the origins of contemporary france-5-第47章

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Strasbourg　a　sovereign　town；　the　Bishop　of　Mende　and　the　Abbess　of

Remiremont；　sovereign　princes；＇27＇　every　seignior；　laic；　or

ecclesiastic；　was　so　in　his　own　domain；　and　he　still　possessed　some

remnants　of　public　power。　In　brief；　we　see　thousands　of　states　within

the　State；　absorbed；　but　not　assimilated；　each　with　its　own　statutes；

its　own　legal　customs；　its　own　civil　law；　its　own　weights　and

measures；　several　with　special　privileges　and　immunities；　some　with

their　own　jurisdiction　and　their　own　peculiar　administration；　with

their　own　imposts　and　tariffs　like　so　many　more　or　less　dismantled

fortresses；　but　whose　old　feudal；　municipal；　or　provincial　walls　still

rose　lofty　and　thick　on　the　soil　comprehended　within　the　national

enclosure。



Nothing　could　be　more　irregular　than　this　total　aggregate　thus　formed；

it　is　not　really　an　entire　whole；　but　an　agglomeration。　No　plan；　good

or　bad；　has　been　followed　out　；　the　architecture　is　of　ten　different

styles　and　of　ten　different　epochs。　That　of　the　dioceses　is　Roman　and

of　the　fourth　century；　that　of　the　seignories　is　Gothic　and　of　the

ninth　century；　one　structure　dates　from　the　Capetians；　another　from

the　Valois；　and　each　bears　the　character　of　its　date。　Because　each　has

been　built　for　itself　and　with　no　regard　to　the　others；　adapted　to　an

urgent　service　according　to　the　exigencies　or　requirements　of　time；

place；　and　circumstance　；　afterward；　when　circumstances　changed；　it

had　to　adapt　itself　to　other　services；　and　this　constantly　from

century　to　century；　under　Philippe　le　Bel；　under　Louis　XI。；　under

Francis　I。；　under　Richelieu；　under　Louis　XIV。；　through　constant

revision　which　never　consists　of　entire　destruction；　through　a　series

of　partial　demolitions　and　of　partial　reconstructions；　in　such　a　way

as　to　maintain　itself；　during　the　transformation；　in　conciliating；

well　or　ill；　new　demands　and　rooted　habits；　in　reconciling　the　work　of

the　passing　generation　with　the　works　of　generations　gone　before。　…

The　central　seignory　itself　is　merely　a　donjon　of　the　tenth　century；　a

military　tower　of　which　the　enclosure　has　extended　so　as　to　embrace

the　entire　territory；　and　of　which　the　other　buildings；　more　or　less

incorporated　with　it；　have　become　prolongations。　…　A　similar　medley　of

constructions　…　disfigured　by　such　mutilations；　adjuncts；　and　patches；

a　pell…mell　so　complicated　with　such　incongruous　bits　and　fragments　…

can　be　comprehended　only　by　antiquaries　and　historians；　ordinary

spectators…　…　the　public　…　pronounce　it　absurd；　it　finds　no　favor　with

that　class　of　reasoners　who；　in　social　architecture　as　in　physical

architecture；　repudiate　disorder；　posit　theories；　deduce　consequences；

and　require　that　every　work　shall　proceed　from　the　application　of　a

simple　idea。



And　worse　still；　not　only　is　good　taste　offended　but；　again；　good

sense　often　murmurs。　Practically；　the　edifice　fails　in　its　object；

for；　erected　for　men　to　dwell　in；　it　is　in　many　places　scarcely

habitable。　Because　it　endures　it　is　found　superannuated；　ill…adapted

to　prevailing　customs　；　it　formerly　suited；　and　still　suits；　the

feudal；　scattered；　and　militant　way　of　living；　hence　it　no　longer

suits　the　unity　and　repose　of　modern　life。　New…born　rights　obtain　no

place　in　it　alongside　of　established　rights；　it　is　either　not

sufficiently　transformed　or　it　has　been　transformed　in　an　opposite

sense；　in　such　a　way　as　to　be　inconvenient　or　unhealthy；　badly

accommodating　people　who　are　useful　and　giving　good　accommodations　to

useless　people；　costing　too　much　to　keep　up　and　causing　discomfort　and

discontent　to　nearly　all　its　occupants。　…　In　France；　in　particular；

the　best　apartments；　especially　that　of　the　King；　are　for　a　century

past　too　high　and　too　large；　too　sumptuous　and　too　expensive。　Since

Louis　XIV。　these　have　imperceptibly　ceased　to　be　government　and

business　bureaus；　they　have　become　in　their　disposition；　decoration；

