the origins of contemporary france-5-第57章

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confiscated；　sold　and　destroyed；　and　the　remainder　in　the　hands　of　the

State　is　not　restored　and　again　applied　to　its　former　service。　Public

education；　worse　treated　than　public　charity；　does　not　recover　a　shred

of　its　former　endowment。　Consequently；　in　the　last　years　of　the

Directory；　and　even　early　in　the　Consulate；＇63＇　there　is　scarcely　any

instruction　given　in　France；　in　fact；　for　the　past　eight　or　nine　years

it　has　ceased；＇64＇　or　become　private　and　clandestine。　Here　and　there；

a　few　returned　priests；　in　spite　of　the　intolerant　law　and　with　the

connivance　of　the　local　authorities；　also　a　few　scattered　nuns；　teach

in　a　contraband　fashion　a　few　small　groups　of　Catholic　children　；　five

or　six　little　girls　around　a　disguised　Ursuline　nun　spell　out　the

alphabet　in　a　back　room；＇65＇　a　priest　without　tonsure　or　cassock

secretly　receives　in　the　evening　two　or　three　youths　whom　he　makes

translate　the　De　Viris。　…　During　the　intervals；　indeed；　of　the　Reign

of　Terror；　before　the　13th　of　Vendémiaire　and　the　18th　of　Fructidor；

sundry　schools　spring　up　again　like　tufts　of　grass　in　a　mowed　pasture…

ground；　but　only　in　certain　spots　and　meagerly；　moreover；　as　soon　as

the　Jacobin　returns　to　power　he　stubbornly　stamps　them　out；＇66＇　he

wants　to　have　teaching　all　to　himself。　…　Now　the　institution　by　which

the　State　pretends　to　replace　the　old　and　free　establishments　makes　a

figure　only　on　paper。　One　école　centrale　in　each　department　is

installed　or　decreed；　making　eighty　eight　on　the　territory　of　ancient

France；　this　hardly　supplies　the　place　of　the　eight　or　nine　hundred

high…schools　（collèges）；　especially　as　these　new　schools　are　hardly

viable；　being　in　ruin　at　the　very　start；＇67＇　poorly　maintained；　badly

furnished；　with　no　preparatory　schools　nor　adjacent　boarding…

houses；＇68＇　the　programme　of　studies　being　badly　arranged　and　parents

suspicious　of　the　spirit　of　the　studies。＇69＇　Thus；　there　is　little　or

no　attendance　at　most　of　the　courses　of　lectures；　only　those　on

mathematics　are　followed；　particularly　on　drawing；　and　especially

mechanical　and　geometrical　drawing；　probably　by　the　future　surveyors

and　engineers　of　roads　and　bridges；　by　building　contractors　and　a　few

aspirants　to　the　école　Polytechnique。　As　to　the　other　courses；　on

literature；　history；　and　the　moral　sciences；　as　comprehended　by　the

Republic　and　imposed　by　it；　these　obtain　not　over　a　thousand　auditors

in　all　France；　instead　of　72；000　pupils；　only　7000　or　8000　seek

superior　education；　while　six　out　of　seven；　instead　of　seeking　self…

culture；　simply　prepare　themselves　for　some　practical　pursuit。＇70＇



It　is　much　worse　with　primary　instruction。　This　task　is　given　to　the

local　authorities。　But；　as　they　have　no　money；　they　generally　shirk

this　duty；　and；　if　they　do　set　up　a　school；　are　unable　to　maintain

it。＇71＇　　On　the　other　hand；　as　instruction　must　be　laic　and　Jacobin；

〃almost　everywhere；〃＇72＇　the　teacher　is　an　outcast　layman；　a　fallen

Jacobin；　some　old；　starving　party　member；　unemployed；　foul…mouthed　and

of　ill…repute。　Families；　naturally；　refuse　to　trust　their　children

with　him；　even　when　honorable；　they　avoid　him；　and　the　reason　is　that；

in　1800；　Jacobin　and　scoundrel　have　become　synonymous　terms。

Henceforth；　parents　desire　that　their　children　should　learn　to　read　in

the　catechism　and　not　in　the　declaration　of　rights：＇73＇　as　they　view

it；　the　old　manual　formed　polite　and　civilized　youths　and　respectful

sons；　the　new　one　forms　only　insolent　rascals　and　precocious；　slovenly

blackguards。＇74＇　　Consequently；　the　few　primary　schools　in　which　the

Republic　has　placed　its　people　and　imposed　its　educational　system

remain　three…quarters　empty；　in　vain　does　she　close　the　doors　of　those

in　which　other　masters　teach　with　other　books；　fathers　persist　in

their　repugnance　and　distaste；　they　prefer　for　their　sons　utter

ignorance　to　unsound　instruction。＇75＇　…　A　secular　establishment；　created

