the ancien regime-第7章

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become　hereafter。　　But　he　had　long　thought　that　they　had　succeeded

in　this　singular　attempt　much　less　than　was　supposed　abroad；　and

less　than　they　had　at　first　supposed　themselves。　　He　was　convinced

that　they　had　unconsciously　retained；　from　the　former　state　of

society；　most　of　the　sentiments；　the　habits；　and　even　the　opinions；

by　means　of　which　they　had　effected　the　destruction　of　that　state　of

things；　and　that；　without　intending　it；　they　had　used　its　remains　to

rebuild　the　edifice　of　modern　society。　　This　is　his　thesis；　and　this

he　proves；　it　seems　to　me；　incontestably　by　documentary　evidence。

Not　only　does　he　find　habits　which　we　supposeor　supposed　till

latelyto　have　died　with　the　eighteenth　century；　still　living　and

working；　at　least　in　France；　in　the　nineteenth；　but　the　new　opinions

which　we　look　on　usually　as　the　special　children　of　the　nineteenth

century；　he　shows　to　have　been　born　in　the　eighteenth。　　France；　he

considers；　is　still　at　heart　what　the　Ancien　Regime　made　her。



He　shows　that　the　hatred　of　the　ruling　caste；　the　intense

determination　to　gain　and　keep　equality；　even　at　the　expense　of

liberty；　had　been　long　growing　up；　under　those　influences　of　which　I

spoke　in　my　first　lecture。



He　shows；　moreover；　that　the　acquiescence　in　a　centralised

administration；　the　expectation　that　the　government　should　do

everything　for　the　people；　and　nothing　for　themselves；　the

consequent　loss　of　local　liberties；　local　peculiarities；　the

helplessness　of　the　towns　and　the　parishes：　　and　all　which　issued　in

making　Paris　France；　and　subjecting　the　whole　of　a　vast　country　to

the　arbitrary　dictates　of　a　knot　of　despots　in　the　capital；　was　not

the　fruit　of　the　Revolution；　but　of　the　Ancien　Regime　which　preceded

it；　and　that　Robespierre　and　his　〃Comite　de　Salut　Public；〃　and

commissioners　sent　forth　to　the　four　winds　of　heaven　in　bonnet　rouge

and　carmagnole　complete；　to　build　up　and　pull　down；　according　to

their　wicked　will；　were　only　handling；　somewhat　more　roughly；　the

same　wires　which　had　been　handled　for　several　generations　by　the

Comptroller…General　and　Council　of　State；　with　their　provincial

intendants。



〃Do　you　know；〃　said　Law　to　the　Marquis　d'Argenson；　〃that　this

kingdom　of　France　is　governed　by　thirty　intendants？　　You　have

neither　parliament；　nor　estates；　nor　governors。　　It　is　upon　thirty

masters　of　request；　despatched　into　the　provinces；　that　their　evil

or　their　good；　their　fertility　or　their　sterility；　entirely　depend。〃



To　do　everything　for　the　people；　and　let　them　do　nothing　for

themselvesthis　was　the　Ancien　Regime。　　To　be　more　wise　and　more

loving　than　Almighty　God；　who　certainly　does　not　do　everything　for

the　sons　of　men；　but　forces　them　to　labour　for　themselves　by　bitter

need；　and　after　a　most　Spartan　mode　of　education；　who　allows　them　to

burn　their　hands　as　often　as　they　are　foolish　enough　to　put　them

into　the　fire；　and　to　be　filled　with　the　fruits　of　their　own　folly；

even　though　the　folly　be　one　of　necessary　ignorance；　treating　them

with　that　seeming　neglect　which　is　after　all　the　most　provident

care；　because　by　it　alone　can　men　be　trained　to　experience；　self…

help；　science；　true　humanity；　and　so　become　not　tolerably　harmless

dolls；　but　men　and　women　worthy　of　the　name；　with





The　reason　firm；　the　temperate　will；

Endurance；　foresight；　strength；　and　skill；

The　perfect　spirit；　nobly　planned

To　cheer；　to　counsel；　and　command。





Such　seems　to　be　the　education　and　government　appointed　for　man　by

the　voluntatem　Dei　in　rebus　revelatum；　and　the　education；　therefore；

