08-at the shrine of st. wagner-第3章

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any　man　long　celebrated　to　you　by　his　genius　and　achievements；　or

thing　long　celebrated　to　you　by　the　praises　of　books　and

picturesno；　that　gaze　is　only　the　gaze　of　intense　curiosity；

interest；　wonder；　engaged　in　drinking　delicious　deep　draughts

that　taste　good　all　the　way　down　and　appease　and　satisfy　the

thirst　of　a　lifetime。　　Satisfy　itthat　is　the　word。　　Hugo　and

the　mastodon　will　still　have　a　degree　of　intense　interest

thereafter　when　encountered；　but　never　anything　approaching　the

ecstasy　of　that　first　view。　　The　interest　of　a　prince　is

different。　　It　may　be　envy；　it　may　be　worship；　doubtless　it　is　a

mixture　of　bothand　it　does　not　satisfy　its　thirst　with　one

view；　or　even　noticeably　diminish　it。　　Perhaps　the　essence　of　the

thing　is　the　value　which　men　attach　to　a　valuable　something　which

has　come　by　luck　and　not　been　earned。　　A　dollar　picked　up　in　the

road　is　more　satisfaction　to　you　than　the　ninety…and…nine　which

you　had　to　work　for；　and　money　won　at　faro　or　in　stocks　snuggles

into　your　heart　in　the　same　way。　　A　prince　picks　up　grandeur；

power；　and　a　permanent　holiday　and　gratis　support　by　a　pure

accident；　the　accident　of　birth；　and　he　stands　always　before　the

grieved　eye　of　poverty　and　obscurity　a　monumental　representative

of　luck。　　And　thensupremest　value　of　all…his　is　the　only　high

fortune　on　the　earth　which　is　secure。　　The　commercial　millionaire

may　become　a　beggar；　the　illustrious　statesman　can　make　a　vital

mistake　and　be　dropped　and　forgotten；　the　illustrious　general　can

lose　a　decisive　battle　and　with　it　the　consideration　of　men；　but

once　a　prince　always　a　princethat　is　to　say；　an　imitation　god；

and　neither　hard　fortune　nor　an　infamous　character　nor　an　addled

brain　nor　the　speech　of　an　ass　can　undeify　him。　　By　common

consent　of　all　the　nations　and　all　the　ages　the　most　valuable

thing　in　this　world　is　the　homage　of　men；　whether　deserved　or

undeserved。　　It　follows　without　doubt　or　question；　then；　that　the

most　desirable　position　possible　is　that　of　a　prince。　　And　I

think　it　also　follows　that　the　so…called　usurpations　with　which

history　is　littered　are　the　most　excusable　misdemeanors　which　men

have　committed。　　To　usurp　a　usurpationthat　is　all　it　amounts

to；　isn't　it？



A　prince　is　not　to　us　what　he　is　to　a　European；　of　course。

We　have　not　been　taught　to　regard　him　as　a　god；　and　so　one　good

look　at　him　is　likely　to　so　nearly　appease　our　curiosity　as　to

make　him　an　object　of　no　greater　interest　the　next　time。　　We　want

a　fresh　one。　　But　it　is　not　so　with　the　European。　　I　am　quite

sure　of　it。　　The　same　old　one　will　answer；　he　never　stales。

Eighteen　years　ago　I　was　in　London　and　I　called　at　an

Englishman's　house　on　a　bleak　and　foggy　and　dismal　December

afternoon　to　visit　his　wife　and　married　daughter　by　appointment。

I　waited　half　an　hour　and　then　they　arrived；　frozen。　　They

explained　that　they　had　been　delayed　by　an　unlooked…for

circumstance：　　while　passing　in　the　neighborhood　of　Marlborough

House　they　saw　a　crowd　gathering　and　were　told　that　the　Prince　of

Wales　was　about　to　drive　out；　so　they　stopped　to　get　a　sight　of

him。　　They　had　waited　half　an　hour　on　the　sidewalk；　freezing　with

the　crowd；　but　were　disappointed　at　lastthe　Prince　had　changed

his　mind。　　I　said；　with　a　good　deal　of　surprise；　〃Is　it　possible

that　you　two　have　lived　in　London　all　your　lives　and　have　never

seen　the　Prince　of　Wales？〃



Apparently　it　was　their　turn　to　be　surprised；　for　they

exclaimed：　　〃What　an　idea！　　Why；　we　have　seen　him　hundreds　of

times。〃



They　had　seem　him　hundreds　of　times；　yet　they　had　waited

half　an　hour　in　the　gloom　and　the　bitter　cold；　in　the　midst　of　a

jam　of　patients　from　the　same　asylum；　on　the　chance　of　seeing　him

again。　　It　was　a　stupefying　statement；　but　one　is　obliged　to

believe　the　English；　even　when　they　say　a　thing　like　that。　　I

fumbled　around　for　a　remark；　and　got　out　this　one：



〃I　can't　understand　it　at　all。　　If　I　had　never　seen　General

