the origins of contemporary france-1-第9节

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defense。　　By　subordinating　all　interests　to　the　necessities　of　living；

in　such　a　way　as　to　protect　the　soil　by　fixing　on　the　soil；　through

property　and　its　enjoyment；　a　troop　of　brave　men　under　the　leadership

of　a　brave　chieftain。　　The　danger　having　passed　away　the　structure

became　dilapidated。　　For　a　pecuniary　compensation　the　seigniors　allowed

the　economical　and　tenacious　peasant　to　pick　off　it　a　good　many

stones。　　Through　constraint　they　suffered　the　king　to　appropriate　to

himself　the　public　portion。　　The　primitive　foundation　remains；　property

as　organized　in　ancient　times；　the　fettered　or　exhausted　land

supporting　a　social　conformation　that　has　melted　away；　in　short；　an

order　of　privileges　and　of　thralldom　of　which　the　cause　and　the

purpose　have　disappeared。　　＇30＇



V。　　They　may　be　justified　by　local　and　general　services。



All　this　does　not　suffice　to　render　this　order　detrimental　or　even

useless。　　In　reality；　the　local　chief　who　no　longer　performs　his

ancient　service　may　perform　a　new　one　in　exchange　for　it。　　Instituted

for　war　when　life　was　militant；　he　may　serve　in　quiet　times　when　the

régime　is　pacific；　while　the　advantage　to　the　nation　is　great　in　which

this　transformation　is　accomplished；　for；　retaining　its　chiefs；　it　is

relieved　of　the　uncertain　and　perilous　operation　which　consists　in

creating　others。　　There　is　nothing　more　difficult　to　establish　than　a

government；　that　is　to　say；　a　stable　government：　this　involves　the

command　of　some　and　the　obedience　of　all；　which　is　against　nature。

That　a　man　in　his　study；　often　a　feeble　old　person；　should　dispose　of

the　lives　and　property　of　twenty　or　thirty　million　men；　most　of　whom

he　has　never　seen；　that　he　should　order　them　to　pay　away　a　tenth　or　a

fifth　of　their　income　and　they　should　do　it；　that　he　should　order　them

to　go　and　slaughter　or　be　slaughtered　and　that　they　should　go；　that

they　should　thus　continue　for　ten　years；　twenty　years；　through　every

kind　of　trial；　defeat；　misery　and　invasion；　as　with　the　French　under

Louis　XIV；　the　English　under　Pitt；　the　Prussians　under　Frederick　II。；

without　either　sedition　or　internal　disturbances；　is　certainly　a

marvelous　thing。　　And；　for　a　people　to　remain　free　it　is　essential　that

they　should　be　ready　to　do　this　always。　　Neither　this　fidelity　nor　this

concord　is　due　to　sober　reflection　（la　raison　raisonnante）；　reason　is

too　vacillating　and　too　feeble　to　bring　about　such　a　universal　and

energetic　result。　　Abandoned　to　itself　and　suddenly　restored　to　a

natural　condition；　the　human　flock　is　capable　only　of　agitation；　of

mutual　strife　until　pure　force　at　length　predominates；　as　in　barbarous

times；　and　until；　amidst　the　dust　and　outcry；　some　military　leader

rises　up　who　is；　generally；　a　butcher。　　Historically　considered　it　is

better　to　continue　so　than　to　begin　over　again。　　Hence；　especially　when

the　majority　is　uncultivated；　it　is　beneficial　to　have　chiefs

designated　beforehand　through　the　hereditary　custom　by　which　people

follow　them；　and　through　the　special　education　by　which　they　are

qualified。　　In　this　case　the　public　has　no　need　to　seek　for　them　to

obtain　them。　　They　are　already　at　hand；　in　each　canton；　visible；

accepted　beforehand；　they　are　known　by　their　names；　their　title；　their

fortune；　their　way　of　living；　deference　to　their　authority　is

established。　　They　are　almost　always　deserving　of　this　authority；　born

and　brought　up　to　exercise　it　they　find　in　tradition；　in　family

example　and　in　family　pride；　powerful　ties　that　nourish　public　spirit

in　them；　there　is　some　probability　of　their　comprehending　the　duties

with　which　their　prerogative　endows　them。



Such　is　the　renovation；　which　the　feudal　régime　admits　of。　　The

ancient　chieftain　can　still　guarantee　his　pre…eminence　by　his

services；　and　remain　popular　without　ceasing　to　be　privileged。　　Once　a

captain　in　his　district　and　a　permanent　gendarme；　he　is　to　become　the

resident　and　beneficent　proprietor；　the　voluntary　promoter　of　useful

undertakings；　obligatory　guardian　of　the　poor；　the　gratuitous

administrator　and　judge　of　the　canton；　the　unsalaried　deputy　of　the

king；　that　is　to　say；　a　leader　and　protector　as　previously；　through　a

new　system　of　patronage　accommodated　to　new　circumstances。　　Local

magistrate　and　central　representative；　these　are　his　two　principal

functions；　and；　if　we　extend　our　observation　beyond　France　we　find

