the origins of contemporary france-1-第66章

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thus　reduced　in　his　hands　to　a　phrase　or　to　a　stanza。　　From　the

enormous　mass　of　riven　or　compact　scorioe　he　extracts　whatever　is

essential；　a　grain　of　gold　or　of　copper　as　a　specimen　of　the　rest；

presenting　this　to　us　in　its　most　convenient　and　most　manageable　form；

in　a　simile；　in　a　metaphor；　in　an　epigram　that　becomes　a　proverb。　　In

this　no　ancient　or　modern　writer　approaches　him；　in　simplification　and

in　popularization　he　has　not　his　equal　in　the　world。　　Without

departing　from　the　usual　conversational　tone；　and　as　if　in　sport；　he

puts　into　little　portable　phrases　the　greatest　discoveries　and

hypotheses　of　the　human　mind；　the　theories　of　Descartes；　Malebranche；

Leibnitz；　Locke　and　Newton；　the　diverse　religions　of　antiquity　and　of

modern　times；　every　known　system　of　physics；　physiology；　geology；

morality；　natural　law；　and　political　economy；＇21＇　in　short；　all　the

generalized　conceptions　in　every　order　of　knowledge　to　which　humanity

had　attained　in　the　eighteenth　century。　　　　…　　Voltaire's　inclination

is　so　strong　that　it　carries　him　too　far；　he　belittles　great　things　by

rendering　them　accessible。　　Religion；　legend；　ancient　popular　poesy；

the　spontaneous　creations　of　instinct；　the　vague　visions　of　primitive

tunes　are　not　thus　to　be　converted　into　small　current　coin；　they　are

not　subjects　of　amusing　and　lively　conversation。　　A　piquant　witticism

is　not　an　expression　of　all　this；　but　simply　a　travesty。　　But　how

charming　to　Frenchmen；　and　to　people　of　the　world！　And　what　reader　can

abstain　from　a　book　containing　all　human　knowledge　summed　up　in

piquant　witticisms？　For　it　is　really　a　summary　of　human　knowledge；　no

important　idea；　as　far　as　I　can　see；　being　wanting　to　a　man　whose

breviary　consisted　of　the　〃Dialogues；〃　the　〃Dictionary；〃　and　the

〃Novels。〃　Read　them　over　and　over　five　or　six　times；　and　we　then　form

some　idea　of　their　vast　contents。　　Not　only　do　views　of　the　world　and

of　man　abound　in　them；　but　again　they　swarm　with　positive　and　even

technical　details；　thousands　of　little　facts　scattered　throughout；

multiplied　and　precise　details　on　astronomy；　physics；　geography；

physiology；　statistics；　and　on　the　history　of　all　nations；　the

innumerable　and　personal　experiences　of　a　man　who　has　himself　read　the

texts；　handled　the　instruments；　visited　the　countries；　taken　part　in

the　industries；　and　associated　with　the　persons；　and　who；　in　the

precision　of　his　marvelous　memory；　in　the　liveliness　of　his　ever…

blazing　imagination；　revives　or　sees；　as　with　the　eye　itself；

everything　that　he　states　and　as　he　states　it。　　It　is　a　unique　talent；

the　rarest　in　a　classic　era；　the　most　precious　of　all；　since　it

consists　in　the　display　of　actual　beings；　not　through　the　gray　veil　of

abstractions；　but　in　themselves；　as　they　are　in　nature　and　in　history；

with　their　visible　color　and　forms；　with　their　accessories　and

surroundings　in　time　and　space；　a　peasant　at　his　cart；　a　Quaker　in　his

meeting…house；　a　German　baron　in　his　castle；　Dutchmen；　Englishmen；

Spaniards；　Italians；　Frenchmen；　in　their　homes；＇22＇　a　great　lady；　a

designing　woman；　provincials；　soldiers；　prostitutes；＇23＇　and　the　rest

of　the　human　medley；　on　every　step　of　the　social　ladder；　each　an

abridgment　of　his　kind　and　in　the　passing　light　of　a　sudden　flash。



For；　the　most　striking　feature　of　this　style　is　the　prodigious

rapidity；　the　dazzling　and　bewildering　stream　of　novelties；　ideas；

images；　events；　landscapes；　narratives；　dialogues；　brief　little

pictures；　following　each　other　rapidly　as　if　in　a　magic…lantern；

withdrawn　almost　as　soon　as　presented　by　the　impatient　magician　who；

