the origins of contemporary france-1-第72章

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aristocratic　brain。　　　They　occupy　the　whole　of　the　upper　story；　and

there；　with　a　pleasing　murmur；　they　weave　the　web　of　interminable

conversation；　their　buzzing　lasts　throughout　the　century；　never　have

the　drawing…rooms　seen　such　an　outpouring　of　fine　sentences　and　of

fine　words。　　　Something　of　all　this　drops　from　the　upper　to　the　lower

story；　if　only　as　dust；　I　mean　to　say；　hope；　faith　in　the　future；

belief　in　Reason；　a　love　of　truth；　the　generous　and　youthful　good

intentions；　the　enthusiasm　that　quickly　passes　but　which　may；　for　a

while；　become　self…abnegation　and　devotion。







IV。　　　UNBELIEF。



The　diffusion　among　the　upper　class。　　　…　Progress　of　incredulity　in

religion。　　　…　Its　causes。…　It　breaks　out　under　the　Regency。　　　…

Increasing　irritation　against　the　clergy。　　　…　Materialism　in　the

drawing…room。　　　…　Estimate　of　the　sciences。　　　…　Final　opinion　on

religion。　　　…　Skepticism　of　the　higher　clergy。



Let　us　follow　the　progress　of　philosophy　in　the　upper　class。

Religion　is　the　first　to　receive　the　severest　attacks。　　　The　small

group　of　skeptics；　which　is　hardly　perceptible　under　Louis　XIV；　has

obtained　its　recruits　in　the　dark；　in　1698　the　Palatine；　the　mother　of

the　Regent；　writes　that　〃we　scarcely　meet　a　young　man　now　who　is　not

ambitious　of　being　an　atheist。〃＇15＇　　Under　the　Regency；　unbelief　comes

out　into　open　daylight。　　　〃I　doubt；〃　says　this　lady　again；　in　1722；

〃if；　in　all　Paris；　a　hundred　individuals　can　be　found；　either

ecclesiastics　or　laymen；　who　have　any　true　faith；　or　even　believe　in

our　Lord。　　　It　makes　one　tremble。　　　。　　　。　　　。〃　The　position　of　an

ecclesiastic　in　society　is　already　difficult。　　　He　is　looked　upon；

apparently；　as　either　a　puppet　or　a　dickey　（a　false　shirt　front）＇16＇。

〃The　moment　we　appear；〃　says　one　of　them；　〃we　are　forced　into

discussion；　we　are　called　upon　to　prove；　for　example；　the　utility　of

prayer　to　an　unbeliever　in　God；　and　the　necessity　of　fasting　to　a　man

who　has　all　his　life　denied　the　immortality　of　the　soul；　the　effort　is

very　irksome；　while　those　who　laugh　are　not　on　our　side。〃　It　is　not

long　before　the　continued　scandal　of　confession　tickets　and　the

stubbornness　of　the　bishops　in　not　allowing　ecclesiastical　property　to

be　taxed；　excites　opinion　against　the　clergy；　and；　as　a　matter　of

course；　against　religion　itself。　　　〃There　is　danger；〃　says　Barbier　in

1751；　〃that　this　may　end　seriously；　we　may　some　day　see　a　revolution

in　this　country　in　favor　of　Protestantism。〃＇17＇　　　〃The　hatred　against

the　priests；〃　writes　d'Argenson　in　1753；　〃is　carried　to　extremes。

They　scarcely　show　themselves　in　the　streets　without　being　hooted　at。

。　　　。　　　。As　our　nation　and　our　century　are　quite　otherwise　enlightened

（than　in　the　time　of　Luther）；　it　will　be　carried　far　enough；　they　will

expel　the　priests；　abolish　the　priesthood　and　get　rid　of　all

revelation　and　all　mystery。　　　。　　　。　　　。　　　One　dare　not　speak　in　behalf

of　the　clergy　in　social　circles；　one　is　scoffed　at　and　regarded　as　a

familiar　of　the　inquisition。　　　The　priests　remark　that；　this　year；

there　is　a　diminution　of　more　than　one…third　in　the　number　of

communicants。　　　The　College　of　the　Jesuits　is　being　deserted；　one

hundred　and　twenty　boarders　have　been　withdrawn　from　these　so　greatly

defamed　monks。　　　It　has　been　observed　also　that；　during　the　carnival

in　Paris；　the　number　of　masks　counterfeiting　ecclesiastical　dress；

bishops；　abbés；　monks　and　nuns；　was　never　so　great。〃　　　…　　So　deep　is

this　antipathy；　the　most　mediocre　books　become　the　rage　so　long　as

they　are　anti…Christian　and　condemned　as　such。　　　In　1748　a　work　by

