the magic skin(驴皮记)-第11节

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slave；　at　the　rate　of　fivepence　a　line。

〃Perhaps　Moses；　Sylla；　Louis　XI。；　Richelieu；　Robespierre；　and　Napoleon
were　but　the　same　man　who　crosses　our　civilizations　now　and　again；
like　a　comet　across　the　sky；〃　said　a　disciple　of　Ballanche。

〃Why　try　to　fathom　the　designs　of　Providence？〃　said　Canalis；　maker　of
ballads。

〃Come；　now；〃　said　the　man　who　set　up　for　a　critic；　〃there　is　nothing
more　elastic　in　the　world　than　your　Providence。〃

〃Well；　sir；　Louis　XIV。　sacrificed　more　lives　over　digging　the
foundations　of　the　Maintenon's　aqueducts；　than　the　Convention　expended
in　order　to　assess　the　taxes　justly；　to　make　one　law　for　everybody；
and　one　nation　of　France；　and　to　establish　the　rule　of　equal
inheritance；〃　said　Massol；　whom　the　lack　of　a　syllable　before　his　name
had　made　a　Republican。

〃Are　you　going　to　leave　our　heads　on　our　shoulders？〃　asked　Moreau　（of
the　Oise）；　a　substantial　farmer。　〃You；　sir；　who　took　blood　for　wine
just　now？〃

〃Where　is　the　use？　Aren't　the　principles　of　social　order　worth　some
sacrifices；　sir？〃

〃Hi！　Bixiou！　What's…his…name；　the　Republican；　considers　a　landowner's
head　a　sacrifice！〃　said　a　young　man　to　his　neighbor。

〃Men　and　events　count　for　nothing；〃　said　the　Republican；　following　out
his　theory　in　spite　of　hiccoughs；　〃in　politics；　as　in　philosophy；
there　are　only　principles　and　ideas。〃

〃What　an　abomination！　Then　you　would　ruthlessly　put　your　friends　to
death　for　a　shibboleth？〃

〃Eh；　sir！　the　man　who　feels　compunction　is　your　thorough　scoundrel；
for　he　has　some　notion　of　virtue；　while　Peter　the　Great　and　the　Duke
of　Alva　were　embodied　systems；　and　the　pirate　Monbard　an
organization。〃

〃But　can't　society　rid　itself　of　your　systems　and　organizations？〃　said
Canalis。

〃Oh；　granted！〃　cried　the　Republican。

〃That　stupid　Republic　of　yours　makes　me　feel　queasy。　We　sha'n't　be
able　to　carve　a　capon　in　peace；　because　we　shall　find　the　agrarian　law
inside　it。〃

〃Ah；　my　little　Brutus；　stuffed　with　truffles；　your　principles　are　all
right　enough。　But　you　are　like　my　valet；　the　rogue　is　so　frightfully
possessed　with　a　mania　for　property　that　if　I　left　him　to　clean　my
clothes　after　his　fashion；　he　would　soon　clean　me　out。〃

〃Crass　idiots！〃　replied　the　Republican；　〃you　are　for　setting　a　nation
straight　with　toothpicks。　To　your　way　of　thinking；　justice　is　more
dangerous　than　thieves。〃

〃Oh；　dear！〃　cried　the　attorney　Deroches。

〃Aren't　they　a　bore　with　their　politics！〃　said　the　notary　Cardot。
〃Shut　up。　That's　enough　of　it。　There　is　no　knowledge　nor　virtue　worth
shedding　a　drop　of　blood　for。　If　Truth　were　brought　into　liquidation；
we　might　find　her　insolvent。〃

〃It　would　be　much　less　trouble；　no　doubt；　to　amuse　ourselves　with
evil；　rather　than　dispute　about　good。　Moreover；　I　would　give　all　the
speeches　made　for　forty　years　past　at　the　Tribune　for　a　trout；　for　one
of　Perrault's　tales　or　Charlet's　sketches。〃

