the origins of contemporary france-1-第33章
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!
guardsmen; Swiss guardsmen; Cent Suisses; light…horse guards;
gendarmes of the guard; gate…guardsmen; in all; 9;050 men;'11' costing
annually 7;681;000 livres。 Four companies of the French guard; and two
of the Swiss guard; parade every day in the court of the ministers
between the two railings; and when the king issues in his carriage to
go to Paris or Fontainebleau the spectacle is magnificent。 Four
trumpeters in front and four behind; the Swiss guards on one side and
the French guards on the other; form a line as far as it can
reach。'12' The Cent Suisses march ahead of the horsemen in the costume
of the sixteenth century; wearing the halberd; ruff; plumed hat; and
the ample parti…colored striped doublet; alongside of these are the
provost…guard with scarlet facings and gold frogs; and companies of
yeomanry bristling with gold and silver。 The officers of the various
corps; the trumpeters and the musicians; covered with gold and silver
lace; are dazzling to look at; the kettledrum suspended at the saddle…
bow; overcharged with painted and gilded ornaments; is a curiosity for
a glass case; the Negro cymbal…player of the French guards resembles
the sultan of a fairy…tale。 Behind the carriage and alongside of it
trot the body…guards; with sword and carbine; wearing red breeches;
high black boots; and a blue coat sewn with white embroidery; all of
them unquestionable gentlemen; there were twelve hundred of these
selected among the nobles and according to size; among them are the
guards de la manche; still more intimate; who at church and on
ceremonial occasions; in white doublets starred with silver and gold
spangles; holding their damascene partisans in their hands; always
remain standing and turned towards the king 〃so as to see his person
from all sides。〃 Thus is his protection ensured。 Being a gentleman the
king is a cavalier; and he must have a suitable stable;'13' 1;857
horses; 217 vehicles; 1;458 men whom he clothes; the liveries costing
540;000 francs a year; besides these there were 20 tutors and sub…
tutors; almoners; professors; cooks; and valets to govern; educate and
serve the pages; and again about thirty physicians; apothecaries;
nurses for the sick; intendants; treasurers; workmen; and licensed and
paid merchants for the accessories of the service; in all more than
1;500 men。 Horses to the amount of 250;000 francs are purchased
yearly; and there are stock…stables in Limousin and in Normandy to
draw on for supplies。 287 horses are exercised daily in the two
riding…halls; there are 443 saddle…horses in the small stable; 437 in
the large one; and these are not sufficient for the 〃vivacity of the
service。〃 The whole cost 4;600;000 livres in 1775; which sum reaches
6;200;000 livres in 1787。'14' Still another spectacle should be seen
with one's own eyes; … the pages;'15' the grooms; the laced pupils;
the silver…button pupils; the boys of the little livery in silk; the
instrumentalists and the mounted messengers of the stable。 The use of
the horse is a feudal art; no luxury is more natural to a man of
quality。 Think of the stables at Chantilly; which are palaces。 To
convey an idea of a well…educated and genteel man he was then called
an accomplished cavalier;〃 in fact his importance was fully manifest
only when he was in the saddle; on a blood…horse like himself。 …
Another genteel taste; an effect of the preceding; is the chase。 It
costs the king from 1;100;000 to 1;200;000 livres a year; and requires
280 horses besides those of the two stables。 A more varied or more
complete equipment could not be imagined: a pack of hounds for the
boar; another for the wolf another for the roe…buck; a cast (of hawks)
for the crow; a cast for the magpie; a cast for merlins; a cast for
hares; a cast for the fields。 In 1783; 179;194 livres are expended for
feeding horses; and 53;412 livres for feeding dogs。'16' The entire
territory; ten leagues around Paris; is a game…preserve; 〃not a gun
could be fired there;'17' accordingly the plains are seen covered with
partridges accustomed to man; quietly picking up the grain and never
stirring as he passes。〃 Add to this the princes' captaincies;
extending as far as Villers…Cotterets and Orleans; these form an
almost continuous circle around Paris; thirty leagues in
circumference; where game; protected; replaced and multiplied; swarms
for the pleasure of the king。 The park of Versailles alone forms an
enclosure of more than ten leagues。 The forest of Rambouillet embraces
25;000 arpents (30;000 acres)。 Herds of seventy…five and eighty stags
are encountered around Fontainebleau。 No true hunter could read the
minute…book of the chase without feeling an impulse of envy。 The wolf…
hounds run twice a week; and they take forty wolves a year。 Between
1743 and 1744 Louis XV runs down 6;400 stags。 Louis XVI writes; August
30th; 1781: 〃Killed 460 head to day。〃 In 1780 he brings down 20;534
head; in 1781; 20;291; in fourteen years; 189;251 head; besides 1;254
stags; while boars and bucks are proportionate; and it must be noted
that this is all done by his own hand; since his parks approach his
houses。 … Such; in fine; is the character of a 〃 well…appointed
household;〃 that is to say; provided with its dependencies and
services。 Everything is within reach; it is a complete world in itself
and self…sufficient。 One exalted being attaches to and gathers around
it; with universal foresight and minuteness of detail; every
appurtenance it employs or can possibly employ。 … Thus; each prince;
each princess has a professional surgery and a chapel;'18' it would
not answer for the almoner who says mass or the doctor who looks after
their health to be obtained outside。 So much stronger is the reason
that the king should have ministrants of this stamp; his chapel
embraces seventy…five almoners; chaplains; confessors; masters of the
oratory; clerks; announcers; carpet…bearers; choristers; copyists; and
composers of sacred music; his faculty is composed of forty…eight
physicians; surgeons; apothecaries; oculists; operators; bone…setters;
distillers; chiropodists and spagyrists (a species of alchemists)。 We
must still note his department of profane music; consisting of one
hundred and twenty…eight vocalists; dancers; instrumentalists;
directors and superintendents; his library corps of forty…three
keepers; readers; interpreters; engravers; medallists; geographers;
binders and printers; the staff of ceremonial display; sixty…two
heralds; sword…bearers; ushers and musicians; the staff of
housekeepers; consisting of sixty…eight marshals; guides and
commissaries。 I omit other services in haste to reach the most
important;… that of the table; a fine house and good housekeeping
being known by the table。
There are three sections of the table service;'19' the first for
the king and his younger children; the second; called the little
ordinary; for the table of the grand…master; the grand…chamberlain and
the princes and princesses living with the king; the third; called the
great ordinary; for the grand…master's second table; that of the
butlers of the king's household; the almoners; the gentlemen in
waiting; and that of the valets…de…chambre; in all three hundred and
eighty…three officers of the table and one hundred and three waiters;
at an expense of 2;177;771 livres; besides this there are 389;173
livres appropriated to the table of Madame Elisabeth; and 1;093;547
livres for that of Mesdames; the total being 3;660;491 livres for the
table。 The wine…merchant furnished wine to the amount of 300;000
francs per annum; and the purveyor game; meat and fish at a cost of
1;000;000 livres。 Only to fetch water from Ville…d'Avray; and to
convey servants; waiters and provisions; required fifty horses hired
at the rate of 70;591 francs per annum。 The privilege of the royal
princes and princesses 〃to send to the bureau for fish on fast days
when not residing regularly a