the origins of contemporary france-1-第96节

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has　become　offensive　because　it　has　become　useless。　　　Nobility　being

instituted　by　custom　is　no　longer　sanctified　by　conscience；　the　Third…

Estate　being　justly　excited　against　privileges　that　have　no

justification；　whether　in　the　capacity　of　the　noble　or　in　the

incapacity　of　the　bourgeois。





　　　IV。　　　ROUSSEAU'S　PHILOSOPHY　SPREADS　AND　TAKES　HOLD。



　　　Philosophy　in　the　minds　thus　fitted　for　it。　　…　That　of　Rousseau

prominent。　　…　This　philosophy　in　harmony　with　new　necessities。　　…　It

is　adopted　by　the　Third…Estate　。



　　　　　Distrust　and　anger　against　a　government　putting　all　fortunes

at　risk；　rancor　and　hostility　against　a　nobility　barring　all　roads　to

popular　advancement；　are；　then；　the　sentiments　developing　themselves

among　the　middle　class　solely　due　to　their　advance　in　wealth　and

culture。　　　　　　We　can　imagine　the　effect　of　the　new　philosophy　upon

people　with　such　attitudes。　　At　first；　confined　to　the　aristocratic

reservoir；　the　doctrine　filters　out　through　numerous　cracks　like　so

many　trickling　streams；　to　scatter　imperceptibly　among　the　lower

class。　　Already；　in　1727；　Barbier；　a　bourgeois　of　the　old　school　and

having　little　knowledge　of　philosophy　and　philosophers　except　the

name；　writes　in　his　journal：



　　　〃A　hundred　poor　families　are　deprived　of　the　annuities　on　which

they　supported　themselves；　acquired　with　bonds　for　which　the　capital

is　obliterated；　56；000　livres　are　given　in　pensions　to　people　who　have

held　the　best　offices；　where　they　have　amassed　considerable　property；

always　at　the　expense　of　the　people；　and　all　this　merely　that　they　may

rest　themselves　and　do　nothing。〃＇24＇



　　　One　by　one；　reformative　ideas　penetrate　to　his　office　of

consulting　advocate；　conversation　has　sufficed　to　propagate　them；

homely　common　sense　needing　no　philosophy　to　secure　their　recognition。



　　　〃The　tax　on　property；〃　said　he；　in　1750；　〃should　be　proportioned

and　equally　distributed　among　all　the　king's　subjects　and　the　members

of　the　government；　in　proportion　to　the　property　each　really　possesses

in　the　kingdom；　in　England；　the　lands　of　the　nobility；　the　clergy　and

the　Third…Estate　pay　alike　without　distinction；　and　nothing　is　more

just。〃



　　　　In　the　six　years　which　follow　the　flood　increases。　　People

denounce　the　government　in　the　cafés；　on　their　promenades；　while　the

police　dare　not　arrest　malcontents　〃because　they　would　have　to　arrest

everybody。〃　The　disaffection　goes　on　increasing　up　to　the　end　of　the

reign。　　In　1744；　says　the　bookseller　Hardy；　during　the　king's　illness

at　Metz；　private　individuals　cause　six　thousand　masses　to　be　said　for

his　recovery　and　pay　for　them　at　the　sacristy　of　Notre　Dame；　in　1757；

after　Damiens's　attempt　on　the　king's　life；　the　number　of　masses

demanded　is　only　six　hundred；　in　1774；　during　the　malady　which　carries

him　off；　the　number　falls　down　to　three。　　The　complete　discredit　of

the　government；　the　immense　success　of　Rousseau；　these　two　events；

occurring　simultaneously；　afford　a　date　for　the　conversion　of　the

Third…Estate　to　philosophy＇25＇。　　A　traveler；　at　the　beginning　of　the

reign　of　Louis　XVI；　who　returns　home　after　some　years'　absence；　on

being　asked　what　change　he　noticed　in　the　nation；　replied；　〃Nothing；

except　that　what　used　to　be　talked　about　in　the　drawing…rooms　is

repeated　in　the　streets。〃＇26＇　　And　that　which　is　repeated　in　the

streets　is　Rousseau's　doctrine；　the　Discourse　on　Inequality；　the

Social　Contract　amplified；　popularized　and　repeated　by　adherents　in

every　possible　way　and　in　all　their　forms。　　What　could　be　more

fascinating　for　the　man　of　the　Third…Estate？　Not　only　is　this　theory

in　vogue；　and　encountered　by　him　at　the　decisive　moment　when；　for　the

first　time；　he　turns　his　attention　to　general　principles；　but　again　it

provides　him　with　arms　against　social　inequality　and　political

absolutism；　and　much　sharper　than　he　needs。　　To　people　disposed　to　put

restraints　on　power　and　to　abolish　privileges；　what　guide　is　more

sympathetic　than　the　writer　of　genius；　the　powerful　logician；　the

impassioned　orator；　who　establishes　natural　law；　who　repudiates

historic　law；　who　proclaims　the　equality　of　men；　who　contends　for　the

sovereignty　of　the　people；　who　denounces　on　every　page　the　usurpation；

the　vices；　the　worthlessness；　the　malefactions　of　the　great　and　of

kings！　And　I　omit　the　points　by　which　he　makes　acceptable　to　a　rigid

and　laborious　bourgeoisie；　to　the　new　men　that　are　working　and

