modeste mignon-第11章

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of　fire。　The　trees　were　like　a　plumage。　She　was　not　conscious　of　a

body；　she　hovered　in　space；　the　earth　melted　away　under　her　feet。　Full

of　admiration　for　the　post…office；　she　followed　her　little　sheet　of

paper　on　its　way；　she　was　happy；　as　we　all　are　happy　at　twenty　years

of　age；　in　the　first　exercise　of　our　will。　She　was　possessed；　as　in

the　middle　ages。　She　made　pictures　in　her　mind　of　the　poet's　abode；　of

his　study；　she　saw　him　unsealing　her　letter；　and　then　followed　myriads

of　suppositions。



After　sketching　the　poetry　we　cannot　do　less　than　give　the　profile　of

the　poet。　Canalis　is　a　short；　spare　man；　with　an　air　of　good…breeding；

a　dark…complexioned；　moon…shaped　face；　and　a　rather　mean　head　like

that　of　a　man　who　has　more　vanity　than　pride。　He　loves　luxury；　rank；

and　splendor。　Money　is　of　more　importance　to　him　than　to　most　men。

Proud　of　his　birth；　even　more　than　of　his　talent；　he　destroys　the

value　of　his　ancestors　by　making　too　much　of　them　in　the　present　day；

after　all；　the　Canalis　are　not　Navarreins；　nor　Cadignans；　nor

Grandlieus。　Nature；　however；　helps　him　out　in　his　pretensions。　He　has

those　eyes　of　Eastern　effulgence　which　we　demand　in　a　poet；　a　delicate

charm　of　manner；　and　a　vibrant　voice；　yet　a　taint　of　natural

charlatanism　destroys　the　effect　of　nearly　all　these　advantages；　he　is

a　born　comedian。　If　he　puts　forward　his　well…shaped　foot；　it　is

because　the　attitude　has　become　a　habit；　if　he　uses　exclamatory　terms

they　are　part　of　himself；　if　he　poses　with　high　dramatic　action　he　has

made　that　deportment　his　second　nature。　Such　defects　as　these　are　not

incompatible　with　a　general　benevolence　and　a　certain　quality　of

errant　and　purely　ideal　chivalry；　which　distinguishes　the　paladin　from

the　knight。　Canalis　has　not　devotion　enough　for　a　Don　Quixote；　but　he

has　too　much　elevation　of　thought　not　to　put　himself　on　the　nobler

side　of　questions　and　things。　His　poetry；　which　takes　the　town　by

storm　on　all　profitable　occasions；　really　injures　the　man　as　a　poet；

for　he　is　not　without　mind；　but　his　talent　prevents　him　from

developing　it；　he　is　overweighted　by　his　reputation；　and　is　always

aiming　to　make　himself　appear　greater　than　he　has　the　credit　of　being。

Thus；　as　often　happens；　the　man　is　entirely　out　of　keeping　with　the

products　of　his　thought。　The　author　of　these　naive；　caressing；　tender

little　lyrics；　these　calm　idylls　pure　and　cold　as　the　surface　of　a

lake；　these　verses　so　essentially　feminine；　is　an　ambitious　little

creature　in　a　tightly　buttoned　frock…coat；　with　the　air　of　a　diplomat

seeking　political　influence；　smelling　of　the　musk　of　aristocracy；　full

of　pretension；　thirsting　for　money；　already　spoiled　by　success　in　two

directions；　and　wearing　the　double　wreath　of　myrtle　and　of　laurel。　A

government　situation　worth　eight　thousand　francs；　three　thousand

francs'　annuity　from　the　literary　fund；　two　thousand　from　the　Academy；

three　thousand　more　from　the　paternal　estate　（less　the　taxes　and　the

cost　of　keeping　it　in　order）；a　total　fixed　income　of　fifteen

thousand　francs；　plus　the　ten　thousand　bought　in；　one　year　with

another；　by　his　poetry；　in　all　twenty…five　thousand　francs；this　for

Modeste's　hero　was　so　precarious　and　insufficient　an　income　that　he

usually　spent　five　or　six　thousand　francs　more　every　year；　but　the

king's　privy　purse　and　the　secret　funds　of　the　foreign　office　had

hitherto　supplied　the　deficit。　He　wrote　a　hymn　for　the　king's

coronation　which　earned　him　a　whole　silver　service；having　refused　a

sum　of　money　on　the　ground　that　a　Canalis　owed　his　duty　to　his

sovereign。



