the origins of contemporary france-1-第20节

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Tilly；　〃Mémoires；〃　II。　　215。）



＇50＇。　　Renauldon；　ibid。。　　45；　52；　628。　　…　Duvergier；　〃Collection　des

Lois；〃　II。　　391；　law　of　August　31；　…　October　18；　1792。　　…　Statements

（cahier）　of　grievances　of　a　magistrate　of　the　Chatelet　on　seigniorial

courts　（1789）；　p。　　29。　　…　　Legrand；　〃　l'Intendance　du　Hainaut；〃　p。119。





＇51＇。　　Archives　Nationales；　H；　654　（〃Mémoire〃　by　René　de　Hauteville；

advocate　to　the　Parliament；　Saint…Brieuc；　October　5；　1776。）　In

Brittany　the　number　of　seigniorial　courts　is　immense；　the　pleaders

being　obliged　to　pass　through　four　or　five　jurisdictions　before

reaching　the　Parliament。　　〃Where　is　justice　rendered？　In　the　cabaret；

in　the　tavern；　where；　amidst　drunkards　and　riff…raff；　the　judge　sells

justice　to　whoever　pays　the　most　for　it。〃



＇52＇。　　Beugnot；　〃Mémoires；〃　vol。　　I。　　p。　　35。



＇53＇。　　Boivin…Champeaux；　ibid。。　　48。　　…　Renauldon；　26；　416。　　…

Manuscript　reports　of　the　States…general　（Archives　nationales）；　t。

CXXXII。　　pp。　　896　and　901。　　…　　Hippeau；　〃Le　Gouvernement　de　Normandie；〃

VII。　　61；　74。　　…　Paris；　〃La　Jeunesse　de　Robespierre；〃　pp。314…324。　　…

〃Essai　sur　les　capitaineries　royales　et　autres；〃　（1789）　passim。　　…　De

Loménie；　〃Beaumarchais　et　son　emps；〃　I。　　125。　　Beaumarchais　having

purchased　the　office　of　lieutenant…general　of　the　chase　in　the

bailiwicks　of　the　Louvre　warren　（twelve　to　fifteen　leagues　in

circumference。　　approx。　　60　km。　　SR。）　tries　delinquents　under　this　title。

July　15th；　1766；　he　sentences　Ragondet；　a　farmer　to　a　fine　of　one

hundred　livres　together　with　the　demolition　of　the　walls　around　an

enclosure；　also　of　his　shed　newly　built　without　license；　as　tending　to

restrict　the　pleasures　of　the　king。



＇54＇。　　Marquis　D'Argenson；　〃Mémoires；〃　ed。　　Rathery；　January　27；

1757。　　〃The　sieur　de　Montmorin；　captain　of　the　game…preserves　of

Fontainebleau；　derives　from　his　office　enormous　sums；　and　behaves

himself　like　a　bandit。　　The　population　of　more　than　a　hundred　villages

around　no　longer　sow　their　land；　the　fruits　and　grain　being　eaten　by

deer；　stags　and　other　game。　　They　keep　only　a　few　vines；　which　they

preserve　six　months　of　the　year　by　mounting　guard　day　and　night　with

drums；　making　a　general　turmoil　to　frighten　off　the　destructive

animals。〃　　January　23；　1753。　　…　〃　M。　le　Prince　de　Conti　has　established

a　captainry　of　eleven　leagues　around　Ile…Adam　and　where　everybody　is

vexed　at　it。〃　　September　23；　1753。　　…　M。　le　Duc　d'Orléans　came　to

Villers…Cotterets；　he　has　revived　the　captainry；　there　are　more　than

sixty　places　for　sale　on　account　of　these　princely　annoyances。



＇55＇。　　The　old　peasants　with　whom　I　once　have　talked　still　had　a

clear　memory　of　these　annoyances　and　damages。　　…　They　recounted　how；　in

the　country　around　Clermont；　the　gamekeepers　of　Prince　de　Condé　in　the

springtime　took　litters　of　wolves　and　raised　them　in　the　dry　moats　of

the　chateau。　　They　were　freed　in　the　beginning　of　the　winter；　and　the

wolf　hunting　team　would　then　hunt　them　later。　　But　they　ate　the　sheep；

and；　here　and　there；　a　child。



＇56＇。　　The　estates　of　the　king　encompassed　in　forest　one　million

acres；　not　counting　forests　in　the　appanages　set　aside　for　his　eldest

son　or　for　factories　or　salt　works。



＇57＇。　　De　Montlosier；　〃Mémoires；〃　I。　　175。















CHAPTER　IV。　　PUBLIC　SERVICES　DUE　BY　THE　PRIVILEGED　CLASSES。



I。　　England　compared　to　France。



An　English　example。　　…　The　Privileged　class　renders　no　service　in

France。　　…　The　influence　and　rights　which　remain　to　them。　　…　They　use　it

only　for　themselves。



USELESS　in　the　canton；　they　might　have　been　useful　at　the　Center　of

the　State；　and；　without　taking　part　in　the　local　government；　they

might　have　served　in　the　general　government。　　Thus　does　a　lord；　a

baronet；　a　squire　act　in　England；　even　when　not　a　〃justice〃　of　his

county　or　a　committee…man　in　his　parish。　　Elected　a　member　of　the　Lower

House；　a　hereditary　member　of　the　upper　house；　he　holds　the　strings　of

the　public　purse　and　prevents　the　sovereign　from　spending　too　freely。

Such　is　the　régime　in　countries　where　the　feudal　seigniors；　instead　of

allowing　the　sovereign　to　ally　himself　with　the　people　against　them；

allied　themselves　with　the　people　against　the　sovereign。　　To　protect

their　own　interests　better　they　secured　protection　for　the　interests

of　others；　and；　after　having　served　as　the　representatives　of　their

compeers　they　became　the　representatives　of　the　nation。　　Nothing　of

