the origins of contemporary france-2-第54章

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along　with　the　Prince　de　Condé；　received　at　their　houses　the　evening

before　they　left　a　list　of　the　proscribed　on　which　their　names

appeared；　and　a　reward　was　promised　to　whoever　would　bring　their

heads　to　the　cellar　of　the　Palais…Royal　　　Others；　in　larger

numbers；　left　after　the　occurrences　of　the　6th　of　October。　　

During　the　last　months　of　the　Constituent　Assembly；＇35＇



　〃the　emigration　goes　on　in　companies　composed　of　men　of　every

condition。　　。　　。。　　Twelve　hundred　gentlemen　have　left　Poitou　alone；

Auvergne；　Limousin；　and　ten　other　provinces　have　been　equally

depopulated　of　their　landowners。　　There　are　towns　in　which　nobody

remains　but　common。　　workmen；　a　club；　and　the　crowd　of　devouring

office…holders　created　by　the　Constitution。　　All　the　nobles　in

Brittany　have　left；　and　the　emigration　has　begun　in　Normandy；　and　is

going　on　in　the　frontier　provinces。



　〃More　than　two…thirds　of　the　army　will　be　without　officers。〃　On

being　called　upon　to　take　the　new　oath　in　which　the　King's　name　is

purposely　omitted；　〃six　thousand　officers　send　in　their

resignation。〃



The　example　gradually　becomes　contagious；　they　are　men　of　the　sword；

and　their　honor　is　at　stake。　　Many　of　them　join　the　princes　at

Coblentz；　and。　　subsequently　do　battle　against　France　in　the　belief

that　they　are　contending　only　against　their　executioners。



The　treatment　of　the　nobles　by　the　Assembly　is　the　same　as　the

treatment　of　the　Protestants　by　Louis　XIV。＇36＇　In　both　cases　the

oppressed　are　a　superior　class　of　men。　　In　both　cases　France　has

been　made　uninhabitable　for　them。　　In　both　cases　they　are　reduced　to

exile；　and　they　are　punished　because　they　exiled　them　selves。　　In

both　cases　it　ended　in　a　confiscation　of　their　property；　and　in　the

penalty　of　death　to　all　who　should　harbor　them。　　In　both　cases；　by

dint　of　persecution；　they　are　driven　to　revolt。　　The　insurrection　of

La　Vendée　corresponds　with　the　insurrection　of　the　Cévennes；　and　the

emigrants；　like　the　refugees　of　former　times；　will　be　found　under。

the　flags　of　Prussia　and　of　England。　　One　hundred　thousand　Frenchmen

driven　out　at　the　end　of　the　seventeenth　century；　and　one　hundred

thousand　driven　out　at　the　end　of　the　eighteenth　century！　　Mark　how

an　intolerant　democracy　completes　the　work　of　an　intolerant

monarchy。　　The　moral　aristocracy　was　mowed　down　in　the　name　of

uniformity；　the　social　aristocracy　is　mowed　down　in　the　name　of

equality。　　For　the　second　time；　an　absolute　principle；　and　with　the

same　effect；　buries　its　blade　in　the　heart　of　a　living　society。



The　success　is　complete。　　One　of　the　deputies　of　the　Legislative

Assembly；　early　in　its　session；　on　being　informed　of　the　great

increase　in　emigration；　joyfully　exclaims；



〃SO　MUCH　THE　BETTER；　FRANCE　IS　BEING　PURGED！〃



She　is；　in　truth；　being　depleted　of　one…half　of　her　best　blood。







IV。



Abuse　and　lukewarmness　in　1789　in　the　ecclesiastical　bodies。　　…　How

the　State　used　its　right　of　overseeing　and　reforming　them。　　…　Social

usefulness　of　corporations。…　The　sound　part　in　the　monastic

institution。　　…　Zeal　and　services　of　nuns。　　…　How　ecclesiastical

possessions　should　be　employed。　　…　Principle　of　the　Assembly　as　to

private　communities；　feudal　rights　and　trust…funds。　　…　Abolition　and

expropriation　all　corporations。　　…　Uncompensated　suppression　of

tithes。…　Confiscation　of　ecclesiastical　possessions。　　…　Effect　on

the　Treasury　and　on　expropriated　services。　　…The　civil　constitution

of　the　clergy。…　Rights　of　the　Church　in　relation　to　the　State。　　…

Certainty　and　effects　of　a　conflict。　　…　Priests　considered　as　State…

functionaries。…　Principal　stipulations　of　the　law。　　…　Obligations　of

the　oath。　　…　The　majority　of　priests　refuse　to　take　it。　　…　The

majority　of　believes　on　their　side。　　…　Persecution　of　believers　and

of　priests。





There　remained　the　corporate；　ecclesiastic；　and　lay　bodies；　and；

notably；　the　oldest；　most　opulent；　and　most　considerable　of　all　the

