the origins of contemporary france-1-第86节

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it　does　not　find　place。　　　One　sits　at　a　table　amidst　refined　luxury；

among　agreeable　and　well…dressed　women　and　pleasant　and　well…informed

men；　a　select　company；　in　which　comprehension　is　prompt　and　the

company　trustworthy。　　　After　the　second　course　the　inspiration　breaks

out　in　the　liveliest　sallies；　all　minds　flashing　and　scintillating。

When　the　dessert　comes　on　what　is　to　prevent　the　gravest　of　subjects

from　being　put　into　witticisms？　On　the　appearance　of　the　coffee

questions　on　the　immortality　of　the　soul　and　on　the　existence　of　God

come　up。



To　form　any　idea　of　this　attractive　and　bold　conversation　we　must

consult　the　correspondence　of　the　day；　the　short　treatises　and

dialogues　of　Diderot　and　Voltaire；　whatever　is　most　animated；　most

delicate；　most　piquant　and　most　profound　in　the　literature　of　the

century；　and　yet　this　is　only　a　residuum；　a　lifeless　fragment。　　　The

whole　of　this　written　philosophy　was　uttered　in　words；　with　the

accent；　the　impetuosity；　the　inimitable　naturalness　of　improvisation；

with　the　versatility　of　malice　and　of　enthusiasm。　　　Even　to　day；

chilled　and　on　paper；　it　still　excites　and　seduces　us。　　　What　must　it

have　been　then　when　it　gushed　forth　alive　and　vibrant　from　the　lips　of

Voltaire　and　Diderot？　Daily；　in　Paris；　suppers　took　place　like　those

described　by　Voltaire；＇4＇　。at　which　〃two　philosophers；　three　clever

intellectual　ladies；M。　Pinto　the　famous　Jew；　the　chaplain　of　the

Batavian　ambassador　of　the　reformed　church；　the　secretary　of　the

Prince　de　Galitzin　of　the　Greek　church；　and　a　Swiss　Calvinist

captain；〃　seated　around　the　same　table；　for　four　hours　interchanged

their　anecdotes；　their　flashes　of　wit；　their　remarks　and　their

decisions　〃on　all　subjects　of　interest　relating　to　science　and　taste。〃

The　most　learned　and　distinguished　foreigners　daily　visited；　in　turn；

the　house　of　the　Baron　d'Holbach；　　…　　Hume；　Wilkes；　Sterne；　Beccaria；

Veri；　the　Abbé　Galiani；　Garrick；　Franklin；　Priestley；　Lord　Shelburne；

the　Comte　de　Creutz；　the　Prince　of　Brunswick　and　the　future　Elector　of

Mayence。　　　With　respect　to　society　in　general　the　Baron　entertained

Diderot；　Rousseau；　Helvétius；　Duclos；　Saurin；　Raynal；　Suard；

Marmontel；　Boulanger；　the　Chevalier　de　Chastellux；　the　traveler　La

Condamine；　the　physician　Barthèz；　and　Rouelle；　the　chemist。　　　Twice　a

week；　on　Sundays　and　Thursdays；　〃without　prejudice　to　other　days；〃

they　dine　at　his　house；　according　to　custom；　at　two　o'clock；　a

significant　custom　which　thus　leaves　to　conversation　and　gaiety　a

man's　best　powers　and　the　best　hours　of　the　day。　　　Conversation；　in

those　days；　was　not　relegated　to　night　and　late　hours；　a　man　was　not

forced；　as　at　the　present　day；　to　subordinate　it　to　the　exigencies　of

work　and　money；　of　the　Assembly　and　the　Exchange。　　　Talking　is　the

main　business。　　　〃Entering　at　two　o'clock；〃　says　Morellet；＇5＇　〃we

almost　all　remained　until　seven　or　eight　o'clock　in　the　evening。　　　。

。　　　。　　　Here　could　be　heard　the　most　liberal；　the　most　animated；　the

most　instructive　conversation　that　ever　took　place。　　　。　　　。　　　。

There　was　no　political　or　religious　temerity　which　was　not　brought

forward　and　discussed　pro　and　con。　　　。　　　。　　　。　　　Frequently　some　one

of　the　company　would　begin　to　speak　and　state　his　theory　in　full；

without　interruption。　　　At　other　times　it　would　be　a　combat　of　one

against　one；　of　which　the　rest　remained　silent　spectators。　　　Here　I

heard　Roux　and　Darcet　expose　their　theory　of　the　earth；　Marmontel　the

admirable　principles　he　collected　together　in　his　'Elements　de　La

Littérature；'　Raynal；　telling　us　in　livres；　sous　and　deniers；　the

commerce　of　the　Spaniards　with　Vera…Crux　and　of　the　English　with　their

colonies。〃　Diderot　improvises　on　the　arts　and　on　moral　and

metaphysical　subjects；　with　that　incomparable　fervor　and　wealth　of

expression；　that　flood　of　logic　and　of　illustration；　those　happy　hits

of　style　and　that　mimetic　power　which　belonged　to　him　alone；　and　of

which　but　two　or　three　of　his　works　preserve　even　the　feeblest　image。

In　their　midst　Galiani；　secretary　of　the　Neapolitan　Embassy；　a　clever

dwarf；　a　genius；　〃a　sort　of　Plato　or　Machiavelli　with　the　spirit　and

action　of　a　harlequin；〃　inexhaustible　in　stories；　an　admirable

buffoon；　and　an　accomplished　skeptic；　〃having　no　faith　in　anything；　on

anything　or　about　anything；〃＇6＇　not　even　in　the　new　philosophy；　braves

the　atheists　of　the　drawing…room；　beats　down　their　dithyrambs　with

