第72章

"The Duc de Lauzun， at the age of twenty-six， after having run through the capital of 100，000 crowns revenue， is prosecuted by his creditors for nearly two millions of indebtedness."[20] "M. le Prince de Conti lacks bread and wood， although with an income of 600，000 livres，" for the reason that "he buys and builds wildly on all sides."[21] Where would be the pleasure if these people were reasonable？ What kind of a seignior is he who studies the price of things？ And how can the exquisite be reached if one grudges money？ Money， accordingly， must flow and flow on until it is exhausted， first by the innumerable secret or tolerated bleedings through domestic abuses， and next in broad streams of the master's own prodigality， through structures， furniture， toilets， hospitality， gallantry， and pleasures. The Comte d'Artois， that he may give the queen a fête， demolishes， rebuilds， arranges， and furnishes Bagatelle from top to bottom， employing nine hundred workmen， day and night， and， as there is no time to go any distance for lime， plaster， and cut stone， he sends patrols of the Swiss guards on the highways to seize， pay for， and immediately bring in all carts thus loaded.[22] The Marshal de Soubise， entertaining the king one day at dinner and over night， in his country house， expends 200，000 livres.[23] Mme. de Matignon makes a contract to be furnished every day with a new head-dress at 24，000 livres per annum. Cardinal de Rohan has an alb bordered with point lace， which is valued at more than 100，000 livres， while his kitchen utensils are of massive silver.[24] - Nothing is more natural， considering their ideas of money； hoarded and piled up， instead of being a fertilizing stream， it is a useless marsh exhaling bad odors. The queen， having presented the Dauphin with a carriage whose silver-gilt trappings are decked with rubies and sapphires， naively exclaims， "Has not the king added 200，000 livres to my treasury？ That is no reason for keeping them！"[25] They would rather throw it out of the window. Which was actually done by the Marshal de Richelieu with a purse he had given to his grandson， and which the lad， not knowing how to use， brought back intact. Money， on this occasion， was at least of service to the passing street-sweeper that picked it up. But had there been no passer-by to pick it up， it would have been thrown into the river. One day Mme. de B - ， being with the Prince de Conti， hinted that she would like a miniature of her canary bird set in a ring. The Prince offers to have it made. His offer is accepted， but on condition that the miniature be set plain and without jewels. Accordingly the miniature is placed in a simple rim of gold. But， to cover over the painting， a large diamond， made very thin， serves as a glass. Mme. de B - ， having returned the diamond， "M. le Prince de Conti had it ground to powder which he used to dry the ink of the note he wrote to Mme. de B - on the subject." This pinch of powder cost 4 or 5，000livres， but we may divine the turn and tone of the note. The extreme of profusion must accompany the height of gallantry， the man of the world being so much the more important according to his contempt for money.

III. UNIVERSAL PLEASURE SEEKING.

Moral divorce of husband and wife. - Gallantry. - Separation of parents and children. - Education， its object and omissions. - The tone of servants and purveyors. - Pleasure seeking universal.

In a drawing room the woman who receives the least attention from a man is his own wife， and she returns the compliment. Hence at a time like this， when people live for society and in society， there is no place for conjugal intimacy. - Moreover， when a married couple occupy an exalted position they are separated by custom and decorum.

Each party has his or her own household， or at least their own apartments， servants， equipage， receptions and distinct society， and， as entertainment entails ceremony， they stand towards each other in deference to their rank on the footing of polite strangers. They are each announced in each other's apartment； they address each other "Madame， Monsieur，" and not alone in public， but in private； they shrug their shoulders when， sixty leagues out from Paris， they encounter in some old chateau a provincial wife ignorant enough to say "my dear " to her husband before company.[26] - Already separated at the fireside， the two lives diverge beyond it at an ever increasing radius. The husband has a government of his own： his private command， his private regiment， his post at court， which keeps him absent from home； only in his declining years does his wife consent to follow him into garrison or into the provinces.[27] And rather is this the case because she is herself occupied， and as seriously as himself； often with a position near a princess， and always with an important circle of company which she must maintain. At this epoch woman is as active as man，[28] following the same career， and with the same resources， consisting of the flexible voice， the winning grace， the insinuating manner， the tact， the quick perception of the right moment， and the art of pleasing， demanding， and obtaining； there is not a lady at court who does not bestow regiments and benefices. Through this right the wife has her personal retinue of solicitors and protégés， also， like her husband， her friends， her enemies， her own ambitions， disappointments， and rancorous feeling； nothing could be more effectual in the disruption of a household than this similarity of occupation and this division of interests. - The tie thus loosened ends by being sundered under the ascendancy of opinion. "It looks well not to live together，" to grant each other every species of tolerance， and to devote oneself to society. Society， indeed， then fashions opinion， and through opinion it creates the morals which it requires.