the second funeral of napoleon-第10节

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venerable　escutcheon　of　King　Joachim's　father；　the　innkeeper？



You　and　I；　dear　Miss　Smith；　know　the　exact　value　of　heraldic

bearings。　　We　know　that　though　the　greatest　pleasure　of　all　is　to

ACT　like　a　gentleman；　it　is　a　pleasure；　nay　a　merit；　to　BE　oneto

come　of　an　old　stock；　to　have　an　honorable　pedigree；　to　be　able　to

say　that　centuries　back　our　fathers　had　gentle　blood；　and　to　us

transmitted　the　same。　　There　IS　a　good　in　gentility：　the　man　who

questions　it　is　envious；　or　a　coarse　dullard　not　able　to　perceive

the　difference　between　high　breeding　and　low。　　One　has　in　the　same

way　heard　a　man　brag　that　he　did　not　know　the　difference　between

wines；　not　hegive　him　a　good　glass　of　port；　and　he　would　pitch　all

your　claret　to　the　deuce。　　My　love；　men　often　brag　about　their　own

dulness　in　this　way。



In　the　matter　of　gentlemen；　democrats　cry；　〃Psha！　　Give　us　one　of

Nature's　gentlemen；　and　hang　your　aristocrats。〃　　And　so　indeed

Nature　does　make　SOME　gentlemena　few　here　and　there。　　But　Art

makes　most。　　Good　birth；　that　is；　good　handsome　well…formed　fathers

and　mothers；　nice　cleanly　nursery…maids；　good　meals；　good　physicians；

good　education；　few　cares；　pleasant　easy　habits　of　life；　and

luxuries　not　too　great　or　enervating；　but　only　refininga　course　of

these　going　on　for　a　few　generations　are　the　best　gentleman…makers

in　the　world；　and　beat　Nature　hollow。



If；　respected　Madam；　you　say　that　there　is　something　BETTER　than

gentility　in　this　wicked　world；　and　that　honesty　and　personal　wealth

are　more　valuable　than　all　the　politeness　and　high…breeding　that

ever　wore　red…heeled　pumps；　knights'　spurs；　or　Hoby's　boots；

Titmarsh　for　one　is　never　going　to　say　you　nay。　　If　you　even　go　so

far　as　to　say　that　the　very　existence　of　this　super…genteel　society

among　us；　from　the　slavish　respect　that　we　pay　to　it；　from　the

dastardly　manner　in　which　we　attempt　to　imitate　its　airs　and　ape　its

vices；　goes　far　to　destroy　honesty　of　intercourse；　to　make　us　meanly

ashamed　of　our　natural　affections　and　honest；　harmless　usages；　and

so　does　a　great　deal　more　harm　than　it　is　possible　it　can　do　good　by

its　exampleperhaps；　Madam；　you　speak　with　some　sort　of　reason。

Potato　myself；　I　can't　help　seeing　that　the　tulip　yonder　has　the

best　place　in　the　garden；　and　the　most　sunshine；　and　the　most　water；

and　the　best　tendingand　not　liking　him　over　well。　　But　I　can't

help　acknowledging　that　Nature　has　given　him　a　much　finer　dress　than

ever　I　can　hope　to　have；　and　of　this；　at　least；　must　give　him　the

benefit。



Or　say；　we　are　so　many　cocks　and　hens；　my　dear　（sans　arriere

pensee）；　with　our　crops　pretty　full；　our　plumes　pretty　sleek；　decent

picking　here　and　there　in　the　straw…yard；　and　tolerable　snug

roosting　in　the　barn：　yonder　on　the　terrace；　in　the　sun；　walks

Peacock；　stretching　his　proud　neck；　squealing　every　now　and　then　in

the　most　pert　fashionable　voice　and　flaunting　his　great　supercilious

dandified　tail。　　Don't　let　us　be　too　angry；　my　dear；　with　the

useless；　haughty；　insolent　creature；　because　he　despises　us。

SOMETHING　is　there　about　Peacock　that　we　don't　possess。　　Strain　your

neck　ever　so；　you　can't　make　it　as　long　or　as　blue　as　hiscock　your

tail　as　much　as　you　please；　and　it　will　never　be　half　so　fine　to

look　at。　　But　the　most　absurd；　disgusting；　contemptible　sight　in　the

world　would　you　and　I　be；　leaving　the　barn…door　for　my　lady's

flower…garden；　forsaking　our　natural　sturdy　walk　for　the　peacock's

genteel　rickety　stride；　and　adopting　the　squeak　of　his　voice　in　the

place　of　our　gallant　lusty　cock…a…doodle…dooing。



Do　you　take　the　allegory？　　I　love　to　speak　in　such；　and　the　above

types　have　been　presented　to　my　mind　while　sitting　opposite　a

gimcrack　coat…of…arms　and　coronet　that　are　painted　in　the　Invalides

Church；　and　assigned　to　one　of　the　Emperor's　Generals。



Ventrebleu！　　Madam；　what　need　have　THEY　of　coats…of…arms　and

coronets；　and　wretched　imitations　of　old　exploded　aristocratic

gewgaws　that　they　had　flung　out　of　the　countrywith　the　heads　of

the　owners　in　them　sometimes；　for　indeed　they　were　not　particulara

score　of　years　before？　　What　business；　forsooth；　had　they　to　be

meddling　with　gentility　and　aping　its　ways；　who　had　courage；　merit；

daring；　genius　sometimes；　and　a　pride　of　their　own　to　support；　if

proud　they　were　inclined　to　be？　　A　clever　young　man　（who　was　not　of

high　family　himself；　but　had　been　bred　up　genteelly　at　Eton　and　the

