the origins of contemporary france-2-第39章

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taste；　they　are　not　satisfied　with　the　orations　made　amongst

themselves。　　　Lally　and　Necker；　having　made　〃affecting　and　sublime〃

speeches　at　the　H？tel…de…Ville；　the　Assembly　wish　them　to　be

repeated　before　them：＇11＇　　this　being　the　heart　of　France；　it　is

proper　for　it　to　answer　to　the　noble　emotions　of　all　Frenchmen。

Let　this　heart　throb　on；　and　as　strongly　as　possible；　for　that　is

its　office；　and　day　by　day　it　receives　fresh　impulses。　　　Almost　all

sittings　begin　with　the　reading　of　flattering　addresses　or　of

threatening　denunciations。　　　The　petitioners　frequently　appear　in

person；　and　read　their　enthusiastic　effusions；　their　imperious

advice；　their　doctrines　of　dissolution。　　　To…day　it　is　Danton；　in

the　name　of　Paris；　with　his　bull　visage　and　his　voice　that　seems　a

tocsin　of　insurrection；　to…morrow；　the　vanquishers　of　the　Bastille；

or　some　other　troop；　with　a　band　of　music　which　continues　playing

even　into　the　hall。　　　The　meeting　is　not　a　conference　for　business；

but　a　patriotic　opera；　where　the　eclogue；　the　melodrama；　and

sometimes　the　masquerade；　mingle　with　the　cheers　and　the　clapping　of

hands。＇12＇　　　A　serf　of　the　Jura　is　brought　to　the　bar　of　the

Assembly　aged　one　hundred　and　twenty　years；　and　one　of　the　members

of　the　cortège；　〃　M。　Bourbon　de　la　Crosnière；　director　of　a

patriotic　school；　asks　permission　to　take　charge　of　an　honorable　old

man；　that　he　may　be　waited　on　by　the　young　people　of　all　ranks；　and

especially　by　the　children　of　those　whose　fathers　were　killed　in　the

attack　on　the　Bastille。〃　＇13＇　Great　is　the　hubbub　and　excitement。

The　scene　seems　to　be　in　imitation　of　Berquin；＇14＇　with　the

additional　complication　of　a　mercenary　consideration。



But　small　matters　are　not　closely　looked　into；　and　the　Assembly；

under　the　pressure　of　the　galleries；　stoops　to　shows；　such　as　are

held　at　fairs。　　　Sixty　vagabonds　who　are　paid　twelve　francs　a　head；

in　the　costumes　of　Spaniards；　Dutchmen；　Turks；　Arabs；　Tripolitans；

Persians；　Hindus；　Mongols；　and　Chinese；　conducted　by　the　Prussian

Anacharsis　Clootz；　enter；　under　the　title　of　Ambassadors　of　the

Human　Race；　to　declaim　against　tyrants；　and　they　are　admitted　to　the

honors　of　the　sitting。　　　On　this　occasion　the　masquerade　is　a　stroke

devised　to　hasten　and　extort　the　abolition　of　nobility。＇15＇　At　other

times；　there　is　little　or　no　object　in　it；　its　ridiculousness　is

inexpressible；　for　the　farce　is　played　out　as　seriously　and

earnestly　as　in　a　village　award　of　prizes。　　　For　three　days；　the

children　who　have　taken　their　first　communion　before　the

constitutional　bishop　have　been　promenaded　through　the　streets　of

Paris；　at　the　Jacobin　club　they　recite　the　nonsense　they　have

committed　to　memory；　and；　on　the　fourth　day；　admitted　to　the　bar　of

the　Assembly；　their　spokesman；　a　poor　little　thing　of　twelve　years；

repeats　the　parrot…like　tirade。　　　He　winds　up　with　the　accustomed

oath；　upon　which　all　the　others　cry　out　in　their　piping；　shrill

voices；　〃　We　swear　！　〃　As　a　climax；　the　President；　Trejlhard；　a

sober　lawyer；　replies　to　the　little　gamins　with　perfect　gravity　in　a

similar　strain；　employing　metaphors；　personifications；　and

everything　else　belonging　to　the　stock…in…trade　of　a　pedant　on　his

platform：



　〃You　merit　a　share　in　the　glory　of　the　founders　of　liberty；

prepared　as　you　are　to　shed　your　blood　in　her　behalf。〃



　Immense　applause　from　the　〃left〃　and　the　galleries；　and　a　decree

ordering　the　speeches　of　both　president　and　children　to　be　printed。

The　children；　probably；　would　rather　have　gone　out　to　play；　but；

willingly　or　unwillingly；　they　receive　or　endure　the　honors　of　the

sitting。＇16＇



Such　are　the　tricks　of　the　stage　and　of　the　platform　by　which　the

managers　here　move　their　political　puppets。　　　Emotional

susceptibility；　once　recognized　as　a　legitimate　force；　thus　becomes

an　instrument　of　intrigue　and　constraint。　　　The　Assembly；　having

accepted　theatrical　exhibitions　when　these　were　sincere　and　earnest；

