the duchesse de langeais-第6章

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　presumption　in　themselves。　　Perhaps　this　is　a　national　defect。　　The　Frenchman　is　less　given　than　anyone　else　to　undervalue　himself；　it　comes　natural　to　him　to　go　from　his　degree　to　the　one　above　it；　and　while　it　is　a　rare　thing　for　him　to　pity　the　unfortunates　over　whose　heads　he　rises；　he　always　groans　in　spirit　to　see　so　many　fortunate　people　above　him。　　He　is　very　far　from　heartless；　but　too　often　he　prefers　to　listen　to　his　intellect。　　The　national　instinct　which　brings　the　Frenchman　to　the　front；　the　vanity　that　wastes　his　substance；　is　as　much　a　dominant　passion　as　thrift　in　the　Dutch。　　For　three　centuries　it　swayed　the　noblesse；　who；　in　this　respect；　were　certainly　pre…eminently　French。　　The　scion　of　the　Faubourg　Saint…Germain；　beholding　his　material　superiority；　was　fully　persuaded　of　his　intellectual　superiority。　　And　everything　contributed　to　confirm　him　in　his　belief；　for　ever　since　the　Faubourg　Saint…Germain　existed　at　allwhich　is　to　say；　ever　since　Versailles　ceased　to　be　the　royal　residencethe　Faubourg；　with　some　few　gaps　in　continuity；　was　always　backed　up　by　the　central　power；　which　in　France　seldom　fails　to　support　that　side。

Thence　its　downfall　in　1830。

At　that　time　the　party　of　the　Faubourg　Saint…Germain　was　rather　like　an　army　without　a　base　of　operation。　　It　had　utterly　failed　to　take　advantage　of　the　peace　to　plant　itself　in　the　heart　of　the　nation。　　It　sinned　for　want　of　learning　its　lesson；　and　through　an　utter　incapability　of　regarding　its　interests　as　a　whole。　　A　future　certainty　was　sacrificed　to　a　doubtful　present　gain。　　This　blunder　in　policy　may　perhaps　be　attributed　to　the　following　cause。

The　class…isolation　so　strenuously　kept　up　by　the　noblesse　brought　about　fatal　results　during　the　last　forty　years；　even　caste…patriotism　was　extinguished　by　it；　and　rivalry　fostered　among　themselves。　　When　the　French　noblesse　of　other　times　were　rich　and　powerful；　the　nobles　（gentilhommes）　could　choose　their　chiefs　and　obey　them　in　the　hour　of　danger。　　As　their　power　diminished；　they　grew　less　amenable　to　discipline；　and　as　in　the　last　days　of　the　Byzantine　Empire；　everyone　wished　to　be　emperor。

They　mistook　their　uniform　weakness　for　uniform　strength。

Each　family　ruined　by　the　Revolution　and　the　abolition　of　the　law　of　primogeniture　thought　only　of　itself；　and　not　at　all　of　the　great　family　of　the　noblesse。　　It　seemed　to　them　that　as　each　individual　grew　rich；　the　party　as　a　whole　would　gain　in　strength。　　And　herein　lay　their　mistake。　　Money；　likewise；　is　only　the　outward　and　visible　sign　of　power。　　All　these　families　were　made　up　of　persons　who　preserved　a　high　tradition　of　courtesy；　of　true　graciousness　of　life；　of　refined　speech；　with　a　family　pride；　and　a　squeamish　sense　of　noblesse　oblige　which　suited　well　with　the　kind　of　life　they　led；　a　life　wholly　filled　with　occupations　which　become　contemptible　so　soon　as　they　cease　to　be　accessories　and　take　the　chief　place　in　existence。　　There　was　a　certain　intrinsic　merit　in　all　these　people；　but　the　merit　was　on　the　surface；　and　none　of　them　were　worth　their　face…value。

Not　a　single　one　among　those　families　had　courage　to　ask　itself　the　question；　〃Are　we　strong　enough　for　the　responsibility　of　power？〃　　They　were　cast　on　the　top；　like　the　lawyers　of　1830；　and　instead　of　taking　the　patron's　place；　like　a　great　man；　the　Faubourg　Saint…Germain　showed　itself　greedy　as　an　upstart。　　The　most　intelligent　nation　in　the　world　perceived　clearly　that　the　restored　nobles　were　organising　everything　for　their　own　particular　benefit。　　From　that　day　the　noblesse　was　doomed。　　The　Faubourg　Saint…Germain　tried　to　be　an　aristocracy　when　it　could　only　be　an　oligarchytwo　very　different　systems；　as　any　man　may　see　for　himself　if　he　gives　an　intelligent　perusal　to　the　list　of　the　patronymics　of　the　House　of　Peers。