that　he　exercises　either　one　or　the　other；　or　both　together。



Notes：



＇1＇。　　See　note　1　at　the　end　of　the　volume



＇2＇。　　One　league　（lieu）　ca。　　4　km。　　（SR。）



＇3＇。　　Suger　〃Vie　de　Louis　VI。；〃　chap。　　VIII。　　…　Philippe　I。　　became

master　of　the　Chateau　de　Montlhéry　only　by　marrying　one　of　his　sons　to

the　heiress　of　the　fief。　　He　thus　addressed　his　successor：　〃My　child；

take　good　care　to　keep　this　tower　of　which　the　annoyances　have　made　me

grow　old；　and　whose　frauds　and　treasons　have　given　me　no　peace　nor

rest'。



＇4＇。　　Léonce　de　Lavergne；　〃Les　Assemblées　Povinciales；〃　p。　　19。　　…

Consult　the　official　statement　of　the　provincial　assemblies；　and

especially　the　chapters　treating　of　the　vingtièmes　（an　old　tax　of　one…

twentieth　on　incomes。…TR。）



＇5＇。　　A　report　made　by　Treilhard　in　the　name　of　the　ecclesiastic

committee；　（Moniteur；　19th　December；　1789）：　The　religious

establishments　for　sale　in　Paris　alone　were　valued　at　150　millions。

Later　（in　the　session　of　the　13th　February；　1791）；　Amelot　estimates

the　property　sold　and　to　be　sold；　not　including　forests；　at　3；700

millions。　　M。　de　Bouillé　estimates　the　revenue　of　the　clergy　at　180

millions。　　（Mémoires；　p。44）。　　＇French　currency　is　so　well　known　to

readers　in　general　it　is　not　deemed　necessary　to　reduce　statements　of

this　kind　to　the　English　or　American　standard；　except　in　special

cases。…TR。）



＇6＇　A　report　by　Chasset　on　Tithes；　April；　1790。　　Out　of　123

millions　23　go　for　the　costs　of　collection：　but；　in　estimating　the

revenue　of　an　individual　the　sums　he　pays　to　his　intendants；　overseers

and　cashiers　are　not　deducted。　　…　Talleyrand　（October　l0；　1789）

estimates　the　revenue　of　real　property　at　70　millions　and　its　value　at

2；100　millions。　　On　examination　however　both　capital　and　revenue　are

found　considerably　larger　than　at　first　supposed。　　（Reports　of

Treilbard　and　Chasset）。　　Moreover；　in　his　valuation；　Talleyrand　left

out　habitations　and　their　enclosures　as　well　as　a　reservation　of　one…

fourth　of　the　forests。　　Besides　this　there　must　be　included　in　the

revenue　before　1789　the　seigniorial　rights　enjoyed　by　the　Church。

Finally；　according　to　Arthur　Young；　the　rents　which　the　French

proprietor　received　were　not　two　and　a　half　per　cent。　　as　nowadays　but

three　and　three　quarters　per　cent　…　　The　necessity　of　doubling　the

figures　to　obtain　a　present　money　valuation　is　supported　by

innumerable　facts；　and　among　others　the　price　of　a　day's　labor；　which

at　that　time　was　nineteen　sous。　　（Arthur　Young）。　　（Today；　in　1999；　in

France　the　minimum　legal　daily　wage　is　around　300　francs。　　20　sous

constituted　a　franc。　　So　the　sums　referred　to　by　Taine　under　the

Revolution　must　be　multiplied　with　at　least　300　in　order　to　compare

them　with　1990　values。　　To　obtain　dollars　multiply　with　50。　　SR。）



＇7＇。　　National　archives；　among　the　papers　of　the　ecclesiastical

committee；　box　（portfolios）　10；　11；　13；　25。　　…　Beugnot's　Memoirs；　I。

49；　79。　　…　Delbos；　〃L'Eglise　de　France；〃　I。　　399。　　…　Duc　de　Lévis；

〃Souvenirs　et　Portraits；〃　p。156。



＇8＇。　　Léonce　de　Lavergne；　〃économie　Rurale　en　France；〃　p。24。　　…

Perin；　〃La　Jeunesse　de　Robespierre；〃　（Statements　of　grievances　in

Artois）；　p。317。　　（　In　French　〃cahiers　des　doleances〃　…　statements　of

local　complaints　and　expectations　…　prepared　all　over　France　for　use

by　their　delegates　for　the　ètats　Generaux。　　SR。）



＇9＇。　　Boiteau；　〃état　de　la　France　en　1789；〃　p。47。　　Voltaire；

〃Politique　et　Legislation；〃　the　petition　of　the　serfs　of　St。　　Claude。



＇10＇。　　Necker；　〃De　l'Administration　des　Finances；〃　II。　　272。



＇11＇。　　De　Bouillé；　〃Mémoires；〃　p。41。　　It　must　not　be　forgotten　that

these　figures　must　be　doubled　to　show　corresponding　sums　of　the

present　day。　　10；000　livres　（francs）　rental　in　1766　equal　in　value

20；000　in　1825。　　（Madame　de　Genlis；　〃Memoirs；〃　chap。　　IX）。　　　Arthur

Young；　visiting　a　chateau　in　Seine…et…Marne；　writes：　〃I　have　been

speaking　to　Madame　de　Guerchy；　and　I　have　learned　from　this

conversation　that　to　live　in　a　chateau　like　this　with　six　men

servants；　five　maids；　eight　horses；　a　garden　and　a　regular　table；　with

company；　but　never　go　to　Paris；　might　be　done　for　1；000　louis　per

annum。　　It　would　in　England　cost　2；000。　　At　the　present　day　in　France

24；000　francs　would　be　50；000　and　more。〃　Arthur　Young　adds：　〃There　are

gentlemen　（noblesse）　that　live　in　this　country　on　6；000　or　8000　and

keep　two　men；　two　maids；　three　horses　and　a　cabriolet。〃　To　do　this

nowadays　would　require　from　20；000　to　25；000。　　…　It　has　become　much

more　expensive；　especially　due　to　the　rail…ways；　to　live　i