sons of the soil-第47章

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　　For　the　disc　has　come　down　on　his　maladroit　wrist；

　　But　little　he　cares　for　the　sting　of　the　ball；

　　A　smile　from　his　mistress　consoles　for　it　all。



It　was　this　delineation；　worthy　of　Virgil；　which　first　raised　a　doubt

as　to　Delille's　superiority　over　Gourdon。　The　word　〃disc；〃　contested

by　the　opinionated　Brunet；　gave　matter　for　discussions　which　lasted

eleven　months；　in　fact；　until　Gourdon　the　scientist；　one　evening　when

all　present　were　on　the　point　of　getting　seriously　angry；　annihilated

the　anti…discers　by　observing：



〃The　moon；　called　a　DISC　by　poets；　is　undoubtedly　a　ball。〃



〃How　do　you　know　that？〃　retorted　Brunet。　〃We　have　never　seen　but　one

side。〃



The　third　canto　told　the　regulation　story；in　this　instance；　the

famous　anecdote　of　the　cup…and…ball　which　all　the　world　knows　by

heart；　concerning　a　celebrated　minister　of　Louis　XVI。　According　to　the

sacred　formula　delivered　by　the　〃Debats〃　from　1810　to　1814；　in　praise

of　these　glorious　words；　Gourdon's　ode　〃borrowed　fresh　charms　from

poesy　to　embellish　the　tale。〃



The　fourth　canto　summed　up　the　whole；　and　concluded　with　these　daring

words；not　published；　be　it　remarked；　from　1810　to　1814；　in　fact；

they　did　not　see　the　light　till　1824；　after　Napoleon's　death。



　　'Twas　thus　that　I　sang　in　the　time　of　alarms。

　　Oh；　if　kings　would　consent　to　bear　no　other　arms；

　　And　people　enjoyed　what　was　best　for　them　all；

　　The　sweet　little　game　of　the　Cup　and　the　Ball；

　　Our　Burgundy　then　might　be　free　of　all　fear；

　　And　return　to　the　good　days　of　Saturn　and　Rhea。



These　fine　verses　were　published　in　a　first　and　only　edition　from　the

press　of　Bournier；　printer　of　Ville…aux…Fayes。　One　hundred

subscribers；　in　the　sum　of　three　francs；　guaranteed　the　dangerous

precedent　of　immortality　to　the　poem；a　liberality　that　was　all　the

greater　because　these　hundred　persons　had　heard　the　poem　from

beginning　to　end　a　hundred　times　over。



Madame　Soudry　had　lately　suppressed　the　cup…and…ball；　which　usually

lay　on　a　pier…table　in　the　salon　and　for　the　last　seven　years　had

given　rise　to　endless　quotations；　for　she　finally　discovered　in　the

toy　a　rival　to　her　own　attractions。



As　to　the　author；　who　boasted　of　future　poems　in　his　desk；　it　is

enough　to　quote　the　terms　in　which　he　mentioned　to　the　leading　society

of　Soulanges　a　rival　candidate　for　literary　honors。



〃Have　you　heard　a　curious　piece　of　news？〃　he　had　said；　two　years

earlier。　〃There　is　another　poet　in　Burgundy！　Yes；〃　he　added；　remarking

the　astonishment　on　all　faces；　〃he　comes　from　Macon。　But　you　could

never　imagine　the　subjects　he　takes　up；a　perfect　jumble；　absolutely

unintelligible；lakes；　stars；　waves；　billows！　not　a　single

philosophical　image；　not　even　a　didactic　effort！　he　is　ignorant　of　the

very　meaning　of　poetry。　He　calls　the　sky　by　its　name。　He　says　'moon；'

