the origins of contemporary france-1-第31节

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preserved；　and　the　other　the　new　centralization　just　introduced；　one

placing　the　royal　service　in　the　hands　of　the　nobles；　and　the　other

converting　the　nobles　into　place…hunters。　　…　　Through　the　duties　of

the　palace　the　highest　nobility　live　with　the　king；　residing　under　his

roof；　the　grand…almoner　is　M。　de　Montmorency…Laval；　bishop　of　Metz；

the　first　almoner　is　M。　de　Bussuéjouls；　bishop　of　Senlis；　the　grand…

master　of　France　is　the　Prince　de　Condé；　the　first　royal　butier　is　the

Comte　d'Escars；　the　second　is　the　Marquis　de　Montdragon；　the　master　of

the　pantry　is　the　Duke　de　Brissac；　the　chief　cup…bearer　is　the　Marquis

de　Vemeuil；　the　chief　carver　is　the　Marquis　de　la　Chesnaye；　the　first

gentlemen　of　the　bedchamber　are　the　Ducs　de　Richelieu；　de　Durfort；　de

Villequier；　and　de　Fleury；　the　grand…master　of　the　wardrobe　is　the　Duc

de　la　Rochefoucauld…Liancourt；　the　masters　of　the　wardrobe　are　the

Comte　de　Boisgelin　and　the　Marquis　de　Chauvelin。　　The　captain　of　the

falconry　is　the　Chevalier　du　Forget；　the　captain　of　the　boar…hunt　is

the　Marquis　d'Ecquevilly；　the　superintendent　of　edifices　is　the　Comte

d'Angevillier；　the　grand…equerry　is　the　Prince　de　Lambesc；　the　master

of　the　hounds　is　the　Duc　de　Penthièvre；　the　grand…master　of　ceremonies

is　the　Marquis　de　Brèze；　the　grand…master　of　the　household　is　the

Marquis　de　la　Suze；　the　captains　of　the　guards　are　the　Ducs　d'Agen；　de

Villery；　de　Brissac；　d'Aguillon；　and　de　Biron；　the　Princes　de　Poix；　de

Luxembourg　and　de　Soubise。　　The　provost　of　the　hotel　is　the　Marquis　de

Tourzel；　the　governors　of　the　residences　and　captains　of　the　chase　are

the　Duc　de　Noailles；　Marquis　de　Champcenetz；　Baron　de　Champlost；　Duc

de　Coigny；　Comte　de　Modena；　Comte　de　Montmorin；　Duc　de　Laval；　Comte　de

Brienne；　Duc　d'Orléans；　and　the　Duc　de　Gèsvres。＇26＇　All　these

seigniors　are　the　king's　necessary　intimates；　his　permanent　and

generally　hereditary　guests；　dwelling　under　his　roof；　in　close　and

daily　intercourse　with　him；　for　they　are　〃his　folks〃　（gens）＇27＇　and

perform　domestic　service　about　his　person。　　Add　to　these　their　equals；

as　noble　and　nearly　as　numerous；　dwelling　with　the　queen；　with

Mesdames；　with　Mme。　　Elisabeth；　with　the　Comte　and　Comtesse　de　Provence

and　the　Comte　and　Comtesse　d'Artois。　　…　　And　these　are　only　the　heads

of　the　service；　if；　below　them　in　rank　and　office；　I　count　the　titular

nobles；　I　find；　among　others；　68　almoners　or　chaplains；　170　gentlemen

of　the　bedchamber　or　in　waiting；　117　gentlemen　of　the　stable　or　of　the

hunting…train；　148　pages；　114　titled　ladies　in　waiting；　besides　all

the　officers；　even　to　the　lowest　of　the　military　household；　without

counting　1；400　ordinary　guards　who；　verified　by　the　genealogist；　are

admitted　by　virtue　of　their　title　to　pay　their　court。＇28＇　Such　is　the

fixed　body　of　recruits　for　the　royal　receptions；　the　distinctive　trait

of　this　régime　is　the　conversion　of　its　servants　into　guests；　the

