history of friedrich ii of prussia v 16-第7节

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＇　is　to　do　the　Count　de　Boursoufle　（DE　BLISTER　or　DE　WINDBAG）；　you　will　not　say　this　is　a　hit；　any　more　than　Madame　du　Chatelet's　doing　the　Hon。　Miss　Piggery　（LA　COCHONNIERE）；　who　ought　to　be　fat　and　short。〃　＇L'ECHANGE；　The　Exchange；　or　WHEN　SHALL　I　GET　NARRIED？　Farce　in　three　acts：　　OEuvres；　x。　167…222；　used　to　be　played　at　Cirey　and　elsewhere　（see　plenty　of　details　upon　it；　exact　or　not　quite　so；　IB。　7…9）。＇Little　De　Staal　then　abruptly　breaks　off；　to　ask　about　her　Correspondent's　health；　and　her　Correspondent's　friend　old　President　Henault's　health；　touches　on　those　〃grumblings　and　discords　in　the　Army　（TRACASSERIES　DE　L'ARMEE）；〃　which　are　making　such　astir；　how　M。　d'Argenson；　our　fine　War…Minister；　man　of　talent　amid　blockheads；　will　manage　them；　and　suddenly　exclaims：　〃O　my　queen；　what　curious　animals　men　and　women　are！　I　laugh　at　their　manoeuvres；　the　days　when　I　have　slept　well；　if　I　have　missed　sleep；　I　could　kill　them。　These　changes　of　temper　prove　that　I　do　not　break　off　kind。　Let　us　mock　other　people；　and　let　other　people　mock　us；　it　is　well　done　on　both　sides。＇Poor　little　De　Staal：　to　what　a　posture　have　things　come　with　you；　in　that　fast…rotting　Epoch；　of　Hypocrisies　becoming　all　insolvent！＇

〃WEDNESDAY；　16th。　Our　Ghosts　do　not　show　themselves　by　daylight。　They　appeared　yesterday　at　ten　in　the　evening；　I　do　not　think　we　shall　see　them　sooner　to…day：　the　one　is　engaged　in　writing　high　feats　＇SIECLE　DE　LOUIS　XV。；　or　what　at　last　became　such＇；　the　other　in　commenting　Newton。　They　will　neither　play　nor　walk：　they　are；　in　fact；　equivalent　to　ZEROS　in　a　society　where　their　learned　writings　are　of　no　significance。＇Pauses；　without　notice　given：　for　some　hours；　perhaps　days；　then　resuming：＇　Nay；　worse　still：　their　apparition　to…night　has　produced　a　vehement　declamation　on　one　of　our　little　social　diversions　here；　the　game　of　CAVAGNOLE：　＇〃Kind　of　BIRIBI；〃　it　would　appear；　in　the　height　of　fashion　then。＇　it　was　continued　and　maintained；〃　on　the　part　of　Madame　du　Chatelet；　you　guess；　〃in　a　tone　which　is　altogether　unheard　of　in　this　place；　and　was　endured；〃　on　the　part　of　Serene　Highness；　〃with　a　moderation　not　less　surprising。　But　what　is　unendurable　is　my　babble〃　And　herewith　our　nimble　little　woman　hops　off　again　into　the　general　field　of　things；　and　gossips　largely；　How　are　you；　my　queen；　Whither　are　you　going；　Whither　we；　That　the　Maillebois　people　are　away；　and　also　the　Villeneuves；　if　anybody　knew　them　now；　then　how　the　Estillacs；　to　the　number　of　four；　are　coming　to…morrow；　and　Cousin　Soquence；　for　all　his　hunting；　can　catch　nothing；　and　it　is　a　continual　coming　and　going；　and　how　Boursoufle　is　to　be　played；　and　a　Dame　Dufour　is　just　come；　who　will　do　a　character。　Rubrics；　vanished　Shadows；　nearly　all　those　high　Dames　and　Gentlemen；　LA　PAUVRE　Saint…Pierre；　〃eaten　with　gout；〃　who　is　she？　〃Still　drags　herself　about；　as　well　as　she　can；　but　not　with　me；　for　I　never　go　by　land；　and　she　seems　to　have　the　hydrophobia；　when　I　take　to　the　water。　＇Thread　of　date　is　gone！　I　almost　think　we　must　have　got　to　Saturday　by　this　time：or　perhaps　it　is　only　Thursday；　and　Maillebois　off　prematurely；　to　be　out　of　the　way　of　the　Farce？　Little　De　Staal　takes　no　notice；　but　continues　gossiping　rapidly：＇

