Beaumarchais
by Marc A. Scorca
The journeyman watchmaker, of the witty-tongued and unbridled pen, the secret agent, the councillor of kings, the millionaire merchant-adventurer whose energy and daring contributed so largely to the success of the (American ) colonies in their struggle for independence, the author of two of the most sparkling comedies ever written, the gay, open-handed, cool-headed, hot blooded creature... must be numbered among those whose vanity whet to fill the coffers of the (royal) estate.
--- John Rivers, Figaro , the Life of Beaumarchais , London, Hutchinson and Co., 1922, p. 5.
Pierre-Augustin Caron, known to history as Beaumarchais, was born on January 24, 1732. Son of reputed watchmaker, André Caron, Pierre was raised in a home which prepared him for the role he was to assume as a member of the nobility.
Pierre Caron inherited his father's literary and artistic talents, his quick wit and, above all, his aspirations. Young Caron was sent to school when he was nine, but made little progress. After four years, André removed his son from school to train him in his own trade, that of a watch-maker. But Pierre's lively nature was unsuited to working as an apprentice. He frequently disregarded parental regulations and caused noisy, night-time disturbances through the neighborhood. André was forced to evict Pierre from the house and ignored his pleas for permission to return. Pierre was granted amnesty when he finally capitulated to a set of stern behavioral regulations.
Pierre returned home and applied his anger and resentment to the intensive study of his ordained trade. The young watchmaker was particularly interested in redesigning the escapement apparatus, the size of which prevented the construction of a conveniently small timepiece. Pierre succeeded in developing a new escapement which revolutionized the trade. A legal dispute about the ownership of the invention was settled in Pierre's favor. More important, the controversy brought the young inventor to the attention of Louis XV, who invited him to visit Versailles with his invention.
Pierre Caron was granted the dignitary title of "Purveyor to the King" and circulated freely among the nobles at Versailles, who kept him busy with orders for watches. Although inexperienced in dealing with the nobility, Caron displayed a natural ability at conversing with his social superiors. Indeed, his first experience among the nobility confirmed his desire to join their ranks. His good looks helped.
A certain Madame Madeline Franquet was the first woman to make an overt (and successful!) attempt to attract Caron's attention. She was thirty, only six years older than Caron, but much younger than her sickly husband. As Controller of the Military Chest, Monsieur Franquet drew an enormous salary. Caron's second courtly post, that of Controller of the Pantry of the Royal Household, was insignificant. Determined to insure her lover's future, Madame Franquet persuaded her husband to cede his position as Controller of the Pantry to the young watchmaker. Accordingly, Pierre-Augustin Caron was appointed Contrôleur Clerc d'Office de la Maison du Roi by a Royal Patent dated November 9, 1755.
Caron was one of four Controllers, each of whom spent only three months per year at Versailles. The responsibilities of the office were minimal. The 1749 edition of the État de France elaborates the duties of the Controller of the Pantry:
They keep the ordinary and extraordinary books of the expenses of the King's Household, and have a voice and a seat in the bureau. They have six hundred francs in wages, of which they only receive four hundred and fifty, and liveries in kind, making altogether about fifteen hundred francs. The controllers are attached to the bureau on days when the large staff is not carried; they serve at the King's table with their swords by their sides, and place the dishes on the table with their own hands. Subordinately to the officers of the hotel and the other superior officers, they direct the seven pantries of the palace, the officers of which owe them obedience in all matters relating to their functions. They take their meals at the table of the masters of the hotel, or at that of the former Grand Master. One of those who are waiting on the King is also entitled to eat at the table of the almoners.
The complex procedure for serving meals at Versailles, established under Louis XIV in 1681, was followed by his successors:
His Majesty's meat shall be carried in the following order: Two of the guards shall march first, afterwards the usher of the hotel with his staff, the gentleman serving as bread-bearer, the controller general, the clerk-controller of the pantry, and those who carry the meat, the groom of the kitchen, the keeper of the plate, etc.
It is difficult to understand the importance of a purely ceremonial office (can we wonder why there was a revolution?!). But such appointments were coveted by the elite of the middle class as preliminary steps in the process of attaining noble status. Acquisition of the office of Controller of the Royal Pantry was Caron's entrance into the noble environment of the imperial court. He absorbed the ways of the nobility as he had learned the art of watchmaking.
After only two months in his new position, Madame Franquet was widowed. She married Pierre-Augustin Caron on November 22, 1756, ten months after the death of her husband. It was from a small land holding owned by his wife that the former watchmaker adopted the nom de guerre Beaumarchais, which he used exclusively until his death. Although he was not yet noble, the change of name symbolized for Beaumarchais an irreversible break with his middle-class past.
The newlyweds lived well on the combination of Madeleine's substantial dowry and Pierre's income from his court position. Beaumarchais could afford to give up watchmaking, keep a carriage and valet, and attend theater performances regularly. Due to his position at Versailles, Beaumarchais become friendly with many nobles of the Court. He and his wife frequently organized small recitals at their home for invited guests. The tension that soon developed between husband and wife over his financial dependence on her was soon resolved with Madeleine's death from typhoid fever in September, 1757. Beaumarchais' first marriage had lasted only ten months.
