友情提示:如果本网页打开太慢或显示不完整,请尝试鼠标右键“刷新”本网页!阅读过程发现任何错误请告诉我们,谢谢!! 报告错误
九色书籍 返回本书目录 我的书架 我的书签 TXT全本下载 进入书吧 加入书签

history of friedrich ii of prussia v 16-第5章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!



s; and very little fame:honors and riches rain on me; at last; for a Farce of the Fair〃 ( OEuvres;  ii。 151)。 The 〃Farce〃 (which by no means CALLED itself such) was PRINCESSE DE NAVARRE ( OEuvres;  lxxiii。 251): first acted 23d February; 1745; Day of the Wedding。 Gentlemanship of the Chamber thereupon (which Voltaire; by permission; sold; shortly after; for 2;500 pounds; with titles retained); and appointment as Historiographer Royal。 Poor Dauphiness did not live long; Louis XVI。's Mother was a SECOND Wife; Saxon…Polish Majesty's Daughter。' Yes; my friend; it is a considerable ass; this world; by no means the Perfectly Wise put at the top of it (as one could wish); and the Perfectly Foolish at the bottom。 Witnessnay; witness Psyche Pompadour herself; is not she an emblem! Take your luck without criticism; luck good and bad visits all。

2。 AND GOT INTO THE ACADEMY NEXT YEAR; IN CONSEQUENCE。 In 1746; the Academy itself; Pompadour favoring; is made willing; Voltaire sees himself among the Forty: soul; on that side too; be at ease; and hunger not nor thirst anymore。 '〃May 9th; 1746; Voltaire is received at the Academy; and makes a very fine Discourse〃 (BARBIER; ii。 488)。  OEuvres de Voltaire;  lxxiii。 355; 385; and i。 97。' This highest of felicities could not be achieved without an ugly accompaniment from the surrounding Populace。 Desfontaines is dead; safe down in Sodom; but wants not for a successor; for a whole Doggery of such。 Who are all awake; and giving tongue on this occasion。 There is M。 Roi the 〃Poet;〃 as he was then reckoned; jingling Roi; who concocts satirical calumnies; who collects old ones; reprints the same;and sends Travenol; an Opera…Fiddler; to vend them。 From which sprang a Lawsuit; PROCES… TRAVENOL; of famous melancholy sort。 As Voltaire had rather the habit of such sad melancholy Lawsuits; we will pause on this of Travenol for a moment:

3。 SUMMARY OF TRAVENOL LAWSUIT。 〃Monday; 9th May; 1746; was the Day or reception at the Academy; reception and fruition; thrice…savory to Voltaire。 But what an explosion of the Doggeries; before; during and after that event! Voltaire had tried to be prudent; too。 He had been corresponding with Popes; with Cardinals; and; in a fine frank…looking way; capturing their suffrages:not by lying; which in general he wishes to avoid; but by speaking half the truth; in short; by advancing; in a dexterous; diplomatic way; the uncloven foot; in those Vatican precincts。 And had got the Holy Father's own suffrage for MAHOMET (think of that; you Ass of Mirepoix!); among other cases that might rise。 When this seat among the Forty fell vacant; his very first measuremark it; Orthodox readerwas a Letter to the Chief Jesuit; Father Latour; Head of one's old College of Louis le Grand。 A Letter of fine filial tenor: 'My excellent old Schoolmasters; to whom I owe everything; the representatives of learning; of decorum; of frugality and modest human virtue:in what contrast to the obscure Doggeries poaching about in the street…gutters; and flying at the peaceable passenger!' 'In  Voltairiana; ou Eloges Amphigouriques;  &c。 (Paris; 1748); i。 150…160; the LETTER itself; 〃Paris; 7th February; 1746;〃 omitted (without need or real cause on any side) in the common Collections of  OEuvres de Voltaire。 ' Which captivated Father Latour; and made matters smooth on that side; so that even the ANCIEN DE MIREPOIX said nothing; this time: What could he say? No cloven foot visible; and the Authorities strong。  

〃Voltaire had started as Candidate with these judicious preliminaries。 Voltaire was elected; as we saw; fine Discourse; 9th May; and on the Official side all things comfortable。 But; in the mean while; the Doggeries; as natural; seeing the thing now likely; had risen to a never…imagined pitch; and had filled Paris; and; to Voltaire's excruciated sense; the Universe; with their howlings and their hyena…laughter; with their pasquils; satires; old and new。 So that Voltaire could not stand it; and; in evil hour; rushed downstairs upon them; seized one poor dog; Travenol; unknown to him as Fiddler or otherwise; pinioned Dog Travenol; with pincers; by the ears; him for one;proper Police…pincers; for we are now well at Court;and had a momentary joy! And; alas; this was not the right dog; this; we say; was Travenol a Fiddler at the Opera; who; except the street…noises; knew nothing of Voltaire; much less had the least pique at him; but had taken to hawking certain Pasquils (Jingler Roi's COLLECTION; it appears); to turn a desirable penny by them。

