the origins of contemporary france-1-第1章

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The　Ancient　Regime



The　Origins　of　Contemporary　France；　Volume　1



by　Hippolyte　A。　Taine









PREFACE。



BOOK　FIRST。　　　The　Structure　of　the　Ancient　Society。



CHAPTER　I。　　The　Origin　of　Privileges。



CHAPTER　II。　　The　Privileged　Classes。



CHAPTER　III。　　Local　Services　Due　by　the　Privileged　Classes。



CHAPTER　IV。　　Public　services　due　by　the　privileged　classes。





BOOK　SECOND。　　　Habits　and　Characters。



CHAPTER　I。　　Social　Habits。



CHAPTER　II。　　Drawing　room　Life　。



CHAPTER　III。　　Disadvantages　of　this　Drawing　room　Life。





BOOK　THIRD。　　　The　Spirit　and　the　Doctrine。



CHAPTER　I。　　Scientific　Acquisition。



CHAPTER　II。　　The　Classic　Spirit；　the　Second　Element。



CHAPTER　III。　　Combination　of　the　two　elements。



CHAPTER　IV。　　Organizing　the　Future　Society。





BOOK　FOURTH。　　The　Propagation　of　the　Doctrine。



CHAPTER　I。　　Success　in　France。



CHAPTER　II。　　The　French　Public。



CHAPTER　III。　　The　Middle　Class。





BOOK　FIFTH。　　The　People



CHAPTER　I。　　Hardships。



CHAPTER　II。　　Taxation　the　principal　cause　of　misery。



CHAPTER　III。　　Intellectual　state　of　the　people。



CHAPTER　IV。　　The　Armed　Forces。



CHAPTER　V。　　Summary。













Preface：



In　this　volume；　as　in　those　preceding　it　and　in　those　to　come；

there　will　be　found　only　the　history　of　Public　Authorities。　　Others

will　write　that　of　diplomacy；　of　war；　of　the　finances；　of　the　Church；

my　subject　is　a　limited　one。　　To　my　great　regret；　however；　this　new

part　fills　an　entire　volume；　and　the　last　part；　on　the　revolutionary

government；　will　be　as　long。




I　have　again　to　regret　the　dissatisfaction　I　foresee　this　work　will

cause　to　many　of　my　countrymen。　　My　excuse　is；　that　almost　all　of　them；

more　fortunate　than　myself；　have　political　principles　which　serve　them

in　forming　their　judgments　of　the　past。　　I　had　none；　if　indeed；　I　had

any　motive　in　undertaking　this　work；　it　was　to　seek　for　political

principles。　　Thus　far　I　have　attained　to　scarcely　more　than　one；　and

this　is　so　simple　that　will　seem　puerile；　and　that　I　hardly　dare

express　it。　　Nevertheless　I　have　adhered　to　it；　and　in　what　the　reader

is　about　to　peruse　my　judgments　are　all　derived　from　that；　its　truth

is　the　measure　of　theirs。　　It　consists　wholly　in　this　observation：　that





HUMAN　SOCIETY；　ESPECIALLY　A　MODERN　SOCIETY；　IS　A　VAST　AND

COMPLICATED　THING。





Hence　the　difficulty　in　knowing　and　comprehending　it。　　For　the　same

reason　it　is　not　easy　to　handle　the　subject　well。　　It　follows　that　a

cultivated　mind　is　much　better　able　to　do　this　than　an　uncultivated

mind；　and　a　man　specially　qualified　than　one　who　is　not。　　From　these

two　last　truths　flow　many　other　consequences；　which；　if　the　reader

deigns　to　reflect　on　them；　he　will　have　no　trouble　in　defining。



Paris　1881。










THE　ANCIENT　REGIME



PREFACE　BY　THE　AUTHOR：



ON　POLITICAL　IGNORANCE　AND　WISDOM。



In　1849；　being　twenty…one　years　of　age；　and　an　elector；　I　was　very

much　puzzled；　for　I　had　to　nominate　fifteen　or　twenty　deputies；　and；

moreover；　according　to　French　custom；　I　had　not　only　to　determine　what

candidate　I　would　vote　for；　but　what　theory　I　should　adopt。　　I　had　to

choose　between　a　royalist　or　a　republican；　a　democrat　or　a

conservative；　a　socialist　or　a　bonapartist；　as　I　was　neither　one　nor

the　other；　nor　even　anything；　I　often　envied　those　around　me　who　were

so　fortunate　as　to　have　arrived　at　definite　conclusions。　　After

listening　to　various　doctrines；　I　acknowledged　that　there　undoubtedly

was　something　wrong　with　my　head。　　The　motives　that　influenced　others

