the magic skin(驴皮记)-第13章

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be　looked　up　to　and　popular；　instead　of　stealing　a　watch　with　half…a…
dozen　aggravating　circumstances；　after　a　previous　conviction；　and　so
perishing；　hated　and　dishonored；　in　the　Place　de　Greve。〃

〃Will　Nathan's　work　live？〃

〃He　has　very　clever　collaborators；　sir。〃

〃Or　Canalis？〃

〃He　is　a　great　man；　let　us　say　no　more　about　him。〃

〃You　are　all　drunk！〃

〃The　consequence　of　a　Constitution　is　the　immediate　stultification　of
intellects。　Art；　science；　public　works；　everything；　is　consumed　by　a
horribly　egoistic　feeling；　the　leprosy　of　the　time。　Three　hundred　of
your　bourgeoisie；　set　down　on　benches；　will　only　think　of　planting
poplars。　Tyranny　does　great　things　lawlessly；　while　Liberty　will
scarcely　trouble　herself　to　do　petty　ones　lawfully。〃

〃Your　reciprocal　instruction　will　turn　out　counters　in　human　flesh；〃
broke　in　an　Absolutist。　〃All　individuality　will　disappear　in　a　people
brought　to　a　dead　level　by　education。〃

〃For　all　that；　is　not　the　aim　of　society　to　secure　happiness　to　each
member　of　it？〃　asked　the　Saint…Simonian。

〃If　you　had　an　income　of　fifty　thousand　livres；　you　would　not　think
much　about　the　people。　If　you　are　smitten　with　a　tender　passion　for
the　race；　go　to　Madagascar；　there　you　will　find　a　nice　little　nation
all　ready　to　Saint…Simonize；　classify；　and　cork　up　in　your　phials；　but
here　every　one　fits　into　his　niche　like　a　peg　in　a　hole。　A　porter　is　a
porter；　and　a　blockhead　is　a　fool；　without　a　college　of　fathers　to
promote　them　to　those　positions。〃

〃You　are　a　Carlist。〃

〃And　why　not？　Despotism　pleases　me；　it　implies　a　certain　contempt　for
the　human　race。　I　have　no　animosity　against　kings；　they　are　so
amusing。　Is　it　nothing　to　sit　enthroned　in　a　room；　at　a　distance　of
thirty　million　leagues　from　the　sun？〃

〃Let　us　once　more　take　a　broad　view　of　civilization；〃　said　the　man　of
learning　who；　for　the　benefit　of　the　inattentive　sculptor；　had　opened
a　discussion　on　primitive　society　and　autochthonous　races。　〃The　vigor
of　a　nation　in　its　origin　was　in　a　way　physical；　unitary；　and　crude；
then　as　aggregations　increased；　government　advanced　by　a　decomposition
of　the　primitive　rule；　more　or　less　skilfully　managed。　For　example；　in
remote　ages　national　strength　lay　in　theocracy；　the　priest　held　both
sword　and　censer；　a　little　later　there　were　two　priests；　the　pontiff
and　the　king。　To…day　our　society；　the　latest　word　of　civilization；　has
distributed　power　according　to　the　number　of　combinations；　and　we　come
to　the　forces　called　business；　thought；　money；　and　eloquence。
Authority　thus　divided　is　steadily　approaching　a　social　dissolution；
with　interest　as　its　one　opposing　barrier。　We　depend　no　longer　on
either　religion　or　physical　force；　but　upon　intellect。　Can　a　book
replace　the　sword？　Can　discussion　be　a　substitute　for　action？　That　is
the　question。〃

〃Intellect　has　made　an　end　of　everything；〃　cried　the　Carlist。　〃Come
now！　Absolute　freedom　has　brought　about　national　suicides；　their
triumph　left　them　as　listless　as　an　English　millionaire。〃

〃Won't　you　tell　us　something　new？　You　have　made　fun　of　authority　of
all　sorts　to…day；　which　is　every　bit　as　vulgar　as　denying　the
existence　of　God。　So　you　have　no　belief　left；　and　the　century　is　like
an　old　Sultan　worn　out　by　debauchery！　Your　Byron；　in　short；　sings　of
crime　and　its　emotions　in　a　final　despair　of　poetry。〃

〃Don't　you　know；〃　replied　Bianchon；　quite　drunk　by　this　time；　〃that　a
dose　of　phosphorus　more　or　less　makes　the　man　of　genius　or　the
scoundrel；　a　clever　man　or　an　idiot；　a　virtuous　person　or　a　criminal？〃

〃Can　any　one　treat　of　virtue　thus？〃　cried　Cursy。　〃Virtue；　the　subject
of　every　drama　at　the　theatre；　the　denoument　of　every　play；　the
foundation　of　every　court　of　law。　。　。　。〃

〃Be　quiet；　you　ass。　You　are　an　Achilles　for　virtue；　without　his　heel；〃
said　Bixiou。

〃Some　drink！〃

〃What　will　you　bet　that　I　will　drink　a　bottle　of　champagne　like　a
flash；　at　one　pull？〃

〃What　a　flash　of　wit！〃

〃Drunk　as　lords；〃　muttered　a　young　man　gravely；　trying　to　give　some
wine　to　his　waistcoat。

