the origins of contemporary france-1-第50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！



girl〃；　the　young　Duchesse；　tender　and　sensible；　is　〃her　grandmamma。〃

As　for　〃grandpapa；〃　M。　de　Choiseul；　〃a　slight　cold　keeping　him　in　bed

he　has　fairy　stories　read　to　him　all　day　long；　a　species　of　reading　to

which　we　are　all　given；　we　find　them　as　probable　as　modern　history。　　Do

not　imagine　that　he　is　unoccupied。　　He　has　had　a　tapestry　frame　put　up

in　the　drawing　room　at　which　he　works；　I　cannot　say　with　the　greatest

skill；　but　at　least　with　the　greatest　assiduity。　　。　　。　　。　　Now；　our

delight　is　in　flying　a　kite；　grandpapa　has　never　seen　this　sight　and

he　is　enraptured　with　it。〃　The　pastime；　in　itself；　is　nothing；　it　is

resorted　to　according　to　opportunity　or　the　taste　of　the　hour；　now

taken　up　and　now　let　alone；　and　the　abbé　soon　writes：　〃I　do　not　speak

about　our　races　because　we　race　no　more；　nor　of　our　readings　because

we　do　not　read；　nor　of　our　promenades　because　we　do　not　go　out。　　What；

then；　do　we　do？　Some　play　billiards；　others　dominoes；　and　others

backgammon。　　We　weave；　we　ravel　and　we　unravel。　　Time　pushes　us　on　and

we　pay　him　back。〃



Other　circles　present　the　same　spectacle。　　Every　occupation　being　an

amusement；　a　caprice　or　an　impulse　of　fashion　brings　one　into　favor。

At　present；　it　is　unraveling；　every　white　hand　at　Paris；　and　in　the

chateaux；　being　busy　in　undoing　trimmings；　epaulettes　and　old　stuffs；

to　pick　out　the　gold　and　silver　threads。　　They　find　in　this　employment

the　semblance　of　economy；　an　appearance　of　occupation；　in　any　event

something　to　keep　them　in　countenance。　　On　a　circle　of　ladies　being

formed；　a　big　unraveling　bag　in　green　taffeta　is　placed　on　the　table；

which　belongs　to　the　lady　of　the　house；　immediately　all　the　ladies

call　for　their　bags　and　〃voilà　les　laquais　en　l'air〃＇54＇　It　is　all　the

rage。　　They　　unravel　every　day　and　several　hours　in　the　day；　some

derive　from　it　a　hundred　louis　d'or　per　annum。　　The　gentlemen　are

expected　to　provide　the　materials　for　the　work；　the　Duc　de　Lauzun；

accordingly；　gives　to　Madame　de　V　…　　a　harp　of　natural　size　covered

with　gold　thread；　an　enormous　golden　fleece；　brought　as　a　present　from

the　Comte　de　Lowenthal；　and　which　cost　2　or　3；000　francs；　brings；

picked　to　pieces；　5　or　600　francs。　　But　they　do　not　look　into　matters

so　closely。　　Some　employment　is　essential　for　idle　hands；　some　manual

outlet　for　nervous　activity；　a　humorous　petulance　breaks　out　in　the

middle　of　the　pretended　work。　　One　day；　when　about　going　out；　Madame　de

R　…　　observes　that　the　gold　fringe　on　her　dress　would　be　capital　for

unraveling；　whereupon；　with　a　dash；　she　cuts　one　of　the　fringes　off。

Ten　women　suddenly　surround　a　man　wearing　fringes；　pull　off　his　coat

and　put　his　fringes　and　laces　into　their　bags；　just　as　if　a　bold　flock

of　tomtits；　fluttering　and　chattering　in　the　air；　should　suddenly　dart

on　a　jay　to　pluck　out　its　feathers；　thenceforth　a　man　who　enters　a

circle　of　women　stands　in　danger　of　being　stripped　alive。　　All　this

pretty　world　has　the　same　pastimes；　the　men　as　well　as　the　women。

Scarcely　a　man　can　be　found　without　some　drawing　room　accomplishment；

some　trifling　way　of　keeping　his　mind　and　hands　busy；　and　of　filling

up　the　vacant　hour；　almost　all　make　rhymes；　or　act　in　private

theatricals；　many　of　them　are　musicians　and　painters　of　still…life

subjects。　　M。　de　Choiseul；　as　we　have　just　seen；　works　at　tapestry；

others　embroider　or　make　sword…knots。　　M。　de　Francueil　is　a　good

violinist　and　makes　violins　himself；　and　besides　this　he　is

〃watchmaker；　architect；　turner；　painter；　locksmith；　decorator；　cook；

poet；　music…composer　and　he　embroiders　remarkably　well。〃＇55＇　In　this

general　state　of　inactivity　it　is　essential　〃to　know　how　to　be

pleasantly　occupied　in　behalf　of　others　as　well　as　in　one's　own

behalf。〃　Madame　de　Pompadour　is　a　musician；　an　actress；　a　painter　and

an　engraver。　　Madame　Adelaide　learns　watchmaking　and　plays　on　all

instruments　from　a　horn　to　the　jew's…harp；　not　very　well；　it　is　true；

