the origins of contemporary france-1-第47章

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

had　blessed　our　union；　be　careful　of　your　health；　I　will　call　and　pay

my　respects　this　evening。'　〃　There　are　countless　replies　of　the　same

sort；　and　I　venture　to　say　that；　without　having　read　them；　one　could

not　imagine　to　what　a　degree　social　art　had　overcome　natural

instincts。



〃Here　at　Paris；〃　writes　Mme。　　d'Oberkirk；　〃I　am　no　longer　my　own

mistress。　　I　scarcely　have　time　to　talk　with　my　husband　and　to　answer

my　letters。　　I　do　not　know　what　women　do　that　are　accustomed　to　lead

this　life；　they　certainly　have　no　families　to　look　after；　nor　children

to　educate。〃　At　all　events　they　act　as　if　they　had　none；　and　the　men

likewise。　　Married　people　not　living　together　live　but　rarely　with

their　children；　and　the　causes　that　disintegrate　wedlock　also

disintegrate　the　family。　　In　the　first　place　there　is　the　aristocratic

tradition；　which　interposes　a　barrier　between　parents　and　children

with　a　view　to　maintain　a　respectful　distance。　　Although　enfeebled　and

about　to　disappear；＇34＇　this　tradition　still　subsists。　　The　son　says　〃

Monsieur〃　to　his　father；　the　daughter　comes　〃respectfully〃　to　kiss　her

mother's　hand　at　her　toilet。　　A　caress　is　rare　and　seems　a　favor；

children　generally；　when　with　their　parents；　are　silent；　the　sentiment

that　usually　animates　them　being　that　of　deferential　timidity。　　At　one

time　they　were　regarded　as　so　many　subjects；　and　up　to　a　certain　point

they　are　so　still；　while　the　new　exigencies　of　worldly　life　place　them

or　keep　them　effectually　aside。　　M。　de　Talleyrand　stated　that　he　had

never　slept　under　the　same　roof　with　his　father　and　mother。　　And　if

they　do　sleep　there；　they　are　not　the　less　neglected。　　〃I　was

entrusted；〃　says　the　Count　de　Tilly；　〃to　valets；　and　to　a　kind　of

preceptor　resembling　these　in　more　respects　than　one。〃　During　this

time　his　father　ran　after　women。　　〃I　have　known　him；〃　adds　the　young

man；　〃to　have　mistresses　up　to　an　advanced　age；　he　was　always　adoring

them　and　constantly　abandoning　them。〃　The　Duc　de　Lauzun　finds　it

difficult　to　obtain　a　good　tutor　for　his　son；　for　this　reason　the

latter　writes；　〃he　conferred　the　duty　on　one　of　my　late　mother's

lackeys　who　could　read　and　write　tolerably　well；　and　to　whom　the　title

of　valet…de…chambre　was　given　to　insure　greater　consideration。　　They

gave　me　the　most　fashionable　teachers　besides；　but　M。　Roch　（which　was

my　mentor's　name）　was　not　qualified　to　arrange　their　lessons；　or　to

qualify　me　to　benefit　by　them。　　I　was；　moreover；　like　all　the　children

of　my　age　and　of　my　station；　dressed　in　the　handsomest　clothes　to　go

out；　and　naked　and　dying　with　hunger　in　the　house；〃＇35＇　and　not

through　unkindness；　but　through　household　oversight；　dissipation；　and

disorder；　attention　being　given　to　things　elsewhere。　　One　might　easily

count　the　fathers　who；　like　the　Marshal　de　Belle…Isle；　brought　up

their　sons　under　their　own　eyes；　and　themselves　attended　to　their

education　methodically；　strictly；　and　with　tenderness。　　As　to　the

girls；　they　were　placed　in　convents；　relieved　from　this　care；　their

parents　only　enjoy　the　greater　freedom。　　Even　when　they　retain　charge

of　them　they　are　scarcely　more　of　a　burden　to　them。　　Little　Fé1icité　de

Saint…Aubin＇36＇　sees　her　parents　〃only　on　their　waking　up　and　at　meal

times。〃　Their　day　is　wholly　taken　up；　the　mother　is　making　or

receiving　visits；　the　father　is　in　his　laboratory　or　engaged　in

hunting。　　Up　to　seven　years　of　age　the　child　passes　her　time　with

chambermaids　who　teach　her　only　a　little　catechism；　〃with　an　infinite

number　of　ghost　stories。〃　About　this　time　she　is　taken　care　of；　but　in

a　way　which　well　portrays　the　epoch。　　The　Marquise；　her　mother；　the

author　of　mythological　and　pastoral　operas；　has　a　theater　built　in　the

chateau；　a　great　crowd　of　company　resorts　to　it　from　Bourbon…Lancy　and

Moulins；　after　rehearsing　twelve　weeks　the　little　girl；　with　a　quiver

of　arrows　and　blue　wings；　plays　the　part　of　Cupid；　and　the　costume　is

