the origins of contemporary france-1-第80章

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

thrusts；　real　or　imaginary；　the　mind　gets　to　be　full　of　gall。　　In

1789；　it　is　full　to　overflowing。



　　　　〃The　most　honorable　title　of　the　French　nobility；〃　writes

Champfort；　〃is　a　direct　descent　from　some　30；000　armed；　helmeted；

armletted　and　armored　men　who；　on　heavy　horses　sheathed　in　armor；　trod

under　foot　8　or　10　millions　of　naked　men；　the　ancestors　of　the　actual

nation。　　Behold　these　well…established　claims　to　the　respect　and

affection　of　their　descendants！　And；　to　complete　the　respectability　of

this　nobility；　it　is　recruited　and　regenerated　by　the　adoption　of

those　who　have　acquired　fortune　by　plundering　the　cabins　of　the　poor

who　are　unable　to　pay　its　impositions。〃＇43＇　　



　　　　〃Why　should　not　the　Third…Estate　send　back；〃　says　Sieyès；　〃into

the　forests　of　Franconia　every　family　that　maintains　its　absurd

pretension　of　having　sprung　from　the　loins　of　a　race　of　conquerors；

and　of　having　succeeded　to　the　rights　of　conquest？　＇44＇　　I　can　well

imagine；　were　there　no　police；　every　Cartouche＇45＇　firmly　establishing

himself　on　the　high…road　　　　would　that　give　him　a　right　to　levy

toll？　Suppose　him　to　sell　a　monopoly　of　this　kind；　once　common　enough；

to　an　honest　successor；　would　the　right　become　any　more　respectable　in

the　hands　of　the　purchaser？　。　　。　　。　　Every　privilege；　in　its　nature；

is　unjust；　odious；　and　against　the　social　compact。　　The　blood　boils　at

the　thought　of　its　ever　having　been　possible　to　legally　consecrate

down　to　the　eighteenth　century　the　abominable　fruits　of　an　abominable

feudal　system。　　。　　。　　。　　The　caste　of　nobles　is　really　a　population

apart；　a　fraudulent　population；　however；　which；　for　lack　of

serviceable　faculties；　and　unable　to　exist　alone；　fastens　itself　upon

a　living　nation；　like　the　vegetable　tumors　that　support　themselves　on

the　sap　of　the　plants　to　which　they　are　a　burden；　and　which　wither

beneath　the　load。〃　　They　suck　all；　everything　being　for　them。

〃Every　branch　of　the　executive　power　has　fallen　into　the　hands　of　this

caste；　which　staffed　（already）　the　church；　the　robe　and　the　sword。　　A

sort　of　confraternity　or　joint　paternity　leads　the　nobles　each　to

prefer　the　other　and　all　to　the　rest　of　the　nation。　　。　　。　　。　　The

Court　reigns；　and　not　the　monarch。　　The　Court　creates　and　distributes

offices。　　And　what　is　the　Court　but　the　head　of　this　vast　aristocracy

that　covers　all　parts　of　France；　and　which；　through　its　members；

attains　to　and　exercises　everywhere　whatever　is　requisite　in　all

branches　of　the　public　administration？〃　　　Let　us　put　an　end　to　〃this

social　crime；　this　long　parricide　which　one　class　does　itself　the

honor　to　commit　daily　against　the　others。　　。　　。　　。　　Ask　no　longer　what

place　the　privileged　shall　occupy　in　the　social　order；　it　is　simply

asking　what　place　in　a　sick　man's　body　must　be　assigned　to　a　malignant

ulcer　that　is　undermining　and　tormenting　it　。　　。　　。　　to　the　loathsome

disease　that　is　consuming　the　living　flesh。〃　　　The　solution　is　self…

evident：　let　us　eradicate　the　ulcer；　or　at　least　sweep　away　the

vermin。　　The　Third…Estate；　in　itself　and　by　itself；　is　〃a　complete

nation；〃　requiring　no　organ；　needing　no　aid　to　subsist　or　to　govern

itself；　and　which　will　recover　its　health　on　ridding　itself　of　the

parasites　infesting　its　skin。



　　　　〃What　is　the　Third…Estate？〃　says　Sieyès；　〃everything。　　What；

thus　far；　is　it　in　the　political　body？＇46＇　　Nothing。　　What　does　it

demand？　To　become　something。〃



　　　Not　something　but　actually　everything。　　Its　political　ambition

is　as　great　as　its　social　ambition；　and　it　aspires　to　authority　as

