the village rector-第33章

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　　Gerard　seems　to　me　to　have　a　cool　head　and　an　ardent　heart；　that's
　　the　sort　of　man　you　want。　Paris　is　just　now　a　hotbed　of　new
　　doctrines；　I　should　be　delighted　to　have　the　lad　removed　from　the
　　traps　which　ambitious　minds　are　setting　for　the　generous　youth　of
　　France。　While　I　do　not　altogether　approve　of　the　narrow　and
　　stupefying　life　of　the　provinces；　neither　do　I　like　the　passionate
　　life　of　Paris；　with　its　ardor　of　reformation；　which　is　driving
　　youth　into　so　many　unknown　ways。　You　alone　know　my　opinions；　to　my
　　mind　the　moral　world　revolves　upon　its　own　axis；　like　the　material
　　world。　My　poor　protege　demands　（as　you　will　see　from　his　letter）
　　things　impossible。　No　power　can　resist　ambitions　so　violent；　so
　　imperious；　so　absolute；　as　those　of　to…day。　I　am　in　favor　of　low
　　levels　and　slowness　in　political　change；　I　dislike　these　social
　　overturns　to　which　ambitious　minds　subject　us。

　　To　you　I　confide　these　principles　of　a　monarchical　and　prejudiced
　　old　man；　because　you　are　discreet。　Here　I　hold　my　tongue　in　the
　　midst　of　worthy　people；　who　the　more　they　fail　the　more　they
　　believe　in　progress；　but　I　suffer　deeply　at　the　irreparable　evils
　　already　inflicted　on　our　dear　country。

　　I　have　replied　to　the　enclosed　letter；　telling　my　young　man　that　a
　　worthy　task　awaits　him。　He　will　go　to　see　you；　and　though　his
　　letter　will　enable　you　to　judge　of　him；　you　had　better　study　him
　　still　further　before　committing　yourself；though　you　women
　　understand　many　things　from　the　mere　look　of　a　man。　However；　all
　　the　men　whom　you　employ；　even　the　most　insignificant；　ought　to　be
　　thoroughly　satisfactory　to　you。　If　you　don't　like　him　don't　take
　　him；　but　if　he　suits　you；　my　dear　child；　I　beg　you　to　cure　him　of
　　his　ill…disguised　ambition。　Make　him　take　to　a　peaceful；　happy；
　　rural　life；　where　true　beneficence　is　perpetually　exercised；　where
　　the　capacities　of　great　and　strong　souls　find　continual　exercise；
　　and　they　themselves　discover　daily　fresh　sources　of　admiration　in
　　the　works　of　Nature；　and　in　real　ameliorations；　real　progress；　an
　　occupation　worthy　of　any　man。

　　I　am　not　oblivious　of　the　fact　that　great　ideas　give　birth　to
　　great　actions；　but　as　those　ideas　are　necessarily　few　and　far
　　between；　I　think　it　may　be　said　that　usually　things　are　more
　　useful　than　ideas。　He　who　fertilizes　a　corner　of　the　earth；　who
　　brings　to　perfection　a　fruit…tree；　who　makes　a　turf　on　a　thankless
　　soil；　is　far　more　useful　in　his　generation　than　he　who　seeks　new
　　theories　for　humanity。　How；　I　ask　you；　has　Newton's　science
　　changed　the　condition　of　the　country　districts？　Oh！　my　dear；　I
　　have　always　loved　you；　but　to…day　I；　who　fully　understand　what　you
　　are　about　to　attempt；　I　adore　you。

　　No　one　at　Limoges　forgets　you；　we　all　admire　your　grand　resolution
　　to　benefit　Montegnac。　Be　a　little　grateful　to　us　for　having　soul
　　enough　to　admire　a　noble　action；　and　do　not　forget　that　the　first
　　of　your　admirers　is　also　your　first　friend。

F。　Grossetete。


The　enclosed　letter　was　as　follows：

　　To　Monsieur　Grossetete：

　　Monsieur；You　have　been　to　me　a　father　when　you　might　have　been
　　only　a　mere　protector；　and　therefore　I　venture　to　make　you　a
　　rather　sad　confidence。　It　is　to　you　alone；　you　who　have　made　me
　　what　I　am；　that　I　can　tell　my　troubles。

