the origins of contemporary france-4-第82章

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the　metropolitan　canon　or　by　the　abbé　or　prior；　the　patron　of　the

place；　again；　by　the　seignior　whose　ancestors　had　founded　or　endowed

the　Church；　in　certain　cases　by　the　Pope；　and；　occasionally；　by　the

King　or　commune。　　Powers　were　limited　through　this　multiplicity　and

inter…crossing　of　authorities。　　Moreover；　the；　canon　or　curé　being

once　appointed　he　possessed　guarantees；　he　could　not　be　arbitrarily

dismissed；　in　most　cases；　his　removal　or　suspension　required　a

previous　trial　according　to　prescribed　formalities；　accompanied　with

an　examination；　pleadings；　and　arguments　before　the　officialité　or

ecclesiastical　court。　　He　was；　in　fact；　permanently　placed；　and　very

generally　his　personal　merit　sufficed　to　keep　him　in　his　place。　　…

For；　if　the　highest　positions　were　bestowed　according　to　birth　and

favor；　the　intermediate　positions　were　reserved　to　correct　habits　and

attainments。　　Many　canons　and　vicars…general；　and　almost　all　the　curés

in　the　towns　were　doctors　of　divinity　or　of　canon　law；　while

ecclesiastical　studies；　very　thorough；　had　occupied　eight　or　nine

years　of　their　youth。＇70＇　　Although　the　method　was　out　of　date；　much

was　learned　at　the　Sorbonne　and　St。　　Sulpice；　at　the　very　least；　one

became　a　good　logician　through　prolonged　and　scientific　intellectual

gymnastics。　　〃My　dear　Abbé；〃　said　Turgot；　smiling；　to　Morellet；　〃it　is

only　you　and　I　who　have　taken　our　degree　who　can　reason　closely。〃

Their　theological　drill；　indeed；　was　about　as　valuable　as　our

philosophical　drill；　if　it　expanded　the　mind　less；　it　supplied　this

better　with　applicable　concepts；　less　exciting；　it　was　more　fruitful。

In　the　Sorbonne　of　the　nineteenth　century；　the　studies　consist　of　the

speculative　systems　of　a　few　isolated；　divergent　intellects　who　have

exercised　no　authority　over　the　multitude；　while　in　the　Sorbonne　of

the　eighteenth　century；　the　studies　consisted　of　the　creed；　morality；

discipline；　history　and　canons　of　a　Church　which　had　already　existed

seventeen　centuries　and　which；　comprising　one　hundred　and　fifty

millions　of　souls；　still　sways　one…half　of　the　civilized　world。　　…　To

a　theoretical　education　add　practical　education。　　A　curé　and　with

still　more　reason；　a　canon；　an　archdeacon；　a　bishop；　was　not　a　passing

stranger；　endowed　by　the　State；　wearing　a　surplice；　as　little

belonging　to　his　age　through　his　ministry　as　through　his　dress；　and

wholly　confined　to　his　spiritual　functions：　he　managed　the　revenues　of

his　dotation；　he　granted　leases；　made　repairs；　built；　and　interested

himself　in　the　probabilities　of　the　crops；　in　the　construction　of　a

highway　or　canal；　while　his　experiences　in　these　matters　were　equal　to

those　of　any　lay　proprietor。　　Moreover；　being　one　of　a　small

proprietary　corporation；　that　is　to　say；　a　chapter　or　local　vestry；

and　one　of　a　great　proprietary　corporation　of　the　diocese　and　Church

of　France；　he　took　part　directly　or　indirectly　in　important　temporal

affairs；　in　assemblies；　in　deliberations；　in　collective　expenditures；

in　the　establishment　of　a　local　budget　and　of　a　general　budget；　and

hence；　in　public　and　administrative　matters；　his　competence　was

analogous　and　almost　equal　to　that　of　a　mayor；　sub…delegate；　farmer…

general　or　intendant。　　In　addition　to　this　he　was　liberal：　never　has

the　French　clergy　been　more　earnestly　so；　from　the　latest　curés　back

to　the　first　archbishops。＇71＇　…　Lastly；　remark　the　distribution　of　the

clergy　over　the　territory。　　There　was　a　curé　or　vicar　in　the　smallest

of　the　forty　thousand　villages。　　In　thousands　of　small；　poor；　remote

