the ancien regime-第5章

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tale；　the　magic　power　of　the　horse　figured　only　in　ballads　and

legends：　　but　his　real　power　remained。



The　art　of　riding　became　an　hereditary　and　exclusive　scienceat

last　a　pedantry；　hampered　by　absurd　etiquettes；　and　worse　than

useless　traditions；　but　the　power　and　right　to　ride　remained　on　the

whole　the　mark　of　the　dominant　caste。　　Terribly　did　they　often　abuse

that　special　power。　　The　faculty　of　making　a　horse　carry　him　no　more

makes　a　man　a　good　man；　than　the　faculties　of　making　money；　making

speeches；　making　books；　or　making　a　noise　about　public　abuses。　　And

of　all　ruffians；　the　worst；　if　history　is　to　be　trusted；　is　the

ruffian　on　a　horse；　to　whose　brutality　of　mind　is　superadded　the

brute　power　of　his　beast。　　A　ruffian　on　a　horsewhat　is　there　that

he　will　not　ride　over；　and　ride　on；　careless　and　proud　of　his　own

shame？　　When　the　ancient　chivalry　of　France　descended　to　that　level；

or　rather　delegated　their　functions　to　mercenaries　of　that　level

when　the　knightly　hosts　who　fought　before　Jerusalem　allowed

themselves　to　be　superseded　by　the　dragoons　and　dragonnades　of　Louis

XIV。then　the　end　of　the　French　chivalry　was　at　hand；　and　came。

But　centuries　before　that　shameful　fall　there　had　come　in　with

Christianity　the　new　thought；　that　domination　meant　responsibility；

that　responsibility　demanded　virtue。　　The　words　which　denoted　rank；

came　to　denote　likewise　high　moral　excellencies。　　The　nobilis；　or

man　who　was　known；　and　therefore　subject　to　public　opinion；　was

bound　to　behave　nobly。　　The　gentlemangentile…manwho　respected

his　own　gens；　or　family　and　pedigree；　was　bound　to　be　gentle。　　The

courtier；　who　had　picked　up　at　court　some　touch　of　Roman

civilisation　from　Roman　ecclesiastics；　was　bound　to　be　courteous。

He　who　held　an　〃honour〃　or　〃edel〃　of　land　was　bound　to　be

honourable；　and　he　who　held　a　〃weorthig；〃　or　worthy；　thereof；　was

bound　himself　to　be　worthy。　　In　like　wise；　he　who　had　the　right　to

ride　a　horse；　was　expected　to　be　chivalrous　in　all　matters　befitting

the　hereditary　ruler；　who　owed　a　sacred　debt　to　a　long　line　of

forefathers；　as　well　as　to　the　state　in　which　he　dwelt；　all　dignity；

courtesy；　purity；　self…restraint；　devotionsuch　as　they　were

understood　in　those　rough　dayscentred　themselves　round　the　idea　of

the　rider　as　the　attributes　of　the　man　whose　supposed　duty；　as　well

as　his　supposed　right；　was　to　govern　his　fellow…men；　by　example；　as

well　as　by　law　and　force；attributes　which　gathered　themselves　up

into　that　one　wordChivalry：　　an　idea；　which；　perfect　or　imperfect；

God　forbid　that　mankind　should　ever　forget；　till　it　has　become　the

possessionas　it　is　the　God…given　rightof　the　poorest　slave　that

ever　trudged　on　foot；　and　every　collier…lad　shall　have　becomeas

some　of　those　Barnsley　men　proved　but　the　other　day　they　had　become

already：





A　very　gentle　perfect　knight；





Very　unfaithful　was　chivalry　to　its　idealas　all　men　are　to　all

ideals。　　But　bear　in　mind；　that　if　the　horse　was　the　symbol　of　the

ruling　caste；　it　was　not　at　first　its　only　strength。　　Unless　that

caste　had　had　at　first　spiritual；　as　well　as　physical　force　on　its

side；　it　would　have　been　soon　destroyednay；　it　would　have

destroyed　itselfby　internecine　civil　war。　　And　we　must　believe

that　those　Franks；　Goths；　Lombards；　and　Burgunds；　who　in　the　early

Middle　Age　leaped　on　the　backs　（to　use　Mr。　Carlyle's　expression）　of

the　Roman　nations；　were　actually；　in　all　senses　of　the　word；　better

men　than　those　whom　they　conquered。　　We　must　believe　it　from　reason；

for　if　not；　how　could　they；　numerically　few；　have　held　for　a　year；

