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comedy。 The Deputies seated in the interior of the omnibus had
been； it will be remembered； shut out of their Chamber by the
perpetrator of the Coup d'Etat； but each had his official scarf。
Scarfpish！〃l'echarpe！〃 〃Ceindre l'echarpe〃there is no real
English equivalent。 Civic responsibility never was otherwise
adequately expressed。 An indignant deputy passed his scarf through
the window of the omnibus； as an appeal to the public； 〃et l'agita。〃
It is a pity that the French reader； having no simpler word； is not
in a position to understand the slight burlesque。 Nay； the mere
word 〃public；〃 spoken with this peculiar French good faith； has for
us I know not what untransferable gravity。
There is； in short； a general international counterchange。 It is
altogether in accordance with our actual state of civilization； with
its extremely 〃specialized〃 manner of industry； that one people
should make a phrase； and another should have and enjoy it。 And； in
fact； there are certain French authors to whom should be secured the
use of the literary German whereof Germans； and German women in
particular； ought with all severity to be deprived。 For Germans
often tell you of words in their own tongue that are untranslatable；
and accordingly they should not be translated； but given over in
their own conditions； unaltered； into safer hands。 There would be a
clearing of the outlines of German ideas； a better order in the
phrase； the possessors of an alien word； with the thought it
secures； would find also their advantage。
So with French humour。 It is expressly and signally for English
ears。 It is so even in the commonest farce。 The unfortunate
householder； for example； who is persuaded to keep walking in the
conservatory 〃pour retablir la circulation；〃 and the other who
describes himself 〃sous…chef de bureau dans l'enregistrement；〃 and
he who proposes to 〃faire hommage〃 of a doubtful turbot to the
neighbouring 〃employe de l'octroi〃these and all their like speak
commonplaces so usual as to lose in their own country the perfection
of their dulness。 We only； who have the alternative of plainer and
fresher words； understand it。 It is not the least of the advantages
of our own dual English that we become sensible of the mockery of
certain phrases that in France have lost half their ridicule；
uncontrasted。
Take again the common rhetoric that has fixed itself in conversation
in all Latin languagesrhetoric that has ceased to have allusions；
either majestic or comic。 To the ear somewhat unused to French this
proffers a frequent comedy that the well…accustomed ear； even of an
Englishman； no longer detects。 A guard on a French railway； who
advised two travellers to take a certain train for fear they should
be obliged to 〃vegeter〃 for a whole hour in the waiting…room of such
or such a station seemed to the less practised tourist to be a fresh
kind of unexpected humourist。
One of the phrases always used in the business of charities and
subscriptions in France has more than the intentional comedy of the
farce…writer； one of the most absurd of his personages； wearying his
visitors in the country with a perpetual game of bowls； says to
them： 〃Nous jouons cinquante centimesles benefices seront verses
integralement e la souscription qui est ouverte e la commune pour la
construction de notre maison d'ecole。〃
〃Fletrir；〃 again。 Nothing could be more rhetorical than this
perfectly common word of controversy。 The comic dramatist is well
aware of the spent violence of this phrase； with which every serious
Frenchman will reply to opponents； especially in public matters。
But not even the comic dramatist is aware of the last state of
refuse commonplace that a word of this kind represents。 Refuse
rhetoric； by the way； rather than Emerson's 〃fossil poetry；〃 would
seem to be the right name for human language as some of the
processes of the several recent centuries have left it。
The French comedy； then； is fairly stuffed with thin…S for an
Englishman。 They are not all； it is true； so finely comic as 〃Il
s'est trompe de defunte。〃 In the report of that dull； incomparable
sentence there is enough humour； and subtle enough； for both the
maker and the reader； for the author who perceives the comedy as
well as custom will permit； and for the reader who takes it with the
freshness of a stranger。 But if not so keen as this； the current
word of French comedy is of the same quality of language。 When of
the fourteen couples to be married by the mayor； for instance； the
deaf clerk has shuffled two； a looker…on pronounces： 〃Il s'est
empetre dans les futurs。〃 But for a reader who has a full sense of
the several languages that exist in English at the service of the
several ways of human life； there is； from the mere terminology of
official France； high or lowdaily Francea gratuitous and
uncovenanted smile to be had。 With this the wit of the report of
French literature has not little to do。 Nor is it in itself；
perhaps； reasonably comic； but the slightest irony of circumstance
makes it so。 A very little of the mockery of conditions brings out
all the latent absurdity of the 〃sixieme et septieme arron…
dissements；〃 in the twinkling of an eye。 So is it with the mere
〃domicile；〃 with the aid of but a little of the burlesque of life；
the suit at law to 〃reintegrer le domicile conjugal〃 becomes as
grotesque as a phrase can make it。 Even 〃e domicile〃 merelythe
word of every shopmanis； in the unconscious mouths of the
speakers； always awaiting the lightest touch of farce； if only an
Englishman hears it； so is the advice of the police that you shall
〃circuler〃 in the street； so is the request； posted up； that you
shall not； in the churches。
So are the serious and ordinary phrases； 〃maison nuptiale；〃 〃maison
mortuaire；〃 and the still more serious 〃repos dominical；〃 〃oraison
dominicale。〃 There is no majesty in such words。 The unsuspicious
gravity with which they are spoken broadcast is not to be wondered
at； the language offering no relief of contrast； and what is much to
the credit of the comic sensibility of literature is the fact that；
through this general unconsciousness； the ridicule of a thousand
authors of comedy perceives the fun； and singles out the familiar
thing； and compels that most elaborate dulness to amuse us。 US；
above all； by virtue of the custom of counter…change here set forth。
Who shall say whether； by operation of the same exchange； the
English poets that so persist in France may not reveal something
within the English languageone would be somewhat loth to think so…
…reserved to the French reader peculiarly？ Byron to the multitude；
Edgar Poe to the select？ Then would some of the mysteries of French
reading of English be explained otherwise than by the plainer
explanation that has hitherto satisfied our haughty curiosity。 The
taste for rhetoric seemed to account for Byron； and the desire of
the rhetoricia