But　about　this　time　Canalis　had；　as　the　journalists　say；　exhausted　his

budget。　He　felt　himself　unable　to　invent　any　new　form　of　poetry；　his

lyre　did　not　have　seven　strings；　it　had　one；　and　having　played　on　that

one　string　so　long；　the　public　allowed　him　no　other　alternative　but　to

hang　himself　with　it；　or　to　hold　his　tongue。　De　Marsay；　who　did　not

like　Canalis；　made　a　remark　whose　poisoned　shaft　touched　the　poet　to

the　quick　of　his　vanity。　〃Canalis；〃　he　said；　〃always　reminds　me　of

that　brave　man　whom　Frederic　the　Great　called　up　and　commended　after　a

battle　because　his　trumpet　had　never　ceased　tooting　its　one　little

tune。〃　Canalis's　ambition　was　to　enter　political　life；　and　he　made

capital　of　a　journey　he　had　taken　to　Madrid　as　secretary　to　the

embassy　of　the　Duc　de　Chaulieu；　though　it　was　really　made；　according

to　Parisian　gossip；　in　the　capacity　of　〃attache　to　the　duchess。〃　How

many　times　a　sarcasm　or　a　single　speech　has　decided　the　whole　course

of　a　man's　life。　Colla；　the　late　president　of　the　Cisalpine　republic；

and　the　best　lawyer　in　Piedmont；　was　told　by　a　friend　when　he　was

forty　years　of　age　that　he　knew　nothing　of　botany。　He　was　piqued；

became　a　second　Jussieu；　cultivated　flowers；　and　compiled　and

published　〃The　Flora　of　Piedmont；〃　in　Latin；　a　labor　of　ten　years。

〃I'll　master　De　Marsay　some　of　these　days！〃　thought　the　crushed　poet；

〃after　all；　Canning　and　Chateaubriand　are　both　in　politics。〃



Canalis　would　gladly　have　brought　forth　some　great　political　poem；　but

he　was　afraid　of　the　French　press；　whose　criticisms　are　savage　upon

any　writer　who　takes　four　alexandrines　to　express　one　idea。　Of　all　the

poets　of　our　day　only　three；　Hugo；　Theophile　Gautier；　and　De　Vigny；

have　been　able　to　win　the　double　glory　of　poet　and　prose…writer；　like

Racine　and　Voltaire；　Moliere；　and　Rabelais；a　rare　distinction　in　the

literature　of　France；　which　ought　to　give　a　man　a　right　to　the

crowning　title　of　poet。



So　then；　the　bard　of　the　faubourg　Saint…Germain　was　doing　a　wise　thing

in　trying　to　house　his　little　chariot　under　the　protecting　roof　of　the

present　government。　When　he　became　president　of　the　court　of　Claims　at

the　foreign　office；　he　stood　in　need　of　a　secretary；a　friend　who

could　take　his　place　in　various　ways；　cook　up　his　interests　with

publishers；　see　to　his　glory　in　the　newspapers；　help　him　if　need　be　in

politics；in　short；　a　cat's　paw　and　satellite。　In　Paris　many　men　of

celebrity　in　art；　science；　and　literature　have　one　or　more　train…

bearers；　captains　of　the　guard；　chamberlains　as　it　were；　who　live　in

the　sunshine　of　their　presence；aides…de…camp　entrusted　with　delicate

missions；　allowing　themselves　to　be　compromised　if　necessary；　workers

round　the　pedestal　of　the　idol；　not　exactly　his　servants；　nor　yet　his

equals；　bold　in　his　defence；　first　in　the　breach；　covering　all

retreats；　busy　with　his　business；　and　devoted　to　him　just　so　long　as

their　illusions　last；　or　until　the　moment　when　they　have　got　all　they

wanted。　Some　of　these　satellites　perceive　the　ingratitude　of　their

great　man；　others　feel　that　they　are　simply　made　tools　of；　many　weary

of　the　life；　very　few　remain　contented　with　that　sweet　equality　of

feeling　and　sentiment　which　is　the　only　reward　that　should　be　looked

for　in　an　intimacy　with　a　superior　man；a　reward　that　contented　Ali

when　Mohammed　raised　him　to　himself。



Many　of　these　men；　misled　by　vanity；　think　themselves　quite　as　capable

as　their　patron。　Pure　devotion；　such　as　Modeste　conceived　it；　without

money　and　without　price；　and　more　especially　without　hope；　is　rare。

Nevertheless　there　are　Mennevals　to　be　found；　more　perhaps　in　Paris

than　elsewhere；　men　who　value　a　life　in　the　background　with　its