did　not　influence　me；　I　could　not　comprehend　how；　in　political

matters；　a　man　could　be　governed　by　preferences。　　My　assertive

countrymen　planned　a　constitution　just　like　a　house；　according　to　the

latest；　simplest；　and　most　attractive　plan；　and　there　were　several

under　consideration　…　the　mansion　of　a　marquis；　the　house　of　a　common

citizen；　the　tenement　of　a　laborer；　the　barracks　of　a　soldier；　the

kibbutz　of　a　socialist；　and　even　the　camp　of　savages。　　Each　claimed

that　his　was　〃the　true　habitation　for　Man；　the　only　one　in　which　a

sensible　person　could　live。〃　In　my　opinion；　the　argument　was　weak；

personal　taste　could　not　be　valid　for　everyone。　　It　seemed　to　me　that　a

house　should　not　be　built　for　the　architect　alone；　or　for　itself；　but

for　the　owner　who　was　to　live　in　it。　　Referring　to　the　owner　for　his

advice；　that　is　submitting　to　the　French　people　the　plans　of　its

future　habitation；　would　evidently　be　either　for　show　or　just　to

deceive　them；　since　the　question；　obviously；　was　put　in　such　a　manner

that　it　provided　the　answer　in　advance。　　Besides；　had　the　people　been

allowed　to　reply　in　all　liberty；　their　response　was　in　any　case　not　of

much　value　since　France　was　scarcely　more　competent　than　I　was；　the

combined　ignorance　of　ten　millions　is　not　the　equivalent　of　one　man's

wisdom。　　A　people　may　be　consulted　and；　in　an　extreme　case；　may　declare

what　form　of　government　it　would　like　best；　but　not　that　which　it　most

needs。　　Nothing　but　experience　can　determine　this；　it　must　have　time　to

ascertain　whether　the　political　structure　is　convenient；　substantial；

able　to　withstand　inclemency；　and　adapted　to　customs；　habits；

occupations；　characters；　peculiarities　and　caprices。　　For　example；　the

one　we　have　tried　has　never　satisfied　us；　we　have　during　eighty　years

demolished　it　thirteen　times；　each　time　setting　it　up　anew；　and　always

in　vain；　for　never　have　we　found　one　that　suited　us。　　If　other　nations

have　been　more　fortunate；　or　if　various　political　structures　abroad

have　proved　stable　and　enduring；　it　is　because　these　have　been　erected

in　a　special　way。　　Founded　on　some　primitive；　massive　pile；　supported

by　an　old　central　edifice；　often　restored　but　always　preserved；

gradually　enlarged；　and；　after　numerous　trials　and　additions；　they

have　been　adapted　to　the　wants　of　its　occupants。　　It　is　well　to　admit；

perhaps；　that　there　is　no　other　way　of　erecting　a　permanent　building。

Never　has　one　been　put　up　instantaneously；　after　an　entirely　new

design；　and　according　to　the　measurements　of　pure　Reason。　　A　sudden

contrivance　of　a　new；　suitable；　and　enduring　constitution　is　an

enterprise　beyond　the　forces　of　the　human　mind。



In　any　event；　I　came　to　the　conclusion　that　if　we　should　ever

discover　the　one　we　need　it　would　not　be　through　some　fashionable

theory。　　The　point　is；　if　it　exists；　to　discover　it；　and　not　to　put　it

to　a　vote。　　To　do　that　would　not　only　be　pretentious　it　would　be

useless；　history　and　nature　will　do　it　for　us；　it　is　for　us　to　adapt

ourselves　to　them；　as　it　is　certain　they　will　accommodate　themselves

to　us。　　The　social　and　political　mold；　into　which　a　nation　may　enter

and　remain；　is　not　subject　to　its　will；　but　determined　by　its

character　and　its　past。　　It　is　essential　that；　even　in　its　least

traits；　it　should　be　shaped　on　the　living　material　to　which　it　is

applied；　otherwise　it　will　burst　and　fall　to　pieces。　　Hence；　if　we

should　succeed　in　finding　ours；　it　will　only　be　through　a　study　of

ourselves；　while　the　more　we　understand　exactly　what　we　are；　the　more

certainly　shall　we　distinguish　what　best　suits　us。　　We　ought；

therefore；　to　reverse　the　ordinary　methods；　and　form　some　conception

