第92章

- All are impotent against the wild and roaring outbreak. They have not the physical superiority that can master it， the vulgar charlatanism which can charm it away， the tricks of a Scapin to throw it off the scent， the bull's neck， the mountebank's gestures， the stentor's lungs， in short， the resources of the energetic temperament and of animal cunning， alone capable of diverting the rage of the unchained brute. To find such fighters， they seek three or four men of a different race and education， men having suffered and roamed about， a brutal commoner like the abbé Maury， a colossal and dirty satyr like Mirabeau， a bold and prompt adventurer like that Dumouriez who， at Cherbourg， when， through the feebleness of the Duc de Beuvron， the stores of grain were given up and the riot began， hooted at and nearly cut to pieces， suddenly sees the keys of the storehouse in the hands of a Dutch sailor， and， yelling to the mob that it was betrayed through a foreigner having got hold of the keys， himself jumps down from the railing， seizes the keys and hands them to the officer of the guard， saying to the people， "I am your father， I am the man to be responsible for the storehouse！"[26] To entrust oneself with porters and brawlers， to be collared by a political club， to improvise on the highways， to bark louder than the barkers， to fight with the fists or a cudgel， as much later with the young and rich gangs， against brutes and lunatics incapable of employing other arguments， and who must be answered in the same vein， to mount guard over the Assembly， to act as volunteer constable， to spare neither one's own hide nor that of others， to be one of the people to face the people， all these are simple and effectual proceedings， but so vulgar as to appear to them disgusting. The idea of resorting to such means never enters their head； they neither know how， nor do they care to make use of their hands in such business.[27] They are skilled only in the duel and， almost immediately， the brutality of opinion， by means of assaults， stops the way to polite combats. Their arms， the shafts of the drawing-room， epigrams， witticisms， songs， parodies， and other needle thrusts are impotent against the popular bull.[28] Their personality lacks both roots and resources； through super-refinement it has weakened； their nature， impoverished by culture， is incapable of the transformations by which we are renewed and survive. - An all-powerful education has repressed， mollified， and enfeebled their very instincts. About to die， they experience none of the reactions of blood and rage， the universal and sudden restoration of the forces， the murderous spasm， the blind irresistible need of striking those who strike them. If a gentleman is arrested in his own house by a Jacobin we never find him splitting his head open.[29] They allow themselves to be taken， going quietly to prison； to make an uproar would be bad taste； it is necessary， above all things， to remain what they are， well-bred people of society. In prison both men and women dress themselves with great care， pay each other visits and keep up a drawing-room； it may be at the end of a corridor， by the light of three or four candles； but here they circulate jests， compose madrigals， sing songs and pride themselves on being as gallant， as gay and as gracious as ever： need people be morose and ill-behaved because accident has consigned them to a poor inn？ They preserve their dignity and their smile before their judges and on the cart； the women， especially， mount the scaffold with the ease and serenity characteristic of an evening entertainment. It is the supreme characteristic of good-breeding， erected into an unique duty， and become to this aristocracy a second nature， which is found in its virtues as well as in its vices， in its faculties as well as in its impotencies， in its prosperity as at its fall， and which adorns it even in the death to which it conducts.

_________________________________________________________________Notes：

[1]. Champfort， 110.

[2]. George Sand， V. 59. "I was rebuked for everything； I never made a movement which was not criticized."[3]. "Paris， Versailles， et les provinces，" I. 162. - "The king of Sweden is here； be wears rosettes on his breeches； all is over； he is ridiculous， and a provincial king." ("Le Gouvernement de Normandie，"by Hippeau， IV. 237， July 4， 1784.

[4]. Stendhal， "Rome， Naples and Florence，" 379. Stated by an English lord.

[5] Marivaux， "La Petit-Ma？tre corrigé. - Gresset， "Le Méchant."Crébillon fils， "La Nuit et le Moment，" (especially the scene between the scene between Citandre and Lucinde). - Collé， "La Verité dans le Vin，" (the part of the abbé with the with the présidente). - De Bezenval， 79. (The comte de Frise and Mme. de Blot). "Vie privée du Maréchal de Richelieu，" (scenes with Mme. Michelin). - De Goncourt， 167 to 174.