the origins of contemporary france-1-第13章

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

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

given　to　play　and　to　gallantry。〃＇35＇



In　this　impoverished　and　benumbed　society；　among　these　Messieurs

Thibaudeau；　the　counselor；　and　Harpin；　the　tax…collector；　among　these

vicomtes　de　Sotenville　and　Countesses　d'Escarbagnas；　lives　the

Archbishop；　Cardinal　de　Larochefoucauld；　grand　almoner　to　the　king；

provided　with　four　great　abbeys；　possessing　five　hundred　thousand

livres　income；　a　man　of　the　world；　generally　an　absentee；　and　when　at

home；　finding　amusement　in　the　embellishing　of　his　gardens　and　palace；

in　short；　the　golden　pheasant　of　an　aviary　in　a　poultry　yard　of

geese。＇36＇　Naturally　there　is　an　entire　absence　of　political　thought。

〃You　cannot　imagine；〃　says　the　manuscript；　〃a　person　more　indifferent

to　all　public　matters。〃　At　a　later　period；　in　the　very　midst　of　events

of　the　gravest　character；　and　which　most　nearly　concern　them；　there　is

the　same　apathy。　　At　Chateau…Thierry　on　the　4th　of　July；　1789；＇37＇

there　is　not　a　café　in　which　a　new　paper　can　be　found；　there　is　but

one　at　Dijon；　at　Moulins；　the　7th　of　August；　〃in　the　best　café　in　the

town；　where　I　found　near　twenty　tables　set　for　company；　but　as　for　a

newspaper　I　might　as　well　have　demanded　an　elephant。〃　Between

Strasbourg　and　Besan？on　there　is　not　a　gazette。　　At　Besan？on　there　is

〃nothing　but　the　Gazette　de　France；　for　which；　this　period；　a　man　of

common　sense　would　not　give　one　sol；　。　　。　　。　　and　the　Courier　de　l'Europe

a　fortnight　old；　and　well…dressed　people　are　now　talking　of　the　news

of　two　or　three　weeks　past；　and　plainly　by　their　discourse　know

nothing　of　what　is　passing。　　At　Clermont　〃I　dined；　or　supped；　five

times　at　the　table　d'h？te　with　from　twenty　to　thirty　merchants；　trade

men；　officers；　etc。；　and　it　is　not　easy　for　me　to　express　the

insignificance；　…　the　inanity　of　their　conversation。　　Scarcely　any

politics　are　mentioned　at　a　moment　when　every　bosom　ought　to　beat　with

none　but　political　sensations。　　The　ignorance　or　the　stupidity　of　these

people　must　be　absolutely　incredible；　not　a　week　passes　without　their

country　abounding　with　events＇38＇　that　are　analyzed　an　debated　by　the

carpenters　and　blacksmiths　of　England。〃　The　cause　of　this　inertia　is

manifest；　interrogated　on　their　opinions；　all　reply：　〃We　are　of　the

provinces　and　we　must　wait　to　know　what　is　going　on　in　Paris。〃　Never

having　acted；　they　do　no　know　how　to　act。　　But；　thanks　to　this　inertia；

they　let　themselves　be　driven。　　The　provinces　form　an　immense　stagnant

pond；　which；　by　a　terrible　inundation；　may　be　emptied　exclusively　on

one　side；　and　suddenly；　the　fault　lies　with　the　engineers　who　failed

to　provide　it　with　either　dikes　or　outlets。



Such　is　the　languor　or；　rather；　the　prostration；　into　which　local

life　falls　when　the　local　chiefs　deprive　it　of　their　presence；　action

or　sympathy。　　I　find　only　three　or　four　grand　seigniors　taking　a　part

in　it；　practical　philanthropists　following　the　example　of　English

noblemen；　the　Duc　d'Harcourt；　who　settles　the　lawsuits　of　his

peasants；　the　Duc　de　Larochefoucauld…Liancourt　who　establishes　a　model

farm　on　his　domain；　and　a　school　of　industrial　pursuits　for　the

children　of　poor　soldiers；　and　the　Comte　de　Brienne；　whose　thirty

villages　are　to　demand　liberty　of　the　Convention。＇39＇　The　rest；　for

the　most　part　liberals；　content　themselves　with　discussions　on　public

affairs　and　on　political　economy。　　In　fact；　the　difference　in　manners；

the　separation　of　interests；　the　remoteness　of　ideas　are　so　great　that

contact　between　those　most　exempt　from　haughtiness　and　their　immediate

