the origins of contemporary france-1-第46章

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money；　hoarded　and　piled　up；　instead　of　being　a　fertilizing　stream；　it

is　a　useless　marsh　exhaling　bad　odors。　　The　queen；　having　presented　the

Dauphin　with　a　carriage　whose　silver…gilt　trappings　are　decked　with

rubies　and　sapphires；　naively　exclaims；　〃Has　not　the　king　added

200；000　livres　to　my　treasury？　That　is　no　reason　for　keeping

them！〃＇25＇　　They　would　rather　throw　it　out　of　the　window。　　Which　was

actually　done　by　the　Marshal　de　Richelieu　with　a　purse　he　had　given　to

his　grandson；　and　which　the　lad；　not　knowing　how　to　use；　brought　back

intact。　　Money；　on　this　occasion；　was　at　least　of　service　to　the

passing　street…sweeper　that　picked　it　up。　　But　had　there　been　no

passer…by　to　pick　it　up；　it　would　have　been　thrown　into　the　river。　　One

day　Mme。　　de　B　…　；　being　with　the　Prince　de　Conti；　hinted　that　she

would　like　a　miniature　of　her　canary　bird　set　in　a　ring。　　The　Prince

offers　to　have　it　made。　　His　offer　is　accepted；　but　on　condition　that

the　miniature　be　set　plain　and　without　jewels。　　Accordingly　the

miniature　is　placed　in　a　simple　rim　of　gold。　　But；　to　cover　over　the

painting；　a　large　diamond；　made　very　thin；　serves　as　a　glass。　　Mme。　　de

B　…　；　having　returned　the　diamond；　〃M。　le　Prince　de　Conti　had　it

ground　to　powder　which　he　used　to　dry　the　ink　of　the　note　he　wrote　to

Mme。　　de　B　…　　on　the　subject。〃　This　pinch　of　powder　cost　4　or　5；000

livres；　but　we　may　divine　the　turn　and　tone　of　the　note。　　The　extreme

of　profusion　must　accompany　the　height　of　gallantry；　the　man　of　the

world　being　so　much　the　more　important　according　to　his　contempt　for

money。



III。　　UNIVERSAL　PLEASURE　SEEKING。



Moral　divorce　of　husband　and　wife。　　…　Gallantry。　　…　Separation　of

parents　and　children。　　…　Education；　its　object　and　omissions。　　…　The

tone　of　servants　and　purveyors。　　…　Pleasure　seeking　universal。



In　a　drawing　room　the　woman　who　receives　the　least　attention　from　a

man　is　his　own　wife；　and　she　returns　the　compliment。　　Hence　at　a　time

like　this；　when　people　live　for　society　and　in　society；　there　is　no

place　for　conjugal　intimacy。　　…　　　Moreover；　when　a　married　couple

occupy　an　exalted　position　they　are　separated　by　custom　and　decorum。

Each　party　has　his　or　her　own　household；　or　at　least　their　own

apartments；　servants；　equipage；　receptions　and　distinct　society；　and；

as　entertainment　entails　ceremony；　they　stand　towards　each　other　in

deference　to　their　rank　on　the　footing　of　polite　strangers。　　They　are

each　announced　in　each　other's　apartment；　they　address　each　other

〃Madame；　Monsieur；〃　and　not　alone　in　public；　but　in　private；　they

shrug　their　shoulders　when；　sixty　leagues　out　from　Paris；　they

encounter　in　some　old　chateau　a　provincial　wife　ignorant　enough　to　say

〃my　dear　〃　to　her　husband　before　company。＇26＇　　…　　Already　separated　at

the　fireside；　the　two　lives　diverge　beyond　it　at　an　ever　increasing

radius。　　The　husband　has　a　government　of　his　own：　his　private　command；

his　private　regiment；　his　post　at　court；　which　keeps　him　absent　from

home；　only　in　his　declining　years　does　his　wife　consent　to　follow　him

into　garrison　or　into　the　provinces。＇27＇　And　rather　is　this　the　case

because　she　is　herself　occupied；　and　as　seriously　as　himself；　often

with　a　position　near　a　princess；　and　always　with　an　important　circle

of　company　which　she　must　maintain。　　At　this　epoch　woman　is　as　active

as　man；＇28＇　following　the　same　career；　and　with　the　same　resources；

consisting　of　the　flexible　voice；　the　winning　grace；　the　insinuating

manner；　the　tact；　the　quick　perception　of　the　right　moment；　and　the

art　of　pleasing；　demanding；　and　obtaining；　there　is　not　a　lady　at

court　who　does　not　bestow　regiments　and　benefices。　　Through　this　right

the　wife　has　her　personal　retinue　of　solicitors　and　protégés；　also；

like　her　husband；　her　friends；　her　enemies；　her　own　ambitions；

disappointments；　and　rancorous　feeling；　nothing　could　be　more

effectual　in　the　disruption　of　a　household　than　this　similarity　of

