the origins of contemporary france-1-第75部分

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heavy　skirt　composed　of　hair　and　a　girdle　of　iron；　supporting　a　head…

dress　two　feet　in　height；　so　many　veritable　dolls　to　which　rouge　is

applied；　and　with　which　a　mother　amuses　herself　each　morning　for　an

hour　and　then　consigns　them　to　her　maids　for　the　rest　of　the　day＇40＇。

This　mother　reads　〃Emile。〃　It　is　not　surprising　that　she　immediately

strips　the　poor　little　thing；　and　determines　to　nurse　her　next　child

herself。　　　…　　It　is　through　these　contrasts　that　Rousseau　is　strong。

He　revealed　the　dawn　to　people　who　never　got　up　until　noon；　the

landscape　to　eyes　that　had　thus　far　rested　only　on　palaces　and

drawing…rooms；　a　natural　garden　to　men　who　had　never　promenaded

outside　of　clipped　shrubs　and　rectilinear　borders；　the　country；　the

family；　the　people；　simple　and　endearing　pleasures；　to　townsmen　made

weary　by　social　avidity；　by　the　excesses　and　complications　of　luxury；

by　the　uniform　comedy　which；　in　the　glare　of　hundreds　of　lighted

candles；　they　played　night　after　night　in　their　own　and　in　the　homes

of　others＇41＇。　　An　audience　thus　disposed　makes　no　clear　distinction

between　pomp　and　sincerity；　between　sentiment　and　sentimentality。

They　follow　their　author　as　one　who　makes　a　revelation；　as　a　prophet；

even　to　the　end　of　his　ideal　world；　much　more　through　his

exaggerations　than　through　his　discoveries；　as　far　on　the　road　to

error　as　on　the　pathway　of　truth。



These　are　the　great　literary　powers　of　the　century。　　With　inferior

successes；　and　through　various　combinations；　the　elements　which

contributed　to　the　formation　of　the　leading　talents　also　form　the

secondary　talents；　like　those　below　Rousseau；　　…　　Bernardin　de　St。

Pierre；　Raynal；　Thomas；　Marmontel；　Mably；　Florian；　Dupaty；　Mercier；

Madame　de　Sta？l；　and　below　Voltaire；　　…　　the　lively　and　piquant

intellects　of　Duclos；　Piron；　Galiani；　President　Des　Brosses；　Rivarol；

Champfort；　and　to　speak　with　precision；　all　other　talents。　　Whenever　a

vein　of　talent；　however　meager；　peers　forth　above　the　ground　it　is　for

the　propagation　and　carrying　forward　of　the　new　doctrine；　scarcely　can

we　find　two　or　three　little　streams　that　run　in　a　contrary　direction；

like　the　journal　of　Freron；　a　comedy　by　Palissot；　or　a　satire　by

Gilbert。　　Philosophy　winds　through　and　overflows　all　channels　public

and　private；　through　manuals　of　impiety；　like　the　〃Théologies

portatives；〃　and　in　the　lascivious　novels　circulated　secretly；　through

epigrams　and　songs；　through　daily　novelties；　through　the　amusements　of

fairs；＇42＇　and　the　harangues　of　the　Academy；　through　tragedy　and　the

opera；　from　the　beginning　to　the　end　of　the　century；　from　the　〃OEdipe〃

of　Voltaire；　to　the　〃Tarare〃　of　Beaumarchais。　　It　seems　as　if　there

was　nothing　else　in　the　world。　　At　least　it　is　found　everywhere　and　it

floods　all　literary　efforts；　nobody　cares　whether　it　deforms　them；

content　in　making　them　serve　as　a　conduit。　　In　1763；　in　the　tragedy　of

Manco…Capac＇43＇　the　〃principal　part；〃　writes　a　contemporary；　〃is　that

of　a　savage　who　utters　in　verse　all　that　we　have　read；　scattered

through　'　Emile'　and　the　'Contrat　Social；'　concerning　kings；　liberty；

the　rights　of　man　and　the　inequality　of　conditions。〃　This　virtuous

savage　saves　a　king's　son　over　whom　a　high…priest　raises　a　poniard；