in　the　twinkling　of　an　eye；　girdles　the　world　and；　constantly

accumulating　one　on　top　of　the　other；　history；　fable；　truth　and　fancy；

the　present　time　and　times　past；　frames　his　work　now　with　a　parade　as

absurd　as　that　of　a　country　fair；　and　now　with　a　fairy　scene　more

magnificent　than　all　those　of　the　opera。　　To　amuse　and　be　amused；　〃to

diffuse　his　spirit　in　every　imaginable　mode；　like　a　glowing　furnace

into　which　all　substances　are　thrown　by　turns　to　evolve　every　species

of　flame；　sparkle　and　odor；〃　is　his　first　instinct。　　〃Life；〃　he　says

again；　〃is　an　infant　to　be　rocked　until　it　goes　to　sleep。〃　Never　was　a

mortal　more　excited　and　more　exciting；　more　incapable　of　silence　and

more　hostile　to　ennui；＇24＇　　better　endowed　for　conversation；　more

evidently　destined　to　become　the　king　of　a　sociable　century　in　which；

with　six　pretty　stories；　thirty　witticisms　and　some　confidence　in

himself；　a　man　could　obtain　a　social　passport　and　the　certainty　of

being　everywhere　welcome。　　Never　was　there　a　writer　possessing　to　so

high　a　degree　and　in　such　abundance　every　qualification　of　the

conversationalist；　the　art　of　animating　and　of　enlivening　discourse；

the　talent　for　giving　pleasure　to　people　of　society。　　Perfectly

refined　when　he　chose　to　be；　confining　himself　without　inconvenience

to　strict　decorum；　of　finished　politeness；　of　exquisite　gallantry；

deferential　without　being　servile；　fond　without　being　mawkish；＇25＇　and

always　at　his　ease；　it　suffices　that　he　should　be　before　the　public；

to　fall　naturally　into　the　proper　tone；　the　discreet　ways；　the　winning

half…smile　of　the　well…bred　man　who；　introducing　his　readers　into　his

mind；　does　them　the　honors　of　the　place。　　Are　you　on　familiar　terms

with　him；　and　of　the　small　private　circle　in　which　he　freely　unbends

himself；　with　closed　doors？　You　never　tire　of　laughing。　　With　a　sure

hand　and　without　seeming　to　touch　it；　he　abruptly　tears　aside　the　veil

hiding　a　wrong；　a　prejudice；　a　folly；　in　short；　any　human　idolatry。

The　real　figure；　misshapen；　odious　or　dull；　suddenly　appears　in　this

instantaneous　flash；　we　shrug　our　shoulders。　　This　is　the　risibility

of　an　agile；　triumphant　reason。　　We　have　another　in　that　of　the　gay

temperament；　of　the　droll　improvisator；　of　the　man　keeping　youthful；　a

child；　a　boy　even　to　the　day　of　his　death；　and　who　〃gambols　on　his　own

tombstone。〃　He　is　fond　of　caricature；　exaggerating　the　features　of

faces；　bringing　grotesques　on　the　stage；＇26＇　walking　them　about　in　all

lights　like　marionettes；　never　weary　of　taking　them　up　and　of　making

them　dance　in　new　costumes；　in　the　very　midst　of　his　philosophy；　of

his　propaganda　and　polemics；　he　sets　up　his　portable　theater　in　full

blast；　exhibiting　oddities；　the　scholar；　the　monk；　the　inquisitor；

Maupertuis；　Pompignan；　Nonotte；　Fréron；　King　David；　and　countless

others　who　appear　before　us；　capering　and　gesticulating　in　their

harlequin　attire。　　…　When　a　farcical　talent　is　thus　moved　to　tell　the

truth；　humor　becomes　all…powerful；　for　it　gratifies　the　profound　and

universal　instincts　of　human　nature：　to　the　malicious　curiosity；　to

the　desire　to　mock　and　belitte；　to　the　aversion　to　being　in　need　or

under　constraint；　those　sources　of　bad　moods　which　task　convention；

etiquette　and　social　obligation　with　　wearing　the　burdensome　cloak　of

respect　and　of　decency；　moments　occur　in　life　when　the　wisest　is　not

sorry　to　throw　this　half　aside　and　even　cast　it　off　entirely。　　…　On

each　page；　now　with　the　bold　stroke　of　a　hardy　naturalist；　now　with

the　quick　turn　of　a　mischievous　monkey；　Voltaire　lets　the　solemn　or

serious　drapery　fall；　disclosing　man；　the　poor　biped；　and　in　which

