the origins of contemporary france-1-第36节

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established　usage　colonels　and　captains　entertain　their　subordinates

and　thus　expend　〃much　beyond　their　salaries。〃＇71＇　This　is　one　of　the

reasons　why　regiments　are　reserved　for　the　sons　of　the　best　families；

and　companies　in　them　for　wealthy　gentlemen。　　The　vast　royal　tree；

expanding　so　luxuriantly　at　Versailles；　sends　forth　its　offshoots　to

overrun　France　by　thousands；　and　to　bloom　everywhere；　as　at

Versailles；　in　bouquets　of　finery　and　of　drawing　room　sociability。



VII。　　PROVINCIAL　NOBILITY。



Prelates；　seigniors　and　minor　provincial　nobles。　　…　The　feudal

aristocracy　transformed　into　a　drawing　room　group。



Following　this　pattern；　and　as　well　through　the　effect　of

temperature；　we　see；　even　in　remote　provinces；　all　aristocratic

branches　having　a　flourishing　social　life。　　Lacking　other　employment；

the　nobles　exchange　visits；　and　the　chief　function　of　a　prominent

seignior　is　to　do　the　honors　of　his　house　creditably。　　This　applies　as

well　to　ecclesiastics　as　to　laymen。　　The　one　hundred　and　thirty…one

bishops　and　archbishops；　the　seven　hundred　abbés…commendatory；　are　all

men　of　the　world；　they　behave　well；　are　rich；　and　are　not　austere；

while　their　episcopal　palace　or　abbey　is　for　them　a　country…house；

which　they　repair　or　embellish　with　a　view　to　the　time　they　pass　in

it；　and　to　the　company　they　welcome　to　it。＇72＇　At　Clairvaux；　Dom

Rocourt；　very　affable　with　men　and　still　more　gallant　with　the　ladies；

never　drives　out　except　with　four　horses；　and　with　a　mounted　groom

ahead；　his　monks　do　him　the　honors　of　a　Monseigneur；　and　he　maintains

a　veritable　court。　　The　chartreuse　of　Val　Saint…Pierre　is　a　sumptuous

palace　in　the　center　of　an　immense　domain；　and　the　father…procurator；

Dom　Effinger；　passes　his　days　in　entertaining　his　guests。＇73＇　At　the

convent　of　Origny；　near　Saint…Quentin；＇74＇　〃the　abbess　has　her

domestics　and　her　carriage　and　horses；　and　receives　men　on　visits；　who

dine　in　her　apartments。〃　The　princess　Christine；　abbess　of　Remiremont；

with　her　lady　canonesses；　are　almost　always　traveling；　and　yet　〃they

enjoy　themselves　in　the　abbey；〃　entertaining　there　a　good　many　people

〃in　the　private　apartments　of　the　princess；　and　in　the　strangers'