is　obliged　to　tolerate　them　when　they　become　mere　sham　and

buffoonery。　　　At　this　vast　national　banquet；　over　which　it　meant　to

preside；　and　to　which；　throwing　the　doors　wide　open；　it　invited　all

France；　its　first　intoxication　was　due　to　wine　of　a　noble　quality；

but　it　has　touched　glasses　with　the　populace；　and　by　degrees；　under

the　pressure　of　its　associates；　it　has　descended　to　adulterated　and

burning　drinks；　to　a　grotesque　unwholesome　inebriety　which　is　all

the　more　grotesque　and　unwholesome；　because　it　persists　in　believing

itself　to　be　reason。



　II。



Inadequacy　of　its　information　…　Its　composition　…　The　social

standing　and　culture　of　the　larger　number　…　Their　incapacity。

Their　presumption　…　Fruitless　advice　of　competent　men。…　Deductive

politics　…　Parties　…　The　minority；　its　faults　…　The　majority；　its

dogmatism。



If　reason　could　only　resume　its　empire　during　the　lucid　intervals！

But　reason　must　exist　before　it　can　govern；　and　in　no　French

Assembly；　except　the　two　following　this；　have　there　ever　been　fewer

political　intellects。　　…　　Strictly　speaking；　with　careful　search；

there　could　undoubtedly　be　found　in　France；　in　1789；　five　or　six

hundred　experienced　men；　such　as　the　intendants　and　military

commanders　of　every　province；　next　to　these　the　prelates；

administrators　of　large　dioceses　the　members　of　the　local

〃parlements；〃　whose　courts　gave　them　influence；　and　who；　besides

judicial　functions；　possessed　a　portion　of　administrative　power；　and

finally；　the　principal　members　of　the　Provincial　Assemblies；　all　of

them　influential　and　sensible　people　who　had　exercised　control　over

men　and　affairs；　at　once　humane；　liberal；　moderate；　and　capable　of

understanding　the　difficulty；　as　well　as　the　necessity；　of　a　great

reform；　indeed；　their　correspondence；　full　of　facts；　stated　with

precision　and　judgment；　when　compared　with　the　doctrinaire　rubbish

of　the　Assembly；　presents　the　strongest　possible　contrast。　　…　　But

most　of　these　lights　remain　under　a　bushel；　only　a　few　of　them　get

into　the　Assembly；　these　burn　without　illuminating；　and　are　soon

extinguished　in　the　tempest。'　I。　The　venerable　Machault　is　not　there；

nor　Malesherbes；　there　are　none　of　the　old　ministers　or　the　marshals

of　France。　　　Not　one　of　the　intendants　is　there；　except　Malouet；　and

by　the　superiority　of　this　man；　the　most　judicious　of　the　Assembly；

one　can　judge　the　services　which　his　colleagues　would　have　rendered。

Out　of　two　hundred　and　ninety…one　members　of　the　clergy；＇17＇　there

are　indeed　forty…eight　bishops　or　archbishops　and　thirty…five　abbots

or　canons；　but；　being　prelates　and　with　large　endowments；　they

excite　the　envy　of　their　order；　and　are　generals　without　any

soldiers。　　　We　have　the　same　spectacle　among　the　nobles。　　　Most　of

them；　the　gentry　of　the　provinces；　have　been　elected　in　opposition

to　the　grandees　of　the　Court。　　　Moreover；　neither　the　grandees　of

the　Court；　devoted　to　worldly　pursuits；　nor　the　gentry　of　the

provinces；　confined　to　private　life；　are　practically　familiar　with

public　affairs。　　　A　small　group　among　them；　twenty…eight　magistrates

and　about　thirty　superior　officials　who　have　held　command　or　have

been　connected　with　the　administration；　probably　have　some　idea　of

the　peril　of　society；　but　it　is　precisely　for　this　reason　that　they

seem　to　be　behind　the　age　and　remain　without　influence。　　…　　In　the

Third…Estate；　out　of　five　hundred　and　seventy…seven　members；　only

ten　have　exercised　any　important　functions；　those　of　intendant；

councillor　of　state；　receiver…general；　lieutenant　of　police；

director　of　the　mint；　and　others　of　the　same　category。　　　The　great

majority　is　composed　of　unknown　lawyers　and　people　occupying

inferior　positions　in　the　profession；　notaries；　royal　attorneys；

register　commissaries；　judges　and　assessors　of；　the　présidial；

bailiffs　and　lieutenants　of　the　bailiwick；　simple　practitioners

confined　from　their　youth　to　the　narrow　circle　of　an　inferior

jurisdiction　or　to　a　routine　of　scribbling；　with　no　escape　but