puns；　and；　with　his　perruque　in　his　hand；　sitting　cross…legged　on　the

chair　on　which　he　is　perched；　proves　to　them　in　a　comic　apologia　that

they　raisonnent　（reason）　or　résonnent　（resound　or　echo）　if　not　as

cruches　（blockheads）　at　least　as　cloches　（bells）；〃　in　any　event　almost

as　poorly　as　theologians。　　　One　of　those　present　says；　〃It　was　the

most　diverting　thing　possible　and　worth　the　best　of　plays。〃



How　can　the　nobles；　who　pass　their　lives　in　talking；　refrain　from

the　society　of　people　who　talk　so　well？　They　might　as　well　expect

their　wives；　who　frequent　the　theater　every　night；　and　who　perform　at

home；　not　to　attract　famous　actors　and　singers　to　their　receptions；

Jelyotte；　Sainval；　Préville；　and　young　Molé　who；　quite　ill　and　needing

restoratives；　〃receives　in　one　day　more　than　2；000　bottles　of　wine　of

different　sorts　from　the　ladies　of　the　court；〃　Mlle。　　　Clairon；　who；

consigned　to　prison　in　Fort　l'Eveque；　attracts　to　it　〃an　immense　crowd

of　carriages；〃　presiding　over　the　most　select　company　in　the　best

apartment　of　the　prison＇7＇。　　　With　life　thus　regarded；　a　philosopher

with　his　ideas　is　as　necessary　in　a　drawing　room　as　a　chandelier　with

its　lights。　　　He　forms　a　part　of　the　new　system　of　luxury。　　　He　is　an

article　of　export。　　　Sovereigns；　amidst　their　splendor；　and　at　the

height　of　their　success；　invite　them　to　their　courts　to　enjoy　for　once

in　their　life　the　pleasure　of　perfect　and　free　discourse。　　　When

Voltaire　arrives　in　Prussia　Frederic　II。　　　is　willing　to　kiss　his

hand；　fawning　on　him　as　on　a　mistress；　and；　at　a　later　period；　after

such　mutual　fondling；　he　cannot　dispense　with　carrying　on

conversations　with　him　by　letter。　　　Catherine　II。　　　sends　for　Diderot；

and；　for　two　or　three　hours　every　day；　she　plays　with　him　the　great

game　of　the　intellect。　　　Gustavus　III。；　in　France；　is　intimate　with

Marmontel；　and　considers　a　visit　from　Rousseau　as　the　highest

honor＇8＇。　　　It　is　said　with　truth　of　Voltaire　that　〃he　holds　the　four

kings　in　his　hand；〃　those　of　Prussia；　Sweden；　Denmark　and　Russia；

without　mentioning　lower　cards；　the　princes；　princesses；　grand　dukes

and　markgraves。　　　The　principal　r？le　in　this　society　evidently　belongs

to　authors；　their　ways　and　doings　form　the　subject　of　gossip；　people

never　weary　of　paying　them　homage。　　　Here；　writes　Hume　to

Robertson；＇9＇　〃I　feed　on　ambrosia；　drink　nothing　but　nectar；　breathe

incense　only　and　walk　on　flowers。　　　Every　man　I　meet；　and　especially

every　woman；　would　consider　themselves　as　failing　in　the　most

indispensable　duty　if　they　did　not　favor　me　with　a　lengthy　and

ingenious　discourse　on　my　celebrity。〃　Presented　at　court；　the　future

Louis　XVI；　aged　ten　years；　the　future　Louis　XVIII；　aged　eight　years；

and　the　future　Charles　X；　aged　four　years；　each　recites　a　compliment

to　him　on　his　works。　　　I　need　not　narrate　the　return　of　Voltaire；　his

triumphant　entry；

＇10＇　the　Academy　in　a　body　coming　to　welcome　him；　his

carriage　stopped　by　the　crowd；　the　thronged　streets；　the　windows；

steps　and　balconies　filled　with　admirers；　an　intoxicated　audience　in

the　theater　incessantly　applauding；　outside　an　entire　population

carrying　him　off　with　huzzahs；　in　the　drawing…rooms　a　continual

concourse　equal　to　that　of　the　king；　grand　seigniors　pressed　against

the　door　with　outstretched　ears　to　catch　a　word；　and　great　ladies

standing　on　tiptoe　to　observe　the　slightest　gesture。　　　〃To　form　any

conception　of　what　I　experienced；〃　says　one　of　those　present；　〃one

should　breathe　the　atmosphere　of　enthusiasm　I　lived　in。　　　I　spoke　with

him。〃　This　expression　at　that　time　converted　any　new…comer　into　an

important　character。　　　He　had；　in　fact；　seen　the　wonderful　orchestra…

leader　who；　for　more　than　fifty　years；　conducted　the　tumultuous

concert　of　serious　or　court…vêtues　ideas；　and　who；　always　on　the

stage；　always　chief；　the　recognized　leader　of　universal　conversation；

supplied　the　motives；　gave　the　pitch；　marked　the　measure；　stamped　the

inspiration；　and　drew　the　first　note　on　the　violin。







III。　　　FRENCH　INDOLENCE。



Further　effects　of　indolence。　　　…　The　skeptical；　licentious　and

seditious　spirit。　　　…　Previous　resentment　and　fresh　discontent　at　the

established　order　of　things。　　　…　Sympathy　for　the　theories　against　it。

…　How　far　accepted。



Listen　to　the　shouts　that　greet　him：　Hurrah　for　the　author　of　the

Henriade！　the　defender　of　Calas；　the　author　of　La　Pucelle！　Nobody　of

the　present　day　would　utter　the　first；　nor　especially　the　last　hurrah。

This　indicates　the　tendency　of　the　century；　not　only