the origins of contemporary france-1-第37章

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wardrobe　fetch　the　rest　of　the　attire；　the　grand…master　of　the

wardrobe　puts　the　vest　on　and　the　doublet；　attaches　the　blue　ribbon；

and　clasps　his　sword　around　him；　then　a　valet　assigned　to　the　cravats

brings　several　of　these　in　a　basket；　while　the　master　of　the　wardrobe

arranges　around　the　king's　neck　that　which　the　king　selects。　　After

this　a　valet　assigned　to　the　handkerchiefs　brings　three　of　these　on　a

silver　salver；　while　the　grand…master　of　the　wardrobe　offers　the

salver　to　the　king；　who　chooses　one。　　Finally　the　master　of　the

wardrobe　hands　to　the　king　his　hat；　his　gloves　and　his　cane。　　The　king

then　steps　to　the　side　of　the　bed；　kneels　on　a　cushion　and　says　his

prayers；　whilst　an　almoner　in　a　low　voice　recites　the　orison

Quoesumus；　deus　omnipotens。　　This　done；　the　king　announces　the　order　of

the　day；　and　passes　with　the　leading　persons　of　his　court　into　his

cabinet；　where　he　sometimes　gives　audience。　　Meanwhile　the　rest　of　the

company　await　him　in　the　gallery　in　order　to　accompany　him　to　mass

when　he　comes　out。



Such　is　the　lever；　a　piece　in　five　acts。　　…　　Nothing　could　be

contrived　better　calculated　to　fill　up　the　void　of　an　aristocratic

life　；　a　hundred　or　thereabouts　of　notable　seigniors　dispose　of　a

couple　of　hours　in　coming；　in　waiting；　in　entering；　in　defiling；　in

taking　positions；　in　standing　on　their　feet；　in　maintaining　an　air　of

respect　and　of　ease　suitable　to　a　superior　class　of　walking　gentlemen；

while　those　best　qualified　are　about　to　do　the　same　thing　over　in　the

queen's　apartment。

＇42＇　　…　　The　king；　however；　as　an　indirect

consequence；　suffers　the　same　torture　and　the　same　inaction　as　he

imposes。　　He　also　is　playing　a　part；　all　his　steps　and　all　his　gestures

have　been　determined　beforehand；　he　has　been　obliged　to　arrange　his

physiognomy　and　his　voice；　never　to　depart　from　an　affable　and

dignified　air；　to　award　judiciously　his　glances　and　his　nods；　to　keep

silent　or　to　speak　only　of　the　chase；　and　to　suppress　his　own

thoughts；　if　he　has　any。　　One　cannot　indulge　in　reverie；　meditate　or　be

absent…minded　when　one　is　before　the　footlights；　the　part　must　have

due　attention。　　Besides；　in　a　drawing　room　there　is　only　drawing　room

conversation；　and　the　master's　thoughts；　instead　of　being　directed　in

a　profitable　channel；　must　be　scattered　about　like　the　holy　water　of

the　court。　　All　hours　of　his　day　are　passed　in　a　similar　manner；　except

three　or　four　during　the　morning；　during　which　he　is　at　the　council　or

in　his　private　room；　it　must　be　noted；　too；　that　on　the　days　after　his

hunts；　on　returning　home　from　Rambouillet　at　three　o'clock　in　the

morning；　he　must　sleep　the　few　hours　he　has　left　to　him。　　The

ambassador　Mercy；＇43＇　nevertheless；　a　man　of　close　application；　seems

to　think　it　sufficient；　he；　at　least；　thinks　that　〃Louis　XVI　is　a　man

of　order；　losing　no　time　in　useless　things；〃　his　predecessor；　indeed；

worked　much　less；　scarcely　an　hour　a　day。　　Three…quarters　of　his　time

is　thus　given　up　to　show。　　The　same　retinue　surrounds　him　when　he　puts

on　his　boots；　when　he　takes　them　off；　when　he　changes　his　clothes　to

mount　his　horse；　when　he　returns　home　to　dress　for　the　evening；　and

when　he　goes　to　his　room　at　night　to　retire。　　〃Every　evening　for　six

years；　says　a　page；＇44＇　either　myself　or　one　of　my　comrades　has　seen

Louis　XVI　get　into　bed　in　public；〃　with　the　ceremonial　just　described。

〃It　was　not　omitted　ten　times　to　my　knowledge；　and　then　accidentally

or　through　indisposition。〃　The　attendance　is　yet　more　numerous　when　he

dines　and　takes　supper；　for；　besides　men　there　are　women　present；

duchesses　seated　on　the　folding…chairs；　also　others　standing　around

the　table。　　It　is　needless　to　state　that　in　the　evening　when　he　plays；

or　gives　a　ball；　or　a　concert；　the　crowd　rushes　in　and　overflows。　　When

he　hunts；　besides　the　ladies　on　horses　and　in　vehicles；　besides

officers　of　the　hunt；　of　the　guards；　the　equerry；　the　cloak…bearer；

