the origins of contemporary france-1-第45节

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but　as　well　as　a　queen　can　sing；　whose　fine　voice　is　ever　only　half　in

tune。　　But　they　make　no　pretensions。　　The　thing　is　to　amuse　oneself　and

nothing　more；　high　spirits　and　the　amenities　of　the　hour　cover　all。

Rather　read　this　capital　fact　of　Madame　de　Lauzun　at　Chanteloup：　〃Do

you　know；〃　writes　the　abbé；　〃that　nobody　possesses　in　a　higher　degree

one　quality　you　would　never　suspect　of　her；　that　of　preparing

scrambled　eggs？　This　talent　has　been　buried　in　the　ground；　she　cannot

recall　the　time　she　acquired　it；　I　believe　that　she　had　it　at　her

birth。　　Accident　made　it　known；　and　immediately　it　was　put　to　test。

Yesterday　morning；　an　hour　for　ever　memorable　in　the　history　of　eggs；

the　implements　necessary　for　this　great　operation　were　all　brought

out；　a　heater；　some　gravy；　some　pepper　and　eggs。　　Behold　Madame　de

Lauzun；　at　first　blushing　and　in　a　tremor；　soon　with　intrepid　courage；

breaking　the　eggs；　beating　them　up　in　the　pan；　turning　them　over；　now

to　the　right；　now　to　the　left；　now　up　and　now　down；　with　unexampled

precision　and　success！　Never　was　a　more　excellent　dish　eaten。〃　What

laughter　and　gaiety　in　the　group　comprised　in　this　little　scene。　　And；

not　long　after；　what　madrigals　and　allusions！　Gaiety　here　resembles　a

dancing　ray　of　sunlight；　it　flickers　over　all　things　and　reflects　its

grace　on　every　object。



VI。　　GAIETY。



Gaiety　in　the　18th　Century。　　…　Its　causes　and　effects。　　…　Toleration

and　license。　　…　Balls；　fêtes；　hunts；　banquets；　pleasures。　　…　Freedom　of

the　magistrates　and　prelates。



The　Frenchman's　characteristic；〃　says　an　English　traveler　in　1785；

〃is　to　be　always　gay；〃＇56＇　and　he　remarks　that　he　must　be　so　because；

in　France；　such　is　the　tone　of　society　and　the　only　mode　of　pleasing

the　ladies；　the　sovereigns　of　society　and　the　arbiters　of　good　taste。

Add　to　this　the　absence　of　the　causes　which　produce　modern　dreariness；

and　which　convert　the　sky　above　our　heads　into　one　of　leaden　gloom。

There　was　no　laborious；　forced　work　in　those　days；　no　furious

competition；　no　uncertain　careers；　no　infinite　perspectives。　　Ranks

were　clearly　defined；　ambitions　limited；　there　was　less　envy。　　Man　was

not　habitually　dissatisfied；　soured　and　preoccupied　as　he　is　nowadays。

Few　free　passes　were　allowed　where　there　was　no　right　to　pass；　we

think　of　nothing　but　advancement；　they　thought　only　of　amusing

themselves。　　An　officer；　instead　of　raging　and　storming　over　the　army

lists；　busies　himself　in　inventing　some　new　disguise　for　a　masked

ball；　a　magistrate；　instead　of　counting　the　convictions　he　has

secured；　provides　a　magnificent　supper。　　At　Paris；　every　afternoon　in

the　left　avenue　of　the　Palais…Royal；　〃fine　company；　very　richly

dressed；　gather　under　the　large　trees；〃　and　in　the　evening　〃on　leaving

the　opera　at　half…past　eight；　they　go　back　there　and　remain　until　two

o'clock　in　the　morning。〃　They　have　music　in　the　open　air　by　moonlight；

