the origins of contemporary france-1-第49章

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along　with　the　masterpieces　of　the　ancient　tribune。　　So　strong　is　this

tendency　that；　on　the　approach　of　the　final　moment；　in　the　agony　of

death；　alone　and　without　witnesses；　the　character　finds　the　means　to

plead　his　own　frenzy　and　die　eloquently。



II。　　ITS　ORIGINAL　DEFICIENCY。



Its　original　deficiency。　　…　Signs　of　this　in　the　17th　century。　　…　It

grows　with　time　and　success。　　…　Proofs　of　this　growth　in　the　18th

century。　　…　Serious　poetry；　the　drama；　history　and　romances。　　…　Short…

sighted　views　of　man　and　of　human　existence。



This　excess　indicates　a　deficiency。　　In　the　two　operations　which　the

human　mind　performs；　the　classicist　is　more　successful　in　the　second

than　in　the　first。　　The　second；　indeed；　stands　in　the　way　of　the　first；

the　obligation　of　always　speaking　correctly　makes　him　refrain　from

saying　all　that　ought　to　be　said。　　With　him　the　form　is　more　important

than　abundant　contents；　the　firsthand　observations　which　serve　as　a

living　source　losing；　in　the　regulated　channels　to　which　they　are

confined；　their　force；　depth　and　impetuosity。　　Real　poetry；　able　to

convey　dream　and　illusion；　cannot　be　brought　forth。　　Lyric　poetry

proves　abortive；　and　likewise　the　epic　poem。＇27＇　Nothing　sprouts　on

these　distant　fields；　remote　and　sublime；　where　speech　unites　with

music　and　painting。　　Never　do　we　hear　the　involuntary　scream　of　intense

torment；　the　lonely　confession　of　a　distraught　soul；＇28＇　pouring　out

his　heart　to　relieve　himself。　　When　a　creation　of　characters　is

imperative；　as　in　dramatic　poetry；　the　classic　mold　fashions　but　one

kind；　that　which　through　education；　birth；　or　impersonation；　always

speak　correctly；　in　other　words；　like　so　many　people　of　high　society。

No　others　are　portrayed　on　the　stage　or　elsewhere；　from　Corneille　and

Racine　to　Marivaux　and　Beaumarchais。　　So　strong　is　the　habit　that　it

imposes　itself　even　on　La　Fontaine's　animals；　on　the　servants　of

Molière；　on　Montesquieu's　Persians；　and　on　the　Babylonians；　the

Indians　and　the　Micromégas　of　Voltaire。　　…　It　must　be　stated；

furthermore；　that　these　characters　are　only　partly　real。　　In　real

persons　two　kinds　of　characteristics　may　be　noted；　the　first；　few　in

number；　which　he　or　she　shares　with　others　of　their　kind　and　which　any

reader　readily　may　identify；　and　the　other　kind；　of　which　there　are　a

great　many；　describing　only　one　particular　person　and　these　are　much

more　difficult　to　discover。　　Classic　art　concerns　itself　only　with　the

former；　it　purposely　effaces；　neglects　or　subordinates　the　latter。　　It

does　not　build　individual　persons　but　generalized　characters；　a　king；

a　queen；　a　young　prince；　a　confidant；　a　high…priest；　a　captain　of　the

guards；　seized　by　some　passion；　habit　or　inclination；　such　as　love；

ambition；　fidelity　or　perfidy；　a　despotic　or　a　yielding　temper；　some

species　of　wickedness　or　of　native　goodness。　　As　to　the　circumstances

of　time　and　place；　which；　amongst　others；　exercise　a　most　powerful

influence　in　shaping　and　diversifying　man；　it　hardly　notes　them；　even

setting　them　aside。　　In　a　tragedy　the　scene　is　set　everywhere　and　any

time；　the　contrary；　that　the　action　takes　place　nowhere　in　no　specific

epoch；　is　equally　valid。　　It　may　take　place　in　any　palace　or　in　any

temple；＇29＇　in　which；　to　get　rid　of　all　historic　or　personal　impressions；

habits　and　costumes　are　introduced　conventionally；　being　neither　French

nor　foreign；　nor　ancient；　nor　modern。　　In　this　abstract　world　the

address　is　always　〃you〃（as　opposed　to　the　familiar　thou）；＇30＇

〃Seigneur〃　and　〃Madame；〃　the　noble　style　always　clothing　the　most