tenantry　is　rare；　and　at　long　intervals。　　Arthur　Young；　needing　some

information　at　the　house　of　the　Duc　de　Larochefoucauld　himself；　the

steward　is　sent　for。　　〃At　an　English　nobleman's；　there　would　have　been

three　or　four　farmers　asked　to　meet　me；　who　would　have　dined　with　the

family　amongst　the　ladies　of　the　first　rank。　　I　do　not　exaggerate　when

I　say　that　I　have　had　this　at　least　an　hundred　times　in　the　first

houses　of　our　islands。　　It　is；　however；　a　thing　that　in　the　present

style　of　manners　in　France　would　not　be　met　with　from　Calais　to

Bayonne　except；　by　chance；　in　the　house　of　some　great　lord　that　had

been　much　in　England；　and　then　not　unless　it　was　asked　for。　　The

nobility　in　France　have　no　more　idea　of　practicing　agriculture；　and

making　it　a　subject　of　conversation；　except　on　the　mere　theory；　as

they　would　speak　of　a　loom　or　a　bowsprit；　than　of　any　other　object　the

most　remote　from　their　habits　and　pursuits。〃　Through　tradition；

fashion　and　deliberation；　they　are；　and　wish　only　to　be；　people　of

society；　their　sole　concern　is　to　talk　and　to　hunt。　　Never　have　the

leaders　of　men　so　unlearned　the　art　of　leading　men；　the　art　which

consists　of　marching　along　the　same　pathway　with　them；　but　at　the

head；　and　directing　their　labor　by　sharing　in　it。　　…　Our　Englishman；

an　eye…witness　and　competent；　again　writes：　〃Thus　it　is　whenever　you

stumble　on　a　grand　seignior；　even　one　that　was　worth　millions；　you　are

sure　to　find　his　property　desert。　　Those　of　the　Duc　de　Bouillon　and　of

the　Prince　de　Soubise　are　two　of　the　greatest　properties　in　France；

and　all　the　signs　I　have　yet　seen　of　their　greatness　are　heaths；

moors；　deserts；　and　brackens。　　Go　to　their　residence；　wherever　it　may

be；　and　you　would　probably　find　them　in　the　midst　of　a　forest　very

well　peopled　with　deer；　wild　boars　and　wolves。〃　〃The　great

proprietors；〃　says　another　contemporary；＇40＇　〃attracted　to　and　kept　in

our　cities　by　luxurious　enjoyments　know　nothing　of　their　estates；〃

save　〃of　their　agents　whom　they　harass　for　the　support　of　a　ruinous

ostentation。　　How　can　ameliorations　be　looked　for　from　those　who　even

refuse　to　keep　things　up　and　make　indispensable　repairs？〃　A　sure　proof

that　their　absence　is　the　cause　of　the　evil　is　found　in　the　visible

difference　between　the　domain　worked　under　absent　abbé…commendatory

and　a　domain　superintended　by　monks　living　on　the　spot　〃The

intelligent　traveler　recognizes　it〃　at　first　sight　by　the　state　of

cultivation。　　〃If　he　finds　fields　well　enclosed　by　ditches；　carefully

planted；　and　covered　with　rich　crops；　these　fields；　he　says　to

himself；　belong　to　the　monks。　　Almost　always；　alongside　of　these

fertile　plains；　is　an　area　of　ground　badly　tilled　and　almost　barren；

presenting　a　painful　contrast；　and　yet　the　soil　is　the　same；　being　two

portions　of　the　same　domain；　he　sees　that　the　latter　is　the　portion　of

the　abbé…commendatory。〃　〃The　abbatial　manse。〃　said　Lefranc　de

Pompignan；　〃frequently　looks　like　the　property　of　a　spendthrift；　the

monastic　manse　is　like　a　patrimony　whereon　nothing　is　neglected　for

its　amelioration；〃　to　such　an　extent　that　〃　the　two…thirds　〃　which　the

abbé　enjoys　bring　him　less　than　the　third　reserved　by　his　monks。　　…　The

ruin　or　impoverishment　of　agriculture　is；　again；　one　of　the　effects　of

absenteeism。　　There　was；　perhaps；　one…third　of　the　soil　in　France；

which；　deserted　as　in　Ireland；　was　as　badly　tilled；　as　little

productive　as　in　Ireland　in　the　hands　of　the　rich　absentees；　the

English　bishops；　deans　and　nobles。



Doing　nothing　for　the　soil；　how　could　they　do　anything　for　men？　Now

and　then；　undoubtedly；　especially　with　farms　that　pay　no　rent；　the

