louis lambert-第3章

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sum　to　leave　lasting　memories　in　Madame　de　Stael；　whose　excitable
nature　found　ample　pasture　during　the　vicissitudes　of　1814　and　1815；
which　absorbed　all　her　interest。

At　this　time　Louis　Lambert　was　at　once　too　proud　and　too　poor　to　go　in
search　of　a　patroness　who　was　traveling　all　over　Europe。　However；　he
went　on　foot　from　Blois　to　Paris　in　the　hope　of　seeing　her；　and
arrived；　unluckily；　on　the　very　day　of　her　death。　Two　letters　from
Lambert　to　the　Baroness　remained　unanswered。　The　memory　of　Madame　de
Stael's　good　intentions　with　regard　to　Louis　remains；　therefore；　only
in　some　few　young　minds；　struck；　as　mine　was；　by　the　strangeness　of
the　story。

No　one　who　had　not　gone　through　the　training　at　our　college　could
understand　the　effect　usually　made　on　our　minds　by　the　announcement
that　a　〃new　boy〃　had　arrived；　or　the　impression　that　such　an　adventure
as　Louis　Lambert's　was　calculated　to　produce。

And　here　a　little　information　must　be　given　as　to　the　primitive
administration　of　this　institution；　originally　half…military　and　half…
monastic；　to　explain　the　new　life　which　there　awaited　Lambert。　Before
the　Revolution；　the　Oratorians；　devoted；　like　the　Society　of　Jesus；　to
the　education　of　youthsucceeding　the　Jesuits；　in　fact；　in　certain　of
their　establishmentsthe　colleges　of　Vendome；　of　Tournon；　of　la
Fleche；　Pont…Levoy；　Sorreze；　and　Juilly。　That　at　Vendome；　like　the
others；　I　believe；　turned　out　a　certain　number　of　cadets　for　the　army。
The　abolition　of　educational　bodies；　decreed　by　the　convention；　had
but　little　effect　on　the　college　at　Vendome。　When　the　first　crisis　had
blown　over；　the　authorities　recovered　possession　of　their　buildings；
certain　Oratorians；　scattered　about　the　country；　came　back　to　the
college　and　re…opened　it　under　the　old　rules；　with　the　habits；
practices；　and　customs　which　gave　this　school　a　character　with　which　I
have　seen　nothing　at　all　comparable　in　any　that　I　have　visited　since　I
left　that　establishment。

Standing　in　the　heart　of　the　town；　on　the　little　river　Loire　which
flows　under　its　walls；　the　college　possesses　extensive　precincts；
carefully　enclosed　by　walls；　and　including　all　the　buildings　necessary
for　an　institution　on　that　scale：　a　chapel；　a　theatre；　an　infirmary；　a
bakehouse；　gardens；　and　water　supply。　This　college　is　the　most
celebrated　home　of　learning　in　all　the　central　provinces；　and　receives
pupils　from　them　and　from　the　colonies。　Distance　prohibits　any
frequent　visits　from　parents　to　their　children。

The　rule　of　the　House　forbids　holidays　away　from　it。　Once　entered
there；　a　pupil　never　leaves　till　his　studies　are　finished。　With　the
exception　of　walks　taken　under　the　guidance　of　the　Fathers；　everything
is　calculated　to　give　the　School　the　benefit　of　conventual　discipline；
in　my　day　the　tawse　was　still　a　living　memory；　and　the　classical
leather　strap　played　its　terrible　part　with　all　the　honors。　The
punishment　originally　invented　by　the　Society　of　Jesus；　as　alarming　to
the　moral　as　to　the　physical　man；　was　still　in　force　in　all　the
integrity　of　the　original　code。

Letters　to　parents　were　obligatory　on　certain　days；　so　was　confession。
Thus　our　sins　and　our　sentiments　were　all　according　to　pattern。
Everything　bore　the　stamp　of　monastic　rule。　I　well　remember；　among
other　relics　of　the　ancient　order；　the　inspection　we　went　through
every　Sunday。　We　were　all　in　our　best；　placed　in　file　like　soldiers　to
await　the　arrival　of　the　two　inspectors　who；　attended　by　the　tutors
and　the　tradesmen；　examined　us　from　the　three　points　of　view　of　dress；
health；　and　morals。

The　two　or　three　hundred　pupils　lodged　in　the　establishment　were
divided；　according　to　ancient　custom；　into　the　/minimes/　（the
smallest）；　the　little　boys；　the　middle　boys；　and　the　big　boys。　The
division　of　the　/minimes/　included　the　eighth　and　seventh　classes；　the
little　boys　formed　the　sixth；　fifth；　and　fourth；　the　middle　boys　were
classed　as　third　and　second；　and　the　first　class　comprised　the　senior
studentsof　philosophy；　rhetoric；　the　higher　mathematics；　and
chemistry。　Each　of　these　divisions　had　its　own　building；　classrooms；
and　play…ground；　in　the　large　common　precincts　on　to　which　the
classrooms　opened；　and　beyond　which　was　the　refectory。