Toussaint　called　〃Les　Moeurs；〃　in　favor　of　natural　religion；　suddenly

becomes　so　famous；　〃that　there　is　no　one　among　a　certain　class　of

people；〃　writes　Barbier；　〃man　or　woman；　pretending　to　be　intellectual；

who　is　not　eager　to　read　it。〃　People　accost　each　other　on　their

promenades；　Have　you　read　〃Les　Moeurs〃？　　…　　　Ten　years　later　they　are

beyond　deism。　　　　〃Materialism；〃　Barbier　further　said；　〃is　the　great

grievance。　　　。　　　。　　　。　　　〃　〃Almost　all　people　of　erudition　and　taste；

writes　d'Argenson；　〃inveigh　against　our　holy　religion。　　　。　　　。　　　。

It　is　attacked　on　all　sides；　and　what　animates　unbelievers　still　more

is　the　efforts　made　by　the　devout　to　compel　belief。　　　They　publish

books　which　are　but　little　read；　debates　no　longer　take　place；

everything　being　laughed　at；　while　people　persist　in　materialism。〃

Horace　Walpole；　who　returns　to　France　in　1765；＇18＇　and　whose　good

sense　anticipates　the　danger；　is　astonished　at　such　imprudence：　〃I

dined　to　day　with　a　dozen　scholars　and　scientists；　and　although　all

the　servants　were　around　us　and　listening；　the　conversation　was　much

more　unrestrained；　even　on　the　Old　Testament；　than　I　would　allow　at　my

own　table　in　England　even　if　a　single　footman　was　present。〃　People

dogmatize　everywhere。　　　〃Joking　is　as　much　out　of　fashion　as　jumping

jacks　and　tumblers。　　　Our　good　folks　have　no　time　to　laugh！　There　is

God　and　the　king　to　be　hauled　down　first；　and　men　and　women；　one　and

all；　are　devoutly　employed　in　the　demolition。　　　They　think　me　quite

profane　for　having　any　belief　left。　　　。　　　。　　　。　　　Do　you　know　who　the

philosophers　are；　or　what　the　term　means　here？　In　the　first　place　it

comprehends　almost　everybody；　and　in　the　next；　means　men；　who；　avowing

war　against　popery；　take　aim；　many　of　them；　at　a　subversion　of　all

religion。　　　。　　　。　　　。　　　These　savants；　　…　　I　beg　their　pardons；　these

philosophers　　…　　are　insupportable；　superficial；　overbearing　and

fanatic：　they　preach　incessantly；　and　their　avowed　doctrine　is

atheism；　you　would　not　believe　how　openly。　　　Voltaire　himself　does　not

satisfy　them。　　　One　of　their　lady　devotees　said　of　him；　'He　is　a

bigot；　a　deist！'　〃



This　is　very　strong；　and　yet　we　have　not　come　to　the　end　of　it；

for；　thus　far；　impiety　is　less　a　conviction　than　the　fashion。

Walpole；　a　careful　observer；　is　not　deluded　by　it。　　　〃By　what　I　have

said　of　their　religious　or　rather　irreligious　opinions；　you　must　not

conclude　their　people　of　quality　atheists　　…　　at　least　not　the　men。

Happily　for　them；　poor　souls！　they　are　not　capable　of　going　so　far

into　thinking。　　　They　assent　to　a　great　deal　because　it　is　the

fashion；　and　because　they　don't　know　how　to　contradict。〃　Now　that

〃dandies　are　outmoded〃　and　everybody　is　〃a　philosopher；〃　　〃they　are

philosophers。〃　It　is　essential　to　be　like　all　the　rest　of　the　world。

But　that　which　they　best　appreciate　in　the　new　materialism　is　the

pungency　of　paradox　and　the　freedom　given　to　pleasure。　　　They　are　like

the　boys　of　good　families；　fond　of　playing　tricks　on　their

ecclesiastical　preceptor。　　　They　take　out　of　learned　theories　just

what　is　wanted　to　make　a　dunce…cap；　and　derive　the　more　amusement　from

the　fun　if　it　is　seasoned　with　impiety。　　　A　seignior　of　the　court

having　seen　Doyen's　picture　of　〃St。　　　Genevieve　and　the　plague…

stricken；〃　sends　to　a　painter　the　following　day　to　come　to　him　at　his

mistress's　domicile：　〃I　would　like；〃　he　says　to　him；　〃to　have　Madame

painted　in　a　swing　put　in　motion　by　a　bishop；　you　may　place　me　in　such

a　way　that　I　may　see　the　ankles　of　that　handsome　woman；　and　even　more；

if　you　want　to　enliven　your　picture。〃＇19＇　　The　licentious　song

〃Marotte〃　〃spreads　like　wildfire；　〃　〃a　fortnight　after　its

