the origins of contemporary france-1-第52章

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

infinitely　amused　by　it；　did　me　the　honor　to　assure　me　that　they　would

state　that　there　was　not　a　single　word　in　it　offensive　to　good

morals〃＇67＇　：　thus　was　the　piece　accepted　against　reasons　of　State；

against　the　king's　will；　and　through　the　connivance　of　all　those　most

interested　in　suppressing　it。　　〃There　is　something　more　irrational　than

my　piece；　and　that　is　its　success；〃　said　its　author。　　The　attraction

was　too　strong。　　People　devoted　to　pleasure　could　not　dispense　with　the

liveliest　comedy　of　the　age。　　They　came　to　applaud　a　satire　on

themselves；　and　better　still；　they　themselves　acted　in　it。　　…　　When　a

prevalent　taste　is　in　fashion；　it　leads；　like　a　powerful　passion；　to

extreme　extravagance；　the　offered　pleasure　must；　at　any　price；　be　had。

Faced　with　a　momentary　pleasure　gratification；　it　is　as　a　child

tempted　by　fruit；　nothing　arrests　it；　neither　the　danger　to　which　it

is　insensible；　nor　the　social　norms　as　these　are　established　by

itself。



VII。　　THEATER；　PARADE　AND　EXTRAVAGANCE。



The　principal　diversion；　elegant　comedy。　　…　Parades　and

extravagance。



To　divert　oneself　is　to　turn　aside　from　oneself；　to　break　loose　and

to　forget　oneself；　and　to　forget　oneself　fully　one　must　be　transported

into　another；　put　himself　in　the　place　of　another；　take　his　mask　and

play　his　part。　　Hence　the　liveliest　of　diversions　is　the　comedy　in

which　one　is　an　actor。　　It　is　that　of　children　who；　as　authors；　actors

and　audience；　improvise　and　perform　small　scenes。　　It　is　that　of　a

people　whose　political　régime　excludes　exacting　manly　tasks　（soucis

virile）　and　who　sport　with　life　just　like　children。　　At　Venice；　in　the

eighteenth　century；　the　carnival　lasts　six　months；　in　France；　under

another　form；　it　lasts　the　entire　year。　　Less　familiar　and　less

picturesque；　more　refined　and　more　elegant；　it　abandons　the　public

square　where　it　lacks　sunshine；　to　shut　itself　up　in　drawing…rooms

where　chandeliers　are　the　most　suitable　for　it。　　It　has　retained　of　the

vast　popular　masquerade　only　a　fragment；　the　opera　ball；　certainly

very　splendid　and　frequented　by　princes；　princesses　and　the　queen；　but

this　fragment；　brilliant　as　it　is；　does　not　suffice；　consequently；　in

every　chateau；　in　every　mansion；　at　Paris　and　in　the　provinces；　it

sets　up　travesties　on　society　and　domestic　comedies。　　…　　On　welcoming

a　great　personage；　on　celebrating　the　birthday　of　the　master　or

mistress　of　the　house；　its　guests　or　invited　persons　perform　in　an

improvised　operetta；　in　an　ingenious；　laudatory　pastoral；　sometimes

dressed　as　gods；　as　Virtues；　as　mythological　abstractions；　as　operatic

Turks；　Laplanders　and　Poles；　similar　to　the　figures　then　gracing　the

frontispieces　of　books；　sometimes　in　the　dress　of　peasants；

pedagogues；　peddlers；　milkmaids　and　flower…girls　like　the　fanciful

villagers　with　which　the　current　taste　then　fills　the　stage。　　They

sing；　they　dance；　and　come　forward　in　turn　to　recite　petty　verses

composed　for　the　occasion　consisting　of　so　many　well…turned

compliments。＇68＇　　…　　At　Chantilly　〃the　young　and　charming　Duchesse　de

Bourbon；　attired　as　a　voluptuous　Naiad；　guides　the　Comte　du　Nord；　in　a

gilded　gondola；　across　the　grand　canal　to　the　island　of　Love；〃　the

Prince　de　Conti；　in　his　part；　serves　as　pilot　to　the　Grand　Duchesse；

other　seigniors　and　ladies　〃each　in　allegorical　guise；〃　form　the

escort；＇69＇　and　on　these　limpid　waters；　in　this　new　garden　of

Alcinous；　the　smiling　and　gallant　retinue　seems　a　fairy　scene　in

Tasso。　　…　　At　Vaudreuil；　the　ladies；　advised　that　they　are　to　be

carried　off　to　seraglios；　attire　themselves　as　vestals；　while　the

high…priest　welcomes　them　with　pretty　couplets　into　his　temple　in　the

park；　meanwhile　over　three　hundred　Turks　arrive　who　force　the

enclosure　to　the　sound　of　music；　and　bear　away　the　ladies　in

palanquins　along　the　illuminated　gardens。　　At　the　little　Trianon；　the

park　is　arranged　as　a　fair；　and　the　ladies　of　the　court　are　the

