the origins of contemporary france-1-第25章

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princes　and　princesses　〃to　send　to　the　bureau　for　fish　on　fast　days

when　not　residing　regularly　at　the　court；〃　amounts　in　1778　to　175；116

livres。　　On　reading　in　the　Almanach　the　titles　of　these　officials　we

see　a　Gargantua's　feast　spread　out　before　us。　　The　formal　hierarchy　of

the　kitchens；　so　many　grand　officials　of　the　table；　　…　　the　butlers；

comptrollers　and　comptroller…pupils；　the　clerks　and　gentlemen　of　the

pantry；　the　cup…bearers　and　carvers；　the　officers　and　equerries　of　the

kitchen；　the　chiefs；　assistants　and　head…cooks；　the　ordinary

scullions；　turnspits　and　cellarers；　the　common　gardeners　and　salad

gardeners；　laundry　servants；　pastry…cooks；　plate…changers；　table…

setters；　crockery…keepers；　and　broach…bearers；　the　butler　of　the　table

of　the　head…butler；　　…　　an　entire　procession　of　broad…braided　backs

and　imposing　round　bellies；　with　grave　countenances；　which；　with　order

and　conviction；　exercise　their　functions　before　the　saucepans　and

around　the　buffets。



One　step　more　and　we　enter　the　sanctuary；　the　king's　apartment。　　Two

principal　dignitaries　preside　over　this；　and　each　has　under　him　about

a　hundred　subordinates。　　On　one　side　is　the　grand　chamberlain　with　his

first　gentlemen　of　the　bedchamber；　the　pages　of　the　bedchamber；　their

governors　and　instructors；　the　ushers　of　the　antechamber；　with　the

four　first　valets…de…chambre　in　ordinary；　sixteen　special　valets

serving　in　turn；　his　regular　and　special　cloak…bearers；　his　barbers；

upholsterers；　watch…menders；　waiters　and　porters；　on　the　other　hand　is

the　grand…master　of　the　wardrobe；　with　the　masters　of　the　wardrobe　and

the　valets　of　the　wardrobe　regular　and　special；　the　ordinary　trunk…

carriers；　mail…bearers；　tailors；　laundry　servants；　starchers；　and

common　waiters；　with　the　gentlemen；　officers　and　secretaries　in

ordinary　of　the　cabinet；　in　all　198　persons　for　domestic　service；　like

50　many　domestic　utensils　for　every　personal　want；　or　as　sumptuous

pieces　of　furniture　for　the　decoration　of　the　apartment。　　Some　of　them

fetch　the　mall　and　the　balls；　others　hold　the　mantle　and　cane；　others

comb　the　king's　hair　and　dry　him　off　after　a　bath；　others　drive　the

mules　which　transport　his　bed；　others　watch　his　pet　greyhounds　in　his

room；　others　fold；　put　on　and　tie　his　cravat；　and　others　fetch　and

carry　off　his　easy　chair。＇20＇　Some　there　are　whose　sole　business　it　is

to　fill　a　corner　which　must　not　be　left　empty。　　Certainly；　with　respect

to　ease　of　deportment　and　appearance　these　are　the　most　conspicuous　of

all；　being　so　close　to　the　master　they　are　under　obligation　to　appear

well；　in　such　proximity　their　bearing　must　not　create　a　discord。　　…

Such　is　the　king's　household；　and　I　have　only　described　one　of　his

residences；　he　has　a　dozen　of　them　besides　Versailles；　great　and

small；　Marly；　the　two　Trianons；　la　Muette；　Meudon；　Choisy；　Saint…

Hubert；　Saint…Germain；　Fontainebleau；　Compiègne；　Saint…Cloud；

Rambouillet；＇21＇　without　counting　the　Louvre；　the　Tuileries　and

Chambord；　with　their　parks　and　hunting…grounds；　their　governors；

inspectors；　comptrollers；　concierges；　fountain　tenders；　gardeners；

sweepers；　scrubbers；　mole…catchers；　wood…rangers；　mounted　and　foot…

guards；　in　all　more　than　a　thousand　persons。　　Naturally　he　entertains；

plans　and　builds；　and；　in　this　way　expends　3　or　4　millions　per

annum。＇22＇　Naturally；　also；　he　repairs　and　renews　his　furniture；　in

1778；　which　is　an　average　year；　this　costs　him　1；936；853　livres。

Naturally；　also；　he　takes　his　guests　along　with　him　and　defrays　their

expenses；　they　and　their　attendants；　at　Choisy；　in　1780；　there　are

