sons of the soil-第64章

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application。　Each　poem　contained　in　the　first　canto　a　description　of

the　〃object　sung；〃　preceded　（as　in　the　case　of　Gourdon）　by　a　species

of　invocation；　of　which　the　following　is　a　model：



　　I　sing　the　good　game　that　belongeth　to　all；

　　The　game；　be　it　known；　of　the　Cup　and　the　Ball；

　　Dear　to　little　and　great；　to　the　fools　and　the　wise；

　　Charming　game！　where　the　cure　of　all　tedium　lies；

　　When　we　toss　up　the　ball　on　the　point　of　a　stick

　　Palamedus　himself　might　have　envied　the　trick；

　　O　Muse　of　the　Loves　and　the　Laughs　and　the　Games；

　　Come　down　and　assist　me；　for；　true　to　your　aims；

　　I　have　ruled　off　this　paper　in　syllable　squares。

　　Come；　help　me



After　explaining　the　game　and　describing　the　handsomest　cup…and…balls

recorded　in　history；　after　relating　what　fabulous　custom　it　had

formerly　brought　to　the　Singe…Vert　and　to　all　dealers　in　toys　and

turned　ivories；　and　finally；　after　proving　that　the　game　attained　to

the　dignity　of　statics；　Gourdon　ended　the　first　canto　with　the

following　conclusion；　which　will　remind　the　erudite　reader　of　all　the

conclusions　of　the　first　cantos　of　all　these　poems：



　　'Tis　thus　that　the　arts　and　the　sciences；　too；

　　Find　wisdom　in　things　that　seemed　silly　to　you。



The　second　canto；　invariably　employed　to　depict　the　manner　of　using

〃the　object；〃　explaining　how　to　exhibit　it　in　society　and　before

women；　and　the　benefit　to　be　derived　therefrom；　will　be　readily

conceived　by　the　friends　of　this　virtuous　literature　from　the

following　quotation；　which　depicts　the　player　going　through　his

performance　under　the　eyes　of　his　chosen　lady：



　　Now　look　at　the　player　who　sits　in　your　midst；

　　On　that　ivory　ball　how　his　sharp　eye　is　fixt；

　　He　waits　and　he　watches　with　keenest　attention；

　　Its　least　little　movement　in　all　its　precision；

　　The　ball　its　parabola　thrice　has　gone　round；

　　At　the　end　of　the　string　to　which　it　is　bound。

　　Up　it　goes！　but　the　player　his　triumph　has　missed；

　　For　the　disc　has　come　down　on　his　maladroit　wrist；

　　But　little　he　cares　for　the　sting　of　the　ball；

　　A　smile　from　his　mistress　consoles　for　it　all。



It　was　this　delineation；　worthy　of　Virgil；　which　first　raised　a　doubt

as　to　Delille's　superiority　over　Gourdon。　The　word　〃disc；〃　contested

by　the　opinionated　Brunet；　gave　matter　for　discussions　which　lasted

eleven　months；　in　fact；　until　Gourdon　the　scientist；　one　evening　when

all　present　were　on　the　point　of　getting　seriously　angry；　annihilated

the　anti…discers　by　observing：



〃The　moon；　called　a　DISC　by　poets；　is　undoubtedly　a　ball。〃



〃How　do　you　know　that？〃　retorted　Brunet。　〃We　have　never　seen　but　one

side。〃



The　third　canto　told　the　regulation　story；in　this　instance；　the

famous　anecdote　of　the　cup…and…ball　which　all　the　world　knows　by

heart；　concerning　a　celebrated　minister　of　Louis　XVI。　According　to　the

sacred　formula　delivered　by　the　〃Debats〃　from　1810　to　1814；　in　praise

of　these　glorious　words；　Gourdon's　ode　〃borrowed　fresh　charms　from

poesy　to　embellish　the　tale。〃



The　fourth　canto　summed　up　the　whole；　and　concluded　with　these　daring

words；not　published；　be　it　remarked；　from　1810　to　1814；　in　fact；

they　did　not　see　the　light　till　1824；　after　Napoleon's　death。



　　'Twas　thus　that　I　sang　in　the　time　of　alarms。

　　Oh；　if　kings　would　consent　to　bear　no　other　arms；

　　And　people　enjoyed　what　was　best　for　them　all；

　　The　sweet　little　game　of　the　Cup　and　the　Ball；

　　Our　Burgundy　then　might　be　free　of　all　fear；

　　And　return　to　the　good　days　of　Saturn　and　Rhea。



These　fine　verses　were　published　in　a　first　and　only　edition　from　the

press　of　Bournier；　printer　of　Ville…aux…Fayes。　One　hundred

subscribers；　in　the　sum　of　three　francs；　guaranteed　the　dangerous

precedent　of　immortality　to　the　poem；a　liberality　that　was　all　the

greater　because　these　hundred　persons　had　heard　the　poem　from

beginning　to　end　a　hundred　times　over。



Madame　Soudry　had　lately　suppressed　the　cup…and…ball；　which　usually

