the origins of contemporary france-1-第65章

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extraordinary；＇14＇　in　which　philosophical　arguments　appear　as　an

interlude　between　filth　and　the　illustrations；　and　which　are　kept　by

the　ladies　of　the　court　on　their　toilet…tables；　under　the　title　of

〃Heures　de　Paris。〃　I　refer　here　to　the　great　men；　to　the　masters　of

the　public　intellect。　　With　the　exception　of　Buffon；　all　put　pimento

into　their　sauces；　that　is　to　say；　loose　talk　or　coarseness　of

expression。　　We　find　this　even　in　the〃　Esprit　des　Lois；〃　there　is　an

enormous　amount　of　it；　open　and　covered　up；　in　the　〃Lettres　Persanes。〃

Diderot；　in　his　two　great　novels；　puts　it　in　by　handfuls；　as　if　during

an　orgy。　　The　teeth　crunch　on　it　like　so　many　grains　of　pepper；　on

every　page　of　Voltaire。　　We　find　it；　not　only　piquant；　but　strong　and

of　burning　intensity；　in　the　〃Nouvelle　Hélo？se；〃　scores　of　times　in　〃

Emile；〃　and；　in　the　〃Confessions；〃　from　one　end　to　the　other。　　It　was

the　taste　of　the　day。　　M。　de　Malesherbes；　so　upright　and　so　grave；

committed　〃La　Pucelle〃　to　memory　and　recited　it。　　We　have　from　the　pen

of　Saint…Just；　the　gloomiest　of　the　〃Mountain；〃　a　poem　as　lascivious

as　that　of　Voltaire；　while　Madame　Roland；　the　noblest　of　the

Girondins；　has　left　us　confessions　as　venturesome　and　specific　as

those　of　Rousseau＇15＇。　　　…　　On　the　other　hand　there　is　a　second　box；

that　containing　the　old　Gallic　salt；　that　is　to　say；　humor　and

raillery。　　Its　mouth　is　wide　open　in　the　hands　of　a　philosophy

proclaiming　the　sovereignty　of　reason。　　Whatever　is　contrary　to　Reason

is　to　it　absurd　and　therefore　open　to　ridicule。　　The　moment　the　solemn

hereditary　mask　covering　up　an　abuse　is　brusquely　and　adroitly　torn

aside；　we　feel　a　curious　spasm；　the　corners　of　our　mouth　stretching

apart　and　our　breast　heaving　violently；　as　at　a　kind　of　sudden　relief；

an　unexpected　deliverance；　experiencing　a　sense　of　our　recovered

superiority；　of　our　revenge　being　gratified　and　of　an　act　of　justice

having　been　performed。　　But　it　depends　on　the　mode　in　which　the　mask

is　struck　off　whether　the　laugh　shall　be　in　turn　light　or　loud；

suppressed　or　unbridled；　now　amiable　and　cheerful；　or　now　bitter　and

sardonic。　　Humor　（la　plaisanterie）　comports　with　all　aspects；　from

buffoonery　to　indignation；　no　literary　seasoning　affords　such　a

variety；　or　so　many　mixtures；　nor　one　that　so　well　enters　into

combination　with　that　above…mentioned。　　The　two　together；　from　the

middle　ages　down；　form　the　principal　ingredients　employed　by　the

French　cuisine　in　the　composition　of　its　most　agreeable　dainties；　　…

fables；　tales；　witticisms；　jovial　songs　and　waggeries；　the　eternal

heritage　of　a　good…humored；　mocking　people；　preserved　by　La　Fontaine

athwart　the　pomp　and　sobriety　of　the　seventeenth　century；　and；　in　the

eighteenth；　reappearing　everywhere　at　the　philosophic　banquet。　　Its

charm　is　great　to　the　brilliant　company　at　this　table；　so　amply

provided；　whose　principal　occupation　is　pleasure　and　amusement。　　It　is

all　the　greater　because；　on　this　occasion；　the　passing　disposition　is

in　harmony　with　hereditary　instinct；　and　because　the　taste　of　the

epoch　is　fortified　by　the　national　taste。　　Add　to　all　this　the

exquisite　art　of　the　cooks；　their　talent　in　commingling；　in

apportioning　and　in　concealing　the　condiments；　in　varying　and

arranging　the　dishes；　the　certainty　of　their　hand；　the　finesse　of

their　palate；　their　experience　in　processes；　in　the　traditions　and

practices　which；　already　for　a　hundred　years；　form　of　French　prose　the

most　delicate　nourishment　of　the　intellect。　　It　is　not　strange　to　find

them　skilled　in　regulating　human　speech；　in　extracting　from　it　its

