beatrix-第1部分

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Beatrix

by　Honore　de　Balzac

Translated　by　Katharine　Prescott　Wormeley





NOTE

　　It　is　somewhat　remarkable　that　Balzac；　dealing　as　he　did　with
　　traits　of　character　and　the　minute　and　daily　circumstances　of
　　life；　has　never　been　accused　of　representing　actual　persons　in　the
　　two　or　three　thousand　portraits　which　he　painted　of　human　nature。

　　In　〃The　Great　Man　of　the　Provinces　in　Paris〃　some　likenesses　were
　　imagined：　Jules　Janin　in　Etienne　Lousteau；　Armand　Carrel　in　Michel
　　Chrestien；　and；　possibly；　Berryer　in　Daniel　d'Arthez。　But　in　the
　　present　volume；　〃Beatrix；〃　he　used　the　characteristics　of　certain
　　persons；　which　were　recognized　and　admitted　at　the　time　of
　　publication。　Mademoiselle　des　Touches　（Camille　Maupin）　is　George
　　Sand　in　character；　and　the　personal　description　of　her；　though
　　applied　by　some　to　the　famous　Mademoiselle　Georges；　is　easily
　　recognized　from　Couture's　drawing。　Beatrix；　Conti；　and　Claude
　　Vignon　are　sketches　of　the　Comtesse　d'Agoult；　Liszt；　and　the　well…
　　known　critic　Gustave　Planche。

　　The　opening　scene　of　this　volume；　representing　the　manners　and
　　customs　of　the　old　Breton　family；　a　social　state　existing　no
　　longer　except　in　history；　and　the　transition　period　of　the
　　/vieille　roche/　as　it　passed　into　the　customs　and　ideas　of　the
　　present　century；　is　one　of　Balzac's　remarkable　and　most　famous
　　pictures　in　the　〃Comedy　of　Human　Life。〃

K。P。W。




BEATRIX




I

A　BRETON　TOWN　AND　MANSION

France；　especially　in　Brittany；　still　possesses　certain　towns
completely　outside　of　the　movement　which　gives　to　the　nineteenth
century　its　peculiar　characteristics。　For　lack　of　quick　and　regular
communication　with　Paris；　scarcely　connected　by　wretched　roads　with
the　sub…prefecture；　or　the　chief　city　of　their　own　province；　these
towns　regard　the　new　civilization　as　a　spectacle　to　be　gazed　at；　it
amazes　them；　but　they　never　applaud　it；　and；　whether　they　fear　or
scoff　at　it；　they　continue　faithful　to　the　old　manners　and　customs
which　have　come　down　to　them。　Whoso　would　travel　as　a　moral
archaeologist；　observing　men　instead　of　stones；　would　find　images　of
the　time　of　Louis　XV。　in　many　a　village　of　Provence；　of　the　time　of
Louis　XIV。　in　the　depths　of　Pitou；　and　of　still　more　ancient　times　in
the　towns　of　Brittany。　Most　of　these　towns　have　fallen　from　states　of
splendor　never　mentioned　by　historians；　who　are　always　more　concerned
with　facts　and　dates　than　with　the　truer　history　of　manners　and
customs。　The　tradition　of　this　splendor　still　lives　in　the　memory　of
the　people；as　in　Brittany；　where　the　native　character　allows　no
forgetfulness　of　things　which　concern　its　own　land。　Many　of　these
towns　were　once　the　capitals　of　a　little　feudal　State；a　county　or
duchy　conquered　by　the　crown　or　divided　among　many　heirs；　if　the　male
line　failed。　Disinherited　from　active　life；　these　heads　became　arms；
and　arms　deprived　of　nourishment；　wither　and　barely　vegetate。

For　the　last　thirty　years；　however；　these　pictures　of　ancient　times
are　beginning　to　fade　and　disappear。　Modern　industry；　working　for　the
masses；　goes　on　destroying　the　creations　of　ancient　art；　the　works　of
which　were　once　as　personal　to　the　consumer　as　to　the　artisan。
Nowadays　we　have　/products/；　we　no　longer　have　/works/。　Public
buildings；　monuments　of　the　past；　count　for　much　in　the　phenomena　of
retrospection；　but　the　monuments　of　modern　industry　are　freestone
quarries；　saltpetre　mines；　cotton　factories。　A　few　more　years　and　even
these　old　cities　will　be　transformed　and　seen　no　more　except　in　the
pages　of　this　iconography。