much　more　for　centuries；　against　millions；　their　dangerous

elevation？　　We　must　believe　it；　unless　we　take　Tacitus's　〃Germania；〃

which　I　absolutely　refuse　to　do；　for　a　romance。　　We　must　believe

that　they　were　better　than　the　Romanised　nations　whom　they

conquered；　because　the　writers　of　those　nations；　Augustine；　Salvian；

and　Sidonius　Apollinaris；　for　example；　say　that　they　were　such；　and

give　proof　thereof。　　Not　good　men　according　to　our　higher　standard

far　from　it；　though　Sidonius's　picture　of　Theodoric；　the　East　Goth；

in　his　palace　of　Narbonne；　is　the　picture　of　an　eminently　good　and

wise　ruler。　　But　not　good；　I　say；　as　a　rulethe　Franks；　alas！　often

very　bad　men：　　but　still　better；　wiser；　abler；　than　those　whom　they

ruled。　　We　must　believe　too；　that　they　were　better；　in　every　sense

of　the　word；　than　those　tribes　on　their　eastern　frontier；　whom　they

conquered　in　after　centuries；　unless　we　discredit　（which　we　have　no

reason　to　do）　the　accounts　which　the　Roman　and　Greek　writers　give　of

the　horrible　savagery　of　those　tribes。



So　it　was　in　later　centuries。　　One　cannot　read　fairly　the　history　of

the　Middle　Ages　without　seeing　that　the　robber　knight　of　Germany　or

of　France；　who　figures　so　much　in　modern　novels；　must　have　been　the

exception；　and　not　the　rule：　　that　an　aristocracy　which　lived　by　the

saddle　would　have　as　little　chance　of　perpetuating　itself；　as　a

priesthood　composed　of　hypocrites　and　profligates；　that　the

mediaeval　Nobility　has　been　as　much　slandered　as　the　mediaeval

Church；　and　the　exceptions　takenas　more　salient　and　excitingfor

the　average：　　that　side　by　side　with　ruffians　like　Gaston　de　Foix

hundreds　of　honest　gentlemen　were　trying　to　do　their　duty　to　the

best　of　their　light；　and　were　raising；　and　not　depressing；　the

masses　below　themone　very　important　item　in　that　duty　being；　the

doing　the　whole　fighting　of　the　country　at　their　own　expense；

instead　of　leaving　it　to　a　standing　army　of　mercenaries；　at　the　beck

and　call　of　a　despot；　and　that；　as　M。　de　Tocqueville　says：　　〃In

feudal　times；　the　Nobility　were　regarded　pretty　much　as　the

government　is　regarded　in　our　own；　the　burdens　they　imposed　were

endured　in　consequence　of　the　security　they　afforded。　　The　nobles

had　many　irksome　privileges；　they　possessed　many　onerous　rights：

but　they　maintained　public　order；　they　administered　justice；　they

caused　the　law　to　be　executed；　they　came　to　the　relief　of　the　weak；

they　conducted　the　business　of　the　community。　　In　proportion　as　they

ceased　to　do　these　things；　the　burden　of　their　privileges　appeared

more　oppressive；　and　their　existence　became　an　anomaly　in　proportion

as　they　ceased　to　do　these　things。〃　　And　the　Ancien　Regime　may　be

defined　as　the　period　in　which　they　ceased　to　do　these　thingsin

which　they　began　to　play　the　idlers；　and　expected　to　take　their　old

wages　without　doing　their　old　work。



But　in　any　case；　government　by　a　ruling　caste；　whether　of　the

patriarchal　or　of　the　feudal　kind；　is　no　ideal　or　permanent　state　of

society。　　So　far　from　it；　it　is　but　the　first　or　second　step　out　of

primeval　savagery。　　For　the　more　a　ruling　race　becomes　conscious　of

its　own　duty；　and　not　merely　of　its　own　powerthe　more　it　learns　to

regard　its　peculiar　gifts　as　entrusted　to　it　for　the　good　of　menso

much　the　more　earnestly　will　it　labour　to　raise　the　masses　below　to

its　own　level；　by　imparting　to　them　its　own　light；　and　so　will　it

continually　tend　to　abolish　itself；　by　producing　a　general　equality；

moral　and　intellectual；　and　fulfil　that　law　of　self…sacrifice　which

is　the　beginning　and　the　end　of　all　virtue。



A　race　of　noblest　men　and　women；　trying　to　make　all　below　them　as

