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第9章

the ancien regime-第9章

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forgotten。  On the first perusal of this lighter literature; you

will be charmed with the ease; grace; lightness with which

everything is said。  On the second; you will be somewhat cured of

your admiration; as you perceive how little there is to say。  The

head proves to be nothing but a cunning mask; with no brains inside。

Especially is this true of a book; which I must beg those who have

read it already; to recollect。  To read it I recommend no human

being。  We may consider it; as it was considered in its time; the

typical novel of the Ancien Regime。  A picture of Spanish society;

written by a Frenchman; it was held to beand doubtless with

reasona picture of the whole European world。  Its French editor

(of 1836) calls it a grande epopee; 〃one of the most prodigious

efforts of intelligence; exhausting all forms of humanity〃in fact;

a second Shakespeare; according to the lights of the year 1715。  I

mean; of course; 〃Gil Blas。〃  So picturesque is the book; that it

has furnished inexhaustible motifs to the draughtsman。  So excellent

is its workmanship; that the enthusiastic editor of 1836 tells us

and doubtless he knows bestthat it is the classic model of the

French tongue; and that; as Le Sage 〃had embraced all that belonged

to man in his composition; he dared to prescribe to himself to

embrace the whole French language in his work。〃  It has been the

parent of a whole school of literaturethe Bible of tens of

thousands; with admiring commentators in plenty; on whose souls may

God have mercy!



And no wonder。  The book has a solid value; and will always have;

not merely from its perfect art (according to its own measure and

intention); but from its perfect truthfulness。  It is the Ancien

Regime itself。  It set forth to the men thereof; themselves; without

veil or cowardly reticence of any kind; and inasmuch as every man

loves himself; the Ancien Regime loved 〃Gil Blas;〃 and said; 〃The

problem of humanity is solved at last。〃  But; ye long…suffering

powers of heaven; what a solution!  It is beside the matter to call

the book ungodly; immoral; base。  Le Sage would have answered:  〃Of

course it is; for so is the world of which it is a picture。〃  No;

the most notable thing about the book is its intense stupidity; its

dreariness; barrenness; shallowness; ignorance of the human heart;

want of any human interest。  If it be an epos; the actors in it are

not men and women; but ferretswith here and there; of course; a

stray rabbit; on whose brains they may feed。  It is the inhuman

mirror of an inhuman age; in which the healthy human heart can find

no more interest than in a pathological museum。



That last; indeed; 〃Gil Blas〃 is; a collection of diseased

specimens。  No man or woman in the book; lay or clerical; gentle or

simple; as far as I can remember; do their duty in any wise; even if

they recollect that they have any duty to do。  Greed; chicane;

hypocrisy; uselessness are the ruling laws of human society。  A new

book of Ecclesiastes; crying; 〃Vanity of vanity; all is vanity;〃 the

〃conclusion of the whole matter〃 being left out; and the new

Ecclesiastes rendered thereby diabolic; instead of like that old

one; divine。  For; instead of 〃Fear God and keep his commandments;

for that is the whole duty of main;〃 Le Sage sends forth the new

conclusion; 〃Take care of thyself; and feed on thy neighbours; for

that is the whole duty of man。〃  And very faithfully was his advice

(easy enough to obey at all times) obeyed for nearly a century after

〃Gil Blas〃 appeared。



About the same time there appeared; by a remarkable coincidence;

another work; like it the child of the Ancien Regime; and yet as

opposite to it as light to darkness。  If Le Sage drew men as they

were; Fenelon tried at least to draw them as they might have been

and still might be; were they governed by sages and by saints;

according to the laws of God。  〃Telemaque〃 is an idealimperfect;

doubtless; as all ideals must be in a world in which God's ways and

thoughts are for ever higher than man's; but an ideal nevertheless。

If its construction is less complete than that of 〃Gil Blas;〃 it is

because its aim is infinitely higher; because the form has to be

subordinated; here and there; to the matter。  If its political

economy be imperfect; often chimerical; it is because the mind of

one man must needs have been too weak to bring into shape and order

the chaos; social and economic; which he saw around him。  M。 de

Lamartine; in his brilliant little life of Fenelon; does not

hesitate to trace to the influence of 〃Telemaque;〃 the Utopias which

produced the revolutions of 1793 and 1848。  〃The saintly poet was;〃

he says; 〃without knowing it; the first Radical and the first

communist of his century。〃  But it is something to have preached to

princes doctrines till then unknown; or at least forgotten for many

a generationfree trade; peace; international arbitration; and the

〃carriere ouverte aux talents〃 for all ranks。  It is something to

have warned his generation of the dangerous overgrowth of the

metropolis; to have prophesied; as an old Hebrew might have done;

that the despotism which he saw around him would end in a violent

revolution。  It is something to have combined the highest Christian

morality with a hearty appreciation of old Greek life; of its

reverence for bodily health and prowess; its joyous and simple

country society; its sacrificial feasts; dances; games; its respect

for the gods; its belief that they helped; guided; inspired the sons

of men。  It is something to have himself believed in God; in a

living God; who; both in this life and in all lives to come;

rewarded the good and punished the evil by inevitable laws。  It is

something to have warned a young prince; in an age of doctrinal

bigotry and practical atheism; that a living God still existed; and

that his laws were still in force; to have shown him Tartarus

crowded with the souls of wicked monarchs; while a few of kingly

race rested in Elysium; and among them old pagansInachus; Cecrops;

