the origins of contemporary france-1-第12章

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Fréjus；　Lescar；　Belley；　Saint…Malo；　Tréguier；　Embrun；　Saint…Claude；　　…

and；　in　the　neighborhood；　less　than　two　hundred；　one　hundred；　and

sometimes　even　less　than　fifty　parishes；　and；　as　recompense　for　this

slight　ecclesiastical　surveillance；　a　prelate　receiving　from　25；000　to

70；000　livres；　according　to　official　statements；　from　37；000　to

105；000　livres　in　actual　receipts；　and　from　74；000　to　210；000　livres

in　the　money　of　to　day。　　As　to　the　abbeys；　I　count　thirty…three　of　them

producing　to　the　abbé　from　25；000　to　120；000　livres；　and　twenty…seven

which　bring　from　20；000　to　100；000　livres　to　the　abbess。　　Weigh　these

sums　taken　from　the　Almanach；　and　bear　in　mind　that　they　must　be

doubled；　and　more；　to　obtain　the　real　revenue；　and　be　quadrupled；　and

more；　to　obtain　the　actual　value。　　It　is　evident；　that；　with　such

revenues；　coupled　with　the　feudal　rights；　police；　justiciary　and

administrative；　which　accompany　them；　an　ecclesiastic　or　lay　grand

seignior　is；　in　fact；　a　sort　of　prince　in　his　district。　　He　bears　too

close　a　resemblance　to　the　ancient　sovereign　to　be　entitled　to　live　as

an　ordinary　individual。　　His　private　advantages　impose　on　him　a　public

character。　　His　rank；　and　his　enormous　profits；　makes　it　incumbent　on

him　to　perform　proportionate　services；　and　that；　even　under　the　sway

of　the　intendant；　he　owes　to　his　vassals；　to　his　tenants；　to　his

feudatories　the　support　of　his　mediation；　of　his　patronage　and　of　his

gains。



To　do　this　he　must　be　in　residence；　but；　generally；　he　is　an

absentee。　　For　a　hundred　and　fifty　years　a　kind　of　all…powerful

attraction　diverts　the　grandees　from　the　provinces　and　impels　them

towards　the　capital。　　The　movement　is　irresistible；　for　it　is　the

effect　of　two　forces；　the　greatest　and　most　universal　that　influence

mankind；　one；　a　social　position；　and　the　other　the　national　character。

A　tree　is　not　to　be　severed　from　its　roots　with　impunity。　　Appointed　to

govern；　an　aristocracy　frees　itself　from　the　land　when　it　no　longer

rules。　　It　ceases　to　rule　the　moment　when；　through　increasing　and

constant　encroachments；　almost　the　entire　justiciary；　the　entire

administration；　the　entire　police；　each　detail　of　the　local　or　general

government；　the　power　of　initiating；　of　collaboration；　of　control

regarding　taxation；　elections；　roads；　public　works　and　charities；

passes　over　into　the　hands　of　the　intendant　or　of　the　sub…delegate；

under　the　supreme　direction　of　the　comptroller…general　or　of　the

king's　council。＇29＇　Civil　servants；　men　〃of　the　robe　and　the　quill；〃

colorless　commoners；　perform　the　administrative　work；　there　is　no　way

to　prevent　it。　　Even　with　the　king's　delegates；　a　provincial　governor；

were　he　hereditary；　a　prince　of　the　blood；　like　the　Condés　in

Burgundy；　must　efface　himself　before　the　intendant；　he　holds　no

effective　office；　his　public　duties　consist　of　showing　off　and

providing　entertainment。　　Besides　he　would　badly　perform　any　others。

The　administrative　machine；　with　its　thousands　of　hard；　creaking　and

dirty　wheels；　as　Richelieu　and　Louis　XIV；　fashioned　it；　can　work　only

in　the　hands　of　workmen　who　may　be　dismissed　at　any　time　therefore

unscrupulous　and　prompt　to　give　way　to　the　judgment　of　the　State。　　It

is　impossible　to　allow　oneself　to　get　mixed　up　with　rogues　of　that

description。　　He　accordingly　abstains；　and　abandons　public　affairs　to

them。　　Unemployed；　bored；　what　could　he　now　do　on　his　domain；　where　he

no　longer　reigns；　and　where　dullness　overpowers　him？　He　betakes

himself　to　the　city；　and　especially　to　the　court。　　Moreover；　only　here