well　as　to　equality。　　If　privileges　are　an　evil　that　of　the　king　is

the　worst　for　it　is　the　greatest；　and　human　dignity；　wounded　by　the

prerogative　of　the　noble；　perishes　under　the　absolutism　of　the　king。

Of　little　consequence　is　it　that　he　scarcely　uses　it；　and　that　his

government；　deferential　to　public　opinion；　is　that　of　a　hesitating　and

indulgent　parent。　　Emancipated　from　real　despotism；　the　Third…Estate

becomes　excited　against　possible　despotism；　imagining　itself　in

slavery　in　consenting　to　remain　subject。　　A　proud　spirit　has　recovered

itself；　become　erect；　and；　the　better　to　secure　its　rights；　is　going

to　claim　all　rights。　　To　the　people　who　since　antiquity　has　been

subject　to　masters；　it　is　so　sweet；　so　intoxicating　to　put　themselves

in　their　places；　to　put　the　former　masters　in　their　place；　to　say　to

himself；　they　are　my　representatives；　to　regard　himself　a　member　of

the　sovereign　power；　king　of　France　in　his　individual　sphere；　the　sole

legitimate　author　of　all　rights　and　of　all　functions！　　　　　In

conformity　with　the　doctrines　of　Rousseau　the　registers　of　the　Third…

Estate　unanimously　insist　on　a　constitution　for　France；　none　exists；

or　at　least　the　one　she　possesses　is　of　no　value。　　Thus　far　〃the

conditions　of　the　social　compact　have　been　ignored；〃＇47＇　now　that　they

have　been　discovered　they　must　be　written　out。　　To　say；　with　the

nobles　according　to　Montesquieu；　that　the　constitution　exists；　that

its　great　features　need　not　be　changed；　that　it　is　necessary　only　to

reform　abuses；　that　the　States…General　exercise　only　limited　power；

that　they　are　incompetent　to　substitute　another　regime　for　the

monarchy；　is　not　true。　　Tacitly　or　expressly；　the　Third…Estate　refuses

to　restrict　its　mandate　and　allows　no　barriers　to　be　interposed

against　it。　　It　requires　its　deputies　accordingly　to　vote　〃not　by

orders　but　each　by　himself　and　conjointly。〃　　　　　〃In　case　the

deputies　of　the　clergy　or　of　the　nobility　should　refuse　to　deliberate

in　common　and　individually；　the　deputies　of　the　Third…Estate；

representing　twenty…four　millions　of　men；　able　and　obliged　to　declare

itself　the　National　Assembly　not…withstanding　the　scission　of　the

representation　of　400；000　persons；　will　propose　to　the　King　in　concert

with　those　among　the　Clergy　and　the　Nobility　disposed　to　join　them；

their　assistance　in　providing　for　the　necessities　of　the　State；　and

the　taxes　thus　assented　to　shall　be　apportioned　among　all　the　subjects

of　the　king　without　distinction。〃＇48＇　　　　　Do　not　object　that　a

people　thus　mutilated　becomes　a　mere　crowd；　that　leaders　cannot　be

improvised；　that　it　is　difficult　to　dispense　with　natural　guides；

that；　considering　all　things；　this　Clergy　and　this　Nobility　still　form

a　select　group；　that　two…fifths　of　the　soil　is　in　their　hands；　that

one…half　of　the　intelligent　and　cultivated　class　of　men　are　in　their

ranks；　that　they　are　exceedingly　well…disposed　and　that　old　historic

bodies　have　always　afforded　to　liberal　constitutions　their　best

supports。　　According　to　the　principle　enunciated　by　Rousseau　we　are

not　to　value　men　but　to　count　them。　　In　politics　numbers　only　are

respectable；　neither　birth；　nor　property；　nor　function；　nor　capacity；

is　a　title　to　be　considered；　high　or　low；　ignorant　or　learned；　a

general；　a　soldier；　or　a　hod…carrier；　each　individual　of　the　social

army　is　a　unit　provided　with　a　vote；　wherever　a　majority　is　found

there　is　the　right。　　Hence；　the　Third…Estate　puts　forth　its　right　as

incontestable；　and；　in　its　turn；　it　proclaims　with　Louis　XIV；　〃I　am

the　State。〃



　　　This　principle　once　admitted　or　enforced；　they　thought；　all　will

go　well。