noble　as　themselvesthat　is　at　least　a　fair　ideal；　tending　toward；

though　it　has　not　reached；　the　highest　ideal　of　all。



But　suppose　that　the　very　opposite　tendencyinherent　in　the　heart

of　every　child　of　manshould　conquer。　　Suppose　the　ruling　caste　no

longer　the　physical；　intellectual；　and　moral　superiors　of　the　mass；

but　their　equals。　　Suppose　themshameful；　but　not　without　example

actually　sunk　to　be　their　inferiors。　　And　that　such　a　fall　did　come…

…nay；　that　it　must　have　comeis　matter　of　history。　　And　its　cause；

like　all　social　causes；　was　not　a　political　nor　a　physical；　but　a

moral　cause。　　The　profligacy　of　the　French　and　Italian

aristocracies；　in　the　sixteenth　century；　avenged　itself　on　them　by　a

curse　（derived　from　the　newly…discovered　America）　from　which　they

never　recovered。　　The　Spanish　aristocracy　suffered；　I　doubt　not　very

severely。　　The　English　and　German；　owing　to　the　superior　homeliness

and　purity　of　ruling　their　lives；　hardly　at　all。　　But　the

continental　caste；　instead　of　recruiting　their　tainted　blood　by

healthy　blood　from　below；　did　all；　under　pretence　of　keeping　it

pure；　to　keep　it　tainted　by　continual　intermarriage；　and　paid；　in

increasing　weakness　of　body　and　mind；　the　penalty　of　their　exclusive

pride。　　It　is　impossible　for　anyone　who　reads　the　French　memoirs　of

the　sixteenth　and　seventeenth　centuries；　not　to　perceive；　if　he　be

wise；　that　the　aristocracy　therein　depicted　was　ripe　for　ruinyea；

already　ruinedunder　any　form　of　government　whatsoever；　independent

of　all　political　changes。　　Indeed；　many　of　the　political　changes

were　not　the　causes　but　the　effects　of　the　demoralisation　of　the

noblesse。　　Historians　will　tell　you　how；　as　early　as　the　beginning

of　the　seventeenth　century；　Henry　IV。　complained　that　the　nobles

were　quitting　their　country　districts；　how　succeeding　kings　and

statesmen；　notably　Richelieu　and　Louis　XIV。；　tempted　the　noblesse　up

to　Paris；　that　they　might　become　mere　courtiers；　instead　of　powerful

country　gentlemen；　how　those　who　remained　behind　were　only　the　poor

hobereaux；　little　hobby…hawks　among　the　gentry；　who　considered　it

degradation　to　help　in　governing　the　parish；　as　their　forefathers

had　governed　it；　and　lived　shabbily　in　their　chateaux；　grinding　the

last　farthing　out　of　their　tenants；　that　they　might　spend　it　in　town

during　the　winter。　　No　wonder　that　with　such　an　aristocracy；　who　had

renounced　that　very　duty　of　governing　the　country；　for　which　alone

they　and　their　forefathers　had　existed；　there　arose　government　by

intendants　and　sub…delegates；　and　all　the　other　evils　of

administrative　centralisation；　which　M。　de　Tocqueville　anatomises

and　deplores。　　But　what　was　the　cause　of　the　curse？　　Their　moral

degradation。　　What　drew　them　up　to　Paris　save　vanity　and　profligacy？

What　kept　them　from　intermarrying　with　the　middle　class　save　pride？

What　made　them　give　up　the　office　of　governors　save　idleness？　　And

if　vanity；　profligacy；　pride；　and　idleness　be　not　injustices　and

moral　vices；　what　are？



The　race　of　heroic　knights　and　nobles　who　fought　under　the　walls　of

Jerusalemwho　wrestled；　and　not　in　vain；　for　centuries　with　the

equally　heroic　English；　in　defence　of　their　native　soilwho　had　set

to　all　Europe　the　example　of　all　knightly　virtues；　had　rotted　down

to　this；　their　only　virtue　left；　as　Mr。　Carlyle　says；　beinga

perfect　readiness　to　fight　duels。



Every　Intendant；　chosen　by　the　Comptroller…General　out　of　the　lower…

born　members　of　the　Council　of　State；　a　needy　young　plebeian　with

his　fortune　to　make；　and　a　stranger　to　the　province；　was；　in　spite

of　his　greed；　ambition；　chicane；　arbitrary　tyranny；　a　better　man

abler；　more　energetic；　and　o