bluntly；　instead　of　naming　it　'the　planet　of　night。'　That's　what　the

desire　to　be　thought　original　brings　men　to；〃　added　Gourdon；

mournfully。　〃Poor　young　man！　A　Burgundian；　and　sing　such　stuff　as

that！the　pity　of　it！　If　he　had　only　consulted　me；　I　would　have

pointed　out　to　him　the　noblest　of　all　themes；　wine；a　poem　to　be

called　the　Baccheide；　for　which；　alas！　I　now　feel　myself　too　old。〃



This　great　poet　is　still　ignorant　of　his　finest　triumph　（though　he

owes　it　to　the　fact　of　being　a　Burgundian）；　namely；　that　of　living　in

the　town　of　Soulanges；　so　rounded　and　perfected　within　itself　that　it

knows　nothing　of　the　modern　Pleiades；　not　even　their　names。



A　hundred　Gourdons　made　poetry　under　the　Empire；　and　yet　they　tell　us

it　was　a　period　that　neglected　literature！　Examine　the　〃Journal　de　la

Libraire〃　and　you　will　find　poems　on　the　game　of　draughts；　on

backgammon；　on　tricks　with　cards；　on　geography；　typography；　comedy；

etc。；not　to　mention　the　vaunted　masterpieces　of　Delille　on　Piety；

Imagination；　Conversation；　and　those　of　Berchoux　on　Gastromania　and

Dansomania；　etc。　Who　can　foresee　the　chances　and　changes　of　taste；　the

caprices　of　fashion；　the　transformations　of　the　human　mind？　The

generations　as　they　pass　along　sweep　out　of　sight　the　last　fragments

of　the　idols　they　found　on　their　path　and　set　up　other　gods；to　be

overthrown　like　the　rest。



Sarcus；　a　handsome　little　man　with　a　dapple…gray　head；　devoted　himself

in　turn　to　Themis　and　to　Flora；in　other　words；　to　legislation　and　a

greenhouse。　For　the　last　twelve　years　he　had　been　meditating　a　book　on

the　History　of　the　Institution　of　Justices　of　the　Peace；　〃whose

political　and　judiciary　role；〃　he　said；　〃had　already　passed　through

several　phases；　all　derived　from　the　Code　of　Brumaire；　year　IV。；　and

to…day　that　institution；　so　precious　to　the　nation；　had　lost　its　power

because　the　salaries　were　not　in　keeping　with　the　importance　of　its

functions；　which　ought　to　be　performed　by　irremovable　officials。〃

Rated　in　the　community　as　an　able　man；　Sarcus　was　the　accepted

statesman　of　Madame　Soudry's　salon；　you　can　readily　imagine　that　he

was　the　leading　bore。　They　said　he　talked　like　a　book。　Gaubertin

prophesied　he　would　receive　the　cross　of　the　Legion　of　honor；　but　not

until　the　day　when；　as　Leclercq's　successor；　he　should　take　his　seat

on　the　benches　of　the　Left　Centre。



Guerbet；　the　collector；　a　man　of　parts；　a　heavy；　fat；　individual　with

a　buttery　face；　a　toupet　on　his　bald　spot；　gold　earrings；　which　were

always　in　difficulty　with　his　shirt…collar；　had　the　hobby　of　pomology。

Proud　of　possessing　the　finest　fruit…garden　in　the　arrondissement；　he

gathered　his　first　crops　a　month　later　than　those　of　Paris；　his　hot…

beds　supplied　him　with　pine…apples；　nectarines；　and　peas；　out　of

season。　He　brought　bunches　of　strawberries　to　Madame　Soudry　with　pride

when　the　fruit　could　be　bought　for　ten　sous　a　basket　in　Paris。



Soulanges　possessed　a　pharmaceutist　named　Vermut；　a　chemist；　who　was

more　of　a　chemist　than　Sarcus　was　a　statesman；　or　Lupin　a　singer；　or

Gourdon　the　elder　a　scientist；　or　his　brother　a　poet。　Nevertheless；

the　leading　society　of　Soulanges　did　not　take　much　notice　of　Vermut；

and　the　second…class　society　took　none　at　all。　The　instinct　of　the

first　may　have　led　them　to　perceive　the　real　superiority　of　this

thinker；　who　said　little　but　smiled　at　their　absurdities　so

satirically　that　they　first　doubted　his　capacity　and　then　whispered

tales　against　it；　as　for　the　other　class　they　took　no　notice　of　him

one　way　or　the　other。



Vermut　was　the　butt　of　Madame　Soudry's　salon。　No　society　is　complete

without　a　victim；without　an　object　to　pity；　ridicule；　despise；　and

protect。　Vermut；　full　of　his　scientific　problems；　often　came　with　his

cravat　untied；　his　waistcoat　unbuttoned；　and　his　little　green　surtout

spotted。



The　little　man；　gifted　with　the　patience　of　a　chemist；　could　not　enjoy

（that　is　the　term　employed　in　the　provinces　to　express　the　abolition

of　domestic　rule）　Madame　Vermut；a　charming　woman；　a　lively　woman；

