the origins of contemporary france-1-第79章

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occurring　simultaneously；　afford　a　date　for　the　conversion　of　the

Third…Estate　to　philosophy＇25＇。　　A　traveler；　at　the　beginning　of　the

reign　of　Louis　XVI；　who　returns　home　after　some　years'　absence；　on

being　asked　what　change　he　noticed　in　the　nation；　replied；　〃Nothing；

except　that　what　used　to　be　talked　about　in　the　drawing…rooms　is

repeated　in　the　streets。〃＇26＇　　And　that　which　is　repeated　in　the

streets　is　Rousseau's　doctrine；　the　Discourse　on　Inequality；　the

Social　Contract　amplified；　popularized　and　repeated　by　adherents　in

every　possible　way　and　in　all　their　forms。　　What　could　be　more

fascinating　for　the　man　of　the　Third…Estate？　Not　only　is　this　theory

in　vogue；　and　encountered　by　him　at　the　decisive　moment　when；　for　the

first　time；　he　turns　his　attention　to　general　principles；　but　again　it

provides　him　with　arms　against　social　inequality　and　political

absolutism；　and　much　sharper　than　he　needs。　　To　people　disposed　to　put

restraints　on　power　and　to　abolish　privileges；　what　guide　is　more

sympathetic　than　the　writer　of　genius；　the　powerful　logician；　the

impassioned　orator；　who　establishes　natural　law；　who　repudiates

historic　law；　who　proclaims　the　equality　of　men；　who　contends　for　the

sovereignty　of　the　people；　who　denounces　on　every　page　the　usurpation；

the　vices；　the　worthlessness；　the　malefactions　of　the　great　and　of

kings！　And　I　omit　the　points　by　which　he　makes　acceptable　to　a　rigid

and　laborious　bourgeoisie；　to　the　new　men　that　are　working　and

advancing　themselves；　his　steady　earnestness；　his　harsh　and　bitter

tone；　his　eulogy　of　simple　habits；　of　domestic　virtues；　of　personal

merit；　of　virile　energy；　the　commoner　addressing　commoners。　　It　is　not

surprising　that　they　should　accept　him　as　a　guide　and　welcome　his

doctrines　with　that　fervor　of　faith　called　enthusiasm；　and　which

invariably　accompanies　the　newborn　idea　as　well　as　the　first　love。



　　　A　competent　judge；　and　an　eye…witness；　Mallet　du　Pan；＇27＇　writes

in　1799：



　　　〃Rousseau　had　a　hundred　times　more　readers　among　the　middle　and

lower　classes　than　Voltaire。　　He　alone　inoculated　the　French　with　the

doctrine　of　the　sovereignty　of　the　people　and　with　its　extremist

consequences。　　It　would　be　difficult　to　cite　a　single　revolutionary

who　was　not　transported　over　these　anarchical　theories；　and　who　did

not　burn　with　ardor　to　realize　them。　　That　Contrat　Social；　the

disintegrator　of　societies；　was　the　Koran　of　the　pretentious　talkers

of　1789；　of　the　Jacobins　of　1790；　of　the　republicans　of　1791；　and　of

the　most　atrocious　of　the　madmen。　　。　　。　　。　　I　heard　Marat　in　1788　read

and　comment　on　the　Contrat　Social　in　the　public　streets　to　the

applause　of　an　enthusiastic　auditory。〃



　　　The　same　year；　in　an　immense　throng　filling　the　great　hall　of

the　Palais　de　Justice；　Lacretelle　hears　that　same　book　quoted；　its

dogmas　put　forward　by　the　clerks　of　la　Bazoche；　〃by　members　of　the

bar；＇28＇　by　young　lawyers；　by　the　ordinary　lettered　classes　swarming

with　new…fledged　specialist　in　public　law。〃　Hundreds　of　details　show

us　that　it　is　in　every　hand　like　a　catechism。　　In　1784＇29＇　certain

magistrates'　sons；　on　taking　their　first　lesson　in　jurisprudence　of　an

assistant　professor；　M。　Saveste；　have　the　〃Contrat　Social〃　placed　in

their　hands　as　a　manual。　　Those　who　find　this　new　political　geometry

too　difficult　learn　at　least　its　axioms；　and　if　these　repel　them　they

discover　at　least　their　palpable　consequences；　so　many　handy

comparisons；　the　trifling　common　practice　in　the　literature　in　vogue；

whether　drama；　history；　or　romance＇30＇。　　Through　the　〃Eloges〃　by

