the ancien regime-第2章

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too　many；　alas！who　are　still　mere　boys　in　mind。　　To　a　reasonable

household　suffrage　it　cannot　apply。　　The　man　who　（being　almost

certainly　married；　and　having　children）　can　afford　to　rent　a　5　pound

tenement　in　a　town；　or　in　the　country　either；　has　seen　quite　enough

of　life；　and　learnt　quite　enough　of　it；　to　form　a　very　fair　judgment

of　the　man　who　offers　to　represent　him　in　Parliament；　because　he　has

learnt；　not　merely　something　of　his　own　interest；　or　that　of　his

class；　butwhat　is　infinitely　more　importantthe　difference

between　the　pretender　and　the　honest　man。



The　causes　of　this　state　of　society；　which　is　peculiar　to　Britain；

must　be　sought　far　back　in　the　ages。　　It　would　seem　that　the

distinction　between　〃earl　and　churl〃　（the　noble　and　the　non…noble

freeman）　was　crushed　out　in　this　island　by　the　two　Norman　conquests…

…that　of　the　Anglo…Saxon　nobility　by　Sweyn　and　Canute；　and　that　of

the　Anglo…Danish　nobility　by　William　and　his　Frenchmen。　　Those　two

terrible　calamities；　following　each　other　in　the　short　space　of

fifty　years；　seem　to　have　welded　together；　by　a　community　of

suffering；　all　ranks　and　races；　at　least　south　of　the　Tweed；　and

when　the　English　rose　after　the　storm；　they　rose　as　one　homogeneous

people；　never　to　be　governed　again　by　an　originally　alien　race。　　The

English　nobility　were；　from　the　time　of　Magna　Charta；　rather　an

official　nobility；　than；　as　in　most　continental　countries；　a

separate　caste；　and　whatever　caste　tendencies　had　developed

themselves　before　the　Wars　of　the　Roses　（as　such　are　certain　to　do

during　centuries　of　continued　wealth　and　power）；　were　crushed　out　by

the　great　revolutionary　events　of　the　next　hundred　years。

Especially　did　the　discovery　of　the　New　World；　the　maritime　struggle

with　Spain；　the　outburst　of　commerce　and　colonisation　during　the

reigns　of　Elizabeth　and　James；　help　toward　this　good　result。　　It　was

in　vain　for　the　Lord　Oxford　of　the　day；　sneering　at　Raleigh's　sudden

elevation；　to　complain　that　as　on　the　virginals；　so　in　the　State；

〃Jacks　went　up；　and　heads　went　down。〃　　The　proudest　noblemen　were

not　ashamed　to　have　their　ventures　on　the　high　seas；　and　to　send

their　younger　sons　trading；　or　buccaneering；　under　the　conduct　of

low…born　men　like　Drake；　who　〃would　like　to　see　the　gentleman　that

would　not　set　his　hand　to　a　rope；　and　hale　and　draw　with　the

mariners。〃　　Thus　sprang　up　that　respect　for；　even　fondness　for；

severe　bodily　labour；　which　the　educated　class　of　no　nation　save　our

own　has　ever　felt；　and　which　has　stood　them　in　such　good　stead；

whether　at　home　or　abroad。　　Thus；　too；　sprang　up　the　system　of

society　by　which　（as　the　ballad　sets　forth）　the　squire's　son　might

be　a　〃'prentice　good；〃　and　marry





〃The　bailiff's　daughter　dear

That　dwelt　at　Islington；〃





without　tarnishing；　as　he　would　have　done　on　the　Continent；　the

scutcheon　of　his　ancestors。　　That　which　has　saved　England　from　a

central　despotism；　such　as　crushed；　during　the　eighteenth　century；

every　nation　on　the　Continent；　is　the　very　same　peculiarity　which

makes　the　advent　of　the　masses　to　a　share　in　political　power　safe

and　harmless；　namely；　the　absence　of　caste；　or　rather　（for　there　is

sure　to　be　a　moral　fact　underlying　and　causing　every　political　fact）

the　absence　of　that　wicked　pride　which　perpetuates　caste；　forbidding

those　to　intermarry　whom　nature　and　fact　pronounce　to　be　fit　mates

before　God　and　man。



These　views　are　not　mine　only。　　They　have　been　already　set　forth　so

much　more　forcibly　by　M。　de　Tocqueville；　that　I　should　have　thought

it　unnecessary　to　talk　about　them；　were　not　the　rhetorical　phrases；

〃Caste；〃　〃Privileged　Classes；〃　〃Aristocratic　Exclusiveness；〃　and

such…like；　bandied　about　again　just　now；　as　if　they　represented

facts。　　If　there　remain　in　this　kingdom　any　facts　which　correspond

to　those　words；　let　them　be　abolished　as　speedily　as　possible：　　but

that　such　do　remain　was　not　the　opinion　of　the　master　of　modern

