the origins of contemporary france-1-第51章

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

entertains　〃a　troop　of　musicians；　lackeys；　cooks；　parasites；　horses

and　dogs；　bestowing　everything　lavishly；　in　amusements　and　in　charity；

wishing　to　be　happy　himself　and　everybody　else　around　him；〃　never

casting　up　accounts；　and　going　to　ruin　in　the　most　delightful　manner

possible。　　Nothing　arrests　this　gaiety；　neither　old　age；　exile；　nor

misfortune　；　in　1793　it　still　subsists　in　the　prisons　of　the　Republic。

A　man　in　place　is　not　then　made　uncomfortable　by　his　official　coat；

puffed　up　by　his　situation；　obliged　to　maintain　a　dignified　and

important　air；　constrained　under　that　assumed　gravity　which　democratic

envy　imposes　on　us　as　if　a　ransom。　　In　1753；＇59＇　the　parliamentarians；

just　exiled　to　Bourges；　get　up　three　companies　of　private　theatricals

and　perform　comedies；　while　one　of　them；　M。　Dupré　de　Saint…Maur；

fights　a　rival　with　the　sword。　　In　1787；＇60＇　when　the　entire　parliament

is　banished　to　Troyes　the　bishop；　M。　de　Barral；　returns　from　his

chateau　de　Saint…Lye　expressly　to　receive　it；　presiding　every　evening

at　a　dinner　of　forty　persons。　　〃There　was　no　end　to　the　fêtes　and

dinners　in　the　town；　the　president　kept　open　house；〃　a　triple　quantity

of　food　being　consumed　in　the　eating…houses　and　so　much　wood　burned　in

the　kitchens；　that　the　town　came　near　being　put　on　short　allowance。

Feasting　and　jollity　is　but　little　less　in　ordinary　times。　　A

parliamentarian；　like　a　seignior；　must　do　credit　to　his　fortune。　　See

the　letters　of　the　President　des　Brosses　concerning　society　in　Dijon；

it　reminds　us　of　the　abbey　of　Thélème；　then　contrast　this　with　the

same　town　today。＇61＇　In　1744；　Monseigneur　de　Montigny；　brother　of　the

President　de　Bourbonne；　apropos　of　the　king's　recovery；　entertains　the

workmen；　tradesmen　and　artisans　in　his　employ　to　the　number　of　eighty；

another　table　being　for　his　musicians　and　comedians；　and　a　third　for

his　clerks；　secretaries；　physicians；　surgeons；　attorneys　and　notaries；

the　crowd　collects　around　a　triumphal　car　covered　with　shepherdesses；

shepherds　and　rustic　divinities　in　theatrical　costume；　fountains　flow

with　wine　〃as　if　it　were　water；〃　and　after　supper　the　confectionery　is

thrown　out　of　the　windows。　　Each　parliamentarian　around　him　has　his

〃little　Versailles；　a　grand　hotel　between　court　and　garden；〃　This

town；　now　so　silent；　then　rang　with　the　clatter　of　fine　equipages。　　The

profusion　of　the　table　is　astonishing；　〃not　only　on　gala　days；　but　at

the　suppers　of　each　week；　and　I　could　almost　say；　of　each　day。〃　　…

Amidst　all　these　fête…givers；　the　most　illustrious　of　all；　the

President　des　Brosses；　so　grave　on　the　magisterial　bench；　so　intrepid

in　his　remonstrances；　so　laborious；＇62＇　so　learned；　is　an

extraordinary　stimulator　of　fun　（boute…entrain）；　a　genuine　Gaul；　with

a　sparkling；　inexhaustible　fund　of　salacious　humor：　with　his　friends

he　throws　off　his　perruque；　his　gown；　and　even　something　more。　　Nobody

dreams　of　being　offended　by　it；　nobody　conceives　that　dress　is　an

extinguisher；　which　is　true　of　every　species　of　dress；　and　of　the　gown

in　particular。　　〃When　I　entered　society；　in　1785；〃　writes　a

parliamentarian；　〃I　found　myself　introduced　in　a　certain　way；　alike　to

the　wives　and　the　mistresses　of　the　friends　of　my　family；　passing

Monday　evening　with　one；　and　Tuesday　evening　with　the　other。　　And　I　was

only　eighteen；　and　I　belonged　to　a　family　of　magistrates。〃＇63＇　At

Basville；　at　the　residence　of　M。　de　Lamoignon；　during　the　autumnal

vacation　and　the　Whitsuntide　holidays；　there　are　thirty　persons　at　the

table　daily；　there　are　three　or　four　hunts　a　week；　and　the　most

prominent　magistrates；　M。　de　Lamoignon；　M。　Pasquier；　M。　de　Rosambo；　M。

and　Mme。　　d'Aguesseau；　perform　the　〃Barber　of　Seville　〃　in　the　chateau

theater。



As　for　the　cassock；　it　enjoys　the　same　freedom　as　the　robe。　　At

Saverne；　at　Clairvaux；　at　Le　Mans　and　at　other　places；　the　prelates

wear　it　as　freely　as　a　court　dress。　　The　revolutionary　upheaval　was

