the origins of contemporary france-1-第32章

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Bon…Enfants　are　the　hotel　of　the　keeper　of　the　wardrobe；　the　lodgings

for　the　fountain…men；　the　hotel　of　the　officers　of　the　Comtesse　de

Provence。　　In　the　Rue　de　la　Pompe；　the　hotel　of　the　grand…provost；　the

Duke　of　Orleans's　stables；　the　hotel　of　the　Comte　d'Artois's

guardsmen；　the　queen's　stables；　the　pavilion　des　Sources。　　…　　In　the

Rue　Satory　the　Comtesse　d'Artois's　stables；　Monsieur's　English　garden；

the　king's　ice…houses；　the　riding…hall　of　the　king's　light…horse…

guards；　the　garden　belonging　to　the　hotel　of　the　treasurers　of　the

buildings。　　…　　Judge　of　other　streets　by　these　four。　　One　cannot　take　a

hundred　steps　without　encountering　some　accessory　of　the　palace：　the

hotel　of　the　staff　of　the　body…guard；　the　hotel　of　the　staff　of　light…

horse…guards；　the　immense　hotel　of　the　body…guard　itself；　the　hotel　of

the　gendarmes　of　the　guard；　the　hotel　of　the　grand　wolf…huntsman；　of

the　grand　falconer；　of　the　grand　huntsman；　of　the　grand…master；　of　the

commandant　of　the　canal；　of　the　comptroller…general；　of　the

superintendent　of　the　buildings；　and　of　the　chancellor；　buildings

devoted　to　falconry；　and　the　vol　de　cabinet；　to　boar…hunting；　to　the

grand　kennel；　to　the　dauphin　kennel；　to　the　kennel　for　untrained　dogs；

to　the　court　carriages；　to　shops　and　storehouses　connected　with

amusements；　to　the　great　stable　and　the　little　stables；　to　other

stables　in　the　Rue　de　Limoges；　in　the　Rue　Royale；　and　in　the　Avenue

Saint…Cloud；　to　the　king's　vegetable　garden；　comprising　twenty…nine

gardens　and　four　terraces；　to　the　great　dwelling　occupied　by　2；000

persons；　with　other　tenements　called　〃Louises〃　in　which　the　king

assigned　temporary　or　permanent　lodgings；　　…　　words　on　paper　render　no

physical　impression　of　the　physical　enormity。　　…　　At　the　present　day

nothing　remains　of　this　old　Versailles；　mutilated　and　appropriated　to

other　uses；　but　fragments；　which；　nevertheless；　one　should　go　and　see。

Observe　those　three　avenues　meeting　in　the　great　square。　　Two　hundred

and　forty　feet　broad　and　twenty…four　hundred　long；　and　not　too　large

for　the　gathering　crowds；　the　display；　the　blinding　velocity　of　the

escorts　in　full　speed　and　of　the　carriages　running　〃at　death's

door。〃＇5＇　Observe　the　two　stables　facing　the　chateau　with　their

railings　one　hundred　and　ninety…two　feet　long。　　In　1682　they　cost　three

millions；　that　is　to　say；　fifteen　millions　to　day。　　They　are　so　ample

and　beautiful　that；　even　under　Louis　XIV　himself；　they　sometimes

served　as　a　cavalcade　circus　for　the　princes；　sometimes　as　a　theater；

and　sometimes　as　a　ball…room。　　Then　let　the　eye　follow　the　development

of　the　gigantic　semi…circular　square　which；　from　railing　to　railing

and　from　court　to　court；　ascends　and　slowly　decreases；　at　first

between　the　hotels　of　the　ministers　and　then　between　the　two　colossal

wings；　terminating　in　the　ostentatious　frame　of　the　marble　court　where

pilasters；　statues；　pediments；　and　multiplied　and　accumulated

ornaments；　story　above　story；　carry　the　majestic　regularity　of　their

lines　and　the　overcharged　mass　of　their　decoration　up　to　the　sky。

According　to　a　bound　manuscript　bearing　the　arms　of　Mansart；　the

palace　cost　153　million；　that　is　to　say；　about　750　million　francs　of

to　day；＇6＇　when　a　king　aims　at　imposing　display　this　is　the　cost　of

his　lodging。　　Now　turn　the　eye　to　the　other　side；　towards　the　gardens；

and　this　self…display　becomes　the　more　impressive。　　The　parterres　and

the　park　are；　again；　a　drawing　room　in　the　open　air。　　There　is　nothing

natural　of　nature　here；　she　is　put　in　order　and　rectified　wholly　with

a　view　to　society；　this　is　no　place　to　be　alone　and　to　relax　oneself；

but　a　place　for　promenades　and　the　exchange　of　polite　salutations。

Those　formal　groves　are　walls　and　hangings；　those　shaven　yews　are

vases　and　lyres。　　The　parterres　are　flowering　carpets。　　In　those

straight；　rectilinear　avenues　the　king；　with　his　cane　in　his　hand；

groups　around　him　his　entire　retinue。　　Sixty　ladies　in　brocade　dresses；

