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！
privations this loss of inheritance （so long counted on for many
comforts） would be to them。 〃However；〃 added Goupil； 〃we'll drown this
little grief in floods of champagne in honor of Desire！sha'n't we；
old fellow？〃 he cried； tapping the stomach of the giant； and inviting
himself to the feast for fear he should be left out。
CHAPTER II
THE RICH UNCLE
Before proceeding further； persons of an exact turn of mind may like
to read a species of family inventory； so as to understand the degrees
of relationship which connected the old man thus suddenly converted to
religion with these three heads of families or their wives。 This
cross…breeding of families in the remote provinces might be made the
subject of many instructive reflections。
There are but three or four houses of the lesser nobility in Nemours；
among them； at the period of which we write； that of the family of
Portenduere was the most important。 These exclusives visited none but
nobles who possessed lands or chateaus in the neighbourhood； of the
latter we may mention the d'Aiglemonts； owners of the beautiful estate
of Saint…Lange； and the Marquis du Rouvre； whose property； crippled by
mortgages； was closely watched by the bourgeoisie。 The nobles of the
town had no money。 Madame de Portenduere's sole possessions were a
farm which brought a rental of forty…seven hundred francs； and her
town house。
In opposition to this very insignificant Faubourg St。 Germain was a
group of a dozen rich families； those of retired millers； or former
merchants； in short a miniature bourgeoisie； below which； again； lived
and moved the retail shopkeepers； the proletaries and the peasantry。
The bourgeoisie presented （like that of the Swiss cantons and of other
small countries） the curious spectacle of the ramifications of certain
autochthonous families； old…fashioned and unpolished perhaps； but who
rule a whole region and pervade it； until nearly all its inhabitants
are cousins。 Under Louis XI。； an epoch at which the commons first made
real names of their surnames （some of which are united with those of
feudalism） the bourgeoisie of Nemours was made up of Minorets；
Massins； Levraults and Cremieres。 Under Louis XIII。 these four
families had already produced the Massin…Cremieres； the Levrault…
Massins； the Massin…Minorets； the Minoret…Minorets； the Cremiere…
Levraults； the Levrault…Minoret…Massins； Massin…Levraults； Minoret…
Massins； Massin…Massins； and Cremiere…Massins；all these varied with
juniors and diversified with the names of eldest sons； as for
instance； Cremiere…Francois； Levrault…Jacques； Jean…Minoretenough to
drive a Pere Anselme of the People frantic；if the people should ever
want a genealogist。
The variations of this family kaleidoscope of four branches was now so
complicated by births and marriages that the genealogical tree of the
bourgeoisie of Nemours would have puzzled the Benedictines of the
Almanach of Gotha； in spite of the atomic science with which they
arrange those zigzags of German alliances。 For a long time the
Minorets occupied the tanneries； the Cremieres kept the mills； the
Massins were in trade； and the Levraults continued farmers。
Fortunately for the neighbourhood these four stocks threw out suckers
instead of depending only on their tap…roots； they scattered cuttings
by the expatriation of sons who sought their fortune elsewhere； for
instance； there are Minorets who are cutlers at Melun； Levraults at
Montargis； Massins at Orleans； and Cremieres of some importance in
Paris。 Divers are the destinies of these bees from the parent hive。
Rich Massins employ； of course； the poor working Massinsjust as
Austria and Prussia take the German princes into their service。 It may
happen that a public office is managed by a Minoret millionaire and
guarded by a Minoret sentinel。 Full of the same blood and called by
the same name （for sole likeness）； these four roots had ceaselessly
woven a human network of which each thread was delicate or strong；
fine or coarse； as the case might be。 The same blood was in the head
and in the feet and in the heart； in the working hands； in the weakly
lungs； in the forehead big with genius。
The chiefs of the clan were faithful to the little town； where the
ties of family were relaxed or tightened according to the events which
happened under this curious cognomenism。 In whatever part of France
you may be； you will find the same thing under changed names； but