Following Madeleine's death, Beaumarchais lived with a childhood friend in a humble section of Paris. It was at this time, during the nine-month period when he was not on duty at Versailles, that Beaumarchais frequented the literary cafes in Paris. There, he became acquainted with journalists, poets, and philosophers. The results of Beaumarchais' self instruction in contemporary thought surfaced twenty years later in his support for the American revolution and the composition of The Marriage of Figaro.
Beaumarchais was rescued from loneliness by an acquaintance from Versailles, Charles Lenormant d'Étoile, the neglected husband of Madame de Pompadour. Lenormant had constructed a stage in his chateau where he frequently presented comedies. In Beaumarchais, he found both a talented performer and playwright. It was at the Château d'Étoile that Beaumarchais met the influential Duke de la Vallière, one of the privileged few who knew the daughters of Louis XV, Mesdames Louise, Sophie, Victoire, and Adelaide.
When the Princesses expressed to La Vallière a desire to learn about the harp, the Duke approached Beaumarchais. Beaumarchais, an accomplished harpist, had recently invented a new pedal arrangment which made the instrument easier to play. Thus, in 1757 the young, widowed Beaumarchais was introduced to the Princesses of France. His charm and talent impressed the women, who requested that he become their musical instructor. He assured them of his service. Beaumarchais not only taught them how to play the harp, but composed most of the music they played, as well. He organized and presided over small recitals attended by the King, his daughters, and the dauphin, Louis, who was very fond of Beaumarchais. Although barely twenty-seven years old, and not yet noble, the former watchmaker was on intimate terms with the Royal Family of France.
Such rapid success was not viewed courteously by more established members of the Court. Beaumarchais was frequently affronted either directly or indirectly by slanders meant to discredit him at Versailles. Despite the resentment and challenges of the established nobilty, Beaumarchais' ascent was spurred by his acquaintance with the wealthy financier, Paris du Verney. At the suggestion of Madame de Pompadour, du Verney had undertaken the construction of a large military school in Paris. Although the project had been inaugurated in January, 1751, it had not yet been given royal approval by 1761. Correctly perceiving the potential of an association with du Verney, Beaumarchais suggested that the Princesses visit the Academy. The women enthusiastically supported the idea. When they returned to Versailles, they encouraged their father, the King, to do the same. He did so, and gave official recognition to the École Militaire on August 18, 1760.
Paris du Verney was delighted with Beaumarchais. He immediately included Beaumarchais in some business speculations that made the former watchmaker a wealthy man. With his new financial security, Beaumarchais moved to make official the social progress he had achieved in the past five years. In 1762, he applied for a position as Secrétaire du Roi, an office which brought immediate ennoblement. Beaumarchais was granted the office, for a payment of 85,000 francs. He had made it officially into the nobility one month before his thirtieth birthday.
But Beaumarchais was not completely satisfied. He wanted higher status within the nobility. Due to the death of the possessor, the post of Grand Master of Waters was available, for a fee of 500,000 francs. Paris du Verney was willing to advance the money to Beaumarchais. He wrote a letter of recommendation to Louis XV which received the enthusiastic support of the Princesses. Although he had the support of the King, Beaumarchais was victimized by the snobbery of the established nobility. The other Grand Masters would not consent to Beaumarchais' appointment, claiming his origin was too common. (We begin to see the source of the revolutionary fervor that was manifest in the speeches of Figaro!)
Paris du Verney persuaded him to take another available position which, although less profitable, was much more prestigious. Beaumarchais's candidacy was subject to the sole review of the Duke de La Vallière, his good friend. Thus, in 1763, Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais was appointed as the Lieutenant General of the Preserves in the Bailiwick and the Captainry of the Warren of the Louvre. He was responsible for the preservation of the game laws within a fifty- mile radius of Paris. His subordinates were the Count de Rochechouart and the Count de Marcouville. Since his superior, the Duke de la Vallière, rarely attended to his responsibilities at the Louvre, Beaumarchais was left to preside over the court and the two Counts. Regardless of the personal aversion for the court system that developed within him, Beaumarchais carried out his judicial duties at the Louvre for twenty-two years.
Beaumarchais had little opportunity, however, to enjoy the domestic tranquility he had worked to establish. He rushed to Spain upon receipt of a distressing letter fom his sister, Lisette. She had moved to Madrid with her sister and brother-in law, and had falled in love with a journalist and author, Clavijo. It became obvious after two years that, despite promises to the contrary, Clavijo had no intention of marrying Lisette. When Beaumarchais learned of his sister's humiliation, he went to Spain to resolve the situation.
