the origins of contemporary france-1-第47章

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become　familiar　with　the　country　in　which　it　lives。　　Certainly；　the

point　of　view　is　good；　and　the　advice　is　well　thought…out。　　The

conclusion　that　the　public　will　have　an　accurate　view　is　not

warranted；　for　the　state　of　its　eyes　must　be　examined；　to　ascertain

whether　it　is　near　or　far…sighted；　or　if　the　retina　naturally；　or

through　habit；　is　sensitive　to　certain　colors。　　In　the　same　way　the

French　of　the　eighteenth　century　must　be　considered；　the　structure　of

their　inward　vision；　that　is　to　say；　the　fixed　form　of　their

intelligence　which　they　are　bringing　with　them；　unknowingly　and

unwillingly；　up　upon　their　new　tower。



I。　　THROUGH　COLORED　GLASSES。



Its　signs；　duration　and　power。　　…　Its　origin　and　public　supporters。

…　Its　vocabulary；　grammar　and　style。　　…　Its　method；　merits　and　defects。



　　This　fixed　intelligence　consists　of　the　classic　spirit；　which

applied　to　the　scientific　acquisitions　of　the　period；　produces　the

philosophy　of　the　century　and　the　doctrines　of　the　Revolution。　　Various

signs　denote　its　presence；　and　notably　its　oratorical；　regular　and

correct　style；　wholly　consisting　of　ready…made　phrases　and　contiguous

ideas。　　It　lasts　two　centuries；　from　Malherbe　and　Balzac　to　Delille　and

de　Fontanes；　and　during　this　long　period；　no　man　of　intellect；　save

two　or　three；　and　then　only　in　private　memoirs；　as　in　the　case　of

Saint…Simon；　also　in　familiar　letters　like　those　of　the　marquis　and

bailly　de　Mirabeau；　either　dares　or　can　withdraw　himself　from　its

empire。　　Far　from　disappearing　with　the　ancient　regime　it　forms　the

matrix　out　of　which　every　discourse　and　document　issues；　even　the

phrases　and　vocabulary　of　the　Revolution。　　Now；　what　is　more　effective

than　a　ready…made　mold；　enforced；　accepted；　in　which　by　virtue　of

natural　tendency；　of　tradition　and　of　education；　everyone　can　enclose

their　thinking？　This　one；　accordingly；　is　a　historic　force；　and　of　the

highest　order；　to　understand　it　let　us　consider　how　it　came　into

being。　　　It　appeared　together　with　the　regular　monarchy　and　polite

conversation；　and　it　accompanies　these；　not　accidentally；　but

naturally　and　automatically。　　For　it　is　product　of　the　new　society；　of

the　new　regime　and　its　customs：　I　mean　of　an　aristocracy　left　idle　due

the　encroaching　monarchy；　of　people　well　born　and　well　educated　who；

withdrawn　from　public　activity；　fall　back　on　conversation　and　pass

their　leisure　sampling　the　different　serious　or　refined　pleasures　of

the　intellect。＇1＇　Eventually；　they　have　no　other　role　nor　interest

than　to　talk；　to　listen；　to　entertain　themselves　agreeably　and　with

ease；　on　all　subjects；　grave　or　gay；　which　may　interest　men　or　even

women　of　society；　that's　their　great　affair。　　In　the　seventeenth

century　they　are　called　〃les　honnêtes　gens〃＇2＇　and　from　now　on　a

writer；　even　the　most　abstract；　addresses　himself　to　them。　　〃A

gentleman；〃　says　Descartes；　〃need　not　have　read　all　books　nor　have

studiously　acquired　all　that　is　taught　in　the　schools；〃　and　he

entitles　his　last　treatise；　〃A　search　for　Truth　according　to　natural

light；　which　alone；　without　aid　of　Religion　or　Philosophy；　determines

the　truths　a　gentleman　should　possess　on　all　matters　forming　the

subjects　of　his　thoughts。〃＇3＇　In　short；　from　one　end　of　his　philosophy

to　the　other；　the　only　qualification　he　demands　of　his　readers　is

〃natural　good　sense〃　added　to　the　common　stock　of　experience　acquired

by　contact　with　the　world。　　…　As　these　make　up　the　audience　they　are

likewise　the　judges。　　〃One　must　study　the　taste　of　the　court；〃　says

Molière；＇4＇　〃for　in　no　place　are　verdicts　more　just　。　　。　　。　　With　simple