which　the　man　of　science　will　accept　and　carry　out。　　But　the　men　of

the　Ancien　Regimein　as　far　as　it　was　a　Regime　at　alltried　to　be

wiser　than　the　Almighty。　　Why　not？　　They　were　not　the　first；　nor

will　be　the　last；　by　many　who　have　made　the　same　attempt。　　So　this

Council　of　State　settled　arbitrarily；　not　only　taxes；　and　militia；

and　roads；　but　anything　and　everything。　　Its　members　meddled；　with

their　whole　hearts　and　minds。　　They　tried　to　teach　agriculture　by

schools　and　pamphlets　and　prizes；　they　sent　out　plans　for　every

public　work。　　A　town　could　not　establish　an　octroi；　levy　a　rate；

mortgage；　sell；　sue；　farm；　or　administer　their　property；　without　an

order　in　council。　　The　Government　ordered　public　rejoicings；　saw　to

the　firing　of　salutes；　and　illuminating　of　housesin　one　case

mentioned　by　M。　de　Tocqueville；　they　fined　a　member　of　the　burgher

guard　for　absenting　himself　from　a　Te　Deum。　　All　self…government　was

gone。　　A　country　parish　was；　says　Turgot；　nothing　but　〃an　assemblage

of　cabins；　and　of　inhabitants　as　passive　as　the　cabins　they　dwelt

in。〃　　Without　an　order　of　council；　the　parish　could　not　mend　the

steeple　after　a　storm；　or　repair　the　parsonage　gable。　　If　they

grumbled　at　the　intendant；　he　threw　some　of　the　chief　persons　into

prison；　and　made　the　parish　pay　the　expenses　of　the　horse　patrol；

which　formed　the　arbitrary　police　of　France。　　Everywhere　was

meddling。　　There　were　reports　on　statisticscircumstantial；

inaccurate；　and　uselessas　statistics　are　too　often　wont　to　be。

Sometimes；　when　the　people　were　starving；　the　Government　sent　down

charitable　donations　to　certain　parishes；　on　condition　that　the

inhabitants　should　raise　a　sum　on　their　part。　　When　the　sum　offered

was　sufficient；　the　Comptroller…General　wrote　on　the　margin；　when　he

returned　the　report　to　the　intendant；　〃Goodexpress　satisfaction。〃

If　it　was　more　than　sufficient；　he　wrote；　〃Goodexpress

satisfaction　and　sensibility。〃　　There　is　nothing　new　under　the　sun。

In　1761；　the　Government；　jealous　enough　of　newspapers；　determined　to

start　one　for　itself；　and　for　that　purpose　took　under　its　tutelage

the　Gazette　de　France。　　So　the　public　newsmongers　were　of　course　to

be　the　provincial　intendants；　and　their　sub…newsmongers；　of　course；

the　sub…delegates。



But　alas！　the　poor　sub…delegates　seem　to　have　found　either　very

little　news；　or　very　little　which　it　was　politic　to　publish。　　One

reports　that　a　smuggler　of　salt　has　been　hung；　and　has　displayed

great　courage；　another　that　a　woman　in　his　district　has　had　three

girls　at　a　birth；　another　that　a　dreadful　storm　has　happened；　but

has　done　no　mischief；　a　fourthliving　in　some　specially　favoured

Utopiadeclares　that　in　spite　of　all　his　efforts　he　has　found

nothing　worth　recording；　but　that　he　himself　will　subscribe　to　so

useful　a　journal；　and　will　exhort　all　respectable　persons　to　follow

his　example：　　in　spite　of　which　loyal　endeavours；　the　journal　seems

to　have　proved　a　failure；　to　the　great　disgust　of　the　king　and　his

minister；　who　had　of　course　expected　to　secure　fine　weather　by

nailing；　like　the　schoolboy　before　a　holiday；　the　hand　of　the

weather…glass。



Well　had　it　been；　if　the　intermeddling　of　this　bureaucracy　had

stopped　there。　　But；　by　a　process　of　evocation　（as　it　was　called）；

more　and　more　causes；　criminal　as　well　as　civil；　were　withdrawn　from

the　regular　tribunals；　to　those　of　the　intendants　and　the　Council。

Before　the　intendant　all　the　lower　order　of　people　were　generally

sent　for　trial。　　Bread…riots　were　a　common　cause　of　such　trials；　and

M。　de　Tocqueville　asserts　that　he　has　found　sentences；　delivered　by

the　intendant；　and　a　local　council　chosen　by　himself；　by　which　men