can　he　pursue　a　career；　to　be　successful　he　has　to　become　a　courtier。

It　is　the　will　of　the　king；　one　must　frequent　his　apartments　to　obtain

his　favors；　otherwise；　on　the　first　application　for　them　the　answer

will　be；　〃Who　is　he？　He　is　a　man　that　I　never　see。〃　In　the　king's　eyes

there　is　no　excuse　for　absence；　even　should　the　cause　is　a　conversion；

with　penitence　for　a　motive。　　In　preferring　God　to　the　king；　he　has

deserted。　　The　ministers　write　to　the　intendants　to　ascertain　if　the

gentlemen　of　their　province　〃like　to　stay　at　home；〃　and　if　they

〃refuse　to　appear　and　perform　their　duties　to　the　king。〃　Imagine　the

grandeur　of　such　attractions　available　at　the　court；　governments；

commands；　bishoprics；　benefices；　court…offices；　survivor…ships；

pensions；　credit；　favors　of　every　kind　and　degree　for　self　and　family。

All　that　a　country　of　25　millions　men　can　offer　that　is　desirable　to

ambition；　to　vanity；　to　interest；　is　found　here　collected　as　in　a

reservoir。　　They　rush　to　it　and　draw　from　it。　　…　And　the　more　readily

because　it　is　an　agreeable　place；　arranged　just　as　they　would　have　it；

and　purposely　to　suit　the　social　aptitudes　of　the　French　character。

The　court　is　a　vast　permanent　drawing　room　to　which　〃　access　is　easy

and　free　to　the　king's　subjects；〃　where　they　live　with　him；　〃in　gentle

and　virtuous　society　in　spite　of　the　almost　infinite　distance　of　rank

and　power；〃　where　the　monarch　prides　himself　on　being　the　perfect

master　of　a　household。＇30＇　In　fact；　no　drawing　room　was　ever　so　well

kept　up；　nor　so　well　calculated　to　retain　its　guests　by　every　kind　of

enjoyment；　by　the　beauty；　the　dignity　and　the　charm　of　its　decoration；

by　the　selection　of　its　company　and　by　the　interest　of　the　spectacle。

Versailles　is　the　only　place　to　show　oneself　off；　to　make　a　figure；　to

push　one's　way；　to　be　amused；　to　converse　or　gossip　at　the　head…

quarters　of　news；　of　activity　and　of　public　matters；　with　the　élite　of

the　kingdom　and　the　arbiters　of　fashion；　elegance　and　taste。　　〃Sire；〃

said　M。　de　Vardes　to　Louis　XIV；　〃away　from　Your　Majesty　one　not　only

feels　miserable　but　ridiculous。〃　None　remain　in　the　provinces　except

the　poor　rural　nobility；　to　live　there　one　must　be　behind　the　age；

disheartened　or　in　exile。　　The　king's　banishment　of　a　seignior　to　his

estates　is　the　highest　disgrace；　to　the　humiliation　of　this　fall　is

added　the　insupportable　weight　of　boredom。　　The　finest　chateau　on　the

most　beautiful　site　is　a　frightful　〃desert〃；　nobody　is　seen　there　save

the　grotesques　of　a　small　town　or　the　village　peasants。＇31＇



〃Exile　alone；〃　says　Arthur　Young；　〃can　force　the　French　nobility　to

do　what　the　English　prefer　to　do；　and　that　is　to　live　on　their　estates

and　embellish　them。〃



　Saint…Simon　and　other　court　historians；　on　mentioning　a　ceremony；

repeatedly　state　that　〃all　France　was　there〃；　in　fact；　every　one　of

consequence　in　France　is　there；　and　each　recognizes　the　other　by　this

sign。　　Paris　and　the　court　become；　accordingly；　the　necessary　sojourn

of　all　fine　people。　　In　such　a　situation　departure　begets　departure；

the　more　a　province　is　forsaken　the　more　they　forsake　it。　　〃There　is

not　in　the　kingdom；〃　says　the　Marquis　de　Mirabeau；　〃a　single　estate　of

any　size　of　which　the　proprietor　is　not　in　Paris　and　who；

consequently；　neglects　his　buildings　and　chateaux。〃＇32＇　The　lay　grand

seigniors　have　their　hotels　in　the　capital；　their　entresol　at

Versailles；　and　their　pleasure…house　within　a　circuit　of　twenty

leagues；　if　they　visit　their　estates　at　long　intervals；　it　is　to　hunt。

The　fifteen　hundred　commendatory　abbés　and　priors　enjoy　their

benefices　as　if　they　were　so　many　remote　farms。　　The　two　thousand　seven

