the origins of contemporary france-4-第114章

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youthful　companions；　he　esteemed　their　good　opinion。　　Exempt　from

vexatious　or　burdensome　taxes；　tolerably　well　off；　owning　at　least　his

own　office；　he　was　above　sordid　preoccupations　and　common　necessities。

Used　to　old　fashioned　habits　of　simplicity；　soberness　and　economy；　he

was　not　tormented　by　a　disproportion　between　his　income　and　expenses；

by　the　requirements　of　show　and　luxury；　by　the　necessity　of　annually

adding　to　his　revenue。　　…　Thus　guided　and　free；　the　instincts　of

vanity　and　generosity；　the　essence　of　French　character；　took　the

ascendant；　the　councilor　or　comptroller；　the　King's　agent；　regarded

himself　as　a　man　above　the　common　run；　as　a　noble　of　the　Third…Estate；

he　thought　less　of　making　money　than　of　gaining　esteem；　his　chief

desire　was　to　be　honored　and　honorable；　〃he　passed　life　comfortably

and　was　looked　up　to；　。　　。　　。　　in　the　discharge　of　his　duty；　。　　。　　。

with　no　other　ambition　than　to　transmit　to　his　children　。　　。　　。　　。

along　with　their　inheritance　an　unsullied　reputation。〃＇80＇　　　Among　the

other　groups　of　the　bourgeoisie　the　same　corporate　system；　the　same

settled　habits；　the　same　security；　the　same　frugality；　the　same

institutions；　the　same　customs；＇81＇　promoted　the　growth　of　nearly　the

same　sentiments；　while　the　intellectual　culture　of　these　men　was　not

insignificant。　　Having　leisure；　they　were　given　to　reading；　as　they

were　not　overwhelmed　with　newspapers　they　read　books　worth　reading；　I

have　found　in　old　libraries　in　the　provinces；　in　the　houses　of　the

descendants　of　a　manufacturer　or　lawyer　in　a　small　town；　complete

editions　of　Voltaire；　Rousseau；　Montesquieu；　Buffon　and　Condillac；

with　marks　in　each　volume　showing　that　the　volume　had　been　read　by

someone　in　the　house　before　the　close　of　the　eighteenth　century。

Nowhere　else；　likewise；　had　all　that　was　sound　and　liberal　in　the

philosophy　of　the　eighteenth　century　found　such　a　welcome；　it　is　from

this　class　that　the　patriots　of　1789　were　recruited；　it　had　furnished

not　only　the　majority　of　the　Constituent　Assembly；　but　again　all　the

honest　men　who；　from　July；　1789　to　the　end　of　1791　performed　their

administrative　duties　so　disinterestedly；　and　with　such　devotion　and

zeal；　amidst　so　many　difficulties；　dangers　and　disappointments。

Composed　of　Feuillants　or　Monarchists；　possessing　such　types　of　men　as

Huez　of　Troyes　or　Dietrich　of　Strasbourg；　and　for　representatives　such

leaders　as　Lafayette　and　Bailly；　it　comprised　the　superior

intelligence　and　most　substantial　integrity　of　the　Third…Estate。　　It

is　evident　that；　along　with　the　nobles　and　clergy；　the　best　fruits　of

history　were　gathered　in　it；　and　most　of　the　mental　and　moral　capital

accumulated；　not　only　by　the　century；　but；　again；　by　preceding

centuries。



VI。　　　The　Demi…notables。



Where　recruited。　　…　Village　and　trade　syndics。　　…　Competency　of　their

electors。　　…　Their　interest　in　making　good　selections。　　…　Their

capacity　and　integrity。　　…　The　sorting　of　men　under　the　ancient

regime。　　…　Conditions　of　a　family's　maintenance　and　advancement。　　…

Hereditary　and　individual　right　of　the　Notable　to　his　property　and

rank。



Like　a　fire　lit　on　a　hilltop　overlooking　a　cold　and　obscure

countryside；　a　civilization；　kept　alive　with　much　expense　on　peaks　in

a　sea　of　human　barbarity；　radiating　while　its　rays　grow　dim；　its　light

and　warmth　fading　just　as　its　gleams　reach　remoter　and　deeper　strata。

Nevertheless；　both　penetrate　yet　sufficiently　far　and　deep　before

wholly　dying　out。　　If　we　want　to　appraise　their　power　in　France　at　the

close　of　the　eighteenth　century　we　must　add　to　the　notables　the　half…

notables　of　society；　namely；　the　men　who；　like　the　people；　were

devoted　to　manual　labor；　but　who；　among　the　people；　led　the　way；　say

one　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　families；　consisting　of　well…to…do