publication；〃　says　Collé；　〃I　met　no　one　without　a　copy；　and　it　is　the

vaudeville；　or　rather；　the　clerical　assembly；　which　gives　it　its

popularity。〃　The　more　irreligious　a　licentious　book　is　the　more　it　is

prized；　when　it　cannot　be　printed　it　is　copied　in　manuscript。　　　Collé

counts　〃perhaps　two　thousand　manuscript　copies　of'　La　Pucelle　'by

Voltaire；　scattered　about　Paris　in　one　month。〃　The　magistrates

themselves　burn　it　only　for　form's　sake。　　　〃It　must　not　be　supposed

that　the　hangman　is　allowed　to　burn　the　books　whose　titles　figure　in

the　decree　of　the　Court。　　　Messieurs　would　be　loath　to　deprive　their

libraries　of　the　copy　of　those　works　which　fall　to　them　by　right；　and

make　the　registrar　supply　its　place　with　a　few　poor　records　of

chicanery　of　which　there　is　no　scanty　provision。〃＇20＇



But；　as　the　century　advances；　unbelief；　less　noisy；　becomes　more

solid。　　　It　invigorates　itself　at　the　fountain…head；　the　women

themselves　begin　to　be　infatuated　with　the　sciences。　　　In　1782；＇21＇

one　of　Mme。　　　de　Genlis's　characters　writes；



Five　years　ago　I　left　them　thinking　only　of　their　attire　and　the

preparation　of　their　suppers；　I　now　find　them　all　scientific　and

witty。〃　We　find　in　the　study　of　a　fashionable　woman；　alongside　of　a

small　altar　dedicated　to　Benevolence　or　Friendship；　a　dictionary　of

natural　history　and　treatises　on　physics　and　chemistry。　　　A　woman　no

longer　has　herself　painted　as　a　goddess　on　a　cloud　but　in　a

laboratory；　seated　amidst　squares　and　telescopes＇22＇。　　　The　Marquise

de　Nesle；　the　Comtesse　de　Brancas；　the　Comtesse　de　Pons；　the　Marquise

de　Polignac；　are　with　Rouelle　when　he　undertakes　to　melt　and

volatilize　the　diamond。　　　Associations　of　twenty　or　twenty…five

persons　are　formed　in　the　drawing…rooms　to　attend　lectures　either　on

physics；　applied　chemistry；　mineralogy　or　on　botany。　　　Fashionable

women　at　the　public　meetings　of　the　Academy　of　Inscriptions　applaud

dissertations　on　the　bull　Apis；　and　reports　on　the　Egyptian；

Phoenician　and　Greek　languages。　　　Finally；　in　1786；　they　succeed　in

opening　the　doors　of　the　College　de　France。　　　Nothing　deters　them。

Many　of　them　use　the　lancet　and　even　the　scalpel；　the　Marquise　de

Voyer　attends　at　dissections；　and　the　young　Comtesse　de　Coigny

dissects　with　her　own　hands。　　　The　current　infidelity　finds　fresh

support　on　this　foundation；　which　is　that　of　the　prevailing

philosophy。　　　Towards　the　end　of　the　century＇23＇　〃we　see　young　persons

who　have　been　in　society　six　or　seven　years　openly　pluming　themselves

on　their　irreligion；　thinking　that　impiety　makes　up　for　wit；　and　that

to　be　an　atheist　is　to　be　a　philosopher。〃　There　are；　undoubtedly；　a

good　many　deists；　especially　after　Rousseau　appeared；　but　I　question

whether；　out　of　a　hundred　persons；　there　were　in　Paris　at　this　time

ten　Christian　men　or　women。　　　〃The　fashionable　world　for　ten　years

past；〃　says　Mercier＇24＇　in　1783；　〃has　not　attended　mass。　　　People　go

only　on　Sundays　so　as　not　to　scandalize　their　lackeys；　while　the

lackeys　well　know　that　it　is　on　their　account。〃　The　Duc　de　Coigny；＇25＇

on　his　estate　near　Amiens；　refuses　to　be　prayed　for　and　threatens　his

curate　if　he　takes　that　liberty　to　have　him　cast　out　of　his　pulpit；

his　son　becomes　ill　and　he　prohibits　the　administering　of　the

sacraments；　the　son　dies　and　he　opposes　the　usual　obsequies；　burying

the　body　in　his　garden；　becoming　ill　himself　he　closes　his　door

against　the　bishop　of　Amiens；　who　comes　to　see　him　twelve　times；　and

dies　as　he　had　lived。　　　A　scandal　of　this　kind　is　doubtless　notorious

and；　therefore；　rare。　　　Almost　everybody；　male　and　female；　〃ally　with

freedom　of　ideas　a　proper　observance　of　forms。〃