the origins of contemporary france-1-第5节

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III。　　Services　and　Recompenses　of　the　King。



　　Kings　built　the　whole　of　this　foundation；　one　stone　after

another。　　Hugues　Capet　laid　the　first　one。　　Before　him　royalty　conferred

on　the　King　no　right　to　a　province；　not　even　Laon；　it　is　he　who　added

his　domain　to　the　title。　　During　eight　hundred　years；　through　conquest；

craft；　inheritance；　the　work　of　acquisition　goes　on；　even　under　Louis

XV　France　is　augmented　by　the　acquisition　of　Lorraine　and　Corsica。

Starting　from　nothing；　the　King　is　the　maker　of　a　compact　State；

containing　the　population　of　twenty…six　millions；　and　then　the　most

powerful　in　…Europe。　　…　　Throughout　this　interval　he　is　at　the　head　of

the　national　defense。　　He　is　the　liberator　of　the　country　against

foreigners；　against　the　Pope　in　the　fourteenth　century；　against　the

English　in　the　fifteenth；　against　the　Spaniards　in　the　sixteenth。　　In

the　interior；　from　the　twelfth　century　onward；　with　the　helmet　on　his

brow；　and　always　on　the　road；　he　is　the　great　justiciary；　demolishing

the　towers　of　the　feudal　brigands；　repressing　the　excesses　of　the

powerful；　and　protecting　the　oppressed。＇14＇　　　He　puts　an　end　to

private　warfare；　he　establishes　order　and　tranquility。　　This　was　an

immense　accomplishment；　which；　from　Louis　le　Gros　to　St。　　Louis；　from

Philippe　le　Bel　to　Charles　VII；　continues　uninterruptedly　up　to　the

middle　of　the　eighteenth　century　in　the　edict　against　duels　and　in　the

〃Grand　Jours。〃＇15＇　　　Meanwhile　all　useful　projects　carried　out　under

his　orders；　or　developed　under　his　patronage；　roads；　harbors；　canals；

asylums；　universities；　academies；　institutions　of　piety；　of　refuge；　of

education；　of　science；　of　industry；　and　of　commerce；　bears　his　imprint

and　proclaim　the　public　benefactor。…Services　of　this　character

challenge　a　proportionate　recompense；　it　is　allowed　that　from　father

to　son　he　is　wedded　to　France；　that　she　acts　only　through　him；　that　he

acts　only　for　her；　while　every　souvenir　of　the　past　and　every　present

interest　combine　to　sanction　this　union。　　The　Church　consecrates　it　at

Rheims　by　a　sort　of　eighth　sacrament；　accompanied　with　legends　and

miracles；　he　is　the　anointed　of　God。＇16＇　　　The　nobles；　through　an　old

instinct　of　military　fealty；　consider　themselves　his　bodyguard；　and

down　to　August　10；　1789；　rush　forward　to　die　for　him　on　his　staircase；

he　is　their　general　by　birth。　　The　people；　down　to　1789；　regard　him　as

the　redresser　of　abuses；　the　guardian　of　the　right；　the　protector　of

the　weak；　the　great　almoner　and　the　universal　refuge。　　At　the　beginning

of　the　reign　of　Louis　XVI　〃shouts　of　Vive　le　roi；　which　began　at　six

o'clock　in　the　morning；　continued　scarcely　interrupted　until　after

sunset。〃＇17＇　　　When　the　Dauphin　was　born　the　joy　of　France　was　that　of

a　whole　family。　　〃People　stopped　each　other　in　the　streets；　spoke

together　without　any　acquaintance；　and　everybody　embraced　everybody　he