〃Yesterday　Madame　du　Chatelet　got　into　her　third　lodging：　she　could　not　any　longer　endure　the　one　she　had　chosen。　There　was　noise　in　it；　smoke　without　fire：privately　meseems；　a　little　the　emblem　of　herself！　As　to　noise；　it　was　not　by　night　that　it　incommoded　her；　she　told　me；　but　by　day；　when　she　was　in　the　thick　of　her　work：　it　deranges　her　ideas。　She　is　busy　reviewing　her　PRINCIPLES〃　NEWTON'S　PRINCIPIA；　no　doubt；　but　De　Staal　will　understand　it　only　as　PRINCIPES；　Principles　in　general：〃it　is　an　exercise　she　repeats　every　year；　without　which　the　Principles　might　get　away；　and　perhaps　go　so　far　she　would　never　find　them　again　＇You　satirical　little　gypsy！＇。　Her　head；　like　enough；　is　a　kind　of　lock…up　for　them；　rather　than　a　birthplace；　or　natural　home：　and　that　is　a　case　for　watching　carefully　lest　they　get　away。　She　prefers　the　high　air　of　this　occupation　to　every　kind　of　amusement；　and　persists　in　not　showing　herself　till　after　dark。　Voltaire　has　produced　some　gallant　verses　＇unknown　to　Editors＇　which　help　off　a　little　the　bad　effect　of　such　unusual　behavior。

〃SUNDAY；　27th。　I　told　you　on　Thursday　＇no；　you　did　n't；　you　only　meant　to　tell＇　that　our　Spectres　were　going　on　the　morrow；　and　that　the　Piece　was　to　be　played　that　evening：　all　this　has　been　done。　I　cannot　give　you　much　of　Boursoufle　＇done　by　one　Vanture＇。　Mademoiselle　Piggery　＇DE　LA　COCHONNIERE；　Madame　du　Chatelet　herself＇　executed　so　perfectly　the　extravagance　of　her　part；　that　I　own　it　gave　me　real　pleasure。　But　Vanture　only　put　his　own　fatuity　into　the　character　of　Boursoufle；　which　wanted　more：　he　played　naturally　in　a　Piece　where　all　requires　to　be　forced；　like　the　subject　of　it。〃What　a　pity　none　of　us　has　read　this　fine　Farce！　〃One　Paris　did　the　part　of　MUSCADIN　（Little　Coxcomb）；　which　name　represents　his　character：　in　short；　it　can　be　said　the　Farce　was　well　given。　The　Author　ennobled　it　by　a　Prologue　for　the　Occasion；　which　he　acted　very　well；　along　with　Madame　Dufour　as　BARBE　（Governess　Barbara）；who；　but　for　this　brilliant　action；　could　not　have　put　up　with　merely　being　Governess　to　Piggery。　And；　in　fact；　she　disdained　the　simplicity　of　dress　which　her　part　required；as　did　the　chief　actress；〃　Du　Chatelet　herself　（age　now　forty…one）；　〃who；　in　playing　PIGGERY；　preferred　the　interests　of　her　own　face　to　those　of　the　Piece；　and　made　her　entry　in　all　the　splendor　and　elegant　equipments　of　a　Court　Lady；〃her　〃PRINCIPLES；〃　though　the　key　is　turned　upon　them；　not　unlike　jumping　out　of　window；　one　would　say！　〃She　had　a　crow　to　pluck　＇MAILLE　A　PARTIR；　〃clasp　to　open；〃　which　is　better＇　with　Voltaire　on　this　point：　but　she　is　sovereign；　and　he　is　slave。　I　am　very　sorry　at　their　going；　though　I　was　worn　out　with　doing　her　multifarious　errands　all　the　time　she　was　here。