communes；　he　was　the　only　man　who　could　readily　read　and　write；　none

other　than　he　in　many　of　the　larger　rural　communes；＇72＇　except　the

resident　seignior　and　some　man　of　the　law　or　half…way　schoolmaster；

was　at　all　learned。＇73＇　　Actually；　for　a　man　who　had　finished　his

studies　and　knowing　Latin；　to　consent；　for　six　hundred　francs　or　three

hundred　francs　a　year；　to　live　isolated；　and　a　celibate；　almost　in

indigence；　amongst　rustics　and　the　poor；　he　must　be　a　priest；　the

quality　of　his　office　makes　him　resigned　to　the　discomforts　of　his

situation。　　A　preacher　of　the　Word；　a　professor　of　morality；　a

minister　of　Charity；　a　guide　and　dispenser　of　spiritual　life；　he

taught　a　theory　of　the　world；　at　once　consoling　and　self…denying；

which　he　enforced　with　a　cult；　and　this　cult　was　the　only　one　adapted

to　his　flock；　manifestly；　the　French；　especially　those　devoted　to

manual　and　hard　labor；　could　not　regard　this　world　as　ideal；　except

through　his　formulas；　history；　the　supreme　judge；　had　on　this　point

rendered　its　verdict　without　appeal；　no　heresy；　no　schism；　not　the

Reformation　nor　Jansenism；　had　prevailed　against　hereditary　faith；

through　infinitely　multiplied　and　deeply　penetrating　roots　this　faith

suited　national　customs；　temperament；　and　peculiar　social　imagination

and　sensibility。　　Possessing　the　heart；　the　intellect；　and　even　the

senses；　through　fixed；　immemorial　traditions　and　habits；　it　had　become

an　unconscious；　almost　corporeal　necessity；　and　the　Catholic　orthodox

curé；　in　communion　with　the　Pope；　was　about　as　indispensable　to　the

village　as　the　public　fountain；　he　also　quenched　thirst；　the　thirst　of

the　soul；　without　him；　the　inhabitants　could　find　no　drinkable　water。

And；　if　we　keep　human　weaknesses　in　mind；　it　may　be　said　that

nobleness　of　character　in　the　clergy　corresponded　with　nobleness　of

profession；　in　all　points　no　one　could　dispute　their　capacity　for

self…sacrifice；　for　they　willingly　suffered　for　what　they　believed　to

be　the　truth。　　If；　in　1790；　a　number　of　priests　took　the　oath　to　the

civil　constitution　of　the　clergy；　it　was　with　reservations；　or　because

they　deemed　the　oath　licit；　but；　after　the　dismissal　of　the　bishops

and　the　Pope's　disapprobation；　many　of　them　withdrew　it　at　the　risk　of

their　lives；　so　as　not　to　fall　into　schism；　they　fell　back　into　the

ranks　and　gave　themselves　up　voluntarily　to　the　brutality　of　the　crowd

and　the　rigors　of　the　law。　　Moreover；　and　from　the　start；

notwithstanding　threats　and　temptations；　two…thirds　of　the　clergy

would　not　take　the　oath；　in　the　highest　ranks；　among　the　mundane

ecclesiastics　whose　skepticism　and　laxity　were　notorious；　honor；　in

default　of　faith；　maintained　the　same　spirit；　nearly　the　whole　of

them；　great　and　small；　had　subordinated　their　interests；　welfare　and

security　to　the　maintenance　of　their　dignity　or　to　scruples　of

conscience。　　They　had　allowed　themselves　to　be　stripped　of　everything；

they　let　themselves　be　exiled；　imprisoned；　tortured　and　made　martyrs

of；　like　the　Christians　of　the　primitive　church；　through　their

invincible　meekness；　they　were　going；　like　the　primitive　Christians；

to　exhaust　the　rage　of　their　executioners；　wear　out　persecutions；

transform　opinion　and　compel　the　admission；　even　with　those　who

survived　in　the　eighteenth　century；　that　they　were　true；　deserving　and

courageous　men。



V。　　　　The　Bourgeoisie。



Where　recruited。　　…　Difference　between　the　functionary　of　the　ancient

regime　and　the　modern　functionary。　　…　Appointments　seen　as　Property。

…　Guilds。　　…　Independence　and　security　of　office…holders。　　…　Their

ambitions　are　limited　and　satisfied。　　…　Fixed　habits；　seriousness　and

integrity。　　…　Ambition　to　secure　esteem。　　…　Intellectual　culture。　　…

