the ancien regime-第14章

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men；　whom　it　itself　had　made　wicked。　　For　over　and　above　all

political；　economic；　social　wrongs；　there　were　wrongs　personal；

human；　dramatic；　which　stirred　not　merely　the　springs　of

covetousness　or　envy；　or　even　of　a　just　demand　for　the　freedom　of

labour　and　enterprise：　　but　the　very　deepest　springs　of　rage；

contempt；　and　hate；　wrongs　which　caused；　as　I　believe；　the　horrors

of　the　Revolution。



It　is　notorious　how　many　of　the　men　most　deeply　implicated　in　those

horrors　were　of　the　artist　classby　which　I　signify　not　merely

painters　and　sculptorsas　the　word　artist　has　now　got；　somewhat

strangely；　to　signify；　at　least　in　Englandbut　what　the　French

meant　by　ARTISTESproducers　of　luxuries　and　amusements；　play…

actors；　musicians；　and　suchlike；　down　to　that　〃distracted　peruke…

maker　with　two　fiery　torches；〃　who；　at　the　storm　of　the　Bastile；

〃was　for　burning　the　saltpetres　of　the　Arsenal；　had　not　a　woman　run

screaming；　had　not　a　patriot；　with　some　tincture　of　natural

philosophy；　instantly　struck　the　wind　out　of　him；　with　butt　of

musket　on　pit　of　stomach；　overturned　the　barrels；　and　stayed　the

devouring　element。〃　　The　distracted　peruke…maker　may　have　had　his

wrongsperhaps　such　a　one　as　that　of　poor　Triboulet　the　fool；　in

〃Le　Roi　s'amuse〃and　his　own　sound　reasons　for　blowing　down　the

Bastile；　and　the　system　which　kept　it　up。



For　these　very　ministers　of　luxurythen　miscalled　artfrom　the

periwig…maker　to　the　play…actorwho　like　them　had　seen　the

frivolity；　the　baseness；　the　profligacy；　of　the　rulers　to　whose

vices　they　pandered；　whom　they　despised　while　they　adored！　　Figaro

himself　may　have　looked　up　to　his　master　the　Marquis　as　a　superior

being　as　long　as　the　law　enabled　the　Marquis　to　send　him　to　the

Bastile　by　a　lettre　de　cachet；　yet　Figaro　may　have　known　and　seen

enough　to　excuse　him；　when　lettres　de　cachet　were　abolished；　for

handing　the　Marquis　over　to　a　Comite　de　Salut　Public。　　Disappointed

play…actors；　like　Collet　d'Herbois；　disappointed　poets；　like　Fabre

d'Olivet；　were；　they　say；　especially　ferocious。　　Why　not？

Ingenious；　sensitive　spirits；　used　as　lap…dogs　and　singing…birds　by

men　and　women　whom　they　felt　to　be　their　own　flesh　and　blood；　they

had；　it　may　be；　a　juster　appreciation　of　the　actual　worth　of　their

patrons　than　had　our　own　Pitt　and　Burke。　　They　had　played　the　valet：

and　no　man　was　a　hero　to　them。　　They　had　seen　the　nobleman　expose

himself　before　his　own　helots：　　they　would　try　if　the　helot　was　not

as　good　as　the　nobleman。　　The　nobleman　had　played　the　mountebank：

why　should　not　the　mountebank；　for　once；　play　the　nobleman？　　The

nobleman's　God　had　been　his　five　senses；　with　（to　use　Mr。　Carlyle's

phrase）　the　sixth　sense　of　vanity：　　why　should　not　the　mountebank

worship　the　same　God；　like　Carriere　at　Nantes；　and　see　what　grace

and　gifts　he　too　might　obtain　at　that　altar？



But　why　so　cruel？　　Because；　with　many　of　these　men；　I　more　than

suspect；　there　were　wrongs　to　be　avenged　deeper　than　any　wrongs　done

to　the　sixth　sense　of　vanity。　　Wrongs　common　to　them；　and　to　a　great

portion　of　the　respectable　middle　class；　and　much　of　the　lower

class：　　but　wrongs　to　which　they　and　their　families；　being　most　in

contact　with　the　noblesse；　would　be　especially　exposed；　namely；

wrongs　to　women。



Everyone　who　knows　the　literature　of　that　time；　must　know　what　I

mean：　　what　had　gone　on　for　more　than　a　century；　it　may　be　more　than

two；　in　France；　in　Italy；　andI　am　sorry　to　have　to　say　itGermany

likewise。　　All　historians　know　what　I　mean；　and　how　enormous　was　the

evil。　　I　only　wonder　that　they　have　so　much　overlooked　that　item　in

the　causes　of　the　Revolution。　　It　seems　to　me　to　have　been　more

patent　and　potent　in　the　sight　of　men；　as　it　surely　was　in　the　sight

of　Almighty　God；　than　all　the　political　and　economic　wrongs　put

together。　　They　might　have　issued　in　a　change　of　dynasty　or　of　laws。

That；　issued　in　the　blood　of　the　offenders。　　Not　a　girl　was　enticed

