the two brothers-第25节

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strength　so　quickly。　The　Berrichon　sees　the　correctness　of　the

calculation；　but　he　answers；　〃Think　of　the　gossip；　monsieur。〃　〃Gossip；

what　do　you　mean？〃　〃Well；　yes；　what　would　people　say　of　me？〃　〃He　would

be　the　talk　of　the　neighborhood；〃　said　the　owner　of　the　property　on

which　this　scene　took　place；　〃they　would　think　him　as　rich　as　a

tradesman。　He　is　afraid　of　public　opinion；　afraid　of　being　pointed　at；

afraid　of　seeming　ill　or　feeble。　That's　how　we　all　are　in　this

region。〃　Many　of　the　bourgeoisie　utter　this　phrase　with　feelings　of

inward　pride。



While　ignorance　and　custom　are　invincible　in　the　country　regions；

where　the　peasants　are　left　very　much　to　themselves；　the　town　of

Issoudun　itself　has　reached　a　state　of　complete　social　stagnation。

Obliged　to　meet　the　decadence　of　fortunes　by　the　practice　of　sordid

economy；　each　family　lives　to　itself。　Moreover；　society　is　permanently

deprived　of　that　distinction　of　classes　which　gives　character　to

manners　and　customs。　There　is　no　opposition　of　social　forces；　such　as

that　to　which　the　cities　of　the　Italian　States　in　the　Middle　Ages　owed

their　vitality。　There　are　no　longer　any　nobles　in　Issoudun。　The

Cottereaux；　the　Routiers；　the　Jacquerie；　the　religious　wars　and　the

Revolution　did　away　with　the　nobility。　The　town　is　proud　of　that

triumph。　Issoudun　has　repeatedly　refused　to　receive　a　garrison；　always

on　the　plea　of　cheap　provisions。　She　has　thus　lost　a　means　of

intercourse　with　the　age；　and　she　has　also　lost　the　profits　arising

from　the　presence　of　troops。　Before　1756；　Issoudun　was　one　of　the　most

delightful　of　all　the　garrison　towns。　A　judicial　drama；　which　occupied

for　a　time　the　attention　of　France；　the　feud　of　a　lieutenant…general

of　the　department　with　the　Marquis　de　Chapt；　whose　son；　an　officer　of

dragoons；　was　put　to　death；justly　perhaps；　yet　traitorously；　for

some　affair　of　gallantry；deprived　the　town　from　that　time　forth　of　a

garrison。　The　sojourn　of　the　forty…fourth　demi…brigade；　imposed　upon

it　during　the　civil　war；　was　not　of　a　nature　to　reconcile　the

inhabitants　to　the　race　of　warriors。



Bourges；　whose　population　is　yearly　decreasing；　is　a　victim　of　the

same　social　malady。　Vitality　is　leaving　these　communities。

Undoubtedly；　the　government　is　to　blame。　The　duty　of　an　administration

is　to　discover　the　wounds　upon　the　body…politic；　and　remedy　them　by

sending　men　of　energy　to　the　diseased　regions；　with　power　to　change

the　state　of　things。　Alas；　so　far　from　that；　it　approves　and

encourages　this　ominous　and　fatal　tranquillity。　Besides；　it　may　be

asked；　how　could　the　government　send　new　administrators　and　able

magistrates？　Who；　of　such　men；　is　willing　to　bury　himself　in　the

arrondissements；　where　the　good　to　be　done　is　without　glory？　If；　by

chance；　some　ambitious　stranger　settles　there；　he　soon　falls　into　the

inertia　of　the　region；　and　tunes　himself　to　the　dreadful　key　of

provincial　life。　Issoudun　would　have　benumbed　Napoleon。



As　a　result　of　this　particular　characteristic；　the　arrondissement　of

Issoudun　was　governed；　in　1822；　by　men　who　all　belonged　to　Berry。　The

administration　of　power　became　either　a　nullity　or　a　farce；except　in

certain　cases；　naturally　very　rare；　which　by　their　manifest　importance

compelled　the　authorities　to　act。　The　procureur　du　roi；　Monsieur

Mouilleron；　was　cousin　to　the　entire　community；　and　his　substitute

belonged　to　one　of　the　families　of　the　town。　The　judge　of　the　court；

before　attaining　that　dignity；　was　made　famous　by　one　of　those

provincial　sayings　which　put　a　cap　and　bells　on　a　man's　head　for　the

rest　of　his　life。　As　he　ended　his　summing…up　of　all　the　facts　of　an

indictment；　he　looked　at　the　accused　and　said：　〃My　poor　Pierre！　the

thing　is　as　plain　as　day；　your　head　will　be　cut　off。　Let　this　be　a

lesson　to　you。〃　The　commissary　of　police；　holding　office　since　the

Restoration；　had　relations　throughout　the　arrondissement。　Moreover；

not　only　was　the　influence　of　religion　null；　but　the　curate　himself

was　held　in　no　esteem。



It　was　this　bourgeoisie；　radical；　ignorant；　and　loving　to　annoy

others；　which　now　related　tales；　more　or　less　comic；　about　the

relations　of　Jean…Jacques　Rouget　with　his　servant…woman。　The　children

of　these　people　went　none　the　less　to　Sunday…school；　and　were　as

scrupulously　prepared　for　their　communion：　the　schools　were　kept　up

all　the　same；　mass　was　said；　the　taxes　were　paid　（the　sole　thing　that

