the origins of contemporary france-5-第51节

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no　attendance　at　most　of　the　courses　of　lectures；　only　those　on

mathematics　are　followed；　particularly　on　drawing；　and　especially

mechanical　and　geometrical　drawing；　probably　by　the　future　surveyors

and　engineers　of　roads　and　bridges；　by　building　contractors　and　a　few

aspirants　to　the　école　Polytechnique。　As　to　the　other　courses；　on

literature；　history；　and　the　moral　sciences；　as　comprehended　by　the

Republic　and　imposed　by　it；　these　obtain　not　over　a　thousand　auditors

in　all　France；　instead　of　72；000　pupils；　only　7000　or　8000　seek

superior　education；　while　six　out　of　seven；　instead　of　seeking　self…

culture；　simply　prepare　themselves　for　some　practical　pursuit。＇70＇



It　is　much　worse　with　primary　instruction。　This　task　is　given　to　the

local　authorities。　But；　as　they　have　no　money；　they　generally　shirk

this　duty；　and；　if　they　do　set　up　a　school；　are　unable　to　maintain

it。＇71＇　　On　the　other　hand；　as　instruction　must　be　laic　and　Jacobin；

〃almost　everywhere；〃＇72＇　the　teacher　is　an　outcast　layman；　a　fallen

Jacobin；　some　old；　starving　party　member；　unemployed；　foul…mouthed　and

of　ill…repute。　Families；　naturally；　refuse　to　trust　their　children

with　him；　even　when　honorable；　they　avoid　him；　and　the　reason　is　that；

in　1800；　Jacobin　and　scoundrel　have　become　synonymous　terms。

Henceforth；　parents　desire　that　their　children　should　learn　to　read　in

the　catechism　and　not　in　the　declaration　of　rights：＇73＇　as　they　view

it；　the　old　manual　formed　polite　and　civilized　youths　and　respectful

sons；　the　new　one　forms　only　insolent　rascals　and　precocious；　slovenly

blackguards。＇74＇　　Consequently；　the　few　primary　schools　in　which　the

Republic　has　placed　its　people　and　imposed　its　educational　system

remain　three…quarters　empty；　in　vain　does　she　close　the　doors　of　those

in　which　other　masters　teach　with　other　books；　fathers　persist　in

their　repugnance　and　distaste；　they　prefer　for　their　sons　utter

ignorance　to　unsound　instruction。＇75＇　…　A　secular　establishment；　created

and　provided　for　by　twenty　generations　of　benefactors；　gave　gratis；　or

at　a　much　lower　rate；　the　first　crumbs　of　intellectual　food　to　more

than　1；200；000　children。＇76＇　　It　was　demolished；　in　its　place；　a　few

improvised　and　wretched　barracks　distributed　here　and　there　a　small

ration　of　moldy　and　indigestible　bread。　Thereupon；　one　long；　low

murmur；　a　long　time　suppressed；　breaks　out　and　keeps　on　increasing；

that　of　parents　whose　children　are　condemned　to　go　hungry；　in　any

event；　they　demand　that　their　sons　and　daughters　be　no　longer　forced；

under　penalty　of　fasting；　to　consume　the　patent　flour　of　the　State；

that　is　to　say　a　nauseous；　unsatisfactory；　badly…kneaded；　badly…baked

paste　which；　on　trial；　proves　offensive　to　the　palate　and　ruinous　to

the　stomach。





VI。　Religion



The　Spirit　and　Ministrations　of　Catholicism。　…　How　the　Revolution

develops　a　sense　of　this。



Another　plaint　is　heard；　deeper　and　more　universal；　that　of　all　souls

in　which　regret　for　their　established　church　and　forms　of　worship

still　subsists　or　is　revived。



In　every　religious　system　discipline　and　rites　depend　upon　faith；　for

it　is　faith　alone　which　suggests　or　prescribes　these；　they　are　the

outcome　and　expansion　of　this；　it　attains　its　ends　through　these；　and

manifests　itself　by　them；　they　are　the　exterior　of　which　it　is　the

interior；　thus；　let　these　be　attacked　and　it　is　in　distress；　the

living；　palpitating　flesh　suffers　through　the　sensitive　skin。　…　In

Catholicism；　this　skin　is　more　sensitive　than　elsewhere；　for　it　clings

to　the　flesh；　not　alone　through　ordinary　adhesiveness；　the　effect　of

adaptation　and　custom；　but　again　through　a　special　organic　attachment；

consisting　of　dogmatic　doctrine；　theology；　in　its　articles　of　belief；

has　here　set　up　the　absolute　necessity　of　the　sacraments　and　of　the

priesthood；　consequently；　between　the　superficial　and　central

divisions　of　religion　the　union　is　complete。　The　Catholic　sacraments；

therefore；　are　not　merely　symbols；　they　possess　in　themselves　〃an

efficacious　power；　a　sanctifying　virtue。〃　〃That　which　they　represent；

they　really　work　out。〃＇77＇　　If　I　am　denied　access　to　them；　I　am　cut

off　from　the　fountains　to　which　my　soul　resorts　to　drink　in　grace；

pardon；　purity；　health　and　salvation。　If　my　children　cannot　be

regularly　baptized；　they　are　not　Christians；　if　extreme　unction　cannot

be　administered　to　my　dying　mother；　she　sets　out　on　the　long　journey

