Beaumarchais and the War of American Independence Volume I Part 3

Beaumarchais and the War of American Independence Volume I Part 3

?Monsieur, I am a young artist who has only the honor of being known to the public by a new escapement for watches which the Academy has crowned with its approbation and of which the journals have spoken a year ago.

_This success fixes me to the state of watchmaker, and I limit my whole ambition to acquiring the science of my art._ I never have thrown an envious eye upon the productions of others of my profession, but it is with great impatience that I see others attempting to take from me the foundation which by study and work I have acquired. It is this heat of the blood, which I very much fear age will never correct, that made me defend with so much ardor the just pretentions which I had to the invention of my escapement when it was contested eighteen months ago. Will you allow me to reply to certain objections to my escapement which in numerous writings have been made public? It is said that the use of this escapement renders it impossible to make flat watches, or even small ones, which if it were true would make the best escapement known very unsatisfactory.?

After giving numerous technical details the young watchmaker terminates thus: ?By this means I make watches as thin as may be desired, thinner even than have before been made, without in the least diminishing their good quality. The first of these simplified watches is in the hands of the king. His Majesty has carried it for a year and is well satisfied. If these facts reply to the first objection, others reply equally to the second. I had the honor to present to Madame de Pompadour a short time ago a watch in a ring, which is only four lines and a half in diameter and a line less a third in thickness between the plates. To render this ring more convenient I contrived in place of a key a circle which surrounds the dial plate bearing a tiny projecting hook. By drawing this hook with the finger nail about two-thirds of the circuit of the dial the watch is wound up and goes thirty hours. Before taking it to her I watched this ring follow exactly for five days the second hand of my chronometer; thus in making use of my escapement and my construction, excellent watches can be made as thin and as small as may be desired.

?I have the honor to be, etc., Caron, _fils, horloger du roi_.?

Although the vision of the young man was still hemmed in by the walls of his father?s shop, yet his ardent spirit was eager for flight and was waiting only for opportunity to test its powers. He was now twenty-three years of age; the unparalleled success which had attended his efforts had taught even the stern father the need of a wider field for the genius which had so easily outstripped him in his own calling. Satisfied now with the solid foundation in character which his own hand had helped to lay he had no desire to stand in the way of his son?s advancement. As not infrequently happens, it was a woman?s hand that opened the door and liberated the captive. Speaking of this period, his friend Gudin says: ?Attracted by the celebrity of his academic triumph, a beautiful woman brought a watch to his father?s shop, either to have it repaired, or perhaps with the design of meeting the young artist of whom so much was said. The young man solicited the honor of returning the watch as soon as he had repaired the disorder, and this event, which seemed so commonplace, changed the purpose of his life and gave it a new meaning.

?The husband of this woman was an old man possessed of a very small office at court, whose age and infirmities almost incapacitated him for the performance of his duties, he therefore sought to pa.s.s them on to the young Caron.?

Here indeed was an opening which, if embraced, would lead him into a world wholly outside that by which heretofore he had been surrounded. It meant for him opportunity. Instantly all the latent desires within him surged into consciousness. Springing with joy from the low bench of his father?s dimly lighted shop, the youthful genius cast forever aside his workman?s frock and with one bound entered the service of the king, becoming an inmate of the vast and splendid palace of Versailles.

November 9, 1755, a warrant was issued in the name of Louis XV, King of France from which the following is an extract:

?Great Stewards of France, high stewards and ordinary stewards of our household, masters and controllers of our pantry and account room, greetings! Upon good and praiseworthy report which has been made to us of the person of M. Pierre-August Caron, and his zeal in our service, we have this day appointed him and by these presents, signed with our hand do appoint him to the office of one of our _clerc-contr?leurs_ of the pantry of our household, vacant by the dismission of Pierre-August Franquet, last possessor thereof, that he may have and exercise, enjoy and use, the honors, authorities, prerogatives, privileges, liberties, salary, rights, etc.

?Given at Versailles under the seal of our secret, Louis.?

[Ill.u.s.tration: Louis XV]

The exchange being thus officially made, Pierre-August Franquet, the aged man in question, ceded his office, and in return was to receive a yearly pension which was guaranteed by the elder watchmaker. Although this office was too insignificant to admit its possessor to the dignity of bearing a t.i.tle of n.o.bility, yet certain it is that in his own estimation at least, the brilliant young _contr?leur_ of the pantry was already a member of the aristocracy and with the same ardor which he had shown at watchmaking, he set about acquiring at once, and to perfection, all the external marks of one born to that station.

His duties as _contr?leur clerc d?office_ were not arduous; he was one of sixteen similar _contr?leurs_ who served the king?s table, four at a time, alternating quarterly. His duty was to walk in grand livery, his sword by his side, in the long procession which preceded the king?s meat; when arrived at the table, he took the platter and placed it before the king.

