ferragus-第1章

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Ferragus

by　Honore　de　Balzac

Translated　by　Katharine　Prescott　Wormeley





DEDICATION

To　Hector　Berlioz。



PREFACE

Thirteen　men　were　banded　together　in　Paris　under　the　Empire；　all
imbued　with　one　and　the　same　sentiment；　all　gifted　with　sufficient
energy　to　be　faithful　to　the　same　thought；　with　sufficient　honor　among
themselves　never　to　betray　one　another　even　if　their　interests
clashed；　and　sufficiently　wily　and　politic　to　conceal　the　sacred　ties
that　united　them；　sufficiently　strong　to　maintain　themselves　above　the
law；　bold　enough　to　undertake　all　things；　and　fortunate　enough　to
succeed；　nearly　always；　in　their　undertakings；　having　run　the　greatest
dangers；　but　keeping　silence　if　defeated；　inaccessible　to　fear；
trembling　neither　before　princes；　nor　executioners；　not　even　before
innocence；　accepting　each　other　for　such　as　they　were；　without　social
prejudices；criminals；　no　doubt；　but　certainly　remarkable　through
certain　of　the　qualities　that　make　great　men；　and　recruiting　their
number　only　among　men　of　mark。　That　nothing　might　be　lacking　to　the
sombre　and　mysterious　poesy　of　their　history；　these　Thirteen　men　have
remained　to　this　day　unknown；　though　all　have　realized　the　most
chimerical　ideas　that　the　fantastic　power　falsely　attributed　to　the
Manfreds；　the　Fausts；　and　the　Melmoths　can　suggest　to　the　imagination。
To…day；　they　are　broken　up；　or；　at　least；　dispersed；　they　have
peaceably　put　their　necks　once　more　under　the　yoke　of　civil　law；　just
as　Morgan；　that　Achilles　among　pirates；　transformed　himself　from　a
buccaneering　scourge　to　a　quiet　colonist；　and　spent；　without　remorse；
around　his　domestic　hearth　the　millions　gathered　in　blood　by　the　lurid
light　of　flames　and　slaughter。

Since　the　death　of　Napoleon；　circumstances；　about　which　the　author
must　keep　silence；　have　still　farther　dissolved　the　original　bond　of
this　secret　society；　always　extraordinary；　sometimes　sinister；　as
though　it　lived　in　the　blackest　pages　of　Mrs。　Radcliffe。　A　somewhat
strange　permission　to　relate　in　his　own　way　a　few　of　the　adventures　of
these　men　（while　respecting　certain　susceptibilities）　has　only
recently　been　given　to　him　by　one　of　those　anonymous　heroes　to　whom
all　society　was　once　occultly　subjected。　In　this　permission　the　writer
fancied　he　detected　a　vague　desire　for　personal　celebrity。

This　man；　apparently　still　young；　with　fair　hair　and　blue　eyes；　whose
sweet；　clear　voice　seemed　to　denote　a　feminine　soul；　was　pale　of　face
and　mysterious　in　manner；　he　conversed　affably；　declared　himself　not
more　than　forty　years　of　age；　and　apparently　belonged　to　the　very
highest　social　classes。　The　name　which　he　assumed　must　have　been
fictitious；　his　person　was　unknown　in　society。　Who　was　he？　That；　no
one　has　ever　known。

Perhaps；　in　confiding　to　the　author　the　extraordinary　matters　which　he
related　to　him；　this　mysterious　person　may　have　wished　to　see　them　in
a　manner　reproduced；　and　thus　enjoy　the　emotions　they　were　certain　to
bring　to　the　hearts　of　the　masses；a　feeling　analogous　to　that　of
Macpherson　when　the　name　of　his　creation　Ossian　was　transcribed　into
all　languages。　That　was　certainly；　for　the　Scotch　lawyer；　one　of　the
keenest；　or　at　any　rate　the　rarest；　sensations　a　man　could　give
himself。　Is　it　not　the　incognito　of　genius？　To　write　the　〃Itinerary
from　Paris　to　Jerusalem〃　is　to　take　a　share　in　the　human　glory　of　a
single　epoch；　but　to　endow　his　native　land　with　another　Homer；　was　not
that　usurping　the　work　of　God？

The　author　knows　too　well　the　laws　of　narration　to　be　ignorant　of　the
pledges　this　short　preface　is　contracting　for　him；　but　he　also　knows
enough　of　the　history　of　the　THIRTEEN　to　be　certain　that　his　present
tale　will　never　be　thought　below　the　interest　inspired　by　this
programme。　Dramas　steeped　in　blood；　comedies　filled　with　terror；
romantic　tales　through　which　rolled　heads　mysteriously　decapitated；
have　been　confided　to　him。　If　readers　were　not　surfeited　with　horrors
served　up　to　them　of　late　in　cold　blood；　he　might　reveal　the　calm
atrocities；　the　surpassing　tragedies　concealed　under　family　life。　But
he　chooses　in　preference　gentler　events；those　where　scenes　of　purity
succeed　the　tempests　of　passion；　where　woman　is　radiant　with　virtue
and　beauty。　To　the　honor　of　the　THIRTEEN　be　it　said　that　there　are
such　scenes　in　their　history；　which　may　have　the　honor　of　being　some
day　published　as　a　foil　of　tales　to　listeners；that　race　apart　from
others；　so　curiously　energetic；　and　so　interesting　in　spite　of　its
crimes。