and　then；　designating　the　high…priest　and　himself　by　turns；　he　cries；



〃Behold　the　civilized　man；　here　is　the　savage　man！〃



At　this　line　the　applause　breaks　forth；　and　the　success　of　the

piece　is　such　that　it　is　demanded　at　Versailles　and　played　before　the

court。



The　same　ideas　have　to　be　expressed　with　skill；　brilliancy；　gaiety；

energy　and　scandal；　and　this　is　accomplished　in　〃The　Marriage　of

Figaro。〃　Never　were　the　ideals　of　the　age　displayed　under　a　more

transparent　disguise；　nor　in　an　attire　that　rendered　them　more

attractive。　　Its　title　is　the　〃　Folle　journee；〃　and　indeed　it　is　an

evening　of　folly；　an　after…supper　like　those　occurring　in　the

fashionable　world；　a　masquerade　of　Frenchmen　in　Spanish　costumes；　with

a　parade　of　dresses；　changing　scenes；　couplets；　a　ballet；　a　singing

and　dancing　village；　a　medley　of　odd　characters；　gentlemen；　servants；

duennas；　judges；　notaries；　lawyers；　music…masters；　gardeners；

pastoureaux；　in　short；　a　spectacle　for　the　eyes　and　the　ears；　for　all

the　senses；　the　very　opposite　of　the　prevailing　drama　in　which　three

pasteboard　characters；　seated　on　classic　chairs；　exchange　didactic

arguments　in　an　abstract　saloon。　　And　still　better；　it　is　an　imbroglio

displaying　a　superabundance　of　action；　amidst　intrigues　that　cross；

interrupt　and　renew　each　other；　through　a　pêle…mêle　of　travesties；

exposures；　surprises；　mistakes；　leaps　from　windows；　quarrels　and

slaps；　and　all　in　sparkling　style；　each　phrase　flashing　on　all　sides；

where　responses　seem　to　be　cut　out　by　a　lapidary；　where　the　eyes　would

forget　themselves　in　contemplating　the　multiplied　brilliants　of　the

dialogue　if　the　mind　were　not　carried　along　by　its　rapidity　and　the

excitement　of　the　action。　　But　here　is　another　charm；　the　most　welcome

of　all　in　a　society　passionately　fond　of　Parny；　according　to　an

expression　of　the　Comte　d'Artois；　which　I　dare　not　quote；　this　appeals

to　the　senses；　the　arousing　of　which　constitutes　the　spiciness　and

savor　of　the　piece。　　The　fruit　that　hangs　ripening　and　savory　on　the

branch　never　falls　but　always　seems　on　the　point　of　falling；　all　hands

are　extended　to　catch　it；　its　voluptuousness　somewhat　veiled　but　so

much　the　more　provoking；　declaring　itself　from　scene　to　scene；　in　the

Count's　gallantry；　in　the　Countess's　agitation；　in　the　simplicity　of

Fanchette；　in　the　jestings　of　Figaro；　in　the　liberties　of　Susanne；　and

reaching　its　climax　in　the　precocity　of　Cherubino。　　Add　to　this　a

continual　double　sense；　the　author　hidden　behind　his　characters；　truth

put　into　the　mouth　of　a　clown；　malice　enveloped　in　simple　utterances；

the　master　duped　but　saved　from　being　ridiculous　by　his　deportment；

the　valet　rebellious　but　preserved　from　acrimony　by　his　gaiety；　and

you　can　comprehend　how　Beaumarchais　could　have　the　ancient　regime

played　before　its　head；　put　political　and　social　satire　on　the　stage；

publicly　attach　an　expression　to　each　wrong　so　as　to　become　a　by…word；

and　ever　making　a　loud　report；＇44＇　gather　up　into　a　few　traits　the

entire　polemics　of　the　philosophers　against　the　prisons　of　the　State；

against　the　censorship　of　literature；　against　the　venality　of　office；

against　the　privileges　of　birth；　against　the　arbitrary　power　of

ministers；　against　the　incapacity　of　people　in　office；　and　still

better；　to　sum　up　in　one　character　every　public　demand；　give　the

