the origins of contemporary france-1-第35章

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and　one　actions　of　daily　life；　walking；　sitting　down；　standing　up；

offering　the　arm；　using　the　fan；　listening　and　smiling；　before　eyes　so

experienced　and　before　such　a　refined　public？　This　is　to　be　the　great

thing　for　them　when　they　become　men　and　women；　and　for　this　reason　it

is　the　thing　of　chief　importance　for　them　as　children。　　Along　with

graces　of　attitude　and　of　gesture；　they　already　have　those　of　the　mind

and　of　expression。　　Scarcely　is　their　tongue　loosened　when　they　speak

the　polished　language　of　their　parents。　　The　latter　amuse　themselves

with　them　and　use　them　as　pretty　dolls；　the　preaching　of　Rousseau；

which；　during　the　last　third　of　the　last　century；　brought　children

into　fashion；　produces　no　other　effect。　　They　are　made　to　recite　their

lessons　in　public；　to　perform　in　proverbs；　to　take　parts　in　pastorals。

Their　sallies　are　encouraged。　　They　know　how　to　turn　a　compliment；　to

invent　a　clever　or　affecting　repartee；　to　be　gallant；　sensitive；　and

even　spirituelle。　　The　little　Duc　d'Angoulême；　holding　a　book　in　his

hand；　receives　Suffren；　whom　he　addresses　thus：　〃I　was　reading

Plutarch　and　his　illustrious　men。　　You　could　not　have　entered　more

apropos。〃＇39＇　The　children　of　M。　de　Sabran；　a　boy　and　a　girl；　one

eight　and　the　other　nine；　having　taken　lessons　from　the　comedians

Sainval　and　Larive；　come　to　Versailles　to　play　before　the　king　and

queen　in　Voltaire's　〃Oreste；〃　and　on　the　little　fellow　being

interrogated　about　the　classic　authors；　he　replies　to　a　lady；　the

mother　of　three　charming　girls；　〃Madame；　Anacreon　is　the　only　poet　I

can　think　of　here！〃　Another；　of　the　same　age；　replies　to　a　question　of

Prince　Henry　of　Prussia　with　an　agreeable　impromptu　in　verse。＇40＇　To

cause　witticisms；　trivialities；　and　mediocre　verse　to　germinate　in　a

brain　eight　years　old；　what　a　triumph　for　the　culture　of　the　day！　　It

is　the　last　characteristic　of　the　régime　which；　after　having　stolen

man　away　from　public　affairs；　from　his　own　affairs；　from　marriage；

from　the　family；　hands　him　over；　with　all　his　sentiments　and　all　his

faculties；　to　social　worldliness；　him　and　all　that　belong　to　him。

Below　him　fine　ways　and　forced　politeness　prevail；　even　with　his

servants　and　tradesmen。　　A　Frontin　has　a　gallant　unconstrained　air；　and

he　turns　a　compliment。＇41＇　An　Abigail　needs　only　to　be　a　kept　mistress

to　become　a　lady。　　A　shoemaker　is　a　〃monsieur　in　black；〃　who　says　to　a

mother　on　saluting　the　daughter；　〃Madame；　a　charming　young　person；　and

I　am　more　sensible　than　ever　of　the　value　of　your　kindness；〃　on　which

the　young　girl；　just　out　of　a　convent；　takes　him　for　a　suitor　and

blushes　scarlet。　　Undoubtedly　less　unsophisticated　eyes　would

distinguish　the　difference　between　this　pinchbeck　louis　d'or　and　a

genuine　one；　but　their　resemblance　suffices　to　show　the　universal

action　of　the　central　mint…machinery　which　stamps　both　with　the　same

effigy；　the　base　metal　and　the　refined　gold。



IV。　　ENJOYMENT。



The　charm　of　this　life。　　…　Etiquette　in　the　18th　Century。　　…　Its

perfection　and　its　resources。　　…Taught　and　prescribed　under　feminine

authority。



A　society　which　obtains　such　ascendancy　must　possess　some　charm；　in

no　country；　indeed；　and　in　no　age　has　so　perfect　a　social　art　rendered

life　so　agreeable。　　Paris　is　the　school…house　of　Europe；　a　school　of

urbanity　to　which　the　youth　of　Russia；　Germany；　and　England　resort　to

become　civilized。　　Lord　Chesterfield　in　his　letters　never　tires　of

reminding　his　son　of　this；　and　of　urging　him　into　these　drawing…rooms；

which　will　remove　〃his　Cambridge　rust。〃　Once　familiar　with　them　they

