the　steps　of　the　rock　are　decked　with　flags；　and　a　solemn

mass　precedes　the　administration　of　the　oath。　…　At　Paris；　an　alter

dedicated　to　the　nation　is　erected　in　the　middle　of　the　Champ　de

Mars；　which　is　transformed　into　a　colossal　circus。　　The　regular

troops　and　the　federations　of　the　departments　stand　in　position

around　it；　the　King　being　in　front　with　the　Queen　and　the　dauphin；

while　near　them　are　the　princes　and　princesses　in　a　gallery；　and　the

members　of　the　National　Assembly　in　an　amphitheater；　two　hundred

priests；　draped　in　their　albs　and　with　tricolored　belts；　officiate

around　Talleyrand；　Bishop　of　Autun；　three　hundred　drums　and　twelve

hundred　musicians　all　play　at　once；　forty　piece　of　cannon　are

discharged　at　one　volley；　and　four　hundred　thousand　cheers　go　up　as

if　from　one　threat。　　Never　was　such　an　effort　made　to　intoxicate　the

senses　and　strain　the　nerves　beyond　their　powers　of　endurance！　…　The

moral　machine　is　made　to　vibrate　to　the　same　and　even　to　a　greater

extent。　　For　more　than　a　year　past；　harangues；　proclamations；

addresses；　newspapers　and　events　have　daily　added　one　degree　more　to

the　pressure。　　On　this　occasion；　thousands　of　speeches；　multiplied

by　myriads　of　newspapers；　carry　the　enthusiasm　to　the　highest　pitch。

Declamation　foams　and　rolls　along　in　a　steady　stream　of　rhetoric

everywhere　throughout　France。＇7＇　　In　this　state　of　excitement　the

difference　between　magniloquence　and　sincerity；　between　the　false

and　the　true；　between　show　and　substance；　is　no　longer

distinguishable。　　The　Federation　becomes　an　opera　which　is　seriously

played　in　the　open　street　…　children　have　parts　assigned　them　in　it；

it　occurs　to　no　one　that　they　are　puppets；　and　that　the　words　taken

for　an　expression　of　the　heart　are　simply　memorized　speeches　that

have　been　put　into　their　mouths。　　At　Besan？on；　on　the　return　of　the

confederates；　hundreds　of　〃youthful　citizens〃　from　twelve　to

fourteen　years　of　age；＇8＇　in　the　national　uniform；　〃with　sword　in

hand；〃　march　up　to　the　standard　of　Liberty。　　Three　little　girls　from

eleven　to　thirteen　years　old　and　two　little　boy　of　nine　years　each

pronounce　〃a　discourse　full　of　fire　and　breathing　nothing　but

patriotism；〃　after　which；　a　young　lady　of　fourteen；　raising　her

voice　and　pointing　to　the　flag；　harangues　in　turn　the　crowd；　the

deputies；　the　National　Guard；　the　mayor；　and　the　commander　of　the

troops；　the　scene　ending　with　a　ball。　　This　is　the　universal　finale

…　men　and　women；　children　and　adults；　common　people　and　men　of　the

world；　chiefs　and　subordinates；　all；　everywhere；　frisk　about　as　in

the　last　act　of　a　pastoral　drama。　　At　Paris；　…　writes　an　eye…

witness；　〃I　saw　chevaliers　of　Saint…Louis　and　chaplains　dancing　in

the　street　with　people　belonging　to　their　department。〃＇9＇　　At　the

Champ　de　Mars；　on　the　day　of　the　Federation；　notwithstanding　that

rain　was　falling　in　torrents；　〃the　first　arrivals　began　to　dance；

and　those　who　came　after　them；　joining　in；　formed　a　circle　which

soon　spread　over　a　portion　of　the　Champ　de　Mars。　　。　　。　　。Three

hundred　thousand　spectators　kept　time　with　their　hands。〃　On　the

following　days　dancing　is　kept　up　on　the　Champ　de　Mars　and　in　the

streets；　and　there　is　drinking　and　carousing；　〃there　was　a　ball　with