Liberal　ideas。　　…　Respectability　and　public　zeal。　　…　Conduct　of　the

bourgeoisie　in　1789…1791。



Below　the　nobles　and　the　clergy；　a　third　class　of　notables；　the

bourgeoisie；　almost　entirely　confined　to　the　towns；＇74＇　verged　on　the

former　classes　through　its　upper　circles；　while　its　diverse　groups；

ranging　from　the　parliamentarian　to　the　rich　merchant　or　manufacturer；

comprised　the　remainder　of　those　who　were　tolerably　well　educated；　say

100　000　families；　recruited　on　the　same　conditions　as　the　bourgeoisie

of　the　present　day：　they　were　〃bourgeois　living　nobly；〃　meaning　by

this；　living　on　their　incomes；　large　manufacturers　and　traders；

engaged　in　liberal　pursuits…lawyers；　notaries；　procureurs；　physicians；

architects；　engineers；　artists；　professors；　and　especially　the

government　officials；　the　latter；　however；　very　numerous；　differed

from　ours　in　two　essential　points。　　On　the　one　hand；　their　office；　as

nowadays　with　the　notaries'　étude；　or　a　membership　of　the　stock…board；

was　personal　property。　　Their　places；　and　many　others；　such　as　posts

in　the　judiciary；　in　the　finances；　in　bailiwicks；　in　the　Présidial；　in

the　Election；＇75＇　in　the　salt…department；　in　the　customs；　in　the　Mint；

in　the　department　of　forests　and　streams；　in　presidencies；　in

councils；　as　procureurs　du　roi　in　various　civil；　administrative　and

criminal　courts；　holding　places　in　the　treasury；　auditors　and

collectors　of　the　various　branches　of　the　revenue　…　all　of　which

offices；　and　many　others；　had　been　alienated　for　more　than　a　century

by　the　State　in　return　for　specified　sums　of　ready　money；　thenceforth；

they　fell　into　the　hands　of　special　purchasers；　the　title　of　each

possessor　was　as　good　as　that　of　a　piece　of　real　property；　and　he

could　legally　sell　his　title；　the　same　as　he　had　bought　it；　at　a　given

price；　on　due　advertisement！＇76＇　　On　the　other　hand；　the　different

groups　of　local　functionaries　in　each　town　formed　their　own

associations；　similar　to　our　notarial　chambers；　or　those　of　our　stock…

brokers；　these　small　associations　had　their　own　by…laws；　meetings　and

treasury；　frequently　a　civil　status　and　the　right　of　pleading；　often　a

political　status　and　the　right　of　electing　to　the　municipal

council；＇77＇　consequently；　besides　his　personal　interests；　each　member

cherished　the　professional　interests　of　his　guild。　　Thus　was　his

situation　different　from　what　it　now　is；　and；　through　a　natural

reaction；　his　character；　manners　and　tastes　were　different。　　First；　he

was　much　more　independent；　he　was　not　afraid　of　being　discharged　or

transferred　elsewhere；　suddenly；　unawares；　on　the　strength　of　an

intendant's　report；　for　political　reasons；　to　make　room　for　a　deputy's

candidate　or　a　minister's　tool。　　This　would　have　cost　too　much　it

would　have　required　first　of　all　a　reimbursement　of　the　sum　paid　for

his　office；　and　at　a　rate　of　purchase　ten　times；　at　least；　the　revenue

of　the　office。＇78＇　　Besides；　in　defending　himself；　in　protesting

against　and　forestalling　his　disgrace；　he　would　have　been　supported　by

his　entire　professional　guild；　oftentimes　by　other　similar　bodies；　and

frequently　by　the　whole　town；　filled　with　his　relations；　clients　and

comrades。　　The　entire　hive　protected　the　bee　against　the　caprices　of

favoritism　and　the　brutalities　of　despotism。　　At　Paris；　a　certain

procureur；　supported　by　his　colleagues；　is　known　to　have　imposed　on　a

noble　who　had　insulted　him；　the　most　humiliating　atonement。＇79＇　　In

fact；　under　the　ancient　régime；　it　was　almost　impossible　for　a

functionary　to　be　removed；　hence；　he　could　fulfill　his　duties　securely

and　with　dignity；　without　being　obliged　to　keep　daily　watch　of　the

cap