regular　and　secular　clergy。　　　Grave　abuses　existed　here　also；　for；

the　institution　being　founded　on　ancient　requirements；　had　not

accommodated　itself　to　new　necessities。＇37＇　　There　were　too　many

episcopal　sees；　and　these　were　arranged　according　to　the　Christian

distribution　of　the　population　in　the　fourth　century；　a　revenue

still　more　badly　apportioned　　　bishops　and　abbés　with　one　hundred

thousand　livres　a　year；　leading　the　lives　of　amiable　idlers；　while

curés；　overburdened　with　work；　have　but　seven　hundred；　in　one

monastery　nineteen　monks　instead　of　eighty；　and　in　another　four

instead　of　fifty；＇38＇　a　number　of　monasteries　reduced　to　three　or　to

two　inhabitants；　and　even　to　one；　almost　all　the　congregations　of

men　going　to　decay；　and　many　of　them　dying　out　for　lack　of

novices；＇39＇　a　general　lukewarmness　among　the　members；　great　laxity

in　many　establishments；　and　with　scandals　in　some　of　them；　scarcely

one…third　taking　an　interest　in　their　calling；　while　the　remaining

two…thirds　wish　to　go　back　to　the　world；＇40＇　　　it　is　evident　from

all　this　that　the　primitive　inspiration　has　been　diverted　or　has

cooled；　that　the　endowment　only　partially　fulfills　its　ends；　that

one…half　of　its　resources　are　employed　in　the　wrong　way　or　remain

sterile；　in　short；　that　there　is　a　need　of　reformation　in　the　body。

　　That　this　ought　to　be　effected　with　the　co…operation　of　the

State　and　even　under　its　direction　is　not　less　certain。　　For　a

corporation　is　not　an　individual　like　other　individuals；　and；　in

order　that　it　may　acquire　or　possess　the　privileges　of　an　ordinary

citizen；　something　supplementary　must　be　added；　some　fiction；　some

expedient　of　the　law。　　If　the　law　is　disposed　to　overlook　the　fact

that　a　corporation　is　not　a　natural　personage；　if　it　gives　to　it　a

civil　personality；　if　it　declares　it　to　be　capable　of　inheriting；　of

acquiring　and　of　selling；　if　it　becomes　a　protected　and　respected

proprietor；　this　is　due　to　the　favors　of　the　State　which　places　its

tribunal　and　gendarmes　at　its　service；　and　which；　in　exchange　for

this　service；　justly　imposes　conditions　on　it；　and；　among　others；

that　of　being　useful　and　remaining　useful；　or　at　least　that　of　never

becoming　harmful。　　Such　was　the　rule　under　the　Ancient　Régime；　and

especially　since　the　Government　has　for　the　last　quarter　of　a

century　gradually　and　efficaciously　worked　out　a　reform。　　Not　only；

in　1749；　had　it　prohibited　the　Church　from　accepting　land；　either　by

donation；　by　testament；　or　in　exchange；　without　royal　letters…patent

registered　in　Parliament；　not　only　in　1764　had　it　abolished　the

order　of　Jesuits；　closed　their　colleges　and　sold　their　possessions；

but　also；　since　1766；　a　permanent　commission；　formed　by　the　King's

order　and　instructed　by　him；　had　lopped　off　all　the　dying　and　dead

branches　of　the　ecclesiastical　tree。＇41＇　There　was　a　revision　of　the

primitive　Constitutions；　a　prohibition　to　every　institution　to　have

more　than　two　monasteries　at　Paris　and　more　than　one　in　other　towns；

a　postponement　of　the　age　for　taking　vows　　　that　of　sixteen　being

no　longer　permitted　　　to　twenty…one　for　men　and　eighteen　for

women；　an　obligatory　minimum　of　monks　and　nuns　for　each

establishment；　which　varies　from　fifteen　to　nine　according　to

circumstances；　if　this　is　not　kept　up　there　follows　a　suppression　or

prohibition　to　receive　novices：　owing　to　these　measures；　rigorously

executed；　at　the　end　of　twelve　years　〃the　Grammontins；　the　Servites；

the　Celestins；　the　ancient　order　of　Saint…Bénédict；　that　of　the　Holy

Ghost　of　Montpellier；　and　those　of　Sainte…Brigitte；　Sainte…Croix…de…

la…Bretonnerie；　Saint…Ruff；　and　Saint…Antoine；〃　…　in　short；　nine

complete　congregations　had　disappeared。　　At　the　end　of　twenty　years

three　hundred　and　eighty…six　establishments　had　been　suppressed；　the

number　of　monks　and　nuns　had　diminished　one…third；　the　larger

portion　of　possessions　which　had　escheated　were　usefully　applied；

and　the　congregations　of　men　lacked　novices　and　complained　that　they

could　not　fill