refreshments　at　the　Corn…Exchange；　and　on　the　site　of　the　Bastille。〃

…　At　Tours；　where　fifty…two　detachments　from　the　neighboring

provinces　are　collected；　about　four　o'clock　in　the　afternoon；＇10＇

through　an　irresistible　outburst　of　insane　gaiety；　〃the　officers；

inferior　officers；　and　soldiers；　pell…mell；　race　through　the

streets；　some　with　saber　in　hand　and　others　dancing　and　shouting

'Vive　le　Roi！'　'Vive　la　Nation！'　flinging　up　their　hats　and

compelling　every　one　they　met　to　join　in　the　dance。　　One　of　the

canons　of　the　cathedral；　who　happens　to　be　passing　quietly　along；

has　a　grenadier's　cap　put　on　his　head；〃　and　is　dragged　into　the

circle；　and　after　him　two　monks；　〃they　are　often　embraced；〃　and　then

allowed　to　depart。　　The　carriages　of　the　mayor　and　the　Marquise　de

Montausier　arrive；　people　mount　up　behind；　get　inside；　and　seat

themselves　in　front；　as　many　as　can　find　room；　and　force　the

coachmen　to　parade　through　the　principal　streets　in　this　fashion。

There　is　no　malice　in　it；　nothing　but　sport　and　the　overflow　of

spirits。　　〃Nobody　was　maltreated　or　insulted；　although　almost　every

one　was　drunk。〃　…　Nevertheless；　there　is　one　bad　symptom：　　the

soldiers　of　the　Anjou　regiment　leave　their　barracks　the　following

day　and　〃pass　the　whole　night　abroad；　no　one　being　able　to　hinder

them。〃　And　there　is　another　of　still　graver　aspect；　at　Orleans；

after　the　companies　of　the　National　Militia　had　danced　on　the　square

in　the　evening；　〃a　large　number　of　volunteers　marched　in　procession

through　the　town　with　drums；　shouting　out　with　all　their　might　that

the　aristocracy　must　be　destroyed；　and　that　priests　and　aristocrats

should　be　strung　up　to　the　lamp　post。　　They　enter　a　suspected

coffee…house；　drive　out　the　inmates　with　insults；　lay　hands　on　a

gentleman　who　is　supposed　not　to　have　cried　out　as　correctly　and　as

lustily　as　themselves；　and　come　near　to　hanging　him。＇11＇　　…　　Such　is

the　fruit　of　the　philosophy　and　the　attitudes　of　the　eighteenth

century。　　Men　believed　that；　for　the　organization　of　a　perfect

society　and　the　permanent　establishment　of　freedom；　justice；　and

happiness　on　earth；　an　inspiration　of　sentiments　and　an　act　of　the

will　would　suffice。　　The　inspiration　came　and　the　act　was　fulfilled；

they　have　been　carried　away；　delighted；　affected　and　out　of　their

minds。　　Now　comes　the　reaction；　when　they　have　to　fall　back　upon

themselves。　　The　effort　has　succeeded　in　accomplishing　all　that　it

could　accomplish；　namely；　a　deluge　of　emotional　demonstrations　and

slogans；　a　verbal　and　not　a　real　contract　ostentatious　fraternity

skin…deep；　a　well…meaning　masquerade；　an　outpouring　of　feeling

evaporating　through　its　own　pageantry　…　in　short；　an　agreeable

carnival　of　a　day's　duration。



The　reason　is　that　in　the　human　mind　there　are　two　strata。　　One

superficial；　of　which　men　are　conscious；　the　other　deep　down；　of

which　they　are　unconscious。＇12＇　　The　former　unstable　and　vacillating

like　shifting　sand；　the　latter　stable　and　fixed　like　a　solid　rock；

to　which　their　caprices　and　agitation　never　descend。　　The　latter

alone　determines　the　general　inclination　of　the　soil；　the　main

current　of　human　activity　necessarily　following　the　bent　thus

prepared　for　it。　…　Certainly　embraces　have　been　interchanged　and

oaths　have　been　take