the origins of contemporary france-1-第19章

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treaty　of　Vienna；　this　explains　why　〃a　pension　of　6；000　livres　is

given　to　his　niece；　Mme。　　de　Castellane；　and　another　of　10；000　to　his

daughter；　Mme。　　de　Beuvron；　who　is　very　rich。〃　　…　　〃M。　de　Puisieux

enjoys　about　76；000　or　77；000　livres　income　from　the　bounty　of　the

king；　it　is　true　that　he　has　considerable　property；　but　the　revenue　of

this　property　is　uncertain；　being　for　the　most　part　in　vines。〃　　…　　〃A

pension　of　10；000　livres　has　just　been　awarded　to　the　Marquise　de　Lède

because　she　is　disagreeable　to　Mme。　　Infante；　and　to　secure　her

resignation。〃　　…　　The　most　opulent　stretch　out　their　hands　and　take

accordingly。　　〃It　is　estimated　that　last　week　128；000　livres　in

pensions　were　bestowed　on　ladies　of　the　court；　while　for　the　past　two

years　the　officers　have　not　received　the　slightest　pension：　8；000

livres　to　the　Duchesse　de　Chevreuse；　whose　husband　has　an　income　of

500；000　livres；　12；000　livres　to　Mme。　　de　Luynes；　that　she　may　not　be

jealous；　10；000　to　the　Duchesse　de　Brancas；　10；000　to　the　dowager

Duchesse　de　Brancas；　mother　of　the　preceding；〃　etc。　　At　the　head　of

these　leeches　come　the　princes　of　the　blood。　　〃The　king　has　just　given

1；500；000　livres　to　M。　le　Prince　de　Conti　to　pay　his　debts；　1；000；000

of　which　is　under　the　pretext　of　indemnifying　him　for　the　injury　done

him　by　the　sale　of　Orange；　and　500；000　livres　as　a　gratuity。〃　〃The　Duc

d'Orléans　formerly　had　50；000　crowns　pension；　as　a　poor　man；　and

awaiting　his　father's　inheritance。　　This　event　making　him　rich；　with　an

income　of　more　than　3；000；000　livres；　he　gave　up　his　pension。　　But

having　since　represented　to　the　king　that　his　expenditure　exceeded　his

income；　the　king　gave　him　back　his　50；000　crowns。〃　　…　　Twenty　years

later；　in　1780；　when　Louis　XVI。；　desirous　of　relieving　the　treasury；

signs　〃the　great　reformation　of　the　table；　600；000　livres　are　given　to

Mesdames　for　their　tables。〃　This　is　what　the　dinners；　cut　down；　of

three　old　ladies；　cost　the　public！　For　the　king's　two　brothers；

8；300；000　livres；　besides　2；000；000　income　in　appanages；　for　the

Dauphin；　Madame　Royale；　Madame　Elisabeth；　and　Mesdames　3；500；000

livres；　for　the　queen；　4；000；000：　such　is　the　statement　of　Necker　in

1784。　　Add　to　this　the　casual　donations；　admitted　or　concealed；　200；000

francs　to　M。　de　Sartines；　to　aid　him　in　paying　his　debts；　200；000　to

M。　Lamoignon；　keeper　of　the　seals；　100；000　to　M。　de　Miromesnil　for

expenses　in　establishing　himself；　166；000　to　the　widow　of　M。　de

Maurepas；　400；000　to　the　Prince　de　Salm；　1；200；000　to　the　Duc　de

Polignac　for　the　pledge　of　the　county　Fenestranges；　754；337　to

Mesdames　to　pay　for　Bellevue。＇19＇　　M。　de　Calonne；〃　says　Augeard；　a

reliable　witness；＇20＇　　〃scarcely　entered　on　his　duties；　raised　a　loan

of　100；000；000　livres；　one…quarters　of　which　did　not　find　its　way　into

the　royal　treasury；　the　rest　was　eaten　up　by　people　at　the　court；　his

donations　to　the　Comte　Artois　are　estimated　at　56；000；000；　the　portion

of　Monsieur　is　5；000；000；　he　gave　to　the　Prince　de　Condé；　in　exchange

for　300；000　livres　income；　12；000；000　paid　down　and　600；000　livres

annuity；　and　he　causes　the　most　burdensome　acquisition　to　be　made　for

the　State；　in　exchanges　of　which　the　damage　is　more　than　five　to　one。〃

We　must　not　forget　that　in　actual　rates　all　these　donations；　pensions；

and　salaries　are　worth　double　the　amount。　　…　　Such　is　the　use　of　the

great　in　relation　to　the　central　power；　instead　of　constituting

themselves　representatives　of　the　people；　they　aimed　to　be　the

favorites　of　the　Sovereign；　and　they　shear　the　flock　which　they　ought

to　preserve。



