the ancien regime-第4节

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left　behind；　to　do　the　governing　of　the　world。　　Let　them　live；　and

keep　what　they　had。　　If　signs　of　vigour　still　appeared　in　France；　in

the　wars　of　Louis　XIV。　they　were　feverish；　factitious；　temporary

soon；　as　the　event　proved；　to　droop　into　the　general　exhaustion。　　If

wars　were　still　to　be　waged　they　were　to　be　wars　of　succession；　wars

of　diplomacy；　not　wars　of　principle；　waged　for　the　mightiest

invisible　interests　of　man。　　The　exhaustion　was　general；　and　to　it

we　must　attribute　alike　the　changes　and　the　conservatism　of　the

Ancien　Regime。　　To　it　is　owing　that　growth　of　a　centralising

despotism；　and　of　arbitrary　regal　power；　which　M。　de　Tocqueville　has

set　forth　in　a　book　which　I　shall　have　occasion　often　to　quote。　　To

it　is　owing；　too；　that　longing；　which　seems　to　us　childish；　after

ancient　forms；　etiquettes；　dignities；　court　costumes；　formalities

diplomatic；　legal；　ecclesiastical。　　Men　clung　to　them　as　to

keepsakes　of　the　pastrevered　relics　of　more　intelligible　and

better…ordered　times。　　If　the　spirit　had　been　beaten　out　of　them　in

a　century　of　battle；　that　was　all　the　more　reason　for　keeping　up　the

letter。　　They　had　had　a　meaning　once；　a　life　once；　perhaps　there　was

a　little　life　left　in　them　still；　perhaps　the　dry　bones　would　clothe

themselves　with　flesh　once　more；　and　stand　upon　their　feet。　　At

least　it　was　useful　that　the　common　people　should　so　believe。　　There

was　good　hope　that　the　simple　masses；　seeing　the　old　dignities　and

formalities　still　parading　the　streets；　should　suppose　that　they

still　contained　men；　and　were　not　mere　wooden　figures；　dressed

artistically　in　official　costume。　　And；　on　the　whole；　that　hope　was

not　deceived。　　More　than　a　century　of　bitter　experience　was　needed

ere　the　masses　discovered　that　their　ancient　rulers　were　like　the

suits　of　armour　in　the　Tower　of　Londonempty　iron　astride　of　wooden

steeds；　and　armed　with　lances　which　every　ploughboy　could　wrest　out

of　their　hands；　and　use　in　his　own　behalf。



The　mistake　of　the　masses　was　pardonable。　　For　those　suits　of　armour

had　once　held　living　men；　strong；　brave；　wise；　men　of　an　admirable

temper；　doing　their　work　according　to　their　light；　not　altogether

wellwhat　man　does　that　on　earth？but　well　enough　to　make

themselves　necessary　to；　and　loyally　followed　by；　the　masses　whom

they　ruled。　　No　one　can　read　fairly　the　〃Gesta　Dei　per　Francos　in

Oriente；〃　or　the　deeds　of　the　French　Nobility　in　their　wars　with

England；　or　those　taleshowever　legendaryof　the　mediaeval

knights；　which　form　so　noble　an　element　in　German　literature；

without　seeing；　that　however　black　were　these　men's　occasional

crimes；　they　were　a　truly　noble　race；　the　old　Nobility　of　the

Continent；　a　race　which　ruled　simply　because；　without　them；　there

would　have　been　naught　but　anarchy　and　barbarism。　　To　their

chivalrous　ideal　they　were　too　often；　perhaps　for　the　most　part；

untrue：　　but；　partial　and　defective　as　it　is；　it　is　an　ideal　such　as

never　entered　into　the　mind　of　Celt　or　Gaul；　Hun　or　Sclav；　one　which

seems　continuous　with　the　spread　of　the　Teutonic　conquerors。　　They

ruled　because　they　did　practically　raise　the　ideal　of　humanity　in

the　countries　which　they　conquered；　a　whole　stage　higher。　　They

ceased　to　rule　when　they　were；　through　their　own　sins；　caught　up　and

surpassed　in　the　race　of　progress　by　the　classes　below　them。



But；　even　when　at　its　best；　their　system　of　government　had　in　it

like　all　human　inventionoriginal　sin；　an　unnatural　and　unrighteous

element；　which　was　certain；　sooner　or　later；　to　produce　decay　and

ruin。　　The　old　Nobility　of　Europe　was　not　a　mere　aristocracy。　　It

was　a　caste：　　a　race　not　intermarrying　with　the　races　below　it。　　It

was　not　a　mere　aristocracy。　　For　that；　for　the　supremacy　of　the　best

men；　all　societies　strive；　or　profess　to　strive。　　And　such　a　true

aristocracy　may　exist　independent　of　caste；　or　the　hereditary

principle　at　all。　　We　may　conceive　an　Utopia；　governed　by　an

aristocracy　which　should　be　really　democratic；　which　should　use；

under　developed　forms；　that　method　which　made　the　mediaeval

priesthood　the　one　great　democratic　institution　of　old　Christendom；

bringing　to　the　surface　and　utilising　the　talents　and　virtues　of　all

classes；　even　to　the　lowest。　　We　may　conceive　an　aristocracy

choosing　out；　and　gladly　receiving　into　its　own　ranks　as　equals；

every　youth；　every　maiden；　who　was　distinguished　by　intellect；

virtue；　valour；　beauty；　without　respect　to　rank　or　birth；　and

