第84章

At Brunoy， at the residence of Monsieur， so gross are they[76] the king regrets having attended； "nobody had any idea of such license；two women in the auditorium had to go out， and， what is most extraordinary， they had dared to invite the queen." - Gaiety is a sort of intoxication which draws the cask down to the dregs， and when the wine is gone it draws on the lees. Not only at their little suppers， and with courtesans， but in the best society and with ladies， they commit the follies of a bagnio. Let us use the right word， they are blackguards， and the word is no more offensive to them than the action. "For five or six months，" writes a lady in 1782，"[77] "the suppers are followed by a blind man's buff or by a draw-dance， and they end in general mischievousness， (une polissonnerie générale)."Guests are invited a fortnight in advance. "On this occasion they upset the tables and the furniture； they scattered twenty caraffes of water about the room； I finally got away at half-past one， wearied out， pelted with handkerchiefs， and leaving Madame de Clarence hoarse， with her dress torn to shreds， a scratch on her arm， and a bruise on her forehead， but delighted that she had given such a gay supper and flattered with the idea of its being the talk the next day." - This is the result of a craving for amusement. Under its pressure， as under the sculptor's thumb， the face of the century becomes transformed and insensibly loses its seriousness； the formal expression of the courtier at first becomes the cheerful physiognomy of the worldling， and then， on these smiling lips， their contours changed， we see the bold， unbridled grin of the scamp.[78]

___________________________________________________________________Notes：

[1]. "LA VIE DE SALON" is Taine's title. In Le Robert & Collins'

Dictionary salon is translated as "lounge" (Brit.) sitting room， living room， or (cercle littéraire) salon.

[2]. De Loménie， "Beaumarchais et son temps，" I. 403. Letter of Beaumarchais， (Dec. 24， 1764.) - The travels of Mme. d'Aulnoy and the letters of Mme. de Villars. - As to Italy see Stendhal， "Rome， Naples et Florence." - For Germany see the "Mémoires" of the Margrave of Bareith， also of the Chevalier Lang. - For England see my "Histoire de la litérature Anglaise，" vols. III. IV.

[3]. Volney， "Tableau du climat et du sol des Etats-Unis d'Amérique." The leading trait of the French Colonist when compared with the colonists of other nations， is， according to this writer， the craving for neighbors and conversation[4]. Mme. de Caylus， "Souvenirs，" p. 108.

[5]. St. Simon， 461.

[6]. Duc de Lévis， p. 321.

[7]. Mme. de Genlis， "Souvenirs de Félicie，" p. 160. - It is important， however， to call attention to the old-fashioned royal attitude under Louis XV and even Louis XVI. "Although I was advised，"says Alfieri， "that the king never addressed ordinary strangers， Icould not digest the Olympian-Jupiter look with which Louis XVmeasured the person presented to him， from head to foot， with such an impassible air； if a fly should be introduced to a giant， the giant， after looking at him， would smile， or perhaps remark. - 'What a little mite！' In any event， if he said nothing， his face would express it for him." Alfieri， Mémoires，" I.138， 1768. (Alfieri， Vittorio， born in Asti in 1749 - ？ Florence 1803. Italian poet and playwright. (SR.)- See in Mme. d'Oberkirk's "Mémoires." (II. 349)， the lesson administered by Mme. Royale， aged seven and a half years， to a lady introduced to her.

[8]. Champfort， 26， 55； Bachaumont， I. 136 (Sept 7，1762). One month after the Parliament had passed a law against the Jesuits， little Jesuits in wax appeared， with a snail for a base. "By means of a thread the Jesuit was made to pop in and out from the shell. It is all the rage - here is no house without its Jesuit."[9]. On the other hand， the song on the battle of Rosbach is charming.

[10]. "Correspondance secrète，" by Métra， Imbert， etc.， V. 277(Nov. 17， 1777). - Voltaire， "Princesse de Babylone."[11]. Baron de Bezenval， "Mémoires，" II. 206. An anecdote related by the Duke.

[12]. Archives nationales， a report by M. Texier (1780). A report by M. Mesnard de Chousy (01， 738).

[13]. "Marie Antoinette，" by d'Arneth and Geffroy， I. 277 (February 29. 1772).

[14]. De Luynes， XVII. 37 (August， 1758). - D'Argenson， February 11， 1753.

[15]. Archives nationales， 01， 738. Various sums of interest are paid： 12，969 francs to the baker， 39，631 francs to the wine merchant， and 173，899 francs to the purveyor.

[16]. Marquis de Mirabeau， "Traité de Population，" 60. - "Le Gouvemement de Normandie，" by Hippeau， II. 204 (Sept. 30， 1780).

[17]. Mme. de Larochejacquelein， "Mémoires，" p. 30. - Mme.

d'Oberkirk， II. 66.

[18]. D'Argenson， January 26， 1753.

[19]. George Sand， "Histoire de ma vie，" I.78.

[20]. "Marie Antoinette，" by d'Arneth and Geffroy， I. 61 (March 18， 1777).

21. D'Argenson， January 26， 1753.

[22]. "Marie Antoinette，" III. 135， November 19， 1777.

[23]. Barbier， IV.， 155. The Marshal de Soubise had a hunting lodge to which the king came from time to time to eat an omelet of pheasants' eggs， costing 157 livres， 10 sous. (Mercier， XII 192；according to the statement of the cook who made it.)[24]. Mme. d'Oberkirk， I. 129， II. 257.

[25]. Mme. de Genlis， "Souvenirs de Félicie，" 80； and "Théatre de l'Education，" II. 367. A virtuous young woman in ten months runs into debt to the amount of 70，000 francs： "Ten louis for a small table， 15louis for another， 800 francs for a bureau， 200 francs for a small writing desk， 300 francs for a large one. Hair rings， hair glass， hair chain， hair bracelets， hair clasps， hair necklace， hair box， 9，900francs，" etc.

[26]. Mme. de Genlis， "Adèle et Théodore，" III. 14.

[27]. Mme. d'Avray， sister of Mme. de Genlis， sets the example， for which she is at first much criticized.