Gavat　singing；　and　the　chevalier　de　Saint…George　playing　on　the

violin。＇57＇　At　Moffontaine；　〃the　Comte　de　Vaudreuil；　Lebrun　the　poet；

the　chevalier　de　Coigny；　so　amiable　and　so　gay；　Brongniart；　Robert；

compose　charades　every　night　and　wake　each　other　up　to　repeat　them。〃

At　Maupertuis　in　M。　de　Montesquiou's　house；　at　Saint…Ouen　with　the

Marshal　de　Noailles；　at　Genevilliers　with　the　Comte　de　Vandreuil；　at

Rainay　with　the　Duc　d'Orléans；　at　Chantilly　with　the　Prince　de　Condé；

there　is　nothing　but　festivity。　　We　read　no　biography　of　the　day；　no

provincial　document；　no　inventory；　without　hearing　the　tinkling　of　the

universal　carnival。　　At　Monchoix；＇58＇　the　residence　of　the　Comte　de

Bédé；　Chateaubriand's　uncle；　〃they　had　music；　dancing　and　hunting；

rollicking　from　morning　to　night；　eating　up　both　capital　and　income。〃

At　Aix　and　Marseilles；　throughout　the　fashionable　world；　with　the

Comte　de　Valbelle；　I　find　nothing　but　concerts；　entertainment；　balls；

gallantries；　and　private　theatricals　with　the　Comtesse　de　Mirabeau　for

the　leading　performer。　　At　Chateauroux；　M。　Dupin　de　Francueil

entertains　〃a　troop　of　musicians；　lackeys；　cooks；　parasites；　horses

and　dogs；　bestowing　everything　lavishly；　in　amusements　and　in　charity；

wishing　to　be　happy　himself　and　everybody　else　around　him；〃　never

casting　up　accounts；　and　going　to　ruin　in　the　most　delightful　manner

possible。　　Nothing　arrests　this　gaiety；　neither　old　age；　exile；　nor

misfortune　；　in　1793　it　still　subsists　in　the　prisons　of　the　Republic。

A　man　in　place　is　not　then　made　uncomfortable　by　his　official　coat；

puffed　up　by　his　situation；　obliged　to　maintain　a　dignified　and

important　air；　constrained　under　that　assumed　gravity　which　democratic

envy　imposes　on　us　as　if　a　ransom。　　In　1753；＇59＇　the　parliamentarians；

just　exiled　to　Bourges；　get　up　three　companies　of　private　theatricals

and　perform　comedies；　while　one　of　them；　M。　Dupré　de　Saint…Maur；

fights　a　rival　with　the　sword。　　In　1787；＇60＇　when　the　entire　parliament

is　banished　to　Troyes　the　bishop；　M。　de　Barral；　returns　from　his

chateau　de　Saint…Lye　expressly　to　receive　it；　presiding　every　evening

at　a　dinner　of　forty　persons。　　〃There　was　no　end　to　the　fêtes　and

dinners　in　the　town；　the　president　kept　open　house；〃　a　triple　quantity

of　food　being　consumed　in　the　eating…houses　and　so　much　wood　burned　in

the　kitchens；　that　the　town　came　near　being　put　on　short　allowance。

Feasting　and　jollity　is　but　little　less　in　ordinary　times。　　A

parliamentarian；　like　a　seignior；　must　do　credit　to　his　fortune。　　See

the　letters　of　the　President　des　Brosses　concerning　society　in　Dijon；

it　reminds　us　of　the　abbey　of　Thélème；　then　contrast　this　with　the

same　town　today。＇61＇　In　1744；　Monseigneur　de　Montigny；　brother　of　the

President　de　Bourbonne；　apropos　of　the　king's　recovery；　entertains　the

workmen；　tradesmen　and　artisans　in　his　employ　to　the　number　of　eighty；

another　table　being　for　his　musicians　and　comedians；　and　a　third　for

his　clerks；　secretaries；　physicians；　surgeons；　attorneys　and　notaries；