〃Quite　right！　。　。　。　Hand　me　the　asparagus。　Because；　after　all；　liberty
begets　anarchy；　anarchy　leads　to　despotism；　and　despotism　back　again
to　liberty。　Millions　have　died　without　securing　a　triumph　for　any　one
system。　Is　not　that　the　vicious　circle　in　which　the　whole　moral　world
revolves？　Man　believes　that　he　has　reached　perfection；　when　in　fact　he
has　but　rearranged　matters。〃

〃Oh！　oh！〃　cried　Cursy；　the　vaudevilliste；　〃in　that　case；　gentlemen；
here's　to　Charles　X。；　the　father　of　liberty。〃

〃Why　not？〃　asked　Emile。　〃When　law　becomes　despotic；　morals　are
relaxed；　and　vice　versa。

〃Let　us　drink　to　the　imbecility　of　authority；　which　gives　us　such　an
authority　over　imbeciles！〃　said　the　good　banker。

〃Napoleon　left　us　glory；　at　any　rate；　my　good　friend！〃　exclaimed　a
naval　officer　who　had　never　left　Brest。

〃Glory　is　a　poor　bargain；　you　buy　it　dear；　and　it　will　not　keep。　Does
not　the　egotism　of　the　great　take　the　form　of　glory；　just　as　for
nobodies　it　is　their　own　well…being？〃

〃You　are　very　fortunate；　sir〃

〃The　first　inventor　of　ditches　must　have　been　a　weakling；　for　society
is　only　useful　to　the　puny。　The　savage　and　the　philosopher；　at　either
extreme　of　the　moral　scale；　hold　property　in　equal　horror。〃

〃All　very　fine！〃　said　Cardot；　〃but　if　there　were　no　property；　there
would　be　no　documents　to　draw　up。〃

〃These　green　peas　are　excessively　delicious！〃

〃And　the　cure　was　found　dead　in　his　bed　in　the　morning。　。　。　。〃

〃Who　is　talking　about　death？　Pray　don't　trifle；　I　have　an　uncle。〃

〃Could　you　bear　his　loss　with　resignation？〃

〃No　question。〃

〃Gentlemen；　listen　to　me！　HOW　TO　KILL　AN　UNCLE。　Silence！　（Cries　of
〃Hush！　hush！〃）　In　the　first　place；　take　an　uncle；　large　and　stout；
seventy　years　old　at　least；　they　are　the　best　uncles。　（Sensation。）　Get
him　to　eat　a　pate　de　foie　gras；　any　pretext　will　do。〃

〃Ah；　but　my　uncle　is　a　thin；　tall　man；　and　very　niggardly　and
abstemious。〃

〃That　sort　of　uncle　is　a　monster；　he　misappropriates　existence。〃

〃Then；〃　the　speaker　on　uncles　went　on；　〃tell　him；　while　he　is
digesting　it；　that　his　banker　has　failed。〃

〃How　if　he　bears　up？〃

〃Let　loose　a　pretty　girl　on　him。〃

〃And　if？〃　asked　the　other；　with　a　shake　of　the　head。

〃Then　he　wouldn't　be　an　unclean　uncle　is　a　gay　dog　by　nature。〃

〃Malibran　has　lost　two　notes　in　her　voice。〃

〃No；　sir；　she　has　not。〃

〃Yes；　sir；　she　has。〃

〃Oh；　ho！　No　and　yes；　is　not　that　the　sum…up　of　all　religious；
political；　or　literary　dissertations？　Man　is　a　clown　dancing　on　the
edge　of　an　abyss。〃

〃You　would　make　out　that　I　am　a　fool。〃

〃On　the　contrary；　you　cannot　make　me　out。〃

〃Education；　there's　a　pretty　piece　of　tomfoolery。　M。　Heineffettermach
estimates　the　number　of　printed　volumes　at　more　than　a　thousand
millions；　and　a　man　cannot　read　more　than　a　hundred　and　fifty　thousand
in　his　lifetime。　So；　just　tell　me　what　that　word　education　means。　For
some　it　consists　in　knowing　the　name　of　Alexander's　horse；　of　the　dog
Berecillo；　of　the　Seigneur　d'Accords；　and　in　ignorance　of　the　man　to
whom　we　owe　the　discovery　of　rafting　and　the　manufacture　of　porcelain。
For　others　it　is　the　knowledge　how　to　burn　a　will　and　live　respected；
be　looked　up　to　and　popular；　instead　of　stealing　a　watch　with　half…a…
dozen　aggravating　circumstances；　after　a　previous　conviction；　and　so
perishing；　hated　and　dishonored；　in　the　Place　de　Greve。〃

