honore de balzac-第2节

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g　to　his　calculations；　a　man　did　not　reach　his　perfect　development　until　after　completing　his　first　century；　and；　in　order　to　do　this；　he　took　the　most　minute　care　of　himself。　He　studied　the　Chinese　people；　celebrated　for　their　longevity；　and　he　sought　for　the　best　methods　of　maintaining　what　he　called　the　equilibrium　of　vital　forces。　When　any　event　contradicted　his　theories；　he　found　no　trouble　in　turning　it　to　his　own　advantage。

〃He　was　never；〃　related　his　daughter；　Mme。　Laure　Surville；　in　her　article　upon　Balzac；　〃under　any　circumstances　at　a　loss　for　a　retort。　One　day；　when　a　newspaper　article　relating　to　a　centenarian　was　being　read　aloud　（an　article　not　likely　to　escape　notice　in　our　family；　as　may　well　be　imagined）　he　interrupted　the　reader；　contrary　to　his　habit；　in　order　to　say　enthusiastically；　'There　is　a　man　who　has　lived　wisely　and　has　never　squandered　his　strength　in　all　sorts　of　excesses；　as　so　many　imprudent　young　people　do！'　It　turned　out；　on　the　contrary；　that　this　wise　old　man　frequently　became　drunk；　and　that　he　took　a　late　supper　every　evening；　which；　according　to　my　father；　was　one　of　the　greatest　enormities　that　one　could　perpetrate　against　one's　health。　'Well；'　resumed　my　father　imperturbably；　'the　man　has　shortened　his　life；　no　doubt　about　it。'〃

Francois　Balzac　was　not　to　be　shaken　in　his　opinions。　Furthermore；　he　was　not　satisfied　with　asserting　them　in　the　course　of　conversation；　but　in　spite　of　his　lack　of　confidence　in　the　influence　of　books　upon　prejudiced　readers　（for　he　considered　that　the　sole　exception　was　the　reaction　against　chivalry　brought　about　by　Cervantes's　Don　Quixote）；　he　wrote　a　number　of　pamphlets　in　which　the　vigour　and　originality　of　his　mind　are　revealed。　He　published　successively：　An　Essay　regarding　Two　Great　Obligations　to　be　fulfilled　by　the　French　（1804）；　An　Essay　on　the　Methods　of　preventing　Thefts　and　Assassinations　（1807）；　A　Pamphlet　regarding　the　Equestrian　Statue　which　the　French　People　ought　to　raise　to　perpetuate　the　Memory　of　Henry　IV　（1815）；　The　History　of　Hydrophobia　（1819）；　etc。　In　the　first　of　these　works　Francois　Balzac　proposed　that　a　monument　should　be　raised　to　commemorate　the　glory　of　Napoleon　and　the　French　army。　Might　that　not　be　almost　called　the　origin　of　the　Arc…de…Triomphe？

The　singularities　of　Francois　Balzac　in　no　wise　hurt　him　in　the　estimation　of　the　inhabitants　of　Touraine。　He　served　as　administrator　of　the　General　Hospice　from　1804　to　1812；　and　introduced　there　a　practical　reform　in　providing　remunerative　work　for　the　old　men。　As　an　attache　of　the　Mayor's　office；　he　had　the　mayoralty　offered　him　in　1808；　but　he　refused　it　in　order　to　consecrate　himself　entirely　to　the　sick　and　convalescent。

At　Tours　the　Balzac　household　led　the　life　of　prosperous　bourgeois　folk。　The　father　had　acquired　a　house　with　grounds　and　farm　lands。　The　Balzacs　entertained　and　were　received　in　society。　People　enjoyed　perhaps　with　some　secret　smilesthe　unexpected　outbursts　of　the　husband；　and　they　liked　him　for　his　kindly　ironies　which　had　no　touch　of　malice。　As　for　the　subtle　and　witty　Madame　Laure　Balzac；　who　had　preserved　all　the　graces　of　the　eighteenth　century；　she　was　found　delightful　by　all　those　whom　she　admitted　to　the　honour　of　entering　her　circle　of　acquaintances。

She　was　a　young　woman　of　distinguished　manner；　with　a　somewhat　oval　face　and　small；　delicate　features；　overcast　at　times　with　a　shade　of　melancholy。　She　had　a　somewhat　distant　manner　which　she　redeemed　by　a　gesture　of　charming　welcome；　or　a　gracious　phrase。　She　was　pious；　but　without　bigotry；　a　mystic　whose　religion　was　that　of　St。　John；　all　gentleness　and　impulse。　She　read　Swedenborg；　St。　Martin；　and　Jacob　Boehm。　She　had　an　ardent　and　untrammelled　imagination；　but　her　character　was　firm。　Her　decisions　were　promptly　taken　and　she　knew　how　to　enforce　their　execution。　She　was　a　woman　of　principle；　she　respected　social　rules　and　customs　and　demanded　that　the　members　of　her　family　should　observe　them。

Four　more　children　were　born　to　this　marriage；　two　sons　and　two　daughters：　Honore；　Laure；　Laurence；　and　Henri；　all　of　whom　had　widely　different　destinies。　Laure　became　the　wife　of　an　engineer　of　bridges　and　highways；　M。　Midy　de　la　Greneraye　Surville；　and　was　intimately　associated　with　the　life　of　her　older　brother；　whom　she　survived　down　to　1854；　Laurence　died　a　few　years　after　her　marriage　in　1821　to　M。　de　Montzaigle；　Henri；　the　youngest；　went　through　divers　ups　and　downs；　but　finding　himself　unable　to　achieve　a　position　of　independence；　he　finally　went　into　exile　in　the　Colonies。

