the origins of contemporary france-2-第97节

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and　burnt；　together　with　two　others　alongside　of　it。　　Taking　refuge

in　a　cellar　he　still　keeps　on　firing。　　Bundles　of　lighted　straw　are

thrown　in　at　the　air…holes。　　Almost　suffocated；　he　springs　out；

kills　his　first　assailant　with　a　shot　from　one　pistol；　and　himself

with　another。　　His　head　is　cut　off　with　that　of　his　servant。　　The

guardsman　is　made　to　kiss　the　two　heads；　and；　on　his　demanding　a

glass　of　water；　they　fill　his　mouth　with　the　blood　which　drops　from

the　severed　head　of　his　brother。　　The　victorious　gang　then　set　out

for　Cahors；　with　the　two　heads　stuck　on　bayonets；　and　the　guardsman

in　a　cart。　　It　comes　to　a　halt　before　a　house　in　which　a　literary

circle　meets；　suspected　by　the　Jacobin　club。　　The　wounded　man　is

made　to　descend　from　the　cart　and　is　hung：　his　body　is　riddled　with

balls；　and　everything　the　house　contains　is　broken　up；　〃the

furniture　is　thrown　out　of　the　windows；　and　the　house　pulled　down。〃

…　　Every　popular　execution　is　of　this　character；　at　once　prompt　and

complete；　similar　to　those　of　an　Oriental　monarch　who；　on　the

instant；　without　inquiry　or　trial；　avenges　his　offended　majesty；

and。　　for　every　offense；　knows　no　other　punishment　than　death。　　At

Tulle；　M。　de　Massy；＇29＇　lieutenant　of　the　〃Royal　Navarre；〃　having

struck　a　man　that　insulted　him；　is　seized　in　the　house　in　which　he

took　refuge；　and；　in　spite　of　the　three　administrative　bodies；　is　at

once　massacred。　　…　　At　Brest；　two　anti…revolutionary　caricatures

having　been　drawn　with　charcoal　on　the　walls　of　the　military　coffee…

house；　the　excited　crowd　lay　the　blame　of　it　on　the　officers；　one　of

these；　M。　Patry；　takes　it　upon　himself；　and；　on　the　point　of　being

torn　to　pieces；　attempts　to　kill　himself。　　He　is　disarmed；　but；　when

the　municipal　authorities　come　to　his　assistance；　they　find　him

〃already　dead　through　an　infinite　number　of　wounds；〃　and　his　head　is

borne　about　on　the　end　of　a　pike。＇30＇　　…



VI。



Conduct　of　officers。　…　Their　self…sacrifice。…　Disposition　of　the

soldiery。　…　Military　outbreaks。…　　Spread　and　increase　of

insubordination。　…　Resignation　of　the　officers。



Much　better　would　it　be　to　live　under　an　Eastern　king；　for　he　is　not

found　everywhere；　nor　always　furious　and　mad；　like　the　populace。

Nowhere　are　the　nobles　safe；　neither　in　public　nor　in　private　life；

neither　in　the　country　nor　in　the　towns；　neither　associated　together

nor　separate。　　Popular　hostility　hangs　over　them　like　a　dark　and

threatening　cloud　from　one　end　of　the　territory　to　the　other；　and　the

tempest　bursts　upon　them　in　a　continuous　storm　of　vexations；　outrages；

calumnies；　robberies；　and　acts　of　violence；　here；　there；　and　almost

daily；　bloody　thunderbolts　fall　haphazard　on　the　most　inoffensive

heads；　on　an　old　man　asleep；　on　a　Knight　of　Saint…Louis　taking　a

walk；　on　a　family　at　prayers　in　a　church。　　But；　in　this　aristocracy；

crushed　down　in　some　places　and　attacked　everywhere；　the　thunderbolt

finds　one　predestined　group　which　attracts　it　and　on　which　it　constantly

falls；　and　that　is　the　corps　of　officers。



VI。



Conduct　of　the　officers。　　…　　Their　self…sacrifice。　　…　　Disposition

of　the　soldiery。　　…　　Military　outbreaks。　　…　　Spread　and　increase　of

insubordination。　　…　　Resignation　of　the　officers。



With　the　exception　of　a　few　fops；　frequenters　of　drawing…rooms；　and

the　court　favorites　who　have　reached　a　high　rank　through　the

intrigues　of　the　antechamber；　it　was　in　this　group；　especially　in

the　medium　ranks；　that　true　moral　nobility　was　then　found。　　Nowhere

in　France　was　there　so　much　tried；　substantial　merit。　　A　man　of

genius；　who　associated　with　them　in　his　youth；　rendered　them　this

homage：　many　among　them　are　men　possessing　〃　the　most　amiable

characters　and　minds　of　the　highest　order。〃＇31＇　Indeed；　for　most　of

them；　military　service　was　not　a　career　of　ambition；　but　an

obligation　of　birth。　　It　was　the　rule　in　each　noble　family　for　the

eldest　son　to　enter　the　army；　and　advancement　was　of　but　little

consequence。　　He　discharged　the　debt　of　his　rank；　this　sufficed　for

him；　and；　after　twenty　or　thirty　years　of　service；　the　order　of

Saint…Louis；　and　sometimes　a　meager　pension；　were　all　he　had　a　right

to　expect。　　Amongst　nine　or　ten　thousand　officers；　the　great

majority　coming　from　the　lower　and　poorer　class　of　provincial

nobles；　body…guards；　lieutenants；　captains；　majors；　lieutenant…

colonels；　and　even　colonels；　have　no　other　pretension。　　Satisfied