One　of　the　towns　in　which　may　be　found　the　most　correct　likeness　of
the　feudal　ages　is　Guerande。　The　name　alone　awakens　a　thousand
memories　in　the　minds　of　painters；　artists；　thinkers　who　have　visited
the　slopes　on　which　this　splendid　jewel　of　feudality　lies　proudly
posed　to　command　the　flux　and　reflux　of　the　tides　and　the　dunes；the
summit；　as　it　were；　of　a　triangle；　at　the　corners　of　which　are　two
other　jewels　not　less　curious：　Croisic；　and　the　village　of　Batz。　There
are　no　towns　after　Guerande　except　Vitre　in　the　centre　of　Brittany；
and　Avignon　in　the　south　of　France；　which　preserve　so　intact；　to　the
very　middle　of　our　epoch；　the　type　and　form　of　the　middle　ages。

Guerande　is　still　encircled　with　its　doughty　walls；　its　moats　are　full
of　water；　its　battlements　entire；　its　loopholes　unencumbered　with
vegetation；　even　ivy　has　never　cast　its　mantle　over　the　towers；　square
or　round。　The　town　has　three　gates；　where　may　be　seen　the　rings　of　the
portcullises；　it　is　entered　by　a　drawbridge　of　iron…clamped　wood；　no
longer　raised　but　which　could　be　raised　at　will。　The　mayoralty　was
blamed　for　having；　in　1820；　planted　poplars　along　the　banks　of　the
moat　to　shade　the　promenade。　It　excused　itself　on　the　ground　that　the
long　and　beautiful　esplanade　of　the　fortifications　facing　the　dunes
had　been　converted　one　hundred　years　earlier　into　a　mall　where　the
inhabitants　took　their　pleasure　beneath　the　elms。

The　houses　of　the　old　town　have　suffered　no　change；　and　they　have
neither　increased　nor　diminished。　None　have　suffered　upon　their
frontage　from　the　hammer　of　the　architect；　the　brush　of　the　plasterer；
nor　have　they　staggered　under　the　weight　of　added　stories。　All　retain
their　primitive　characteristics。　Some　rest　on　wooden　columns　which
form　arcades　under　which　foot…passengers　circulate；　the　floor　planks
bending　beneath　them；　but　never　breaking。　The　houses　of　the　merchants
are　small　and　low；　their　fronts　are　veneered　with　slate。　Wood；　now
decaying；　counts　for　much　in　the　carved　material　of　the　window…casings
and　the　pillars；　above　which　grotesque　faces　look　down；　while　shapes
of　fantastic　beasts　climb　up　the　angles；　animated　by　that　great
thought　of　Art；　which　in　those　old　days　gave　life　to　inanimate　nature。
These　relics；　resisting　change；　present　to　the　eye　of　painters　those
dusky　tones　and　half…blurred　features　in　which　the　artistic　brush
delights。

The　streets　are　what　they　were　four　hundred　years　ago；with　one
exception；　population　no　longer　swarms　there；　the　social　movement　is
now　so　dead　that　a　traveller　wishing　to　examine　the　town　（as　beautiful
as　a　suit　of　antique　armor）　may　walk　alone；　not　without　sadness；
through　a　deserted　street；　where　the　mullioned　windows　are　plastered
up　to　avoid　the　window…tax。　This　street　ends　at　a　postern；　flanked
with　a　wall　of　masonry；　beyond　which　rises　a　bouquet　of　trees　planted
by　the　hands　of　Breton　nature；　one　of　the　most　luxuriant　and　fertile
vegetations　in　France。　A　painter；　a　poet　would　sit　there　silently；　to
taste　the　quietude　which　reigns　beneath　the　well…preserved　arch　of　the
postern；　where　no　voice　comes　from　the　life　of　the　peaceful　city；　and
where　the　landscape　is　seen　in　its　rich　magnificence　through　the　loop…
holes　of　the　casemates　once　occupied　by　halberdiers　and　archers；　which
are　not　unlike　the　sashes　of　some　belvedere　arranged　for　a　point　of
view。