saleswomen；　〃the　queen　keeping　a　café；〃　while；　here　and　there；　are

processions　and　theatricals；　this　festival　costs；　it　is　said；　100；000

livres；　and　a　repetition　of　it　is　designed　at　Choisy　attended　with　a

larger　outlay。



Alongside　of　these　masquerades　which　stop　at　costume　and　require

only　an　hour；　there　is　a　more　important　diversion；　the　private

theatrical　performance；　which　completely　transforms　the　man；　and　which

for　six　weeks；　and　even　for　three　months；　absorbs　him　entirely　at

rehearsals。　　Towards　1770；＇70＇　〃the　rage　for　it　is　incredible；　there　is

not　an　attorney　in　his　cottage　who　does　not　wish　to　have　a　stage　and

his　company　of　actors。〃　A　Bernardine　living　in　Bresse；　in　the　middle

of　a　wood；　writes　to　Collé　that　he　and　his　brethren　are　about　to

perform　〃La　Partie　de　Chasse　de　Henri　IV；〃　and　that　they　are　having　a

small　theater　constructed　〃without　the　knowledge　of　bigots　and　small

minds。〃　Reformers　and　moralists　introduce　theatrical　art　into　the

education　of　children；　Mme。　　de　Genlis　composes　comedies　for　them；

considering　these　excellent　for　the　securing　of　a　good　pronunciation；

proper　self…confidence　and　the　graces　of　deportment。　　The　theater；

indeed；　then　prepares　man　for　society　as　society　prepares　him　for　the

theater；　in　either　case　he　is　on　display；　composing　his　attitude　and

tone　of　voice；　and　playing　a　part；　the　stage　and　the　drawing　room　are

on　an　equal　footing。　　Towards　the　end　of　the　century　everybody　becomes

an　actor；　everybody　having　been　one　before。＇71＇　〃We　hear　of　nothing

but　little　theaters　set　up　in　the　country　around　Paris。〃　For　a　long

time　those　of　highest　rank　set　the　example。　　Under　Louis　XV。　　the　Ducs

d'Orléans；　de　Nivernais；　d'Ayen；　de　Coigny；　the　Marquises　de

Courtenvaux；　and　d'Entraigues；　the　Comte　de　Maillebois；　the　Duchesse

de　Brancas；　the　Comtesse　d'Estrades　form；　with　Madame　de　Pompadour；

the　company　of　the　〃small　cabinets；〃　the　Due　de　la　Vallière　is　the

director　of　them；　when　the　piece　contains　a　ballet　the　Marquis　de

Courtenvaux；　the　Duc　de　Beuvron；　the　Comtes　de　Melfort　and　de　Langeron

are　the　titular　dancers。＇72＇　〃Those　who　are　accustomed　to　such

spectacles；〃　writes　the　sedate　and　pious　Duc　de　Luynes；　〃agree　in　the

opinion　that　it　would　be　difficult　for　professional　comedians　to　play

better　and　more　intelligently。〃　The　passion　reaches　at　last　still

higher；　even　to　the　royal　family。　　At　Trianon；　the　queen；　at　first

before　forty　persons　and　then　before　a　more　numerous　audience；

performs　Colette　in　〃Le　Devin　de　Village；〃　Gotte；　in　〃La　Gageure

imprévue；〃　Rosine　in　〃Le　Barbier　de　Seville；〃　Pierette　in　〃Le　Chasseur

et　la　Laitière；〃＇73＇　while　the　other　comedians　consist　of　the

principal　men　of　the　court；　the　Comte　d'Artois；　the　Comtes　d'Adhémar

and　de　Vaudreuil；　the　Comtesse　de　Guiche；　and　the　Canoness　de

Polignac。　　A　theater　is　formed　in　Monsieur's　domicile；　there　are　two　in

the　Comte　d'Artois's　house；　two　in　that　of　the　Duc　d'Orléans；　two　in

the　Comte　de　Clermont's；　and　one　in　the　Prince　de　Condé's。　　The　Comte

de　Clermont　performs　serious　characters；　the　Duc　d'Orléans　represents；

with　completeness　and　naturalness；　peasants　and　financiers；　M。　de

Miromesnil；　keeper　of　the　seals；　is　the　smartest　and　most　finished　of

Scapins；　M。　de　Vaudreuil　seems　to　rival　Molé；　the　Comte　de　Pons　plays

the　〃Misanthrope〃　with　rare　perfection。＇74＇　〃More　than　ten　of　our

ladies　of　high　rank；〃　writes　the　Prince　de　Ligne；　〃play　and　sing

better　than　the　best　of　those　I　have　seen　in　our　theaters。〃　By　their

talent　judge　of　their　study；　assiduity　and　zeal。　　It　is　evident　that

for　many　of　them　it　is　the　principal　occupation。　　In　a　certain　chateau；

that　of　Saint…Aubin；　the　lady　of　the　house；　to　secure　a　large　enough

troupe；　enrolls　her　four　chambermaids　in　it；　making　her　little

daughter；　ten　years　old；　play　the　part　of　Zaire；　and　for　over　twenty

months　she　has　no　vacation。　　After　her　bankruptcy；　and　in　her　exile；

the　first　thing　done　by　the　Princess　de　Guéménée　was　to　sen