第41章

Binetwasthere；thatistosay，alittlelowerdownagainsttheterracewall，fishingforcrayfish。Bovaryinvitedhimtohaveadrink，andhethoroughlyunderstoodtheuncorkingofthestonebottles。

“Youmust，“hesaid，throwingasatisfiedglanceallroundhim，eventotheveryextremityofthelandscape，“holdthebottleperpendicularlyonthetable，andafterthestringsarecut，pressupthecorkwithlittlethrusts，gently，gently，asindeedtheydoseltzer-wateratrestaurants。“

Butduringhisdemonstrationthecideroftenspurtedrightintotheirfaces，andthentheecclesiastic，withathicklaugh，nevermissedthisjoke——

“Itsgoodnessstrikestheeye!“

Hewas，infact，agoodfellowandonedayhewasnotevenscandalisedatthechemist，whoadvisedCharlestogivemadamesomedistractionbytakinghertothetheatreatRouentoheartheillustrioustenor，Lagardy。Homais，surprisedatthissilence，wantedtoknowhisopinion，andthepriestdeclaredthatheconsideredmusiclessdangerousformoralsthanliterature。

Butthechemisttookupthedefenceofletters。Thetheatre，hecontended，servedforrailingatprejudices，and，beneathamaskofpleasure，taughtvirtue。

“’Castigatridendomores，’*MonsieurBournisien!ThusconsiderthegreaterpartofVoltaire’stragedies；theyarecleverlystrewnwithphilosophicalreflections，thatmadethemavastschoolofmoralsanddiplomacyforthepeople。“

*Itcorrectscustomsthroughlaughter。

“I，“saidBinet，“oncesawapiececalledthe’GamindeParis，’

inwhichtherewasthecharacterofanoldgeneralthatisreallyhitofftoaT。Hesetsdownayoungswellwhohadseducedaworkinggirl，whoattheending——“

“Certainly，“continuedHomais，“thereisbadliteratureasthereisbadpharmacy，buttocondemninalumpthemostimportantofthefineartsseemstomeastupidity，aGothicidea，worthyoftheabominabletimesthatimprisonedGalileo。“

“Iknowverywell，“objectedthecure，“thattherearegoodworks，goodauthors。However，ifitwereonlythosepersonsofdifferentsexesunitedinabewitchingapartment，decoratedrouge，thoselights，thoseeffeminatevoices，allthismust，inthelong-run，engenderacertainmentallibertinage，giverisetoimmodestthoughtsandimpuretemptations。Such，atanyrate，istheopinionofalltheFathers。Finally，“headded，suddenlyassumingamystictoneofvoicewhileherolledapinchofsnuffbetweenhisfingers，“iftheChurchhascondemnedthetheatre，shemustberight；wemustsubmittoherdecrees。“

“Why，“askedthedruggist，“shouldsheexcommunicateactors？Forformerlytheyopenlytookpartinreligiousceremonies。Yes，inthemiddleofthechanceltheyacted；theyperformedakindoffarcecalled’Mysteries，’whichoftenoffendedagainstthelawsofdecency。“

Theecclesiasticcontentedhimselfwithutteringagroan，andthechemistwenton——

“It’slikeitisintheBible；therethereare，youknow，morethanonepiquantdetail，matter