the origins of contemporary france-4-第1章

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The　French　Revolution；　Volume　3
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
The　Origins　of　Contemporary　France；　Volume　4
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
by　Hippolyte　A。　Taine








THE　FRENCH　REVOLUTION　VOLUME　III。

PREFACE。

BOOK　FIRST。　The　Establishment　of　the　Revolutionary　Government。

CHAPTER　I。

BOOK　SECOND。　The　Jacobin　Program。

CHAPTER　I。

CHAPTER　II。

BOOK　THIRD。　The　Governors。

CHAPTER　I。　Psychology　of　the　Jacobin　Leaders。

CHAPTER　II。　The　Rulers　of　the　Country。

CHAPTER　III。　The　Rulers。　（continued）。

BOOK　FOURTH。　　The　Governed。

CHAPTER　I。　The　Oppressed。

CHAPTER　II。　Food　and　Provisions。

BOOK　FIFTH。　　　The　End　of　the　Revolutionary　Government。

CHAPTER　I。









PREFACE。



〃In　Egypt；〃　says　Clement　of　Alexandria；＇1＇　〃the　sanctuaries　of　the

temples　are　shaded　by　curtains　of　golden　tissue。　　　But　on　going

further　into　the　interior　in　quest　of　the　statue；　a　priest　of　grave

aspect；　advancing　to　meet　you　and　chanting　a　hymn　in　the　Egyptian

tongue；　slightly　raises　a　veil　to　show　you　the　god。　　　And　what　do　you

behold？　A　crocodile；　or　some　indigenous　serpent；　or　other　dangerous

animal；　the　Egyptian　god　being　a　beast　sprawling　on　a　purple　carpet。〃



We　need　not　visit　Egypt　or　go　so　far　back　in　history　to　encounter

crocodile　worship；　as　this　can　be　readily　found　in　France　at　the　end

of　the　last　century。　　　　Unfortunately；　a　hundred　years　is　too　long

an　interval；　too　far　away；　for　an　imaginative　retrospect　of　the　past。

At　the　present　time；　standing　where　we　do　and　regarding　the　horizon

behind　us；　we　see　only　forms　which　the　intervening　atmosphere

embellishes；　shimmering　contours　which　each　spectator　may　interpret　in

his　own　fashion；　no　distinct；　animated　figure；　but　merely　a　mass　of

moving　points；　forming　and　dissolving　in　the　midst　of　picturesque

architecture。　　　I　was　anxious　to　take　a　closer　view　of　these　vague

points；　and；　accordingly；　deported　myself　back　to　the　last　half　of　the

eighteenth　century。　　　I　have　now　been　living　with　them　for　twelve

years；　and；　like　Clement　of　Alexandria；　examined；　first；　the　temple；

and　next　the　god。　　　A　passing　glance　at　these　is　not　sufficient；　it

was　also　necessary　to　understand　the　theology　on　which　this　cult　is

founded。　　　This　one；　explained　by　a　very　specious　theology；　like　most

others；　is　composed　of　dogmas　called　the　principles　of　1789；　they　were

proclaimed；　indeed；　at　that　date；　having　been　previously　formulated　by

Jean…Jacques　Rousseau：



*　The　well　known　sovereignty　of　the　people。



*　The　rights　of　Man。



*　The　social　contract。



Once　adopted；　their　practical　results　unfolded　themselves　naturally。

In　three　years　these　dogmas　installed　the　crocodile　on　the　purple

carpet　insides　the　sanctuary　behind　the　golden　veil。　　He　was　selected

for　the　place　on　account　of　the　energy　of　his　jaws　and　the　capacity　of

his　stomach；　he　became　a　god　through　his　qualities　as　a　destructive

brute　and　man…eater。　　　Comprehending　this；　the　rites　which

consecrate　him　and　the　pomp　which　surrounds　him　need　not　give　us　any

further　concern。　　We　can　observe　him；　like　any　ordinary　animal；　and

study　his　various　attitudes；　as　he　lies　in　wait　for　his　prey；　springs

upon　it；　tears　it　to　pieces；　swallows　it；　and　digests　it。　　I　have

studied　the　details　of　his　structure；　the　play　of　his　organs；　his

habits；　his　mode　of　living；　his　instincts；　his　faculties；　and　his

appetites。　　　Specimens　abounded。　　I　have　handled　thousands　of　them；

and　have　dissected　hundreds　of　every　species　and　variety；　always

preserving　the　most　valuable　and　characteristic　examples；　but　for　lack