of　the　nation　before　formulating　its　constitution。　　Doubtless　the　first

operation　is　much　more　tedious　and　difficult　than　the　second。　　How　much

time；　how　much　study；　how　many　observations　rectified　one　by　the

other；　how　many　researches　in　the　past　and　the　present；　over　all　the

domains　of　thought　and　of　action；　what　manifold　and　age…long　labors

before　we　can　obtain　an　accurate　and　complete　idea　of　a　great　people。

A　people　which　has　lived　a　people's　age；　and　which　still　lives！　But　it

is　the　only　way　to　avoid　the　unsound　construction　based　on　a

meaningless　planning。　　I　promised　myself　that；　for　my　own　part；　if　I

should　some　day　undertake　to　form　a　political　opinion；　it　would　be

only　after　having　studied　France。



What　is　contemporary　France？　To　answer　this　question　we　must　know

how　this　France　is　formed；　or；　what　is　still　better；　to　act　as

spectator　at　its　formation。　　At　the　end　of　the　last　century　（in　1789）；

like　a　molting　insect；　it　underwent　a　metamorphosis。　　Its　ancient

organization　is　dissolved；　it　tears　away　its　most　precious　tissues　and

falls　into　convulsions；　which　seem　mortal。　　Then；　after　multiplied

throes　and　a　painful　lethargy；　it　re…establishes　itself。　　But　its

organization　is　no　longer　the　same：　by　silent　interior　travail　a　new

being　is　substituted　for　the　old。　　In　1808；　its　leading　characteristics

are　decreed　and　defined：　departments；　arondissements；　cantons　and

communes；　no　change　have　since　taken　place　in　its　exterior　divisions

and　functions。　　Concordat；　Code；　Tribunals；　University；　Institute；

Prefects；　Council　of　State；　Taxes；　Collectors；　Cours　des　Comptes；　a

uniform　and　centralized　administration；　its　principal　organs；　are

still　the　same。　　Nobility；　commoners；　artisans；　peasants；　each　class

has　henceforth　the　position；　the　sentiments；　the　traditions　which　we

see　at　the　present　day　（1875）。　　Thus　the　new　creature　is　at　once　stable

and　complete；　consequently　its　structure；　its　instincts　and　its

faculties　mark　in　advance　the　circle　within　which　its　thought　and　its

action　will　be　stimulated。　　Around　it；　other　nations；　some　more

advanced；　others　less　developed；　all　with　greater　caution；　some　with

better　results；　attempt　similarly　a　transformation　from　a　feudal　to　a

modern　state；　the　process　takes　place　everywhere　and　all　but

simultaneously。　　But；　under　this　new　system　as　beneath　the　ancient；　the

weak　is　always　the　prey　of　the　strong。　　Woe　to　those　（nations）　whose

retarded　evolution　exposes　them　to　the　neighbor　suddenly　emancipated

from　his　chrysalis　state；　and　is　the　first　to　go　forth　fully　armed！

Woe　likewise　to　him　whose　too　violent　and　too　abrupt　evolution　has

badly　balanced　his　internal　economy。　　Who；　through　the　exaggeration　of

his　governing　forces；　through　the　deterioration　of　his　deep…seated

organs；　through　the　gradual　impoverishment　of　his　vital　tissues　is

condemned　to　commit　inconsiderate　acts；　to　debility；　to　impotency；

amidst　sounder　and　better…balanced　neighbors！　In　the　organization；

which　France　effected　for　herself　at　the　beginning　of　the　（19th）

century；　all　the　general　lines　of　her　contemporary　history　were

traced。　　Her　political　revolutions；　social　Utopias；　division　of

classes；　role　of　the　church；　conduct　of　the　nobility；　of　the　middle

class；　and　of　the　people；　the　development；　the　direction；　or　deviation

of　philosophy；　of　letters　and　of　the　arts。　　That　is　why；　should　we　wish

to　understand　our　present　condition　our　attention　always　reverts　to

the　terrible　and　fruitful　crisis　by　which　the　ancient　regime　produced

the　Revolution；　and　the　Revolution　the　new　regime。



Ancient　régime；　Revolutio