quintessence　and　in　distilling　its　full　delight。





IV。　　THE　MASTERS。



The　art　and　processes　of　the　masters。　　…　Montesquieu。　　…　Voltaire。

…　Diderot。　　…　Rousseau。　　…　〃The　Marriage　of　Figaro。〃



In　this　respect　four　among　them　are　superior；　Montesquieu；

Voltaire；　Diderot　and　Rousseau。　　It　seems　sufficient　to　mention　their

names。　　Modern　Europe　has　no　greater　writers。　　And　yet　their　talent

must　be　closely　examined　to　properly　comprehend　their　power。…　　In　tone

and　style　Montesquieu　is　the　first。　　No　writer　is　more　master　of

himself；　more　outwardly　calm；　more　sure　of　his　meaning。　　His　voice　is

never　boisterous；　he　expresses　the　most　powerful　thoughts　with

moderation。　　There　is　no　gesticulation；　exclamations；　the　abandonment

of　impulse；　all　that　is　irreconcilable　with　decorum　is　repugnant　to

his　tact；　his　reserve；　his　dignity。　　He　seems　to　be　always　addressing

a　select　circle　of　people　with　acute　minds；　and　in　such　a　way　as　to

render　them　at　every　moment　conscious　of　their　acuteness。　　No　flattery

could　be　more　delicate；　we　feel　grateful　to　him　for　making　us

satisfied　with　our　intelligence。　　We　must　possess　some　intelligence　to

be　able　to　read　him；　for　he　deliberately　curtails　developments　and

omits　transitions；　we　are　required　to　supply　these　and　to　comprehend

his　hidden　meanings。　　He　is　rigorously　systematic　but　the　system　is

concealed；　his　concise　completed　sentences　succeeding　each　other

separately；　like　so　many　precious　coffers　or　caskets；　now　simple　and

plain　in　aspect；　now　superbly　chased　and　decorated；　but　always　full。

Open　them　and　each　contains　a　treasure；　here　is　placed　in　narrow

compass　a　rich　store　of　reflections；　of　emotions；　of　discoveries；　our

enjoyment　being　the　more　intense　because　we　can　easily　retain　all　this

for　a　moment　in　the　palm　of　our　hand。　　〃That　which　usually　forms　a

grand　conception；〃　he　himself　says；　〃is　a　thought　so　expressed　as　to

reveal　a　number　of　other　thoughts；　and　suddenly　disclosing　what　we

could　not　anticipate　without　patient　study。〃　This；　indeed；　is　his

manner；　he　thinks　with　summaries；　he　concentrates　the　essence　of

despotism　in　a　chapter　of　three　lines。　　The　summary　itself　often　bears

the　air　of　an　enigma；　of　which　the　charm　is　twofold；　we　have　the

pleasure　of　comprehension　accompanying　the　satisfaction　of　divining。

In　all　subjects　he　maintains　this　supreme　discretion；　this　art　of

indicating　without　enforcing；　these　reticences；　the　smile　that　never

becomes　a　laugh。



　〃In　my　defense　of　the　'Esprit　des　Lois；〃'　he　says；　〃that　which

gratifies　me　is　not　to　see　venerable　theologians　crushed　to　the　ground

but　to　see　them　glide　down　gently。〃



　He　excels　in　tranquil　irony；　in　polished　disdain；＇16＇　in　disguised

sarcasm。　　His　Persians　judge　France　as　Persians；　and　we　smile　at　their

errors；　unfortunately　the　laugh　is　not　against　them　but　against

ourselves；　for　their　error　is　found　to　be　a　verity＇17＇。　　This　or　that

letter；　in　a　sober　vein；　seems　a　comedy　at　their　expense　without

reflecting　upon　us；　full　of　Muslim　prejudices　and　of　oriental

conceit；＇18＇　reflect　a　moment；　and　our　conceit；　in　this　relation；

appears　no　less。　　Blows　of　extraordinary　force　and　reach　are　given　in

passing；　as　if　thoughtlessly；　against　existing　institutions；　against

the　transformed　Catholicism　which　〃in　the　present　state　of　Europe；

cannot　last　five　hundred　years；〃　against　the　degenerate　monarchy　which

causes　useful　citizens　to　starve　to　fatten　parasite　courtiers＇19＇。

The　entire　new　philosophy　blooms　out　in　his　hands　with　an　air　of

innocence；　in　a　pastoral　romance；　in　a　simple　prayer；　in　an　artless

letter＇20＇。　　　None　of　the　gifts　which　serve　to　arrest　and　fix　the