The　King's　Government　certainly　meant　well；　but　the　maxim　that　the　people　must　be　made　to　WILL　everything；　even　their　own　welfare；　was　pretty　constantly　forgotten；　nor　did　they　bear　in　mind　that　La　France　is　a　woman　and　capricious；　and　must　be　happy　or　chastised　at　her　own　good　pleasure。　　If　there　had　been　many　dukes　like　the　Duc　de　Laval；　whose　modesty　made　him　worthy　of　the　name　he　bore；　the　elder　branch　would　have　been　as　securely　seated　on　the　throne　as　the　House　of　Hanover　at　this　day。

In　1814　the　noblesse　of　France　were　called　upon　to　assert　their　superiority　over　the　most　aristocratic　bourgeoisie　in　the　most　feminine　of　all　countries；　to　take　the　lead　in　the　most　highly　educated　epoch　the　world　had　yet　seen。　　And　this　was　even　more　notably　the　case　in　1820。　　The　Faubourg　Saint…Germain　might　very　easily　have　led　and　amused　the　middle　classes　in　days　when　people's　heads　were　turned　with　distinctions；　and　art　and　science　were　all　the　rage。　　But　the　narrow…minded　leaders　of　a　time　of　great　intellectual　progress　all　of　them　detested　art　and　science。

They　had　not　even　the　wit　to　present　religion　in　attractive　colours；　though　they　needed　its　support。　　While　Lamartine；　Lamennais；　Montalembert；　and　other　writers　were　putting　new　life　and　elevation　into　men's　ideas　of　religion；　and　gilding　it　with　poetry；　these　bunglers　in　the　Government　chose　to　make　the　harshness　of　their　creed　felt　all　over　the　country。　　Never　was　nation　in　a　more　tractable　humour；　La　France；　like　a　tired　woman；　was　ready　to　agree　to　anything；　never　was　mismanagement　so　clumsy；　and　La　France；　like　a　woman；　would　have　forgiven　wrongs　more　easily　than　bungling。

If　the　noblesse　meant　to　reinstate　themselves；　the　better　to　found　a　strong　oligarchy；　they　should　have　honestly　and　diligently　searched　their　Houses　for　men　of　the　stamp　that　Napoleon　used；　they　should　have　turned　themselves　inside　out　to　see　if　peradventure　there　was　a　Constitutionalist　Richelieu　lurking　in　the　entrails　of　the　Faubourg；　and　if　that　genius　was　not　forthcoming　from　among　them；　they　should　have　set　out　to　find　him；　even　in　the　fireless　garret　where　he　might　happen　to　be　perishing　of　cold；　they　should　have　assimilated　him；　as　the　English　House　of　Lords　continually　assimilates　aristocrats　made　by　chance；　and　finally　ordered　him　to　be　ruthless；　to　lop　away　the　old　wood；　and　cut　the　tree　down　to　the　living　shoots。　　But；　in　the　first　place；　the　great　system　of　English　Toryism　was　far　too　large　for　narrow　minds；　the　importation　required　time；　and　in　France　a　tardy　success　is　no　better　than　a　fiasco。　　So　far；　moreover；　from　adopting　a　policy　of　redemption；　and　looking　for　new　forces　where　God　puts　them；　these　petty　great　folk　took　a　dislike　to　any　capacity　that　did　not　issue　from　their　midst；　and；　lastly；　instead　of　growing　young　again；　the　Faubourg　Saint…Germain　grew　positively　older。