farmers；　small　rural　proprietors；　shopkeepers；　retailers；　foremen　and

master…workmen；　village　syndics　and　guild　syndics；＇82＇　those　who　were

established　and　had　some　capital；　owning　a　plot　of　land　and　a　house；

with　a　business　or　stock　of　tools；　and　a　set　of　customers；　that　is　to

say；　with　something　ahead　and　credit；　not　being　obliged　to　live　from

hand　to　mouth；　and　therefore；　beginning　to　be　independent　and　more

influential；　in　short；　the　overseers　of　the　great　social　work…house；

the　sergeants　and　corporals　of　the　social　army。　　…　They；　too；　were　not

unworthy　of　their　rank。　　In　the　village　or　trade　community；　the

syndic；　elected　by　his　equals　and　neighbors；　was　not　blindly

nominated；　all　his　electors　in　relation　to　him　were　competent；　if

peasants；　they　had　seen　him　turning　up　the　soil；　if　blacksmiths　or

joiners；　they　had　seen　him　at　work　in　his　forge；　or　at　the　bench。

And；　as　their　direct；　present　and　obvious　interests　were　concerned；

they　chose　him　for　the　best；　not　on　the　strength　of　a　newspaper

recommendation；　in　deference　to　a　vague　declamatory　platform　or

sounding；　empty　phrases；　but　according　to　their　personal　experiences；

and　the　thorough　knowledge　they　had　of　him。　　The　man　sent　by　the

village　to　represent　them　to　the　intendant　and　selected　by　the　guild

to　sit　in　the　town　council；　was　its　most　capable；　and　most　creditable

man；　one　of　those；　probably；　who；　through　his　application；

intelligence；　honesty　and　economy；　had　proved　the　most　prosperous；

some　master…workman　or　farmer　that　had　gained　experience　through　long

years　of　assiduity；　familiar　with　details　and　precedents；　of　good

judgment　and　repute；　more　interested　than　anybody　else　in　supporting

the　interests　of　the　community　and　with　more　leisure　than　others　to

attend　to　public　affairs。＇83＇　This　man；　through　the　nature　of　things；

imposed　himself　on　the　attention；　confidence；　and　deference　of　his

peers；　and；　because　he　was　their　natural　representative；　he　was　their

legal　representative。



Upon　the　whole；　if；　in　this　old　society；　the　pressure　was　unequally

distributed；　if　the　general　equilibrium　was　unstable；　if　the　upper

parts　bore　down　too　heavily　on　the　lower　ones；　the　sorting；　at　least；

which　goes　on　in　every　civilized　State；　constantly　separating　the

wheat　from　the　chaff；　went　on　tolerably　well；　except　at　the　center　and

at　the　Court；　where　the　winnowing　machine　had　worked　haphazard　and；

frequently；　in　an　opposite　sense　for　a　century；　the　separation

proceeded　regularly；　undoubtedly　slower；　but；　perhaps；　more　equitably

than　in　our　contemporary　democracy。　　The　chance　that　a　notable　by

right　could　become　a　notable　de　facto　was　then　much　greater：　it　was

less　difficult；　and　the　inclination　to　found；　maintain　and　perpetuate

a　family　or　a　business　was　much　stronger；　people　looked　more　often

beyond　themselves；　the　eyes　naturally　turned　outside　the　narrow　circle

of　one's　personality；　looking　backward　as　well　as　beyond　this　present

life。　　The　（later）　institution　of　an　equal　partition　of　property；　the

（later）　system　of　obligatory　partition　and　the　rule　of　partition　in

kind；　with　other　prescriptions　of　the　（new）　civil　code；　did　not　split

up　an　heritage　and　ruin　the　home。＇84＇　Parental　negligence　and　the

children's　lack　of　respect　and　consideration　had　not　yet　upset　the

authority　and　abolished　respect　in　the　family。　　Useful　and　natural

associations　were　not　yet　stifled　in　the　germ　nor　arrested　in　their

development　by　the　systematic　hostility　of　the　law。　　The　ease　and

cheapness　of　transportation；　the　promiscuity　of　schools；　the

excitement　of　competition；　everyone's　rush　to　placement　and　office；

the　increasing　excitement　of　ambition　and　greed；　had　not　（yet）

immeasurably　multiplied　the　class　of　irresponsible　malcontents　and

mischievous　nomads。　　In　the　political　order　of　things；　inaptitude；

envy；　brutality　were　not　sovereign；　universal　suffrage　did　not　exclude

from　power　the　men；　born；　bred　and　qualified　to　exercise　it；　countless

public　posts　were　not　offered　as　a　prey　to　charlatanism　and　to　the

intrigues　of　politicians。　　France　was　not　then；　as　now…a…days；　on　a

way　to　become　a　vast　lodging…house　administered　by　casual　managers；

c