so　becoming　she　is　allowed　to　wear　it　in　common　during　the　entire　day

for　nine　months。　　To　finish　the　business　they　send　for　a　dancing…

fencing　master；　and；　still　wearing　the　Cupid　costume；　she　takes

lessons　in　fencing　and　in　deportment。　　〃The　entire　winter　is　devoted　to

playing　comedy　and　tragedy。〃　Sent　out　of　the　room　after　dinner；　she　is

brought　in　again　only　to　play　on　the　harpsichord　or　to　declaim　the

monologue　of　Alzire　before　a　numerous　assembly。　　Undoubtedly　such

extravagances　are　not　customary；　but　the　spirit　of　education　is

everywhere　the　same；　that　is　to　say；　in　the　eyes　of　parents　there　is

but　one　intelligible　and　rational　existence；　that　of　society；　even　for

children；　and　the　attentions　bestowed　on　these　are　solely　with　a　view

to　introduce　them　into　it　or　to　prepare　them　for　it。　　Even　in　the　last

years　of　the　ancient　régime＇37＇　little　boys　have　their　hair　powdered；

〃a　pomatumed　chignon　（bourse）；　ringlets；　and　curls〃；　they　wear　the

sword；　the　chapeau　under　the　arm；　a　frill；　and　a　coat　with　gilded

cuffs；　they　kiss　young　ladies'　hands　with　the　air　of　little　dandies。　　A

lass　of　six　years　is　bound　up　in　a　whalebone　waist；　her　large　hoop…

petticoat　supports　a　skirt　covered　with　wreaths；　she　wears　on　her　head

a　skillful　combination　of　false　curls；　puffs；　and　knots；　fastened　with

pins；　and　crowned　with　plumes；　and　so　high　that　frequently　〃the　chin

is　half　way　down　to　her　feet〃；　sometimes　they　put　rouge　on　her　face。

She　is　a　miniature　lady；　and　she　knows　it；　she　is　fully　up　in　her

part；　without　effort　or　inconvenience；　by　force　of　habit；　the　unique；

the　perpetual　instruction　she　gets　is　that　on　her　deportment；　it　may

be　said　with　truth　that　the　fulcrum　of　education　in　this　country　is

the　dancing…master。＇38＇　They　could　get　along　with　him　without　any

others；　without　him　the　others　were　of　no　use。　　For；　without　him；　how

could　people　go　through　easily；　suitably；　and　gracefully　the　thousand

and　one　actions　of　daily　life；　walking；　sitting　down；　standing　up；

offering　the　arm；　using　the　fan；　listening　and　smiling；　before　eyes　so

experienced　and　before　such　a　refined　public？　This　is　to　be　the　great

thing　for　them　when　they　become　men　and　women；　and　for　this　reason　it

is　the　thing　of　chief　importance　for　them　as　children。　　Along　with

graces　of　attitude　and　of　gesture；　they　already　have　those　of　the　mind

and　of　expression。　　Scarcely　is　their　tongue　loosened　when　they　speak

the　polished　language　of　their　parents。　　The　latter　amuse　themselves

with　them　and　use　them　as　pretty　dolls；　the　preaching　of　Rousseau；

which；　during　the　last　third　of　the　last　century；　brought　children

into　fashion；　produces　no　other　effect。　　They　are　made　to　recite　their

lessons　in　public；　to　perform　in　proverbs；　to　take　parts　in　pastorals。

Their　sallies　are　encouraged。　　They　know　how　to　turn　a　compliment；　to

invent　a　clever　or　affecting　repartee；　to　be　gallant；　sensitive；　and

even　spirituelle。　　The　little　Duc　d'Angoulême；　holding　a　book　in　his

hand；　receives　Suffren；　whom　he　addresses　thus：　〃I　was　reading

Plutarch　and　his　illustrious　men。　　You　could　not　have　entered　more

apropos。〃＇39＇　The　children　of　M。　de　Sabran；　a　boy　and　a　girl；　one

eight　and　the　other　nine；　having　taken　lessons　from　the　comedians

Sainval　and　Larive；　come　to　Versailles　to　play　before　the　king　and

queen　in　Voltaire's　〃Oreste；〃　and　on　the　little　fellow　being

interrogated　about　the　classic　authors；　he　replies　to　a　lady；　the

mother　of　three　charming　girls；　〃Madame；　Anacreon　is　the　only　poet　I

can　think　of　here！〃　Another；　of　the　same　age；　replies　to　a　question　of

Prince　Henry　of　Prussia　with　an　agreeable　impromptu　in　verse。＇40＇　To

cause　witticisms；　trivialities；　and　mediocre　verse　to　germinate　in　a

brain　eight　years　old；　what　a　triumph　for　the　culture　of　the　day！　　It

is　the　last　characteristic　of　the　régime　which；　after　having　stolen

man　away　from　public　affairs；　from　his　own　affairs；　from　marriage；

from　the　family；　hands　him　over；　with　all　his　sentiments