Etiquette；　not　an　institution　of　primary　necessity；　might　have　been　maintained　if　it　had　appeared　only　on　state　occasions；　but　as　it　was；　there　was　a　daily　wrangle　over　precedence；　it　ceased　to　be　a　matter　of　art　or　court　ceremonial；　it　became　a　question　of　power。　　And　if　from　the　outset　the　Crown　lacked　an　adviser　equal　to　so　great　a　crisis；　the　aristocracy　was　still　more　lacking　in　a　sense　of　its　wider　interests；　an　instinct　which　might　have　supplied　the　deficiency。　　They　stood　nice　about　M。　de　Talleyrand's　marriage；　when　M。　de　Talleyrand　was　the　one　man　among　them　with　the　steel…encompassed　brains　that　can　forge　a　new　political　system　and　begin　a　new　career　of　glory　for　a　nation。　　The　Faubourg　scoffed　at　a　minister　if　he　was　not　gently　born；　and　produced　no　one　of　gentle　birth　that　was　fit　to　be　a　minister。　　There　were　plenty　of　nobles　fitted　to　serve　their　country　by　raising　the　dignity　of　justices　of　the　peace；　by　improving　the　land；　by　opening　out　roads　and　canals；　and　taking　an　active　and　leading　part　as　country　gentlemen；　but　these　had　sold　their　estates　to　gamble　on　the　Stock　Exchange。　　Again　the　Faubourg　might　have　absorbed　the　energetic　men　among　the　bourgeoisie；　and　opened　their　ranks　to　the　ambition　which　was　undermining　authority；　they　preferred　instead　to　fight；　and　to　fight　unarmed；　for　of　all　that　they　once　possessed　there　was　nothing　left　but　tradition。　　For　their　misfortune　there　was　just　precisely　enough　of　their　former　wealth　left　them　as　a　class　to　keep　up　their　bitter　pride。　　They　were　content　with　their　past。　　Not　one　of　them　seriously　thought　of　bidding　the　son　of　the　house　take　up　arms　from　the　pile　of　weapons　which　the　nineteenth　century　flings　down　in　the　market…place。　　Young　men；　shut　out　from　office；　were　dancing　at　Madame's　balls；　while　they　should　have　been　doing　the　work　done　under　the　Republic　and　the　Empire　by　young；　conscientious；　harmlessly　employed　energies。　　It　was　their　place　to　carry　out　at　Paris　the　programme　which　their　seniors　should　have　been　following　in　the　country。　　The　heads　of　houses　might　have　won　back　recognition　of　their　titles　by　unremitting　attention　to　local　interests；　by　falling　in　with　the　spirit　of　the　age；　by　recasting　their　order　to　suit　the　taste　of　the　times。

But；　pent　up　together　in　the　Faubourg　Saint…Germain；　where　the　spirit　of　the　ancient　court　and　traditions　of　bygone　feuds　between　the　nobles　and　the　Crown　still　lingered　on；　the　aristocracy　was　not　whole…hearted　in　its　allegiance　to　the　Tuileries；　and　so　much　the　more　easily　defeated　because　it　was　concentrated　in　the　Chamber　of　Peers；　and　badly　organised　even　there。　　If　the　noblesse　had　woven　themselves　into　a　network　over　the　country；　they　could　have　held　their　own；　but　cooped　up　in　their　Faubourg；　with　their　backs　against　the　Chateau；　or　spread　at　full　length　over　the　Budget；　a　single　blow　cut　the　thread　of　a　fast…expiring　life；　and　a　petty；　smug…faced　lawyer　came　forward　with　the　axe。　　In　spite　of　M。　Royer…Collard's　admirable　discourse；　the　hereditary　peerage　and　law　of　entail　fell　before　the　lampoons　of　a　man　who　made　it　a　boast　that　he　had　adroitly　argued　some　few　heads　out　of　the　executioner's　clutches；　and　now　forsooth　must　clumsily　proceed　to　the　slaying　of　old　institutions。

There　are　examples　and　lessons　for　the　future　in　all　this。　　For　if　there　were　not　still　a　future　before　the　French　aristocracy；　there　would　be　no　need　to　do　more　than　find　a　suitable　sarcophagus；　it　were　something　pitilessly　cruel　to　burn　the　dead　body　of　it　with　fire　of　Tophet。

But　though　the　surgeon's　scalpel　is　ruthless；　it　sometimes　gives　back　life　to　a　dying　man；　and　the　Faubourg　Saint…Germain　may　wax　more　powerful　under　persecution　than　in　its　day　of　triumph；　if　it　but　chooses　to　organise　itself　under　a　leader。

And　now　it　is　easy　to　give　a　summary　of　this　semi…political　survey。　　The　wish　to　re…establish　a　large　fortune　was　uppermost　in　everyone's　mind；　a　lack　of　broad　views；　and　a　mass　of　small　defects；　a　real　need　of　religion　as　a　political　factor；　combined　with　a　thirst　for　pleasure　which　damaged　the　cause　of　religion　and　necessitated　a　good　deal　of　hypocrisy；　a　certain　attitude　of　protest　on　the　part　of　loftier　and　clearer…sighted　men　who　set　their　faces　against　Court　jealousies；　and　the　disaffection　of　the　provincial　families；　who　often　came　of　purer　descent　than　the　nobles　of　the　Court　which　alienated　them　from　itselfall　these　things　combined　to　bring　about　a　most　discordant　state　of　things　in　the　Faubourg　Saint…Germain。　　It　was　neither　compact　in　its　organisation；　nor　consequent　in　its　action；　neither　completely　moral；　nor　frankly