of　room　I　have　been　compelled　to　let　many　of　them　go　because　my

collections　was　too　large。　　Those　that　I　was　able　to　bring　back　with

me　will　be　found　here；　and；　among　others；　about　twenty　individuals　of

different　dimensions；　which　　a　difficult　undertaking　　I　have　kept

alive　with　great　pains。　　At　all　events；　they　are　intact　and　perfect；

and　particularly　the　three　largest。　　These　seem　to　me；　of　their　kind；

truly　remarkable；　and　those　in　which　the　divinity　of　the　day　might

well　incarnate　himself。　　…　Authentic　and　rather　well　kept　cookbooks

inform　us　about　the　cost　of　the　cult：　We　can　more　or　less　estimate　how

much　the　sacred　crocodiles　consumed　in　ten　years；　we　know　their　bills

of　daily　fare；　their　favorite　morsels。　　Naturally；　the　god　selected

the　fattest　victims；　but　his　voracity　was　so　great　that　he　likewise

bolted　down；　and　blindly；　the　lean　ones；　and　in　much　greater　number

than　the　fattest。　　Moreover；　by　virtue　of　his　instincts；　and　an

unfailing　effect　of　the　situation；　he　ate　his　equals　once　or　twice　a

year；　except　when　they　succeeded　in　eating　him。　　　This　cult

certainly　is　instructive；　at　least　to　historians　and　men　of　pure

science。　　If　any　believers　in　it　still　remain　I　do　not　aim　to　convert

them；　one　cannot　argue　with　a　devotee　on　matters　of　faith。　　This

volume；　accordingly；　like　the　others　that　have　gone　before　it；　is

written　solely　for　amateurs　of　moral　zoology；　for　naturalists　of　the

understanding；　for　seekers　of　truth；　of　texts；　and　of　proofs　　for

these　alone　and　not　for　the　public；　whose　mind　is　made　up　and　which

has　its　own　opinion　on　the　Revolution。　　This　opinion　began　to　be

formed　between　1825　and　1830；　after　the　retirement　or　withdrawal　of

eye　witnesses。　　When　they　disappeared　it　was　easy　to　convince　a

credulous　public　that　crocodiles　were　philanthropists；　that　many

possessed　genius；　that　they　scarcely　ate　others　than　the　guilty；　and

that　if　they　sometimes　ate　too　many　it　was　unconsciously　and　in　spite

of　themselves；　or　through　devotion　and　self…sacrifice　for　the　common

good。



H。　A。　Taine；　　　Menthon　Saint　Bernard；　July　1884。



___________________________________________________________________





BOOK　FIRST。　　THE　ESTABLISHMENT　OF　THE　REVOLUTIONARY　GOVERNMENT。



CHAPTER　I。



I。



Weakness　of　former　governments。　　…　Energy　of　the　new　government。　　…

The　despotic　creed　and　instincts　of　the　Jacobin。





So　far；　the　weakness　of　the　legal　government　is　extreme。　　During　four

years；　whatever　its　kind；　it　has　constantly　and　everywhere　been

disobeyed。　　For　four　years　it　never　dared　enforce　obedience。

Recruited　among　the　cultivated　and　refined　class；　the　rulers　of　the

country　have　brought　with　them　into　power　the　prejudices　and

sensibilities　of　the　epoch。　　Under　the　influence　of　the　prevailing

dogma　they　have　submitted　to　the　will　of　the　multitude　and；　with　too

much　faith　in　the　rights　of　Man；　they　have　had　too　little　in　the

authority　of　the　magistrate。　　Moreover；　through　humanity；　they　have

abhorred　bloodshed　and；　unwilling　to　repress；　they　have　allowed

themselves　to　be　repressed。　　Thus　from　the　1st　of　May；　1789；　to　June

2；　1793；　they　have　administrated　or　legislated；　escaping　countless

insurrections；　almost　all　of　them　going　unpunished　；　while　their

constitution；　an　unhealthy　product　of　theory　and　fear；　have　done　no

more　than　transform　spontaneous　anarchy　into　legal　anarchy。

Deliberately　and　through　distrust　of　authority　they　have　undermined

the　principle　of　command；　reduced　the　King　to　the　post　of　a　decorative

puppet；　and　almost　annihilated　the　central　power：　from　the　top　to　the

bottom　of　the　hierarchy　the　superior　has　lost　his　hold　on　the