〃WEDNESDAY；　30th。　M。　le　President　＇Henault＇　has　been　asked　hither；　and　he　is　to　bring　you；　my　Queen！　Tried　all　I　could　to　hinder；　but　they　would　not　be　put　off。　If　your　health　and　disposition　do　suit；　it　will　be　charming。　In　any　case；　I　have　got　you　a　good　apartment：　it　is　the　one　that　Madame　du　Chatelet　had　seized　upon；　after　an　exact　review　of　all　the　Mansion。　There　will　be　a　little　less　furniture　than　she　had　put　in　it；　Madame　had　pillaged　all　her　previous　apartments　to　equip　this　one。　We　found　about　seven　tables　in　it；　for　one　item：　she　needs　them　of　all　sizes；　immense；　to　spread　out　her　papers　upon；　solid；　to　support　her　NECESSAIRE；　slighter；　for　her　nicknacks　（POMPONS）；　for　her　jewels。　And　this　fine　arrangement　did　not　save　her　from　an　accident　like　that　of　Philip　II。；　when；　after　spending　all　the　night　in　writing；　he　got　his　despatches　drowned　by　the　oversetting　of　an　ink…bottle。　The　Lady　did　not　pretend　to　imitate　the　moderation　of　that　Prince；　at　any　rate；　he　was　only　writing　on　affairs　of　state；　and　the　thing　they　blotted；　on　this　occasion；　was　Algebra；　much　more　difficult　to　clean　up　again。

〃This　subject　ought　to　be　exhausted：　one　word　more；　and　then　it　does　end。　The　day　after　their　departure；　I　receive　a　Letter　of　four　pages；　and　a　Note　enclosed；　which　announces　dreadful　burly…burly：　M。　de　Voltaire　has　mislaid　his　Farce；　forgotten　to　get　back　the　parts；　and　lost　his　Prologue：　I　am　to　find　all　that　again　＇excessively　tremulous　about　his　Manuscripts；　M。　de　Voltaire；　of　such　value　are　they；　of　such　danger　to　him；　there　is　LA　PUCELLE；　for　example；enough　to　hang　a　man；　were　it　surreptitiously　launched　forth　in　print！＇I　am　to　send　him　the　Prologue　instantly；　not　by　post；　because　they　would　copy　it；　to　keep　the　parts　for　fear　of　the　same　accident；　and　to　lock　up　the　Piece　'under　a　hundred　keys。'　I　should　have　thought　one　padlock　sufficient　for　this　treasure！　I　have　duly　executed　his　orders。〃　＇　Madame　de　Graffigny　（Paris；　1820）；　pp。　283…291。＇

And　herewith　EXPLICIT　DE　STAAL。　Scene　closes：　EXEUNT　OMNES；　are　off　to　Paris　or　Versailles　again；　to　Luneville　and　the　Court　of　Stanislaus　again；where　also　adventures　await　them；　which　will　be　heard　of！

〃Figure　to　yourself；〃　says　some　other　Eye…witness；　〃a　lean　Lady；　with　big　arms　and　long　legs；　small　head；　and　countenance　losing　itself　in　a　cloudery　of　head…dress；　cocked　nose　＇RETROUSSE；　say　you？　Very　slightly；　then；　quite　an　unobjectionable　nose！＇　and　pair　of　small　greenish　eyes；　complexion　tawny；　and　mouth　too　big：　this　was　the　divine　Emilie；　whom　Voltaire　celebrates　to　the　stars。　Loaded　to　extravagance　with　ribbons；　laces；　face…patches；　jewels　and　female　ornaments；　determined　to　be　sumptuous　in　spite　of　Economics；　and　pretty　in　spite　of　Nature：〃　Pooh；　it　is　an　enemy's　hand　that　paints！　〃And　then　by　her　side；〃　continues　he；　〃the　thin　long　figure　of　Voltaire；　that　Anatomy　of　an　Apollo；　affecting　worship　of　her；〃　＇From　Rodenbeck　（quoting　somebody；　whom　I　have　surely　seen　in　French；　whom　Rodenbeck　tries　to　name；　as　he　could　have　done；　but　curiously　without　success）；　i。　179。＇yes；　that　thin　long　Gentleman；　with　high　red…heeled　shoes；　and　the　daintiest　polite　attitudes　and　paces；　in　superfine　coat；　laced　hat　under　arm；　nose　and　under…lip　ever　more　like　coalescin