attitudes！＇27＇　　Swift　alone　dared　to　present　similar　pictures。　　What

physiological　crudities　relating　to　the　origin　and　end　of　our　most

exalted　sentiments！　What　disproportion　between　such　feeble　reason　and

such　powerful　instincts！　What　recesses　in　the　wardrobes　of　politics

and　religion　concealing　their　foul　linen！　We　laugh　at　all　this　so　as

not　to　weep；　and　yet　behind　this　laughter　there　are　tears；　he　ends

sneeringly；　subsiding　into　a　tone　of　profound　sadness；　of　mournful

pity。　　In　this　degree；　and　with　such　subjects；　it　is　only　an　effect　of

habit；　or　as　an　expedient；　a　mania　of　inspiration；　a　fixed　condition

of　the　nervous　machinery　rushing　headlong　over　everything；　without　a

break　and　in　full　speed。　　Gaiety；　let　it　not　be　forgotten；　is　still　a

incentive　of　action；　the　last　that　keeps　man　erect　in　France；　the　best

in　maintaining　the　tone　of　his　spirit；　his　strength　and　his　powers　of

resistance；　the　most　intact　in　an　age　when　men；　and　women　too；

believed　it　incumbent　on　them　to　die　people　of　good　society；　with　a

smile　and　a　jest　on　their　lips＇28＇。



When　the　talent　of　a　writer　thus　accords　with　public　inclinations

it　is　a　matter　of　little　import　whether　he　deviates　or　fails　since　he

is　following　the　universal　tendency。　　He　may　wander　off　or　besmirch

himself　in　vain；　for　his　audience　is　only　the　more　pleased；　his

defects　serving　him　as　advantageously　as　his　good　qualities。　　After

the　first　generation　of　healthy　minds　the　second　one　comes　on；　the

intellectual　balance　here　being　equally　inexact。　　〃Diderot；〃　says

Voltaire；　〃is　too　hot　an　oven；　everything　that　is　baked　in　it　getting

burnt。〃　Or　rather；　he　is　an　eruptive　volcano　which；　for　forty　years；

discharges　ideas　of　every　order　and　species；　boiling　and　fused

together；　precious　metals；　coarse　scorioe　and　fetid　mud；　the　steady

stream　overflows　at　will　according　to　the　roughness　of　the　ground；　but

always　displaying　the　ruddy　light　and　acrid　fumes　of　glowing　lava。　　He

is　not　master　of　his　ideas；　but　his　ideas　master　him；　he　is　under

submission　to　them；　he　has　not　that　firm　foundation　of　common

practical　sense　which　controls　their　impetuosity　and　ravages；　that

inner　dyke　of　social　caution　which；　with　Montesquieu　and　Voltaire；

bars　the　way　to　outbursts。　　Everything　with　him　rushes　out　of　the

surcharged　crater；　never　picking　its　way；　through　the　first　fissure　or

crevice　it　finds；　according　to　his　haphazard　reading；　a　letter；　a

conversation；　an　improvisation；　and　not　in　frequent　small　jets　as　with

Voltaire；　but　in　broad　currents　tumbling　blindly　down　the　most

precipitous　declivities　of　the　century。　　Not　only　does　he　descend　thus

to　the　very　depths　of　anti…religious　and　anti…social　doctrines；　with

logical　and　paradoxical　rigidity；　more　impetuously　and　more

obstreperously　than　d'Holbach　himself；　but　again　he　falls　into　and

sports　himself　in　the　slime　of　the　age；　consisting　of　obscenity；　and

into　the　beaten　track　of　declamation。　　In　his　leading　novels　he　dwells

a　long　time　on　salacious　equivocation；　or　on　a　scene　of　lewdness。

Crudity　with　him　is　not　extenuated　by　malice　or　glossed　over　by

elegance。　　He　is　neither　refined　nor　pungent；　is　quite　incapable；　like

the　younger　Crébillon；　of　depicting　the　scapegrace　of　ability。　　He　is

a　new…comer；　a　parvenu　in　standard　society；　you　see　in　him　a　commoner；

a　powerful　reasoner；　an　indefatigable　workman　and　great　artist；

introduced；　through　the　customs　of　the　day；　at　a　supper　of　fashionable

livers。　　He　engrosses　the　conversation；　directs　the　orgy；　or　in　the

contagion　or　on　a　wager；　says　more　filthy　things；　more　〃gueulées；〃

than　all　the　guests　put　together＇29＇。　　In　like　manner；　in　his　dramas；

in　his　〃Essays　on　Claudius　and　Nero