the　crowd　collects　around　a　triumphal　car　covered　with　shepherdesses；

shepherds　and　rustic　divinities　in　theatrical　costume；　fountains　flow

with　wine　〃as　if　it　were　water；〃　and　after　supper　the　confectionery　is

thrown　out　of　the　windows。　　Each　parliamentarian　around　him　has　his

〃little　Versailles；　a　grand　hotel　between　court　and　garden；〃　This

town；　now　so　silent；　then　rang　with　the　clatter　of　fine　equipages。　　The

profusion　of　the　table　is　astonishing；　〃not　only　on　gala　days；　but　at

the　suppers　of　each　week；　and　I　could　almost　say；　of　each　day。〃　　…

Amidst　all　these　fête…givers；　the　most　illustrious　of　all；　the

President　des　Brosses；　so　grave　on　the　magisterial　bench；　so　intrepid

in　his　remonstrances；　so　laborious；＇62＇　so　learned；　is　an

extraordinary　stimulator　of　fun　（boute…entrain）；　a　genuine　Gaul；　with

a　sparkling；　inexhaustible　fund　of　salacious　humor：　with　his　friends

he　throws　off　his　perruque；　his　gown；　and　even　something　more。　　Nobody

dreams　of　being　offended　by　it；　nobody　conceives　that　dress　is　an

extinguisher；　which　is　true　of　every　species　of　dress；　and　of　the　gown

in　particular。　　〃When　I　entered　society；　in　1785；〃　writes　a

parliamentarian；　〃I　found　myself　introduced　in　a　certain　way；　alike　to

the　wives　and　the　mistresses　of　the　friends　of　my　family；　passing

Monday　evening　with　one；　and　Tuesday　evening　with　the　other。　　And　I　was

only　eighteen；　and　I　belonged　to　a　family　of　magistrates。〃＇63＇　At

Basville；　at　the　residence　of　M。　de　Lamoignon；　during　the　autumnal

vacation　and　the　Whitsuntide　holidays；　there　are　thirty　persons　at　the

table　daily；　there　are　three　or　four　hunts　a　week；　and　the　most

prominent　magistrates；　M。　de　Lamoignon；　M。　Pasquier；　M。　de　Rosambo；　M。

and　Mme。　　d'Aguesseau；　perform　the　〃Barber　of　Seville　〃　in　the　chateau

theater。



As　for　the　cassock；　it　enjoys　the　same　freedom　as　the　robe。　　At

Saverne；　at　Clairvaux；　at　Le　Mans　and　at　other　places；　the　prelates

wear　it　as　freely　as　a　court　dress。　　The　revolutionary　upheaval　was

necessary　to　make　it　a　fixture　on　their　bodies；　and；　afterwards；　the

hostile　supervision　of　an　organized　party　and　the　fear　of　constant

danger。　　Up　to　1789　the　sky　is　too　serene　and　the　atmosphere　too　balmy

to　lead　them　to　button　it　up　to　the　neck。　　〃Freedom；　facilities；

Monsieur　l'Abbé；〃　said　the　Cardinal　de　Rohan　to　his　secretary；

〃without　these　this　life　would　be　a　desert。〃＇64＇　This　is　what　the　good

cardinal　took　care　to　avoid；　on　the　contrary　he　had　made　Saverne　an

enchanting　world　according　to　Watteau；　almost　〃a　landing…place　for

Cythera。〃　Six　hundred　peasants　and　keepers；　ranged　in　a　line　a　league

long；　form　in　the　morning　and　beat　up　the　surrounding　country；　while

hunters；　men　and　women；　are　posted　at　their　stations。　　〃For　fear　that

the　ladies　might　be　frightened　if　left　alone　by　themselves；　the　man

whom　they　hated　least　was　always　left　with　them　to　make　them　feel　at

ease；〃　and　as　nobody　was　allowed　to　leave　his　post　before　the　signal

〃it　was　impossible　to　be　surprised。〃　　…　　About　one　p。m。　　〃the