the ancien regime-第10章

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power；　and　her　right　to　power；　over　the　mind　and　heart　of　man。

Rising　from　the　long　degradation　of　the　Middle　Ages；　which　had

really　respected　her　only　when　unsexed　and　celibate；　the　French

woman　had　assumed；　often　lawlessly；　always　triumphantly；　her　just

freedom；　her　true　place　as　the　equal；　the　coadjutor；　the　counsellor

of　man。　　Of　all　problems　connected　with　the　education　of　a　young

prince；　that　of　the　influence　of　woman　was；　in　the　France　of　the

Ancien　Regime；　the　most　important。　　And　it　was　just　that　which

Fenelon　did　not；　perhaps　dared　not；　try　to　touch；　and　which　he　most

certainly　could　not　have　solved。　　Meanwhile；　not　only　Madame　de

Maintenon；　but　women　whose　names　it　were　a　shame　to　couple　with

hers；　must　have　smiled　at；　while　they　hated；　the　saint　who　attempted

to　dispense　not　only　with　them；　but　with　the　ideal　queen　who　should

have　been　the　helpmeet　of　the　ideal　king。



To　those　who　believe　that　the　world　is　governed　by　a　living　God；　it

may　seem　strange；　at　first　sight；　that　this　moral　anarchy　was

allowed　to　endure；　that　the　avenging；　and　yet　most　purifying　storm

of　the　French　Revolution；　inevitable　from　Louis　XIV。's　latter　years；

was　not　allowed　to　burst　two　generations　sooner　than　it　did。　　Is　not

the　answerthat　the　question　always　is　not　of　destroying　the　world；

but　of　amending　it？　　And　that　amendment　must　always　come　from

within；　and　not　from　without？　　That　men　must　be　taught　to　become

men；　and　mend　their　world　themselves？　　To　educate　men　into　self…

governmentthat　is　the　purpose　of　the　government　of　God；　and　some

of　the　men　of　the　eighteenth　century　did　not　learn　that　lesson。　　As

the　century　rolled　on；　the　human　mind　arose　out　of　the　slough　in

which　Le　Sage　found　it；　into　manifold　and　beautiful　activity；

increasing　hatred　of　shams　and　lies；　increasing　hunger　after　truth

and　usefulness。　　With　mistakes　and　confusions　innumerable　they

worked：　　but　still　they　worked；　planting　good　seed；　and　when　the

fire　of　the　French　Revolution　swept　over　the　land；　it　burned　up　the

rotten　and　the　withered；　only　to　let　the　fresh　herbage　spring　up

from　underneath。



But　that　purifying　fire　was　needed。　　If　we　inquire　why　the　many

attempts　to　reform　the　Ancien　Regime；　which　the　eighteenth　century

witnessed；　were　failures　one　and　all；　why　Pombal　failed　in　Portugal；

Aranda　in　Spain；　Joseph　II。　in　Austria；　Ferdinand　and　Caroline　in

Naplesfor　these　last；　be　it　always　remembered；　began　as　humane　and

enlightened　sovereigns；　patronising　liberal　opinions；　and　labouring

to　ameliorate　the　condition　of　the　poor；　till　they　were　driven　by

the　murder　of　Marie　Antoinette　into　a　paroxysm　of　rage　and　terror

why；　above　all；　Louis　XVI。；　who　attempted　deeper　and　wiser　reforms

than　any　other　sovereign；　failed　more　disastrously　than　anyis　not

the　answer　this；　that　all　these　reforms　would　but　have　cleansed　the

outside　of　the　cup　and　the　platter；　while　they　left　the　inside　full

of　extortion　and　excess？　　It　was　not　merely　institutions　which

required　to　be　reformed；　but　men　and　women。　　The　spirit　of　〃Gil

Blas〃　had　to　be　cast　out。　　The　deadness；　selfishness；　isolation　of

men's　souls；　their　unbelief　in　great　duties；　great　common　causes；

great　self…sacrificesin　a　word；　their　unbelief　in　God；　and

themselves；　and　mankindall　that　had　to　be　reformed；　and　till　that

was　done　all　outward　reform　would　but　have　left　them；　at　best；　in

brute　ease　and　peace；　to　that　soulless　degradation；　which　（as　in　the

Byzantine　empire　of　old；　and　seeming　in　the　Chinese　empire　of　to…

day）　hides　the　reality　of　barbarism　under　a　varnish　of　civilisation。