gun…bearer；　surgeon；　bone…setter；　lunch…bearer　and　I　know　not　how　many

others；　all　the　gentlemen　who　accompany　him　are　his　permanent　guests。

And　do　not　imagine　that　this　suite　is　a　small　one；＇45＇　the　day　M。　de

Chateaubriand　is　presented　there　are　four　fresh　additions；　and　〃with

the　utmost　punctuality〃　all　the　young　men　of　high　rank　join　the　king's

retinue　two　or　three　times　a　week。　　Not　only　the　eight　or　ten　scenes

which　compose　each　of　these　days；　but　again　the　short　intervals

between　the　scenes　are　besieged　and　carried。　　People　watch　for　him；

walk　by　his　side　and　speak　with　him　on　his　way　from　his　cabinet　to　the

chapel；　between　his　apartment　and　his　carriage；　between　his　carriage

and　his　apartment；　between　his　cabinet　and　his　dining　room。　　And　still

more；　his　life　behind　the　scenes　belongs　to　the　public。　　If　he　is

indisposed　and　broth　is　brought　to　him；　if　he　is　ill　and　medicine　is

handed　to　him；　〃a　servant　immediately　summons　the　'grande　entrée。'　〃

Verily；　the　king　resembles　an　oak　stifled　by　the　innumerable　creepers

which；　from　top　to　bottom；　cling　to　its　trunk。　　Under　a　régime　of　this

stamp　there　is　a　want　of　air；　some　opening　has　to　be　found；　Louis　XV

availed　himself　of　the　chase　and　of　suppers；　Louis　XVI　of　the　chase

and　of　lock…making。　　And　I　have　not　mentioned　the　infinite　detail　of

etiquette；　the　extraordinary　ceremonial　of　the　state　dinner；　the

fifteen；　twenty　and　thirty　beings　busy　around　the　king's　plates　and

glasses；　the　sacramental　utterances　of　the　occasion；　the　procession　of

the　retinue；　the　arrival　of　〃la　nef〃　〃l'essai　des　plats；〃　all　as　if　in

a　Byzantine　or　Chinese　court。＇46＇　On　Sundays　the　entire　public；　the

public　in　general；　is　admitted；　and　this　is　called　the　〃grand

couvert；〃　as　complex　and　as　solemn　as　a　high　mass。　　Accordingly　to　eat；

to　drink；　to　get　up；　to　go　to　bed；　is　to　a　descendant　of　Louis　XIV；　to

officiate。＇47＇　Frederick　II；　on　hearing　an　explanation　of　this

etiquette；　declared　that　if　he　were　king　of　France　his　first　edict

would　be　to　appoint　another　king　to　hold　court　in　his　place。　　In

effect；　if　there　are　idlers　to　salute　there　must　be　an　idler　to　be

saluted。　　Only　one　way　was　possible　by　which　the　monarch　could　have

been　set　free；　and　that　was　to　have　recast　and　transformed　the　French

nobles；　according　to　the　Prussian　system；　into　a　hard…working　regiment

of　serviceable　functionaries。　　But；　so　long　as　the　court　remains　what

it　is；　that　is　to　say；　a　pompous　parade　and　a　drawing　room　decoration；

the　king　himself　must　likewise　remain　a　showy　decoration；　of　little　or

no　use。



V。　　ROYAL　DISTRACTIONS。



Diversions　of　the　royal　family　and　of　the　court。…　Louis　XV。　　…　Louis

XVI。



In　short；　what　is　the　occupation　of　a　well…qualified　master　of　a

house？　He　amuses　himself　and　he　amuses　his　guests；　under　his　roof　a

new　pleasure…party　comes　off　daily。　　Let　us　enumerate　those　of　a　week。

〃Yesterday；　Sunday；〃　says　the　Duc　de　Luynes；　〃I　met　the　king　going　to

hunt　on　the　plain　of　St。　　Denis；　having　slept　at　la　Muette；　where　he

intends　to　remain　shooting　to　day　and　to…morrow；　and　to　return　here　on

Tuesday　or　Wednesday　morning；　to　run　down　a　stag　the　same　day；

Wednesday。〃＇48＇　Two　months　after　this；　〃the　king；〃　again　says　M。　de

Luynes；　〃has　been　hunting　every　day　of　the　past　and　of　the　present

week；　except　to　day　and　on　Sundays；　killing；　since　the　beginning；

3；500　partridges。〃　He　is　always　on　the　road；　or　hunting；　or　passing

from　one　residence　to　another；　from　Versailles　to　Fontainebleau；　to

Choisy；　to　Marly；　to　la　Muette；　to　Compiègne；　to　Trianon；　to　Saint…

Hubert；　to　Bellevue；　to　Rambouillet；　and；　generally；　with　his　entire

court。＇49＇　At　Choisy；　especially；　and　at　Fontainebleau　this　company

all　lead　a　merry　life。　　At　Fontainebleau　〃Sunday　and　Friday；　play；

Monday　and　Wednesday；　a　concert　in　the　queen's　apartments；　Tuesday　and

Thursday；　the　French　comedians；　and　Saturday　it　is　the　Italians；〃

there　is　something　for　every　day　in　the　week。　　At　Choisy；　writes　the

Dauphine；＇50＇　〃from　one　o'clock　（in　the　afternoon）　when　we　dine