were　condemned　to　the　galleys；　and　even　to　death。　　Under　such　a

system；　under　which　an　intendant　must　have　felt　it　his　interest　to

pretend　at　all　risks；　that　all　was　going　right；　and　to　regard　any

disturbance　as　a　dangerous　exposure　of　himself　and　his　chiefsone

can　understand　easily　enough　that　scene　which　Mr。　Carlyle　has

dramatised　from　Lacretelle；　concerning　the　canaille；　the　masses；　as

we　used　to　call　them　a　generation　since：



〃A　dumb　generationtheir　voice　only　an　inarticulate　cry。

Spokesman；　in　the　king's　council；　in　the　world's　forum；　they　have

none　that　finds　credence。　　At　rare　intervals　（as　now；　in　1775）　they

will　fling　down　their　hoes；　and　hammers；　and；　to　the　astonishment　of

mankind；　flock　hither　and　thither；　dangerous；　aimless；　get　the

length　even　of　Versailles。　　Turgot　is　altering　the　corn　trade；

abrogating　the　absurdest　corn　laws；　there　is　dearth；　real；　or　were

it　even　factitious；　an　indubitable　scarcity　of　broad。　　And　so；　on

the　2nd　day　of　May；　1775；　these　waste　multitudes　do　here；　at

Versailles　chateau；　in　widespread　wretchedness；　in　sallow　faces；

squalor；　winged　raggedness；　present　as　in　legible　hieroglyphic

writing　their　petition　of　grievances。　　The　chateau…gates　must　be

shut；　but　the　king　will　appear　on　the　balcony　and　speak　to　them。

They　have　seen　the　king's　face；　their　petition　of　grievances　has

been；　if　not　read；　looked　at。　　In　answer；　two　of　them　are　hanged；　on

a　new　gallows　forty　feet　high；　and　the　rest　driven　back　to　their

dens　for　a　time。〃



Of　course。　　What　more　exasperating　and　inexpiable　insult　to　the

ruling　powers　was　possible　than　this？　　To　persist　in　being　needy　and

wretched；　when　a　whole　bureaucracy　is　toiling　day　and　night　to　make

them　prosperous　and　happy？　　An　insult　only　to　be　avenged　in　blood。

Remark　meanwhile；　that　this　centralised　bureaucracy　was　a　failure；

that　after　all　the　trouble　taken　to　govern　these　masses；　they　were

not　governed；　in　the　sense　of　being　made　better；　and　not　worse。　　The

truth　is；　that　no　centralised　bureaucracy；　or　so…called　〃paternal

government；〃　yet　invented　on　earth；　has　been　anything　but　a　failure；

or　is　it　like　to　be　anything　else：　　because　it　is　founded　on　an

error；　because　it　regards　and　treats　men　as　that　which　they　are　not；

as　things；　and　not　as　that　which　they　are；　as　persons。　　If　the

bureaucracy　were　a　mere　Briareus　giant；　with　a　hundred　hands；

helping　the　weak　throughout　the　length　and　breadth　of　the　empire；

the　system　might　be　at　least　tolerable。　　But　what　if　the　Government

were　not　a　Briareus　with　a　hundred　hands；　but　a　Hydra　with　a　hundred

heads　and　mouths；　each　far　more　intent　on　helping　itself　than　on

helping　the　people？　　What　if　sub…delegates　and　other　officials；

holding　office　at　the　will　of　the　intendant；　had　to　live；　and　even

provide　against　a　rainy　day？　　What　if　intendants；　holding　office　at

the　will　of　the　Comptroller…General；　had　to　do　more　than　live；　and

found　it　prudent　to　realise　as　large　a　fortune　as　possible；　not　only

against　disgrace；　but　against　success；　and　the　dignity　fit　for　a　new

member　of　the　Noblesse　de　la　Robe？　　Would　not　the　system；　then；　soon

become　intolerable？　　Would　there　not　be　evil　times　for　the　masses；

till　they　became　something　more　than　masses？



It　is　an　ugly　name；　that　of　〃The　Masses；〃　for　the　great　majority　of

human　beings　in　a　nation。　　He　who　uses　it　speaks　of　them　not　as

human　beings；　but　as　things；　and　as　things　not　bound　together　in　one

living　body；　but　lying　in　a　fortuitous　heap。　　A　swarm　of　ants　is　not

a　mass。　　It　has　a　polity　and　a　unity。　　Not　the　ants　but　the　fir…

needles　and　sticks；　of　which　the　ants　have　piled　their　nest；　are　a

mass。



The　term；　I