with　favors＇32＇　restricted　to　their　subordinate　rank；　they　leave　the

highest　grades　of　the　service　to　the　heirs　of　the　great　families；　to

the　courtiers　or　to　the　parvenus　at　Versailles；　and　content

themselves　with　remaining　the　guardians　of　public　order；　and　the

brave　defenders　of　the　State。　　Under　this　system；　when　the　heart　is

not　depraved　it　becomes　exalted；　it　is　made　a　point　of　honor　to

serve　without　compensation；　there　is　nothing　but　the　public　welfare

in　view；　and　all　the　more　because；　at　this　moment；　it　is　the

absorbing　topic　of　all　minds　and　of　all　literature。　　Nowhere　has

practical　philosophy；　that　which　consists　in　a　spirit　of　abnegation；

more　deeply　penetrated　than　among　this　unrecognized　nobility。　　Under

a　polished；　brilliant；　and　sometimes　frivolous　exterior；　they　have　a

serious　soul　；　the　old　sentiment　of　honor　is　converted　into　one　of

patriotism。　Set　to　execute　the　laws；　with　force　in　hand　to　maintain

peace　through　fear；　they　feel　the　importance　of　their　mission；　and；

for　two　years；　fulfill　its　duties　with　extraordinary　moderation；

gentleness；　and　patience；　not　only　at　the　risk　of　their　lives；　but

amidst　great　and　multiplied　humiliations；　through　the　sacrifice　of

their　authority　and　self…esteem；　through　the　subjection　of　their

intelligent　will　to　the　dictation　and　incapacity　of　the　masters

imposed　upon　them。　For　a　noble　officer　to　respond　to　the

requisitions　of　an　extemporized　bourgeois　municipal　body；＇33＇　to

subordinate　his　competence；　courage；　and　prudence　to　the　blunders

and　alarms　of　five　or　six　inexperienced；　frightened；　and　timid

attorneys；　to　place　his　energy　and　daring　at　the　service　of　their

presumption；　feebleness；　and　lack　of　decision；　even　when　their

orders　or　refusal　of　orders　are　manifestly　absurd　or　injurious；　even

when　they　are　opposed　to　the　previous　instructions　of　his　general　or

of　his　minister；　even　when　they　end　in　the　plundering　of　a　market；

the　burning　of　a　chateau；　the　assassination　of　an　innocent　person；

even　when　they　impose　upon　him　the　obligation　of　witnessing　crime

with　his　sword　sheathed　and　arms　folded；＇34＇　　…　　　this　is　a　hard

task。　　It　is　hard　for　the　noble　officer　to　see　independent；　popular；

and　bourgeois　troops　organized　in　the　face　of　his　own　troops；　rivals

and　even　hostile；　in　any　case　ten　times　as　numerous　and　no　less

exacting　than　sensitive　　…　　　hard　to　be　expected　to　show　them

deference　and　extend　civilities　to　them；　to　surrender　to　them　posts；

arsenals；　and　citadels；　to　treat　their　chiefs　as　equals；　however

ignorant　or　unworthy；　and　whatever　they　may　be　　…　　　here　a　lawyer；

there　a　Capuchin；　elsewhere　a　brewer　or　a　shoemaker；　most　generally

some　demagogue；　and；　in　many　a　town　or　village；　some　deserter　or

soldier　drummed　out　of　his　regiment　for　bad　conduct；　perhaps　one　of

the　noble's　own　men；　a　scamp　whom　he　has　formerly　discharged　with

the　yellow　cartridge；　telling　him　to　go　and　be　hung　elsewhere。　　It

is　hard　for　the　noble　officer　to　be　publicly　and　daily　calumniated

on　account　of　his　rank　and　title；　to　be　characterized　as　a　traitor

at　the　club　and　in　the　newspapers；　to　be　designated　by　name　as　an

object　of　popular　suspicion　and　fury；　to　be　hooted　at　in　the　streets

and　in　the　theater；　to　submit　to　the　disobedience　of　his　men；　to　be

denounced；　insulted；　arrested；　fleeced；　hunted　down　and　slaughtered

by　them　and　by　the　populace；　to　see　before　him　a　cruel；　ignoble；　and

unavenged　death　　…　　　that　of　M。　de　Launay；　murdered　at　Paris　　…

that　of　M。　de　Belzunce；　murdered　at　Caen　　…　　　that　of　M。　de

Beausset；　murdered　at　Marseilles　　…　　　that　of　M。　de　Voisins；

murdered　at　Valence　…　　that　of　M。　de　Rully；　murdered　at　Bastia；　or

that　of　M。　de　Rochetailler；　murdered　at　Port…au…Prince。＇35＇　　All

this　is　endured　by　the　officers　among　the　nobles。　　Not　one　of　the

municipalities；　even　Jacobin；　can　find　any　pretext　which　will

warrant　the　charge　of　disobeying　orders。　　Through　tact　and　deference

they　avoid　all　conflict　with　the　National　Guards。　　Never　do　they

give　provocation；　and；　even　when　insulted；　rarely　defend　themselves。

Their　gravest　faults　consist　of　imprudent　conversations；　vivacious

expressions　and　witticisms。　　Like　good　watch…dogs　amongst　a

frightened　herd　which　trample　them　under　foot；　or　pierce　them　with

their　horns；　they　allow　themselves　to　be　pierced　and　trampled　on

without　biting；　and　would　remain　at　their　post　to　the　end　were　they

not　driven　away　from　it。



All　to　no　purpose：　doubly　suspicious　as　members　of　a　proscribed

class；　and　as　heads　of　the　army；　it　is　against　them　that　public