sixteen　tables　with　345　seats　besides　the　distributions；　at　Saint…

Cloud；　in　1785；　there　are　twenty…six　tables；　〃an　excursion　to　Marly　of

twenty…one　days　is　a　matter　of　120；000　livres　extra　expense；〃　the

excursion　to　Fontainebleau　has　cost　as　much　as　400；000　and　500；000

livres。　　His　removals；　on　the　average；　cost　half　a　million　and　more　per

annum。＇23＇　…　　To　complete　our　idea　of　this　immense　paraphernalia　it

must　be　borne　in　mind　that　the　artisans　and　merchants　belonging　to

these　various　official　bodies　are　obliged；　through　the　privileges　they

enjoy；　to　follow　the　court　〃on　its　journeys　that　it　may　be　provided　on

the　spot　with　apothecaries；　armorers；　gunsmiths；　sellers　of　silken　and

woollen　hosiery；　butchers；　bakers；　embroiderers；　publicans；　cobblers；

belt…makers；　candle…makers；　hatters；　pork…dealers；　surgeons；

shoemakers；　curriers；　cooks；　pinkers；　gilders　and　engravers；　spur…

makers；　sweetmeat…dealers；　furbishers；　old…clothes　brokers；　glove…

perfumers；　watchmakers；　booksellers；　linen…drapers；　wholesale　and

retail　wine…dealers；　carpenters；　coarse…jewelry　haberdashers；

jewellers；　parchment…makers；　dealers　in　trimmings；　chicken…roasters；

fish…dealers；　purveyors　of　hay；　straw　and　oats；　hardware…sellers；

saddlers；　tailors；　gingerbread　and　starch…dealers；　fruiterers；　dealers

in　glass　and　in　violins。〃＇24＇　One　might　call　it　an　oriental　court

which；　to　be　set　in　motion；　moves　an　entire　world：　〃when　it　is　to　move

one　must；　if　one　wants　to　travel　anywhere；　take　the　post　in　well　in

advance。〃　The　total　is　near　4；000　persons　for　the　king's　civil

household；　9；000　to　10；000　for　his　military　household；　at　least　2；000

for　those　of　his　relatives；　in　all　15；000　individuals；　at　a　cost　of

between　forty　and　fifty　million　livres；　which　would　be　equal　to　double

the　amount　to　day；　and　which；　at　that　time；　constituted　one…tenth　of

the　public　revenue。＇25＇　We　have　here　the　central　figure　of　the

monarchical　show。　　However　grand　and　costly　it　may　be；　it　is　only

proportionate　to　its　purpose；　since　the　court　is　a　public　institution；

and　the　aristocracy；　with　nothing　to　do；　devotes　itself　to　filling　up

the　king's　drawing…room。



III。　　THE　KING'S　ASSOCIATES。



The　society　of　the　king。　　…　Officers　of　the　household。　　…　Invited

guests。



Two　causes　maintain　this　affluence；　one　the　feudal　form　still

preserved；　and　the　other　the　new　centralization　just　introduced；　one

placing　the　royal　service　in　the　hands　of　the　nobles；　and　the　other

converting　the　nobles　into　place…hunters。　　…　　Through　the　duties　of

the　palace　the　highest　nobility　live　with　the　king；　residing　under　his

roof；　the　grand…almoner　is　M。　de　Montmorency…Laval；　bishop　of　Metz；

the　first　almoner　is　M。　de　Bussuéjouls；　bishop　of　Senlis；　the　grand…

master　of　France　is　the　Prince　de　Condé；　the　first　royal　butier　is　the

Comte　d'Escars；　the　second　is　the　Marquis　de　Montdragon；　the　master　of

the　pantry　is　the　Duke　de　Brissac；　the　chief　cup…bearer　is　the　Marquis

de　Vemeuil；　the　chief　carver　is　the　Marquis　de　la　Chesnaye；　the　first

gentlemen　of　the　bedchamber　are　the　Ducs　de　Richelieu；　de　Durfort；　de

Villequier；　and　de　Fleury；　the　grand…master　of　the　wardrobe　is　the　Duc

de　la　Rochefoucauld…Liancourt；　the　masters　of　the　wardrobe　are　the

Comte　de　Boisgelin　and　the　Marquis　de　Chauvelin。　　The　captain　of　the

falconry　is　the　Chevalier　du　Forget；　the　captain　of　the　boar…hunt　is

the　Marquis　d'Ecquevilly；　the　superintendent　of　edifices　is　the　Comte

d'Angevillier；　the　grand…equerry　is　the　Prince　de　Lambesc；　the　master

of　the　hounds　is　the　Duc　de　Penthièvre；　the　grand…master　of　ceremonies

is　the　Marquis　de　Brèze；　the　grand…master　of　the　household　is　the