drawing　room　being　filled　from　the　anteroom。



Not　that　the　drawing　room　needs　all　that　to　be　filled。　　Being　the

source　of　all　preferment　and　of　every　favor；　it　is　natural　that　it

should　overflow＇29＇。　　It　is　the　same　in　our　leveling　society　（in　1875）；

where　the　drawing　room　of　an　insignificant　deputy；　a　mediocre

journalist；　or　a　fashionable　woman；　is　full　of　courtiers　under　the

name　of　friends　and　visitors。　　Moreover；　here；　to　be　present　is　an

obligation；　it　might　be　called　a　continuation　of　ancient　feudal

homage；　the　staff　of　nobles　is　maintained　as　the　retinue　of　its　born

general。　　In　the　language　of　the　day；　it　is　called　〃paying　one's　duty

to　the　king。〃　Absence；　in　the　sovereign's　eyes；　would　be　a　sign　of

independence　as　well　as　of　indifference；　while　submission　as　well　as

regular　attention　is　his　due。　　In　this　respect　we　must　study　the

institution　from　the　beginning。　　The　eyes　of　Louis　XIV　go　their　rounds

at　every　moment；　〃on　arising　or　retiring；　on　passing　into　his

apartments；　in　his　gardens；　。　　。　　。　　nobody　escapes；　even　those　who　hoped

they　were　not　seen；　it　was　a　demerit　with　some；　and　the　most

distinguished；　not　to　make　the　court　their　ordinary　sojourn；　to　others

to　come　to　it　but　seldom；　and　certain　disgrace　to　those　who　never；　or

nearly　never；　came。〃＇30＇　　Henceforth；　the　main　thing；　for　the　first

personages　in　the　kingdom；　men　and　women；　ecclesiastics　and　laymen；

the　grand　affair；　the　first　duty　in　life；　the　true　occupation；　is　to

be　at　all　hours　and　in　every　place　under　the　king's　eye；　within　reach

of　his　voice　and　of　his　glance。　　〃Whoever；〃　says　La　Bruyère；　〃considers

that　the　king's　countenance　is　the　courtier's　supreme　felicity；　that

he　passes　his　life　looking　on　it　and　within　sight　of　it；　will

comprehend　to　some　extent　how　to　see　God　constitutes　the　glory　and

happiness　of　the　saints。〃　There　were　at　this　time　prodigies　of

voluntary　assiduity　and　subjection。　　The　Duc　de　Fronsac；　every　morning

at　seven　o'clock；　in　winter　and　in　summer；　stationed　himself；　at　his

father's　command；　at　the　foot　of　the　small　stairway　leading　to　the

chapel；　solely　to　shake　hands　with　Mme。　　de　Maintenon　on　her　leaving

for　St。　　Cyr。＇31＇　　〃Pardon　me；　Madame；〃　writes　the　Duc　de　Richelieu　to

her；　〃the　great　liberty　I　take　in　presuming　to　send　you　the　letter

which　I　have　written　to　the　king；　begging　him　on　my　knees　that　he　will

occasionally　allow　me　to　pay　my　court　to　him　at　Ruel；　for　I　would

rather　die　than　pass　two　months　without　seeing　him。〃　The　true　courtier

follows　the　prince　as　a　shadow　follows　its　body；　such；　under　Louis

XIV；　was　the　Duc　de　la　Rochefoucauld；　the　master　of　the　hounds。　　〃He

never　missed　the　king's　rising　or　retiring；　both　changes　of　dress

every　day；　the　hunts　and　the　promenades；　likewise　every　day；　for　ten

years　in　succession；　never　sleeping　away　from　the　place　where　the　king

rested；　and　yet　on　a　footing　to　demand　leave；　but　not　to　stay　away　all

night；　for　he　had　not　slept　out　of　Paris　once　in　forty　years；　but　to

