the origins of contemporary france-1-第3节

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see　daylight：　and　here　we　have　religion。　　On　the　other　hand；　in　a　State

gradually　undergoing　depopulation；　crumbling　away；　and　fatally

becoming　a　prey；　they　had　formed　a　living　society　governed　by　laws　and

discipline；　rallying　around　a　common　aim　and　a　common　doctrine；

sustained　by　the　devotion　of　chiefs　and　by　the　obedience　of　believes；

alone　capable　of　subsisting　beneath　the　flood　of　barbarians　which　the

empire　in　ruin　suffered　to　pour　in　through　its　breaches：　and　here　we

have　the　church。　　…　It　continues　to　build　on　these　two　first

foundations；　and　after　the　invasion；　for　over　five　hundred　years；　it

saves　what　it　can　still　save　of　human　culture。　　It　marches　in　the　van

of　the　barbarians　or　converts　them　directly　after　their　entrance；

which　is　a　wonderful　advantage。　　Let　us　judge　of　it　by　a　single　fact：

In　Great　Britain；　which　like　Gaul　had　become　Latin；　but　whereof　the

conquerors　remain　pagan　during　a　century　and　a　half；　arts；　industries；

society；　language；　all　were　destroyed；　nothing　remained　of　an　entire

people；　either　massacred　or　fugitive；　but　slaves。　　We　have　still　to

divine　their　traces；　reduced　to　the　condition　of　beasts　of　burden；

they　disappear　from　history。　　Such　might　have　been　the　fate　of　Europe

if　the　clergy　had　not　promptly　tamed　the　fierce　brutes　to　which　it

belonged。



Before　the　bishop　in　his　gilded　cope　or　before　the　monk；　the

converted　German　〃emaciated；　clad　in　skins；〃　wan；　〃dirtier　and　more

spotted　than　a　chameleon；〃＇1＇　stood　fear…stricken　as　before　a

sorcerer。　　In　his　calm　moments；　after　the　chase　or　inebriety；　the　vague

divination　of　a　mysterious　and　grandiose　future；　the　dim　conception　of

an　unknown　tribunal；　the　rudiment　of　conscience　which　he　already　had

in　his　forests　beyond　the　Rhine；　arouses　in　him　through　sudden　alarms

half…formed；　menacing　visions。　　At　the　moment　of　violating　a　sanctuary

he　asks　himself　whether　he　may　not　fall　on　its　threshold　with　vertigo

and　a　broken　neck。＇2＇　　　Convicted　through　his　own　perplexity；　he　stops

and　spares　the　farm；　the　village；　and　the　town；　which　live　under　the

priest's　protection。　　If　the　animal　impulse　of　rage；　or　of　primitive

lusts；　leads　him　to　murder　or　to　rob；　later；　after　satiety；　in　times

of　sickness　or　of　misfortune；　taking　the　advice　of　his　concubine　or　of

his　wife；　he　repents　and　makes　restitution　twofold；　tenfold；　a

hundredfold；　unstinted　in　his　gifts　and　immunities。＇3＇　Thus；　over　the

whole　territory　the　clergy　maintain　and　enlarge　their　asylums　for　the

oppressed　and　the　vanquished。　　…　　On　the　other　hand；　among　the　warrior

chiefs　with　long　hair；　by　the　side　of　kings　clad　in　furs；　the　mitered

bishop　and　abbot；　with　shaven　brows；　take　seats　in　the　assemblies；

they　alone　know　how　to　use　the　pen　and　how　to　discuss。　　Secretaries；

councilors；　theologians；　they　participate　in　all　edicts；　they　have

their　hand　in　the　government；　they　strive　through　its　agency　to　bring

a　little　order　out　of　immense　disorder；　to　render　the　law　more

rational　and　more　humane；　to　re…establish　or　preserve　piety；

instruction；　justice；　property；　and　especially　marriage。　　To　their

ascendancy　is　certainly　due　the　police　system；　such　as　it　was；

intermittent　and　incomplete；　which　prevented　Europe　from　falling　into

a　Mongolian　anarchy。　　If；　down　to　the　end　of　the　twelfth　century；　the

clergy　bears　heavily　on　the　princes；　it　is　especially　to　repress　in

them　and　beneath　them　the　brutal　appetites；　the　rebellions　of　flesh

and　blood；　the　outbursts　and　relapses　of　irresistible　ferocity　which

are　undermining　the　social　fabric。　　…　　Meanwhile；　in　its　churches　and

in　its　convents；　it　preserves　the　ancient　acquisitions　of　humanity；

the　Latin　tongue；　Christian　literature　and　theology；　a　portion　of

pagan　literature　and　science；　architecture；　sculpture；　painting；　the

arts　and　industries　which　aid　worship。　　It　also　preserved　the　more

valuable　industries；　which　provide　man　with　bread；　clothing；　and

shelter；　and　especially　the　greatest　of　all　human　acquisitions；　and

the　most　opposed　to　the　vagabond　humor　of　the　idle　and　plundering

barbarian；　the　habit　and　taste　for　labor。　　In　the　districts　depopulated

through　Roman　exactions；　through　the　revolt　of　the　Bagaudes；　through

the　invasion　of　the　Germans；　and　the　raids　of　brigands；　the

Benedictine　monk　built　his　cabin　of　boughs　amid　briers　and

brambles。＇4＇　　Large　areas　around　him；　formerly　cultivated；　are　nothing

but　abandoned　thickets。　　Along　with　his　associates　he　clears　the　ground

