the origins of contemporary france-1-第87节

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the　present　day　would　utter　the　first；　nor　especially　the　last　hurrah。

This　indicates　the　tendency　of　the　century；　not　only　were　writers

called　upon　for　ideas；　but　again　for　antagonistic　ideas。　　　To　render

an　aristocracy　inactive　is　to　render　it　rebellious；　people　are　more

willing　to　submit　to　rules　they　have　themselves　helped　to　enforce。

Would　you　rally　them　to　the　support　of　the　government？　Then　let　them

take　part　in　it。　　　If　not　they　stand　by　as　an　onlooker　and　see　nothing

but　the　mistakes　it　commits；　feeling　only　its　irritations；　and

disposed　only　to　criticize　and　to　hoot　at　it。　　　In　fact；　in　this　case；

they　are　as　if　in　the　theater；　where　they　go　to　be　amused；　and；

especially；　not　to　be　put　to　any　inconvenience。　　　What　inconveniences

in　the　established　order　of　things；　and　indeed　in　any　established

order！　　　…　　In　the　first　place；　religion。　　　To　the　amiable　〃idlers〃

whom　Voltaire　describes；＇11＇　to　〃the　100；000　persons　with　nothing　to

do　but　to　play　and　to　amuse　themselves；〃　religion　is　the　most

disagreeable　of　pedagogues；　always　scolding；　hostile　to　sensible

amusement　and　free　discussion；　burning　books　which　one　wants　to　read；

and　imposing　dogmas　that　are　no　longer　comprehensible。　　　In　plain

terms　religion　is　an　eyesore；　and　whoever　wishes　to　throw　stones　at

her　is　welcome。　　　　　　　　There　is　another　bond；　the　moral　law　of　the

sexes。　　　It　seems　onerous　to　men　of　pleasure；　to　the　companions　of

Richelieu；　Lauzun　and　Tilly；　to　the　heroes　of　Crebillon　the　younger；

and　all　others　belonging　to　that　libertine　and　gallant　society　for

whom　license　has　become　the　rule。　　　Our　fine　gentlemen　are　quite　ready

to　adopt　a　theory　which　justifies　their　practices。＇12＇　They　are　very

glad　to　be　told　that　marriage　is　conventional　and　a　thing　of

prejudice。　　　Saint…　Lambert　obtains　their　applause　at　supper　when；

raising　a　glass　of　champagne；　he　proposes　as　a　toast　a　return　to

nature　and　the　customs　of　Tahiti＇13＇。　　　　The　last　fetter　of　all　is　the

government；　the　most　galling；　for　it　enforces　the　rest　and　keeps　man

down　with　its　weight；　along　with　the　added　weight　of　the　others。　　　It

is　absolute；　it　is　centralized；　it　works　through　favorites；　it　is

backward；　it　makes　mistakes；　it　has　reverses：　how　many　causes　of

discontent　embraced　in　a　few　words！　It　is　opposed　by　the　vague　and

suppressed　resentment　of　the　former　powers　which　it　has　dispossessed；

the　provincial　assemblies；　the　parliaments；　the　grandees　of　the

provinces；　the　old　stock　of　nobles；　who；　like　the　Mirabeau；　retain　the

old　feudal　spirit；　and　like　Chateaubriand's　father；　call　the　Abbé

Raynal　a　〃master…man。〃　Against　it　is　the　spite　of　all　those　who

imagine　themselves　frustrated　in　the　distribution　of　offices　and　of

favors；　not　only　the　provincial　nobility　who　remain　outside＇14＇　while

the　court　nobility　are　feasting　at　the　royal　banquet；　but　again　the

majority　of　the　courtiers　who　are　obliged　to　be　content　with　crumbs；

while　the　little　circle　of　intimate　favorites　swallow　down　the　large

morsels。　　　It　has　against　it　the　ill…humor　of　those　under　its

direction　who；　seeing　it　play　the　part　of　Providence　and　providing　for

all；　accuses　it　of　everything；　the　high　price　of　bread　as　well　as　of

the　decay　of　a　highway。　　　It　has　against　it　the　new　humanity　which；　in

the　most　elegant　drawing…rooms；　lays　to　its　charge　the　maintenance　of

the　antiquated　remains　of　a　barbarous　epoch；　ill…imposed；　ill…

apportioned　and　ill…collected　taxes；　sanguinary　laws；　blind

prosecutions；　atrocious　punishments；　the　persecution　of　the

Protestants；　lettres…de…cachet；　and　prisons　of　State。　　　And　I　do　not

include　its　excesses；　its　scandals；　its　disasters　and　its　disgraces；

…　　Rosbach；　the　treaty　of　Paris；　Madame　du　Barry；　and　bankruptcy。　　　　…

Disgust　intervenes；　for　everything　is　decidedly　bad。　　　The　spectators

of　the　play　say　to　each　other　that　not　only　is　the　piece　itself　poor；

but　the　theater　is　badly　built；　uncomfortable；　stifling　and

contracted；　to　such　a　degree　that；　to　be　at　one's　ease；　the　whole

thing　must　be　torn　down　and　rebuilt　from　cellar　to　garret。



Just　at　this　moment　the　new　architects　appear；　with　their　specious

arguments　and　their　ready…made　plans；　proving　that　every　great　public

structure；　religious　and　moral；　and　all　communities；　cannot　be

otherwise　than　barbarous　and　unhealthy；　since；　thus　far；　they　are

built　up　out　of　bits　and　pieces；　by　degrees；　and　generally　by　fools

and　savages；　in　any　event　by　common　masons；　who　built　aimlessly；