lay　on　a　pier…table　in　the　salon　and　for　the　last　seven　years　had

given　rise　to　endless　quotations；　for　she　finally　discovered　in　the

toy　a　rival　to　her　own　attractions。



As　to　the　author；　who　boasted　of　future　poems　in　his　desk；　it　is

enough　to　quote　the　terms　in　which　he　mentioned　to　the　leading　society

of　Soulanges　a　rival　candidate　for　literary　honors。



〃Have　you　heard　a　curious　piece　of　news？〃　he　had　said；　two　years

earlier。　〃There　is　another　poet　in　Burgundy！　Yes；〃　he　added；　remarking

the　astonishment　on　all　faces；　〃he　comes　from　Macon。　But　you　could

never　imagine　the　subjects　he　takes　up；a　perfect　jumble；　absolutely

unintelligible；lakes；　stars；　waves；　billows！　not　a　single

philosophical　image；　not　even　a　didactic　effort！　he　is　ignorant　of　the

very　meaning　of　poetry。　He　calls　the　sky　by　its　name。　He　says　'moon；'

bluntly；　instead　of　naming　it　'the　planet　of　night。'　That's　what　the

desire　to　be　thought　original　brings　men　to；〃　added　Gourdon；

mournfully。　〃Poor　young　man！　A　Burgundian；　and　sing　such　stuff　as

that！the　pity　of　it！　If　he　had　only　consulted　me；　I　would　have

pointed　out　to　him　the　noblest　of　all　themes；　wine；a　poem　to　be

called　the　Baccheide；　for　which；　alas！　I　now　feel　myself　too　old。〃



This　great　poet　is　still　ignorant　of　his　finest　triumph　（though　he

owes　it　to　the　fact　of　being　a　Burgundian）；　namely；　that　of　living　in

the　town　of　Soulanges；　so　rounded　and　perfected　within　itself　that　it

knows　nothing　of　the　modern　Pleiades；　not　even　their　names。



A　hundred　Gourdons　made　poetry　under　the　Empire；　and　yet　they　tell　us

it　was　a　period　that　neglected　literature！　Examine　the　〃Journal　de　la

Libraire〃　and　you　will　find　poems　on　the　game　of　draughts；　on

backgammon；　on　tricks　with　cards；　on　geography；　typography；　comedy；

etc。；not　to　mention　the　vaunted　masterpieces　of　Delille　on　Piety；

Imagination；　Conversation；　and　those　of　Berchoux　on　Gastromania　and

Dansomania；　etc。　Who　can　foresee　the　chances　and　changes　of　taste；　the

caprices　of　fashion；　the　transformations　of　the　human　mind？　The

generations　as　they　pass　along　sweep　out　of　sight　the　last　fragments

of　the　idols　they　found　on　their　path　and　set　up　other　gods；to　be

overthrown　like　the　rest。



Sarcus；　a　handsome　little　man　with　a　dapple…gray　head；　devoted　himself

in　turn　to　Themis　and　to　Flora；in　other　words；　to　legislation　and　a

greenhouse。　For　the　last　twelve　years　he　had　been　meditating　a　book　on

the　History　of　the　Institution　of　Justices　of　the　Peace；　〃whose

political　and　judiciary　role；〃　he　said；　〃had　already　passed　through

several　phases；　all　derived　from　the　Code　of　Brumaire；　year　IV。；　and

to…day　that　institution；　so　precious　to　the　nation；　had　lost　its　power

because　the　salaries　were　not　in　keeping　with　the　importance　of　its

functions；　which　ought　to　be　performed　by　irremovable　officials。〃

Rated　in　the　community　as　an　able　man；　Sarcus　was　the　accepted

statesman　of　Madame　Soudry's　salon；　you　can　readily　imagine　that　he

was　the　leading　bore。　They　said　he　talked　like　a　book。　Gaubertin

prophesied　he　would　receive　the　cross　of　the　Legion　of　honor；　but　not

until　the　day　when；　as　Leclercq's　successor；　he　should　take　his　seat

on　the　benches　of　the　Left　Centre。



Guerbet；　the　collector；　a　man　of　parts；　a　heavy；　fat；　individual　with

a　buttery　face；　a　toupet　on　his　bald　spot；　gold　earrings；　which　were

always　in　difficulty　with　his　shirt…collar；　had　the　hobby　of　pomology。

Proud　of　possessing　the　finest　fruit…garden　in　the　arrondissement；　he

gathered　his　first　crops　a　month　later　than　those　of　Paris；　his　hot…

beds　supplied　him　with　pine…apples；　nectarines；　and　peas；　out　of

season。　He　brought　bunches　of　strawberries　to　Madame　Soudry　with　pride

when　the　fruit　could　be　bought　for　ten　sous　a　basket　in　Paris。



Soulanges　possessed　a　pharmaceutist　named　Vermut；　a　chemist；　who　was

more　of　a　chemist　than　Sarcus　was　a　statesman；　or　Lupin　a　singer；　or

Gourdon　the　elder　a　scientist；　or　his　brother　a　poet。　Nevertheless；

the　leading　so