Thomas；　the　pastorals　of　Bernadin　de　Saint…Pierre；　the　compilation　of

Raynal；　the　comedies　of　Beaumarchais　and　even　the　〃Young　Anarcharsis〃

and　the　literature　of　the　resuscitated　Greek　and　Roman　antiquity；　the

dogmas　of　equality　and　liberty　infiltrate　and　penetrate　the　class　able

to　read＇31＇。　　〃A　few　days　ago；〃　says　Métra；＇32＇　〃a　dinner　of　forty

ecclesiastics　from　the　country　took　place　at　the　house　of　curate　of

Orangis；　five　leagues　from　Paris。　　At　the　dessert；　and　in　the　truth

which　came　out　over　their　wine；　they　all　admitted　that　they　came　to

Paris　to　see　the　'Marriage　of　Figaro。'　。　　。　　Up　to　the　present　time　it

seems　as　if　comic　authors　intended　to　make　sport　for　the　great　at　the

expense　of　the　little；　but　here；　on　the　contrary；　it　is　the　little　who

laugh　at　the　expense　of　the　great。〃　Hence　the　success　of　the　piece。

　　　Hence　a　steward　of　a　chateau　has　found　a　Raynal　in　the　library；

the　furious　declamation　of　which　so　delights　him　that　he　can　repeat　it

thirty　years　later　without　stumbling；　or　a　sergeant　in　the　French

guards　embroiders　waistcoats　during　the　night　to　earn　the　money　with

which　to　purchase　the　latest　books。　　　　　　After　the　gallant　picture

of　the　boudoir　comes　the　austere　and　patriotic　picture；　〃Belisarious〃

and　the　〃Horatii〃　of　David　reflect　the　new　attitude　both　of　the　public

and　of　the　studios＇33＇　The　spirit　is　that　of　Rousseau；　〃the　republican

spirit；〃＇34＇　the　entire　middle　class；　artists；　employees；　curates；

physicians；　attorneys；　advocates；　the　lettered　and　the　journalists；

all　are　won　over　to　it；　and　it　is　fed　by　the　worst　as　well　as　the　best

passions；　ambition；　envy；　desire　for　freedom；　zeal　for　the　public

welfare　and　the　consciousness　of　right。







　　　V。　　　REVOLUTIONARY　PASSIONS。



　　　Its　effects　therein。　　…　The　formation　of　revolutionary　passions。

…　Leveling　instincts。　　…　The　craving　for　dominion。　　…　The　Third…Estate

decides　and　constitutes　the　nation。　　…　Chimeras；　ignorance；

exaltation。



　　　All　these　passions　intensify　each　other。　　There　is　nothing　like

a　wrong　to　quicken　the　sentiment　of　justice。　　There　is　nothing　like

the　sentiment　of　justice　to　quicken　the　injury　proceeding　from　a

wrong＇35＇。　　The　Third…Estate；　considering　itself　deprived　of　the　place

to　which　it　is　entitled；　finds　itself　uncomfortable　in　the　place　it

occupies　and；　accordingly；　suffers　through　a　thousand　petty　grievances

it　would　not；　formerly；　have　noticed。　　On　discovering　that　he　is　a

citizen　a　man　is　irritated　at　being　treated　as　a　subject；　no　one

accepting　an　inferior　position　alongside　of　one　of　whom　he　believes

himself　the　equal。　　Hence；　during　a　period　of　twenty　years；　the

ancient　régime　while　attempting　to　grow　easier；　appear　to　be　still

more　burdensome；　and　its　pinpricks　exasperate　as　if　they　were　so　many

wounds。　　Countless　instances　might　be　quoted　instead　of　one。　　　　　At

the　theater　in　Grenoble；　Barnave；＇36＇　a　child；　is　with　his　mother　in　a

box　which　the　Duc　de　Tonnerre；　governor　of　the　province；　had　assigned

to　one　of　his　satellites。　　The　manager　of　the　theater；　and　next　an

officer　of　the　guard；　request　Madame　Barnave　to　withdraw。　　She

refuses；　whereupon　the　governor　orders　four　fusiliers　to　force　her

out。　　The　audience　in　the　stalls　had　already　taken　the　matter　up；　and

violence　was　feared；　when　M。　Barnave；　advised　of　the　affront；　entered

and　led　his　wife　away；　exclaiming　aloud；　〃I　leave　by　order　of　the

governor。〃　The　indignant　public；　all　the　bourgeoisie；　agreed　among

themselves　not　to　enter　the　theater　again　without　an　apology　being

made；　the　theater；　in　fact；　remaining　empty　several　months；　until

Madame　Barnave　consented　to　reappear　there。　　This　outrage　afterwards