Marquis　de　la　Suze；　the　captains　of　the　guards　are　the　Ducs　d'Agen；　de

Villery；　de　Brissac；　d'Aguillon；　and　de　Biron；　the　Princes　de　Poix；　de

Luxembourg　and　de　Soubise。　　The　provost　of　the　hotel　is　the　Marquis　de

Tourzel；　the　governors　of　the　residences　and　captains　of　the　chase　are

the　Duc　de　Noailles；　Marquis　de　Champcenetz；　Baron　de　Champlost；　Duc

de　Coigny；　Comte　de　Modena；　Comte　de　Montmorin；　Duc　de　Laval；　Comte　de

Brienne；　Duc　d'Orléans；　and　the　Duc　de　Gèsvres。＇26＇　All　these

seigniors　are　the　king's　necessary　intimates；　his　permanent　and

generally　hereditary　guests；　dwelling　under　his　roof；　in　close　and

daily　intercourse　with　him；　for　they　are　〃his　folks〃　（gens）＇27＇　and

perform　domestic　service　about　his　person。　　Add　to　these　their　equals；

as　noble　and　nearly　as　numerous；　dwelling　with　the　queen；　with

Mesdames；　with　Mme。　　Elisabeth；　with　the　Comte　and　Comtesse　de　Provence

and　the　Comte　and　Comtesse　d'Artois。　　…　　And　these　are　only　the　heads

of　the　service；　if；　below　them　in　rank　and　office；　I　count　the　titular

nobles；　I　find；　among　others；　68　almoners　or　chaplains；　170　gentlemen

of　the　bedchamber　or　in　waiting；　117　gentlemen　of　the　stable　or　of　the

hunting…train；　148　pages；　114　titled　ladies　in　waiting；　besides　all

the　officers；　even　to　the　lowest　of　the　military　household；　without

counting　1；400　ordinary　guards　who；　verified　by　the　genealogist；　are

admitted　by　virtue　of　their　title　to　pay　their　court。＇28＇　Such　is　the

fixed　body　of　recruits　for　the　royal　receptions；　the　distinctive　trait

of　this　régime　is　the　conversion　of　its　servants　into　guests；　the

drawing　room　being　filled　from　the　anteroom。



Not　that　the　drawing　room　needs　all　that　to　be　filled。　　Being　the

source　of　all　preferment　and　of　every　favor；　it　is　natural　that　it

should　overflow＇29＇。　　It　is　the　same　in　our　leveling　society　（in　1875）；

where　the　drawing　room　of　an　insignificant　deputy；　a　mediocre

journalist；　or　a　fashionable　woman；　is　full　of　courtiers　under　the

name　of　friends　and　visitors。　　Moreover；　here；　to　be　present　is　an

obligation；　it　might　be　called　a　continuation　of　ancient　feudal

homage；　the　staff　of　nobles　is　maintained　as　the　retinue　of　its　born

general。　　In　the　language　of　the　day；　it　is　called　〃paying　one's　duty

to　the　king。〃　Absence；　in　the　sovereign's　eyes；　would　be　a　sign　of

independence　as　well　as　of　indifference；　while　submission　as　well　as

regular　attention　is　his　due。　　In　this　respect　we　must　study　the

institution　from　the　beginning。　　The　eyes　of　Louis　XIV　go　their　rounds

at　every　moment；　〃on　arising　or　retiring；　on　passing　into　his

apartments；　in　his　gardens；　。　　。　　。　　nobody　escapes；　even　those　who　hoped

they　were　not　seen；　it　was　a　demerit　with　some；　and　the　most

distinguished；　not　to　make　the　court　their　ordinary　sojourn；　to　others

to　come　to　it　but　seldom；　and　certain　disgrace　to　those　who　never；　or

nearly　never；　came。〃＇30＇　　Henceforth；　the　main　thing；　for　the　first

personages　in　the　kingdom；　men　and　women；　ecclesiastics　and　laymen；

the　grand　affair；　the　first　duty　in　life；　the　true　occupation；　is　to

be　at　all　hours　and　in　every　place　under　the　king's　eye；　within　reach

of　his　voice　and　of　his　glance。　　〃Whoever；〃　says　La　Bruyère；　〃considers

that　the　king's　countenance　is　the　courtier's　supreme　felicity；　that

he　passes　his　life　looking　on　it　and　within　sight　of　it；　will

comprehend　to　some　extent　how　to　see　God　constitutes　the　glory　and

happiness　of　the　saints。〃　There　were　at　this　time　prodigies　of

voluntary　assiduity　and　subjection。　　The　Duc　de　Fronsac；　every　morning

at　seven　o'clock；　in　winter　and　in　summer；　stationed　himself；　at　his

father's　command；　at　the　foot　of　the　small　stairway　leading　to　the

chapel；　sol