Grant　I　doubt　if　I　would　do　that　even　to　get　a　sight　of　him。〃

With　a　slight　emphasis　on　the　last　word。



Their　blank　faces　showed　that　they　wondered　where　the

parallel　came　in。　　Then　they　said；　blankly：　　〃Of　course　not。　　He

is　only　a　President。〃



It　is　doubtless　a　fact　that　a　prince　is　a　permanent

interest；　an　interest　not　subject　to　deterioration。　　The　general

who　was　never　defeated；　the　general　who　never　held　a　council　of

war；　the　only　general　who　ever　commanded　a　connected　battle…front

twelve　hundred　miles　long；　the　smith　who　welded　together　the

broken　parts　of　a　great　republic　and　re…established　it　where　it

is　quite　likely　to　outlast　all　the　monarchies　present　and　to

come；　was　really　a　person　of　no　serious　consequence　to　these

people。　　To　them；　with　their　training；　my　General　was　only　a　man；

after　all；　while　their　Prince　was　clearly　much　more　than　thata

being　of　a　wholly　unsimilar　construction　and　constitution；　and

being　of　no　more　blood　and　kinship　with　men　than　are　the　serene

eternal　lights　of　the　firmament　with　the　poor　dull　tallow　candles

of　commerce　that　sputter　and　die　and　leave　nothing　behind　but　a

pinch　of　ashes　and　a　stink。



I　saw　the　last　act　of　〃Tannh：auser。〃　　I　sat　in　the　gloom　and

the　deep　stillness；　waitingone　minute；　two　minutes；　I　do　not

know　exactly　how　longthen　the　soft　music　of　the　hidden

orchestra　began　to　breathe　its　rich；　long　sighs　out　from　under

the　distant　stage；　and　by　and　by　the　drop…curtain　parted　in　the

middle　and　was　drawn　softly　aside；　disclosing　the　twilighted　wood

and　a　wayside　shrine；　with　a　white…robed　girl　praying　and　a　man

standing　near。　　Presently　that　noble　chorus　of　men's　voices　was

heard　approaching；　and　from　that　moment　until　the　closing　of　the

curtain　it　was　music；　just　musicmusic　to　make　one　drunk　with

pleasure；　music　to　make　one　take　scrip　and　staff　and　beg　his　way

round　the　globe　to　hear　it。



To　such　as　are　intending　to　come　here　in　the　Wagner　season

next　year　I　wish　to　say；　bring　your　dinner…pail　with　you。　　If　you

do；　you　will　never　cease　to　be　thankful。　　If　you　do　not；　you　will

find　it　a　hard　fight　to　save　yourself　from　famishing　in　Bayreuth。

Bayreuth　is　merely　a　large　village；　and　has　no　very　large　hotels

or　eating…houses。　　The　principal　inns　are　the　Golden　Anchor　and

the　Sun。　　At　either　of　these　places　you　can　get　an　excellent

mealno；　I　mean　you　can　go　there　and　see　other　people　get　it。

There　is　no　charge　for　this。　　The　town　is　littered　with

restaurants；　but　they　are　small　and　bad；　and　they　are　overdriven

with　custom。　　You　must　secure　a　table　hours　beforehand；　and　often

when　you　arrive　you　will　find　somebody　occupying　it。　　We　have　had

this　experience。　　We　have　had　a　daily　scramble　for　life；　and　when

I　say　we；　I　include　shoals　of　people。　　I　have　the　impression　that

the　only　people　who　do　not　have　to　scramble　are　the　veteransthe

disciples　who　have　been　here　before　and　know　the　ropes。　　I　think

they　arrive　about　a　week　before　the　first　opera；　and　engage　all

the　tables　for　the　season。　　My　tribe　had　tried　all　kinds　of

placessome　outside　of　the　town；　a　mile　or　twoand　have

captured　only　nibblings　and　odds　and　ends；　never　in　any　instance

a　complete　and　satisfying　meal。　　Digestible？　　No；　the　reverse。

These　odds　and　ends　are　going　to　serve　as　souvenirs　of　Bayreuth；

and　in　that　regard　their　value　is　not　to　be　overestimated。

Photographs　fade；　bric…a…brac　gets　lost；　busts　of　Wagner　get

broken；　but　once　you　absorb　a　Bayreuth…restaurant　meal　it　is　your

possession　and　your　property　until　the　time　comes　to　embalm　the

rest　of　you。　　Some　of　these　pilgrims　here　become；　in　effect；

cabinets；　cabinets　of　souvenirs　of　Bayreuth。　　It　is　believed

among　scientists　that　you　could　examine　the　crop　of　a　dead

Bayreuth　pilgrim　anywhere　in　the　earth　and　tell　where　he　came

from。　　But　I　like　this　ballast。　　I　think　a　〃Hermitage〃　scrap…up

at　eight　in　the　evening；　when　all　the　famine…breeders　have　been

there　and　laid　in　their　mementoes　and　gone；　is　the　quietest　thing

you　can　la