without the poetic charm which feudalism gave to it； and which Walter
Scott's genius reproduced so faithfully。 Let us look a little higher
and examine humanity as it appears in history。 All the noble families
of the eleventh century； most of them （except the royal race of Capet）
extinct to…day； will be found to have contributed to the birth of the
Rohans； Montmorencys； Beauffremonts； and Mortemarts of our time；in
fact they will all be found in the blood of the last gentleman who is
indeed a gentleman。 In other words； every bourgeois is cousin to a
bourgeois； and every noble is cousin to a noble。 A splendid page of
biblical genealogy shows that in one thousand years three families；
Shem； Ham； and Japhet； peopled the globe。 One family may become a
nation； unfortunately； a nation may become one family。 To prove this
we need only search back through our ancestors and see their
accumulation； which time increases into a retrograde geometric
progression； which multiplies of itself； reminding us of the
calculation of the wise man who； being told to choose a reward from
the king of Persia for inventing chess； asked for one ear of wheat for
the first move on the board； the reward to be doubled for each
succeeding move； when it was found that the kingdom was not large
enough to pay it。 The net…work of the nobility； hemmed in by the net…
work of the bourgeoisie；the antagonism of two protected races； one
protected by fixed institutions； the other by the active patience of
labor and the shrewdness of commerce；produced the revolution of
1789。 The two races almost reunited are to…day face to face with
collaterals without a heritage。 What are they to do？ Our political
future is big with the answer。
The family of the man who under Louis XV。 was simply called Minoret
was so numerous that one of the five children （the Minoret whose
entrance into the parish church caused such interest） went to Paris to
seek his fortune； and seldom returned to his native town； until he
came to receive his share of the inheritance of his grandfather。 After
suffering many things； like all young men of firm will who struggle
for a place in the brilliant world of Paris； this son of the Minorets
reached a nobler destiny than he had； perhaps； dreamed of at the
start。 He devoted himself； in the first instance； to medicine； a
profession which demands both talent and a cheerful nature； but the
latter qualification even more than talent。 Backed by Dupont de
Nemours； connected by a lucky chance with the Abbe Morellet （whom
Voltaire nicknamed Mords…les）； and protected by the Encyclopedists；
Doctor Minoret attached himself as liegeman to the famous Doctor
Bordeu； the friend of Diderot； D'Alembert； Helvetius； the Baron
d'Holbach and Grimm； in whose presence he felt himself a mere boy。
These men； influenced by Bordeu's example； became interested in
Minoret； who； about the year 1777； found himself with a very good
practice among deists； encyclopedists； sensualists； materialists； or
whatever you are pleased to call the rich philosophers of that period。
Though Minoret was very little of a humbug； he invented the famous
balm of Lelievre； so much extolled by the 〃Mercure de France；〃 the
weekly organ of the Encyclopedists； in whose columns it was
permanently advertised。 The apothecary Lelievre； a clever man； saw a
stroke of business where Minoret had only seen a new preparation for
the dispensary； and he loyally shared his profits with the doctor； who
was a pupil of Rouelle in chemistry as well as of Bordeu in medicine。
Less than that would make a man a materialist。
The doctor married for love in 1778； during the reign of the 〃Nouvelle
Heloise；〃 when persons did occasionally marry for that reason。 His
wife was a daughter of the famous harpsichordist Valentin Mirouet； a
celebrated musician； frail and delicate； whom the Revolution slew。
Minoret knew Robespierre intimately； for he had once been instrumental
in awarding him a gold medal for a dissertation on the following
subject： 〃What is the origin of the opinion that covers a whole family
with the shame attaching to the public punishment of a guilty member
of it？ Is that opinion more harmful than useful？ If yes； in what way
can the harm be warded off。〃 The Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences at
Metz； to which Minoret belonged； must possess this dissertation in the
original。 Though； thanks to this friendship； the Doctor's wife need
have had no fear； she was so in dread of going