Men　had　to　be　awakened；　to　be　taught　to　think　for　themselves；　act

for　themselves；　to　dare　and　suffer　side　by　side　for　their　country

and　for　their　children；　in　a　word；　to　arise　and　become　men　once

more。



And；　what　is　more；　men　had　to　punishto　avenge。　　Those　are　fearful

words。　　But　there　is；　in　this　God…guided　universe；　a　law　of

retribution；　which　will　find　men　out；　whether　men　choose　to　find　it

out　or　not；　a　law　of　retribution；　of　vengeance　inflicted　justly；

though　not　necessarily　by　just　men。　　The　public　executioner　was

seldom　a　very　estimable　personage；　at　least　under　the　old　Regime；

and　those　who　have　been　the　scourges　of　God　have　been；　in　general；

mere　scourges；　and　nothing　better；　smiting　blindly；　rashly；

confusedly；　confounding　too　often　the　innocent　with　the　guilty；　till

they　have　seemed　only　to　punish　crime　by　crime；　and　replace　old　sins

by　new。　　But；　however　insoluble；　however　saddening　that　puzzle　be；　I

must　believeas　long　as　I　believe　in　any　God　at　allthat　such　men

as　Robespierre　were　His　instruments；　even　in　their　crimes。



In　the　case　of　the　French　Revolution；　indeed；　the　wickedness　of

certain　of　its　leaders　was　part　of　the　retribution　itself。　　For　the

noblesse　existed　surely　to　make　men　better。　　It　did；　by　certain

classes；　the　very　opposite。　　Therefore　it　was　destroyed　by　wicked

men；　whom　it　itself　had　made　wicked。　　For　over　and　above　all

political；　economic；　social　wrongs；　there　were　wrongs　personal；

human；　dramatic；　which　stirred　not　merely　the　springs　of

covetousness　or　envy；　or　even　of　a　just　demand　for　the　freedom　of

labour　and　enterprise：　　but　the　very　deepest　springs　of　rage；

contempt；　and　hate；　wrongs　which　caused；　as　I　believe；　the　horrors

of　the　Revolution。



It　is　notorious　how　many　of　the　men　most　deeply　implicated　in　those

horrors　were　of　the　artist　classby　which　I　signify　not　merely

painters　and　sculptorsas　the　word　artist　has　now　got；　somewhat

strangely；　to　signify；　at　least　in　Englandbut　what　the　French

meant　by　ARTISTESproducers　of　luxuries　and　amusements；　play…

actors；　musicians；　and　suchlike；　down　to　that　〃distracted　peruke…

maker　with　two　fiery　torches；〃　who；　at　the　storm　of　the　Bastile；

〃was　for　burning　the　saltpetres　of　the　Arsenal；　had　not　a　woman　run

screaming；　had　not　a　patriot；　with　some　tincture　of　natural

philosophy；　instantly　struck　the　wind　out　of　him；　with　butt　of

musket　on　pit　of　stomach；　overturned　the　barrels；　and　stayed　the

devouring　element。〃　　The　distracted　peruke…maker　may　have　had　his

wrongsperhaps　such　a　one　as　that　of　poor　Triboulet　the　fool；　in

〃Le　Roi　s'amuse〃and　his　own　sound　reasons　for　blowing　down　the

Bastile；　and　the　system　which　kept　it　up。



For　these　very　ministers　of　luxurythen　miscalled　artfrom　the

periwig…maker　to　the　play…actorwho　like　them　had　seen　the

frivolity；　the　baseness；　the　profligacy；　of　the　rulers　to　whose

vices　they　pandered；　whom　they　despised　while　they　adored！　　Figaro

himself　may　have　looked　up　to　his　master　the　Marquis　as　a　superior

being　as　long　as　the　law　enabled　the　Marquis　to　send　him　to　the

Bastile　by　a　lettre　de　cachet；　yet　Figaro　may　have　known　and　seen

enough　to　excuse　him；　when　lettres　de　cachet　were　abolished；　for

handing　the　Marquis　over　to　a　Comite　de　Salut　Public。　　Disappointed

play…actors；　like　Collet　d'Herbois；　disappointed　poets；　like　Fabre

d'Olivet；　were；　they　say；　especially　ferocious。　　Why　not？

Ingenious；　sensitive　spirits；　used　as　lap…dogs　and　singing…birds　by

men　and　women　whom　they　felt　to　be　their　own　flesh　and　blood；　they

had；　it　may　be；　a　juster　appreciation　of　the　actual　worth　of　their

patrons　than　had　our　own　Pitt　and　Burke。　　They　had　played　the　valet：