Madame　de　Balzac's　first　son　having　died；　as　was　thought；　in　consequence　of　the　mother's　attempt　to　nurse　him　herself；　Honore　was　placed　with　a　nurse　in　the　country　district　outside　of　Tours。　He　remained　there　until　four　years　of　age；　together　with　his　sister　Laure；　and　it　is　there；　no　doubt；　that　they　formed　that　tender　and　trusting　friendship　which　never　wavered。　When　he　returned　to　the　paternal　roof；　Honore　was　a　plump；　chubby…cheeked　little　boy　with　brown　hair　falling　in　masses　of　curls；　a　contented　disposition　and　laughing　eyes。　People　noticed　him　when　out　walking　in　his　short　vest　of　brown　silk　and　blue　belt；　and　mothers　would　turn　around　to　say；　〃What　a　pretty　child！〃

Honore　was　impulsive；　with　a　heart　overflowing　with　affection；　but　the　training　he　received　at　home　was　rigorous　and　severe。　Entrusted　to　the　hands　of　servants；　under　the　high　and　mighty　surveillance　of　his　governess；　Mlle。　Delahaye；　he　received　from　his　father；　who　was　already　an　old　man；　nothing　more　than　an　indulgent　and　often　absent…minded　affection；　while；　as　for　his　mother；　she　carried　out　with　great　firmness　her　theories　regarding　the　relation　between　children　and　parents。　She　received　hers　each　evening　in　her　large　drawing　room　with　cold　dignity。　Before　kissing　them　she　recapitulated　all　the　faults　they　had　committed　during　the　day；　which　she　had　learned　from　the　governess；　and　her　reproofs　were　reinforced　with　punishments。　Honore　never　approached　her　without　fear；　repressing　all　his　feelings　and　his　need　of　affection。　He　suffered　in　secret。　Then　he　would　take　refuge　with　his　sister　Laure；　his　only　friend　and　comforter。

Before　he　was　five　years　old　he　was　sent　to　a　day…school　in　Tours　known　as　the　Leguay　Institution。　He　had　a　taste　for　reading；　indeed　it　was　more　than　a　taste；　it　was　a　sort　of　mental　starvation　which　made　him　throw　himself　hungrily　upon　every　book　he　encountered。　Otherwise；　Honore　was　frankly　a　mediocre　and　negligent。　But　concentrated　in　himself　and　deprived　of　the　caresses　which　would　have　meant　so　much　to　him；　he　created　a　whole　world　out　of　his　readings　and　sometimes　gave　glimpses　of　it　to　Laure　by　acting　out　before　her　dramas　and　comedies　of　his　own　manufacture　and　of　which　he　was　the　hero。　His　exuberance　made　him　a　good　comrade；　yet　he　also　loved　solitude。　When　alone；　he　could　give　himself　up　to　the　fantasies　born　of　his　own　imagination；　and　he　invented　his　own　games　and　used　to　play　upon　a　cheap　toy　violin　made　of　red　wood　airs　which　he　enjoyed　to　the　point　of　ecstasy　and　of　which　no　one　else　could　bear　the　sound。

At　the　age　of　eight　years　and　some　months；　on　the　22d　of　June；　1807；　Honore　entered　a　college　school　at　Vendome。　It　was　an　institution　celebrated　throughout　the　districts　of　central　France　and　directed　by　the　Oratorian　Fathers。　Prior　to　the　Revolution；　cadets　used　to　be　trained　there　for　the　army；　and　it　had　preserved　the　military　severity　of　its　discipline。　After　their　admission；　the　pupils　were　never　allowed　outside　vacations　and　never　left　its　walls　until　their　course　of　study　was　terminated。　Honore　lived　there　until　April　22；　1813；and　in　Louis　Lambert　he　has　described　his　sufferings；　his　hopes　and　the　tumultuous　and　confused　awakening　of　his　genius；　throughout　those　long　years　of　convent…like　imprisonment。　He　had　passed　from　the　cold　discipline　of　the　family　circle；　which　had　nevertheless　been　tempered　by　an　atmosphere　of　kindliness；　to　the　hard　and　impersonal　discipline　of　the　college　school。　The　warm…hearted　and　melancholy　child　must　needs　undergo　this　second　severe　test；　and　he　was　destined　to　come　out　from　it　in　a　state　of　self…intoxication；　a　bewilderment　of　dreams　and　ideas。

The　college　buildings；　surrounded　by　walls；　contained　everything　that　would　seem　calculated　to　render　existence　laborious　and　gloomy　for　the　students。　The　latter　were　divided　into　four　sections；　the　Minions；　the　Smalls；　the　Mediums；　and　the　Greats；　to　which　they　were　assigned　according　to　the　grade　of　their　studies。　For　diversion；　they　had　a　narrow　garden　which　they　could　cultivate　and　a　cabin；　they　had　permission　to　raise　pigeons　and　to　eat　them；　in　addition　to　the　ordinary　fare。　The　classrooms　were　dirty；　being　either　muddy　or　covered　with　dust；　according　to　the　season；　and　evil…smelling　as　a　result　of　crowding　together　within　narrow　spaces　too　many　young　folks　who　were　none　too　clean　and　to　whom　the　laws　of　hygiene　were　unknown。　The　masters　were　either　overbearing　or　neglectful；　incapable　of　distinguishing　the　individual　from　the　crowd　and　concerned　only　with　seeing　that　the　rules　were　obeyed　and　discipline　maintained。　The　pupils　themselves　were　often　cruel　to　each　other。

It　was　here　that　Honore　de　Balzac　formed　his