the village rector-第18节

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case。

Monsieur　de　Grandville　was　playing　whist　at　Madame　Graslin's　house；　it
was　necessary　to　await　his　return；　the　bishop　did　not　therefore
receive　his　answer　till　nearly　midnight。　The　Abbe　Gabriel；　to　whom　the
prelate　lent　his　carriage；　started　at　two　in　the　morning　for
Montegnac。　This　region；　which　begins　about　twenty…five　miles　from　the
town；　is　situated　in　that　part　of　the　Limousin　which　lies　at　the　base
of　the　mountains　of　the　Correze　and　follows　the　line　of　the　Creuze。
The　young　abbe　left　Limoges　all　heaving　with　expectation　of　the
spectacle　on　the　morrow；　and　still　unaware　that　it　would　not　take
place。



VII

MONTEGNAC

Priests　and　religious　devotees　have　a　tendency　in　the　matter　of
payments　to　keep　strictly　to　the　letter　of　the　law。　Is　this　from
poverty；　or　from　the　selfishness　to　which　their　isolation　condemns
them；　thus　encouraging　the　natural　inclination　of　all　men　to　avarice；
or　is　it　from　a　conscientious　parsimony　which　saves　all　it　can　for
deeds　of　charity？　Each　nature　will　give　a　different　answer　to　this
question。　The　difficulty　of　putting　the　hand　into　the　pocket；
sometimes　concealed　by　a　gracious　kindliness；　oftener　unreservedly
exhibited；　is　more　particularly　noticeable　in　travelling。　Gabriel　de
Rastignac；　the　prettiest　youth　who　had　served　before　the　altar　for
many　a　long　day；　gave　only　a　thirty…sous　/pour…boire/　to　the
postilion。　Consequently　he　travelled　slowly。　Postilions　drive　bishops
and　other　clergy　with　the　utmost　care　when　they　merely　double　the
legal　wage；　and　they　run　no　risk　of　damaging　the　episcopal　carriage
for　any　such　sum；　fearing；　they　might　say；　to　get　themselves　into
trouble。　The　Abbe　Gabriel；　who　was　travelling　alone　for　the　first
time；　said；　at　each　relay；　in　his　dulcet　voice：

〃Pray　go　faster；　postilion。〃

〃We　ply　the　whip；〃　replied　an　old　postilion；　〃according　to　how　the
traveller　plies　his　finger　and　thumb。〃

The　young　abbe　flung　himself　back　into　a　corner　of　the　carriage　unable
to　comprehend　that　answer。　To　occupy　the　time　he　began　to　study　the
country　through　which　he　was　passing；　making　several　mental　excursions
on　foot　among　the　hills　through　which　the　road　winds　between　Bordeaux
and　Lyon。

About　fifteen　miles　from　Limoges　the　landscape；　losing　the　graceful
flow　of　the　Vienne　through　the　undulating　meadows　of　the　Limousin；
which　in　certain　places　remind　one　of　Switzerland；　especially　about
Saint…Leonard；　takes　on　a　harsh　and　melancholy　aspect。　Here　we　come
upon　vast　tracts　of　uncultivated　land；　sandy　plains　without　herbage；
hemmed　in　on　the　horizon　by　the　summits　of　the　Correze。　These
mountains　have　neither　the　abrupt　rise　of　the　Alpine　ranges　nor　their
splendid　ridges；　neither　the　warm　gorges　and　desolate　peaks　of　the
Appenines；　nor　the　picturesque　grandeur　of　the　Pyrenees。　Their
undulating　slopes；　due　to　the　action　of　water；　prove　the　subsidence　of
some　great　natural　catastrophe　in　which　the　floods　retired　slowly。
This　characteristic；　common　to　most　of　the　earth　convulsions　in
France；　has　perhaps　contributed；　together　with　the　climate；　to　the
epitaph　of　/douce/　bestowed　by　all　Europe　on　our　sunny　France。

Though　this　abrupt　transition　from　the　smiling　landscapes　of　the
Limousin　to　the　sterner　aspects　of　La　Marche　and　Auvergne　may　offer　to
the　thinker　and　the　poet；　as　he　passes　them　on　his　way；　an　image　of
the　Infinite；　that　terror　of　certain　minds；　though　it　incites　to
revelry　the　woman　of　the　world；　bored　as　she　travels　luxuriously　in
her　carriage；to　the　inhabitants　of　this　region　Nature　is　cruel；
savage；　and　without　resources。　The　soil　of　these　great　gray　plains　is
thankless。　The　vicinity　of　a　capital　town　could　alone　reproduce　the
miracle　worked　in　Brie　during　the　last　two　centuries。　Here；　however；
not　only　is　a　town　lacking；　but　also　the　great　residences　which
sometimes　give　life　to　these　hopeless　deserts；　where　civilization
languishes；　where　the　agriculturist　sees　only　barrenness；　and　the
traveller　finds　not　a　single　inn；　nor　that　which；　perchance；　he　is
there　to　seek；the　picturesque。

Great　minds；　however；　do　not　dislike　these　barren　wastes；　necessary
shadows　in　Nature's　vast　picture。　Quite　recently　Fenimore　Cooper　has
magnificently　developed　with　his　melancholy　genius　the　poesy　of　such
solitudes；　in　his　〃Prairie。〃　These　regions；　unknown　to　botanists；
covered　by　mineral　refuse；　round　pebbles；　and　a　sterile　soil；　cast
defiance　to　civilization。　France　should　adopt　the　only　solution　to
these　difficulties；　as　the　British　have　done　in　Scotland；　where
patient；　heroic　agriculture　has　changed　the　arid　wastes　into　fertile
farms。　Left　in　their　savage　and　primitive　state　these　uncultivated
social　and　natural　wastes　give　birth　to　discouragement；　laziness；
weakness　resulting　from　poor　food；　and　crime　when　needs　become
importunate。

