the origins of contemporary france-1-第34节

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hours　of　the　morning；　but　the　machine　is　wound　up；　and　go　it　must。　　How

can　he　withdraw　himself　from　his　guests　and　not　do　the　honors　of　his

house？　Here　propriety　and　custom　are　tyrants　and　a　third　despotism

must　be　added；　still　more　absolute：　the　imperious　vivacity　of　a　lively

young　queen　who　cannot　endure　an　hour's　reading。　　…　　At　Versailles；

three　theatrical　entertainments　and　two　balls　a　week；　two　grand

suppers　Tuesday　and　Thursday；　and　from　time　to　time；　the　opera　in

Paris。＇51＇　At　Fontainebleau；　the　theater　three　times　a　week；　and　on

other　days；　play　and　suppers。　　During　the　following　winter　the　queen

gives　a　masked　ball　each　week；　in　which　〃the　contrivance　of　the

costumes；　the　quadrilles　arranged　in　ballets；　and　the　daily

rehearsals；　take　so　much　time　as　to　consume　the　entire　week。〃　During

the　carnival　of　1777　the　queen；　besides　her　own　fêtes；　attends　the

balls　of　the　Palais…Royal　and　the　masked　balls　of　the　opera；　a　little

later；　I　find　another　ball　at　the　abode　of　the　Comtesse　Diana　de

Polignac；　which　she　attends　with　the　whole　royal　family；　except

Mesdames；　and　which　lasts　from　half…past　eleven　o'clock　at　night　until

eleven　o'clock　the　next　morning。　　Meanwhile；　on　ordinary　days；　there　is

the　rage　of　faro；　in　her　drawing　room　〃there　is　no　limit　to　the　play；

in　one　evening　the　Duc　de　Chartres　loses　8；000　louis。　　It　really

resembles　an　Italian　carnival；　there　is　nothing　lacking；　neither　masks

nor　the　comedy　of　private　life；　they　play；　they　laugh；　they　dance；

they　dine；　they　listen　to　music；　they　don　costumes；　they　get　up

picnics　（fêtes…champêtres）；　they　indulge　in　gossip　and　gallantries。〃

〃The　newest　song；〃＇52＇　says　a　cultivated；　earnest　lady　of　the

bedchamber；　〃the　current　witticism　and　little　scandalous　stories；

formed　the　sole　subjects　of　conversation　in　the　queen's　circle　of

intimates。〃　　…　　As　to　the　king；　who　is　rather　dull　and　who　requires

physical　exercise；　the　chase　is　his　most　important　occupation。　　Between

1755　and　1789；＇53＇　he　himself；　on　recapitulating　what　he　had

accomplished；　finds　〃104　boar…hunts；　134　stag…hunts；　266　of　bucks；　33

with　hounds；　and　1；025　shootings；〃　in　all　1；562　hunting…days；

averaging　at　least　one　hunt　every　three　days；　besides　this　there　are　a

149　excursions　without　hunts；　and　223　promenades　on　horseback　or　in

carriages。　　〃During　four　months　of　the　year　he　goes　to　Rambouillet

twice　a　week　and　returns　after　having　supped；　that　is　to　say；　at　three

o'clock　in　the　morning。〃＇54＇　This　inveterate　habit　ends　in　becoming　a

mania；　and　even　in　something　worse。　　〃The　nonchalance；〃　writes　Arthur

Young；　June　26；　1789；　〃and　even　stupidity　of　the　court；　is

unparalleled；　the　moment　demands　the　greatest　decision；　and　yesterday；

while　it　was　actually　a　question　whether　he　should　be　a　doge　of　Venice

or　a　king　of　France；　the　king　went　a　hunting！〃　His　journal　reads　like

that　of　a　gamekeeper's。　　On　reading　it　at　the　most　important　dates　one