without　the　viaticum；　if　I　am　married　by　the　mayor　only；　my　wife　and　I

live　in　concubinage；　if　I　cannot　confess　my　sins；　I　am　not　absolved

from　them；　and　my　burdened　conscience　seeks　in　vain　for　the　helping

hand　which　will　ease　the　too　heavy　load；　if　I　cannot　perform　my　Easter

duties；　my　spiritual　life　is　a　failure；　the　supreme　and　sublime　act　by

which　it　perfects　itself　through　the　mystic　union　of　my　body　and　soul

with　the　body；　soul；　and　divinity　of　Jesus　Christ；　is　wanting。　…　Now；

none　of　these　sacraments　are　valid　if　they　have　not　been　conferred　by

a　priest；　one　who　bears　the　stamp　of　a　superior；　unique；　ineffaceable

character；　through　a　final　sacrament　consisting　of　ordination　and

which　is　conferred　only　on　certain　conditions；　among　other　conditions；

it　is　essential　that　this　priest　should　have　been　ordained　by　a

bishop；　among　other　conditions；　it　is　essential　that　this　bishop＇78＇

should　have　been　installed　by　the　Pope。　Consequently；　without　the　Pope

there　are　no　bishops；　without　bishops　no　priests；　without　priests　no

sacraments；　without　the　sacraments　no　salvation。　The　ecclesiastical

institution　is　therefore　indispensable　to　the　believer。　The　canonical

priesthood；　the　canonical　hierarchy　is　necessary　to　him　for　the

exercise　of　his　faith。　…　He　must　have　yet　more；　if　fervent　and

animated　with　true　old　Christian　sentiment；　ascetic　and　mystic；　which

separates　the　soul　from　this　world　and　ever　maintains　it　in　the

presence　of　God。　Several　things　are　requisite　to　this　end：



*　First；　vows　of　chastity；　poverty　and　obedience；　that　is　to　say；　the

steady　and　voluntary　repression　of　the　most　powerful　animal　instinct

and　of　the　strongest　worldly　appetites；

*　Next；　unceasing　prayer；　especially　prayer　in　common；　where　the

emotion　of　the　prostrate　soul　increases　through　the　emotion　of　the

souls　that　surround　it；　in　the　same　degree；　active　piety；　meaning　by

this　the　doing　of　good　works；　education　and　charity；　especially　the

accomplishment　of　repulsive　tasks；　such　as　attending　the　sick；　the

infirm；　the　incurable；　idiots；　maniacs　and　repentant　prostitutes；

*　Finally；　the　strict　daily　rule　which；　a　sort　of　rigorous　and　minute

countersign；　enjoining　and　compelling　the　repetition　of　the　same　acts

at　the　same　hours；　renders　habit　the　auxiliary　of　will；　adds

mechanical　enthusiasm　to　a　serious　determination；　and　ends　in　making

the　task　easy。



Hence；　communities　of　men　and　of　women；　congregations　and　convents；

these　likewise；　the　same　as　the　sacraments；　the　priesthood　and　the

hierarchy；　form　a　body　along　with　belief　and　thus　constitute　the

inseparable　organs　of　faith。



Before　1789；　the　ignorant　or　indifferent　Catholic；　the　peasant　at　his

plow；　the　artisan　at　his　work…bench；　the　good　wife　attending　to　her

household；　were　unconscious　of　this　innermost　suture。　Thanks　to　the

Revolution；　they　have　acquired　the　sentiment　of　it　and　even　the

physical　sensation。　They　had　never　asked　themselves　in　what　respect

orthodoxy　differed　from　schism；　nor　how　positive　religion　was　opposed

to　natural　religion；　it　is　the　civil　organization　of　the　clergy　which

has　led　them　to　distinguish　the　difference　between　the　unsworn　curé

and　the　interloper；　between　the　right　mass　and　the　wrong　mass；　it　is

the　prohibition　of　the　mass　which　has　led　them　to　comprehend　its

importance；　it　is　the　revolutionary　government　which　has　transformed

them　into　theologians　and　canonists。＇79＇　　Compelled；　under　the　Reign

of　Terror；　to　sing　and　dance　before　the　goddess　Reason；　and　next；

in　the　temple　of　the　〃étre　Supreme；〃　subjected；　under　the　Directory；

to　the　new…fangled　republican　calendar；　and　to　the　insipidity　of

the　decade　festivals；　they　have　measured；　with　their　own　eyes；　the

distance　which　separates　a　present；　personal；　incarnate　deity；　redeemer

and　savior；　from　a　deity　without　form　or　substance；　or；　in　any

event；　absent；　a　living；　revealed；　and　time…honored　religion；　and

an　abstract；　manufactured；　improvised　religion；　their　spontaneous

worship；　which　is　an　act　of　faith；　and　a　worship　imposed　on　them

which　is　only　frigid　parade；　their　priest；　in　a　surplice；　sworn　to

continence；　delegated　from　on　high　to　open　out　to　them　the　infinite

perspectives　of　heaven　or　hell　beyond　the　grave；　and　the　republican

substitute；　officiating　in　a　municipal　scarf；　Peter　or　Paul；　a

lay…man　like　themselves；　more　or　less　married　and　convivialist；

sent　from　Paris　to　preach　a　course　of　Jacobin　morality。＇80＇　…

Their　attachment　to　their　clergy；　to　the　entire　body　regular　and

secular；　is　due　to　this　contrast。