Once in Madrid, Beaumarchais pursued Clavijo feverishly, and jeopardized his career, but relented when Lisette decided she no longer wanted to marry him. Despite his preoccupation with familial and social obligations, Beaumarchais found time to conduct extensive business negotiations. He suggested numerous plans for involving French money in Spanish business ventures, such as the formation of a joint-stock company for trade with the Louisiana territory.
Upon returning to Paris, Beaumarchais was invited to contribute to his friend Lenormant's theatrical repertoire. Beaumarchais composed some comic sketches under the title, Le Barbier de Séville . He based the scenes on his experiences in Madrid. The hero, Figaro, is embroiled in a plot to insure the marriage between Count Almaviva (Clavijo) and Rosina (Lisette), who is pursued by a lusty old Doctor, Bartolo (André Caron). Interestingly, Figaro is a contraction of "fils Caron" which means "son of Caron." The character, Figaro, is named after the author himself! The comic sketches were well received and encouraged Beaumarchais to create more pieces for the stage.
With the dramatic birth of Figaro, Beaumarchais was launched on yet another career, as a playwright. In correspondence, as well as in his dramatic creativity, he advanced a belief that audiences were much more interested in realistic characters and situations than they were in heros and mythological or classical themes. In this regard, he was clearly in accord with Mozart as evidenced by the composer's progress from Idomeneo to The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni and Cosî fan tutte.
Between plays, Beaumarchais found time to marry for a second time. His new wife was Geneviève Levèque. They wed on April 11, 1768, seven months before the birth of a baby son, Pierre-Augustin Eugénie. Levèque had a great fortune which enabled Beaumarchais, in association with Paris du Verney, to buy a large portion of the forest of Chinon. Beaumarchais enjoyed a large income from the sale of lumber from the forest for many years. But his second marriage suffered the same fate as his first. Geneviève died in childbirth in November of 1770.
Paris du Verney also died in 1770, beginning a stormy period in Beaumarchais' life during which he was involved in a variety of lawsuits stemming from the various business affairs the two friends had launched. These lawsuits resulted in various judgments, jail sentences, and highly publicized battles among highly visible people. Beaumarchais' cutting commentaries circulated throughout Europe. Goethe derived material for his play Clavigo from Beaumarchais' adventures in Spain. Voltaire wrote:
No comedy was every more amusing, no tragedy more touching. What a man! He unites everything, humor, seriousness, argument, gaiety, power, emotion, and every kind of eloquence, and yet he seeks none. He confounds his enemies, and gives lessons to his judges. His naïveté delights me, and I forgive him his carelessness and petulance.
Still, Beaumarchais needed the intervention of the King himself to help clear his name and set his affairs in order. Beginning with Louis XV and continuing with Louis XVI, Beaumarchais performed a number of private diplomatic services for the Royal Family, most of which involved suppressing slanderous rumors about marital infidelities. These services brought him to Vienna, where he met with Empress Maria Theresa, mother of Marie Antoinette, the wife of Louis XVI. When he finally returned to Paris by the beginning of 1775, Beaumarchais' legal rights were restored.
As a relief from the hectic pace of the preceding several years, Beaumarchais completed Le Barbier de Séville . He took the opportunity to vent some of the resentment that had grown within him toward those who had taken advantage of him. He introduced the character Bazile (Basilio), who was the personification of corruption. In the play, Beaumarchais dealt frankly with familiar topics such as aristocratic haughtiness and the use of slander as a weapon.
But Beaumarchais' rest was short. When, at the beginning of May 1776, the French government decided to supply the American colonists for their fight against the British, Beaumarchais was placed in charge of the secret operation by Louis XVI. Using the business skills he learned from du Verney, Beaumarchais proceeded to build a massive commercial fleet which began shipping supplies to America.
At the same time, Beaumarchais began sketches for the sequel to Le Barbier de Séville , The Marriage of Figaro. He added characters, including an incompetent judge, that made the play more complicated than its predecessor, and more cutting. Following the approval of the censors, Marie Antoinette expressed a desire to have the play performed at Versailles, despite the King's objections. The premiere was set for June 13, 1783, and rehearsals progressed accordingly. The night of the opening, the King prohibited the performance and relented only after Beaumarchais made a few alterations. The play finally opened to the public on April 27, 1784 and was an enormous success. It broke all records at the Comédie Française, with sixty-eight consecutive performances. Thousands of people paid to hear Figaro tell the Count:
Because you are a great Lord, you fancy yourself a great genius.... Nobility, fortune, rank, place?all these things make you so proud. But what have you done to deserve them? You have taken the trouble to be born.
In 1786, Beaumarchais retired from business and built himself and this third wife a splendid mansion. He wrote the third play in his Figaro trilogy, La Mère coupable , and an opera, Tarare , with music by Salieri. (Lorenzo da Ponte translated this libretto at the same time he was writing the libretto for Don Giovanni!)
Beaumarchais survived the French Revolution. In the last years of his life, he remounted La Mère coupable and met Napoléon Bonaparte. Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais died on May 18, 1799 of a cerebral hemorrhage.