go　and　dine　away　from　the　court；　and　not　be　present　on　the　promenade。〃

…　　If；　later；　and　under　less　exacting　masters；　and　in　the　general

laxity　of　the　eighteenth　century；　this　discipline　is　relaxed；　the

institution　nevertheless　subsists；＇32＇　in　default　of　obedience；

tradition；　interest　and　amour…propre　suffice　for　the　people　of　the

court。　　To　approach　the　king；　to　be　a　domestic　in　his　household；　an

usher；　a　cloak…bearer；　a　valet；　is　a　privilege　that　is　purchased；　even

in　1789；　for　thirty；　forty；　and　a　hundred　thousand　livres；　so　much

greater　the　reason　why　it　is　a　privilege　to　form　a　part　of　his

society；　the　most　honorable；　the　most　useful；　and　the　most　coveted　of

all。　　…　　In　the　first　place；　it　is　a　proof　of　noble　birth。　　A　man；　to

follow　the　king　in　the　chase；　and　a　woman；　to　be　presented　to　the

queen；　must　previously　satisfy　the　genealogist；　and　by　authentic

documents；　that　his　or　her　nobility　goes　back　to　the　year　1400。　　…　　In

the　next　place；　it　ensures　good　fortune。　　This　drawing　room　is　the　only

place　within　reach　of　royal　favors；　accordingly；　up　to　1789；　the　great

families　never　stir　away　from　Versailles；　and　day　and　night　they　lie

in　ambush。　　The　valet　of　the　Marshal　de　Noaillles　says　to　him　one　night

on　closing　his　curtains；



　〃At　what　hour　will　Monseigneur　be　awakened？〃　〃At　ten　o'clock；　if

no　one　dies　during　the　night。〃＇33＇



Old　courtiers　are　still　found　who；　〃at　the　age　of　eighty；　have

passed　forty…five　on　their　feet　in　the　antechambers　of　the　king；　of

the　princes；　and　of　the　ministers。　　。　　。



You　have　only　three　things　to　do；〃　says　one　of　them　to　a　debutant；

〃speak　well　of　everybody；　ask　for　every　vacancy；　and　sit　down　when　you

can。〃



　Hence；　the　king　always　has　a　crowd　around　him。　　The　Comtesse　du

Barry　says；　on　presenting　her　niece　at　court；　the　first　of　August；

1773；　〃the　crowd　is　so　great　at　a　presentation；　one　can　scarcely　get

through　the　antechambers。〃＇34＇　In　December；　1774；　at　Fontainebleau；

when　the　queen　plays　at　her　own　table　every　evening；　〃the　apartment；

though　vast；　is　never　empty。　　。　　。　　。　　The　crowd　is　so　great　that　one　can

talk　only　to　the　two　or　three　persons　with　whom　one　is　playing。〃　The

fourteen　apartments；　at　the　receptions　of　ambassadors　are　full　to

overflowing　with　seigniors　and　richly　dressed　women。　　On　the　first　of

January；　1775；　the　queen　〃counted　over　two　hundred　ladies　presented　to

her　to　pay　their　court。　　〃　In　1780；　at　Choisy；　a　table　for　thirty

persons　is　spread　every　day　for　the　king；　another　with　thirty　places

for　the　seigniors；　another　with　forty　places　for　the　officers　of　the

guard　and　the　equerries；　and　one　with　fifty　for　the　officers　of　the

bedchamber。　　According　to　my　estimate；　the　king；　on　getting　up　and　on

retiring；　on　his　walks；　on　his　hunts；　at　play；　has　always　around　him

at　least　forty　or　fifty　seigniors　and　generally　a　hundred；　with　as

many　ladies；　besides　his　attendants　on　duty。　　At　Fontainebleau；　in

1756；　although　〃there　were　neither　fêtes　nor　ballets　this　year；　one

hundred　and　six　ladies　were　counted。〃　When