the origins of contemporary france-1-第58章

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interrupted。＇23＇　Clear…sighted　in　society；　they　are　obtuse　in

politics。　　They　examine　everything　by　the　artificial　light　of　candles；

they　are　disturbed　and　bewildered　in　the　powerful　light　of　open　day。

The　eyelid　has　grown　stiff　through　age。　　The　organ　so　long　bent　on　the

petty　details　of　one　refined　life　no　longer　takes　in　the　popular　life

of　the　masses；　and；　in　the　new　sphere　into　which　it　is　suddenly

plunged；　its　refinement　becomes　the　source　of　its　blindness。



Nevertheless　action　is　necessary；　for　danger　is　seizing　them　by　the

throat。　　But　the　danger　is　of　an　ignoble　species；　while　their　education

has　provided　them　with　no　arms　suitable　for　warding　it　off。　　They　have

learned　how　to　fence；　but　not　how　to　box。　　They　are　still　the　sons　of

those　at　Fontenoy；　who；　instead　of　being　the　first　to　fire；

courteously　raised　their　hats　and　addressed　their　English　antagonists；

〃No；　gentlemen；　fire　yourselves。〃　Being　the　slaves　of　good…breeding

they　are　not　free　in　their　movements。　　Numerous　acts；　and　those　the

most　important；　those　of　a　sudden；　vigorous　and　rude　stamp；　are

opposed　to　the　respect　a　well…bred　man　entertains　for　others；　or　at

least　to　the　respect　which　he　owes　to　himself。　　They　do　not　consider

these　allowable　among　themselves；　they　do　not　dream　of　their　being

allowed；　and；　the　higher　their　position　the　more　their　rank　fetters

them。　　When　the　royal　family　sets　out　for　Varennes　the　accumulated

delays　by　which　they　are　lost　are　the　result　of　etiquette。　　Madame　de

Touzel　insists　on　her　place　in　the　carriage　to　which　she　is　entitled

as　governess　of　the　Children　of　France。　　The　king；　on　arriving；　is

desirous　of　conferring　the　marshal's　baton　on　M。　de　Bouillé；　and　after

running　to　and　fro　to　obtain　a　baton　he　is　obliged　to　borrow　that　of

the　Duc　de　Choiseul。　　The　queen　cannot　dispense　with　a　traveling

dressing…case　and　one　has　to　be　made　large　enough　to　contain　every

imaginable　implement　from　a　warming…pan　to　a　silver　porridge…dish；

with　other　dishes　besides；　and；　as　if　there　were　no　shifts　to　be　had

in　Brussels；　there　had　to　be　a　complete　outfit　in　this　line　for

herself　and　her　children。＇24＇　…　A　fervent　devotion；　even　humanness；

the　frivolity　of　the　small　literary　spirit；　graceful　urbanity；

profound　ignorance；＇25＇　the　lack　or　rigidity　of　the　comprehension　and

determination　are　still　greater　with　the　princes　than　with　the　nobles。

…　All　are　impotent　against　the　wild　and　roaring　outbreak。　　They　have

not　the　physical　superiority　that　can　master　it；　the　vulgar

charlatanism　which　can　charm　it　away；　the　tricks　of　a　Scapin　to　throw

it　off　the　scent；　the　bull's　neck；　the　mountebank's　gestures；　the

stentor's　lungs；　in　short；　the　resources　of　the　energetic　temperament

and　of　animal　cunning；　alone　capable　of　diverting　the　rage　of　the

unchained　brute。　　To　find　such　fighters；　they　seek　three　or　four　men　of

a　different　race　and　education；　men　having　suffered　and　roamed　about；

a　brutal　commoner　like　the　abbé　Maury；　a　colossal　and　dirty　satyr　like

Mirabeau；　a　bold　and　prompt　adventurer　like　that　Dumouriez　who；　at

Cherbourg；　when；　through　the　feebleness　of　the　Duc　de　Beuvron；　the

stores　of　grain　were　given　up　and　the　riot　began；　hooted　at　and　nearly

cut　to　pieces；　suddenly　sees　the　keys　of　the　storehouse　in　the　hands

of　a　Dutch　sailor；　and；　yelling　to　the　mob　that　it　was　betrayed

through　a　foreigner　having　got　hold　of　the　keys；　himself　jumps　down

from　the　railing；　seizes　the　keys　and　hands　them　to　the　officer　of　the

guard；　saying　to　the　people；　〃I　am　your　father；　I　am　the　man　to　be

responsible　for　the　storehouse！〃＇26＇　To　entrust　oneself　with　porters

and　brawlers；　to　be　collared　by　a　political　club；　to　improvise　on　the

highways；　to　bark　louder　than　the　barkers；　to　fight　with　the　fists　or

a　cudgel；　as　much　later　with　the　young　and　rich　gangs；　against　brutes

and　lunatics　incapable　of　employing　other　arguments；　and　who　must　be

