the village rector-第41节

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　　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　that。　I　left　the　school　in　1827；
　　being　then　twenty…four　years　of　age；　still　only　a　candidate　as
　　engineer；　and　the　government　paid　me　one　hundred　and　fifty　francs
　　a　month；　the　commonest　book…keeper　in　Paris　earns　that　by　the　time
　　he　is　eighteen；　giving　little　more　than　four　hours　a　day　to　his
　　work。

　　By　a　most　unusual　piece　of　luck；　perhaps　because　of　the
　　distinction　my　devoted　studies　won　for　me；　I　was　made；　in　1828；
　　when　I　was　twenty…five　years　old；　engineer…in…ordinary。　I　was
　　sent；　as　you　know；　to　a　sub…prefecture；　with　a　salary　of　twenty…
　　five　hundred　francs。　The　question　of　money　is　nothing。　Certainly
　　my　fate　has　been　more　brilliant　than　the　son　of　a　carpenter　might
　　expect；　but　where　will　you　find　a　grocer's　boy；　who；　if　thrown
　　into　a　shop　at　sixteen；　will　not　in　ten　years　be　on　the　high…road
　　to　an　independent　property？

　　I　learned　then　to　what　these　terrible　efforts　of　mental　power；
　　these　gigantic　exertions　demanded　by　the　State　were　to　lead。　The
　　State　now　employed　me　to　count　and　measure　pavements　and　heaps　of
　　stones　on　the　roadways；　I　had　to　keep　in　order；　repair；　and
　　sometimes　construct　culverts；　one…arched　bridges；　regulate　drift…
　　ways；　clean　and　sometimes　open　ditches；　lay　out　bounds；　and　answer
　　questions　about　the　planting　and　felling　of　trees。　Such　are　the
　　principal　and　sometimes　the　only　occupations　of　ordinary
　　engineers；　together　with　a　little　levelling　which　the　government
　　obliges　us　to　do　ourselves；　though　any　of　our　chain…bearers　with
　　their　limited　experience　can　do　it　better　than　we　with　all　our
　　science。

　　There　are　nearly　four　hundred　engineers…in…ordinary　and　pupil
　　engineers；　and　as　there　are　not　more　than　a　hundred　or　so　of
　　engineers…in…chief；　only　a　limited　number　of　the　sub…engineers　can
　　hope　to　rise。　Besides；　above　the　grade　of　engineer…in…chief；　there
　　is　no　absorbent　class；　for　we　cannot　count　as　a　means　of
　　absorption　the　ten　or　fifteen　places　of　inspector…generals　or
　　divisionaries；posts　that　are　almost　as　useless　in　our　corps　as
　　colonels　are　in　the　artillery；　where　the　battery　is　the　essential
　　thing。　The　engineer…in…ordinary；　like　the　captain　of　artillery；
　　knows　the　whole　science。　He　ought　not　to　have　any　one　over　him
　　except　an　administrative　head　to　whom　no　more　than　eighty…six
　　engineers　should　report；for　one　engineer；　with　two　assistants　is
　　enough　for　a　department。

　　The　present　hierarchy　in　these　bodies　results　in　the　subordination
　　of　active　energetic　capacities　to　the　worn…out　capacities　of　old
　　men；　who；　thinking　they　know　best；　alter　or　nullify　the　plans
　　submitted　by　their　subordinates；perhaps　with　the　sole　aim　of
　　making　their　existence　felt；　for　that　seems　to　me　the　only
　　influence　exercised　over　the　public　works　of　France　by　the
　　Council…general　of　the　/Ponts　et　Chaussees/。

　　Suppose；　however；　that　I　become；　between　thirty　and　forty　years　of
　　age；　an　engineer　of　the　first…class　and　an　engineer…in…chief
　　before　I　am　fifty。　Alas！　I　see　my　future；　it　is　written　before　my
　　eyes。　Here　is　a　forecast　of　it：

　　My　present　engineer…in…chief　is　sixty　years　old；　he　issued　with
　　honors；　as　I　did；　from　the　famous　Ecole；　he　has　turned　gray　doing
　　in　two　departments　what　I　am　doing　now；　and　he　has　become　the　most
　　ordinary　man　it　is　possible　to　imagine；　he　has　fallen　from　the
　　height　to　which　he　had　really　risen；　far　worse；　he　is　no　longer　on
　　the　level　of　scientific　knowledge；　science　has　progressed；　he　has
　　stayed　where　he　was。　The　man　who　came　forth　ready　for　life　at
　　twenty…two　years　of　age；　with　every　sign　of　superiority；　has
　　nothing　left　to…day　but　the　reputation　of　it。　In　the　beginning；
　　with　his　mind　specially　turned　to　the　exact　sciences　and
　　mathematics　by　his　education；　he　neglected　everything　that　was　not
　　his　specialty；　and　you　can　hardly　imagine　his　present　dulness　in
　　all　other　branches　of　human　knowledge。　I　hardly　dare　confide　even
　　to　you　the　secrets　of　his　incapacity　sheltered　by　the　fact　that　he
　　was　educated　at　the　Ecole　Polytechnique。　With　that　label　attached
　　to　him　and　on　the　faith　of　that　prestige；　no　one　dreams　of
　　doubting　his　ability。　To　you　alone　do　I　dare　reveal　the　fact　that
　　the　dulling　of　all　his　talents　has　led　him　to　spend　a　million　on　a
　　single　matter　which　ought　not　to　have　cost　the　administration　more
　　than　two　hundred　thousand　francs。　I　wished　to　protest；　and　was
　　about　to　inform　the　prefect；　but　an　engineer　I　know　very　well
　　reminded　me　of　one　of　our　comrades　who　was　hated　by　the
　　administration　for　doing　that　very　thing。　〃How　would　you　like；〃　he
　　said　to　me；　〃when　you　get　to　be　engineer…in…chief　to　have　your
　　errors　dragged　forth　by　your　subordinate？　Before　long　your
　　engineer…in…chief　will　be　made　a　divisional　inspector。　As　soon　as
　　any　one　of　us　commits　a　serious　blunder；　as　he　has　done；　the
　　administration　（which　can't　allow　itself　to　appear　in　the　wrong）
　　will　quietly　retire　him　from　active　duty　by　making　him　inspector。〃

　　That's　how　the　reward　of　merit　devolves　on　incapacity。　All　France
　　knew　of　the　disaster　which　happened　in　the　heart　of　Paris　to　the
　　first　suspension　bridge　built　by　an　engineer；　a　member　of　the
　　Academy　of　Sciences；　a　melancholy　collapse　caused　by　blunders　such
　　as　none　of　the　ancient　engineersthe　man　who　cut　the　canal　at
　　Briare　in　Henri　IV。's　time；　or　the　monk　who　built　the　Pont　Royal
　　would　have　made；　but　our　administration　consoled　its　engineer　for
　　his　blunder　by　making　him　a　member　of　the　Council…general。

　　Are　the　technical　schools　vast　manufactories　of　incapables？　That
　　subject　requires　careful　investigation。　If　I　am　right　they　need
　　reforming；　at　any　rate　in　their　method　of　proceeding；for　I　am
　　not；　of　course；　doubting　the　utility　of　such　schools。　Only；　when
　　we　look　back　into　the　past　we　see　that　France　in　former　days　never
　　wanted　for　the　great　talents　necessary　to　the　State；　but　now　she
　　prefers　to　hatch　out　talent　geometrically；　after　the　theory　of
　　Monge。　Did　Vauban　ever　go　to　any　other　Ecole　than　that　great
　　school　we　c