is　amazed　at　its　entries。　　He　writes　nothing　on　the　days　not　devoted　to

hunting；　which　means　that　to　him　these　days　are　of　no　account：



July　11；　1789；　nothing；　M。　Necker　leaves。



July　12th　vespers　and　benediction；　Messieurs　de　Montmorin；　de

Saint…Priest　and　de　la　Luzerne　leave。



July　13th　；　nothing。



July　14th　；　nothing。



July　29th；　nothing；　M。　Necker　returns。。。。。



August　4th；　stag…hunt　in　the　forest　at　Marly；　took　one；　go　and　come

on　horseback。



August　13th；　audience　of　the　States　in　the　gallery；　Te　Deum　during

the　mass　below；　one　stag　taken　in　the　hunt　at　Marly。　　。　　。



August　25th；　complimentary　audience　of　the　States；　high　mass　with

the　cordons　bleus；　M。　Bailly　sworn　in；　vespers　and　benediction；　state

dinner。。。。



October　5th；　shooting　near　Chatillon；　killed　81　head；　interrupted

by　events；　go　and　come　on　horseback。



October　6th；　leave　for　Paris　at　half…past　twelve；　visit　the　H？tel…

de…Ville；　sup　and　rest　at　the　Tuileries。



October　7th　nothing；　my　aunts　come　and　dine。



October　8th；　nothing　。　　。　　。



October　12th；　nothing；　the　stag　hunted　at　Port　Royal。



Shut　up　in　Paris；　held　by　the　crowds；　his　heart　is　always　with　the

hounds。　　Twenty　times　in　1790　we　read　in　his　journal　of　a　stag…hunt

occurring　in　this　or　that　place；　he　regrets　not　being　on　hand。　　No

privation　is　more　intolerable　to　him；　we　encounter　traces　of　his

chagrin　even　in　the　formal　protest　he　draws　up　before　leaving　for

Varennes；　transported　to　Paris；　shut　up　in　the　Tuileries；　〃where；　far

from　finding　conveniences　to　which　he　is　accustomed；　he　has　not　even

enjoyed　the　advantages　common　to　persons　in　easy　circumstances；〃　his

crown　to　him　having　apparently　lost　its　brightest　jewel。





VI。　　UPPER　CLASS　DISTRACTIONS。



Other　similar　lives。　　…　Princes　and　princesses。　　…　Seigniors　of　the

court。　　…　Financiers　and　parvenus。　　…　Ambassadors；　ministers；　governors；

general　officers。



As　is　the　general　so　is　his　staff；　the　grandees　imitate　their

monarch。　　Like　some　costly　colossal　effigy　in　marble；　erected　in　the

center　of　France；　and　of　which　reduced　copies　are　scattered　by

thousands　throughout　the　provinces；　thus　does　royal　life　repeat

itself；　in　minor　proportions；　even　among　the　remotest　gentry。　　The

object　is　to　make　a　parade　and　to　receive；　to　make　a　figure　and　to

pass　away　time　in　good　society。　　…　　I　find；　first；　around　the　court；

about　a　dozen　princely　courts。　　Each　prince　or　princess　of　the　blood

royal；　like　the　king；　has　his　house　fitted　up；　paid　for；　in　whole　or

in　part；　out　of　the　treasury；　its　service　divided　into　special

departments；　with　gentlemen；　pages；　and　ladies　in　waiting；　in　brief；

fifty；　one　hundred；　two　hundred；　and　even　five　hundred　appointments。

There　is　a　household　of　this　kind　for　the　queen；　one　for　Madame

Victoire；　one　for　Madame　Elisabeth；　one　for　Monsieur；　one　for　Madame；

one　for　the　Comte　d'Artois；　and　one　for　the　Comtesse　d'Artois。　　There

will　be　one　for　Madame　Royale；　one　for　the　little　Dauphin；　one　for　the

