the origins of contemporary france-1-第56章

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And；　as　one　always　falls　on　the　side　to　which　one　inclines；　levity

becomes　deliberate　and　a　matter　of　elegance。＇5＇　Indifference　of　the

heart　is　in　fashion；　one　would　be　ashamed　to　show　any　genuine　emotion。

One　takes　pride　in　playing　with　love；　in　treating　woman　as　a

mechanical　puppet；　in　touching　one　inward　spring；　and　then　another；　to

force　out；　at　will；　her　anger　or　her　pity。　　Whatever　she　may　do；　there

is　no　deviation　from　the　most　insulting　politeness；　the　very

exaggeration　of　false　respect　which　is　lavished　on　her　is　a　mockery　by

which　indifference　for　her　is　fully　manifested。　　…　But　they　go　still

further；　and　in　souls　naturally　unfeeling；　gallantry　turns　into

wickedness。　　Through　ennui　and　the　demand　for　excitement；　through

vanity；　and　as　a　proof　of　dexterity；　delight　is　found　in　tormenting；

in　exciting　tears；　in　dishonoring　and　in　killing　women　by　slow

torture。　　At　last；　as　vanity　is　a　bottomless　pit；　there　is　no　species

of　blackness　of　which　these　polished　executioners　are　not　capable；　the

personages　of　Laclos　are　derived　from　these　originals。＇6＇　…　Monsters

of　this　kind　are；　undoubtedly；　rare；　but　there　is　no　need　of　reverting

to　them　to　ascertain　how　much　egotism　is　harbored　in　the　gallantry　of

society。　　The　women　who　erected　it　into　an　obligation　are　the　first　to

realize　its　deceptiveness；　and；　amidst　so　much　homage　without　heat；　to

pine　for　the　communicative　warmth　of　a　powerful　sentiment。　　…　The

character　of　the　century　obtains　its　last　trait　and　〃the　man　of

feeling　comes　on　the　stage。



II。RETURN　TO　NATURE　AND　SENTIMENT。



Final　trait　of　the　century；　an　increased　sensitivity　in　the　best

circles。　　…　Date　of　its　advent。　　…　Its　symptoms　in　art　and　in

literature。　　…　Its　dominion　in　private。　　…　Its　affectations。　　…　Its

sincerity。　　…　Its　delicacy。



It　is　not　that　the　groundwork　of　habits　becomes　different；　for

these　remain　equally　worldly　and　dissipated　up　the　last。　　But　fashion

authorizes　a　new　affectation；　consisting　of　effusions；　reveries；　and

sensibilities　as　yet　unknown。　　The　point　is　to　return　to　nature；　to

admire　the　country；　to　delight　in　the　simplicity　of　rustic　manners；　to

be　interested　in　village　people；　to　be　human；　to　have　a　heart；　to　find

pleasure　in　the　sweetness　and　tenderness　of　natural　affections；　to　be

a　husband　and　a　father；　and　still　more；　to　possess　a　soul；　virtues；

and　religious　emotions；　to　believe　in　Providence　and　immortality；　to

be　capable　of　enthusiasm。　　One　wants　to　be　all　this；　or　at　least　show

an　inclination　that　way。　　In　any　event；　if　the　desire　does　exist　it　is

one　the　implied　condition；　that　one　shall　not　be　too　much　disturbed　in

his　ordinary　pursuits；　and　that　the　sensations　belonging　to　the　new

order　of　life　shall　in　no　respect　interfere　with　the　enjoyments　of　the

old　one。　　Accordingly　the　exaltation　which　arises　is　little　more　than

cerebral　fermentation；　and　the　idyll　is　to　be　almost　entirely

performed　in　the　drawing…rooms。　　Behold；　then；　literature；　the　drama；

painting　and　all　the　arts　pursuing　the　same　sentimental　road　to　supply

heated　imaginations　with　factitious　nourishment。＇7＇　Rousseau；　in

labored　periods；　preaches　the　charms　of　an　uncivilized　existence；

while　other　masters；　between　two　madrigals；　fancy　the　delight　of

sleeping　naked　in　the　primeval　forest。　　The　lovers　in　〃La　Nouvelle

Héloise〃　interchange　passages　of　fine　style　through　four　volumes；

whereupon　a　person　〃not　merely　methodical　but　prudent；〃　the　Comtesse

de　Blot；　exclaims；　at　a　social　gathering　at　the　Duchesse　de

Chartres'；　〃a　woman　truly　sensitive；　unless　of　extraordinary　virtue；

could　refuse　nothing　to　the　passion　of　Rousseau。〃＇8＇　People　collect　in

a　dense　crowd　in　the　Exhibition　around　〃L'Accordée　de　Village；〃　〃La

Cruche　Cassée；〃　and　the　〃Retour　de　nourrice；〃　with　other　rural　and

domestic　idylls　by　Greuze；　the　voluptuous　element；　the　tempting

undercurrent　of　sensuality　made　perceptible　in　the　fragile　simplicity