inferior；　the　minister　on　the　departments；　the　departments　on　the

districts；　and　the　districts　on　the　communes。　　Throughout　all　branches

of　the　service；　the　chief；　elected　on　the　spot　and　by　his

subordinates；　has　come　to　depend　on　them。　　Thenceforth；　each　post　in

which　authority　is　vested　is　found　isolated；　dismantled　and　preyed

upon；　while；　to　crown　all；　the　Declaration　of　Rights；　proclaiming　〃the

jurisdiction　of　constituents　over　their　clerks；〃＇2＇　has　invited　the

assailants　to　make　the　assault。　　On　the　strength　of　this　a　faction

arises　which　ends　in　becoming　an　organized　band　；　under　its　clamor；

its　menaces　and　its　pikes；　at　Paris　and　in　the　provinces；　at　the　polls

and　in　the　parliament；　the　majorities　are　all　silenced；　while　the

minorities　vote；　decree　and　govern；　the　Legislative　Assembly　is

purged；　the　King　is　dethroned；　and　the　Convention　is　mutilated。　　Of

all　the　garrisons　of　the　central　citadel；　whether　royalists；

Constitutionalists；　or　Girondins；　not　one　has　been　able　to　defend

itself；　to　re…fashion　the　executive　instrument；　to　draw　the　sword　and

use　it　in　the　streets：　on　the　first　attack；　often　at　the　first

summons；　all　have　surrendered；　and　now　the　citadel；　with　every　other

public　fortress；　is　in　the　hands　of　the　Jacobins。





This　time；　its　occupants　are　of　a　different　stamp。　　Aside　from　the

great　mass　of　well…disposed　people　fond　of　a　quiet　life；　the

Revolution　has　sifted　out　and　separated　from　the　rest　all　who　are

fanatical；　brutal　or　perverse　enough　to　have　lost　respect　for　others；

these　form　the　new　garrison　　sectarians　blinded　by　their　creed；　the

roughs　（assommeurs）　who　are　hardened　by　their　calling；　and　those　who

make　all　they　can　out　of　their　offices。　　None　of　this　class　are

scrupulous　concerning　human　life　or　property　；　for；　as　we　have　seen；

they　have　shaped　the　theory　to　suit　themselves；　and　reduced　popular

sovereignty　to　their　sovereignty。　　The　commonwealth；　according　to　the

Jacobin；　is　his；　with　him；　the　commonwealth　comprises　all　private

possessions；　bodies；　estates；　souls　and　consciences；　everything

belongs　to　him；　the　fact　of　being　a　Jacobin　makes　him　legitimately

czar　and　pope。　　Little　does　he　care　about　the　wills　of　actually　living

Frenchmen；　his　mandate　does　not　emanate　from　a　vote　；　it　descends　to

him　from　aloft；　conferred　on　him　by　Truth；　by　Reason；　by　Virtue。　　As

he　alone　is　enlightened；　and　the　only　patriot；　he　alone　is　worthy　to

take　command；　while　resistance；　according　to　his　imperious　pride；　is

criminal。　　If　the　majority　protests　it　is　because　the　majority　is

imbecile　or　corrupt；　in　either　case；　it　deserves　to　be　brought　to

heel。　　And；　in　fact；　the　Jacobin　only　does　that　and　right　away　too；

insurrections；　usurpations；　pillaging；　murders；　assaults　on

individuals；　on　judges　and　public　attorneys；　on　assemblies；　violations

of　law；　attacks　on　the　State；　on　communities　　there　is　no　outrage

not　committed　by　him。　　He　has　always　acted　as　sovereign　instinctively

；　he　was　so　as　a　private　individual　and　clubbist；　he　is　not　to　cease

being　so；　now　that　he　possesses　legal　authority；　and　all　the　more

because　if　he　hesitates　he　knows　he　is　lost；　to　save　himself　from　the

scaffold　he　has　no　refuge　but　in　a　dictatorship。　　Such　a　man；　unlike

his　predecessors；　will　not　allow　himself　to　be　turned　out；　on　the

contrary；　he　will　exact　obedience　at　any　cost。　　He　will　not　hesitate

to　restore　the　central　power；　he　will　put　back　the　local　wheels　that

have　been　detached；　he　will　repair　the　old　forcing　gear；　he　will　set

it　agoing　so　as　to　work　more　rudely　and　arbitrarily　than　ever；　with

greater　contempt　for　private　rights　and　public　liberties　than　either　a

Louis　XIV。　　or　a　Napol