　　I　am　afflicted　with　a　terrible　malady；　a　cruel　moral　malady。　In　my
　　soul　are　feelings　and　in　my　mind　convictions　which　make　me　utterly
　　unfit　for　what　the　State　and　society　demand　of　me。　This　may　seem
　　to　you　ingratitude；　it　is　only　the　statement　of　a　condition。　When
　　I　was　twelve　years　old　you；　my　generous　god…father；　saw　in　me；　the
　　son　of　a　mere　workman；　an　aptitude　for　the　exact　sciences　and　a
　　precocious　desire　to　rise　in　life。　You　favored　my　impulse　toward
　　better　things　when　my　natural　fate　was　to　stay　a　carpenter　like　my
　　father；　who；　poor　man；　did　not　live　long　enough　to　enjoy　my
　　advancement。　Indeed；　monsieur；　you　did　a　good　thing；　and　there　is
　　never　a　day　that　I　do　not　bless　you　for　it。　It　may　be　that　I　am
　　now　to　blame；　but　whether　I　am　right　or　wrong　it　is　very　certain
　　that　I　suffer。　In　making　my　complaint　to　you　I　feel　that　I　take
　　you　as　my　judge　like　God　Himself。　Will　you　listen　to　my　story　and
　　grant　me　your　indulgence？

　　Between　sixteen　and　eighteen　years　of　age　I　gave　myself　to　the
　　study　of　the　exact　sciences　with　an　ardor；　you　remember；　that　made
　　me　ill。　My　future　depended　on　my　admission　to　the　Ecole
　　Polytechnique。　At　that　time　my　studies　overworked　my　brain；　and　I
　　came　near　dying；　I　studied　night　and　day；　I　did　more　than　the
　　nature　of　my　organs　permitted。　I　wanted　to　pass　such　satisfying
　　examinations　that　my　place　in　the　Ecole　would　be　not　only　secure；
　　but　sufficiently　advanced　to　release　me　from　the　cost　of　my
　　support；　which　I　did　not　want　you　to　pay　any　longer。

　　I　triumphed！　I　tremble　to…day　as　I　think　of　the　frightful
　　conscription　（if　I　may　so　call　it）　of　brains　delivered　over　yearly
　　to　the　State　by　family　ambition。　By　insisting　on　these　severe
　　studies　at　the　moment　when　a　youth　attains　his　various　forms　of
　　growth；　the　authorities　produce　secret　evils　and　kill　by　midnight
　　study　many　precious　faculties　which　later　would　have　developed
　　both　strength　and　grandeur。　The　laws　of　nature　are　relentless；
　　they　do　not　yield　in　any　particular　to　the　enterprises　or　the
　　wishes　of　society。　In　the　moral　order　as　in　the　natural　order　all
　　abuses　must　be　paid　for；　fruits　forced　in　a　hot…house　are　produced
　　at　the　tree's　expense　and　often　at　the　sacrifice　of　the　goodness
　　of　its　product。　La　Quintinie　killed　the　orange…trees　to　give　Louis
　　XIV。　a　bunch　of　flowers　every　day　at　all　seasons。　So　it　is　with
　　intellects。　The　strain　upon　adolescent　brains　discounts　their
　　future。

　　That　which　is　chiefly　wanting　to　our　epoch　is　legislative　genius。
　　Europe　has　had　no　true　legislators　since　Jesus　Christ；　who；　not
　　having　given　to　the　world　a　political　code；　left　his　work
　　incomplete。　Before　establishing　great　schools　of　specialists　and
　　regulating　the　method　of　recruiting　for　them；　where　were　the　great
　　thinkers　who　could　bear　in　mind　the　relation　of　such　institutions
　　to　human　powers；　balancing　advantages　and　injuries；　and　studying
　　the　past　for　the　laws　of　the　future？　What　inquiry　has　been　made　as
　　to　the　condition　of　exceptional　men；　who；　by　some　fatal　chance；
　　knew　human　sciences　before　their　time？　Has　the　rarity　of　such
　　cases　been　reckonedthe　result　examined？　Has　any　enquiry　been
　　made　as　to　the　means　by　which　such　men　were　enabled　to　endure　the
　　perpetual　strain　of　thought？　How　many；　like　Pascal；　died
　　prematurely；　worn…out　by　knowledge？　Have　statistics　been　gathered
　　as　to　the　age　at　which　those　men　who　lived　the　longest　began　their
　　studies？　Who　has　ever　known；　does　any　one　know　now；　the　interior
　　construction　of　brains　which　have　been　able　to　sustain　a　premature
　　burden　of　human　knowledge？　Who　suspects　that　this　question
　　belongs；　above　all；　to　the　physiology　of　man？

　　For　my　part；　I　now　believe　the　true　general　law　is　to　remain　a
　　long　time　in　the　vegetative　condition　of　adolescence；　and　that
　　those　exceptions　where　strength　of　organs　is　produced　during
　　adolescence　result　usually　in　the　shortening　of　life。　Thus　the
　　man　of　genius　who　is　able　to　bear　up　under　the　precocious　exercise
　　of　his　faculties　is　an　exception　to　an　exception。

