For what it's worth - The Vicomte de Bragelonne

[kiki1982]

As much fun as Trollope is, I think there is something the editor in my Penguin edition has missed. In volume 2, chapter 4 Mr Arabin reads himself in at St Ewold's, Trollope mentions that, while walking through the gardens of Ullatorne Court, Mr Arabin 'explained to Mrs Bold the difference between a naiad and a dryad.' Apart from a naiad being a water nymph and a dryad being one living in oaks, it made me instntly think of Dumas's 1500-page novel Le Vicomte de Bragelonne, which features his courtier and raconteur Mr le Comte de Saint-Aignan telling a story about essentially the king and his mistress-to-be Mlle de la Vallière as well as himself and Montalais, I think. Together with Mlle de Tonnay-Charente, she and Vallière are the three ladies in waiting of Madame, the English wife of the king's brother Monsieur.

The interesting thing about this passage in the novel is that you can almost cut the atmosphere. The reason being that Madame used to be the king's mistress, but as her husband was making problems, she told the king that he had to court another woman (La Valli§re, because she looked to innocent) in order to divert the attention. Of course the courting wouldn't be really genuine. He does, but falls in love and Vallière was already in love. When Madame discovers that the love is essentially reciprocal, she is furious and tells Vallière off, but of course the king is not going to have any of it and Madame is angry. Together with her mother-in-law she tries to expose the king, but doesn't succeed. This is where de Saint-Aignan's story ties in. He cleverly tells Madame to bugger off, makes his love for Montalais known and Dumas makes his character shine and sparkle. Monsieur, who is gay, is of course totally oblivious to the situation.

The rumours which abound about innocent Eleanor Bold's preference for Mr Slope, Bertie Stanhpe who is also set on marrying her, Mr Slope's courtship of la Signora Neroni and Mr Arabin's quiet but as yet unaware liking for Eleanor, form a clear web, clearly similar to that of Dumas's novel. Mr Arabin is not so sparkly as Mr de Saint-Aignan, but he is definitely a pleasant man and soft man, not two-faced like Mr Slope, nor just a smooth talker like Bertie Stanope, nor even a hard and opinionated man like Dr Grantly, nor either a man essentially too soft and a tad naive like Mr Harding. The latter would have the bread stolen from his mouth if anyone asked for it.

But this is not all, the similarities I think must go deeper. Le Vicomte de Bragelonne was not solely about love intrigue, it was about the making of a good king. D'Artagnan finds himself serving a king who doesn't appreciate him. Offers him his resignation. At the very start, the king wonders why D'Artagnan has called for a carriage 'he didn't ask for it'. D'Artagnan tells him he believed that's what he would want and resent the king for such a question. Surely, the task of a good servant is to anticipate? But things come to a head when the king rejects Athos's petition for marriage of his son and Vallière, who have been in love since they were teenagers. The king is selfish and wants Vallière for himself alone, throws Athos in prison and bannishes Raoul to the front line SPOILER where he is ultimately killed SPOILER OVER. The point is that the king misuses his authority for his own agenda. D'Artagnan resents him for it again. In the meantime, all kinds of other people are taking advantage of the king, such as his first minister Fouquet who is stealing from the treasury.
At the point where the plot of Aramis and Fouquet (I believe) comes to a high and SPOILER the replacement king is discovered SPOILER OVER, the culprits are surrounded on an island and it is D'Artagnan who will have to capture them, dead or alive (probably dead). It is then that he sees himself mastered by a king who is more intelligent than he thought, and who knows him better than he thought he was able to due to lack of interest. It is only then that he respects his superior and it is then that he will obtain his right reward. It is then that Louis XIV will really shine as the great king he was.

I believe this theme is also there in Barchester Towers. Volume 1, chapter 3 Dr and Mrs Proudie mentions 'the hospitality so peculiarly recommended to all bishops by St Paul' from 1 Timothy III, 2. However, here the editor missed a huge thing staring the readers of Barchester Towers in the face: namely that St Paul also says that a bishop should rule his own house, because how else can he be expected to lead the church properly. Indeed Bishop Proudie does not. Up till now, he has been told by his wife Mrs Proudie what to do, and he is about to be managed by his chaplin Mr Slope. Although Mr Slope is set to leave at the end, SPOILER Mr Harding is set to become dean SPOILER OVER and Mrs Proudie is already set to lose her precedence over her lord (as she calls him) halfway the novel. I wonder whether the bishop who has been portrayed as feckless until now is about to make a stand, as king Louis XIV in Dumas's Vicomte. Then he will not be the laughing stock he is any longer and be his own man, will get his due respect.

I wonder...

[kiki1982]

As there is no-one on this forum, I will have to occupy myself ;).

My wondering was wrong it seems. The bishop did not make a stand and become his own man. Although, Mr Slope had gone firmly over the line, in that he took his own fancies for the truth and felt untouchable. The bishop preferred the tranquility of a nice household with a happy wife above Mr Slope after all.

However, the naiad and dryad cropped up again in idyllic Ullathorne together with a pastoral poetry context.

But the theme of a good leader who lets his servants get on with it as long as they do their work properly and doesn't just interfere because he can; who does things fair, is a theme that was present in Dumas's novel too. D'Artagnan at some point screams at the king whether he wishes gentlemen (gentilhommes) or lapdogs. He feels that the old generation of this class was allowed to fight the king's battles at their own discretion, just as Dr Grantley and the rest of the Barchester clergy is allowed to get on. It is only when the king uses his authority to do things just because he wants them and he can, that d'Artagnan is offended. The fact that he is king doesn't mean that should abuse his authority. But that is exactly what happens at the point where Hiram's hospital comes up and Mrs Proudie (and of course Dr Proudie and his chaplain) wish a clergyman who will abide by theire crede: a Sabbath school and good firm Low Church doctrine. No singing, no fun and things. That Mr Harding was somewhat wrongfully expelled from Hiram's hospital is not their problem. Yet it is, because if he is held to willingly overlook Mr Harding as first choice for the new reduced stipend, the bishop becomes this figure who is tyrannical and that moves people like Dr Grantly to try and make things dificult for him. By the end, Mr Quiverful has got the hospital commission, though not to the liking of the bedesmen, but maybe somewhat more deserving than Mr Harding, as the latter is alone and has two daughters he can trust to feed and care for him, while the former has no such people and has 14 children to feed.
That bitter pill, though, has been made a little sweeter by the government who appointed Mr Harding as dean through Dr Gwynn's doing, an offer which is then transferred on deserving Arabin, who will soon be his son-in-law.

The novel closes with the observtion that the bishop doesn't interfere anymore and that he likes the tranquility. Indeed, trying to outdo Dr Grantly will be difficult, because he is a formidable and cunning antagonist; and a worthy one at that.

[Jackson Richardson]

Just re-read Barchester Towers. It is so much more fun than Trollope's later novels, with the obligatory young lovers. (Eleanor and Mr Arabin are mature.)

I'm sure I remember when I read it as teenager Mrs Proudie deciding to give a party but is too mean and puritanical to spend much on food and drink so she decides to call it a "conversazione". There was nothing about that I noticed this time. Mrs Proudie is tempted to cut down on wine for her reception, but even low church Mr Slope convinces her that she can't possibly do that, and the reception goes on beyond midnight.