Duc　de　Normandie；　all　three　children　of　the　king；　one　for　the　Duc

d'Angoulême；　one　for　the　Duc　de　Berry；　both　sons　of　the　Comte

d'Artois：　children　six　or　seven　years　of　age　receive　and　make　a　parade

of　themselves。　　On　referring　to　a　particular　date；　in　1771；＇55＇　I　find

still　another　for　the　Duc　d'Orléans；　one　for　the　Duc　de　Bourbon；　one

for　the　Duchesse；　one　for　the　Prince　de　Condé；　one　for　the　Comte　de

Clermont；　one　for　the　Princess　dowager　de　Conti；　one　for　the　Prince　de

Conti；　one　for　the　Comte　de　la　Marche；　one　for　the　Duc　de　Penthièvre。

…　　Each　personage；　besides　his　or　her　apartment　under　the　king's　roof

has　his　or　her　chateau　and　palace　with　his　or　her　own　circle；　the

queen　at　Trianon　and　at　Saint…Cloud；　Mesdames　at　Bellevue；　Monsieur　at

the　Luxembourg　and　at　Brunoy；　the　Comte　d'Artois　at　Meudon　and　at

Bagatelle；　the　Duc　d'Orléans　at　the　Palais　Royal；　at　Monceaux；　at　Rancy

and　at　Villers…Cotterets；　the　Prince　de　Conti　at　the　Temple　and　at

Ile…Adam；　the　Condés　at　the　Palais…Bourbon　and　at　Chantilly；　the　Duc

de　Penthièvre　at　Sceaux；　Anet　and　Chateauvilain。　　I　omit　one…half　of

these　residences。　　At　the　Palais…Royal　those　who　are　presented　may　come

to　the　supper　on　opera　days。　　At　Chateauvilain　all　those　who　come　to

pay　court　are　invited　to　dinner；　the　nobles　at　the　duke's　table　and

the　rest　at　the　table　of　his　first　gentleman。　　At　the　Temple　one

hundred　and　fifty　guests　attend　the　Monday　suppers。　　Forty　or　fifty

persons；　said　the　Duchesse　de　Maine；　constitute　〃a　prince's　private

company。〃＇56＇　The　princes'　train　is　so　inseparable　from　their　persons

that　it　follows　them　even　into　camp。　　〃The　Prince　de　Condé；〃　says　M。　de

Luynes；　〃sets　out　for　the　army　to…morrow　with　a　large　suite：　he　has

two　hundred　and　twenty…five　horses；　and　the　Comte　de　la　Marche　one

hundred。　　M。　le　duc　d'Orléans　leaves　on　Monday；　he　has　three　hundred

and　fifty　horses　for　himself　and　suite。〃＇57＇　Below　the　rank　of　the

king's　relatives　all　the　grandees　who　figure　at　the　court　figure　as

well　in　their　own　residences；　at　their　hotels　at　Paris　or　at

Versailles；　also　in　their　chateaux　a　few　leagues　away　from　Paris。　　On

all　sides；　in　the　memoirs；　we　obtain　a　foreshortened　view　of　some　one

of　these　seignorial　existences。　　Such　is　that　of　the　Duc　de　Gèvres；

first　gentleman　of　the　bedchamber；　governor　of　Paris；　and　of　the　Ile…

de…France；　possessing　besides　this　the　special　governorships　of　Laon；

Soissons；　Noyon；　Crespy　and　Valois；　the　captainry　of　Mousseaux；　also　a

pension　of　20；000　livres；　a　veritable　man　of　the　court；　a　sort　of

sample　in　high　relief　of　the　people　of　his　class；　and　who；　through　his

appointments；　his　airs；　his　luxury；　his　debts；　the　consideration　he

enjoys；　his　tastes；　his　occupations　and　his　turn　of　mind　presents　to

us　an　abridgment　of　the　fashionable　world。＇58＇　His　memory　for

relationships　and　genealogies　is　surprising；　he　is　an　adept　in　the

precious　science　of　etiquette；　and　on　these　two　grounds　he　is　an

oracle　and　much　consulted。　　〃He　greatly　increased　the