and　furnishing；　saloons　for　pomp　and　conversation；　the　occupants　of

which；　for　lack　of　other　employment；　delight　in　discussing

architecture　and　in　tracing　plans　on　paper　for　an　imaginary　edifice　in

which　everybody　will　find　himself　comfortable。　Now；　underneath　these；

everybody　finds　himself　uncomfortable；　the　bourgeoisie　in　its　small

scanty　lodgings　on　the　ground…floor　and　the　people　in　their　holes　in

the　cellar；　which　are　low　and　damp；　wherein　light　and　air　never

penetrate。　Innumerable　vagabonds　and　vagrants　are　still　worse　off；

for；　with　no　shelter　or　fireside；　they　sleep　under　the　stars；　and　as

they　are　without　anything　to　care　for；　they　are　disposed　to　pull

everything　down。　…　Under　the　double　pressure　of　insurrection　and

theory　the　demolition　begins；　while　the　fury　of　destruction　goes　on

increasing　until　nothing　is　left　of　the　razed　edifice　but　the　soil　it

stood　on。



The　new　one　rises　on　this　cleared　ground　and；　historically　as　well　as

structurally；　it　differs　from　all　the　others。　…　In　less　than　ten　years

it　springs　up　and　is　finished　according　to　a　plan　which；　from　the

first　day；　is　definite　and　complete。　It　forms　one　unique；　vast；

monumental　block；　in　which　all　branches　of　the　service　are　lodged

under　one　roof；　in　addition　to　the　national　and　general　services

belonging　to　the　public　power；　we　find　here　others　also；　local　and

special；　which　do　not　belong　to　it；　such　as　worship；　education；

charity；　fine　arts；　literature；　departmental　and　communal　interests；

each　installed　in　a　distinct　compartment。　All　the　compartments　are

ordered　and　arranged　alike；　forming　a　circle　around　the　magnificent

central　apartment；　with　which　each　is　in　communication　by　a　bell；　as

soon　as　the　bell　rings　and　the　sound　spreads　from　division　to　sub…

division；　the　entire　service；　from　the　chief　clerk　down　to　the　lowest

employee；　is　instantly　in　motion；　in　this　respect　the　arrangement；　as

regards　despatch；　co…ordination；　exactitude；　and　working　facilities；

is　admirable。＇28＇



On　the　other　hand；　its　advantages　and　attractions　for　employees　and

aspirants　of　every　kind　and　degree　are　not　mediocre。　There　is　no

separation　between　the　stories；　no　insurmountable　barrier　or　enclosure

between　large　and　small　apartments；　all；　from　the　least　to　the　finest；

from　the　outside　as　well　as　from　the　inside；　have　free　access。

Spacious　entrances　around　the　exterior　terminate　in　broad；　well…

lighted　staircases　open　to　the　public；　everybody　can　clamber　up　that

pleases；　and　to　mount　these　one　must　clamber；　from　top　to　bottom　there

is　no　other　communication　than　that　which　they　present。　There　is　no

concealed　and　privileged　passage；　no　private　stairway　or　false　door；

glancing　along　the　whole　rectilinear；　uniform　flight；　we　behold　the

innumerable　body　of　clerks；　functionaries；　supernumeraries；　and

postulants；　an　entire　multitude；　ranged　tier　beyond　tier　and

attentive；　nobody　advances　except　at　the　word　and　in　his　turn。　…

Nowhere　in　Europe　are　human　lives　so　well　regulated；　within　lines　of

demarcation　so　universal；　so　simple；　and　so　satisfactory　to　the　eye

and　to　logic：　the　edifice　in　which　Frenchmen　are　henceforth　to　move

and　act　is　regular　from　top　to　bottom；　in　its　entirety　as　well　as　in

its　details；　outside　as　well　as　inside；　its　stories；　one　above　the

other；　are　adjusted　with　exact　symmetry；　its　juxtaposed　masses　form

pendants　and　counterpoise；　all　its　lines　and　forms；　every　dimension

and　proportion；　all　its　props　and　buttresses　combine；　through　their

mutual　dependencies；　to　compose　a　harmony　and　to　maintain　an

equilibrium。　In　this　respect　the　structure　is　classic；　belonging　to

the　same　family　of　productions　which　the　same　spirit；　guided　by　the

same　method；　had　produced　in　Europe　for　the　previous　one　hundred　and

fifty　years。＇29＇　Its　analogues；　in　the　physical　order　of　things；　are

the　architectural　productions　of　Mansard；　Le　Notre；　and　their

successors；　from　the　structures　and　gardens　of　Versailles　down　to　and

embracing　the　Madeleine　and　the　Rue　de　Rivoli。　In　the　intellectual

order；　its　analogues　cons