and　provided　for　by　twenty　generations　of　benefactors；　gave　gratis；　or

at　a　much　lower　rate；　the　first　crumbs　of　intellectual　food　to　more

than　1；200；000　children。＇76＇　　It　was　demolished；　in　its　place；　a　few

improvised　and　wretched　barracks　distributed　here　and　there　a　small

ration　of　moldy　and　indigestible　bread。　Thereupon；　one　long；　low

murmur；　a　long　time　suppressed；　breaks　out　and　keeps　on　increasing；

that　of　parents　whose　children　are　condemned　to　go　hungry；　in　any

event；　they　demand　that　their　sons　and　daughters　be　no　longer　forced；

under　penalty　of　fasting；　to　consume　the　patent　flour　of　the　State；

that　is　to　say　a　nauseous；　unsatisfactory；　badly…kneaded；　badly…baked

paste　which；　on　trial；　proves　offensive　to　the　palate　and　ruinous　to

the　stomach。





VI。　Religion



The　Spirit　and　Ministrations　of　Catholicism。　…　How　the　Revolution

develops　a　sense　of　this。



Another　plaint　is　heard；　deeper　and　more　universal；　that　of　all　souls

in　which　regret　for　their　established　church　and　forms　of　worship

still　subsists　or　is　revived。



In　every　religious　system　discipline　and　rites　depend　upon　faith；　for

it　is　faith　alone　which　suggests　or　prescribes　these；　they　are　the

outcome　and　expansion　of　this；　it　attains　its　ends　through　these；　and

manifests　itself　by　them；　they　are　the　exterior　of　which　it　is　the

interior；　thus；　let　these　be　attacked　and　it　is　in　distress；　the

living；　palpitating　flesh　suffers　through　the　sensitive　skin。　…　In

Catholicism；　this　skin　is　more　sensitive　than　elsewhere；　for　it　clings

to　the　flesh；　not　alone　through　ordinary　adhesiveness；　the　effect　of

adaptation　and　custom；　but　again　through　a　special　organic　attachment；

consisting　of　dogmatic　doctrine；　theology；　in　its　articles　of　belief；

has　here　set　up　the　absolute　necessity　of　the　sacraments　and　of　the

priesthood；　consequently；　between　the　superficial　and　central

divisions　of　religion　the　union　is　complete。　The　Catholic　sacraments；

therefore；　are　not　merely　symbols；　they　possess　in　themselves　〃an

efficacious　power；　a　sanctifying　virtue。〃　〃That　which　they　represent；

they　really　work　out。〃＇77＇　　If　I　am　denied　access　to　them；　I　am　cut

off　from　the　fountains　to　which　my　soul　resorts　to　drink　in　grace；

pardon；　purity；　health　and　salvation。　If　my　children　cannot　be

regularly　baptized；　they　are　not　Christians；　if　extreme　unction　cannot

be　administered　to　my　dying　mother；　she　sets　out　on　the　long　journey

without　the　viaticum；　if　I　am　married　by　the　mayor　only；　my　wife　and　I

live　in　concubinage；　if　I　cannot　confess　my　sins；　I　am　not　absolved

from　them；　and　my　burdened　conscience　seeks　in　vain　for　the　helping

hand　which　will　ease　the　too　heavy　load；　if　I　cannot　perform　my　Easter

duties；　my　spiritual　life　is　a　failure；　the　supreme　and　sublime　act　by

which　it　perfects　itself　through　the　mystic　union　of　my　body　and　soul

with　the　body；　soul；　and　divinity　of　Jesus　Christ；　is　wanting。　…　Now；

none　of　these　sacraments　are　valid　if　they　have　not　been　conferred　by

a　priest；　one　who　bears　the　stamp　of　a　superior；　unique；　ineffaceable

character；　through　a　final　sacrament　consisting　of　ordination　and

which　is　conferred　only　on　certain　conditions；　among　other　conditions；

it　is　essential　that　this　priest　should　have　been　ordained　by　a

bishop；　among　other　conditions；　it　is　essential　that　this　bishop＇78＇

should　have　been　installed　by　the　Pope。　Consequently；　without　the　Pope

there　are　no　bishops；　without　bishops　no　priests；　without　priests　no

sacraments；　without　the　sacraments　no　salvation。　The　ecclesiastical

institution　is　therefore　indispensable　to　the　believer。　The　canonical

priesthood；　the　canonical　hierarchy　is　necessary　to　him　for　the

exercise　of　his　faith。　…　He　must　have　yet　more；　if　fervent　and

animated　with　true　old　Christian　sentiment；　ascetic　and　mystic；　which

separates　the　soul　from　this　world　and　ever　maintains　it　in　the

presence　of　God。　Several　things　are　requisite　to　this　end：



*　First；　vows　of　chastity；　poverty　and　obedience；　that　is　to　say；　the

steady　and　voluntary　repression　of　the　most　pow