the duchesse de langeais-第8节

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wealth　left　them　as　a　class　to　keep　up　their　bitter　pride。　　They　were　content　with　their　past。　　Not　one　of　them　seriously　thought　of　bidding　the　son　of　the　house　take　up　arms　from　the　pile　of　weapons　which　the　nineteenth　century　flings　down　in　the　market…place。　　Young　men；　shut　out　from　office；　were　dancing　at　Madame's　balls；　while　they　should　have　been　doing　the　work　done　under　the　Republic　and　the　Empire　by　young；　conscientious；　harmlessly　employed　energies。　　It　was　their　place　to　carry　out　at　Paris　the　programme　which　their　seniors　should　have　been　following　in　the　country。　　The　heads　of　houses　might　have　won　back　recognition　of　their　titles　by　unremitting　attention　to　local　interests；　by　falling　in　with　the　spirit　of　the　age；　by　recasting　their　order　to　suit　the　taste　of　the　times。

But；　pent　up　together　in　the　Faubourg　Saint…Germain；　where　the　spirit　of　the　ancient　court　and　traditions　of　bygone　feuds　between　the　nobles　and　the　Crown　still　lingered　on；　the　aristocracy　was　not　whole…hearted　in　its　allegiance　to　the　Tuileries；　and　so　much　the　more　easily　defeated　because　it　was　concentrated　in　the　Chamber　of　Peers；　and　badly　organised　even　there。　　If　the　noblesse　had　woven　themselves　into　a　network　over　the　country；　they　could　have　held　their　own；　but　cooped　up　in　their　Faubourg；　with　their　backs　against　the　Chateau；　or　spread　at　full　length　over　the　Budget；　a　single　blow　cut　the　thread　of　a　fast…expiring　life；　and　a　petty；　smug…faced　lawyer　came　forward　with　the　axe。　　In　spite　of　M。　Royer…Collard's　admirable　discourse；　the　hereditary　peerage　and　law　of　entail　fell　before　the　lampoons　of　a　man　who　made　it　a　boast　that　he　had　adroitly　argued　some　few　heads　out　of　the　executioner's　clutches；　and　now　forsooth　must　clumsily　proceed　to　the　slaying　of　old　institutions。

There　are　examples　and　lessons　for　the　future　in　all　this。　　For　if　there　were　not　still　a　future　before　the　French　aristocracy；　there　would　be　no　need　to　do　more　than　find　a　suitable　sarcophagus；　it　were　something　pitilessly　cruel　to　burn　the　dead　body　of　it　with　fire　of　Tophet。

But　though　the　surgeon's　scalpel　is　ruthless；　it　sometimes　gives　back　life　to　a　dying　man；　and　the　Faubourg　Saint…Germain　may　wax　more　powerful　under　persecution　than　in　its　day　of　triumph；　if　it　but　chooses　to　organise　itself　under　a　leader。

And　now　it　is　easy　to　give　a　summary　of　this　semi…political　survey。　　The　wish　to　re…establish　a　large　fortune　was　uppermost　in　everyone's　mind；　a　lack　of　broad　views；　and　a　mass　of　small　defects；　a　real　need　of　religion　as　a　political　factor；　combined　with　a　thirst　for　pleasure　which　damaged　the　cause　of　religion　and　necessitated　a　good　deal　of　hypocrisy；　a　certain　attitude　of　protest　on　the　part　of　loftier　and　clearer…sighted　men　who　set　their　faces　against　Court　jealousies；　and　the　disaffection　of　the　provincial　families；　who　often　came　of　purer　descent　than　the　nobles　of　the　Court　which　alienated　them　from　itselfall　these　things　combined　to　bring　about　a　most　discordant　state　of　things　in　the　Faubourg　Saint…Germain。　　It　was　neither　compact　in　its　organisation；　nor　consequent　in　its　action；　neither　completely　moral；　nor　frankly　dissolute；　it　did　not　corrupt；　nor　was　it　corrupted；　it　would　neither　wholly　abandon　the　disputed　points　which　damaged　its　cause；　nor　yet　adopt　the　policy　that　might　have　saved　it。　　In　short；　however　effete　individuals　might　be；　the　party　as　a　whole　was　none　the　less　armed　with　all　the　great　principles　which　lie　at　the　roots　of　national　existence。　　What　was　there　in　the　Faubourg　that　it　should　perish　in　its　strength？　

It　was　very　hard　to　please　in　the　choice　of　candidates；　the　Faubourg　had　good　taste；　it　was　scornfully　fastidious；　yet　there　was　nothing　very　glorious　nor　chivalrous　truly　about　its　fall。

In　the　Emigration　of　1789　there　were　some　traces　of　a　loftier

feeling；　but　in　the　Emigration　of　1830　from　Paris　into　the　country　there　was　nothing　discernible　but　self…interest。　　A　few　famous　men　of　letters；　a　few　oratorical　triumphs　in　the　Chambers；　M。　de　Talleyrand's　attitude　in　the　Congress；　the　taking　of　Algiers；　and　not　a　few　names　that　found　their　way　from　the　battlefield　into　the　pages　of　historyall　these　things　were　so　many　examples　set　before　the　French　noblesse　to　show　that　it　was　still　open　to　them　to　take　their　part　in　the　national　existence；　and　to　win　recognition　of　their　claims；　if；　indeed；　they　could　condescend　thus　far。　　In　every　living　organism　the　work　of　bringing　the　whole　into　harmony　within　itself　is　always　going　on。

If　a　man　is　indolent；　the　indolence　shows　itself　in　everything　that　he　does；　and；　in　the　same　manner；　the　general　spirit　of　a　class　is　pretty　plainly　manifested　in　the　face　it　turns　on　the　world；　and　the　soul　informs　the　body。