rooms。〃＇75＇　The　twenty…five　noble　chapters　of　women；　and　the　nineteen

noble　chapters　of　men；　are　as　many　permanent　drawing…rooms　and

gathering　places　incessantly　resorted　to　by　the　fine　society　which　a

slight　ecclesiastical　barrier　scarcely　divides　from　the　great　world

from　which　it　is　recruited。　　At　the　chapter　of　Alix；　near　Lyons；　the

canonesses　wear　hoopskirts　into　the　choir；　〃dressed　as　in　the　world

outside；〃　except　that　their　black　silk　robes　and　their　mantles　are

lined　with　ermine。＇76＇　At　the　chapter　of　Ottmarsheim　in　Alsace；　〃our

week　was　passed　in　promenading；　in　visiting　the　traces　of　Roman　roads；

in　laughing　a　good　deal；　and　even　in　dancing；　for　there　were　many

people　visiting　the　abbey；　and　especially　talking　over　dresses。〃　Near

Sarrebuis；　the　canonesses　of　Loutre　dine　with　the　officers　and　are

anything　but　prudish。＇77＇　Numbers　of　convents　serve　as　agreeable　and

respectable　asylums　for　widowed　ladies；　for　young　women　whose　husbands

are　in　the　army；　and　for　young　ladies　of　rank；　while　the　superior；

generally　some　noble　damsel；　wields；　with　ease　and　dexterity；　the

scepter　of　this　pretty　feminine　world。　　But　nowhere　is　the　pomp　of

hospitality　or　the　concourse　greater；　than　in　the　episcopal　palaces。　　I

have　described　the　situation　of　the　bishops；　with　their　opulence；

possessors　of　the　like　feudal　rights；　heirs　and　successors　to　the

ancient　sovereigns　of　the　territory；　and　besides　all　this；　men　of　the

world　and　frequenters　of　Versailles；　why　should　they　not　keep　a　court？

A　Cicé；　archbishop　of　Bordeaux；　a　Dillon；　archbishop　of　Narbonne；　a

Brienne；　archbishop　of　Toulouse；　a　Castellane；　bishop　of　Mende　and

seignior…suzerain　of　the　whole　of　Gévaudan；　an　archbishop　of　Cambrai；

duke　of　Cambray；　seignior…suzerain　of　the　whole　of　Cambrésis；　and

president　by　birth　of　the　provincial　States…General；　are　nearly　all

princes　；　why　not　parade　themselves　like　princes？　Hence；　they　build；

hunt　and　have　their　clients　and　guests；　a　lever；　an　antechamber；

ushers；　officers；　a　free　table；　a　complete　household；　equipages；　and；

oftener　still；　debts；　the　finishing　touch　of　a　grand　seignior。　　In　the

almost　regal　palace　which　the　Rohans；　hereditary　bishops　of　Strasbourg

and　cardinals　from　uncle　to　nephew；　erected　for　themselves　at

Saverne；＇78＇　there　are　700　beds；　180　horses；　14　butlers；　and　25

valets。　　〃The　whole　province　assembles　there；〃　the　cardinal　lodges　as

many　as　two　hundred　guests　at　a　time；　without　counting　the　valets；　at

all　times　there　are　found　under　his　roof　〃from　twenty　to　thirty　ladies

the　most　agreeable　of　the　province；　and　this　number　is　often　increased

by　those　of　the　court　and　from　Paris。　　。　　。　　。　　The　entire　company　sup

together　at　nine　o'clock　in　the　evening；　which　always　looks　like　a

fête；〃　and　the　cardinal　himself　is　its　chief　ornament。　　Splendidly

dressed；　fine…looking；　gallant；　exquisitely　polite；　the　slightest

smile　is　a　grace。　　〃His　face；　always　beaming；　inspired　confidence；　he

had　the　true　physiognomy　of　a　man　expressly　designed　for　pompous

display。〃



Such　likewise　is　the　attitude　and　occupation　of　the　principal　lay

seigniors；　at　home；　in　summer；　when　a　love　of　the　charms　of　fine

weather　brings　them　back　to　their　estates。　　For　example；　Harcourt　in

Normandy　and　Brienne　in　Champagne　are　two　chateaux　the　best

frequented。　　〃Persons　of　distinction　resort　to　it　from　Paris；　eminent

men　of　letters；　while　the　nobility　of　the　canton　pay　there　an

assiduous　court。〃＇79＇　There　is　no　residence　where　flocks　of

fashionable　people　do　not　light　down　permanently　to　dine；　to　dance；　to

hunt；　to　gossip；　to　unravel；＇80＇　（parfiler）　to　play　comedy。　　We　can

trace　these　birds　from　cage　to　cage；　they　remain　a　week；　a　month；

three　months；　displaying　their　plumage　and　their　prattle。　　From　Paris

to　Ile…Adam；　to　Villers…Cotterets；　to　Frétoy；　to　Planchette；　to

Soissons；　to　Rheims；　to　Grisolles；　to　Sillery；　to　Braine；　to

Balincourt；　to　Vaudreuil；　the　Comte　and　Comtesse　de　Genlis　thus　bear

about　their　leisure；　their　wit；　their　gaiety；　at　the　domiciles　of

friends　whom；　in　their　turn；　they　entertain　at　Genlis。　　A　glance　at　the

exteriors　of　these　mansions　suffices　to　show　that　it　was　the　chief

duty　in　these　days　to　be　hospitable；　as　it　was　a　prime　necessity　to　be

in　society。＇81＇　Their　luxury；　indeed；　differs　from　ours。　　With　the

exception　of　a　few　princely　establishments　it　is　not　great　in　the

matter　of　country　furniture；　a　display　of　this　description　is　left　to

the　financiers。　　〃But　it　is　prodigious　in　all　things　which　can　minister

to　the　enjoyment　of　others；　in　horses；　carriages；　and　in　an　open

table；　in　accommodations　given　even　to　people　not　belonging　to　the

house；　in　boxes　at　the　play　which　are　lent　to　friends；　and　lastly；　in

servants；　much　more　numerous　than　nowadays。〃　Through　this　mutual　and

constant　attention　the　most　rustic　nobles　lose　the　rust　still

encrusting　their　brethren　in　Germany　or　in　England。　　We　find　in　France

few　Squire　Western　and　Barons　de　Thunder…ten…Troenck；　an　Alsatian

lady；　on　seeing　at　Frankfort　the　grotesque　country　squires　of

Westphalia；　is　struck　with　the　contrast。＇82＇　Those　of　France；　even　in

distant　provinces；　have　frequented　the　drawing…rooms　of　the　commandant

and　intendant；　and　have　encountered　on　their　visits　some　of　the　ladies

from　Versailles；　hence　they　always　show　some　familiarity　with　superior

manners　and　some　knowledge　of　the　changes　of　fashion　and　dress。〃　The

most　barbarous　will　descend；　with　his　hat　in　his　hand；　to　the　foot　of

his　steps　to　escort　his　guests；　thanking　them　for　the　honor　they　have

done　him。　　The　greatest　rustic；　when　in　a　woman's　presence；　dives　down

into　the　depths　of　his　memory　for　some　fragment　of　chivalric

gallantry。　　The　poorest　and　most　secluded　furbishes　up　his　coat　of

royal　blue　and　his　cross　of　St。　　Louis　that　he　may；　when　the　occasion

offers；　tender　his　respects　to　his　neighbor；　the　grand　seignior；　or　to

the　prince　who　is　passing　by。



Thus　is　the　feudal　staff　wholly　transformed；　from　the　lowest　to　the

highest　grades。　　Taking　in　at　one　glance　its　30　or　40；000　palaces；

mansions；　manors　and　abbeys；　what　a　brilliant　and　engaging　scene

France　presents！　She　is　one　vast　drawing…room；　and　I　detect　only

drawing　room　company。　　Everywhere　the　rude　chieftains　once　possessing

authority　have　become　the　masters　of　households　administering　favors。

Their　society　is　that　in　which；　before　fully　admiring　a　great　general；

the　question　is　asked；　〃is　he　amiable？〃　Undoubtedly　they　still　wear

swords；　and　are　brave　through　pride　and　tradition；　and　they　know　how

to　die；　especially　in　duels　and　according　to　form。　　But　worldly　traits

have　hidden　the　ancient　military　groundwork；　at　the　end　of　the

eighteenth　century　their　genius　is　to　be　wellbred　and　their　employment

consists　in　entertai