the origins of contemporary france-1-第26节

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but　more　grandly；　because　he　is　the　greatest　lord　in　France；　I　shall

describe　his　court　presently；　and　further　on　we　shall　see　by　what

exactions　this　pomp　is　made　possible。　　In　the　meantime　let　us　note　two

or　three　details。　　According　to　authentic　statements；　Louis　XV　expended

on　Mme。　　de　Pompadour　thirty…six　millions　of　livres；　which　is　at　least

seventy…two　millions　nowadays＇40＇　　According　to　d'Argenson；＇41＇　in

1751；　he　has　4；000　horses　in　his　stable；　and　we　are　assured　that　his

household　alone；　or　his　person；　〃cost　this　year　68；000；000；〃　almost　a

quarter　of　the　public　revenue。　　Why　be　astonished　if　we　look　upon　the

sovereign　in　the　manner　of　the　day；　that　is　to　say；　as　a　lord　of　the

manor　enjoying　of　his　hereditary　property？　He　constructs；　he

entertains；　he　gives　festivals；　he　hunts；　and　he　spends　money

according　to　his　station。　　Moreover；　being　the　master　of　his　own　funds；

he　gives　to　whomsoever　he　pleases；　and　all　his　selections　are　favors。

Abbé　de　Vermond　writes　to　Empress　Maria　Theresa＇42＇



〃Your　Majesty　knows　better　than　myself；　that；　according　to

immemorial　custom；　three…fourths　of　the　places　honors　and　pensions　are

awarded　not　on　account　of　services　but　out　of　favor　and　through

influence。　　This　favor　was　originally　prompted　by　birth；　alliance　and

fortune；　the　fact　is　that　it　nearly　always　is　based　on　patronage　and

intrigue。　　This　procedure　is　so　well　established；　that　is　respected　as

a　sort　of　justice　even　by　those　who　suffer　the　most　from　it。　　A　man　of

worth　not　able　to　dazzle　by　his　court　alliances；　nor　through　a

brilliant　expenditure；　would　not　dare　to　demand　a　regiment；　however

ancient　and　illustrious　his　services；　or　his　birth。　　Twenty　years　ago；

the　sons　of　dukes　and　ministers；　of　people　attached　to　the　court；　of

the　relations　and　protégés　of　mistresses；　became　colonels　at　the　age

of　sixteen。　　M。　de　Choiseul　caused　loud　complaints　on　extending　this

age　to　twenty…three　years。　　But　to　compensate　favoritism　and　absolutism

he　assigned　to　the　pure　grace　of　the　king；　or　rather　to　that　of　his

ministers；　the　appointment　to　the　grades　of　lieutenant…colonel　and

major　which；　until　that　time；　belonged　of　right　to　priority　of

services　in　the　government；　also　the　commands　of　provinces　and　of

towns。　　You　are　aware　that　these　places　have　been　largely　multiplied；

and　that　they　are　bestowed　through　favor　and　credit；　like　the

regiments。　　The　cordon　bleu　and　the　cordon　rouge　are　in　the　like

position；　and　abbeys　are　still　more　constantly　subject　to　the　régime

of　influence。　　As　to　positions　in　the　finances；　I　dare　not　allude　to

them。　　Appointments　in　the　judiciary　are　the　most　conditioned　by

services　rendered；　and　yet　how　much　do　not　influence　and

recommendation　affect　the　nomination　of　intendants；　first　presidents〃

and　the　others？



Necker；　entering　on　his　duties；　finds　twenty…eight　millions　in

pensions　paid　from　the　royal　treasury；　and；　at　his　fall；　there　is　an

outflow　of　money　showered　by　millions　on　the　people　of　the　court。　　Even

during　his　term　of　office　the　king　allows　himself　to　make　the　fortunes

of　his　wife's　friends　of　both　sexes；　the　Countess　de　Polignac　obtains

400；000　francs　to　pay　her　debts；　100；000　francs　dowry　for　her

daughter；　and；　besides；　for　herself；　the　promise　of　an　estate　of

35；000　livres　income；　and；　for　her　lover；　the　Count　de　Vaudreil；　a

pension　of　30；000　livres；　the　Princess　de　Lamballe　obtains　100；000

crowns　per　annum；　as　much　for　the　post　of　superintendent　of　the

queen's　household；　which　is　revived　on　her　behalf；　as　for　a　position

for　her　brother。＇43＇　The　king　is　reproached　for　his　parsimony；　why

should　he　be　sparing　of　his　purse？　Started　on　a　course　not　his　own；　he

gives；　buys；　builds；　and　exchanges；　he　assists　those　belonging　to　his

own　society；　doing　everything　in　a　style　becoming　to　a　grand　seignior；

that　is　to　say；　throwing　money　away　by　handfuls。One　instance　enables

us　to　judge　of　this：　in　order　to　assist　the　bankrupt　Guéménée　family；

he　purchases　of　them　three　estates　for　about　12；500；000　livres；　which

they　had　just　purchased　for　4；000；000；　moreover；　in　exchange　for　two

domains　in　Brittany；　which　produce　33；758　livres　income；　he　makes　over

to　them　the　principality　of　Dombes　which　produces　nearly　70；000　livres

income。＇44＇　　…　　When　we　come　to　read　the　Red　Book　further　on　we　shall

find　700；000　livres　of　pensions　for　the　Polignac　family；　most　of　them