knew。〃＇18＇　　Every　one；　through　vague　tradition；　through　immemorial

respect；　feels　that　France　is　a　ship　constructed　by　his　hands　and　the

hands　of　his　ancestors。　　In　this　sense；　the　vessel　is　his　property；　it

is　his　right　to　it　is　the　same　as　that　of　each　passenger　to　his

private　goods。　　The　king's　only　duty　consists　in　being　expert　and

vigilant　in　guiding　across　the　oceans　and　beneath　his　banner　the

magnificent　ship　upon　which　everyone's　welfare　depends。…Under　the

ascendancy　of　such　an　idea　he　was　allowed　to　do　everything。　　By　fair

means　or　foul；　he　so　reduced　ancient　authorities　as　to　make　them　a

fragment；　a　pretense；　a　souvenir。　　The　nobles　are　simply　his　officials

or　his　courtiers。　　Since　the　Concordat　he　nominates　the　dignitaries　of

the　Church。　　The　States…General　were　not　convoked　for　a　hundred　and

seventy…five　years；　the　provincial　assemblies；　which　continue　to

subsist；　do　nothing　but　apportion　the　taxes；　the　parliaments　are

exiled　when　they　risk　a　remonstrance。　　Through　his　council；　his

intendants；　his　sub…delegates；　he　intervenes　in　the　most　trifling　of

local　matters。　　His　revenue　is　four　hundred　and　seventy…seven

millions。＇19＇　　　He　disburses　one…half　of　that　of　the　Clergy。　　In　short；

he　is　absolute　master；　and　he　so　declares　himself。＇20＇　　…Possessions；

freedom　from　taxation；　the　satisfactions　of　vanity；　a　few　remnants　of

local　jurisdiction　and　authority；　are　consequently　all　that　is　left　to

his　ancient　rivals；　in　exchange　for　these　they　enjoy　his　favors　and

marks　of　preference。…Such；　in　brief；　is　the　history　of　the　privileged

classes；　the　Clergy；　the　Nobles；　and　the　King。　　It　must　be　kept　in　mind

to　comprehend　their　situation　at　the　moment　of　their　fall；　having

created　France；　they　enjoy　it。　　Let　us　see　clearly　what　becomes　of　them

at　the　end　of　the　eighteenth　century；　what　portion　of　their　advantages

they　preserved；　what　services　they　still　render；　and　what　services

they　do　not　render。







Notes　：



＇1＇。　　〃Les　Moines　d'Occident；〃　by　Montalembert；　I。　　277。　　St。　　Lupicin

before　the　Burgundian　King　Chilperic；　II。　　416。　　Saint　Karileff　before

King　Childebert。　　Cf。　　passim；　Gregory　of　Tours　and　the　Bollandist

collection。



＇2＇。　　No　legend　is　more　frequently　encountered；　we　find　it　as　late

as　the　twelfth　century。



＇3＇。　　Chilperic；　for　example；　acting　under　the　advice　of　Fredegonde

after　the　death　of　all　their　children。



＇4＇。　　Montalembert；　ibid。；　II。　　book　8；　and　especially　〃Les　Forêts　de

la　France　dans　l'antiquité　et　au　Moyen　Age；〃　by　Alfred　Maury。　　Spinoe

et　vepres　is　a　phrase　constantly　recurring　in　the　lives　of　the　saints。



＇5＇。　　We　find　the　same　thing　to　day　with　the　colonies　of　Trappists

in　Algiers。



＇6＇。　　〃Polyptique　d'Irminon；〃　by　Guérard。　　In　this　work　we　see　the

prosperity　of　the　domain　belonging　to　the　Abbey　of　St。　　Germain　des

Près　at　the　end　of　the　eighth　century。　　According　to　M。　Guérard's

statistics；　the　peasantry　of　Paliseau　were　about　as　prosperous　in　the

time　of　Charlemagne　as　at　the　present　day。