and　erects　buildings；　he　domesticates　half…tamed　animals；　he

establishes　a　farm；　a　mill；　a　forge；　an　oven；　and　shops　for　shoes　and

clothing。　　According　to　the　rules　of　his　order；　he　reads　daily　for　two

hours。　　He　gives　seven　hours　to　manual　labor；　and　he　neither　eats　nor

drinks　more　than　is　absolutely　essential。　　Through　his　intelligent；

voluntary　labor；　conscientiously　performed　and　with　a　view　to　the

future；　he　produces　more　than　the　layman　does。　　Through　his　temperate；

judicious；　economical　system　he　consumes　less　than　the　layman　does。

Hence　it　is　that　where　the　layman　had　failed　he　sustains　himself　and

even　prospers。＇5＇　　　He　welcomes　the　unfortunate；　feeds　them；　sets　them

to　work；　and　unites　them　in　matrimony　and　beggars；　vagabonds；　and

fugitive　peasants　gather　around　the　sanctuary。　　Their　camp　gradually

becomes　a　village　and　next　a　small　town；　man　plows　as　soon　as　he　can

be　sure　of　his　crops；　and　becomes　the　father　of　a　family　as　soon　as　he

considers　himself　able　to　provide　for　his　offspring。　　In　this　way　new

centers　of　agriculture　and　industry　are　formed；　which　likewise　become

new　centers　of　population。＇6＇



To　food　for　the　body　add　food　for　the　soul；　not　less　essential。

For；　along　with　nourishment；　it　was　still　necessary　to　furnish　Man

with　inducements　to　live；　or；　at　the　very　least；　with　the　resignation

that　makes　life　endurable；　and　also　with　the　poetic　daydreams　taking

the　place　of　massing　happiness。＇7＇　　Down　to　the　middle　of　the

thirteenth　century　the　clergy　stands　almost　alone　in　furnishing　this。

Through　its　innumerable　legends　of　saints；　through　its　cathedrals　and

their　construction；　through　its　statues　and　their　expression；　through

its　services　and　their　still　transparent　meaning；　it　rendered　visible

〃the　kingdom　of　God。〃　It　finally　sets　up　an　ideal　world　at　the　end　of

the　present　one；　like　a　magnificent　golden　pavilion　at　the　end　of　a

miry　morass。＇8＇　　The　saddened　heart；　athirst　for　tenderness　and

serenity；　takes　refuge　in　this　divine　and　gentle　world。　　Persecutors

there；　about　to　strike；　are　arrested　by　an　invisible　hand；　wild　beasts

become　docile；　the　stags　of　the　forest　come　of　their　own　accord　every

morning　to　draw　the　chariots　of　the　saints；　the　country　blooms　for

them　like　a　new　Paradise；　they　die　only　when　it　pleases　them。

Meanwhile　they　comfort　mankind；　goodness；　piety；　forgiveness　flows

from　their　lips　with　ineffable　sweetness；　with　eyes　upturned　to

heaven；　they　see　God；　and　without　effort；　as　in　a　dream；　they　ascend

into　the　light　and　seat　themselves　at　His　right　hand。　　How　divine　the

legend；　how　inestimable　in　value；　when；　under　the　universal　reign　of

brute　force；　to　endure　this　life　it　was　necessary　to　imagine　another；

and　to　render　the　second　as　visible　to　the　spiritual　eye　as　the　first

was　to　the　physical　eye。　　The　clergy　thus　nourished　men　for　more　than

twelve　centuries；　and　in　the　grandeur　of　its　recompense　we　can

estimate　the　depth　of　their　gratitude。　　Its　popes；　for　two　hundred

years；　were　the　dictators　of　Europe。　　It　organized　crusades；　dethroned

monarchs；　and　distributed　kingdoms。　　Its　bishops　and　abbots　became

here；　sovereign　princes；　and　there；　veritable　founders　of　dynasties。

It　held　in　its　grasp　a　third　of　the　territory；　one…half　of　the

revenue；　and　two…thirds　of　the　capital　of　Europe。　　Let　us　not　believe

that　Man　counterfeits　gratitude；　or　that　he　gives　without　a　valid

motive；　he　is　too　selfish　and　too　envious　for　that。　　Whatever　may　be

the　institution；　ecclesiastic　or　secular；　whatever　may　be　the　clergy；

Buddhist　or　Christian；　the　contemporaries　who　observe　it　for　forty

generations　are　not　bad　judges。　　They　surrender　to　it　their　will　and

their　possessions；　just　in　proportion　to　its　services；　and　the　excess

of　their　devotion　may　measure　the　immensity　of　its　benefaction。



II。　　Services　and　Recompenses　of　the　Nobles。



Up　to　this　point　no　aid　is　found　against　the　power　of　the　sword　and

the　battle…ax　except　in　persuasion　and　in　patience。　　Those　States

which；　imitating　the　old　empire；　attempted　to　rise　up　into　compact

organizations；　and　to　interpose　a　barrier　against　constant　invasion；

obtained　no　hold　on　the　shifting　soil；　after　Charlemagne　everything

melts　away。　　There　are　no　more　soldiers　after　the　battle　of　Fontanet；

during　half　a　century　bands　of　four　or　five　hundred　outlaws　sweep　over

the　country；　killing；　burning；　and　devastating　with　impunity。　　But；　by

way　of　compensation；　the　dissolution　of　the　State　raises　up　at　this

very　time　a　military　generation。　　Ea