steward　writes　a　letter；　alleging　the　misery　of　the　farmer。　　There　is

no　doubt；　also；　that；　especially　for　thirty　years　back；　they　desire　to

be　humane；　they　descant　among　themselves　about　the　rights　of　man；　the

sight　of　the　pale　face　of　a　hungry　peasant　would　give　them　pain。　　But

they　never　see　him；　does　it　ever　occur　to　them　to　fancy　what　it　is

like　under　the　awkward　and　complimentary　phrases　of　their　agent？

Moreover；　do　they　know　what　hunger　is？　Who　amongst　them　has　had　any

rural　experiences？　And　how　could　they　picture　to　themselves　the　misery

of　this　forlorn　being？　They　are　too　remote　from　him　to　that；　too

ignorant　of　his　mode　of　life。　　The　portrait　they　conceive　of　him　is

imaginary；　never　was　there　a　falser　representation　of　the　peasant；

accordingly　the　awakening　is　to　be　terrible。　　They　view　him　as　the

amiable　swain；　gentle；　humble　and　grateful；　simple…hearted　and　right…

minded；　easily　led；　being　conceived　according　to　Rousseau　and　the

idylls　performed　at　this　very　epoch　in　all　private　drawing　rooms。＇41＇

Lacking　a　knowledge　him　they　overlook　him；　they　read　the　steward's

letter　and　immediately　the　whirl　of　high　life　again　seizes　them　and；

after　a　sigh　bestowed　on　the　distress　of　the　poor；　they　make　up　their

minds　that　their　income　for　the　year　will　be　short。　　A　disposition　of

this　kind　is　not　favorable　to　charity。　　Accordingly；　complaints　arise；

not　against　the　residents　but　against　the　absentees。＇42＇　〃The

possessions　of　the　Church；　says　a　letter；　serve　only　to　nourish　the

passions　of　their　holders。〃　〃According　to　the　canons；　says　another

memorandum；　every　beneficiary　must　give　a　quarter　of　his　income　to　the

poor；　nevertheless　in　our　parish　there　is　a　revenue　of　more　than

twelve　thousand　livres；　and　none　of　it　is　given　to　the　poor　unless　it

is　some　small　matter　at　the　hands　of　the　curate。〃　〃The　abbé　de　Conches

gets　one…half　of　the　tithes　and　contributes　nothing　to　the　relief　of

the　parish。〃　Elsewhere；　〃the　chapter　of　Ecouis；　which　owns　the

benefice　of　the　tithes　is　of　no　advantage　to　the　poor；　and　only　seeks

to　augment　its　income。〃　Nearby；　the　abbé　of　Croix…Leufroy；　〃a　heavy

tithe…owner；　and　the　abbé　de　Bernay；　who　gets　fifty…seven　thousand

livres　from　his　benefice；　and　who　is　a　non…resident；　keep　all　and

scarcely　give　enough　to　their　officiating　curates　to　keep　them　alive。〃

〃I　have　in　my　parish；　says　a　curate　of　Berry；＇43＇　six　simple　benefices

of　which　the　titularies　are　always　absent。　　They　enjoy　together　an

income　of　nine　thousand　livres；　I　sent　them　in　writing　the　most　urgent

entreaties　during　the　calamity　of　the　past　year；　I　received　from　one

them　two　louis　only；　and　most　of　them　did　not　even　answer　me。〃

Stronger　is　the　reason　for　a　conviction　that　in　ordinary　times　they

will　make　no　remission　of　their　dues。　　Moreover；　these　dues；　the

censives；　the　lods　et　ventes；　tithes；　and　the　like；　are　in　the　hands

of　a　steward；　and　he　is　a　good　steward　who　returns　a　large　amount　of

money。　　He　has　no　right　to　be　generous　at　his　master's　expense；　and　he

is　tempted　to　turn　the　subjects　of　his　master　to　his　own　profit。　　In

vain　might　the　soft　seignorial　hand　be　disposed　to　be　easy　or

paternal；　the　hard　hand　of　the　proxy　bears　down　on　the　peasants　with

all　its　weight；　and　the　caution　of　a　chief　gives　place　to　the

exactions　of　a　clerk。…　How　is　it　then　when；　instead　of　a　clerk　on　the

domain；　a　fermier　is　found；　an　adjudicator　who；　for　an　annual　sum；

purchases　of　seignior　the　management　and　product　of　his　dues？　In

election　of　Mayenne；＇44＇　and　certainly　also　in　many　others；　the

principal　domains　are　rented　in　this　way。　　Moreover　there　are　a