IV。

Isolation　of　the　Chiefs　…　Sentiments　of　subordinates…　Provincial

nobility　…　The　Curates。



The　fleeced　flock　is　to　discover　finally　what　is　done　with　its

wool。　　〃Sooner　or　later；〃　says　a　parliament　of　1764；＇21＇　　〃the　people

will　learn　that　the　remnants　of　our　finances　continue　be　wasted　in

donations　which　are　frequently　undeserved；　in　excessive　and　multiplied

pensions　for　the　same　persons；　in　dowries　and　promises　of　dowry；　and

in　useless　offices　and　salaries。〃　Sooner　or　later　they　will　thrust

back　〃these　greedy　hands　which　are　always　open　and　never　full；　that

insatiable　crowd　which　seems　to　be　born　only　to　seize　all　and　possess

nothing；　and　pitiless　as　it　is　shameless。〃　　…　　And　when　this　day

arrives　the　extortioners　will　find　that　they　stand　alone。　　For　the

characteristic　of　an　aristocracy　which　cares　only　for　itself　is　to

live　aloof　in　a　closed　circle。　　Having　forgotten　the　public；　it　also

neglects　its　subordinates；　after　being　separated　from　the　nation　it

separates　itself　from　its　own　adherents。　　Like　a　group　of　staff…

officers　on　furlough；　it　indulges　in　Sports　without　giving　itself

further　concern　about　inferior　officers；　when　the　hour　of　battle　comes

nobody　will　march　under　its　orders；　and　chieftains　are　sought

elsewhere。　　Such　is　the　isolation　of　the　seigniors　of　the　court　and　of

the　prelates　among　the　lower　grades　of　the　nobility　and　the　clergy；

they　appropriate　to　themselves　too　large　a　share；　and　give　nothing；　or

almost　nothing；　to　the　people　who　are　not　of　their　society。　　For　a

century　a　steady　murmur　against　them　rising；　and　goes　on　expanding

until　it　becomes　an　uproar；　which　the　old　and　the　new　spirit；　feudal

ideas　and　philosophic　ideas；　threaten　in　unison。　　〃I　see；〃　said　the

bailiff　of　Mirabeau；＇22＇　　〃that　the　nobility　is　demeaning　itself　and

becoming　a　wreck。　　It　is　extended　to　all　those　children　of

bloodsuckers；　the　vagabonds　of　finance；　introduced　by　La　Pompadour；

herself　the　spring　of　this　foulness。　　One　portion　of　it　demeans　itself

in　its　servility　to　the　court；　the　other　portion　is　amalgamated　with

that　quill…driving　rabble　who　are　converting　the　blood　of　the　king's

subjects　into　ink；　another　perishes　stifled　beneath　vile　robes；　the

ignoble　atoms　of　cabinet…dust　which　an　office　drags　up　out　of　the　mire

；〃　and　all；　parvenus　of　the　old　or　of　the　new　stock；　form　a　band

called　the　court；　'The　court！〃　exclaims　D'Argenson。　　〃The　entire　evil

is　found　in　this　word；　The　court　has　become　the　senate　of　the　nation；

the　least　of　the　valets　at　Versailles　is　a　senator；　chambermaids　take

part　in　the　government；　if　not　to　legislate；　at　least　to　impede　laws

and　regulations；　and　by　dint　of　hindrance　there　are　no　longer　either

laws；　or　rules；　or　law…makers。　　。　　。　　。　　Under　Henry　IV　courtiers　remained

each　one　at　home；　they　had　not　entered　into　ruinous　expenditure　to

belong　to　the　court；　favors　were　not　thus　due　to　them　as　at　the

present　day。　　。　　。　　The　court　is　the　sepulcher　of　the　nation。〃　Many　noble

officers；　finding　that　high　grades　are　only　for　courtiers；　abandon　the

service；　and　betake　themselves　with　their　discontent　to　their　estates。

Others；　who　have　not　left　their　domains；　brood　there　in　discomfort；

idleness；　and　ennui；　their　ambition　embittered　by　their　powerlessness。

In　1789；　says　the　Marquis　de　Ferrières；　most　of　them　〃are　so　weary　of

the　court　and　of　the　ministers；　they　are　almost　democrats。〃　At　least；

〃they　want　to　withdraw　the　government　from　the　ministerial　oligarchy

in　whose　hands　it　is　concentrated；〃　there　are　no　grand　seigniors　for

deputies；　they　set　them　aside　and　〃absolutely　reject　them；　saying　that

they　would　traffic　with　the　interests　of　the　nobles；〃　they　themselves；