into　Louis　XV。's　Petit　Trianon；　or　other　den　of　aristocratic

iniquity；　but　left　behind　her；　parents　nursing　shame　and　sullen

indignation；　even　while　they　fingered　the　ill…gotten　price　of　their

daughter's　honour；　and　left　behind　also；　perhaps；　some　unhappy　boy

of　her　own　class；　in　whom　disappointment　and　jealousy　were

transformedand　who　will　blame　him？into　righteous　indignation；

and　a　very　sword　of　God；　all　the　more　indignant；　and　all　the　more

righteous；　if　education　helped　him　to　see；　that　the　maiden's

acquiescence；　her　pride　in　her　own　shame；　was　the　ugliest　feature　in

the　whole　crime；　and　the　most　potent　reason　for　putting　an　end；

however　fearful；　to　a　state　of　things　in　which　such　a　fate　was

thought　an　honour　and　a　gain；　and　not　a　disgrace　and　a　ruin；　in

which　the　most　gifted　daughters　of　the　lower　classes　had　learnt　to

think　it　more　noble　to　becomethat　which　they　becamethan　the

wives　of　honest　men。



If　you　will　read　fairly　the　literature　of　the　Ancien　Regime；　whether

in　France　or　elsewhere；　you　will　see　that　my　facts　are　true。　　If　you

have　human　hearts　in　you；　you　will　see　in　them；　it　seems　to　me；　an

explanation　of　many　a　guillotinade　and　fusillade；　as　yet　explained

only　on　the　ground　of　madnessan　hypothesis　which　（as　we　do　not　yet

in　the　least　understand　what　madness　is）　is　no　explanation　at　all。



An　age　of　decay；　incoherence；　and　makeshift；　varnish　and　gilding

upon　worm…eaten　furniture；　and　mouldering　wainscot；　was　that　same

Ancien　Regime。　　And　for　that　very　reason　a　picturesque　age；　like　one

of　its　own　landscapes。　　A　picturesque　bit　of　uncultivated　mountain；

swarming　with　the　prince's　game；　a　picturesque　old　robber　schloss

above；　now　in　ruins；　and　below；　perhaps；　the　picturesque　new

schloss；　with　its　French　fountains　and　gardens；　French　nymphs　of

marble；　and　of　flesh　and　blood　likewise；　which　the　prince　has

partially　paid　for；　by　selling　a　few　hundred　young　men　to　the

English　to　fight　the　Yankees。　　The　river；　too；　is　picturesque；　for

the　old　bridge　has　not　been　repaired　since　it　was　blown　up　in　the

Seven　Years'　War；　and　there　is　but　a　single　lazy　barge　floating　down

the　stream；　owing　to　the　tolls　and　tariffs　of　his　Serene　Highness；

the　village　is　picturesque；　for　the　flower　of　the　young　men　are　at

the　wars；　and　the　place　is　tumbling　down；　and　the　two　old　peasants

in　the　foreground；　with　the　single　goat　and　the　hamper　of　vine…

twigs；　are　very　picturesque　likewise；　for　they　are　all　in　rags。



How　sad　to　see　the　picturesque　element　eliminated；　and　the　quiet

artistic　beauty　of　the　scene　destroyed；to　have　steamers　puffing　up

and　down　the　river；　and　a　railroad　hurrying　along　its　banks　the

wealth　of　the　Old　World；　in　exchange　for　the　wealth　of　the　Newor

hurrying；　it　may　be；　whole　regiments　of　free　and　educated　citizen…

soldiers；　who　fight；　they　know　for　what。　　How　sad　to　see　the　alto

schloss　desecrated　by　tourists；　and　the　neue　schloss　converted　into

a　cold…water　cure。　　How　sad　to　see　the　village；　church　and　all；

built　up　again　brand…new；　and　whitewashed　to　the　very　steeple…top；

a　new　school　at　the　town…enda　new　crucifix　by　the　wayside。　　How

sad　to　see　the　old　folk　well　clothed　in　the　fabrics　of　England　or

Belgium；　doing　an　easy　trade　in　milk　and　fruit；　because　the　land

they　till　has　become　their　own；　and　not　the　prince's；　while　their

sons　are　thriving　farmers　on　the　prairies　of　the　far　West。　　Very

unpicturesque；　no　doubt；　is　wealth　and　progress；　peace　and　safety；

cleanliness　and　comfort。　　But　they　possess　advantages　unknown　to　the

Ancien　Regime；　which　was；　if　nothing　else；　picturesque。　　Men　could

paint　amusing　and　often　pretty　pictures　of　its　people　and　its

places。



Consider　that　word；　〃picturesque。〃　　It；　and　the　notion　of　art　which

it　expresses；　are　the　children　of　the　Ancien　Regimeof　the　era　of

decay。　　The　healthy；　vigorous；　earnest；　progressive　Middle　Age　never

dreamed　of　admiring；　much　less　of　painting；　for　their　own　sake；　rags

and　ruins；　the　fashion　sprang　up　at　the　end　of　the　seventeenth

century；　it　lingered