answered　in　the　same　vein；　to　mount　guard　over　the　Assembly；　to　act　as

volunteer　constable；　to　spare　neither　one's　own　hide　nor　that　of

others；　to　be　one　of　the　people　to　face　the　people；　all　these　are

simple　and　effectual　proceedings；　but　so　vulgar　as　to　appear　to　them

disgusting。　　The　idea　of　resorting　to　such　means　never　enters　their

head；　they　neither　know　how；　nor　do　they　care　to　make　use　of　their

hands　in　such　business。＇27＇　They　are　skilled　only　in　the　duel　and；

almost　immediately；　the　brutality　of　opinion；　by　means　of　assaults；

stops　the　way　to　polite　combats。　　Their　arms；　the　shafts　of　the

drawing…room；　epigrams；　witticisms；　songs；　parodies；　and　other　needle

thrusts　are　impotent　against　the　popular　bull。＇28＇　Their　personality

lacks　both　roots　and　resources；　through　super…refinement　it　has

weakened；　their　nature；　impoverished　by　culture；　is　incapable　of　the

transformations　by　which　we　are　renewed　and　survive。　　…　An　all…powerful

education　has　repressed；　mollified；　and　enfeebled　their　very

instincts。　　About　to　die；　they　experience　none　of　the　reactions　of

blood　and　rage；　the　universal　and　sudden　restoration　of　the　forces；

the　murderous　spasm；　the　blind　irresistible　need　of　striking　those　who

strike　them。　　If　a　gentleman　is　arrested　in　his　own　house　by　a　Jacobin

we　never　find　him　splitting　his　head　open。＇29＇　　They　allow　themselves

to　be　taken；　going　quietly　to　prison；　to　make　an　uproar　would　be　bad

taste；　it　is　necessary；　above　all　things；　to　remain　what　they　are；

well…bred　people　of　society。　　In　prison　both　men　and　women　dress

themselves　with　great　care；　pay　each　other　visits　and　keep　up　a

drawing…room；　it　may　be　at　the　end　of　a　corridor；　by　the　light　of

three　or　four　candles；　but　here　they　circulate　jests；　compose

madrigals；　sing　songs　and　pride　themselves　on　being　as　gallant；　as　gay

and　as　gracious　as　ever：　need　people　be　morose　and　ill…behaved　because

accident　has　consigned　them　to　a　poor　inn？　They　preserve　their　dignity

and　their　smile　before　their　judges　and　on　the　cart；　the　women；

especially；　mount　the　scaffold　with　the　ease　and　serenity

characteristic　of　an　evening　entertainment。　　It　is　the　supreme

characteristic　of　good…breeding；　erected　into　an　unique　duty；　and

become　to　this　aristocracy　a　second　nature；　which　is　found　in　its

virtues　as　well　as　in　its　vices；　in　its　faculties　as　well　as　in　its

impotencies；　in　its　prosperity　as　at　its　fall；　and　which　adorns　it

even　in　the　death　to　which　it　conducts。



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Notes：



＇1＇。　　Champfort；　110。



＇2＇。　　George　Sand；　V。　　59。　　〃I　was　rebuked　for　everything；　I　never

made　a　movement　which　was　not　criticized。〃



＇3＇。　　〃Paris；　Versailles；　et　les　provinces；〃　I。　　162。　　…　〃The　king　of

Sweden　is　here；　be　wears　rosettes　on　his　breeches；　all　is　over；　he　is

ridiculous；　and　a　provincial　king。〃　（〃Le　Gouvernement　de　Normandie；〃

by　Hippeau；　IV。　　237；　July　4；　1784。



＇4＇。　　Stendhal；　〃Rome；　Naples　and　Florence；〃　379。　　Stated　by　an

English　lord。



＇5＇　Marivaux；　〃La　Petit…Ma？tre　corrigé。　　…　Gresset；　〃Le　Méchant。〃

Crébillon　fils；　〃La　Nuit　et　le　Moment；〃　（especially　the　scene　between

the　scene　between　Citandre　and　Lucinde）。　　…　Collé；　〃La　Verité　dans　le

Vin；〃　（the　part　of　the　abbé　with　the　with　the　présidente）。　　…　De

Bezenval；　79。　　（The　comte　de　Frise　and　Mme。　　de　Blot）。　　〃Vie　privée　du

Maréchal　de　Richelieu；〃　（scenes　with　Mme。　　Michelin）。　　…　De　Goncourt；

167　to　174。



＇6＇。　　Laclos；　〃Les　Liaisons　Dangereuses。〃　Mme。　　de　Merteuil　was

copied　after　a　Marquise　de　Grenoble。　　…　Remark　the　difference　between

Lovelace　and　Valmont；　one　being　stimulated　by　pride　and　the　other　by

vanity。



＇7＇。　　The　growth　of　sensibility　is　indicated　by　the　following　dates：

Rousseau；　〃Sur　l'influence　des　lettres　et　des　arts；〃　1749；　〃Sur

l'inégalité；〃　1753；　〃Nouvelle　Héloise；〃　1759。　　Greuze；　〃Le　Pére　de

Famille　lisant　la　Bible；〃　1755；　〃L'Accordée　de　Village；〃　1761。

Diderot；　〃Le　fils　natural；〃　1757；　〃Le　Pére　de　Famille；〃　1758。



＇8＇。　　Mme。　　de　Genlis；　〃Mémoires；〃　chap。　　XVII。