rejecting　in　turn；　from　its　own　ranks；　each　of　its　own　children　who

fell　below　some　lofty　standard；　and　showed　by　weakliness；　dulness；

or　baseness；　incapacity　for　the　post　of　guiding　and　elevating　their

fellow…citizens。　　Thus　would　arise　a　true　aristocracy；　a　governing

body　of　the　really　most　worthythe　most　highly　organised　in　body

and　in　mindperpetually　recruited　from　below：　　from　which；　or　from

any　other　ideal；　we　are　yet　a　few　thousand　years　distant。



But　the　old　Ancien　Regime　would　have　shuddered；　did　shudder；　at　such

a　notion。　　The　supreme　class　was　to　keep　itself　pure；　and　avoid　all

taint　of　darker　blood；　shutting　its　eyes　to　the　fact　that　some　of

its　most　famous　heroes　had　been　born　of　such　left…handed　marriages

as　that　of　Robert　of　Normandy　with　the　tanner's　daughter　of　Falaise。

〃Some　are　so　curious　in　this　behalf；〃　says　quaint　old　Burton；

writing　about　1650；　〃as　these　old　Romans；　our　modern　Venetians；

Dutch；　and　French；　that　if　two　parties　dearly　love；　the　one　noble；

the　other　ignoble；　they　may　not；　by　their　laws；　match；　though　equal

otherwise　in　years；　fortunes；　education；　and　all　good　affection。　　In

Germany；　except　they　can　prove　their　gentility　by　three　descents；

they　scorn　to　match　with　them。　　A　nobleman　must　marry　a　noblewoman；

a　baron；　a　baron's　daughter；　a　knight；　a　knight's。　　As　slaters　sort

their　slates；　do　they　degrees　and　families。〃



And　doubtless　this　theorylike　all　which　have　held　their　ground　for

many　centuriesat　first　represented　a　fact。　　These　castes　were；　at

first；　actually　superior　to　the　peoples　over　whom　they　ruled。　　I

cannot；　as　long　as　my　eyes　are　open；　yield　to　the　modern　theory　of

the　equalityindeed　of　the　non…existenceof　races。　　Holding；　as　I

do；　the　primaeval　unity　of　the　human　race；　I　see　in　that　race　the

same　inclination　to　sport　into　fresh　varieties；　the　same　competition

of　species　between　those　varieties；　which　Mr。　Darwin　has　pointed　out

among　plants　and　mere　animals。　　A　distinguished　man　arises；　from　him

a　distinguished　family；　from　it　a　distinguished　tribe；　stronger；

cunninger　than　those　around。　　It　asserts　its　supremacy　over　its

neighbours　at　first　exactly　as　a　plant　or　animal　would　do；　by

destroying；　and；　where　possible；　eating　them；　next；　having　grown

more　prudent；　by　enslaving　them；　next；　having　gained　a　little

morality　in　addition　to　its　prudence；　by　civilising　them；　raising

them　more　or　less　toward　its　own　standard。　　And　thus；　in　every　land；

civilisation　and　national　life　has　arisen　out　of　the　patriarchal

state；　and　the　Eastern　scheik；　with　his　wives；　free　and　slave；　and

his　hundreds　of　fighting　men　born　in　his　house；　is　the　type　of　all

primaeval　rulers。　　He　is　the　best　man　of　his　hordein　every　sense

of　the　word　best；　and　whether　he　have　a　right　to　rule　them　or　not；

they　consider　that　he　has；　and　are　the　better　men　for　his　guidance。



Whether　this　ought　to　have　been　the　history　of　primaeval

civilisation；　is　a　question　not　to　be　determined　here。　　That　it　is

the　history　thereof；　is　surely　patent　to　anyone　who　will　imagine　to

himself　what　must　have　been。　　In　the　first　place；　the　strongest　and

cunningest　savage　must　have　had　the　chance　of　producing　children

more　strong　and　cunning　than　the　average；　he　would　havethe

strongest　savage　has　stillthe　power　of　obtaining　a　wife；　or　wives；

superior　in　beauty　and　in　household　skill；　which　involves

superiority　of　intellect；　and　therefore　his　children　wouldsome　of

them　at　leastbe　superior　to　the　average；　both　from　the　father's

and　the　mother's　capacities。　　They　again　would　marry　select　wives；

and　their　children　again　would　do　the　same；　till；　in　a　very　few

generations；　a　family　would　have　established　itself；　considerably

superior　to　the　rest　of　the　tribe　in　body　and　mind；　and　become

assuredly　its　ruling　race。



Again；　if　one　of　that　race　invented　a　new　weapon；　a　new　mode　of

tillage；　or　aught　else　which　gave　him　power；　that　would　add　to　the

superiority　of　his　whole　family。　　For　the　invention　would　be

jealously　kept　among　them　as　a　mystery；　a　hereditary　secret。　　To

this　simple　cause；　surely；　is　to　be　referred　the　system　of

hereditary　caste　occupations；　whether　in　Egypt　or　Hindoostan。　　To

this；　too；　the　fact　that　alike　in　Greek　and　in　Teutonic　legend　the

chief　so　often　appears；　not　merely　as　the　best　warrior　and　best

minstrel；　but　as　the　best　smith；　armourer；　and　handicraftsman　of　his

tribe。　　If；　however；　the　inventor　happened　to　be　a　low…born　genius；

its　advantages　would　still　accrue　to　the　ruling　race。　　F