The　women　of　the　Restoration　displayed　neither　the　proud　disregard　of　public　opinion　shown　by　the　court　ladies　of　olden　time　in　their　wantonness；　nor　yet　the　simple　grandeur　of　the　tardy　virtues　by　which　they　expiated　their　sins　and　shed　so　bright　a　glory　about　their　names。　　There　was　nothing　either　very　frivolous　or　very　serious　about　the　woman　of　the　Restoration。　　She　was　hypocritical　as　a　rule　in　her　passion；　and　compounded；　so　to　speak；　with　its　pleasures。　　Some　few　families　led　the　domestic　life　of　the　Duchesse　d'Orleans；　whose　connubial　couch　was　exhibited　so　absurdly　to　visitors　at　the　Palais　Royal。　　Two　or　three　kept　up　the　traditions　of　the　Regency；　filling　cleverer　women　with　something　like　disgust。　　The　great　lady　of　the　new　school　exercised　no　influence　at　all　over　the　manners　of　the　time；　and　yet　she　might　have　done　much。　　She　might；　at　worst；　have　presented　as　dignified　a　spectacle　as　English…women　of　the　same　rank。　　But　she　hesitated　feebly　among　old　precedents；　became　a　bigot　by　force　of　circumstances；　and　allowed　nothing　of　herself　to　appear；　not　even　her　better　qualities。

Not　one　among　the　Frenchwomen　of　that　day　had　the　ability　to　create　a　salon　whither　leaders　of　fashion　might　come　to　take　lessons　in　taste　and　elegance。　　Their　voices；　which　once　laid　down　the　law　to　literature；　that　living　expression　of　a　time；　now　counted　absolutely　for　nought。　　Now　when　a　literature　lacks　a　general　system；　it　fails　to　shape　a　body　for　itself；　and　dies　out　with　its　period。

When　in　a　nation　at　any　time　there　is　a　people　apart　thus　constituted；　the　historian　is　pretty　certain　to　find　some　representative　figure；　some　central　personage　who　embodies　the　qualities　and　the　defects　of　the　whole　party　to　which　he　belongs；　there　is　Coligny；　for　instance；　among　the　Huguenots；　the　Coadjuteur　in　the　time　of　the　Fronde；　the　Marechal　de　Richelieu　under　Louis　XV；　Danton　during　the　Terror。　　It　is　in　the　nature　of　things　that　the　man　should　be　identified　with　the　company　in　which　history　finds　him。　　How　is　it　possible　to　lead　a　party　without　conforming　to　its　ideas？　or　to　shine　in　any　epoch　unless　a　man　represents　the　ideas　of　his　time？　　The　wise　and　prudent　head　of　a　party　is　continually　obliged　to　bow　to　the　prejudices　and　follies　of　its　rear；　and　this　is　the　cause　of　actions　for　which　he　is　afterwards　criticised　by　this　or　that　historian　sitting　at　a　safer　distance　from　terrific　popular　explosions；　coolly　judging　the　passion　and　ferment　without　which　the　great　struggles　of　the　world　could　not　be　carried　on　at　all。　　And　if　this　is　true　of　the　Historical　Comedy　of　the　Centuries；　it　is　equally　true　in　a　more　restricted　sphere　in　the　detached　scenes　of　the　national　drama　known　as　the　Manners　of　the　Age。


At　the　beginning　of　that　ephemeral　life　led　by　the　Faubourg　Saint…Germain　under　the　Restoration；　to　which；　if　there　is　any　truth　in　the　above　reflections；　they　failed　to　give　stability；　the　most　perfect　type　of　the　aristocratic　caste　in　its　weakness　and　strength；　its　greatness　and　littleness；　might　have　been　found　for　a　brief　space　in　a　young　married　woman　who　belonged　to　it。　　This　was　a　woman　artificially　educated；　but　in　reality　ignorant；　a　woman　whose　instincts　and　feelings　were　lofty　while　the　thought　which　should　have　controlled　them　was　wanting。　　She　squandered　the　wealth　of　her　nature　in　obedience　to　social　conventions；　she　was　ready　to　brave　society；　yet　she　hesitated　till　her　scruples　degenerated　into　artifice。　　With　more　wilfulness　than　real　force　of　character；　impressionable　rather　than　enthusiastic；　gifted　with　more　brain　than　heart；　she　was　supremely　a　woman；　supremely　a　coquette；　and　above　all　things　a　Parisienne；　loving　a　brilliant　life　and　gaiety；　reflecting　never；　or　too　late；　imprudent　to　the　verge　of　poetry；　and　humble　in　the　depths　of　her　heart；　in　spite　of　her　charming　insolence。　　Like　some　straight…growing　reed；　she　made　a　show　of　independence；　yet；　like　the　reed；　she　was　ready　to　bend　to　a　strong　hand。　　She　talked　much　of　religion；　and　had　it　not　at　heart；　though　she　was　prepared　to　find　in　it　a　solution　of　her　life。　　How　explain　a　creature　so　complex？　　Capable　of　heroism；　yet　sinking　unconsciously　from　heroic　heights　to　utter　a　spiteful　word；　young　and　sweet…natured；　not　so　much　old　at　heart　as　aged　by　the　maxims　of　those　about　her；　versed　in　a　selfish　philosophy　in　which　she　was　all　unpractised；　she　had　all　the　vices　of　a　courtier；　all　the　nobleness　of　developing　womanhood。　　She　trusted　nothing　and　no　one；　yet　there　were　times　when　she　qu