This　dining…hall；　worthy　of　an　ancient　religious　Order；　accommodated
all　the　school。　Contrary　to　the　usual　practice　in　educational
institutions；　we　were　allowed　to　talk　at　our　meals；　a　tolerant
Oratorian　rule　which　enabled　us　to　exchange　plates　according　to　our
taste。　This　gastronomical　barter　was　always　one　of　the　chief　pleasures
of　our　college　life。　If　one　of　the　〃middle〃　boys　at　the　head　of　his
table　wished　for　a　helping　of　lentils　instead　of　dessertfor　we　had
dessertthe　offer　was　passed　down　from　one　to　another：　〃Dessert　for
lentils！〃　till　some　other　epicure　had　accepted；　then　the　plate　of
lentils　was　passed　up　to　the　bidder　from　hand　to　hand；　and　the　plate
of　dessert　returned　by　the　same　road。　Mistakes　were　never　made。　If
several　identical　offers　were　made；　they　were　taken　in　order；　and　the
formula　would　be；　〃Lentils　number　one　for　dessert　number　one。〃　The
tables　were　very　long；　our　incessant　barter　kept　everything　moving；　we
transacted　it　with　amazing　eagerness；　and　the　chatter　of　three　hundred
lads；　the　bustling　to　and　fro　of　the　servants　employed　in　changing　the
plates；　setting　down　the　dishes；　handing　the　bread；　with　the　tours　of
inspection　of　the　masters；　made　this　refectory　at　Vendome　a　scene
unique　in　its　way；　and　the　amazement　of　visitors。

To　make　our　life　more　tolerable；　deprived　as　we　were　of　all
communication　with　the　outer　world　and　of　family　affection；　we　were
allowed　to　keep　pigeons　and　to　have　gardens。　Our　two　or　three　hundred
pigeon…houses；　with　a　thousand　birds　nesting　all　round　the　outer　wall；
and　above　thirty　garden　plots；　were　a　sight　even　stranger　than　our
meals。　But　a　full　account　of　the　peculiarities　which　made　the　college
at　Vendome　a　place　unique　in　itself　and　fertile　in　reminiscences　to
those　who　spent　their　boyhood　there；　would　be　weariness　to　the　reader。
Which　of　us　all　but　remembers　with　delight；　notwithstanding　the
bitterness　of　learning；　the　eccentric　pleasures　of　that　cloistered
life？　The　sweetmeats　purchased　by　stealth　in　the　course　of　our　walks；
permission　obtained　to　play　cards　and　devise　theatrical　performances
during　the　holidays；　such　tricks　and　freedom　as　were　necessitated　by
our　seclusion；　then；　again；　our　military　band；　a　relic　of　the　cadets；
our　academy；　our　chaplain；　our　Father　professors；　and　all　our　games
permitted　or　prohibited；　as　the　case　might　be；　the　cavalry　charges　on
stilts；　the　long　slides　made　in　winter；　the　clatter　of　our　clogs；　and；
above　all；　the　trading　transactions　with　〃the　shop〃　set　up　in　the
courtyard　itself。

This　shop　was　kept　by　a　sort　of　cheap…jack；　of　whom　big　and　little
boys　could　procureaccording　to　his　prospectusboxes；　stilts；　tools；
Jacobin　pigeons；　and　Nuns；　Mass…booksan　article　in　small　demand
penknives；　paper；　pens；　pencils；　ink　of　all　colors；　balls　and　marbles；
in　short；　the　whole　catalogue　of　the　most　treasured　possessions　of
boys；　including　everything　from　sauce　for　the　pigeons　we　were　obliged
to　kill　off；　to　the　earthenware　pots　in　which　we　set　aside　the　rice
from　supper　to　be　eaten　at　next　morning's　breakfast。　Which　of　us　was
so　unhappy　as　to　have　forgotten　how　his　heart　beat　at　the　sight　of
this　booth；　open　periodically　during　play…hours　on　Sundays；　to　which
we　went；　each　in　his　turn；　to　spend　his　little　pocket…money；　while　the
smallness　of　the　sum　allowed　by　our　parents　for　these　minor　pleasures
required　us　to　make　a　choice　among　all　the　objects　that　appealed　so
strongly　to　our　desires？　Did　ever　a　young　wife；　to　whom　her　husband；
during　the　first　days　of　happiness；　hands；　twelve　times　a　year；　a
purse　of　gold；　the　budget　of　her　personal　fancies；　dream　of　so　many
different　purchases；　each　of　which　would　absorb　the　whole　sum；　as　we
imagined　possible　on　the　eve　of　the　first　Sunday　in　each　month？　For
six　francs　during　one　night　we　owned　every　delight　of　that
inexhaustible　shop！　and　during　Mass　every　response　we　chanted　was
mixed　up　in　our　minds　with　our　secret　calculations。　Which　of　us　all
can　r