the origins of contemporary france-1-第13节

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contingent；　the　repairs　of　the　church；　the　summoning　and　presiding

over　a　parish　assembly；　the　making　of　roads；　the　establishment　of

charity　workshops；　all　this　is　the　intendant's　business　or　that　of　the

communal　officers　whom　the　intendant　appoints　or　directs。＇14＇　Except

through　his　justiciary　rights；　so　much　curtailed；　the　seignior　is　an

idler　in　public　matters。＇15＇　　If；　by　chance；　he　should　desire　to　act　in

an　official　capacity；　to　make　some　reclamation　for　the　community；　the

bureaus　of　administration　would　soon　make　him　shut　up。　　Since　Louis

XIV；　the　higher　officials　have　things　their　own　way；　all　legislation

and　the　entire　administrative　system　operate　against　the　local

seignior　to　deprive　him　of　his　functional　efficiency　and　to　confine

him　to　his　naked　title。　　Through　this　separation　of　functions　and　title

his　pride　increases；　as　he　becomes　less　useful。　　His　vanity　deprived　of

its　broad　pasture…ground；　falls　back　on　a　small　one；　henceforth　he

seeks　distinctions　and　not　influence。　　He　thinks　only　of　precedence　and

not　of　government。＇16＇　In　short；　the　local　government；　in　the　hands　of

peasants　commanded　by　bureaucrats；　has　become　a　common；　offensive　lot

of　red　tape。　　〃His　pride　would　be　wounded　if　he　were　asked　to　attend　to

it。　　Raising　taxes；　levying　the　militia；　regulating　the　corvées；　are

servile　acts；　the　works　of　a　secretary。〃　He　accordingly　abstains；

remains　isolated　on　his　manor　and　leaves　to　others　a　task　from　which

he　is　excluded　and　which　he　disdains。　　Far　from　protecting　his

peasantry　he　is　scarcely　able　to　protect　himself　or　to　preserve　his

immunities。　　Or　to　avoid　having　his　poll…tax　and　vingtiémes　reduced。　　Or

to　obtain　exemption　from　the　militia　for　his　domestics；　to　keep　his

own　person；　dwelling；　dependents；　and　hunting　and　fishing　rights　from

the　universal　usurpation　which　places　all　possessions　and　all

privileges　in　the　hands　of　〃Monseigneur　l'intendant〃　and　Messieurs　the

sub…delegates。　　And　the　more　so　because　he　is　often　poor。　　Bouillé

estimates　that　all　the　old　families；　save　two　or　three　hundred；　are

ruined。＇17＇　I　Rouergue　several　of　them　live　on　an　income　of　fifty　and

even　twenty…five　louis；　（1000　and　500　francs）。　　In　Limousin；　says　an

intendant　at　the　beginning　of　the　century；　out　of　several　thousands

there　are　not　fifteen　who　have　twenty　thousand　livres　income。　　In

Berry；　towards　1754；　〃three…fourths　of　them　die　of　hunger。〃　In

Franche…Comté　the　fraternity　to　which　we　have　alluded　appears　in　a

humorous　light；　〃after　the　mass　each　one　returning　to　his　domicile；

some　on　foot　and　others　on　their　Rosinantes。〃　In　Brittany　〃lots　of

gentlemen　found　as　excisemen；　on　the　farms　or　in　the　lowest

occupations。〃　One　M。　de　la　Morandais　becomes　the　overseer　of　an

estate。　　A　certain　family　with　nothing　but　a　small　farm　〃attests　its

nobility　only　by　the　pigeon…house；　it　lives　like　the　peasants；　eating

nothing　but　brown　bread。〃　Another　gentleman；　a　widower；　〃passes　his

time　in　drinking；　living　licentiously　with　his　servants；　and　covering

butter…pots　with　the　handsomest　title…deeds　of　his　lineage。〃　All　the

chevaliers　de　Chateaubriand；〃　says　the　father；　〃were　drunkards　and

beaters　of　hares。〃　He　himself　just　makes　shift　to　live　in　a　miserable

way；　with　five　domestics；　a　hound　and　two　old　mares　〃　in　a　chateau

capable　of　accommodating　a　hundred　seigniors　with　their　suites。〃　Here

and　there　in　the　various　memoirs　we　see　these　strange　superannuated

figures　passing　before　the　eye；　for　instance；　in　Burgundy；　〃gentlemen

huntsmen　wearing　gaiters　and　hob…nailed　shoes；　carrying　an　old　rusty

sword　under　their　arms　dying　with　hunger　and　refusing　to　work。〃＇18＇

Elsewhere　we　encounter　〃M。　de　Pérignan；　with　his　red　garments；　wig　and

ginger　face；　having　dry　stone　wails　built　on　his　domain；　and　getting

intoxicated　with　the　blacksmith　of　the　place；〃　related　to　Cardinal

Fleury；　he　is　made　the　first　Duc　de　Fleury。…Everything　contributes　to

this　decay；　the　law；　habits　and　customs；　and；　above　all；　the　right　of

primogeniture。　　Instituted　for　the　purpose　of　maintaining　undivided

sovereignty　and　patronage　it　ruins　the　nobles　since　sovereignty　and

patronage　have　no　material　to　work　on。　　〃In　Brittany；〃　says

Chateaubriand；　〃the　elder　sons　of　the　nobles　swept　away　two…thirds　of

the　property；　while　the　younger　sons　shared　in　one…third　of　the

paternal　heritage。〃＇19＇　Consequently；　〃the　younger　sons　of　younger

sons　soon　come　to　the　sharing　of　a　pigeon；　rabbit；　hound　and　fowling…

