the vicar of tours- 第17部分

archbishop；　and　before　an　assembled　party；　one　of　those　priestly

speeches　which　are　big　with　vengeance　and　soft　with　honied　mildness。

The　Baron　de　Listomere　went　the　next　day　to　see　this　implacable　enemy；

who　must　have　imposed　sundry　hard　conditions　on　him；　for　the　baron's

subsequent　conduct　showed　the　most　entire　submission　to　the　will　of

the　terrible　Jesuit。



The　new　bishop　made　over　Mademoiselle　Gamard's　house　by　deed　of　gift

to　the　Chapter　of　the　cathedral；　he　gave　Chapeloud's　books　and

bookcases　to　the　seminary；　he　presented　the　two　disputed　pictures　to

the　Chapel　of　the　Virgin；　but　he　kept　Chapeloud's　portrait。　No　one

knew　how　to　explain　this　almost　total　renunciation　of　Mademoiselle

Gamard's　bequest。　Monsieur　de　Bourbonne　supposed　that　the　bishop　had

secretly　kept　moneys　that　were　invested；　so　as　to　support　his　rank

with　dignity　in　Paris；　where　of　course　he　would　take　his　seat　on　the

Bishops'　bench　in　the　Upper　Chamber。　It　was　not　until　the　night　before

Monseigneur　Troubert's　departure　from　Tours　that　the　sly　old　fox

unearthed　the　hidden　reason　of　this　strange　action；　the　deathblow

given　by　the　most　persistent　vengeance　to　the　feeblest　of　victims。

Madame　de　Listomere's　legacy　to　Birotteau　was　contested　by　the　Baron

de　Listomere　under　a　pretence　of　undue　influence！



A　few　days　after　the　case　was　brought　the　baron　was　promoted　to　the

rank　of　captain。　As　a　measure　of　ecclesiastical　discipline；　the　curate

of　Saint…Symphorien　was　suspended。　His　superiors　judged　him　guilty。

The　murderer　of　Sophie　Gamard　was　also　a　swindler。　If　Monseigneur

Troubert　had　kept　Mademoiselle　Gamard's　property　he　would　have　found

it　difficult　to　make　the　ecclestiastical　authorities　censure

Birotteau。



At　the　moment　when　Monseigneur　Hyacinthe；　Bishop　of　Troyes；　drove

along　the　quay　Saint…Symphorien　in　a　post…chaise　on　his　way　to　Paris

poor　Birotteau　had　been　placed　in　an　armchair　in　the　sun　on　a　terrace

above　the　road。　The　unhappy　priest；　smitten　by　the　archbishop；　was

pale　and　haggard。　Grief；　stamped　on　every　feature；　distorted　the　face

that　was　once　so　mildly　gay。　Illness　had　dimmed　his　eyes；　formerly

brightened　by　the　pleasures　of　good　living　and　devoid　of　serious

ideas；　with　a　veil　which　simulated　thought。　It　was　but　the　skeleton　of

the　old　Birotteau　who　had　rolled　only　one　year　earlier　so　vacuous　but

so　content　along　the　Cloister。　The　bishop　cast　one　look　of　pity　and

contempt　upon　his　victim；　then　he　consented　to　forget　him；　and　went

his　way。



There　is　no　doubt　that　Troubert　would　have　been　in　other　times　a

Hildebrand　or　an　Alexander　the　Sixth。　In　these　days　the　Church　is　no

longer　a　political　power；　and　does　not　absorb　the　whole　strength　of

her　solitaries。　Celibacy；　however；　presents　the　inherent　vice　of

concentating　the　faculties　of　man　upon　a　single　passion；　egotism；

which　renders　celibates　either　useless　or　mischievous。　We　live　at　a

period　when　the　defect　of　governments　is　to　make　Man　for　Society

rather　than　Society　for　Man。　There　is　a　perpetual　struggle　going　on

between　the　Individual　and　the　Social　system　which　insists　on　using

him；　while　he　is　endeavoring　to　use　it　to　his　own　profit；　whereas；　in

former　days；　man；　really　more　free；　was　also　more　loyal　to　the　public

weal。　The　round　in　which　men　struggle　in　these　days　has　been

insensibly　widened；　the　soul　which　can　grasp　it　as　a　whole　will　ever

be　a　magnificent　exception；　for；　as　a　general　thing；　in　morals　as　in

physics；　impulsion　loses　in　intensity　what　it　gains　in　extension。

Society　can　not　be　based　on　exceptions。　Man　in　the　first　instance　was

purely　and　simply；　father；　his　heart　beat　warmly；　concentrated　in　the

one　ray　of　Family。　Later；　he　lived　for　a　clan；　or　a　small　community；

hence　the　great　historical　devotions　of　Greece　and　Rome。　After　that　he

was　a　man　of　caste　or　of　a　religion；　to　maintain　the　greatness　of

which　he　often　proved　himself　sublime；　but　by　that　time　the　field　of

his　interests　became　enlarged　by　many　intellectual　regions。　In　our

day；　his　life　is　attached　to　that　of　a　vast　country；　sooner　or　later

his　family　will　be；　it　is　predicted；　the　entire　universe。



Will　this　moral　cosmopolitanism；　the　hope　of　Christian　Rome；　prove　to

be　only　a　sublime　error？　It　is　so　natural　to　believe　in　the

realization　of　a　noble　vision；　in　the　Brotherhood　of　Man。　But；　alas！

the　human　machine　does　not　have　such　divine　proportions。　Souls　that

are　vast　enough　to　grasp　a　range　of　feelings　bestowed　on　great　men

only　will　never　belong　to　either　fathers　of　families　or　simple

citizens。　Some　physiologists　have　thought　that　as　the　brain　enlarges

the　heart　narrows；　but　they　are　mistaken。　The　apparent　egotism　of　men

who　bear　a　science；　a　nation；　a　code　of　laws　in　their　bosom　is　the

noblest　of　passions；　it　is；　as　one　may　say；　the　maternity　of　the

masses；　to　give　birth　to　new　peoples；　to　produce　new　ideas　they　must

unite　within　their　mighty　brains　the　breasts　of　woman　and　the　force　of

God。　The　history　of　such　men　as　Innocent　the　Third　and　Peter　the

Great；　and　all　great　leaders　of　their　age　and　nation　will　show；　if

need　be；　in　the　highest　spheres　the　same　vast　thought　of　which

Troubert　was　made　the　representative　in　the　quiet　depths　of　the

Cloister　of　Saint…Gatien。







ADDENDUM



The　following　personages　appear　in　other　stories　of　the　Human　Comedy。



Birotteau；　Abbe　Francois　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Troubert；　Abbe　Hyacinthe

　　　　　The　Lily　of　the　Valley　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　Member　for　Arcis

　　　　　Cesar　Birotteau

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Villenoix；　Pauline　Salomon　de

Bourbonne；　De　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Louis　Lambert

　　　　　Madame　Firmiani　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　A　Seaside　Tragedy



Listomere；　Baronne　de

　　　　　Cesar　Birotteau

　　　　　The　Muse　of　the　Department











End