political　philosophy；　M。　de　Tocqueville。



He　expresses　his　surprise　〃that　the　fact　which　distinguishes　England

from　all　other　modern　nations；　and　which　alone　can　throw　light　on

her　peculiarities；　。　。　。　has　not　attracted　more　attention；　。　。　。　and

that　habit　has　rendered　it；　as　it　were；　imperceptible　to　the　English

themselvesthat　England　was　the　only　country　in　which　the　system　of

caste　had　been　not　only　modified；　but　effectually　destroyed。　　The

nobility　and　the　middle　classes　followed　the　same　business；　embraced

the　same　professions；　and；　what　is　far　more　significant；

intermarried　with　each　other。　　The　daughter　of　the　greatest

nobleman〃　（and　this；　if　true　of　the　eighteenth　century；　has　become

far　more　true　of　the　nineteenth）　〃could　already；　without　disgrace；

marry　a　man　of　yesterday。〃　。　。　。



〃It　has　often　been　remarked　that　the　English　nobility　has　been　more

prudent；　more　able；　and　less　exclusive　than　any　other。　　It　would

have　been　much　nearer　the　truth　to　say；　that　in　England；　for　a　very

long　time　past；　no　nobility；　properly　so　called；　have　existed；　if　we

take　the　word　in　the　ancient　and　limited　sense　it　has　everywhere

else　retained。〃　。　。　。



〃For　several　centuries　the　word　'gentleman'〃　（he　might　have　added；

〃burgess〃）　〃has　altogether　changed　its　meaning　in　England；　and　the

word　'roturier'　has　ceased　to　exist。　　In　each　succeeding　century　it

is　applied　to　persons　placed　somewhat　lower　in　the　social　scale〃　（as

the　〃bagman〃　of　Pickwick　has　become；　and　has　deserved　to　become；　the

〃commercial　gentleman〃　of　our　day）。　　〃At　length　it　travelled　with

the　English　to　America；　where　it　is　used　to　designate　every　citizen

indiscriminately。　　Its　history　is　that　of　democracy　itself。〃　。　。　。



〃If　the　middle　classes　of　England；　instead　of　making　war　upon　the

aristocracy；　have　remained　so　intimately　connected　with　it；　it　is

not　especially　because　the　aristocracy　is　open　to　all；　but　rather；

because　its　outline　was　indistinct；　and　its　limit　unknown：　　not　so

much　because　any　man　might　be　admitted　into　it；　as　because　it　was

impossible　to　say　with　certainty　when　he　took　rank　there：　　so　that

all　who　approached　it　might　look　on　themselves　as　belonging　to　it；

might　take　part　in　its　rule；　and　derive　either　lustre　or　profit　from

its　influence。〃



Just　so；　and　therefore　the　middle　classes　of　Britain；　of　whatever

their　special　political　party；　are　conservative　in　the　best　sense　of

that　word。



For　there　are　not　three；　but　only　two；　classes　in　England；　namely；

rich　and　poor：　　those　who　live　by　capital　（from　the　wealthiest

landlord　to　the　smallest　village　shopkeeper）；　and　those　who　live　by

hand…labour。　　Whether　the　division　between　those　two　classes　is

increasing　or　not；　is　a　very　serious　question。　　Continued

legislation　in　favour　of　the　hand…labourer；　and　a　beneficence

towards　him；　when　in　need；　such　as　no　other　nation　on　earth　has　ever

shown；　have　done　much　to　abolish　the　moral　division。　　But　the　social

division　has　surely　been　increased　during　the　last　half　century；　by

the　inevitable　tendency；　both　in　commerce　and　agriculture；　to　employ

one　large　capital；　where　several　small　ones　would　have　been　employed

a　century　ago。　　The　large　manufactory；　the　large　shop；　the　large

estate；　the　large　farm；　swallows　up　the　small　ones。　　The　yeoman；　the

thrifty　squatter　who　could　work　at　two　or　three　trades　as　well　as

till　his　patch　of　moor；　the　hand…loom　weaver；　the　skilled　village

craftsman；　have　all　but　disappeared。　　The　handworker；　finding　it

more　and　more　difficult　to　invest　his　savings；　has　been　more　and

more　tempted　to　squander　them。　　To　rise　to　the　dignity　of　a

capitalist；　however　small；　was　growing　impossible　to　him；　till　the

rise　of　that　co…operative　movement；　which　will　do　more　than　any

social　or　political　impulse　in　our　day　for　the　safety　of　English

society；　and　the　loyalty　of　the　English　working　classes。　　And

meanwhileere　that　movement　shall　have　spread　throughout　the　length

and　breadth　of　the　land；　and　have　been　applied；　as　it　surely　will