An　author　ought　to　be　above　converting　his　tale；　when　the　tale　is
true；　into　a　species　of　surprise…game；　and　of　taking　his　readers；　as
certain　novellists　do；　through　many　volumes　and　from　cellar　to　cellar；
to　show　them　the　dry　bones　of　a　dead　body；　and　tell　them；　by　way　of
conclusion；　that　THAT　is　what　has　frightened　them　behind　doors；　hidden
in　the　arras；　or　in　cellars　where　the　dead　man　was　buried　and
forgotten。　In　spite　of　his　aversion　for　prefaces；　the　author　feels
bound　to　place　the　following　statement　at　the　head　of　this　narrative。
Ferragus　is　a　first　episode　which　clings　by　invisible　links　to　the
〃History　of　the　THIRTEEN；〃　whose　power；　naturally　acquired；　can　alone
explain　certain　acts　and　agencies　which　would　otherwise　seem
supernatural。　Although　it　is　permissible　in　tellers　of　tales　to　have　a
sort　of　literary　coquetry　in　becoming　historians；　they　ought　to
renounce　the　benefit　that　may　accrue　from　an　odd　or　fantastic　title
on　which　certain　slight　successes　have　been　won　in　the　present　day。
Consequently；　the　author　will　now　explain；　succinctly；　the　reasons
that　obliged　him　to　select　a　title　to　his　book　which　seems　at　first
sight　unnatural。

FERRAGUS　is；　according　to　ancient　custom；　a　name　taken　by　the　chief　or
Grand　Master　of　the　Devorants。　On　the　day　of　their　election　these
chiefs　continue　whichever　of　the　dynasties　of　their　Order　they　are
most　in　sympathy　with；　precisely　as　the　Popes　do；　on　their　accession；
in　connection　with　pontifical　dynasties。　Thus　the　Devorants　have
〃Trempe…la　Soupe　IX。；〃　〃Ferragus　XXII。；〃　〃Tutanus　XIII。；〃　〃Masche…Fer
IV。；〃　just　as　the　Church　has　Clement　XIV。；　Gregory　VII。；　Julius　II。；
Alexander　VI。；　etc。

Now；　then；　who　are　the　Devorants？　〃Devorant〃　is　the　name　of　one　of
those　tribes　of　〃Companions〃　that　issued　in　ancient　times　from　the
great　mystical　association　formed　among　the　workers　of　Christianity　to
rebuild　the　temple　at　Jerusalem。　Companionism　（to　coin　a　word）　still
exists　in　France　among　the　people。　Its　traditions；　powerful　over　minds
that　are　not　enlightened；　and　over　men　not　educated　enough　to　cast
aside　an　oath；　might　serve　the　ends　of　formidable　enterprises　if　some
rough…hewn　genius　were　to　seize　hold　of　these　diverse　associations。
All　the　instruments　of　this　Companionism　are　well…nigh　blind。　From
town　to　town　there　has　existed　from　time　immemorial；　for　the　use　of
Companions；　an　〃Obade；〃a　sort　of　halting…place；　kept　by　a　〃Mother；〃
an　old　woman；　half…gypsy；　with　nothing　to　lose；　knowing　everything
that　happens　in　her　neighborhood；　and　devoted；　either　from　fear　or
habit；　to　the　tribe；　whose　straggling　members　she　feeds　and　lodges。
This　people；　ever　moving　and　changing；　though　controlled　by　immutable
customs；　has　its　eyes　everywhere；　executes；　without　judging　it；　a
WILL；for　the　oldest　Companion　still　belongs　to　an　era　when　men　had
faith。　Moreover；　the　whole　body　professes　doctrines　that　are
sufficiently　true　and　sufficiently　mysterious　to　electrify　into　a　sort
of　tribal　loyalty　all　adepts　whenever　they　obtain　even　a　slight
development。　The　attachment　of　the　Companions　to　their　laws　is　so
passionate　that　the　diverse　tribes　will　fight　sanguinary　battles　with
each　other　in　defence　of　some　question　of　principle。

Happily　for　our　present　public　safety；　when　a　Devorant　is　ambitious；
he　builds　houses；　lays　by　his　money；　and　leaves　the　Order。　There　is
many　a　curious　thing　to　tell　about　the　〃Compagnons　du　Devoir〃
＇Companions　of　the　Duty＇；　the　rivals　of　the　Devorants；　and　about　the
different　sects　of　working…men；　their　usages；　their　fraternity；　and
the　bond　existing　between　them　and　the　free…masons。　But　such　details
would　be　out　of　place　here。　The　auth