Ample time was thus left him to develop those graces of mind and of person which nature had so lavishly bestowed upon him. For the first time he began to feel the lack of that cla.s.sical education which had been denied him in his youth. The practical training which he had acquired under his father?s roof enabled him, however, readily to turn the force of his intellect in this new direction, so that in an incredibly short time he acquired such a knowledge of literature, grammar, geography, history, and geometry as served for the basis of the important literary work he was afterward to accomplish.

Amongst the vast collection of ma.n.u.scripts from the pen of Beaumarchais left after his death, M. de Lom?nie discovered very many belonging to this period which show that the young _contr?leur_ of the pantry already was exercising himself in the art of writing and that from the first he formed the habit of noting as he read such pa.s.sages as struck him forcibly, to which he freely added impressions of his own.

But the many-sided nature of the young man did not permit him to indulge exclusively his taste for study. The gay world into which he had entered enlisted much of his time and talents although it never absorbed them. It gave him the opportunity of cultivating his rare social gifts which he soon learned to display to advantage. As soon as Beaumarchais appeared at Versailles, to quote Gudin, ?The ladies were struck with his high stature, the elegance of his form, the regularity of his features, his vivid and animated countenance, the a.s.surance of his look, with that dominating air which seemed to elevate him above all his surroundings, and, in a word, with that involuntary ardor which illuminated him at their approach.? But he adds, ?Before going farther let us observe that it was in the workshop of his father that his soul was made strong and inaccessible to vice or adversity. If he had been born in luxury or grandeur it would have been softened like wax in the rays of the sun.?

Less than two months after relinquishing his duties at court, Pierre-August Franquet died suddenly of apoplexy leaving his widow a considerable fortune. Before the year was out she consoled herself by marrying the brilliant young _contr?leur_, although she was six years his senior. Thus it would seem that the young man was at last settled in his career, having a beautiful wife who idolized him, and a sufficient fortune at his disposal. Their married happiness, however, was of short duration.

In less than a year she was attacked by typhoid fever and died after a short sickness, although attended by four of the best physicians of the capital.

Gudin, in speaking of her sudden death, says that Beaumarchais was at that time so inexperienced in the ways of the world and so grieved at the loss of his wife that he allowed the term permitted by law to expire before he thought of taking steps to secure to himself the succession to his wife?s property, so that after her death he was reduced to the small income from his office at court; and it would seem that he never gained from this connection any material advantage except his footing at court and the name of Beaumarchais which he took from a small landed property belonging to his wife and which was in itself a fortune. At twenty-five we find him again free and awaiting eagerly the opportunity to push his fortunes further. He had not long to wait.

We have seen already that Beaumarchais was very fond of music and that according to his father it was this same _maudite musique_ that had in his early youth brought him so near the brink of ruin. Little did his father dream that this was to become later the means of his son?s most rapid advancement.

Gudin says: ?He loved music and played upon several instruments, amongst others the harp and the flute. The harp was at that time disdained, but when Beaumarchais applied to it his mechanical knowledge, he perfected it and brought it into vogue.

?Having won a wide celebrity by performances in numerous salons at Paris and Versailles, the fame of his skill reached the ears of the Princesses of France, who were four in number and who all had a taste for music.

?They desired to hear the young musician, who was only too flattered to be permitted to play before them.?

The dignity and charm of his person, his manners which though polished and respectful retained a certain frankness such as rarely penetrated to those august presences, joined to his brilliant talents, completely won for him the favor of Mesdames who insisted upon being permitted to have Beaumarchais for their instructor. From this moment, dates what in a certain sense might almost be called an intimacy between the young man who was so recently seated on his workman?s bench behind the window looking out on the rue St. Denis and the four Princesses who were separated by so profound a gulf from even the highest of the n.o.bility in the court about them. It must be understood that these women took no part whatever in the gay licentious existence which disgraced the court of their father, Louis XV. Trained by their mother, the admirable Queen Marie Leczinska, to a life of sincere piety, they pa.s.sed their time with her in the performance of the really arduous duties of their rank. As queen and daughters of France they belonged to the nation and not to themselves. So long as they performed these duties, the nation cheerfully allowed them the prerogatives of their rank, and the means of gratifying their luxurious tastes.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Marie Leczinska, Wife of Louis XV]

It was therefore into this august family circle that Beaumarchais entered, to be for several years the central figure of all its pastimes and amus.e.m.e.nts. Gudin tells us that at this time Mesdames were in the habit of giving a weekly concert at which the King, Queen and Dauphin were present and to which a very select company was invited.

These concerts were arranged and superintended by Beaumarchais who seems to have been treated by all with marked favor and esteem. The Dauphin took great pleasure in his company, and on one occasion said of him, ?He is the only man who speaks frankly with me.? The Dauphin, as is well known, was of an austere nature, and for that reason, doubtless, valued the honest character of Beaumarchais at its true worth.