　　　　〃It　seemed；〃　says　an　eye…witness；＇49＇　〃as　if　we　were　about　to

be　governed　by　men　of　the　golden　age。　　This　free；　just　and　wise

people；　always　in　harmony　with　itself；　always　clear…sighted　in

choosing　its　ministers；　moderate　in　the　use　of　its　strength　and　power；

never　could　be　led　away；　never　deceived；　never　under　the　dominion　of；

or　enslaved　by；　the　authority　which　it　confided。　　Its　will　would

fashion　the　laws　and　the　law　would　constitute　its　happiness。〃



　　　The　nation　is　to　be　regenerated；　a　phrase　found　in　all　writings

and　in　every　mouth。　　At　Nangis；　Arthur　Young　finds　this　the　sub…stance

of　political　conversation＇50＇。　　The　chaplain　of　a　regiment；　a　curate

in　the　vicinity；　keeps　fast　hold　of　it；　as　to　knowing　what　it　means

that　is　another　matter。　　It　is　impossible　to　find　anything　out　through

explanations　of　it　otherwise　than　〃a　theoretic　perfection　of

government；　questionable　in　its　origin；　hazardous　in　its　progress；　and

visionary　in　its　end。〃　On　the　Englishman　proposing　to　them　the　British

constitution　as　a　model　they　〃hold　it　cheap　in　respect　of　liberty〃　and

greet　it　with　a　smile；　it　is；　especially；　not　in　conformity　with　〃the

principles。〃　And　observe　that　we　are　at　the　residence　of　a　grand

seignior；　in　a　circle　of　enlightened　men。　　At　Riom；　at　the　election

assemblies；＇51＇　Malouet　finds　〃persons　of　an　ordinary　stamp；

practitioners；　petty　lawyers；　with　no　experience　of　public　business；

quoting　the　'Contrat　Social；'　vehemently　declaiming　against　tyranny；

and　each　proposing　his　own　constitution。〃　Most　of　them　are　without　any

knowledge　whatever；　mere　traffickers　in　chicane；　the　best　instructed

entertain　mere　schoolboy　ideas　of　politics。　　In　the　colleges　of　the

University　no　history　is　taught＇52＇。　　〃The　name　of　Henry　IV。；　says

Lavalette；　was　not　once　uttered　during　my　eight　years　of　study；　and；

at　seventeen　years　of　age；　I　was　still　ignorant　of　the　epoch　and　the

mode　of　the　establishment　of　the　Bourbons　on　the　throne。〃　The　stock

they　carry　away　with　them　consists　wholly；　as　with　Camille　Desmoulins；

of　scraps　of　Latin；　entering　the　world　with　brains　stuffed　with

〃republican　maxims；〃　excited　by　souvenirs　of　Rome　and　Sparta；　and

〃penetrated　with　profound　contempt　for　monarchical　governments。〃

Subsequently；　at　the　law　school；　they　learn　something　about　legal

abstractions；　or　else　learn　nothing。　　In　the　lecture…courses　at　Paris

there　are　no　students；　the　professor　delivers　his　lecture　to　copyists

who　sell　their　copy…books。　　If　a　pupil　should　attend　himself　and　take

notes　he　would　be　regarded　with　suspicion；　he　would　be　charged　with

trying　to　deprive　the　copyists　of　the　means　of　earning　their　living。

A　diploma；　consequently；　is　worthless。　　At　Bourges　one　is　obtainable

in　six　months；　if　the　young　man　succeeds　in　comprehending　the　law　it

is　through　later　practice　and　familiarity　with　it。　　　　　Of　foreign

laws　and　institutions　there　is　not　the　least　knowledge；　scarcely　even

a　vague　or　false　notion　of　them。　　Malouet　himself　entertains　a　meager

idea　of　the　English　Parliament；　while　many；　with　respect　to

ceremonial；　imagine　it　a　copy　of　the　Parliament　of　France。　　　　　The

mechanism　of　free　constitutions；　or　the　conditions　of　effective

liberty；　that　is　too　complicated　a　question。　　Montesquieu；　save　in　the

great　magisterial　families；　is　antiquated　for　twenty　years　past。　　Of

what　avail　are　studies　of　ancient　France？　〃What　is　the　result　of　so

much　and　such　profound　research？　Laborious　conjecture　and　reasons　for

doubting。〃＇53＇　It　is　much　more　convenient　to　start　with　the　rights　of

man　and　to　deduce　the　consequences。　　Schoolboy　logic　suffices　for　that

to　which　collegiate　rhetoric　supplies　the　tirades。　　　　　I