It　is　impossible　to　walk　about　the　place　without　thinking　at　every
step　of　the　habits　and　usages　of　long…past　times；　the　very　stones　tell
of　them；　the　ideas　of　the　middle　ages　are　still　there　with　all　their
ancient　superstitions。　If；　by　chance；　a　gendarme　passes　you；　with　his
silver…laced　hat；　his　presence　is　an　anachronism　against　which　your
sense　of　fitness　protests；　but　nothing　is　so　rare　as　to　meet　a　being
or　an　object　of　the　present　time。　There　is　even　very　little　of　the
clothing　of　the　day；　and　that　little　the　inhabitants　adapt　in　a　way　to
their　immutable　customs；　their　unchangeable　physiognomies。　The　public
square　is　filled　with　Breton　costumes；　which　artists　flock　to　draw；
these　stand　out　in　wonderful　relief　upon　the　scene　around　them。　The
whiteness　of　the　linen　worn　by　the　/paludiers/　（the　name　given　to　men
who　gather　salt　in　the　salt…marshes）　contrasts　vigorously　with　the
blues　and　browns　of　the　peasantry　and　the　original　and　sacredly
preserved　jewelry　of　the　women。　These　two　classes；　and　that　of　the
sailors　in　their　jerkins　and　varnished　leather　caps　are　as　distinct
from　one　another　as　the　castes　of　India；　and　still　recognize　the
distance　that　parts　them　from　the　bourgeoisie；　the　nobility；　and　the
clergy。　All　lines　are　clearly　marked；　there　the　revolutionary　level
found　the　masses　too　rugged　and　too　hard　to　plane；　its　instrument
would　have　been　notched；　if　not　broken。　The　character　of　immutability
which　science　gives　to　zoological　species　is　found　in　Breton　human
nature。　Even　now；　after　the　Revolution　of　1830；　Guerande　is　still　a
town　apart；　essentially　Breton；　fervently　Catholic；　silent；　self…
contained；a　place　where　modern　ideas　have　little　access。

Its　geographical　position　explains　this　phenomenon。　The　pretty　town
overlooks　a　salt…marsh；　the　product　of　which　is　called　throughout
Brittany　the　Guerande　salt；　to　which　many　Bretons　attribute　the
excellence　of　their　butter　and　their　sardines。　It　is　connected　with
the　rest　of　France　by　two　roads　only：　that　coming　from　Savenay；　the
arrondissement　to　which　it　belongs；　which　stops　at　Saint…Nazaire；　and
a　second　road；　leading　from　Vannes；　which　connects　it　with　the
Morbihan。　The　arrondissement　road　establishes　communication　by　land；
and　from　Saint…Nazaire　by　water；　with　Nantes。　The　land　road　is　used
only　by　government；　the　more　rapid　and　more　frequented　way　being　by
water　from　Saint…Nazaire。　Now；　between　this　village　and　Guerande　is　a
distance　of　eighteen　miles。　which　the　mail…coach　does　not　serve；　and
for　good　reason；　not　three　coach　passengers　a　year　would　pass　over　it。

These；　and　other　obstacles；　little　fitted　to　encourage　travellers；
still　exist。　In　the　first　place；　government　is　slow　in　its
proceedings；　and　next；　the　inhabitants　of　the　region　put　up　readily
enough　with　difficulties　which　separate　them　from　the　rest　of　France。
Guerande；　therefore；　being　at　the　extreme　end　of　the　continent；　leads
nowhere；　and　no　one　comes　there。　Glad　to　be　ignored；　she　thinks　and
cares　about　herself　only。　The　immense　product　of　her　salt…marshes；
which　pays　a　tax　of　not　less　than　a　million　to　the　Treasury；　is
chiefly　managed　at　Croisic；　a　peninsular　village　which　communicates
with　Guerande　over　quicksands；　which　efface　during　the　nig