occupation　and　this　division　of　interests。　　…　　The　tie　thus　loosened

ends　by　being　sundered　under　the　ascendancy　of　opinion。　　〃It　looks　well

not　to　live　together；〃　to　grant　each　other　every　species　of　tolerance；

and　to　devote　oneself　to　society。　　Society；　indeed；　then　fashions

opinion；　and　through　opinion　it　creates　the　morals　which　it　requires。



Toward　the　middle　of　the　century　the　husband　and　wife　lodged　under

the　same　roof；　but　that　was　all。　　〃They　never　saw　each　other；　one　never

met　them　in　the　same　carriage；　they　are　never　met　in　the　same　house；

nor；　with　very　good　reason；　are　they　ever　together　in　public。〃　Strong

emotions　would　have　seemed　odd　and　even　〃ridiculous；〃　in　any　event

unbecoming；　it　would　have　been　as　unacceptable　as　an　earnest　remark

〃aside〃　in　the　general　current　of　light　conversation。　　Each　has　a　duty

to　all；　and　for　a　couple　to　entertain　each　other　is　isolation；　in

company　there　is　no　right　to　the　tête…à…tête。＇29＇　It　was　hardly

allowed　for　a　few　days　to　lovers。＇30＇　And　even　then　it　was　regarded

unfavorably；　they　were　found　too　much　occupied　with　each　other。　　Their

preoccupation　spread　around　them　an　atmosphere　of　〃constraint　and

ennui；　one　had　to　be　upon　one's　guard　and　to　check　oneself。〃　They　were

〃dreaded。〃　The　exigencies　of　society　are　those　of　an　absolute　king；

and　admit　of　no　partition。　　〃If　morals　lost　by　this；　society　was

infinitely　the　gainer；〃　says　M。　de　Bezenval；　a　contemporary；　〃having

got　rid　of　the　annoyances　and　dullness　caused　by　the　husbands'

presence；　the　freedom　was　extreme；　the　coquetry　both　of　men　and　women

kept　up　social　vivacity　and　daily　provided　piquant　adventures。〃　Nobody

is　jealous；　not　even　when　in　love。　　〃People　are　mutually　pleased　and

become　attached；　if　one　grows　weary　of　the　other；　they　part　with　as

little　concern　as　they　came　together。　　Should　the　sentiment　revive　they

take　to　each　other　with　as　much　vivacity　as　if　it　were　the　first　time

they　had　been　engaged。　　They　may　again　separate；　but　they　never

quarrel。　　As　they　have　become　enamored　without　love；　they　part　without

hate；　deriving　from　the　feeble　desire　they　have　inspired　the　advantage

of　being　always　ready　to　oblige。〃＇31＇　Appearances；　moreover；　are

respected。　　An　uninformed　stranger　would　detect　nothing　to　excite

suspicion。　　An　extreme　curiosity；　says　Horace　Walpole；＇32＇　or　a　great

familiarity　with　things；　is　necessary　to　detect　the　slightest　intimacy

between　the　two　sexes。　　No　familiarity　is　allowed　except　under　the

guise　of　friendship；　while　the　vocabulary　of　love　is　as　much

prohibited　as　its　rites　apparently　are。　　Even　with　Crébillon　fils；　even

with　Laclos；　at　the　most　exciting　moments；　the　terms　their　characters

employ　are　circumspect　and　irreproachable。　　Whatever　indecency　there

may　be；　it　is　never　expressed　in　words；　the　sense　of　propriety　in

language　imposing　itself　not　only　on　the　outbursts　of　passion；　but

again　on　the　grossness　of　instincts。　　Thus　do　the　sentiments　which　are

naturally　the　strongest　lose　their　point　and　sharpness；　their　rich　and

polished　remains　are　converted　into　playthings　for　the　drawing　room；

and；　thus　cast　to　and　fro　by　the　whitest　hands；　fall　on　the　floor　like

a　shuttlecock。　　We　must；　on　this　point；　listen　to　the　heroes　of　the

epoch；　their　free　and　easy　tone　is　inimitable；　and　it　depicts　both

them　and　their　actions。　　〃I　conducted　myself；〃　says　the　Duc　de　Lauzun；

〃very　prudently；　and　even　deferentially　with　Mme。　　de　Lauzun；　I　knew

Mme。　　de　Cambis　very　openly；　for　whom　I　concerned　myself　very　little；　I

kept　the　little　Eugénie　whom　I　loved　a　great　deal；　I　played　high；　I

paid　my　court　to　the　king；　and　I　hunted　with　him　with　great

punctuality。〃＇33＇　He　had　for　others；　withal；　that　indulgence　of　which

he　himself　stood　in　need。　　〃He　was　asked　what　he　would　say　if　his　wife

（whom　he　had　not　seen　for　ten　years）　should　write　to　him　that　she　had

just　discovered　that　she　was　enceinte。　　He　reflected　a　moment　and　then

replied；　'I　would　write；　and　tell　her　that　I　was　delighted　that　heaven

had　blessed　our　unio