common　sense　and　intercourse　with　people　of　refinement；　a　habit　of

mind　is　there　obtained　which；　without　comparison；　forms　a　more

accurate；　judgment　of　things　than　the　rusty　attainments　of　the

pedants。〃　From　this　time　forth；　it　may　be　said　that　the　arbiter　of

truth　and　of　taste　is　not；　as　before；　an　erudite　Scaliger；　but　a　man

of　the　world；　a　La　Rochefoucauld；　or　a　Tréville。＇5＇　The　pedant　and；

after　him；　the　savant；　the　specialist；　is　set　aside。　　〃True　honest

people；〃　says　Nicole　after　Pascal；　〃require　no　sign。　　They　need　not　be

divined；　they　join　in　the　conversation　going　on　as　they　enter　the

room。　　They　are　not　styled　either　poets　or　surveyors；　but　they　are　the

judges　of　all　these。〃＇6＇　In　the　eighteenth　century　they　constitute　the

sovereign　authority。　　In　the　great　crowd　of　blockheads　sprinkled　with

pedants；　there　is；　says　Voltaire；　〃a　small　group　apart　called　good

society；　which；　rich；　educated　and　polished；　forms；　you　might　say；

the　flower　of　humanity；　it　is　for　this　group　that　the　greatest　men

have　labored；　it　is　this　group　which　accords　social　recognition。〃＇7＇

Admiration；　favor；　importance；　belong　not　to　those　who　are　worthy　of

it　but　to　those　who　address　themselves　to　this　group。　　〃In　1789；〃　said

the　Abbé　Maury；　〃the　French　Academy　alone　enjoyed　any　esteem　in

France；　and　it　really　bestowed　a　standing。　　That　of　the　Sciences

signified　nothing　in　public　opinion；　any　more　than　that　of

Inscriptions。　　。　　。　　The　languages　is　considered　a　science　for　fools。

D'Alembert　was　ashamed　of　belonging　to　the　Academy　of　Sciences。　　Only　a

handful　of　people　listen　to　a　mathematician；　a　chemist；　etc。　　but　the

man　of　letters；　the　lecturer；　has　the　world　at　his　feet。〃＇8＇　　…　Under

such　a　strong　pressure　the　mind　necessarily　follows　a　literary　and

verbal　route　in　conformity　with　the　exigencies；　the　proprieties；　the

tastes；　and　the　degree　of　attention　and　of　instruction　of　its

public。＇9＇　Hence　the　classic　mold；　…　formed　out　of　the　habit　of

speaking；　writing　and　thinking　for　a　drawing　room　audience。＇10＇



This　is　immediately　evident　in　its　style　and　language。　　Between

Amyot；　Rabelais　and　Montaigne　on　the　one　hand；　and　Chateaubriand；

Victor　Hugo　and　Honoré　de　Balzac　on　the　other；　classic　French　comes

into　being　and　dies。　　From　the　very　first　it　is　described　at　the

language　of　〃honest　people。〃　It　is　fashioned　not　merely　for　them；　but

by　them；　and　Vaugelas；＇11＇　their　secretary；　devotes　himself　for　thirty

years　to　the　registry　of　decisions　according　to　the　usages　only　of

good　society。　　Hence；　throughout；　both　in　vocabulary　and　in　grammar；

the　language　is　refashioned　over　and　over　again；　according　to　the　cast

of　their　intellects；　which　is　the　prevailing　intellect。　　…



　In　the　first　place　the　vocabulary　is　diminished：



*　Most　of　the　words　specially　employed　on　erudite　and　technical

subjects；　expressions　that　are　too　Greek　or　too　Latin；　terms　peculiar

to　the　schools；　to　science；　to　occupations；　to　the　household；　are

excluded　from　discourse；



*　those　too　closely　denoting　a　particular　occupation　or　profession

are　not　considered　proper　in　general　conversation。



*　A　vast　number　of　picturesque　and　expressive　words　are　dropped；

all　that　are　crude；　gaulois　or　naifs；　all　that　are　local　and

provincial；　or　personal　and　made…up；　all　familiar　and　proverbial

locutions；＇12＇　many　brusque；　familiar　and　frank　turns　of　thought；

every　haphazard；　telling　metaphor；　almost　every　description　of

impulsive　and　dexterous　utterance　throwing　a　flash　of　light　into　the

imagination　and　bringing　into　view　the　precise；　colored　and　complete

form；　but　of　which　a　too　vivid　impression　would　run　counter　to　the