hundred　vicars　and　canons　visit　each　other　and　dine　out。　　With　the

exception　of　a　few　apostolic　characters　the　one　hundred　and　thirty…one

bishops　stay　at　home　as　little　as　they　can；　nearly　all　of　them　being

nobles；　all　of　them　men　of　society；　what　could　they　do　out　of　the

world；　confined　to　a　provincial　town？　Can　we　imagine　a　grand　seignior；

once　a　gay　and　gallant　abbé　and　now　a　bishop　with　a　hundred　thousand

livres　income；　voluntarily　burying　himself　for　the　entire　year　at

Mende；　at　Comminges；　in　a　paltry　cloister？　The　interval　has　become　too

great　between　the　refined；　varied　and　literary　life　of　the　great

center；　and　the　monotonous；　inert；　practical　life　of　the　provinces。

Hence　it　is　that　the　grand　seignior　who　withdraws　from　the　former

cannot　enter　into　the　latter；　and　he　remains　an　absentee；　at　least　in

feeling。



A　country　in　which　the　heart　ceases　to　impel　the　blood　through　its

veins　presents　a　somber　aspect。　　Arthur　Young；　who　traveled　over　France

between　1787　and　1789；　is　surprised　to　find　at　once　such　a　vital

center　and　such　dead　extremities。　　Between　Paris　and　Versailles　the

double　file　of　vehicles　going　and　coming　extends　uninterruptedly　for

five　leagues　from　morning　till　night。＇33＇　The　contrast　on　other　roads

is　very　great。　　Leaving　Paris　by　the　Orleans　road；　says　Arthur　Young；

〃we　met　not　one　stage　or　diligence　for　ten　miles；　only　two　messageries

and　very　few　chaises；　not　a　tenth　of　what　would　have　been　met　had　we

been　leaving　London　at　the　same　hour。〃　On　the　highroad　near　Narbonne；

〃for　thirty…six　miles；〃　he　says；　〃I　came　across　but　one　cabriolet；

half　a　dozen　carts　and　a　few　women　leading　asses。〃　Elsewhere；　near　St。

Girons；　he　notices　that　in　two　hundred　and　fifty　miles　he　encountered

in　all；　〃two　cabriolets　and　three　miserable　things　similar　to　our　old

one…horse　post　chaise；　and　not　one　gentleman。〃　Throughout　this　country

the　inns　are　execrable；　it　is　impossible　to　hire　a　wagon；　while　in

England；　even　in　a　town　of　fifteen　hundred　or　two　thousand

inhabitants；　there　are　comfortable　hotels　and　every　means　of

transport。　　This　proves　that　in　France　〃there　is　no　circulation。〃　It　is

only　in　very　large　towns　that　there　is　any　civilization　and　comfort。

At　Nantes　there　is　a　superb　theater　〃twice　as　large　as　Drury…Lane　and

five　times　as　magnificent。　　Mon　Dieu！　I　cried　to　myself；　do　all　these

wastes；　moors；　and　deserts；　that　I　have　passed　for　300　miles　lead　to

this　spectacle？　。　　。　　。　　In　a　single　leap　you　pass　from　misery　to

extravagance；　。。。the　country　deserted；　or　if　a　gentleman　in　it；　you

find　him　in　some　wretched　hole　to　save　that　money　which　is　lavished

with　profusion　in　the　luxuries　of　a　capital。〃　〃A　coach；〃　says　M。　de

Montlosier；　〃set　out　weekly　from　the　principal　towns　in　the　provinces

for　Paris　and　was　not　always　full；　which　tells　us　about　the　activity

in　business。　　There　was　a　single　journal　called　the　Gazette　de　France；

appearing　twice　a　week；　which　represents　the　activity　of　minds。〃＇34＇

Some　magistrates　of　Paris　in　exile　at　Bourges　in　1753　and　1754　give

the　following　picture　of　that　place：




　〃A　town　in　which　no　one　can　be　found　with　whom　you　can　talk　at

your　ease　on　any　topic　whatever；　reasonably　or　sensibly。　　The　nobles；

three…fourths　of　them　dying　of　hunger；　rotting　with　pride　of　birth；

keeping　apart　from　men　of　the　robe　and　of　finance；　and　finding　it

strange　that　the　daughter　of　a　tax…collector；　married　to　a　counselor

of　the　parliament　of　Paris；　should　presume　to　be　intelligent　and

entertain　company。　　The　citizens　are　of　the　grossest　ignorance；　the

sole　support　of　this　species　of　lethargy　in　which　the　minds　of　most　of

the　inhabitants　are　plunged。　　Women；　bigoted　and　pretentious；　an