the ancien regime-第12章

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forgotten。　　On　the　first　perusal　of　this　lighter　literature；　you

will　be　charmed　with　the　ease；　grace；　lightness　with　which

everything　is　said。　　On　the　second；　you　will　be　somewhat　cured　of

your　admiration；　as　you　perceive　how　little　there　is　to　say。　　The

head　proves　to　be　nothing　but　a　cunning　mask；　with　no　brains　inside。

Especially　is　this　true　of　a　book；　which　I　must　beg　those　who　have

read　it　already；　to　recollect。　　To　read　it　I　recommend　no　human

being。　　We　may　consider　it；　as　it　was　considered　in　its　time；　the

typical　novel　of　the　Ancien　Regime。　　A　picture　of　Spanish　society；

written　by　a　Frenchman；　it　was　held　to　beand　doubtless　with

reasona　picture　of　the　whole　European　world。　　Its　French　editor

（of　1836）　calls　it　a　grande　epopee；　〃one　of　the　most　prodigious

efforts　of　intelligence；　exhausting　all　forms　of　humanity〃in　fact；

a　second　Shakespeare；　according　to　the　lights　of　the　year　1715。　　I

mean；　of　course；　〃Gil　Blas。〃　　So　picturesque　is　the　book；　that　it

has　furnished　inexhaustible　motifs　to　the　draughtsman。　　So　excellent

is　its　workmanship；　that　the　enthusiastic　editor　of　1836　tells　us

and　doubtless　he　knows　bestthat　it　is　the　classic　model　of　the

French　tongue；　and　that；　as　Le　Sage　〃had　embraced　all　that　belonged

to　man　in　his　composition；　he　dared　to　prescribe　to　himself　to

embrace　the　whole　French　language　in　his　work。〃　　It　has　been　the

parent　of　a　whole　school　of　literaturethe　Bible　of　tens　of

thousands；　with　admiring　commentators　in　plenty；　on　whose　souls　may

God　have　mercy！



And　no　wonder。　　The　book　has　a　solid　value；　and　will　always　have；

not　merely　from　its　perfect　art　（according　to　its　own　measure　and

intention）；　but　from　its　perfect　truthfulness。　　It　is　the　Ancien

Regime　itself。　　It　set　forth　to　the　men　thereof；　themselves；　without

veil　or　cowardly　reticence　of　any　kind；　and　inasmuch　as　every　man

loves　himself；　the　Ancien　Regime　loved　〃Gil　Blas；〃　and　said；　〃The

problem　of　humanity　is　solved　at　last。〃　　But；　ye　long…suffering

powers　of　heaven；　what　a　solution！　　It　is　beside　the　matter　to　call

the　book　ungodly；　immoral；　base。　　Le　Sage　would　have　answered：　　〃Of

course　it　is；　for　so　is　the　world　of　which　it　is　a　picture。〃　　No；

the　most　notable　thing　about　the　book　is　its　intense　stupidity；　its

dreariness；　barrenness；　shallowness；　ignorance　of　the　human　heart；

want　of　any　human　interest。　　If　it　be　an　epos；　the　actors　in　it　are

not　men　and　women；　but　ferretswith　here　and　there；　of　course；　a

stray　rabbit；　on　whose　brains　they　may　feed。　　It　is　the　inhuman

mirror　of　an　inhuman　age；　in　which　the　healthy　human　heart　can　find

no　more　interest　than　in　a　pathological　museum。



That　last；　indeed；　〃Gil　Blas〃　is；　a　collection　of　diseased

specimens。　　No　man　or　woman　in　the　book；　lay　or　clerical；　gentle　or

simple；　as　far　as　I　can　remember；　do　their　duty　in　any　wise；　even　if

they　recollect　that　they　have　any　duty　to　do。　　Greed；　chicane；

hypocrisy；　uselessness　are　the　ruling　laws　of　human　society。　　A　new

book　of　Ecclesiastes；　crying；　〃Vanity　of　vanity；　all　is　vanity；〃　the

〃conclusion　of　the　whole　matter〃　being　left　out；　and　the　new

Ecclesiastes　rendered　thereby　diabolic；　instead　of　like　that　old

one；　divine。　　For；　instead　of　〃Fear　God　and　keep　his　commandments；

for　that　is　the　whole　duty　of　main；〃　Le　Sage　sends　forth　the　new

conclusion；　〃Take　care　of　thyself；　and　feed　on　thy　neighbours；　for

that　is　the　whole　duty　of　man。〃　　And　very　faithfully　was　his　advice

（easy　enough　to　obey　at　all　times）　obeyed　for　nearly　a　century　after

〃Gil　Blas〃　appeared。



About　the　same　time　there　appeared；　by　a　remarkable　coincidence；

another　work；　like　it　the　child　of　the　Ancien　Regime；　and　yet　as

opposite　to　it　as　light　to　darkness。　　If　Le　Sage　drew　men　as　they

were；　Fenelon　tried　at　least　to　draw　them　as　they　might　have　been

and　still　might　be；　were　they　governed　by　sages　and　by　saints；

according　to　the　laws　of　God。　　〃Telemaque〃　is　an　idealimperfect；