are　never　abandoned；　or　if　one　is　obliged　to　leave　them；　one　always

sighs　for　them。　　〃Nothing　is　comparable；〃　says　Voltaire；＇42＇　〃to　the

genial　life　one　leads　there　in　the　bosom　of　the　arts　and　of　a　calm　and

refined　voluptuousness；　strangers　and　monarchs　have　preferred　this

repose；　so　agreeably　occupied　in　it　and　so　enchanting　to　their　own

countries　and　thrones。　　The　heart　there　softens　and　melts　away　like

aromatics　slowly　dissolving　in　moderate　heat；　evaporating　in

delightful　perfumes。〃　Gustavus　III；　beaten　by　the　Russians；　declares

that　he　will　pass　his　last　days　in　Paris　in　a　house　on　the　boulevards；

and　this　is　not　merely　complimentary；　for　he　sends　for　plans　and　an

estimate。＇43＇　A　supper　or　an　evening　entertainment　brings　people　two

hundred　leagues　away。　　Some　friends　of　the　Prince　de　Ligne　〃leave

Brussels　after　breakfast；　reach　the　opera　in　Paris　just　in　time　to　see

the　curtain　rise；　and；　after　the　spectacle　is　over；　return　immediately

to　Brussels；　traveling　all　night。〃　　…　　Of　this　delight；　so　eagerly

sought；　we　have　only　imperfect　copies；　and　we　are　obliged　to　revive　it

intellectually。　　It　consists；　in　the　first　place；　in　the　pleasure　of

living　with　perfectly　polite　people；　there　is　no　enjoyment　more

subtle；　more　lasting；　more　inexhaustible。　　Man's　self…esteem　or　vanity

being　infinite；　intelligent　people　are　always　able　to　produce　some

refinement　of　attention　to　gratify　it。　　Worldly　sensibility　being

infinite　there　is　no　imperceptible　shade　of　it　permitting

indifference。　　After　all；　Man　is　still　the　greatest　source　of　happiness

or　of　misery　to　Man；　and　in　those　days　this　everflowing　fountain

brought　to　him　sweetness　instead　of　bitterness。　　Not　only　was　it

essential　not　to　offend；　but　it　was　essential　to　please；　one　was

expected　to　lose　sight　of　oneself　in　others；　to　be　always　cordial　and

good…humored；　to　keep　one's　own　vexations　and　grievances　in　one's　own

breast；　to　spare　others　melancholy　ideas　and　to　supply　them　with

cheerful　ideas。





　〃Was　any　one　old　in　those　days？　It　is　the　Revolution　which　brought

old　age　into　the　world；　Your　grandfather；　my　child；＇44＇　was　handsome；

elegant；　neat；　gracious；　perfumed；　playful；　amiable；　affectionate；　and

good…tempered　to　the　day　of　his　death。　　People　then　knew　how　to　live

and　how　to　die；　there　was　no　such　thing　as　troublesome　infirmities。　　If

any　one　had　the　gout；　'he　walked　along　all　the　same　and　made　no　faces；

people　well　brought　up　concealed　their　sufferings。　　There　was　none　of

that　absorption　in　business　which　spoils　a　man　inwardly　and　dulls　his

brain。　　People　knew　how　to　ruin　themselves　without　letting　it　appear；

like　good　gamblers　who　lose　their　money　without　showing　uneasiness　or

spite。　　A　man　would　be　carried　half　dead　to　a　hunt。　　It　was　thought

better　to　die　at　a　ball　or　at　the　play　than　in　one's　bed；　between　four

wax　candles　and　horrid　men　in　black。　　People　were　philosophers；　they

did　not　assume　to　be　austere；　but　often　were　so　without　making　a

display　of　it。　　If　one　was　discreet；　it　was　through　inclination　and

without　pedantry　or　prudishness。　　People　enjoyed　this　life；　and　when

the　hour　of　departure　came　they　did　not　try　to　disgust　others　with

living。　　The　last　request　of　my　old　husband　was　that　I　would　survive

him　as　long　as　possible　and　live　as　happily　as　I　could。〃







When；　especially；　women　are　concerned　it　is　not　sufficient　to　be

polite；　it　is　important　to　be　gallant。　　Each　lady　invited　by　the　Prince

de　Conti　to　Ile…Adam　〃finds　a　carriage　and　horses　at　her　disposal；　she

is　free　to　give　dinners　every　day　in　her　own　rooms　to　her　own

friends。〃＇45＇　Mme。　　de　Civrac　having　to　go　to　the　springs；　her　friends