proprieties　of　polite　conversation。



　〃One　improper　word；〃　said　Vaugelas；　〃is　all　that　is　necessary　to

bring　a　person　in　society　into　contempt；〃



and；　on　the　eve　of　the　Revolution；　an　objectionable　term　denounced

by　Madame　de　Luxembourg　still　consigns　a　man　to　the　rank　of　〃espèces；〃

because　correct　expression　is　ever　an　element　of　good　manners。　　…

Language；　through　this　constant　scratching；　is　attenuated　and　becomes

colorless：　Vaugelas　estimates　that　one…half　of　the　phrases　and　terms

employed　by　Amyot　are　set　aside。＇13＇　With　the　exception　of　La

Fontaine；　an　isolated　and　spontaneous　genius；　who　reopens　the　old

sources；　and　La　Bruyère；　a　bold　seeker；　who　opens　a　fresh　source；　and

Voltaire　an　incarnate　demon　who；　in　his　anonymous　and　pseudonymous

writings；　gives　the　rein　to　the　violent；　crude　expressions　of　his

inspiration；＇14＇　the　terms　which　are　most　appropriate　fall　into

desuetude。　　One　day；　Gresset；　in　a　discourse　at　the　Academy；　dares

utter　four　or　five　of　these；＇15＇　relating；　I　believe；　to　carriages　and

head…dresses；　whereupon　murmurs　at　once　burst　forth。　　During　his　long

retreat　he　had　become　provincial　and　lost　the　touch。　　…　By　degrees；

discourses　are　composed　of　〃general　expressions〃　only。　　These　are　even

employed；　in　accordance　with　Buffon's　precept；　to　designate　concrete

objects。　　They　are　more　in　conformity　with　the　polished　courtesy　which

smoothes　over；　appeases；　and　avoids　rough　or　familiar　expressions；　to

which　some　views　appear　gross　or　rude　unless　partly　hidden　by　a　veil。

This　makes　it　easier　for　the　superficial　listener；　prevailing　terms

alone　will　immediately　arouse　current　and　common　ideas；　they　are

intelligible　to　every　man　from　the　single　fact　that　he　belongs　to　the

drawing…room；　special　terms；　on　the　contrary；　demand　an　effort　of　the

memory　or　of　the　imagination。　　Suppose　that；　in　relation　to　Franks　or

to　savages；　I　should　mention　〃a　battle…ax；〃　which　would　be　at　once

understood；　should　I　mention　a　〃tomahawk；〃　or　a　〃francisque；〃＇16＇　many

would　imagine　that　I　was　speaking　Teuton　or　Iroquois。＇17＇　In　this

respect　the　more　fashionable　and　refined　the　style；　the　more

punctilious　the　effort。　　Every　appropriate　term　is　banished　from

poetry；　if　one　happens　to　enter　the　mind　it　must　be　evaded　or　replaced

by　a　paraphrase。　　An　eighteenth　century　poet　can　hardly　permit　himself

to　employ　more　than　one…third　of　the　dictionary；　poetic　language　at

last　becomes　so　restricted　as　to　compel　a　man　with　anything　to　say　not

to　express　himself　in　verse。＇18＇



On　the　other　hand　the　more　you　prune　the　more　you　thin　out。　　Reduced

to　a　select　vocabulary　the　Frenchman　deals　with　fewer　subjects；　but　he

describes　them　more　agreeably　and　more　clearly。　　〃Courtesy；　accuracy〃；

（Urbanité；　exactitude！）；　these　two　words；　born　at　the　same　time　with

the　French　Academy；　describes　in　a　nutshell　the　reform　of　which　it　is

the　tool；　and　which　the　drawing…room；　by　it；　and　alongside　of　it；

imposes　on　the　public。　　Grand　seigniors　in　retirement；　and　unoccupied

fine　ladies；　enjoy　the　examination　of　the　subtleties　of　words　for　the

purpose　of　composing　maxims；　definitions　and　characters。　　With

admirable　scrupulousness　and　infinitely　delicate　tact；　writers　and

people　society　apply　themselves　to　weighing　each　word　and　each　phrase

in　order　to　fix　its　sense；　to　measure　its　force　and　bearing；　to

determine　its　affinities；　use　and　connections　This　work　of　precision

is　carried　on　from　the　earliest　academicians；　Vaugelas；　Chapelain　and

Conrart；　to　the　end　of　the　classic　epoch；　in　the　Synonymes　by　Bauzée

and　by　Girard；　in　the　Remarque　by　Duclos；　in　the　Commentaire　by

Voltaire　on　Corneille；　in　the　Lycée　by　la　Harpe；＇