in　their　registers；　insist　that　there　be　no　more　court　nobility。



The　same　sentiments　prevail　among　the　lower　clergy；　and　still　more

actively；　for　they　are　excluded　from　the　high　offices；　not　only　as

inferiors；　but　also　as　commoner。＇23＇　Already；　in　1766；　the　Marquis　de

Mirabeau　writes：　〃It　would　be　an　insult　to　most　of　our　pretentious

ecclesiastics　to　offer　them　a　curacy。　　Revenues　and　honors　are　for　the

abbés…commendatory；　for　tonsured　beneficiaries　not　in　orders；　for　the

numerous　chapters　（of　nobility）。〃　On　the　contrary；　〃the　true　pastors

of　souls；　the　collaborators　in　the　holy　ministry；　scarcely　obtain　a

subsistence。〃　The　first　class　〃drawn　from　the　nobility　and　from　the

best　of　the　bourgeoisie　have　pretensions　only；　without　being　of　the

true　ministry。　　The　other；　only　having　duties　to　fulfill　without

expectations　and　almost　without　income　。　　。　　。　　can　be　recruited　only

from　the　lowest　ranks　of　civil　society；〃　while　the　parasites　who

despoil　the　laborers　〃affect　to　subjugate　them　and　to　degrade　them

more　and　more。〃　〃I　pity；〃　said　Voltaire；　〃the　lot　of　a　country　curate；

obliged　to　contend　for　a　sheaf　of　wheat　with　his　unfortunate

parishioner；　to　plead　against　him；　to　exact　the　tithe　of　peas　and

lentils；　to　waste　his　miserable　existence　in　constant　strife。　　。　　。　　。　　I

pity　still　more　the　curate　with　a　fixed　allowance　to　whom　monks；

called　gros　decimateurs＇24＇　　dare　offer　a　salary　of　forty　ducats；　to

go　about　during　the　year；　two　or　three　miles　from　his　home；　day　and

night；　in　sunshine　and　in　rain；　in　the　snow　and　in　the　ice；　exercising

the　most　trying　and　most　disagreeable　functions。〃　Attempts　are　made

for　thirty　years　to　secure　their　salaries　and　raise　them　a　little；　in

case　of　their　inadequacy　the　beneficiary；　collator　or　tithe…owner　of

the　parish　is　required　to　add　to　them　until　the　curê　obtains　500

livres　（1768）；　then　700　livres　（1785）；　the　vicar　200　livres　（1768）；

then　250　（1778）；　and　finally　350　（1785）。　　Strictly；　at　the　prices　at

which　things　are；　a　man　may　support　himself　on　that。＇25＇　　But　he　must

live　among　the　destitute　to　whom　he　owes　alms；　and　he　cherishes　at　the

bottom　of　his　heart　a　secret　bitterness　towards　the　indolent　Dives

who；　with　full　pockets；　dispatches　him；　with　empty　pockets；　on　a

mission　of　charity。　　At　Saint…Pierre　de　Barjouville；　in　the　Toulousain；

the　archbishop　of　Toulouse　appropriates　to　himself　one…half　of　the

tithes　and　gives　away　eight　livres　a　year　in　alms。　　At　Bretx；　the

chapter　of　Isle　Jourdain；　which　retains　one…half　of　certain　tithes　and

three…quarters　of　others；　gives　ten　livres；　at　Croix　Falgarde；　the

Benedictines；　to　whom　a　half　of　the　tithes　belong；　give　ten　livres　per

annum。＇26＇　　At　Sainte…Croix　de　Bernay　in　Normandy；＇27＇　　the　non…

resident　abbé；　who　receives　57；000　livres　gives　1；050　livres　to　the

curate　without　a　parsonage；　whose　parish　contains　4；000　communicants。

At　Saint…Aubin…sur…Gaillon；　the　abbé；　a　gros　décimateur；　gives　350

livres　to　the　vicar；　who　is　obliged　to　go　into　the　village　and　obtain

contributions　of　flour；　bread　and　apples。　　At　Plessis　Hébert；　〃the

substitute　deportuaire；＇28＇　not　having　enough　to　live　on　is　obliged　to

get　his　meals　in　the　houses　of　neighboring　curates。〃　In　Artois；　where

the　tithes　are　often　seven　and　a　half　and　eight　per　cent。　　on　he

product　of　the　soil；　a　number　of　curates　have　a　fixed　rate　and　no

parsonage；　their　church　goes　to　ruin　and　the　beneficiary　gives　nothing

to　the　poor。　　〃At　Saint…Laurent；　in　Normandy；　the　curacy　is　worth　not

more　than　400　livres；　which　the　curate　shares　with　an　obitier；＇29＇

and　there　are　500　inhabitants；　three　quarters　of　whom　receive　alms。〃

As　the　repairs　on　a　parsonag