〃And mistakes were made in the Affair Travenol;old FATHER Travenol haled to prison; instead of Son;by the Lieutenant of Police and his people。 And Voltaire took the high…hand method (being well at Court):and thereupon hungry Advocates took up Dog Travenol and his pincered ears: 'Serene Judges of the Chatelet; Most Christian Populace of Paris; did you ever see a Dog so pincered by an Academical Gentleman before; merely for being hungry?' And Voltaire; getting madder and madder; appealed to the Academy (which would not interfere); filed Criminal Informations; appealed to the Chatelet; to the Courts above and to the Courts below; and; for almost a year; there went on the 'PROCES…TRAVENOL:' 'About Mayday; 1746; Seizure of Travenol; Pleadings are in vigor August; 1746; not done April; 1747。 In  Voltairiana;  ii。 141…206; Pleadings; &c。; copiously given; and most of the original Libels; in different parts of that sad Book (compiled by Travenol's Advocate; a very sad fellow himself): see also  OEuvres de Voltaire;  lxxiii。 355 n。; 385 n。; IB。 i。 97; BARBIER; ii。 487。 All in a very jumbled; dateless; vague and incorrect condition。' Olympian Jove in distressed circumstances VERSUS a hungry Dog who had eaten dirty puddings。 Paris; in all its Saloons and Literary Coffee…houses (figure the ANTRE DE PROCOPE; on Publication nights!); had; monthly or so; the exquisite malign banquet; and grinned over the Law Pleadings: what Magazine Serial of our day can be so interesting to the emptiest mind!

〃Lasted; I find; for above a year。 From Spring; 1746; till towards Autumn; 1747: Voltaire's feelings beingHaha; so exquisite; all the while!Well; reader; I can judge how amusing it was to high and low。 And yet Phoebus Apollo going about as mere Cowherd of Admetus; and exposed to amuse the populace by his duels with dogs that have bitten him? It is certain Voltaire was a fool; not to be more cautious of getting into gutter…quarrels; not to have a thicker skin; in fact。〃

PROCES…TRAVENOL escorting one's Triumphal Entry; what an adjunct! Always so: always in your utmost radiance of sunshine a shadow; and in your softest outburst of Lydian or Spheral symphonies something of eating Care! Then too; in the Court…circle itself; 〃is Trajan pleased;〃 or are all things well? Readers have heard of that 〃TRAJAN EST…IL CONTENT?〃 It occurred Winter; 1745 (27th November; 1745; a date worth marking); while things were still in the flush of early hope。 That evening; our TEMPLE DE LA GLOIRE (Temple of Glory) had just been acted for the first time; in honor of him we may call 〃Trajan;〃 returning from a 〃Fontenoy and Seven Cities captured:〃 'Seven of them; or even eight of a kind: Tournay; Ghent; Bruges; Nieuport; Dendermond; Ath; Ostend; and nothing lost but Cape Breton and one's Codfishery。'

    〃Reviens; divin Trajan; vainqueur doux et terrible;      Le monde est mon rival; tous les coeurs sont a toi;      Mais est…il un coeur plus sensible;      Et qui t'adore plus que moi?〃 'TEMPLE DE LA GLOIRE; Acte iv。 ( OEuvres;  xii。 328)。'     〃Return; divine Trajan; conqueror sweet and terrible;      The world is my rival; all hearts are thine;      But is there a heart more loving;      Or that adores thee more than I?〃

An allegoric Dramatic Piece; naturally very admirable at Versailles。 Issuing radiant from Fall of the Curtain; Voltaire had  the farther honor to see his Majesty pass out; Majesty escorted by Richelieu; one's old friend in a sense: 〃Is Trajan pleased?〃 whispered Voltaire to his Richelieu; overheard by Trajan;who answered in words nothing; but in a visible glance of the eyes did answer; 〃Impertinent Lackey!〃Trajan being a man unready with speech; and disliking trouble with the people whom he paid for keeping his boots in polish。 O my winged Voltaire; to what dunghill Bubbly…Jocks (COQS D'INDE) you do stoop with homage; constrained by their appearance of mere size!

Evidently no perfect footing at Court; after all。 And then the Pompadour; could she; Head…Butterfly of the Universe; be an anchor that would hold; if gales rose? Rather she is herself somewhat of a gale; of a continual liability to gales; unstable as the wind! Voltaire did his best to be useful; as Court Poet; as director of Private Theatricals;above all; to soothe; to flatter Pompadour; and never neglected this evident duty。 But; by degrees; the envious Lackey…people made cabals; turned the Divine Butterfly into comparative indifference for Voltaire; into preference of a Crebillon's poor faded Pieces: 〃Suitabler these; Madame; for the Private Theatricals of a Most Christian Majes
返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0
未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!
温馨提示: 温看小说的同时发表评论,说出自己的看法和其它小伙伴们分享也不错哦!发表书评还可以获得积分和经验奖励,认真写原创书评 被采纳为精评可以获得大量金币、积分和经验奖励哦!