In dealing with his royal pupils, Beaumarchais exercised great tact and knew how to make them satisfied with themselves and with him. La Harpe says of him: ?I have seen few men more favored by nature. His countenance and the tone of his voice were equally ardent, the former illuminated by eyes full of fire; there was as much expression in the accent and the look, as delicacy in the smile, and above all, a kind of a.s.surance which was inspired by a consciousness of power.?

These personal gifts, this a.s.surance and skill, even more than the favor of Mesdames, quickly attracted to him the enmity of those whose high birth alone a.s.sured them a reception at court. No better idea of the snares set for him, nor of his skill in avoiding them can be given than by quoting a few pages from Gudin.

?One morning as he presented himself to be admitted to Mesdames, one of their women ran to meet him.

??Oh my dear friend you are lost, some one has persuaded Mesdames that you are on very bad terms with your father, that he has driven you from his house and that, indignant at the tricks you have played him, he will not see you any more.?

??Oh, is that all? Then I do not count myself dead. Don?t disturb yourself.? He said this and hurried back to Paris.

??You have always wished to see Versailles; I have an excellent opportunity to-day to show you the palace in detail.? Father and son then returned with all possible speed. Beaumarchais took pains that they should be seen by the Princesses at the celebration of the ma.s.s, at their dinner, at their promenade, everywhere they were to be found.

?In the evening, still accompanied by his father, whom he left in an ante-chamber, he entered the apartments of the Princesses; he found them cold, dreamy, embarra.s.sed, and not wanting to look at him, trying to show more annoyance than they really felt.

?The most vivacious of them said to him with impatience, ?With whom have you been all day??

??Madame, with my father.?

??His father, Adelaide, that isn?t possible, we were told that they had quarreled.?

??I, Madame. I pa.s.s my life with him. He is in the ante-room--I have come for your orders; he is waiting for me, if you will deign to see him he will testify to the attachment which I have never ceased to have for him.??

The Princesses, as Beaumarchais had well guessed, were anxious to see the father of their instructor and he was bidden to enter. As the elder Caron possessed, amongst his other qualities, scarcely less sense of a situation and power of adaptability than his son, he was at once at his ease. His personal dignity and sincerity of manner could not fail to produce a pleasing impression upon the young women who, as we have seen, demanded merit as the ground of their favor, so that in its results this intrigue which was intended to ruin the young man, really served to heighten the esteem in which he was held.

At another time on leaving their apartments, Beaumarchais was intercepted by a crowd of youthful n.o.blemen one of whom had wagered to cover him with confusion. Approaching him, the n.o.bleman said,--to quote from Gudin, ??Monsieur, you who are so clever with watches, will you tell me if this is a good one??

??Monsieur,? replied Beaumarchais, looking at the company, ?since I have ceased to work at that trade I have become very awkward.?

??Ah, Monsieur, do not refuse me.?

??Very well, but I warn you that I have lost my art.? Then taking the watch he opened it, raised it in the air feigning to examine it, and suddenly let it fall from that elevation; then, making a profound reverence, he said, ?I warned you, Monsieur, of my extreme awkwardness,?

and walked away leaving his provoker to gather up the debris of his watch while the a.s.sembly burst into laughter.?

But the insults did not stop here.

They became so frequent and their tone grew so malignant that Beaumarchais felt the time had come to put a stop to them. Seriously outraged by a courtier whom Gudin calls the Chevalier du C---- he accepted the provocation.

They mounted their horses and rode off to a secluded spot in the woods behind Meudon. In the words of Gudin, ?Beaumarchais had the sad advantage of plunging his sword into the bosom of his adversary; but when on withdrawing it he saw the blood issue in a copious stream he was seized with terror and thought of nothing but helping him. He took his handkerchief and attached it as well as he could over the wound, to arrest the flow of blood and to stop fainting.

??Save yourself,? said the fallen man, ?you are lost if any one sees you, if any one learns that it is you who have taken my life.?

??You must have help, I will get it for you?--Beaumarchais mounted and rode to Meudon, found a surgeon, and indicating the spot to him, where the wounded man lay, he went off at full gallop to Paris to see what was to be done. His first care was to inform himself if the Chevalier du C---- still lived. He found that he had been brought to Paris but that his life was despaired of--he learned that the sick man refused to name the one who had wounded him so seriously.

??I have only what I merit,? he said. ?I have provoked an honest man who never gave me any offense, to please people whom I do not esteem.?

?His relatives and friends were not able to draw any other reply from him during the eight days which he lived. He carried the secret to the tomb, leaving to Beaumarchais the regret of having taken the life of a man who proved so generous an enemy.

??Ah, young man,? Beaumarchais said to me one day when I was joking over some duel which was then much talked about, ?you do not know what despair a man feels when he sees the hilt of his sword upon his enemy?s breast!?

It was then that he related to me this adventure which was still afflicting him, although many years had elapsed since it had taken place.