　　If　I　am　right；　if　what　I　say　accords　with　social　facts　and　medical
　　observations；　then　the　system　practised　in　France　in　her　technical
　　schools　is　a　fatal　impairment　and　mutilation　（in　the　style　of　La
　　Quintinie）　practised　upon　the　noblest　flower　of　youth　in　each
　　generation。

　　But　it　is　better　to　continue　my　history；　and　add　my　doubts　as　the
　　facts　develop　themselves。

　　When　I　entered　the　Ecole　Polytechnique；　I　worked　harder　than　ever
　　and　with　even　more　ardor；　in　order　to　leave　it　as　triumphantly　as
　　I　had　entered　it。　From　nineteen　to　twenty…one　I　developed　every
　　aptitude　and　strengthened　every　faculty　by　constant　practice。
　　Those　two　years　were　the　crown　and　completion　of　the　first　three；
　　during　which　I　had　only　prepared　myself　to　do　well。　Therefore　my
　　pride　was　great　when　I　won　the　right　to　choose　the　career　that
　　pleased　me　most；either　military　or　naval　engineering；　artillery；
　　or　staff　duty；　or　the　civil　engineering　of　mining；　and　/ponts　et
　　chaussees/。＇*＇　By　your　advice；　I　chose　the　latter。

＇*＇　Department　of　the　government　including　everything　connected　with
　　　　the　making　and　repairing　of　roads；　bridges；　canals；　etc。

　　But　where　I　triumphed　how　many　others　fail！　Do　you　know　that　from
　　year　to　year　the　State　increases　the　scientific　requirements　of
　　the　Ecole？　the　studies　are　more　severe；　more　exacting　yearly。　The
　　preparatory　studies　which　tried　me　so　much　were　nothing　to　the
　　intense　work　of　the　school　itself；　which　has　for　its　object　to　put
　　the　whole　of　physical　science；　mathematics；　astronomy；　chemistry；
　　and　all　their　nomenclatures　into　the　minds　of　young　men　of
　　nineteen　to　twenty…one　years　of　age。　The　State；　which　seems　in
　　France　to　wish　to　substitute　itself　in　many　ways　for　the　paternal
　　authority；　has　neither　bowels　of　compassion　nor　fatherhood；　it
　　makes　its　experiments　/in　anima　vili/。　Never　does　it　inquire　into
　　the　horrible　statistics　of　the　suffering　it　causes。　Does　it　know
　　the　number　of　brain　fevers　among　its　pupils　during　the　last
　　thirty…six　years；　or　the　despair　and　the　moral　destruction　which
　　decimate　its　youth？　I　am　pointing　out　to　you　this　painful　side　of
　　the　State　education；　for　it　is　one　of　the　anterior　contingents　of
　　the　actual　result。

　　You　know　that　scholars　whose　conceptions　are　slow；　or　who　are
　　temporarily　disabled　from　excess　of　mental　work；　are　allowed　to
　　remain　at　the　Ecole　three　years　instead　of　two；　they　then　become
　　the　object　of　suspicions　little　favorable　to　their　capacity。　This
　　often　compels　young　men；　who　might　later　show　superior　capacity；
　　to　leave　the　school　without　being　employed；　simply　because　they
　　could　not　meet　the　final　examination　with　the　full　scientific
　　knowledge　required。　They　are　called　〃dried　fruits〃；　Napoleon　made
　　sub…lieutenants　of　them。　To…day　the　〃dried　fruits〃　constitute　an
　　enormous　loss　of　capital　to　families　and　of　time　to　individuals。

　　However；　as　I　say；　I　triumphed。　At　twenty…one　years　of　age　I　knew
　　the　mathematical　sciences　up　to　the　point　to　which　so　many　men　of
　　genius　have　brought　them；　and　I　was　impatient　to　distinguish
　　myself　by　carrying　them　further。　This　desire　is　so　natural　that
　　almost　every　pupil　leaving　the　Ecole　fixes　his　eyes　on　that　moral
　　sun　called　Fame。　The　first　thought　of　all　is　to　become　another
　　Newton；　or　Laplace；　or　Vauban。　Such　are　the　efforts　that　France
　　demands　of　the　young　men　who　leave　her　celebrated　school。

　　Now　let　us　see　the　fate　of　these　men　culled　with　so　much　care　from
　　each　generation。　At　one…and…twenty　we　dream　of　life；　and　expect
　　marvels　of　it。　I　entered　the　Ecole　des　Ponts　et　Chaussees；　I　was　a
　　pupil…engineer。　I　studied　the　science　of　construction；　and　how
　　ardently！　I　am　sure　you　remember