expanding　into　skirts　measuring　twenty…four　feet　in　circumference；

easily　find　room　on　the　steps　of　the　staircases。＇7＇　Those　verdant

cabinets　afford　shade　for　a　princely　collation。　　Under　that　circular

portico；　all　the　seigniors　enjoying　the　privilege　of　entering　it

witness　together　the　play　of　a　new　jet　d'eau。　　Their　counterparts　greet

them　even　in　the　marble　and　bronze　figures　which　people　the　paths　and

basins；　in　the　dignified　face　of　an　Apollo；　in　the　theatrical　air　of　a

Jupiter；　in　the　worldly　ease　or　studied　nonchalance　of　a　Diana　or　a

Venus。　　The　stamp　of　the　court；　deepened　through　the　joint　efforts　of

society　for　a　century；　is　so　strong　that　it　is　graven　on　each　detail

as　on　the　whole；　and　on　material　objects　as　on　matters　of　the

intellect。



II。　　The　King's　Household。



Its　officials　and　expenses。　　…　His　military　family；　his　stable；

kennel；　chapel；　attendants；　table；　chamber；　wardrobe；　outhouses；

furniture；　journeys。



The　foregoing　is　but　the　framework；　before　1789　it　was　completely

filled　up。　　〃You　have　seen　nothing；〃　says　Chateaubriand；　〃if　you　have

not　seen　the　pomp　of　Versailles；　even　after　the　disbanding　of　the

king's　household；　Louis　XIV　was　always　there。〃＇8＇　It　is　a　swarm　of

liveries；　uniforms；　costumes　and　equipages　as　brilliant　and　as　varied

as　in　a　picture。　　I　should　be　glad　to　have　lived　eight　days　in　this

society。　　It　was　made　expressly　to　be　painted；　being　specially　designed

for　the　pleasure　of　the　eye；　like　an　operatic　scene。　　But　how　can　we　of

to　day　imagine　people　for　whom　life　was　wholly　operatic？　At　that　time

a　grandee　was　obliged　to　live　in　great　state；　his　retinue　and　his

trappings　formed　a　part　of　his　personality；　he　fails　in　doing　himself

justice　if　these　are　not　as　ample　and　as　splendid　as　he　can　make　them；

he　would　be　as　much　mortified　at　any　blank　in　his　household　as　we　with

a　hole　in　our　coats。　　Should　he　make　any　curtailment　he　would　decline

in　reputation；　on　Louis　XVI　undertaking　reforms　the　court　says　that　he

acts　like　a　bourgeois。　　When　a　prince　or　princess　becomes　of　age　a

household　is　formed　for　them；　when　a　prince　marries；　a　household　is

formed　for　his　wife；　and　by　a　household　it　must　be　understood　that　it

is　a　pompous　display　of　fifteen　or　twenty　distinct　services：　stables；

a　hunting…train；　a　chapel；　a　surgery；　the　bedchamber　and　the　wardrobe；

a　chamber　for　accounts；　a　table；　pantry；　kitchen；　and　wine…cellars；　a

fruitery；　a　fourrière；　a　common　kitchen；　a　cabinet；　a　council；＇9＇　she

would　feel　that　she　was　not　a　princess　without　all　this。　　There　are　274

appointments　in　the　household　of　the　Duc　d'Orléans；　210　in　that　of

Mesdames；　68　in　that　of　Madame　Elisabeth；　239　in　that　of　the　Comtesse

d'Artois；　256　in　that　of　the　Comtesse　de　Provence；　and　496　in　that　of

the　Queen。　　When　the　formation　of　a　household　for　Madame　Royale；　one

month　old；　is　necessary；　〃the　queen；〃　writes　the　Austrian　ambassador；

〃desires　to　suppress　a　baneful　indolence；　a　useless　affluence　of

attendants；　and　every　practice　tending　to　give　birth　to　sentiments　of

pride。　　In　spite　of　the　said　retrenchment　the　household　of　the　young

princess　is　to　consist　of　nearly　eighty　persons　destined　to　the　sole

service　of　her　Royal　Highness。〃＇10＇　The　civil　household　of　Monsieur

comprises　420　appointments；　his　military　household；　179；　that　of　the

Comte　d'Artois　237　and　his　civil　household　456。　　…　　Three…fourths　of

them　are　for　display；　with　their　embroideries　and　laces；　their

unembarrassed　and　polite　expression；　their　attentive　and　discreet　air；

their　easy　way　of　saluting；　walking　and　smiling；　they　appear　well　in

an　antechamber；　placed　in　lines；　or　scattered　in　groups　in　a　gallery；

I　should　have　liked　to　contemplate　even　the　stable　and　kitchen　array；

the　figures　filling　up　the　background　of　the　picture。　　By　these　stars

of　inferior　magnitude　we　may　judge　of　the　splendor　of　the　royal　sun。



The　king　must　have　guards；　infantry；　cavalry；　body…guards；　French

guardsmen；　Swiss　guardsmen；　Cent　Suisses；　light…horse　guards；