piece。　　The　entire　fortune　of　my　grandfather　did　not　exceed　five

thousand　livres　income；　of　which　his　elder　son　had　two…thirds；　three

thousand　three　hundred　livres；　leaving　one　thousand　six　hundred　and

sixty…six　livres　for　the　three　younger　ones；　upon　which　sum　the　elder

still　had　a　préciput　claim。〃＇20＇　This　fortune；　which　crumbles　away　and

dies　out；　they　neither　know　how；　nor　are　they　disposed；　to　restore　by

commerce；　manufactures　or　proper　administration　of　it；　it　would　be

derogatory。　　〃High　and　mighty　seigniors　of　dove…cote；　frog…pond　and

rabbit…warren；〃　the　more　substance　they　lack　the　more　value　they　set

on　the　name。…Add　to　all　this　winter　sojourn　in　town；　the　ceremonial

and　expenses　caused　by　vanity　and　social　requirements；　and　the　visits

to　the　governor　and　the　intendant。　　A　man　must　be　either　a　German　or　an

Englishman　to　be　able　to　pass　three　gloomy；　rainy　months　in　a　castle

or　on　a　farm；　alone；　in　companionship　with　peasants；　at　the　risk　of

becoming　as　awkward　and　as　fantastic　as　they。＇21＇　They　accordingly　run

in　debt；　become　involved；　sell　one　piece　of　ground　and　then　another

piece。　　A　good　many　alienate　the　whole；　excepting　their　small　manor　and

their　seigniorial　dues；　the　cens　and　the　lods　et　ventes；　and　their

hunting　and　justiciary　rights　on　the　territory　of　which　they　were

formerly　proprietors。＇22＇　Since　they　must　support　themselves　on　these

privileges　they　must　necessarily　enforce　them；　even　when　the　privilege

is　burdensome；　and　even　when　the　debtor　is　a　poor　man。　　How　could　they

remit　dues　in　grain　and　in　wine　when　these　constitute　their　bread　and

wine　for　the　entire　year？　How　could　they　dispense　with　the　fifth　and

the　fifth　of　the　fifth　（du　quint　et　du　requint）　when　this　is　the　only

coin　they　obtain？　Why；　being　needy　should　they　not　be　exacting？

Accordingly；　in　relation　to　the　peasant；　they　are　simply　his

creditors；　and　to　this　end　come　the　feudal　régime　transformed　by　the

monarchy。　　Around　the　chateau　I　see　sympathies　declining；　envy　raising

its　head；　and　hatreds　on　the　increase。　　Set　aside　in　public　matters；

freed　from　taxation；　the　seignior　remains　isolated　and　a　stranger

among　his　vassals；　his　extinct　authority　with　his　unimpaired

privileges　form　for　him　an　existence　apart。　　When　he　emerges　from　it；

it　is　to　forcibly　add　to　the　public　misery。　　From　this　soil；　ruined　by

the　tax…man；　he　takes　a　portion　of　its　product；　so　much　it；　sheaves　of

wheat　and　so　many　measures　of　wine。　　His　pigeons　and　his　game　eat　up

the　crops。　　People　are　obliged　to　grind　in　his　mill；　and　to　leave　with

him　a　sixteenth　of　the　flour。　　The　sale　of　a　field　for　the　sum　of　six

hundred　livres　puts　one　hundred　livres　into　his　pocket。　　A　brother's

inheritance　reaches　a　brother　only　after　he　has　gnawed　out　of　it　a

year's　income。　　A　score　of　other　dues；　formerly　of　public　benefit；　no

longer　serve　but　to　support　a　useless　private　individual。　　The　peasant；

then　as　today；　is　eager　for　gain；　determined　and　accustomed　to　do　and

to　suffer　everything　to　save　or　gain　a　crown。　　He　ends　by　looking

angrily　on　the　turret　in　which　are　preserved　the　archives；　the　rent…

roll；　the　detested　parchments　by　means　of　which　a　Man　of　another

species；　favored　to　the　detriment　of　the　rest；　a　universal　creditor

and　paid　to　do　nothing；　grazes　over　all　the　ground　and　feeds　on　all

the　products。　　Let　the　opportunity　come　to　enkindle　all　this

covetousness；　and　the　rent…roll　will　burn；　and　with　it　the　turret；　and

with　the　turret；　the　chateau。



III。　　Absentee　Seigniors。



Vast　extent　of　their　fortunes　and　rights。…Possessing　greater

advantages　they　owe　greater　services。…Reasons　for　their　absenteeism。…

Effect　of　it。　Apathy　of　the　provinces。…Condition　of　their　estates。…

They　give　no　alms。…Misery　of　their　tenants。…Exactions　of　their

agents。…Exigencies　of　their　debts。　　…　State　of　their　justiciary。　　…

Effects　of　their　hunting　rights。　　…　Sentiments　of　the　peasantry　towards

them。



The　spectacle　becomes　still　gloomier；　on　passing　from　the　estates

on　which　the　seigniors　reside　to　those　on　which　they　are　non…

residents。　　Noble　or　ennobled；　lay　and　ecclesiastic；　the　latter　are

privileged　among　the　privileged；　and　form　an　aristocracy　inside　of　an

aristocracy。　　Almost　all　the　powerful　and　accredited　families　belong　to

it　whatever　may　be　their　origin　and　their　date。＇23＇　Through　their

habitual　or　frequent　residence　near　the　court；　through　their　alliances

or　mutual　visits；　through　their　habits　and　their　luxuries；　through　the

influence　which　they　exercis