＇7＇。　　Taine's　definition　would　also　fit　contemporary　（1999）　drugs

and　video　entertainment　which　also　provide　mankind　with　both　hope；

pleasure　and　entertainment。　　（SR。）



＇8＇。　　There　are　twenty…five　thousand　lives　of　the　saints；　between

the　sixth　and　the　tenth　centuries；　collected　by　the　Bollandists。　　…　The

last　that　are　truly　inspired　are　those　of　St。　　Francis　of　Assisi　and

his　companions　at　the　beginning　of　the　fourteenth　century。　　The　same

vivid　sentiment　extends　down　to　the　end　of　the　fifteenth　century　in

the　works　of　Fra　Angelico　and　Hans　Memling。　　…　The　Sainte　Chapelle　in

Paris；　the　upper　church　at　Assisi；　Dante's　Paradise；　and　the　Fioretti；

furnish　an　idea　of　these　visions。　　As　regards　modern　literature；　the

state　of　a　believer's　soul　in　the　middle　ages　is　perfectly　described

in　the　〃Pélerinage　à　Kevlaar；〃　by　Henri　Heine；　and　in　〃Les　Reliques

vivantes；〃　by　Tourgueneff。



＇9＇。　　As；　for　example；　Tertulle；　founder　of　the　Platagenet　family；

Rollo；　Duke　of　Normandy；　Hugues；　Abbot　of　St。　　Martin　of　Tours　and　of

St。　　Denis。



＇10＇。　　See　the　〃Cantilenes〃　of　the　tenth　century　in　which　the

〃Chansons　de　Geste〃　are　foreshadowed。



＇11＇。　　Laws　governing　the　feudal　system　（1372）　where　the　feudal　lord

is　unable　to　transmit　his　property　by　testament　but　has　to　leave　them

to　the　next　holder　of　the　title。　　The　〃mainmortables〃　were　serfs　who

belonged　to　the　property。　　（SR。）



＇12＇。　　See　in　the　〃Voyages　du　Caillaud；〃　in　Nubia　and　Abyssinia；　the

raids　for　slaves　made　by　the　Pacha's　armies；　Europe　presented　about

the　same　spectacle　between　the　years　800　and　900。



＇13＇。　　See　the　zeal　of　subjects　for　their　lords　in　the　historians　of

the　middle　ages；　Gaston　Phoebus；　Comte　de　Foix；　and　Guy；　Comte　de

Flandres　in　Froissart；　Raymond　de　Béziers　and　Raymond　de　Toulouse；　in

the　chronicle　of　Toulouse。　　This　profound　sentiment　of　small　local

patrimonics　is　apparent　at　each　provincial　assembly　in　Normandy；

Brittany；　Franche…Comté；　etc。



＇14＇。　　Suger；　Life　of　Louis　VI。



＇15＇。　　〃Les　Grand　Jours　d'Auvergne；〃　by　Fléchier；　ed。　　Chéruel。　　The

last　feudal　brigand；　the　Baron　of　Plumartin；　in　Poitou；　was　taken；

tried；　and　beheaded　under　Louis　XV　in　1756。



＇16＇。　　As　late　as　Louis　XV　a　procès　verbal　is　made　of　a　number　of

cures　of　the　King's　evil。



＇17＇。　　〃Mémoires　of　Madame　Campan；〃　I。　　89；　II。　　215。



＇18＇。　　In　1785　an　Englishman　visiting　France　boasts　of　the　political

liberty　enjoyed　in　his　country。　　As　an　offset　to　this　the　French

reproach　the　English　for　having　decapitated　Charles　I。；　and　〃glory　in

having　always　maintained　an　inviolable　attachment　to　their　own　king；　a

fidelity；　a　respect　which　no　excess　or　severity　on　his　part　has　ever

shaken。〃　（〃A　Comparative　View　of　the　French　and　of　the　English

Nation；〃　by　John　Andrews；　p。257。）



＇19＇。　　Memoirs　of　D'Augeard；　private　secretary　of　the　Queen；　and　a

former　farmer…general。



＇20＇。　　The　following　is　the　reply　of　Louis　XV。　　to　the　Parliament　of

Paris；　March　3；　1766；　in　a　lit　de　justice　：　〃The　sovereign　authority