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！
This provoked a great outcry among the local burgesses； and a senator of the Empire； a former member of the Council of the Five Hundred which favored the 18 Brumaire； and who was provided with a magnificent senatorial office in the vicinity of the town of D； wrote to M。 Bigot de Preameneu； the minister of public worship； a very angry and confidential note on the subject； from which we extract these authentic lines：
〃Expenses of carriage？
What can be done with it in a town of less than four thousand inhabitants？
Expenses of journeys？
What is the use of these trips； in the first place？
Next； how can the posting be acplished in these mountainous parts？
There are no roads。 No one travels otherwise than on horseback。
Even the bridge between Durance and Chateau…Arnoux can barely support ox…teams。 These priests are all thus； greedy and avaricious。
This man played the good priest when he first came。
Now he does like the rest； he must have a carriage and a posting…chaise； he must have luxuries； like the bishops of the olden days。
Oh； all this priesthood！ Things will not go well； M。 le te； until the Emperor has freed us from these black…capped rascals。
Down with the Pope！
＇Matters were getting embroiled with Rome。＇ For my part； I am for Caesar alone。〃 Etc。； etc。
On the other hand； this affair afforded great delight to Madame Magloire。 〃Good；〃 said she to Mademoiselle Baptistine； 〃Monseigneur began with other people； but he has had to wind up with himself； after all。 He has regulated all his charities。
Now here are three thousand francs for us！
At last！〃
That same evening the Bishop wrote out and handed to his sister a memorandum conceived in the following terms：
EXPENSES OF CARRIAGE AND CIRCUIT。
For furnishing meat soup to the patients in the hospital。 1；500 livres
For the maternity charitable society of Aix 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 250 〃
For the maternity charitable society of Draguignan 。 。 。 250 〃
For foundlings 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 500 〃
For orphans 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 500 〃
Total 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 3；000 〃
Such was M。 Myriel's budget。
As for the chance episcopal perquisites； the fees for marriage bans； dispensations； private baptisms； sermons； benedictions； of churches or chapels； marriages； etc。； the Bishop levied them on the wealthy with all the more asperity； since he bestowed them on the needy。
After a time； offerings of money flowed in。
Those who had and those who lacked knocked at M。 Myriel's door；the latter in search of the alms which the former came to deposit。
In less than a year the Bishop had bee the treasurer of all benevolence and the cashier of all those in distress。
Considerable sums of money passed through his hands； but nothing could induce him to make any change whatever in his mode of life； or add anything superfluous to his bare necessities。
Far from it。
As there is always more wretchedness below than there is brotherhood above； all was given away； so to speak； before it was received。
It was like water on dry soil； no matter how much money he received； he never had any。
Then he stripped himself。
The usage being that bishops shall announce their baptismal names at the head of their charges and their pastoral letters； the poor people of the country…side had selected； with a sort of affectionate instinct； among the names and prenomens of their bishop； that which had a meaning for them； and they never called him anything except Monseigneur Bienvenu ＇Wele＇。 We will follow their example； and will also call him thus when we have occasion to name him。
Moreover； this appellation pleased him。
〃I like that name；〃 said he。
〃Bienvenu makes up for the Monseigneur。〃
We do not claim that the portrait herewith presented is probable； we confine ourselves to stating that it resembles the original。
BOOK FIRSTA JUST MAN
CHAPTER III
A HARD BISHOPRIC FOR A GOOD BISHOP
The Bishop did not omit his pastoral visits because he had converted his carriage into alms。
The diocese of D is a fatiguing one。 There are very few plains and a great many mountains； hardly any roads； as we have just seen； thirty…two curacies； forty…one vicarships； and two hundred and eighty…five auxiliary chapels。
To visit all these is quite a task。
The Bishop managed to do it。
He went on foot when it was in the neighborhood； in a tilted spring…cart when it was on the plain； and on a donkey in the mountains。
The two old women acpanied him。 When the trip was too hard for them； he went alone。
One day he arrived at Senez； which is an ancient episcopal city。 He was mounted on an ass。
His purse； which was very dry at that moment； did not permit him any other equipage。
The mayor of the town came to receive him at the gate of the town； and watched him dismount from his ass； with scandalized eyes。
Some of the citizens were laughing around him。
〃Monsieur the Mayor；〃 said the Bishop； 〃and Messieurs Citizens； I perceive that I shock you。
You think it very arrogant in a poor priest to ride an animal which was used by Jesus Christ。
I have done so from necessity； I assure you； and not from vanity。〃
In the course of these trips he was kind and indulgent； and talked rather than preached。
He never went far in search of his arguments and his examples。
He quoted to the inhabitants of one district the example of a neighboring district。
In the cantons where they were harsh to the poor； he said：
〃Look at the people of Briancon！ They have conferred on the poor； on widows and orphans； the right to have their meadows mown three days in advance of every one else。 They rebuild their houses for them gratuitously when they are ruined。 Therefore it is a country which is blessed by God。
For a whole century； there has not been a single murderer among them。〃
In villages which were greedy for profit and harvest； he said： 〃Look at the people of Embrun！
If； at the harvest season； the father of a family has his son away on service in the army； and his daughters at service in the town； and if he is ill and incapacitated； the cure remends him to the prayers of the congregation； and on Sunday； after the mass； all the inhabitants of the villagemen； women； and childrengo to the poor man's field and do his harvesting for him； and carry his straw and his grain to his granary。〃 To families divided by questions of money and inheritance he said： 〃Look at the mountaineers of Devolny； a country so wild that the nightingale is not heard there once in fifty years。
