第59章
Such is the lever， a piece in five acts. - Nothing could be contrived better calculated to fill up the void of an aristocratic life ； a hundred or thereabouts of notable seigniors dispose of a couple of hours in coming， in waiting， in entering， in defiling， in taking positions， in standing on their feet， in maintaining an air of respect and of ease suitable to a superior class of walking gentlemen， while those best qualified are about to do the same thing over in the queen's apartment.
[42] - The king， however， as an indirect consequence， suffers the same torture and the same inaction as he imposes. He also is playing a part； all his steps and all his gestures have been determined beforehand； he has been obliged to arrange his physiognomy and his voice， never to depart from an affable and dignified air， to award judiciously his glances and his nods， to keep silent or to speak only of the chase， and to suppress his own thoughts， if he has any. One cannot indulge in reverie， meditate or be absent-minded when one is before the footlights； the part must have due attention. Besides， in a drawing room there is only drawing room conversation， and the master's thoughts， instead of being directed in a profitable channel， must be scattered about like the holy water of the court. All hours of his day are passed in a similar manner， except three or four during the morning， during which he is at the council or in his private room； it must be noted， too， that on the days after his hunts， on returning home from Rambouillet at three o'clock in the morning， he must sleep the few hours he has left to him. The ambassador Mercy，[43] nevertheless， a man of close application， seems to think it sufficient； he， at least， thinks that "Louis XVI is a man of order， losing no time in useless things；" his predecessor， indeed， worked much less， scarcely an hour a day. Three-quarters of his time is thus given up to show. The same retinue surrounds him when he puts on his boots， when he takes them off； when he changes his clothes to mount his horse， when he returns home to dress for the evening， and when he goes to his room at night to retire. "Every evening for six years， says a page，[44] either myself or one of my comrades has seen Louis XVI get into bed in public，" with the ceremonial just described.
"It was not omitted ten times to my knowledge， and then accidentally or through indisposition." The attendance is yet more numerous when he dines and takes supper； for， besides men there are women present， duchesses seated on the folding-chairs， also others standing around the table. It is needless to state that in the evening when he plays， or gives a ball， or a concert， the crowd rushes in and overflows. When he hunts， besides the ladies on horses and in vehicles， besides officers of the hunt， of the guards， the equerry， the cloak-bearer， gun-bearer， surgeon， bone-setter， lunch-bearer and I know not how many others， all the gentlemen who accompany him are his permanent guests.
And do not imagine that this suite is a small one；[45] the day M. de Chateaubriand is presented there are four fresh additions， and "with the utmost punctuality" all the young men of high rank join the king's retinue two or three times a week. Not only the eight or ten scenes which compose each of these days， but again the short intervals between the scenes are besieged and carried. People watch for him， walk by his side and speak with him on his way from his cabinet to the chapel， between his apartment and his carriage， between his carriage and his apartment， between his cabinet and his dining room. And still more， his life behind the scenes belongs to the public. If he is indisposed and broth is brought to him， if he is ill and medicine is handed to him， "a servant immediately summons the 'grande entrée.' "Verily， the king resembles an oak stifled by the innumerable creepers which， from top to bottom， cling to its trunk. Under a régime of this stamp there is a want of air； some opening has to be found； Louis XVavailed himself of the chase and of suppers； Louis XVI of the chase and of lock-making. And I have not mentioned the infinite detail of etiquette， the extraordinary ceremonial of the state dinner， the fifteen， twenty and thirty beings busy around the king's plates and glasses， the sacramental utterances of the occasion， the procession of the retinue， the arrival of "la nef" "l'essai des plats，" all as if in a Byzantine or Chinese court.[46] On Sundays the entire public， the public in general， is admitted， and this is called the "grand couvert，" as complex and as solemn as a high mass. Accordingly to eat， to drink， to get up， to go to bed， is to a descendant of Louis XIV， to officiate.[47] Frederick II， on hearing an explanation of this etiquette， declared that if he were king of France his first edict would be to appoint another king to hold court in his place. In effect， if there are idlers to salute there must be an idler to be saluted. Only one way was possible by which the monarch could have been set free， and that was to have recast and transformed the French nobles， according to the Prussian system， into a hard-working regiment of serviceable functionaries. But， so long as the court remains what it is， that is to say， a pompous parade and a drawing room decoration， the king himself must likewise remain a showy decoration， of little or no use.
V. ROYAL DISTRACTIONS.
Diversions of the royal family and of the court.- Louis XV. - Louis XVI.
In short， what is the occupation of a well-qualified master of a house？ He amuses himself and he amuses his guests； under his roof a new pleasure-party comes off daily. Let us enumerate those of a week.