advancing　themselves；　his　steady　earnestness；　his　harsh　and　bitter

tone；　his　eulogy　of　simple　habits；　of　domestic　virtues；　of　personal

merit；　of　virile　energy；　the　commoner　addressing　commoners。　　It　is　not

surprising　that　they　should　accept　him　as　a　guide　and　welcome　his

doctrines　with　that　fervor　of　faith　called　enthusiasm；　and　which

invariably　accompanies　the　newborn　idea　as　well　as　the　first　love。



　　　A　competent　judge；　and　an　eye…witness；　Mallet　du　Pan；＇27＇　writes

in　1799：



　　　〃Rousseau　had　a　hundred　times　more　readers　among　the　middle　and

lower　classes　than　Voltaire。　　He　alone　inoculated　the　French　with　the

doctrine　of　the　sovereignty　of　the　people　and　with　its　extremist

consequences。　　It　would　be　difficult　to　cite　a　single　revolutionary

who　was　not　transported　over　these　anarchical　theories；　and　who　did

not　burn　with　ardor　to　realize　them。　　That　Contrat　Social；　the

disintegrator　of　societies；　was　the　Koran　of　the　pretentious　talkers

of　1789；　of　the　Jacobins　of　1790；　of　the　republicans　of　1791；　and　of

the　most　atrocious　of　the　madmen。　　。　　。　　。　　I　heard　Marat　in　1788　read

and　comment　on　the　Contrat　Social　in　the　public　streets　to　the

applause　of　an　enthusiastic　auditory。〃



　　　The　same　year；　in　an　immense　throng　filling　the　great　hall　of

the　Palais　de　Justice；　Lacretelle　hears　that　same　book　quoted；　its

dogmas　put　forward　by　the　clerks　of　la　Bazoche；　〃by　members　of　the

bar；＇28＇　by　young　lawyers；　by　the　ordinary　lettered　classes　swarming

with　new…fledged　specialist　in　public　law。〃　Hundreds　of　details　show

us　that　it　is　in　every　hand　like　a　catechism。　　In　1784＇29＇　certain

magistrates'　sons；　on　taking　their　first　lesson　in　jurisprudence　of　an

assistant　professor；　M。　Saveste；　have　the　〃Contrat　Social〃　placed　in

their　hands　as　a　manual。　　Those　who　find　this　new　political　geometry

too　difficult　learn　at　least　its　axioms；　and　if　these　repel　them　they

discover　at　least　their　palpable　consequences；　so　many　handy

comparisons；　the　trifling　common　practice　in　the　literature　in　vogue；

whether　drama；　history；　or　romance＇30＇。　　Through　the　〃Eloges〃　by

Thomas；　the　pastorals　of　Bernadin　de　Saint…Pierre；　the　compilation　of

Raynal；　the　comedies　of　Beaumarchais　and　even　the　〃Young　Anarcharsis〃

and　the　literature　of　the　resuscitated　Greek　and　Roman　antiquity；　the

dogmas　of　equality　and　liberty　infiltrate　and　penetrate　the　class　able

to　read＇31＇。　　〃A　few　days　ago；〃　says　Métra；＇32＇　〃a　dinner　of　forty

ecclesiastics　from　the　country　took　place　at　the　house　of　curate　of

Orangis；　five　leagues　from　Paris。　　At　the　dessert；　and　in　the　truth

which　came　out　over　their　wine；　they　all　admitted　that　they　came　to

Paris　to　see　the　'Marriage　of　Figaro。'　。　　。　　Up　to　the　present　time　it

seems　as　if　comic　authors　intended　to　make　sport　for　the　great　at　the

expense　of　the　little；　but　here；　on　the　contrary；　it　is　the　little　who

laugh　at　the　expense　of　the　great。〃　Hence　the　success　of　the　piece。

　　　Hence　a　steward　of　a　chateau　has　found　a　Raynal　in　the　library；

the　furious　declamation　of　which　so　delights　him　that　he　can　repeat　it

thirty　years　later　without　stumbling；　or　a　sergeant　in　the　French

guards　embroiders　waistcoats　during　the　night　to　earn　the　money　with

which　to　purchase　the　latest　books。　　　　　　After　the　gallant　picture

of　the　boudoir　comes　the　austere　and　patriotic　picture；　〃Belisarious〃

and　the　〃Horatii〃　of　David　reflect　the　new　attitude　both　of　the　public

and　of　the　studios＇33＇　The　spirit　is　that　of　Rousseau；　〃the　republican

spirit；〃＇34＇　the　entire　middle　class；　artists；　employees；　curates；

physicians；　attorneys；　advocates；　the　lettered　and　the　journalists；

all　are　won　over　to　it；　and　it　is　fed　by　the　worst　as　well　as　the　best

passions；　ambition；　envy；　desire　for　freedom；　zeal　for　the　public

welfare　and　the　consciousness　of　right。







　　　V。　　　REVOLUTIONARY　PASSIONS。



　　　Its　effects　therein。　　…　The　formation　of　revolutionary　passions。

…　Leveling　instincts。　　…　The　craving　for　dominion。　　…　The　Third…Estate

decides　and　constitutes　the　nation。　　…　Chimeras；　ignorance；

exaltation。



　　　All　these　passions　intensify　each　other。　　There　is　nothing　like

a　wrong　to　quicken　the　sentiment　of　justice。　　There　is　nothing　like

the　sentiment　of　justice　to　quicken　the　injury　proceeding　from　a

wrong＇35＇。　　The　Third…Estate；　considering　itself　deprived　of　the　place

to　which　it　is　entitled；　finds　itself　uncomfortable　in　the　place　it

occupies　and；　accordingly；　suffers　through　a　thousand　petty　grievances

it　would　not；　formerly；　have　noticed。