leading　part　to　a　commoner；　bastard；　bohemian　and　valet；　who；　by　dint

of　dexterity；　courage　and　good…humor；　keeps　himself　up；　swims　with　the

tide；　and　shoots　ahead　in　his　little　skiff；　avoiding　contact　with

larger　craft　and　even　supplanting　his　master；　accompanying　each　pull

on　the　oar　with　a　shower　of　wit　cast　broadside　at　all　his　rivals。



After　all；　in　France　at　least；　the　chief　power　is　intellect。

Literature　in　the　service　of　philosophy　is　all…sufficient。　　The　public

opposes　but　a　feeble　resistance　to　their　complicity；　the　mistress

finding　no　trouble　in　convincing　those　who　have　already　been　won　over

by　the　servant



___________________________________________________________



Notes：



＇1＇　How　right　Taine　was。　　The　20th　century　should　see　a　rebirth　of

violent　Jacobinism　in　Russia；　China；　Cambodia；　Korea；　Cuba；　Germany；

Italy；　Yugoslavia　and　Albania　and　of　soft　and　creeping　Jacobinism　in

the　entire　Western　world。　　（SR。）



＇2＇。　　〃Who；　born　within　the　last　forty　years；　ever　read　a　word　of

Collins；　and　Toland；　and　Tindal；　or　of　that　whole　race　who　called

themselves　freethinkers？〃　（Burke；　〃Reflexions　on　the　French

Revolutions；〃　1790）。



＇3＇。　　The　〃Oedipe；〃　by　Voltaire；　belongs　to　the　year　1718；　and　his

〃Lettres　sur　les　Anglais；〃　to　the　year　1728。　　The　〃Lettres　Persanes；〃

by　Montesquieu；　published　in　1721；　contain　the　germs　of　all　the

leading　ideas　of　the　century。



＇4＇。　　〃Raison〃　（cult　of）。　　Cult　proposed　by　the　Hébertists　and

aimed　at　replacing　Christianity　under　the　French　Revolution。　　The　Cult

of　Reason　was　celebrated　in　the　church　of　Notre　Dame　de　Paris　on　the

10th　of　November　1793。　　The　cult　disappeared　with　the　Hébertists

（March　1794）　and　Robespierre　replaced　it　with　the　cult　of　the　Superior

Being。　　（SR。）



＇5＇。　　Joseph　de　Maistre；　Oeuvres　inédites；〃　pp。　　8；　11。



＇6＇。　　Diderot's　letters　on　the　Blind　and　on　the　Deaf　and　Dumb　are

addressed　in　whole　or　in　part　to　women。



＇7＇。　　〃Correspondence　of　Gouverneur　Morris；〃　（in　English）；　II；　89。

（Letter　of　January　24；　1790）



＇8＇。　　John　Andrews　in　〃A　comparative　view；〃　etc。　　（1785）。　　…　Arthur

Young；　I。　　123。　　〃I　should　pity　the　man　who　expected；　without　other

advantages　of　a　very　different　nature；　to　be　well　received　in　a

brilliant　circle　in　London；　because　he　was　a　fellow　of　the　Royal

Society。　　But　this　would　not　be　the　case　with　a　member　of　the　Academy

of　Sciences　at　Paris；　he　is　sure　of　a　good　reception　everywhere。〃



＇9＇。　　〃I　met　in　Paris　the　d'Alemberts；　the　Marmontels；　the　Baillys

at　the　houses　of　duchesses；　which　was　an　immense　advantage　to　all

concerned。　　。　　。　　。　　When　a　man　with　us　devotes　himself　to　writing

books　he　is　considered　as　renouncing　the　society　equally　of　those　who

govern　as　of　those　who　laugh。　　。　　。　　Taking　literary　vanity　into

account　the　lives　of　your　d'Alemberts　and　Baillys　are　as　pleasant　as

those　of　your　seigniors。〃　（Stendhal；　〃Rome；　Naples　et　Florence；〃　377；

in　a　narrative　by　Col。　　Forsyth）。



＇10＇。　　〃Entretien　d'un　philosophe　avec　la　Maréchale　…。〃



＇11＇。　　The　television　audience　today　cannot　threaten　never　again　to

invite　the　boring　〃philosopher〃　to　dinner；　but　will　zap　away；　a　move

that　the　system　accurately　senses。　　The　rules　that　Taine　describes

are；　alas；　therefore　once　more　valid。　　（SR。）



＇12＇。　　The　same　process　is　observable　in　our　day　in　the　〃S