Well； when the father of a family dies； the boys go off to seek their fortunes； leaving the property to the girls； so that they may find husbands。〃 To the cantons which had a taste for lawsuits； and where the farmers ruined themselves in stamped paper； he said：
〃Look at those good peasants in the valley of Queyras！
There are three thousand souls of them。 Mon Dieu！ it is like a little republic。
Neither judge nor bailiff is known there。
The mayor does everything。
He allots the imposts； taxes each person conscientiously； judges quarrels for nothing； divides inheritances without charge； pronounces sentences gratuitously； and he is obeyed； because he is a just man among simple men。〃 To villages where he found no schoolmaster； he quoted once more the people of Queyras：
〃Do you know how they manage？〃 he said。
〃Since a little country of a dozen or fifteen hearths cannot always support a teacher； they have school…masters who are paid by the whole valley； who make the round of the villages； spending a week in this one； ten days in that； and instruct them。
These teachers go to the fairs。 I have seen them there。
They are to be recognized by the quill pens which they wear in the cord of their hat。
Those who teach reading only have one pen； those who teach reading and reckoning have two pens； those who teach reading； reckoning； and Latin have three pens。
But what a disgrace to be ignorant！
Do like the people of Queyras！〃
Thus he discoursed gravely and paternally； in default of examples； he invented parables； going directly to the point； with few phrases and many images； which characteristic formed the real eloquence of Jesus Christ。
And being convinced himself； he was persuasive。
BOOK FIRSTA JUST MAN
CHAPTER IV
WORKS CORRESPONDING TO WORDS
His conversation was gay and affable。
He put himself on a level with the two old women who had passed their lives beside him。 When he laughed； it was the laugh of a schoolboy。
Madame Magloire liked to call him Your Grace ＇Votre Grandeur＇。 One day he rose from his arm…chair； and went to his library in search of a book。 This book was on one of the upper shelves。
As the bishop was rather short of stature； he could not reach it。
〃Madame Magloire；〃 said he； 〃fetch me a chair。
My greatness ＇grandeur＇ does not reach as far as that shelf。〃
One of his distant relatives； Madame la tesse de Lo； rarely allowed an opportunity to escape of enumerating； in his presence； what she designated as 〃the expectations〃 of her three sons。 She had numerous relatives； who were very old and near to death； and of whom her sons were the natural heirs。
The youngest of the three was to receive from a grand…aunt a good hundred thousand livres of ine； the second was the heir by entail to the title of the Duke； his uncle； the eldest was to succeed to the peerage of his grandfather。
The Bishop was accustomed to listen in silence to these innocent and pardonable maternal boasts。
On one occasion； however； he appeared to be more thoughtful than usual； while Madame de Lo was relating once again the details of all these inheritances and all these 〃expectations。〃
She interrupted herself impatiently： 〃Mon Dieu； cousin！
What are you thinking about？〃
〃I am thinking；〃 replied the Bishop； 〃of a singular remark； which is to be found； I believe； in St。 Augustine；‘Place your hopes in the man from whom you do not inherit。'〃
At another time； on receiving a notification of the decease of a gentleman of the country…side； wherein not only the dignities of the dead man； but also the feudal and noble qualifications of all his relatives； spread over an entire page：
〃What a stout back Death has！〃 he exclaimed。
〃What a strange burden of titles is cheerfully imposed on him； and how much wit must men have； in order thus to press the tomb into the service of vanity！〃
He was gifted； on occasion； with a gentle raillery； which almost always concealed a serious meaning。
In the course of one Lent； a youthful vicar came to D； and preached in the cathedral。 He was tolerably eloquent。
The subject of his sermon was charity。 He urged the rich to give to the poor； in order to avoid hell； which he depicted in the most frightful manner of which he was capable； and to win paradise； which he represented as charming and desirable。 Among the audience there was a wealthy retired merchant； who was somewhat of a usurer； named M。 Geborand； who had amassed two millions in the manufacture of coarse cloth； serges； and woollen galloons。 Never in his whole life had M。 Geborand bestowed alms on any poor wretch。 After the delivery of that sermon； it was observed that he gave a sou every Sunday to the poor old beggar…women at the door of the cathedral。 There were six of them to share it。
One day the Bishop caught sight of him in the act of bestowing this charity； and said to his sister； with a smile； 〃There is M。 Geborand purchasing paradise for a sou。〃
When it was a question of charity； he was not to be rebuffed even by a refusal； and on such occasions he gave utterance to remarks which induced reflection。
Once he was begging for the poor in a drawing…room of the town； there was present the Marquis de Champtercier； a wealthy and avaricious old man； who contrived to be； at one and the same time； an ultra…royalist and an ultra…Voltairian。 This variety of man has actually existed。
When the Bishop came to him； he touched his arm； 〃You must give me something； M。 le Marquis。〃 The Marquis turned round and answered dryly； 〃I have poor people of my own； Monseigneur。〃
〃Give them to me；〃 replied the Bishop。
One day he preached the following sermon in the cathedral：
〃My very dear brethren； my good friends； there are thirteen hundred and twenty thousand peasants' dwellings in France which have but three openings； eighteen hundred and seventeen thousand hovels which have but two openings； the door and one window； and three hundred and forty…six thousand cabins besides which have but one opening； the door。
And this arises from a thing which is called the tax on doors and windows。
Just put poor families； old women and little children； in those buildings； and behold the fevers and maladies which result！
Alas！
God gives air to men； the law sells it to them。 I do not blame the law； but I bless God。
In the department of the Isere； in the Var； in the two departments of the Alpes； the Hautes； and the Basses； the peasants have not even wheelbarrows； they transport their manure on the b