〃Will　Nathan's　work　live？〃

〃He　has　very　clever　collaborators；　sir。〃

〃Or　Canalis？〃

〃He　is　a　great　man；　let　us　say　no　more　about　him。〃

〃You　are　all　drunk！〃

〃The　consequence　of　a　Constitution　is　the　immediate　stultification　of
intellects。　Art；　science；　public　works；　everything；　is　consumed　by　a
horribly　egoistic　feeling；　the　leprosy　of　the　time。　Three　hundred　of
your　bourgeoisie；　set　down　on　benches；　will　only　think　of　planting
poplars。　Tyranny　does　great　things　lawlessly；　while　Liberty　will
scarcely　trouble　herself　to　do　petty　ones　lawfully。〃

〃Your　reciprocal　instruction　will　turn　out　counters　in　human　flesh；〃
broke　in　an　Absolutist。　〃All　individuality　will　disappear　in　a　people
brought　to　a　dead　level　by　education。〃

〃For　all　that；　is　not　the　aim　of　society　to　secure　happiness　to　each
member　of　it？〃　asked　the　Saint…Simonian。

〃If　you　had　an　income　of　fifty　thousand　livres；　you　would　not　think
much　about　the　people。　If　you　are　smitten　with　a　tender　passion　for
the　race；　go　to　Madagascar；　there　you　will　find　a　nice　little　nation
all　ready　to　Saint…Simonize；　classify；　and　cork　up　in　your　phials；　but
here　every　one　fits　into　his　niche　like　a　peg　in　a　hole。　A　porter　is　a
porter；　and　a　blockhead　is　a　fool；　without　a　college　of　fathers　to
promote　them　to　those　positions。〃

〃You　are　a　Carlist。〃

〃And　why　not？　Despotism　pleases　me；　it　implies　a　certain　contempt　for
the　human　race。　I　have　no　animosity　against　kings；　they　are　so
amusing。　Is　it　nothing　to　sit　enthroned　in　a　room；　at　a　distance　of
thirty　million　leagues　from　the　sun？〃

〃Let　us　once　more　take　a　broad　view　of　civilization；〃　said　the　man　of
learning　who；　for　the　benefit　of　the　inattentive　sculptor；　had　opened
a　discussion　on　primitive　society　and　autochthonous　races。　〃The　vigor
of　a　nation　in　its　origin　was　in　a　way　physical；　unitary；　and　crude；
then　as　aggregations　increased；　government　advanced　by　a　decomposition
of　the　primitive　rule；　more　or　less　skilfully　managed。　For　example；　in
remote　ages　national　strength　lay　in　theocracy；　the　priest　held　both
sword　and　censer；　a　little　later　there　were　two　priests；　the　pontiff
and　the　king。　To…day　our　society；　the　latest　word　of　civilization；　has
distributed　power　according　to　the　number　of　combinations；　and　we　come
to　the　forces　called　business；　thought；　money；　and　eloquence。
Authority　thus　divided　is　steadily　approaching　a　social　dissolution；
with　interest　as　its　one　opposing　barrier。　We　depend　no　longer　on
either　religion　or　physical　force；　but　upon　intellect。　Can　a　book
replace　the　sword？　Can　discussion　be　a　substitute　for　action？　That　is
the　question。〃

〃Intellect　has　made　an　end　of　everything；〃　cried　the　Carlist。　〃Come
now！　Absolute　freedom　has　brought　about　national　suicides；　their
triumph　left　them　as　listless　as　an　English　millionaire。〃

〃Won't　you　tell　us　something　new？　You　have　made　fun　of　authority　of
all　sorts　to…day；　which　is　every　bit　as　vulga