necessary　to　make　it　a　fixture　on　their　bodies；　and；　afterwards；　the

hostile　supervision　of　an　organized　party　and　the　fear　of　constant

danger。　　Up　to　1789　the　sky　is　too　serene　and　the　atmosphere　too　balmy

to　lead　them　to　button　it　up　to　the　neck。　　〃Freedom；　facilities；

Monsieur　l'Abbé；〃　said　the　Cardinal　de　Rohan　to　his　secretary；

〃without　these　this　life　would　be　a　desert。〃＇64＇　This　is　what　the　good

cardinal　took　care　to　avoid；　on　the　contrary　he　had　made　Saverne　an

enchanting　world　according　to　Watteau；　almost　〃a　landing…place　for

Cythera。〃　Six　hundred　peasants　and　keepers；　ranged　in　a　line　a　league

long；　form　in　the　morning　and　beat　up　the　surrounding　country；　while

hunters；　men　and　women；　are　posted　at　their　stations。　　〃For　fear　that

the　ladies　might　be　frightened　if　left　alone　by　themselves；　the　man

whom　they　hated　least　was　always　left　with　them　to　make　them　feel　at

ease；〃　and　as　nobody　was　allowed　to　leave　his　post　before　the　signal

〃it　was　impossible　to　be　surprised。〃　　…　　About　one　p。m。　　〃the　company

gathered　under　a　beautiful　tent；　on　the　bank　of　a　stream　or　in　some

delightful　place；　where　an　exquisite　dinner　was　served　up；　and；　as

everybody　had　to　be　made　happy；　each　peasant　received　a　pound　of　meat；

two　of　bread　and　half　a　bottle　of　wine；　they；　as　well　as　the　ladies；

only　asking　to　begin　it　all　over　again。〃　The　accommodating　prelate

might　certainly　have　replied　to　scrupulous　people　along　with　Voltaire；

that　〃nothing　wrong　can　happen　in　good　society。〃　In　fact；　so　he　did

and　in　appropriate　terms。　　One　day；　a　lady　accompanied　by　a　young

officer；　having　come　on　a　visit；　and　being　obliged　to　keep　them　over

night；　his　valet　comes　and　whispers　to　him　that　there　is　no　more　room。

…　　〃　'Is　the　bath…room　occupied？'　　…　　'No；　Monseigneur！'　　…　　'Are

there　not　two　beds　there？'　　…　　'Yes；　Monseigneur；　but　they　are　both　in

the　same　chamber；　and　that　officer。　　。　　。　　'　　…　　'Very　well；　didn't　they

come　together？　Narrow　people　like　you　always　see　something　wrong。　　You

will　find　that　they　will　get　along　well　together；　there　is　not　the

slightest　reason　to　consider　the　matter。'　〃　And　really　nobody　did

object；　either　the　officer　or　the　lady。　　…　　At　Granselve；　in　the　Gard；

the　Bernardines　are　still　more　hospitable。＇65＇　People　resort　to　the

fête　of　St。　　Bernard　which　lasts　a　couple　of　weeks；　during　this　time

they　dance；　and　hunt；　and　act　comedies；　〃the　tables　being　ready　at　all

hours。〃　The　quarters　of　the　ladies　are　provided　with　every　requisite

for　the　toilet；　they　lack　nothing；　and　it　is　even　said　that　it　was　not

necessary　for　any　of　them　to　bring　their　officer。　　…　　I　might　cite

twenty　prelates　not　less　gallant；　the　second　Cardinal　de　Rohan；　the

hero　of　the　necklace；　M。　de　Jarente；　bishop　of　Orleans；　who　keeps　the

record　of　benefices；　the　young　M。　de　Grimaldi；　bishop　of　Le　Mans；　M。

de　Breteuil；　bishop　of　Montauban；　M。　de　Cicé；　archbishop　of　Bordeaux；

the　Cardinal　de　Montmorency；　grand…almoner；　M。　de　Talleyrand；　bishop

of　Autun；　M。　de　Conzié；　bishop　of　Arras；＇66＇　and；　in　the　first　rank；

the　Abbé　de　Saint…Germain　des　Prés；　Comte　de　Clermont；　prince　of　the

blood；　who；　with　an　income　of　370；000　francs　succeeds　in　ruining

himself　twice；　who　performs　in　comedies　in　his　town　and　country

residences；　who　writes　to　Collé　in　a　pompous　style　and；　who；　in　his

abbatial　mansion　at　Berny；　installs　Mademoiselle　Leduc；　a　dancer；　to

do　the　honors　of　his　table。　　…　　There　is　no　hypocrisy。　　In　the　house　of

M。　Trudaine；　four　bishops　attend　the　performance　of　a　piece　by　Collé

entitled　〃Les　accidents　ou　les　Abbés；〃　the　substance　of　which；　says

Collé　himself；　is　so　free　that　he　did　not　dare　print　it　along　with　his

other　pieces。　　A　little　later；　Beaumarchais；　on　reading　his　〃Marriage

of　Figaro〃　at　the　Maréchal　de　Richelieu's　domicile；　not　expurgated；

much　more　crude　and　coarse　than　it　is　today；　has　bishops　and

archbishops　for　his　auditors；　and　these；　he　says；　〃after　being

infinitely　amused　by　it；　did　me　the　honor　to　assu