attention　are　wanting　in　this　style；　neither　grandeur　of　imagination

nor　profound　sentiment；　vivid　characterization；　delicate　gradations；

vigorous　precision；　a　sportive　grace；　unlooked…for　burlesque；　nor

variety　of　representation。　　But；　amidst　so　many　ingenious　tricks；

apologues；　tales；　portraits　and　dialogues；　in　earnest　as　well　as　when

masquerading；　his　deportment　throughout　is　irreproachable　and　his　tone

is　perfect。　　If；　as　an　author；　he　develops　a　paradox　it　is　with　almost

English　gravity。　　If　he　fully　exposes　indecency　it　is　with　decent

terms。　　In　the　full　tide　of　buffoonery；　as　well　as　in　the　full　blast

of　license；　he　is　ever　the　well…bred　man；　born　and　brought　up　in　the

aristocratic　circle　in　which　full　liberty　is　allowed　but　where　good…

breeding　is　supreme；　where　every　idea　is　permitted　but　where　words　are

weighed；　where　one　has　the　privilege　of　saying　what　he　pleases；　but　on

condition　that　he　never　forgets　himself。



A　circle　of　this　kind　is　a　small　one；　comprising　only　a　select　few；

to　be　understood　by　the　multitude　requires　another　tone　of　voice。

Philosophy　demands　a　writer　whose　principal　occupation　is　a　diffusion

of　it；　who　is　unable　to　keep　it　to　himself；　who　pours　it　out　like　a

gushing　fountain；　who　offers　it　to　everybody；　daily　and　in　every　form；

in　broad　streams　and　in　small　drops；　without　exhaustion　or　weariness；

through　every　crevice　and　by　every　channel；　in　prose；　in　verse；　in

imposing　and　in　trifling　poems；　in　the　drama；　in　history；　in　novels；

in　pamphlets；　in　pleadings；　in　treatises；　in　essays；　in　dictionaries；

in　correspondence；　openly　and　in　secret；　in　order　that　it　may

penetrate　to　all　depths　and　in　every　soil；　such　was　Voltaire。　　　　…

〃I　have　accomplished　more　in　my　day；〃　he　says　somewhere；　〃than　either

Luther　or　Calvin；〃　in　which　he　is　mistaken。　　The　truth　is；　however；　he

has　something　of　their　spirit。　　Like　them　he　is　desirous　of　changing

the　prevailing　religion；　he　takes　the　attitude　of　the　founder　of　a

sect；　he　recruits　and　binds　together　proselytes；　he　writes　letters　of

exhortation；　of　direction　and　of　predication；　he　puts　watchwords　in

circulation；　he　furnishes　〃the　brethren〃　with　a　device；　his　passion

resembles　the　zeal　of　an　apostle　or　of　a　prophet。　　Such　a　spirit　is

incapable　of　reserve；　it　is　militant　and　fiery　by　nature；　it

apostrophizes；　reviles　and　improvises；　it　writes　under　the　dictation

of　impressions；　it　allows　itself　every　species　of　utterance　and；　if

need　be；　the　coarsest。　　It　thinks　by　explosions；　its　emotions　are

sudden　starts；　and　its　images　so　many　sparks；　it　lets　the　rein　go

entirely；　it　gives　itself　up　to　the　reader　and　hence　it　takes

possession　of　him。　　Resistance　is　impossible；　the　contagion　is　too

overpowering。　　A　creature　of　air　and　flame；　the　most　excitable　that

ever　lived；　composed　of　more　ethereal　and　more　throbbing　atoms　than

those　of　other　men；　none　is　there　whose　mental　machinery　is　more

delicate；　nor　whose　equilibrium　is　at　the　same　time　more　shifting　and

more　exact。　　He　may　be　compared　to　those　accurate　scales　that　are

affected　by　a　breath；　but　alongside　of　which　every　other　measuring

apparatus　is　incorrect　and　clumsy。　　　…　　　But；　in　this　delicate　balance

only　the　lightest　weights；　the　finest　specimen　must　be　placed；　on　this

condition　only　it　rigorously　weighs　all　substances；　such　is　Voltaire；

involuntarily；　through　the　demands　of　his　intellect；　and　in　his　own

behalf　as　much　as　in　that　of　his　readers。　　An　entire　philosophy；　ten

volumes　of　theology；　an　abstract　science；　a　special　library；　an

important　branch　of　erudition；　of　human　experience　and　invention；　is

thus　reduced　in　his　hands　to　a　phrase　or　to　a　stanza。　　From　the

enormous　ma