revertible　from　one　member　to　another；　and　nearly　2；000；000　of　annual

benefits　to　the　Noailles　family。　　…　　The　king　has　forgotten　that　his

favors　are　mortal　blows；　〃the　courtier　who　obtains　6；000　livres

pension；　receiving　the　taille　of　six　villages。〃＇45＇　　Each　largess　of

the　monarch；　considering　the　state　of　the　taxes；　is　based　on　the

privation　of　the　peasants；　the　sovereign；　through　his　clerks；　taking

bread　from　the　poor　to　give　coaches　to　the　rich。　　…　　The　center　of　the

government；　in　short；　is　the　center　of　the　evil；　all　the　wrongs　and

all　the　miseries　start　from　it　as　from　the　center　of　pain　and

inflammation；　here　it　is　that　the　public　abscess　comes　to　the　head；

and　here　will　it　break。＇46＇





VI。　　Latent　Disorganization　in　France。



　　Such　is　the　just　and　fatal　effect　of　privileges　turned　to　selfish

purposes　instead　of　being　exercised　for　the　advantage　of　others。　　To

him　who　utters　the　word；　〃Sire　or　Seignior〃　stands　for　the　protector

who　feeds；　the　ancient　who　leads。〃＇47＇　With　such　a　title　and　for　this

purpose　too　much　cannot　be　granted　to　him；　for　there　is　no　more

difficult　or　more　exalted　post。　　But　he　must　fulfill　its　duties；

otherwise　in　the　day　of　peril　he　will　be　left　to　himself。　　Already；　and

long　before　the　day　arrives；　his　flock　is　no　longer　his　own；　if　it

marches　onward　it　is　through　routine；　it　is　simply　a　multitude　of

persons；　but　no　longer　an　organized　body。　　Whilst　in　Germany　and　in

England　the　feudal　régime；　retained　or　transformed；　still　composes　a

living　society；　in　France＇48＇　　its　mechanical　framework　encloses　only

so　many　human　particles。　　We　still　find　the　material　order；　but　we　no

longer　find　the　moral　order　of　things。　　A　lingering；　deep…seated

revolution　has　destroyed　the　close　hierarchical　union　of　recognized

supremacies　and　of　voluntary　deference。　　It　is　like　an　army　in　which

the　attitudes　of　chiefs　and　subordinates　have　disappeared；　grades　are

indicated　by　uniforms　only；　but　they　have　no　hold　on　consciences。　　All

that　constitutes　a　well…founded　army；　the　legitimate　ascendancy　of

officers；　the　justified　trust　of　soldiers；　the　daily　interchange　of

mutual　obligations；　the　conviction　of　each　being　useful　to　all；　and

that　the　chiefs　are　the　most　useful　all；　is　missing。　　How　could　it　be

otherwise　in　an　army　whose　staff…officers　have　no　other　occupation　but

to　dine　out；　to　display　their　epaulettes　and　to　receive　double　pay？

Long　before　the　final　crash　France　is　in　a　state　of　dissolution；　and

she　is　in　a　state　of　dissolution　because　the　privileged　classes　had

forgotten　their　characters　as　public　men。

_____________________________________________________________________



Notes：



＇1＇。　　〃Rapport　de　l'agence　du　clergé；〃　from　1775　to　1780；　pp。　　31…

34。　　…　Ibid。　　from　1780　to　1785；　p。　　237。



＇2＇。　　Lanfrey；　〃L'Eglise　et　les　philosophes；〃　passim。



＇3＇。　　Boiteau；　〃Etat　de　la　France　en　1789；〃　pp。　　205；　207。　　…

D'Argenson　〃Mémoires；〃　May　5；　1752；　September　3；　22；　25；　1753；

October　17；　1753；　and　October　26；　1775。　　…　Prudhomme；　〃Résumé　général

des　cahiers　des　Etats…Généraux；〃　1789；　（Registers　of　the　Clergy）。

〃Histoire　des　églises　du　désert；〃　par　Charles　Coquerel；　I。　　151　and

those　following。



＇4＇。　　De　Ségur；　〃Mémoires；〃　vol。　　I。　　pp。　　16；　41。　　…　De　Bouillé；

〃Mémoires；〃　p。　　54。　　…　Mme。　　Campan；　〃Mémoires；〃　V。　　I。　　p。　　237；　proofs　in

detail。



＇5＇。　　Somewhat　like　the　socialist　societies　including　the　welfare

states　where　a　caste　of　public　pensionaries；　functionaries；　civil

servants　and　politicians　weigh　like　a　heavy　burden　on　those　who

actually　do　the　work。。　　（SR。）



＇6＇。　　An　antechamber　in　the　palace　of　Versailles　in　which　there　was

a　round　or　bull's…eye　window；　where　courtiers　assembled　to　await　the

opening　of　the　door　into　the　king's　apartment。　　…　TR。



＇7＇。　　〃La　France　ecclésiastique；〃　1788。



＇8＇。　　Grannier　de　Cassagnac；　〃Des　causes　de　la　Rèvolution

Fran？aise；〃　III。　　58。



＇9＇。　　Marmontel；　〃Mémoires；〃　　。　　II。　　book　XIII。　　p。　　221。



＇10＇。　　Boiteau；　〃Etat　de　la　France　en　1789；〃　pp。　　55；　248。　　…

D'Argenson；　〃Considérations　sur　le　gouvermement　de　la　France；〃　p。　　177。

De　Luynes；　〃Journal；〃　XIII。　　226；　XIV。　　287；　XIII。　　33；　158；　162；　118；

233；　237；　XV。　　268；　XVI。　　304。　　…　The　government　of　Ham　is　worth　11；250

livres；　that　of　Auxerre　12；000；　that　of　Brian？on　12；000；　that　of　the

islands　of　Ste。　　Marguerite　16；000　；　that　of　Schelestadt　15；000；　that

of　Brisach　from　15　to　16；000　；　that　of　Gravelines　18；000。　　…　The

ordinance　of　1776　had　reduced　these　various　places　as　follows：

（Warroquier；　II；　467）