but　as　well　as　a　queen　can　sing；　whose　fine　voice　is　ever　only　half　in

tune。　　But　they　make　no　pretensions。　　The　thing　is　to　amuse　oneself　and

nothing　more；　high　spirits　and　the　amenities　of　the　hour　cover　all。

Rather　read　this　capital　fact　of　Madame　de　Lauzun　at　Chanteloup：　〃Do

you　know；〃　writes　the　abbé；　〃that　nobody　possesses　in　a　higher　degree

one　quality　you　would　never　suspect　of　her；　that　of　preparing

scrambled　eggs？　This　talent　has　been　buried　in　the　ground；　she　cannot

recall　the　time　she　acquired　it；　I　believe　that　she　had　it　at　her

birth。　　Accident　made　it　known；　and　immediately　it　was　put　to　test。

Yesterday　morning；　an　hour　for　ever　memorable　in　the　history　of　eggs；

the　implements　necessary　for　this　great　operation　were　all　brought

out；　a　heater；　some　gravy；　some　pepper　and　eggs。　　Behold　Madame　de

Lauzun；　at　first　blushing　and　in　a　tremor；　soon　with　intrepid　courage；

breaking　the　eggs；　beating　them　up　in　the　pan；　turning　them　over；　now

to　the　right；　now　to　the　left；　now　up　and　now　down；　with　unexampled

precision　and　success！　Never　was　a　more　excellent　dish　eaten。〃　What

laughter　and　gaiety　in　the　group　comprised　in　this　little　scene。　　And；

not　long　after；　what　madrigals　and　allusions！　Gaiety　here　resembles　a

dancing　ray　of　sunlight；　it　flickers　over　all　things　and　reflects　its

grace　on　every　object。



VI。　　GAIETY。



Gaiety　in　the　18th　Century。　　…　Its　causes　and　effects。　　…　Toleration

and　license。　　…　Balls；　fêtes；　hunts；　banquets；　pleasures。　　…　Freedom　of

the　magistrates　and　prelates。



The　Frenchman's　characteristic；〃　says　an　English　traveler　in　1785；

〃is　to　be　always　gay；〃＇56＇　and　he　remarks　that　he　must　be　so　because；

in　France；　such　is　the　tone　of　society　and　the　only　mode　of　pleasing

the　ladies；　the　sovereigns　of　society　and　the　arbiters　of　good　taste。

Add　to　this　the　absence　of　the　causes　which　produce　modern　dreariness；

and　which　convert　the　sky　above　our　heads　into　one　of　leaden　gloom。

There　was　no　laborious；　forced　work　in　those　days；　no　furious

competition；　no　uncertain　careers；　no　infinite　perspectives。　　Ranks

were　clearly　defined；　ambitions　limited；　there　was　less　envy。　　Man　was

not　habitually　dissatisfied；　soured　and　preoccupied　as　he　is　nowadays。

Few　free　passes　were　allowed　where　there　was　no　right　to　pass；　we

think　of　nothing　but　advancement；　they　thought　only　of　amusing

themselves。　　An　officer；　instead　of　raging　and　storming　over　the　army

lists；　busies　himself　in　inventing　some　new　disguise　for　a　masked

ball；　a　magistrate；　instead　of　counting　the　convictions　he　has

secured；　provides　a　magnificent　supper。　　At　Paris；　every　afternoon　in

the　left　avenue　of　the　Palais…Royal；　〃fine　company；　very　richly

dressed；　gather　under　the　large　trees；〃　and　in　the　evening　〃on　leaving

the　opera　at　half…past　eight；　they　go　back　there　and　remain　until　two

o'clock　in　the　morning。〃　They　have　music　in　the　open　air　by　moonlight；

Gavat　singing；　and　the　chevalier　de　Saint…George　playing　on　the

violin。＇57＇　At　Moffontaine；　〃the　Comte　de　Vaudreuil；　Lebrun　the　poet；

the　chevalier　de　Coigny；　so　amiable　and　so　gay；　Brongniart；　Robert；

compose　charades　every　night　and　wake　each　other　up　to　repeat　them。〃

At　Maupertuis　in　M。　de　Montesquiou's　house；　at　Saint…Ouen　with　the

Marshal　de　Noailles；　at　Genevilliers　with　the　Comte　de　Vandreuil；　at

Rainay　with　the　Duc　d'Orléans；　at　Chantilly　with　the　Prince　de　Condé；

there　is　nothing　but　festivity。　　We　read　no　biography　of　the　day；　no

provincial　document；　no　inventory；　without　hearing　the　tinkling　of　the

universal　carnival。　　At　Monchoix；＇58＇　the　residence　of　the　Comte　de

Bédé；　Chateaubriand's　uncle；　〃they　had　music；　dancing　and　hunting；

rollicking　from　morning　to　night；　eating　up　both　capital　and　income。〃

At　Aix　and　Marseilles；　throughout　the　fashionable　world；　with　the

Comte　de　Valbelle；　I　find　nothing　but　concerts；　entertainment；　balls；

gallantries；　and　private　theatricals　with　the　Comtesse　de　Mirabeau　for

the　leading　performer。　　At　Chateauroux；　M。　Dupin　de　Francueil

entertains　〃a　troop　of　music