capital　company　（for　she　could　lose　forty　sous　at　cards　and　say

nothing）；　a　woman　who　railed　at　her　husband；　annoyed　him　with

epigrams；　and　declared　him　to　be　an　imbecile　unable　to　distil　anything

but　dulness。　Madame　Vermut　was　one　of　those　women　who　in　the　society

of　a　small　town　are　the　life　and　soul　of　amusement　and　who　set　things

going。　She　supplied　the　salt　of　her　little　world；　kitchen…salt；　it　is

true；　her　jokes　were　somewhat　broad；　but　society　forgave　them；　though

she　was　capable　of　saying　to　the　cure　Taupin；　a　man　of　seventy　years

of　age；　with　white　hair；　〃Hold　your　tongue；　my　lad。〃



The　miller　of　Soulanges；　possessing　an　income　of　fifty　thousand

francs；　had　an　only　daughter　whom　Lupin　desired　for　his　son　Amaury；

since　he　had　lost　the　hope　of　marrying　him　to　Gaubertin's　daughter。

This　miller；　a　Sarcus…Taupin；　was　the　Nucingen　of　the　little　town。　He

was　supposed　to　be　thrice　a　millionaire；　but　he　never　transacted

business　with　others；　and　thought　only　of　grinding　his　wheat　and

keeping　a　monopoly　of　it；　his　most　noticeable　point　was　a　total

absence　of　politeness　and　good　manners。



The　elder　Guerbet；　brother　of　the　post…master　at　Conches；　possessed　an

income　of　ten　thousand　francs；　besides　his　salary　as　collector。　The

Gourdons　were　rich；　the　doctor　had　married　the　only　daughter　of　old

Monsieur　Gendrin…Vatebled；　keeper　of　the　forests　and　streams；　whom　the

family　were　now　EXPECTING　TO　DIE；　while　the　poet　had　married　the　niece

and　sole　heiress　of　the　Abbe　Taupin；　the　curate　of　Soulanges；　a　stout

priest　who　lived　in　his　cure　like　a　rat　in　his　cheese。



This　clever　ecclesiastic；　devoted　to　the　leading　society；　kind　and

obliging　to　the　second；　apostolic　to　the　poor　and　unfortunate；　made

himself　beloved　by　the　whole　town。　He　was　cousin　of　the　miller　and

cousin　of　the　Sarcuses；　and　belonged　therefore　to　the　neighborhood　and

to　its　mediocracy。　He　always　dined　out　and　saved　expenses；　he　went　to

weddings　but　came　away　before　the　ball；　he　paid　the　costs　of　public

worship；　saying；　〃It　is　my　business。〃　And　the　parish　let　him　do　it；

with　the　remark；　〃We　have　an　excellent　priest。〃　The　bishop；　who　knew

the　Soulanges　people　and　was　not　at　all　misled　as　to　the　true　value　of

the　abbe；　was　glad　enough　to　keep　in　such　a　town　a　man　who　made

religion　acceptable；　and　who　knew　how　to　fill　his　church　and　preach　to

sleepy　heads。



It　is　unnecessary　to　remark　that　not　only　each　of　these　worthy

burghers　possessed　some　one　of　the　special　qualifications　which　are

necessary　to　existence　in　the　provinces；　but　also　that　each　cultivated

his　field　in　the　domain　of　vanity　without　a　rival。　Pere　Guerbet

understood　finance；　Soudry　might　have　been　minister　of　war；　if　Cuvier

had　passed　that　way　incognito；　the　leading　society　of　Soulanges　would

have　proved　to　him　that　he　knew　nothing　in　comparison　with　Monsieur

Gourdon　the　doctor。　〃Adolphe　Nourrit　with　his　thread　of　a　voice；〃

remarked　the　notary　with　patronizing　indulgence；　〃was　scarcely　worthy

to　accompany　the　nightingale　of　Soulanges。〃　As　to　the　author　of　the

〃Cup…and…Ball〃　（which　was　then　being　printed　at　Bournier's）；　society

was　satisfied　that　a　poet　of　his　force　could　not　be　met　with　in　Paris；

for　Delille　was　now　dead。



This　provincial　bourgeoisie；　so　comfortably　satisfied　with　itself；

took　the　lead　through　the　various　superiorities　of　its　members。

Therefore　the　imagination　of　those　who　ever　resided；　even　for　a　short

time；　in　a　little　town　of　this　kind　can　conceive　the　air　of　profound

satisfaction　upon　the　faces　of　these　people；　who　believed　themselves

the　solar　plexus　of　France；　all　of　them　armed　with　incredible

dexterity　and　shrewdness　to　do　mischief；all；　in　their　wisdom；

declaring　that　the　hero　of　Essling　was　a　coward；　Madame　de　Montcornet

a　manoeuvring　Parisian；　and　the　Abbe　Brossette　an　ambitious　little

priest。



If　Rigou；　Soudry；　and　Gaubertin　had　lived　at　Ville…aux…Fayes；　they

would　have　quarrelled；　their　various　pretensions　would　have　clashed；

but　fate　ordained　that　the　Lucullus　of