peaceful　toil；　these　are　the　wandering　Benedictines　of　our　social

world；　which　offers　them　no　other　monastery。　These　brave；　meek　hearts

live；　by　their　actions　and　in　their　hidden　lives；　the　poetry　that

poets　utter。　They　are　poets　themselves　in　soul；　in　tenderness；　in

their　lonely　vigils　and　meditations；as　truly　poets　as　others　of　the

name　on　paper；　who　fatten　in　the　fields　of　literature　at　so　much　a

verse；　like　Lord　Byron；　like　all　who　live；　alas；　by　ink；　the

Hippocrene　water　of　to…day；　for　want　of　a　better。



Attracted　by　the　fame　of　Canalis；　also　by　the　prospect　of　political

interest；　and　advised　thereto　by　Madame　d'Espard；　who　acted　in　the

matter　for　the　Duchesse　de　Chaulieu；　a　young　lawyer　of　the　court　of

Claims　became　secretary　and　confidential　friend　of　the　poet；　who

welcomed　and　petted　him　very　much　as　a　broker　caresses　his　first

dabbler　in　the　funds。　The　beginning　of　this　companionship　bore　a　very

fair　resemblance　to　friendship。　The　young　man　had　already　held　the

same　relation　to　a　minister；　who　went　out　of　office　in　1827；　taking

care　before　he　did　so　to　appoint　his　young　secretary　to　a　place　in　the

foreign　office。　Ernest　de　La　Briere；　then　about　twenty…seven　years　of

age；　was　decorated　with　the　Legion　of　honor　but　was　without　other

means　than　his　salary；　he　was　accustomed　to　the　management　of　business

and　had　learned　a　good　deal　of　life　during　his　four　years　in　a

minister's　cabinet。　Kindly；　amiable；　and　over…modest；　with　a　heart

full　of　pure　and　sound　feelings；　he　was　averse　to　putting　himself　in

the　foreground。　He　loved　his　country；　and　wished　to　serve　her；　but

notoriety　abashed　him。　To　him　the　place　of　secretary　to　a　Napoleon　was

far　more　desirable　than　that　of　the　minister　himself。　As　soon　as　he

became　the　friend　and　secretary　of　Canalis　he　did　a　great　amount　of

labor　for　him；　but　by　the　end　of　eighteen　months　he　had　learned　to

understand　the　barrenness　of　a　nature　that　was　poetic　through　literary

expression　only。　The　truth　of　the　old　proverb；　〃The　cowl　doesn't　make

the　monk；〃　is　eminently　shown　in　literature。　It　is　extremely　rare　to

find　among　literary　men　a　nature　and　a　talent　that　are　in　perfect

accord。　The　faculties　are　not　the　man　himself。　This　disconnection；

whose　phenomena　are　amazing；　proceeds　from　an　unexplored；　possibly　an

unexplorable　mystery。　The　brain　and　its　products　of　all　kinds　（for　in

art　the　hand　of　man　is　a　continuation　of　his　brain）　are　a　world　apart；

which　flourishes　beneath　the　cranium　in　absolute　independence　of

sentiments；　feelings；　and　all　that　is　called　virtue；　the　virtue　of

citizens；　fathers；　and　private　life。　This；　however　true；　is　not

absolutely　so；　nothing　is　absolutely　true　of　man。　It　is　certain　that　a

debauched　man　will　dissipate　his　talent；　that　a　drunkard　will　waste　it

in　libations；　while；　on　the　other　hand；　no　man　can　give　himself　talent

by　wholesome　living：　nevertheless；　it　is　all　but　proved　that　Virgil；

the　painter　of　love；　never　loved　a　Dido；　and　that　Rousseau；　the　model

citizen；　had　enough　pride　to　had　furnished　forth　an　aristocracy。　On

the　other　hand　Raphael　and　Michael　Angelo　do　present　the　glorious

conjunction　of　genius　with　the　lines　of　character。　Talent　in　men　is

therefore；　in　all　moral　points；　very　much　what　beauty　is　in　women；

simply　a　promise。　Let　us；　therefore；　doubly　admire　the　man　in　whom

both　heart　and　character　equal　the　perfection　of　his　genius。



When　Ernest　discovered　within　his　poet　an　ambitious　egoist；　the　worst

species　of　egoist　（for　there　are　some　amiable　forms　of　the　vice）；　he

felt　a　delicacy　in　leaving　him。　Honest　natures　cannot　easily　break　the

ties　that　bind　them；　especially　if　they　have