These　few　words　present　the　past　history　of　Montegnac。　What　could　be
done　in　that　great　tract　of　barren　land；　neglected　by　the　government；
abandoned　by　the　nobility；　useless　to　industry；what　but　war　against
society　which　disregarded　its　duty？　Consequently；　the　inhabitants　of
Montegnac　lived　to　a　recent　period；　as　the　Highlands　of　Scotland　lived
in　former　times；　by　murder　and　rapine。　From　the　mere　aspect　of　this
region　a　thinking　man　would　understand　how；　twenty　years　earlier；　the
inhabitants　were　at　war　with　society。　The　great　upland　plain；　flanked
on　one　side　by　the　valley　of　the　Vienne；　on　the　other　by　the　charming
valleys　of　La　Marche；　then　by　Auvergne；　and　bounded　by　the　mountains
of　the　Correze；　is　like　（agriculture　apart）　the　plateau　of　La　Beauce；
which　separates　the　basin　of　the　Loire　from　that　of　the　Seine；　also
like　those　of　Touraine　and　Berry；　and　many　other　of　the　great　upland
plains　which　are　cut　like　facets　on　the　surface　of　France　and　are
numerous　enough　to　claim　the　attention　of　the　wisest　administrators。
It　is　amazing　that　while　complaint　is　made　of　the　influx　of　population
to　the　social　centres；　the　government　does　not　employ　the　natural
remedy　of　redeeming　a　region　where；　as　statistics　show；　there　are　many
million　acres　of　waste　land；　certain　parts　of　which；　especially　in
Berry；　have　a　soil　from　seven　to　eight　feet　deep。

Many　of　these　plains　which　might　be　covered　by　villages　and　made
splendidly　productive　belong　to　obstinate　communes；　the　authorities　of
which　refuse　to　sell　to　those　who　would　develop　them；　merely　to　keep
the　right　to　pasture　cows　upon　them！　On　all　these　useless；
unproductive　lands　is　written　the　word　〃Incapacity。〃　All　soils　have
some　special　fertility　of　their　own。　Arms　and　wills　are　ready；　the
thing　lacking　is　a　sense　of　duty　combined　with　talent　on　the　part　of
the　government。　In　France；　up　to　the　present　time；　these　upland　plains
have　been　sacrificed　to　the　valleys；　the　government　has　chosen　to　give
all　its　help　to　those　regions　of　country　which　can　take　care　of
themselves。

Most　of　these　luckless　uplands　are　without　water；　the　first　essential
for　production。　The　mists　which　ought　to　fertilize　the　gray；　dead　soil
by　discharging　oxygen　upon　it；　sweep　across　it　rapidly；　driven　by　the
wind；　for　want　of　trees　which　might　arrest　them　and　so　obtain　their
nourishment。　Merely　to　plant　trees　in　such　a　region　would　be　carrying
a　gospel　to　it。　Separated　from　the　nearest　town　or　city　by　a　distance
as　insurmountable　to　poor　folk　as　though　a　desert　lay　between　them；
with　no　means　of　reaching　a　market　for　their　products　（if　they
produced　anything）；　close　to　an　unexplored　forest　which　supplied　them
with　wood　and　the　uncertain　livelihood　of　poaching；　the　inhabitants
often　suffered　from　hunger　during　the　winters。　The　soil　not　being
suitable　for　wheat；　and　the　unfortunate　peasantry　having　neither
cattle　of　any　kind　nor　farming　implements；　they　lived　for　the　most
part　on　chestnuts。

Any　one　who　has　studied　zoological　productions　in　a　museum；　or　become
personally　aware　of　the　indescribable　depression　caused　by　the　brown
tones　of　all　European　products；　will　understand　how　the　constant　sight
of　these　gray；　arid　plains　must　have　affected　the　moral　nature　of　the
inhabitants；　through　the　desolate　sense　of　utter　barrenness　which　they
present　to　the　eye。　There；　in　those　dismal　regions；　is　neither
coolness　nor　brightness；　nor　shade　nor　contrast；none　of　all　those
ideas　and　spectacles　of　Nature　which　awaken　and　rejoice　the　heart；
even　a　stunted　apple…tree　would　be　hailed　as　a　friend。

A　country　road；　recently　made；　runs　through　the　centre　of　this　great
plain；　and　meets　the　high…road。　Upon　it；　at　a　distance　of　some　fifteen
miles　from　the　high…road；　stands　Montegnac；　at　the　foot　of　a　hill；　as
its　name　designates；　the　chief　town　of　a　canton　or　district　in　the
Haute…Vienne。　The　hill　is　part　of　Montegnac；　which　thus　unites　a
mountainous　scenery　with　that　of　the　plains。　This　district　is　a
miniature　Scotland；　with　its　lowlands　and　highlands。　Behind　the　hill；
at　the　foot　of　which　lies　the　village；　rises；　at　a　distance　of　about
three　miles；　the　first　peak　of　the　Correze　mountains。　The　space
between　is　covered　by　the　great　forest　of　Montegnac；　which　clothes　the
hill；　extends　over　the　valley；　and　along　the　slopes　of　the　mountain
（though　these　are　bare　in　some　places）；　continuing　as　far　as　the
highway　to　Aubusson；