different　characters　in　the　same　dress。　　When　Corneille　and　Racine；

through　the　stateliness　and　elegance　of　their　verse；　afford　us　a

glimpse　of　contemporary　figures　they　do　it　unconsciously；　imagining

that　they　are　portraying　man　in　himself；　and；　if　we　of　the　present

time　recognize　in　their　pieces　either　the　gentleman；　the　duelists；　the

bullies；　the　politicians　or　the　heroines　of　the　Fronde；　or　the

courtiers；　princes　and　bishops；　the　ladies　and　gentlemen　in　waiting　of

the　regular　monarchy；　it　is　because　they　have　inadvertently　dipped

their　brush　in　their　own　experience；　some　of　its　color　having　fallen

accidentally　on　the　bare　ideal　outline　which　they　wished　to　trace。　　We

have　simply　a　contour；　a　general　sketch；　filled　up　with　the　harmonious

gray　tone　of　correct　diction。　　…　Even　in　comedy；　necessarily　employing

current　habits；　even　with　Molière；　so　frank　and　so　bold；　the　model　is

unfinished；　all　individual　peculiarities　being　suppressed；　the　face

becoming　for　a　moment　a　theatrical　mask；　and　the　personage；　especially

when　talking　in　verse；　sometimes　losing　its　animation　in　becoming　the

mouth…piece　for　a　monologue　or　a　dissertation。＇31＇　　The　stamp　of　rank；

condition　or　fortune；　whether　gentleman　or　bourgeois；　provincial　or

Parisian；　is　frequently　overlooked。＇32＇　　We　are　rarely　made　to

appreciate　physical　externals；　as　in　Shakespeare；　the　temperament；　the

state　of　the　nervous　system；　the　bluff　or　drawling　tone；　the　impulsive

or　restrained　action；　the　emaciation　or　obesity　of　a　character。＇33＇

Frequently　no　trouble　is　taken　to　find　a　suitable　name；　this　being

either　Chrysale；　Orgon；　Damis；　Dorante；　or　Valère。　　The　name　designates

only　a　simple　quality；　that　of　a　father；　a　youth；　a　valet；　a　grumbler；

a　gallant；　and；　like　an　ordinary　cloak；　fitting　indifferently　all

forms　alike；　as　it　passes　from　the　wardrobe　of　Molière　to　that　of

Regnard；　Destouche；　Lesage　or　Marivaux。＇34＇　　The　character　lacks　the

personal　badge；　the　unique；　authentic　appellation　serving　as　the

primary　stamp　of　an　individual。　　All　these　details　and　circumstances；

all　these　aids　and　accompaniments　of　a　man；　remain　outside　of　the

classic　theory。　　To　secure　the　admission　of　some　of　them　required　the

genius　of　Molière；　the　fullness　of　his　conception；　the　wealth　of　his

observation；　the　extreme　freedom　of　his　pen。　　It　is　equally　true　again

that　he　often　omits　them；　and　that；　in　other　cases；　he　introduces　only

a　small　number　of　them；　because　he　avoids　giving　to　these　general

characters　a　richness　and　complexity　that　might　interfere　with　the

story。　　The　simpler　the　theme　the　clearer　its　development；　the　first

duty　of　the　author　throughout　this　literature　being　to　clearly　develop

the　restricted　theme　of　which　he　makes　a　selection。



There　is；　accordingly；　a　radical　defect　in　the　classic　spirit；　the

defect　of　its　qualities；　and　which；　at　first　kept　within　proper

bounds；　contributes　towards　the　production　of　its　purest　master…

pieces；　but　which；　in　accordance　with　the　universal　law；　goes　on

increasing　and　turns　into　a　vice　through　the　natural　effect　of　age；

use；　and　success。　　Contracted　at　the　start；　it　is　to　become　yet　more

so。　　In　the　eighteenth　century　the　description　of　real　life；　of　a

specific　person；　just　as　he　is　in　nature　and　in　history；　that　is　to

say；　an　undefined　unit；　a　rich　plexus；　a　complete　organism　of

peculiarities　and　traits；　superposed；　entangled　and　co…ordinated；　is

improper。　　The　capacity　to　receive　and　contain　all　these　is　wanting。

Whatever　can　be　discarded　is　cast　aside；　and　to　such　an　extent　that

nothing　is　left　at　last　but　a　condensed　extract；　an　evaporated

residuum；　an　almost　empty　name；　in　short；　what　is　called　a　hollow