Erichthon; Triptolemus; and Sesostrisrewarded for ever for having

done their duty; each according to his light; to the flocks which

the gods had committed to their care。  It is something to have

spoken to a prince; in such an age; without servility; and without

etiquette; of the frailties and the dangers which beset arbitrary

rulers; to have told him that royalty; 〃when assumed to content

oneself; is a monstrous tyranny; when assumed to fulfil its duties;

and to conduct an innumerable people as a father conducts his

children; a crushing slavery; which demands an heroic courage and

patience。〃



Let us honour the courtier who dared speak such truths; and still

more the saintly celibate who had sufficient catholicity of mind to

envelop them in old Grecian dress; and; without playing false for a

moment to his own Christianity; seek in the writings of heathen

sages a wider and a healthier view of humanity than was afforded by

an ascetic creed。



No wonder that the appearance of 〃Telemaque;〃 published in Holland

without the permission of Fenelon; delighted throughout Europe that

public which is always delighted with new truths; as long as it is

not required to practise them。  To read 〃Telemaque〃 was the right

and the enjoyment of everyone。  To obey it; the duty only of

princes。  No wonder that; on the other hand; this 〃Vengeance de

peuples; lecon des rois;〃 as M。 de Lamartine calls it; was taken for

the bitterest satire by Louis XIV。; and completed the disgrace of

one who had dared to teach the future king of France that he must

show himself; in all things; the opposite of his grandfather。  No

wonder if Madame de Maintenon and the court looked on its portraits

of wicked ministers and courtiers as caricatures of themselves;

portraits too; which; 〃composed thus in the palace of Versailles;

under the auspices of that confidence which the king had placed in

the preceptor of his heir; seemed a domestic treason。〃  No wonder;

also; if the foolish and envious world outside was of the same

opinion; and after enjoying for awhile this exposure of the great

ones of the earth; left 〃Telemaque〃 as an Utopia with which private

folks had no concern; and betook themselves to the easier and more

practical model of 〃Gil Blas。〃



But there are solid defects in 〃Telemaque〃indicating corresponding

defects in the author's mindwhich would have; in any case;

prevented its doing the good work which Fenelon desired; defects

which are natural; as it seems to me; to his position as a Roman

Catholic priest; however saintly and pure; however humane and

liberal。  The king; with him; is to be always the father of his

people; which is tantamount to saying; that the people are to be

always children; and in a condition of tutelage; voluntary; if

possible:  if not; of tutelage still。  Of self…government; and

education of human beings into free manhood by the exercise of self…

government; free will; free thoughtof this Fenelon had surely not

a glimpse。  A generation or two passed by; and then the peoples of

Europe began to suspect that they were no longer children; but come

to manhood; and determined (after the example of Britain and

America) to assume the rights and duties of manhood; at whatever

risk of excesses or mistakes:  and then 〃Telemaque〃 was relegated

half unjustlyas the slavish and childish dream of a past age; into

the schoolroom; where it still remains。



But there is a defect in 〃Telemaque〃 which is perhaps deeper still。

No woman in it exercises influence over man; except for evil。

Minerva; the guiding and inspiring spirit; assumes of course; as

Mentor; a male form; but her speech and thought is essentially

masculine; and not feminine。  Antiope is a mere lay…figure;

introduced at the end of the book because Telemachus must needs be

allowed to have hope of marrying someone or other。  Venus plays but

the same part as she does in the Tannenhauser legends of the Middle

Age。  Her hatred against Telemachus is an integral element of the

plot。  She; with the other women or nymphs of the romance; in spite

of all Fenelon's mercy and courtesy towards human frailties; really

rise no higher than the witches of the Malleus Maleficanum。  Woman

as the old monk held who derived femina from fe; faith; and minus;

less; because women have less faith than menis; in 〃Telemaque;〃

whenever she thinks or acts; the temptress; the enchantress; the

victim (according to a very ancient calumny) of passions more

violent; often more lawless; than man's。



Such a conception of women must make 〃Telemaque;〃 to the end of

time; useless as a wholesome book of education。  It must have

crippled its influence; especially in France; in its own time。  For

there; for good and for evil; woman was asserting more and more her

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

Rising from the long degradation of 

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