university）young　Mr。　George　Canning；　at　the　commencement　of　the

French　Revolution；　sneered　at　〃Roland　the　Just；　with　ribbons　in　his

shoes；〃　and　the　dandies；　who　then　wore　buckles；　voted　the　sarcasm

monstrous　killing。　　It　was　a　joke；　my　dear；　worthy　of　a　lackey；　or

of　a　silly　smart　parvenu；　not　knowing　the　society　into　which　his

luck　had　cast　him　（God　help　him！　in　later　years；　they　taught　him

what　they　were！）；　and　fancying　in　his　silly　intoxication　that

simplicity　was　ludicrous　and　fashion　respectable。　　See；　now；　fifty

years　are　gone；　and　where　are　shoebuckles？　　Extinct；　defunct；　kicked

into　the　irrevocable　past　off　the　toes　of　all　Europe！



How　fatal　to　the　parvenu；　throughout　history；　has　been　this　respect

for　shoebuckles。　　Where；　for　instance；　would　the　Empire　of　Napoleon

have　been；　if　Ney　and　Lannes　had　never　sported　such　a　thing　as　a

coat…of…arms；　and　had　only　written　their　simple　names　on　their

shields；　after　the　fashion　of　Desaix's　scutcheon　yonder？the　bold

Republican　who　led　the　crowning　charge　at　Marengo；　and　sent　the　best

blood　of　the　Holy　Roman　Empire　to　the　right…about；　before　the

wretched　misbegotten　imperial　heraldry　was　born；　that　was　to　prove

so　disastrous　to　the　father　of　it。　　It　has　always　been　so。　　They

won't　amalgamate。　　A　country　must　be　governed　by　the　one　principle

or　the　other。　　But　give；　in　a　republic；　an　aristocracy　ever　so

little　chance；　and　it　works　and　plots　and　sneaks　and　bullies　and

sneers　itself　into　place；　and　you　find　democracy　out　of　doors。　　Is

it　good　that　the　aristocracy　should　so　triumph？that　is　a　question

that　you　may　settle　according　to　your　own　notions　and　taste；　and

permit　me　to　say；　I　do　not　care　twopence　how　you　settle　it。　　Large

books　have　been　written　upon　the　subject　in　a　variety　of　languages；

and　coming　to　a　variety　of　conclusions。　　Great　statesmen　are　there

in　our　country；　from　Lord　Londonderry　down　to　Mr。　Vincent；　each　in

his　degree　maintaining　his　different　opinion。　　But　here；　in　the

matter　of　Napoleon；　is　a　simple　fact：　he　founded　a　great；　glorious；

strong；　potent　republic；　able　to　cope　with　the　best　aristocracies　in

the　world；　and　perhaps　to　beat　them　all；　he　converts　his　republic

into　a　monarchy；　and　surrounds　his　monarchy　with　what　he　calls

aristocratic　institutions；　and　you　know　what　becomes　of　him。　　The

people　estranged；　the　aristocracy　faithless　（when　did　they　ever

pardon　one　who　was　not　of　themselves？）the　imperial　fabric　tumbles

to　the　ground。　　If　it　teaches　nothing　else；　my　dear；　it　teaches　one

a　great　point　of　policynamely；　to　stick　by　one's　party。



While　these　thoughts　（and　sundry　others　relative　to　the　horrible

cold　of　the　place；　the　intense　dulness　of　delay；　the　stupidity　of

leaving　a　warm　bed　and　a　breakfast　in　order　to　witness　a　procession

that　is　much　better　performed　at　a　theatre）while　these　thoughts

were　passing　in　the　mind；　the　church　began　to　fill　apace；　and　you

saw　that　the　hour　of　the　ceremony　was　drawing　near。



Imprimis；　came　men　with　lighted　staves；　and　set　fire　to　at　least　ten

thousand　wax…candles　that　were　hanging　in　brilliant　chandeliers　in

various　parts　of　the　chapel。　　Curtains　were　dropped　over　the　upper

windows　as　these　illuminations　were　effected；　and　the　church　was

left　only　to　the　funereal　light　of　the　spermaceti。　　To　the　right　was

the　dome；　round　the　cavity　of　which　sparkling　lamps　were　set；　that

designed　the　shape　of　it　brilliantly　against　the　darkness。　　In　the

midst；　and　where　the　altar　used　to　stand；　rose　the　catafalque。　　And

why　not？　　Who　is　God　here　but　Napoleon？　and　in　him　the　sceptics　have

already　ceased　to　believe；　but　the　people　does　still　somewhat。　　He

and　Louis　XIV。　divide　the　worship　of　the　place　between　them。



As　for　the　catafalque；　the　best　that　I　can　say　for　it　is　that　it　is

really　a　noble　and　imposing…looking　edifice；　with　tall　pillars

supporting　a　grand　dome；　with　innumerable　escutcheons；　standards；

and　allusions　military　and　funereal。　　A　great　eagle　of　course　tops

the　whole：　tripods　burning　spirits　of　wine　stand　round　this　kind　of

dead　man's　throne；　and　as　we　saw　it　（by　peering　over　the　heads　of

our　neighbors　in　the　front　rank）；　it　looked；　in　the　midst　of　the

black　concave；　and　under　the　effect　of　half　a　thousand　flashing

cross…lights；　properly　grand　and　tall。　　The　effect　of　the　whole

chapel；　however　（to　speak　the　jargon　of　the　painting…room）；　was

spoiled　by　being　CUT　UP：　there　were　too　many　objects　for　the　eye　to

rest　upon：　the　ten　thousand　wax…candles；　for　instance；　in　their

numberless　twinkling　chandeliers；　the