of　his　artless　maidens；　is　a　dainty　bit　for　the　libertine　tastes　which

are　kept　alive　beneath　moral　aspirations。＇9＇　After　these；　Ducis；

Thomas；　Parny；　Colardeau；　Boucher；　Delille；　Bernardin　de　St。　　Pierre；

Marmontel；　Florian；　the　mass　of　orators；　authors　and　politicians；　the

misanthrope　Champfort；　the　logician　La　Harpe；　the　minister　Necker；　the

versifiers　and　the　imitators　of　Gessner　and　Young；　the　Berquins；　the

Bitaubés；　nicely　combed　and　bedizened；　holding　embroidered

handkerchiefs　to　wipe　away　tears；　are　to　marshal　forth　the　universal

eclogue　down　to　the　acme　of　the　Revolution。　　Marmontel's　〃Moral　Tales〃

appear　in　the　columns　of　the　〃Mercure〃　for　1791　and　1792；＇10＇　while

the　number　following　the　massacres　of　September　opens　with　verses　〃to

the　manes　of　my　canary…bird。　　〃



Consequently；　in　all　the　details　of　private　life；　sensibility

displays　its　magniloquence。　　A　small　temple　to　Friendship　is　erected　in

a　park。　　A　little　altar　to　Benevolence　is　set　up　in　a　private　closet。

Dresses　à　la　Jean…Jacques…Rousseau　are　worn　〃analogous　to　the

principles　of　that　author。〃　Head…dresses　are　selected　with　〃puffs　au

sentiment〃　in　which　one　may　place　the　portrait　of　one's　daughter；

mother；　canary　or　dog；　the　whole　〃garnished　with　the　hair　of　one's

father　or　intimate　friend。〃＇11＇　People　keep　intimate　friends　for　whom

〃they　experience　something　so　warm　and　so　tender　that　it　nearly

amounts　to　a　passion〃　and　whom　they　cannot　go　three　hours　a　day

without　seeing。　　〃Every　time　female　companions　interchange　tender　ideas

the　voice　suddenly　changes　into　a　pure　and　languishing　tone；　each

fondly　regarding　the　other　with　approaching　heads　and　frequently

embracing；〃　and　suppressing　a　yawn　a　quarter　of　an　hour　after；　with　a

nap　in　concert；　because　they　have　no　more　to　say。　　Enthusiasm　becomes

an　obligation。　　On　the　revival　of　〃Le　père　de　famille〃　there　are　as

many　handkerchiefs　counted　as　spectators；　and　ladies　faint　away。　　〃It

is　customary；　especially　for　young　women；　to　be　excited；　to　turn　pale；

to　melt　into　tears　and；　generally；　to　be　seriously　affected　on

encountering　M。　de　Voltaire；　they　rush　into　his　arms；　stammer　and

weep；　their　agitation　resembling　that　of　the　most　passionate

love。〃＇12＇　…　When　a　society…author　reads　his　work　in　a　drawing…room；

fashion　requires　that　the　company　should　utter　exclamations　and　sob；

and　that　some　pretty　fainting　subject　should　be　unlaced。　　Mme。　　de

Genlis；　who　laughs　at　these　affectations；　is　no　less　affected　than　the

rest。　　Suddenly　some　one　in　the　company　is　heard　to　say　to　the　young

orphan　whom　she　is　exhibiting：　〃Pamela；　show　us　Héloise；〃　whereupon

Pamela；　loosening　her　hair；　falls　on　her　knees　and　turns　her　eyes　up

to　heaven　with　an　air　of　inspiration；　to　the　great　applause　of　the

assembly。＇13＇　Sensibility　becomes　an　institution。　　The　same　Madame　de

Genlis　founds　an　order　of　Perseverance　which　soon　includes　〃as　many　as

ninety　chevaliers　in　the　very　best　society。〃　To　become　a　member　it　is

necessary　to　solve　some　riddle；　to　answer　a　moral　question　and

pronounce　a　discourse　on　virtue。　　Every　lady　or　chevalier　who　discovers

and　publishes　〃three　well…verified　virtuous　actions〃　obtains　a　gold

medal。　　Each　chevalier　has　his　〃brother　in　arms；〃　each　lady　has　her

bosom　friend　and　each　member　has　a　device；　and　each　device；　framed　in

a　little　picture；　figures　in　the　〃Temple　of　Honor；〃　a　sort　of　tent

gallantly　decorated；　and　which　M。　de　Lauzun　causes　to　be　erected　in

the　middle　of　a　garden。＇14＇　…　The　sentimental　parade　is　complete；　a

drawing　room　masquerade　being　visible　even　in　this　revival　of

chivalry。



The　froth　of　enthusiasm　and　of　fine　words　nevertheless　leaves　in

the　heart　a　residuum　of　active　benevolence；　trustfulness；　and　even

happiness；　or；　at　least；　expansiveness　and　freedom。　　Wives；　for　the

first　time；　are　seen　accompanying　their　husbands　into　garrison；

mothers　desire　to　nurse　their　infants；　and　fathers　begin　to　interest

themselves　in　the　education　of　their　children。　　Simplicity　again　forms

an　element　of　manners。　　Hair…powder　is　no