〃Yes；　sir；　real　government　is　the　art　of　ruling　by　public　opinion。〃

〃Opinion？　That　is　the　most　vicious　jade　of　all。　According　to　you
moralists　and　politicians；　the　laws　you　set　up　are　always　to　go　before
those　of　nature；　and　opinion　before　conscience。　You　are　right　and
wrong　both。　Suppose　society　bestows　down　pillows　on　us；　that　benefit
is　made　up　for　by　the　gout；　and　justice　is　likewise　tempered　by　red…
tape；　and　colds　accompany　cashmere　shawls。〃

〃Wretch！〃　Emile　broke　in　upon　the　misanthrope；　〃how　can　you　slander
civilization　here　at　table；　up　to　the　eyes　in　wines　and　exquisite
dishes？　Eat　away　at　that　roebuck　with　the　gilded　horns　and　feet；　and
do　not　carp　at　your　mother。　。　。〃

〃Is　it　any　fault　of　mine　if　Catholicism　puts　a　million　deities　in　a
sack　of　flour；　that　Republics　will　end　in　a　Napoleon；　that　monarchy
dwells　between　the　assassination　of　Henry　IV。　and　the　trial　of　Louis
XVI。；　and　Liberalism　produces　Lafayettes？〃

〃Didn't　you　embrace　him　in　July？〃

〃No。〃

〃Then　hold　your　tongue；　you　sceptic。〃

〃Sceptics　are　the　most　conscientious　of　men。〃

〃They　have　no　conscience。〃

〃What　are　you　saying？　They　have　two　apiece　at　least！〃

〃So　you　want　to　discount　heaven；　a　thoroughly　commercial　notion。
Ancient　religions　were　but　the　unchecked　development　of　physical
pleasure；　but　we　have　developed　a　soul　and　expectations；　some　advance
has　been　made。〃

〃What　can　you　expect；　my　friends；　of　a　century　filled　with　politics　to
repletion？〃　asked　Nathan。　〃What　befell　The　History　of　the　King　of
Bohemia　and　his　Seven　Castles；　a　most　entrancing　conception？　。　。　。〃

〃I　say；〃　the　would…be　critic　cried　down　the　whole　length　of　the　table。
〃The　phrases　might　have　been　drawn　at　hap…hazard　from　a　hat；　'twas　a
work　written　'down　to　Charenton。'　〃

〃You　are　a　fool！〃

〃And　you　are　a　rogue！〃

〃Oh！　oh！〃

〃Ah！　ah！〃

〃They　are　going　to　fight。〃

〃No；　they　aren't。〃

〃You　will　find　me　to…morrow；　sir。〃

〃This　very　moment；〃　Nathan　answered。

〃Come；　come；　you　pair　of　fire…eaters！〃

〃You　are　another！〃　said　the　prime　mover　in　the　quarrel。

〃Ah；　I　can't　stand　upright；　perhaps？〃　asked　the　pugnacious　Nathan；
straightening　himself　up　like　a　stag…beetle　about　to　fly。

He　stared　stupidly　round　the　table；　then；　completely　exhausted　by　the
effort；　sank　back　into　his　chair；　and　mutely　hung　his　head。

〃Would　it　not　have　been　nice；〃　the　critic　said　to　his　neighbor；　〃to
fight　about　a　book　I　have　neither　read　nor　seen？〃

〃Emile；　look　out　for　your　coat；　your　neighbor　is　growing　pale；〃　said
Bixiou。

〃Kant？　Yet　another　ball　flung　out　for　fools　to　sport　with；　sir！
Materialism　and　spiritualism　are　a　fine　pair　of　battledores　with　which
charlatans　in　long　gowns　keep　a　shuttlecock　a…going。　Suppose　that　God
is　everywhere；　as　Spinoza　says；　or　that　all　things　proceed　from　God；
as　says　St。　Paul　。　。　。　the　nincompoops；　the　door　shuts　or　opens；　but
isn't　the　movement　the　same？　Does　the　fowl　come　from　the　egg；　or　the
egg　from　the　fowl？　。　。　。　Just　hand　me　some　duck　。　。　。　and　there；　you
have　all　science。〃

〃Simpleton！〃　cried　the　man　of　science；　〃your　problem　is　settled　by
fact！〃

〃What　fact？〃

〃Professors'　chairs　were　not　made　for　philosophy；　but　philosophy　for
the　professors'　chairs。　Put　on　a　pair　of　spectacles　and　read　the
budget。〃

〃Thieves！〃

〃Nincompoops！〃

〃Knaves！〃

〃Gulls！〃

〃Where　but　in　Paris　will　you　find　such　a　ready　and　rapid　exchange　of
thought？〃　cried　Bixiou　in　a　deep；　bass　voice。

〃Bixiou！　Act　a　classical　farce　for　us！　Come　now。〃

〃Would　you　like　me　to　depict　the　nineteenth　century？〃

〃Silence。〃

〃Pay　attention。〃

〃Clap　a　muffle　on　your　trumpets。〃

〃Shut　up；　you　Turk！〃

〃Give　him　some　wine；　and　let　that　fellow　keep　quiet。〃

〃Now；　then；　Bixiou！〃

The　artist　buttoned　his　black　coat　to　the　collar；　put　on　yellow
gloves；　and　began　to　burlesque　the　Revue　des　Deux　Mondes　by　acting　a
squinting　old　lady；　but　the　uproar　drowned　his　voice；　and　no　one　heard
a　word　of　the　satire。　Still；　if　he　did　not　catch　the　spirit　of　the
century；　he　represented　the　Revue　at　any　rate；　for　his　own　intentions
were　not　very　clear　to　him。

Dessert　was　served　as　if　by　magic。　A　huge　e