abstraction。　　The　only　characters　in　the　eighteenth　century　exhibiting

any　life　are　the　off…hand　sketches；　made　in　passing　and　as　if

contraband；　by　Voltaire；　Baron　de　Thundertentronk　and　Milord　Watthen；

the　lesser　figures　in　his　stories；　and　five　or　six　portraits　of

secondary　rank；　Turcaret；　Gil　Blas；　Marianne；　Manon　Lescaut；　Rameau；

and　Figaro；　two　or　three　of　the　rough　sketches　of　Crébillon　the

younger　and　of　Collé；　all　so　many　works　in　which　sap　flows　through　a

familiar　knowledge　of　things；　comparable　with　those　of　the　minor

masters　in　painting；　Watteau；　Fragonard；　Saint…Aubin；　Moreau；　Lancret；

Pater；　and　Beaudouin；　and　which；　accepted　with　difficulty；　or　as　a

surprise；　by　the　official　drawing　room　are　still　to　subsist　after　the

grander　and　soberer　canvases　shall　have　　become　moldy　through　their

wearisome　exhalations。　　Everywhere　else　the　sap　dries　up；　and；　instead

of　blooming　plants；　we　encounter　only　flowers　of　painted　paper。　　What

are　all　the　serious　poems；　from　the　〃la　Henriade〃　of　Voltaire　to　the

〃Mois〃　by　Roucher　or　the　〃l'Imagination〃　by　Delille；　but　so　many

pieces　of　rhetoric　garnished　with　rhymes？　Examine　the　innumerable

tragedies　and　comedies　of　which　Grimm　and　Collé　gives　us　mortuary

extracts；　even　the　meritorious　works　of　Voltaire　and　Crébillon；　and

later；　those　of　authors　of　repute；　Du　Belloy；　Laharpe；　Ducis；　and

Marie　Chénier？　Eloquence；　art；　situations；　correct　verse；　all　exist　in

these　except　human　nature；　the　personages　are　simply　well…taught

puppets；　and　generally　mere　mouthpieces　by　which　the　author　makes　his

declamation　public；　Greeks；　Romans；　Medieval　knights；　Turks；　Arabs；

Peruvians；　Giaours；　or　Byzantines；　they　have　all　the　same　declamatory

mechanisms。　　The　public；　meanwhile；　betrays　no　surprise。　　It　is　not

aware　of　history。　　It　assumes　that　humanity　is　everywhere　the　same。　　It

establishes　the　success　alike　of　the　〃Incas〃　by　Marmontel；　and　of

〃Gonsalve〃　and　the　〃Nouvelles〃　by　Florian；　also　of　the　peasants；

mechanics；　Negroes；　Brazilians；　Parsees；　and　Malabarites　that　appear

before　it　churning　out　their　exaggerations。　　Man　is　simply　regarded　as

a　reasoning　being；　alike　in　all　ages　and　alike　in　all　places；

Bernardin　de　Saint…Pierre　endows　his　pariah　with　this　habit；　like

Diderot；　in　his　Tahitians。　　The　one　recognized　principle　is　that　every

human　being　must　think　and　talk　like　a　book。　　…　And　how　inadequate

their　historical　background！　With　the　exception　of　〃Charles　XII。；〃　a

contemporary　on　whom　Voltaire；　thanks　to　eye　eye…witnesses；　bestows

fresh　life；　also　his　spirited　sketches　of　Englishmen；　Frenchmen；

Spaniards；　Italians　and　Germans；　scattered　through　his　stories；　where

are　real　persons　to　be　found？　With　Hume；　Gibbon　and　Robertson；

belonging　to　the　French　school；　and　who　are　at　once　adopted　in　France；

in　the　researches　into　our　middle　ages　of　Dubos　and　of　Mably；　in　the

〃Louis　XI〃　of　Duclos；　in　the　〃Anarcharsis〃　of　Barthélemy；　even　in　the

〃Essai　sur　les　Moeurs；〃　and　in　the　〃Siecle　de　Louis　XIV〃　of　Voltaire；

even　in　the　〃Grandeur　des　Romains；〃　and　the　〃Esprit　des　Lois〃　of

Montesquieu；　what　peculiar　deficiency！　Erudition；　criticism；　common

sense；　an　almost　exact　exposition　of　dogmas　and　of　institutions；

philosophic　views　of　the　relationships　between　events　and　on　the

general　run　of　these；　nothing　is　lacking　but　the　people！　On　reading

these　it　seems　as　if　the　climates；　institutions　and　civilizations

which　so　completely　modifies　the　human　intellect；　are　simply　so　many

outworks；　so　many　fortuitous　exteriors；　which；　far　from　reflecting　its

depths　scarcely　penetrate　beneath　its　surface。　　The　vast　differences

separating　the　men　of　two　centuries；　or　of　two　peoples；　es