recurred　to　the　future　deputy；　and　he　then　swore　〃to　elevate　the　caste

to　which　he　belonged　out　of　the　humiliation　to　which　it　seemed

condemned。〃　In　like　manner　Lacroix；　the　future　member　of　the

Convention；＇37＇　on　leaving　a　theater；　and　jostled　by　a　gentleman　who

was　giving　his　arm　to　a　lady；　utters　a　loud　complaint。　　〃Who　are　you？

〃　says　the　person。　　Still　the　provincial；　he　is　simple　enough　to　give

his　name；　surname；　and　qualifications　in　full。　　〃Very　well；〃　says　the

other　man；　〃good　for　you　　　　I　am　the　Comte　de　Chabannes；　and　I　am　in

a　hurry；〃　saying　which；　〃laughing　heartily；〃　he　jumps　into　his

vehicle。　　〃Ah；　sir；　exclaimed　Lacroix；　still　much　excited　by　his

misadventure；　〃pride　and　prejudice　establish　an　awful　gulf　between　man

and　man　！〃　We　may　rest　assured　that；　with　Marat；　a　veterinary　surgeon

in　the　Comte　d'Artois's　stables；　with　Robespierre；　a　protégé　of　the

bishop　of　Arras；　with　Danton；　an　insignificant　lawyer　in　Mery…sur…

Seine；　and　with　many　others　beside；　self…esteem；　in　frequent

encounters；　bled　in　the　same　fashion。　　The　concentrated　bitterness

with　which　Madame　Roland's　memoirs　are　imbued　has　no　other　cause。

〃She　could　not　forgive　society＇38＇　for　the　inferior　position　she　had

so　long　occupied　in　it。〃＇39＇　Thanks　to　Rousseau；　vanity；　so　natural　to

man；　and　especially　sensitive　with　a　Frenchman；　becomes　still　more

sensitive。　　The　slightest　discrimination；　a　tone　of　the　voice；　seems　a

mark　of　disdain。　　〃One　day；＇40＇　on　alluding；　before　the　minister　of

war；　to　a　general　officer　who　had　obtained　his　rank　through　his　merit；

he　exclaimed；　'Oh；　yes；　an　officer　of　luck。'　This　expression；　being

repeated　and　commented　on；　does　much　mischief。〃　In　vain　do　the

grandees　show　their　condescending　spirit；　〃welcoming　with　equal

kindness　and　gentleness　all　who　are　presented　to　them。〃　In　the　mansion

of　the　Due　de　Penthièvre　the　nobles　eat　at　the　table　of　the　master　of

the　house；　the　commoners　dine　with　his　first　gentleman　and　only　enter

the　drawing　room　when　coffee　is　served。　　There　they　find　〃in　full

force　and　with　a　superior　tone〃　the　others　who　had　the　honor　of　dining

with　His　Highness；　and　〃who　do　not　fail　to　salute　the　new　arrivals

with　an　obliging　civility　indicating　patronage。〃＇41＇　No　more　is

required；　in　vain　does　the　Duke　〃carry　his　attentions　to　an　extreme；〃

Beugnot；　so　pliable；　has　no　desire　to　return。　　They　bear　them　ill…

will；　not　only　on　account　of　their　slight　bows　but　again　on　account　of

their　over…politeness。　　Champfort　acrimoniously　relates　that

d'Alembert；　at　the　height　of　his　reputation；　being　in　Madame　du

Deffant's　drawing　room　with　President　Hénault　and　M。　de　Pont…de…Veyle；

a　physician　enters　named　Fournier；　and　he；　addressing　Madame　du

Deffant；　says；　〃Madame；　I　have　the　honor　of　presenting　you　with　my

very　humble　respects；''　turning　to　President　Hénault；　〃I　have　the

honor　to　be　your　obedient　servant；〃　and　then　to　M。　de　Pont…de…Veyle；

〃Sir；　your　most　obedient；〃　and　to　d'Alembert；　〃Good　day；　sir。〃＇42＇　To

a　rebellious　heart　everything　is　an　object　of　resentment。　　The　Third…

Estate；　following　Rousseau's　example；　cherishes　ill…feeling　against

the　nobles　for　what　they　do；　and　yet　again；　for　what　they　are；　for

their　luxury；　their　elegance；　their　insincerity；　their　refined　and

brilliant　behavior。　　Champfort　is　embittered　against　them　on　account

of　the　polite　attentions　with　which　they　overwhelm　him。　　Sieyès　bears

them　a　grudge　on　account　of　a　promised　abbey　which　he　did　not　obtain。

Each　individual；　besides　the　general　grievances；　has　his　personal

grievance。　　Their　coolness；　like　their　familiarity；　attentions　and

inattentions；　is　an　offense；　and；　under　these　millions　of　needle…

t