doubtless；　as　all　ideals　must　be　in　a　world　in　which　God's　ways　and

thoughts　are　for　ever　higher　than　man's；　but　an　ideal　nevertheless。

If　its　construction　is　less　complete　than　that　of　〃Gil　Blas；〃　it　is

because　its　aim　is　infinitely　higher；　because　the　form　has　to　be

subordinated；　here　and　there；　to　the　matter。　　If　its　political

economy　be　imperfect；　often　chimerical；　it　is　because　the　mind　of

one　man　must　needs　have　been　too　weak　to　bring　into　shape　and　order

the　chaos；　social　and　economic；　which　he　saw　around　him。　　M。　de

Lamartine；　in　his　brilliant　little　life　of　Fenelon；　does　not

hesitate　to　trace　to　the　influence　of　〃Telemaque；〃　the　Utopias　which

produced　the　revolutions　of　1793　and　1848。　　〃The　saintly　poet　was；〃

he　says；　〃without　knowing　it；　the　first　Radical　and　the　first

communist　of　his　century。〃　　But　it　is　something　to　have　preached　to

princes　doctrines　till　then　unknown；　or　at　least　forgotten　for　many

a　generationfree　trade；　peace；　international　arbitration；　and　the

〃carriere　ouverte　aux　talents〃　for　all　ranks。　　It　is　something　to

have　warned　his　generation　of　the　dangerous　overgrowth　of　the

metropolis；　to　have　prophesied；　as　an　old　Hebrew　might　have　done；

that　the　despotism　which　he　saw　around　him　would　end　in　a　violent

revolution。　　It　is　something　to　have　combined　the　highest　Christian

morality　with　a　hearty　appreciation　of　old　Greek　life；　of　its

reverence　for　bodily　health　and　prowess；　its　joyous　and　simple

country　society；　its　sacrificial　feasts；　dances；　games；　its　respect

for　the　gods；　its　belief　that　they　helped；　guided；　inspired　the　sons

of　men。　　It　is　something　to　have　himself　believed　in　God；　in　a

living　God；　who；　both　in　this　life　and　in　all　lives　to　come；

rewarded　the　good　and　punished　the　evil　by　inevitable　laws。　　It　is

something　to　have　warned　a　young　prince；　in　an　age　of　doctrinal

bigotry　and　practical　atheism；　that　a　living　God　still　existed；　and

that　his　laws　were　still　in　force；　to　have　shown　him　Tartarus

crowded　with　the　souls　of　wicked　monarchs；　while　a　few　of　kingly

race　rested　in　Elysium；　and　among　them　old　pagansInachus；　Cecrops；

Erichthon；　Triptolemus；　and　Sesostrisrewarded　for　ever　for　having

done　their　duty；　each　according　to　his　light；　to　the　flocks　which

the　gods　had　committed　to　their　care。　　It　is　something　to　have

spoken　to　a　prince；　in　such　an　age；　without　servility；　and　without

etiquette；　of　the　frailties　and　the　dangers　which　beset　arbitrary

rulers；　to　have　told　him　that　royalty；　〃when　assumed　to　content

oneself；　is　a　monstrous　tyranny；　when　assumed　to　fulfil　its　duties；

and　to　conduct　an　innumerable　people　as　a　father　conducts　his

children；　a　crushing　slavery；　which　demands　an　heroic　courage　and

patience。〃



Let　us　honour　the　courtier　who　dared　speak　such　truths；　and　still

more　the　saintly　celibate　who　had　sufficient　catholicity　of　mind　to

envelop　them　in　old　Grecian　dress；　and；　without　playing　false　for　a

moment　to　his　own　Christianity；　seek　in　the　writings　of　heathen

sages　a　wider　and　a　healthier　view　of　humanity　than　was　afforded　by

an　ascetic　creed。



No　wonder　that　the　appearance　of　〃Telemaque；〃　published　in　Holland

without　the　permission　of　Fenelon；　delighted　throughout　Europe　that

public　which　is　always　delighted　with　new　truths；　as　long　as　it　is

not　required　to　practise　them。　　To　read　〃Telemaque〃　was　the　right

and　the　enjoyment　of　everyone。　　To　obey　it；　the　duty　only　of

princes。　　No　wonder　that；　on　the　other　hand；　this　〃Vengeance　de

peuples；　lecon　des　rois；〃　as　M。　de　Lamartine　calls　it；　was　taken　for

the　bitterest　satire　by　Louis　XIV。；　and　completed　the　disgrace　of

one　who　had　dared　to　teach　the　future　king　of　France　that　he　must

show　himself；　in　all　things；　the　opposite　of　his　grandfather。　　No

wonder　if　Madame　de　Maintenon　and　the　court　looked　on　its　portraits

of　wicked　ministers　and　courtiers　as　caricatures　of　themselves；

portraits　too；　which；　〃composed　thus　in　the　palace　of　Versailles；

under　the　auspices　of　that　confidence　which　the　king　had　placed　in

the　preceptor　of　his　heir；　seeme