feeling　their　way　and　devoid　of　principles。　　　As　far　as　they　are

concerned；　they　are　genuine　architects；　and　they　have　principles；　that

is　to　say；　Reason；　Nature；　and　the　Rights　of　Man；　straightforward　and

fruitful　principles　which　everybody　can　understand；　all　that　has　to　be

done　is　to　draw　their　consequences　making　it　possible　to　replace　the

imperfect　tenements　of　the　past　with　the　admirable　edifice　of　the

future。　　　　…　　To　irreverent；　Epicurean　and　philanthropic　malcontents

the　temptation　is　a　great　one。　　　They　readily　adopt　maxims　which　seem

in　conformity　with　their　secret　wishes；　at　least　they　adopt　them　in

theory　and　in　words。　　　The　imposing　terms　of　liberty；　justice；　public

good；　man's　dignity；　are　so　admirable；　and　besides　so　vague！　What

heart　can　refuse　to　cherish　them；　and　what　intelligence　can　foretell

their　innumerable　applications？　And　all　the　more　because；　up　to　the

last；　the　theory　does　not　descend　from　the　heights；　being　confined　to

abstractions；　resembling　an　academic　oration；　constantly　dealing　with

Natural　Man　（homme　en　soi）　of　the　social　contract；　with　an　imaginary

and　perfect　society。　　　Is　there　a　courtier　at　Versailles　who　would

refuse　to　proclaim　equality　in　the　lands　of　the　Franks！　　…　　Between

the　two　stories　of　the　human　intellect；　the　upper　where　abstract

reasoning　is　spun　and　the　lower　where　an　active　faith　reposes；

communication　is　neither　complete　nor　immediate。　　　　A　number　of

principles　never　leave　the　upper　stories；　they　remain　there　as

curiosities；　so　many　fragile；　clever　mechanisms；　freely　to　be　seen　but

rarely　employed。　　　If　the　proprietor　sometimes　transfers　them　to　the

lower　story　he　makes　but　a　partial　use　of　them；　established　customs；

anterior　and　more　powerful　interests　and　instincts　restrict　their

employment。　　　In　this　respect　he　is　not　acting　in　bad　faith；　but　as　a

man；　each　of　us　professing　truths　which　he　does　not　put　in　practice。

One　evening　Target；　a　dull　lawyer；　having　taken　a　pinch　from　the

snuff…box　of　the　Maréchale　de　Beauvau；　the　latter；　whose　drawing　room

is　a　small　democratic　club；　is　amazed　at　such　monstrous　familiarity。

Later；　Mirabeau；　on　returning　home　just　after　having　voted　for　the

abolition　of　the　titles　of　nobility；　takes　his　servant　by　the　ear；

laughingly　proclaiming　in　his　thunderous　voice；　〃Look　here；　you

rascal；　I　trust　that　to　you　I　shall　always　be　Monsieur　le　Comte　！〃　　　…

This　shows　to　what　extent　new　theories　are　admitted　into　an

aristocratic　brain。　　　They　occupy　the　whole　of　the　upper　story；　and

there；　with　a　pleasing　murmur；　they　weave　the　web　of　interminable

conversation；　their　buzzing　lasts　throughout　the　century；　never　have

the　drawing…rooms　seen　such　an　outpouring　of　fine　sentences　and　of

fine　words。　　　Something　of　all　this　drops　from　the　upper　to　the　lower

story；　if　only　as　dust；　I　mean　to　say；　hope；　faith　in　the　future；

belief　in　Reason；　a　love　of　truth；　the　generous　and　youthful　good

intentions；　the　enthusiasm　that　quickly　passes　but　which　may；　for　a

while；　become　self…abnegation　and　devotion。







IV。　　　UNBELIEF。



The　diffusion　among　the　upper　class。　　　…　Progress　of　incredulity　in

religion。　　　…　Its　causes。…　It　breaks　out　under　the　Regency。　　　…

Increasing　irritation　against　the　clergy。　　　…　Materialism　in　the

drawing…room。　　　…　Estimate　of　the　sciences。　　　…　Final　opinion　on

religion。　　　…　Skepticism　of　the　higher　clergy。



Let　us　follow　the　progress　of　philosophy　in　the　upper　class。

Religion　is　the　first　to　receive　the　severest　attacks。　　　The　small

group　of　skeptics；　which　is　hardly　perceptible　under　Louis　XIV；　has

obtained　its　recruits　in　the　dark；　in　1698　the　Palatine；　the　mother　of

the　Regent；　writes　that　〃we　scarcely　meet　a　young　man　now　who　is　not

ambitious　of　being　an　atheist。〃＇15＇　　Under　the　Regency；　unbelief　comes

out　into　open　daylight。　　　〃I　doubt；〃　says　this　lady　again；　in　1722；

〃if；　in　all　Paris；　a　hundred　individuals　can　be　found；　either

ecclesiastics　or　laymen；　who　have　any　true　faith；　or　even　believe　in

our　Lord。　　　It　makes　one　tremble。　　　。　　　。　　　。〃　The　position　of　an

ecclesiastic　in　society　is　already　difficult。　　　He　is　looked　upon；

apparently；　as　either　a　puppet　or　a　dickey　（a　false　shirt　front）＇16＇。

〃The　moment　we　appear；〃　says　one　of　them；　〃we　are　forced　into

discussion；　we　are　called　upon　to　prove；　for　example；　the　utility　of

prayer　to　an　unbeliever　in　God；　and　the　necessity　of　fasting　to　a　man

who　has　all　his　life　denied　the　immortality　of　the　soul；　the　effort　is

very　irksome；　while　those　who