Paris　extracts　of　the　provinces）；　and　the　mayor　passed　resolutions。

But　all　these　acts　of　social　existence　were　done　as　mere　routine；　and

thus　the　laxity　of　the　local　government　suited　admirably　with　the

moral　and　intellectual　condition　of　the　governed。　The　events　of　the

following　history　will　show　the　effects　of　this　state　of　things；　which

is　not　as　unusual　in　the　provinces　as　might　be　supposed。　Many　towns　in

France；　more　particularly　in　the　South；　are　like　Issoudun。　The

condition　to　which　the　ascendency　of　the　bourgeoisie　has　reduced　that

local　capital　is　one　which　will　spread　over　all　France；　and　even　to

Paris；　if　the　bourgeois　continues　to　rule　the　exterior　and　interior

policy　of　our　country。



Now；　one　word　of　topography。　Issoudun　stretches　north　and　south；　along

a　hillside　which　rounds　towards　the　highroad　to　Chateauroux。　At　the

foot　of　the　hill；　a　canal；　now　called　the　〃Riviere　forcee〃　whose

waters　are　taken　from　the　Theols；　was　constructed　in　former　times；

when　the　town　was　flourishing；　for　the　use　of　manufactories　or　to

flood　the　moats　of　the　rampart。　The　〃Riviere　forcee〃　forms　an

artificial　arm　of　a　natural　river；　the　Tournemine；　which　unites　with

several　other　streams　beyond　the　suburb　of　Rome。　These　little　threads

of　running　water　and　the　two　rivers　irrigate　a　tract　of　wide…spreading

meadow…land；　enclosed　on　all　sides　by　little　yellowish　or　white

terraces　dotted　with　black　speckles；　for　such　is　the　aspect　of　the

vineyards　of　Issoudun　during　seven　months　of　the　year。　The

vine…growers　cut　the　plants　down　yearly；　leaving　only　an　ugly　stump；

without　support；　sheltered　by　a　barrel。　The　traveller　arriving　from

Vierzon；　Vatan；　or　Chateauroux；　his　eyes　weary　with　monotonous　plains；

is　agreeably　surprised　by　the　meadows　of　Issoudun；the　oasis　of　this

part　of　Berry；　which　supplies　the　inhabitants　with　vegetables

throughout　a　region　of　thirty　miles　in　circumference。　Below　the　suburb

of　Rome；　lies　a　vast　tract　entirely　covered　with　kitchen…gardens；　and

divided　into　two　sections；　which　bear　the　name　of　upper　and　lower

Baltan。　A　long　avenue　of　poplars　leads　from　the　town　across　the

meadows　to　an　ancient　convent　named　Frapesle；　whose　English　gardens；

quite　unique　in　that　arrondissement；　have　received　the　ambitious　name

of　Tivoli。　Loving　couples　whisper　their　vows　in　its　alleys　of　a

Sunday。



Traces　of　the　ancient　grandeur　of　Issoudun　of　course　reveal　themselves

to　the　eyes　of　a　careful　observer；　and　the　most　suggestive　are　the

divisions　of　the　town。　The　chateau；　formerly　almost　a　town　itself　with

its　walls　and　moats；　is　a　distinct　quarter　which　can　only　be　entered；

even　at　the　present　day；　through　its　ancient　gateways；by　means　of

three　bridges　thrown　across　the　arms　of　the　two　rivers；and　has　all

the　appearance　of　an　ancient　city。　The　ramparts　show；　in　places；　the

formidable　strata　of　their　foundations；　on　which　houses　have　now

sprung　up。　Above　the　chateau；　is　the　famous　tower　of　Issoudun；　once

the　citadel。　The　conqueror　of　the　city；　which　lay　around　these　two

fortified　points；　had　still　to　gain　possession　of　the　tower　and　the

castle；　and　possession　of　the　castle　did　not　insure　that　of　the　tower；

or　citadel。



The　suburb　of　Saint…Paterne；　which　lies　in　the　shape　of　a　palette

beyond　the　tower；　encroaching　on　the　meadow…lands；　is　so　considerable

that　in　the　very　earliest　ages　it　must　have　been　part　of　the　city

itself。　This　opinion　derived；　in　1822；　a　sort　of　certainty　from　the

then　existence　of　the　charming　church　of　Saint…Paterne；　recently

pulled　down　by　the　heir　of　the　individual　who　bought　it　of　the　nation。

This　church；　one　of　the　finest　specimens　of　the　Romanesque　that　France

possessed；　actually　perished　without　a　single　drawing　being　made　of

the　portal；　which　was　in　perfect　preservation。　The　only　voice　raised

to　save　this　monument　of　a　past　art　found　no　echo；　either　in　the　town

itself　or　in　the　department。　Though　the　castle　of　Issoudun　has　the

appearance　of　an　old　town；　with　its　narrow　streets　and　its　ancient

mansions；　the　city　itself；　properly　so　called；　which　was　captured　and

burned　at　different　epochs；　notably　during　the　Fronde；　when　it　was

laid　in　ashes；　has　a　modern　air。　Streets　that　are　spacious　in

comparison　with　those　of　other　towns；　and　well…built　houses　form　a

striking　contrast　to　the　aspect　of　the　citadel；a　contrast　that　has

won　for　Issoudun；　in　certain　geographies；　the　epithet　of　〃pretty。〃



In　a　town　thus　constituted；　without　the　least　activity；　even　business

activity；　without　a　taste　for　art；　or　for　learned　occupations；　an