undertake　to　divert　her　on　the　journey；　they　keep　ahead　of　her　a　few

posts；　and；　at　every　place　where　she　rests　for　the　night；　they　give

her　a　little　féte　champêtre　disguised　as　villagers　and　in　bourgeois

attire；　with　bailiff　and　scrivener；　and　other　masks　all　singing　and

reciting　verses。　　A　lady　on　the　eve　of　Longchamp；　knowing　that　the

Vicomte　de　V　…　　possesses　two　calèches；　makes　a　request　for　one　of

them；　it　is　disposed　of；　but　he　is　careful　not　to　decline；　and

immediately　has　one　of　the　greatest　elegance　purchased　to　lend　it　for

three　hours；　he　is　only　too　happy　that　anybody　should　wish　to　borrow

from　him；　his　prodigality　appearing　amiable　but　not　astonishing。＇46＇

The　reason　is　that　women　then　were　queens　in　the　drawing…room；　it　is

their　right；　this　is　the　reason　why；　in　the　eighteenth　century；　they

prescribe　the　law　and　the　fashion　in　all　things。＇47＇　Having　formed　the

code　of　usages；　it　is　quite　natural　that　they　should　profit　by　it；　and

see　that　all　its　prescriptions　are　carried　out。　　In　this　respect　any

circle　〃of　the　best　company　〃　is　a　superior　tribunal；　serving　as　a

court　of　last　appeal。＇48＇　The　Maréchale　de　Luxembourg　is　an　authority；

there　is　no　point　of　manners　which　she　does　not　justify　with　an

ingenious　argument。　　Any　expression；　any　neglect　of　the　standard；　the

slightest　sign　of　pretension　or　of　vanity　incurs　her　disapprobation；

from　which　there　is　no　appeal；　and　the　delinquent　is　for　ever　banished

from　refined　society。　　Any　subtle　observation；　any　well…timed　silence；

an　〃　oh〃　uttered　in　an　appropriate　place　instead　of　an　〃　Ah；〃　secures

from　her；　as　from　M。　Talleyrand；　a　diploma　of　good　breeding　which　is

the　commencement　of　fame　and　the　promise　of　a　fortune。　　Under　such　an

〃instructress〃　it　is　evident　that　deportment；　gesture；　language；　every

act　or　omission　in　this　mundane　sphere；　becomes；　like　a　picture　or

poem；　a　veritable　work　of　art；　that　is　to　say；　infinite　in　refinement；

at　once　studied　and　easy；　and　so　harmonious　in　its　details　that　its

perfection　conceals　the　difficulty　of　combining　them。



A　great　lady　〃receives　ten　persons　with　one　courtesy；　bestowing　on

each；　through　the　head　or　by　a　glance；　all　that　he　is　entitled

to；〃＇49＇　meaning　by　this　the　shade　of　regard　due　to　each　phase　of

position；　consideration；　and　birth。　　〃She　has　always　to　deal　with

easily　irritated　amour…propres；　consequently　the　slightest　deficiency

in　proportion　would　be　promptly　detected；〃＇50＇　But　she　is　never

mistaken；　and　never　hesitates　in　these　subtle　distinctions；　with

incomparable　tact；　dexterity；　and　flexibility　of　tone；　she　regulates

the　degrees　of　her　welcome。　　She　has　one　〃for　women　of　condition；　one

for　women　of　quality；　one　for　women　of　the　court；　one　for　titled

women；　one　for　women　of　historic　names；　another　for　women　of　high

birth　personally；　but　married　to　men　beneath　them；　another　for　women

who　by　marriage　have　changed　a　common　into　a　distinguished　name；

another　still　for　women　of　reputable　names　in　the　law；　and；　finally；

another　for　those　whose　relief　consists　chiefly　of　expensive　houses

and　good　suppers。〃　A　stranger　would　be　amazed　on　seeing　with　what

certain　and　adroit　steps　she　circulates　among　so　many　watchful

vanities　without　ever　hurting　or　being　hurt。　　〃She　knows　how　to　express

all　through　the　style　of　her　salutations；　a　varied　style；　extending

through　imperceptible　gradations；　from　the　accessory　of　a　single　shrug

of　the　shoulder；　almost　an　impertinence；　to　that　noble　and　deferential

reverence　which　so　few　women；　even　of　the　court；　know　how　to　do　well；

that　slow　bending　forward；　with　lowered　eyes　and　straightened　figure；

gradually　recovering　and　modestly　glancing　at　the　person　w