modeste mignon-第15章
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for he is not without mind; but his talent prevents him from
developing it; he is overweighted by his reputation; and is always
aiming to make himself appear greater than he has the credit of being。
Thus; as often happens; the man is entirely out of keeping with the
products of his thought。 The author of these naive; caressing; tender
little lyrics; these calm idylls pure and cold as the surface of a
lake; these verses so essentially feminine; is an ambitious little
creature in a tightly buttoned frock…coat; with the air of a diplomat
seeking political influence; smelling of the musk of aristocracy; full
of pretension; thirsting for money; already spoiled by success in two
directions; and wearing the double wreath of myrtle and of laurel。 A
government situation worth eight thousand francs; three thousand
francs' annuity from the literary fund; two thousand from the Academy;
three thousand more from the paternal estate (less the taxes and the
cost of keeping it in order);a total fixed income of fifteen
thousand francs; plus the ten thousand bought in; one year with
another; by his poetry; in all twenty…five thousand francs;this for
Modeste's hero was so precarious and insufficient an income that he
usually spent five or six thousand francs more every year; but the
king's privy purse and the secret funds of the foreign office had
hitherto supplied the deficit。 He wrote a hymn for the king's
coronation which earned him a whole silver service;having refused a
sum of money on the ground that a Canalis owed his duty to his
sovereign。
But about this time Canalis had; as the journalists say; exhausted his
budget。 He felt himself unable to invent any new form of poetry; his
lyre did not have seven strings; it had one; and having played on that
one string so long; the public allowed him no other alternative but to
hang himself with it; or to hold his tongue。 De Marsay; who did not
like Canalis; made a remark whose poisoned shaft touched the poet to
the quick of his vanity。 〃Canalis;〃 he said; 〃always reminds me of
that brave man whom Frederic the Great called up and commended after a
battle because his trumpet had never ceased tooting its one little
tune。〃 Canalis's ambition was to enter political life; and he made
capital of a journey he had taken to Madrid as secretary to the
embassy of the Duc de Chaulieu; though it was really made; according
to Parisian gossip; in the capacity of 〃attache to the duchess。〃 How
many times a sarcasm or a single speech has decided the whole course
of a man's life。 Colla; the late president of the Cisalpine republic;
and the best lawyer in Piedmont; was told by a friend when he was
forty years of age that he knew nothing of botany。 He was piqued;
became a second Jussieu; cultivated flowers; and compiled and
published 〃The Flora of Piedmont;〃 in Latin; a labor of ten years。
〃I'll master De Marsay some of these days!〃 thought the crushed poet;
〃after all; Canning and Chateaubriand are both in politics。〃
Canalis would gladly have brought forth some great political poem; but
he was afraid of the French press; whose criticisms are savage upon
any writer who takes four alexandrines to express one idea。 Of all the
poets of our day only three; Hugo; Theophile Gautier; and De Vigny;
have been able to win the double glory of poet and prose…writer; like
Racine and Voltaire; Moliere; and Rabelais;a rare distinction in the
literature of France; which ought to give a man a right to the
crowning title of poet。
So then; the bard of the faubourg Saint…Germain was doing a wise thing
in trying to house his little chariot under the protecting roof of the
present government。 When he became president of the court of Claims at
the foreign office; he stood in need of a secretary;a friend who
could take his place in various ways; cook up his interests with
publishers; see to his glory in the newspapers; help him if need be in
politics;in short; a cat's paw and satellite。 In Paris many men of
celebrity in art; science; and literature have one or more train…
bearers; captains of the guard; chamberlains as it were; who live in
the sunshine of their presence;aides…de…camp entrusted with delicate
missions; allowing themselves to be compromised if necessary; workers
round the pedestal of the idol; not exactly his servants; nor yet his
equals; bold in his defence; first in the breach; covering all
retreats; busy with his business; and devoted to him just so long as
their illusions last; or until the moment when they have got all they
wanted。 Some of these satellites perceive the ingratitude of their
great man; others feel that they are simply made tools of; many weary
of the life; very few remain contented with that sweet equality of
feeling and sentiment which is the only reward that should be looked
for in an intimacy with a superior man;a reward that contented Ali
when Mohammed raised him to himself。
Many of these men; misled by vanity; think themselves quite as capable
as their patron。 Pure devotion; such as Modeste conceived it; without
money and without price; and more especially without hope; is rare。
Nevertheless there are Mennevals to be found; more perhaps in Paris
than elsewhere; men who value a life in the background with its
peaceful toil; these are the wandering Benedictines of our social
world; which offers them no other monastery。 These brave; meek hearts
live; by their actions and in their hidden lives; the poetry that
poets utter。 They are poets themselves in soul; in tenderness; in
their lonely vigils and meditations;as truly poets as others of the
name on paper; who fatten in the fields of literature at so much a
verse; like Lord Byron; like all who live; alas; by ink; the
Hippocrene water of to…day; for want of a better。
Attracted by the fame of Canalis; also by the prospect of political
interest; and advised thereto by Madame d'Espard; who acted in the
matter for the Duchesse de Chaulieu; a young lawyer of the court of
Claims became secretary and confidential friend of the poet; who
welcomed and petted him very much as a broker caresses his first
dabbler in the funds。 The beginning of this companionship bore a very
fair resemblance to friendship。 The young man had already held the
same relation to a minister; who went out of office in 1827; taking
care before he did so to appoint his young secretary to a place in the
foreign office。 Ernest de La Briere; then about twenty…seven years of
age; was decorated with the Legion of honor but was without other
means than his salary; he was accustomed to the management of business
and had learned a good deal of life during his four years in a
minister's cabinet。 Kindly; amiable; and over…modest; with a heart
full of pure and sound feelings; he was averse to putting himself in
the foreground。 He loved his country; and wished to serve her; but
notoriety abashed him。 To him the place of secretary to a Napoleon was
far more desirable than that of the minister himself。 As soon as he
became the friend and secretary of Canalis he did a great amount of
labor for him; but by the end of eighteen months he had learned to
understand the barrenness of a nature that was poetic through literary
expression only。 The truth of the old proverb; 〃The cowl doesn't make
the monk;〃 is eminently shown in literature。 It is extremely rare to
find among literary men a nature and a talent that are in perfect
accord。 The faculties are not the man himself。 This disconnection;
whose phenomena are amazing; proceeds from an unexplored; possibly an
unexplorable mystery。 The brain and its products of all kinds (for in
art the hand of man is a continuation of his brain) are a world apart;
which flourishes beneath the cranium in absolute independence of
sentiments; feelings; and all that is called virtue; the virtue of
citizens; fathers; and private life。 This; however true; is not
absolutely so; nothing is absolutely true of man。 It is certain that