this　kind　takes　place　in　France。　　The　States…General　are　fallen　into

desuetude；　and　the　king　may　with　truth　declare　himself　the　sole

representative　of　the　country。　　Like　trees　rendered　　lifeless　under　the

shadow　of　a　gigantic　oak；　other　public　powers　perish　through　his

growth；　whatever　still　remains　of　these　encumbers　the　ground；　and

forms　around　him　a　circle　of　clambering　briers　or　of　decaying　trunks。

One　of　them；　the　Parliament；　an　offshoot　simply　of　the　great　oak；

sometimes　imagined　itself　in　possession　of　a　root　of　its　own；　but　its

sap　was　too　evidently　derivative　for　it　to　stand　by　itself　and　provide

the　people　with　an　independent　shelter。　　Other　bodies；　surviving；

although　stunted；　the　assembly　of　the　clergy　and　the　provincial

assemblies；　still　protect　an　order；　and　four　or　five　provinces；　but

this　protection　extends　only　to　the　order　itself　or　to　the　province；

and；　if　it　protects　a　special　interest　it　is　commonly　at　the　expense

of　the　general　interest。



II。　　The　Clergy



Assemblies　of　the　clergy。　　…　They　serve　only　ecclesiastical

interests。　　…　The　clergy　exempted　from　taxation。　　…　Solicitation　of　its

agents。　　…　Its　zeal　against　the　Protestants。



　　　Let　us　observe　the　most　vigorous　and　the　best…rooted　of　these

bodies；　the　assembly　of　the　clergy。　　It　meets　every　five　years；　and；

during　the　interval；　two　agents；　selected　by　it；　watch　over　the

interests　of　the　order。　　Convoked　by　the　government；　subject　to　its

guidance；　retained　or　dismissed　when　necessary；　always　in　its　hands；

used　by　it　for　political　ends；　it　nevertheless　continues　to　be　a

refuge　for　the　clergy；　which　it　represents。　　But　it　is　an　asylum　solely

for　that　body；　and；　in　the　series　of　transactions　by　which　it　defends

itself　against　fiscal　demands；　it　eases　its　own　shoulders　of　the　load

only　to　make　it　heavier　on　the　shoulders　of　others。　　We　have　seen　how

its　diplomacy　saved　clerical　immunities；　how　it　bought　off　the　body

from　the　poll…tax　and　the　vingtièmes；　how　it　converted　its　portion　of

taxation　into　a　〃free　gift；〃　how　this　gift　is　annually　applied　to

refunding　the　capital　which　it　has　borrowed　to　obtain　this　exemption；

by　which　delicate　art　it　succeeds；　not　only　in　not　contributing　to　the

treasury；　but　in　withdrawing　from　it　every　year　about　1；500；000

livres；　all　of　which　is　so　much　the　better　for　the　church　but　so　much

the　worse　for　the　people。　　Now　run　through　the　file　of　folios　in　which

from　one　period　of　five　years　to　another　the　reports　of　its　agents

follow　each　other；　…　so　many　clever　men　thus　preparing　themselves　for

the　highest　positions　in　the　church；　the　abbés　de　Boisgelin；　de

Périgord；　de　Barral；　de　Montesquiou；　at　each　moment；　owing　to　their

solicitations　with　judges　and　the　council；　owing　to　the　authority

which　the　discontent　of　the　powerful　　　order　felt　to　be　behind　them

gives　to　their　complaints；　some　ecclesiastic　matter　is　decided　in　an

ecclesiastical　sense；　so　feudal　right　is　maintained　in　favor　of　a

chapter　or　of　a　bishop；　some　public　demand　is　thrown　out。＇1＇　　In　1781；

notwithstanding　decision　of　the　Parliament　of　Rennes；　the　canons　of

St。　　Malo　are　sustained　in　their　monopoly　of　the　district　baking　oven。

This　is　to　the　detriment　of　the　bakers　who　prefer　to　bake　at　their　own

domiciles　as　well　as　of　the　inhabitants　who　would　have　to　pay　less　for

bread　made　by　the　bakers。　　In　1773；　Guénin；　a　schoolmaster；　discharged

by　the　bishop　of　Langres；　and　supported　in　vain　by　inhabitants；　is

compelled　to　hand　his　place　over　to　a　successor　appointed　by　the

bishop。　　In　1770；　Rastel；　a　Protestant；　having　opened　a　public　school

at　Saint…Affrique；　is　prosecuted　at　the　demand　of　the　bishop　and　of

clerical　agents；　his　school　is　closed　and　he　is　imprisoned。　　When　an

organized　body　keeps　purse　strings　in　its　own　hands　it　secures　many

favors；　these　are　the　equivalent　for　the　money　it　grants。　　The

commanding　tone　of　the　king　and　the　submissive　air　of　the　clergy

effect　no　fun　mental　change；　with　both　of　them　it　is　a　bargain；＇2＇

giving　and　taking　on　both　sides；　this　or　that　law　against　the

Protestants　going　for　one　or　two　millions　added　to　the　free　gift。　　In

this　way　the　revocation　of　the　Edict　of　Nantes　is　gradually　brought

about；　article　by　article；　one　turn　of　the　rack　after　another　turn；

each　fresh　persecution　purchased　by　a　fresh　largess；　the　clergy

helping　the　State　on　condition　that　the　State　becomes　an　executioner。

Throughout　the　eighteenth　century　the　church　sees　that　this　operation

continues。＇3＇　　In　1717；　an　assemblage　of