and　no　man　was　a　hero　to　them。　　They　had　seen　the　nobleman　expose

himself　before　his　own　helots：　　they　would　try　if　the　helot　was　not

as　good　as　the　nobleman。　　The　nobleman　had　played　the　mountebank：

why　should　not　the　mountebank；　for　once；　play　the　nobleman？　　The

nobleman's　God　had　been　his　five　senses；　with　（to　use　Mr。　Carlyle's

phrase）　the　sixth　sense　of　vanity：　　why　should　not　the　mountebank

worship　the　same　God；　like　Carriere　at　Nantes；　and　see　what　grace

and　gifts　he　too　might　obtain　at　that　altar？



But　why　so　cruel？　　Because；　with　many　of　these　men；　I　more　than

suspect；　there　were　wrongs　to　be　avenged　deeper　than　any　wrongs　done

to　the　sixth　sense　of　vanity。　　Wrongs　common　to　them；　and　to　a　great

portion　of　the　respectable　middle　class；　and　much　of　the　lower

class：　　but　wrongs　to　which　they　and　their　families；　being　most　in

contact　with　the　noblesse；　would　be　especially　exposed；　namely；

wrongs　to　women。



Everyone　who　knows　the　literature　of　that　time；　must　know　what　I

mean：　　what　had　gone　on　for　more　than　a　century；　it　may　be　more　than

two；　in　France；　in　Italy；　andI　am　sorry　to　have　to　say　itGermany

likewise。　　All　historians　know　what　I　mean；　and　how　enormous　was　the

evil。　　I　only　wonder　that　they　have　so　much　overlooked　that　item　in

the　causes　of　the　Revolution。　　It　seems　to　me　to　have　been　more

patent　and　potent　in　the　sight　of　men；　as　it　surely　was　in　the　sight

of　Almighty　God；　than　all　the　political　and　economic　wrongs　put

together。　　They　might　have　issued　in　a　change　of　dynasty　or　of　laws。

That；　issued　in　the　blood　of　the　offenders。　　Not　a　girl　was　enticed

into　Louis　XV。's　Petit　Trianon；　or　other　den　of　aristocratic

iniquity；　but　left　behind　her；　parents　nursing　shame　and　sullen

indignation；　even　while　they　fingered　the　ill…gotten　price　of　their

daughter's　honour；　and　left　behind　also；　perhaps；　some　unhappy　boy

of　her　own　class；　in　whom　disappointment　and　jealousy　were

transformedand　who　will　blame　him？into　righteous　indignation；

and　a　very　sword　of　God；　all　the　more　indignant；　and　all　the　more

righteous；　if　education　helped　him　to　see；　that　the　maiden's

acquiescence；　her　pride　in　her　own　shame；　was　the　ugliest　feature　in

the　whole　crime；　and　the　most　potent　reason　for　putting　an　end；

however　fearful；　to　a　state　of　things　in　which　such　a　fate　was

thought　an　honour　and　a　gain；　and　not　a　disgrace　and　a　ruin；　in

which　the　most　gifted　daughters　of　the　lower　classes　had　learnt　to

think　it　more　noble　to　becomethat　which　they　becamethan　the

wives　of　honest　men。



If　you　will　read　fairly　the　literature　of　the　Ancien　Regime；　whether

in　France　or　elsewhere；　you　will　see　that　my　facts　are　true。　　If　you

have　human　hearts　in　you；　you　will　see　in　them；　it　seems　to　me；　an

explanation　of　many　a　guillotinade　and　fusillade；　as　yet　explained

only　on　the　ground　of　madnessan　hypothesis　which　（as　we　do　not　yet

in　the　least　understand　what　madness　is）　is　no　explanation　at　all。



An　age　of　decay；　incoherence；　and　makeshift；　varnish　and　gilding

upon　worm…eaten　furniture；　and　mouldering　wainscot；　was　that　same

Ancien　Regime。　　And　for　that　very　reason　a　picturesque　age；　like　one

of　its　own　landscapes。　　A　picturesque　bit　of　uncultivated　mountain；

swarming　with　the　prince's　game；　a　picturesque　old　robber　schloss

above；　now　in　ruins；　and　below；　perhaps；　the　picturesque　new

schloss；　with　its　French　fountains　and　gardens；　French　nymphs　of

marble；　and　of　flesh　and　blood　likewise；　which　the　prince　has

partially　paid　for；　by　selling　a　few　hundred　young　men　to　the

English　to　fight　the　Yankees。　　The　river；　too；　is　picturesque；　for

the　old　bridge　has　not　been　repaired　since　it　was　blown　up　in　the

Seven　Years'