the origins of contemporary france-3-第4章

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foundations　of　the　new　one　are　not　yet　laid；　society　has　to　be　made

over　again　from　top　to　bottom。　All　willing　men　are　asked　to　come　and

help；　and；　as　one　plain　principle　suffices　in　drawing　a　plan；　the

first　comer　may　succeed。　Henceforth　political　fancies　swarm　in　the

district　meetings；　in　the　clubs；　in　the　newspapers；　in　pamphlets；　and

in　every　head…long；　venturesome　brain。



　〃There　is　not　a　merchant's　clerk　educated　by　reading　the　'Nouvelle

Héloise；'＇11＇　　not　a　school　teacher　that　has　translated　ten　pages　of

Livy；　not　an　artist　that　has　leafed　through　Rollin；　not　an　aesthete

converted　into　journalists　by　committing　to　memory　the　riddles　of　the

'Contrat　Social；'　who　does　not　draft　a　constitution。　。　。　As　nothing　is

easier　than　to　perfect　a　daydream；　　all　perturbed　minds　gather；　and

become　excited；　in　this　ideal　realm。　They　start　out　with　curiosity　and

end　up　with　enthusiasm。　The　man　in　the　street　rushes　to　the　enterprise

in　the　same　manner　as　a　miser　to　a　conjurer　promising　treasures；　and；

thus　childishly　attracted；　each　hopes　to　find　at　once；　what　has　never

been　seen　under　even　the　most　liberal　governments：　perpetual

perfection；　universal　brotherhood；　the　power　of　acquiring　what　one

lacks；　and　a　life　composed　wholly　of　enjoyment。〃



　　　One　of　these　pleasures；　and　a　keen　one；　is　to　daydream。　One　soars

in　space。　By　means　of　eight　or　ten　ready…made　sentences；　found　in　the

six…penny　catechisms　circulated　by　thousands　in　the　country　and　in　the

suburbs　of　the　towns　and　cities；＇12＇　a　village　attorney；　a　customs

clerk；　a　theater　attendant；　a　sergeant　of　a　soldier's　mess；　　becomes　a

legislator　and　philosopher。　He　criticizes　Malouet；　Mirabeau；　the

Ministry；　the　King；　the　Assembly；　the　Church；　foreign　Cabinets；

France；　and　all　Europe。　Consequently；　on　these　important　subjects；

which　always　seemed　forever　forbidden　to　him；　he　offers　resolutions；

reads　addresses；　makes　harangues；　obtains　applause；　and　congratulates

himself　on　having　argued　so　well　and　with　such　big　words。　To　hold　fort

on　questions　that　are　not　understood　is　now　an　occupation；　a　matter　of

pride　and　profit。



〃More　is　uttered　in　one　day；〃　says　an　eye…witness；＇13＇　〃in　one　section

of　Paris　than　in　one　year　in　all　the　Swiss　political　assemblies　put

together。　An　Englishman　would　give　six　weeks　of　study　to　what　we

dispose　of　in　a　quarter　of　an　hour。〃



Everywhere；　in　the　town　halls；　in　popular　meetings；　in　the　sectional

assemblies；　in　the　wine　shops；　on　the　public　promenades；　on　street

corners　vanity　erects　a　tribune　of　verbosity。



〃Contemplate　the　incalculable　activity　of　such　a　machine　in　a

loquacious　nation　where　the　passion　for　being　something　dominates　all

other　affections；　where　vanity　has　more　phases　than　there　are　starts

in　the　firmament；　where　reputations　already　cost　no　more　than　the

trouble　of　insisting　on　their　being　deserved；　where　society　is　divided

between　mediocrities　and　their　trumpeters　who　laud　them　as　divinities；

where　so　few　people　are　content　with　their　lot；　where　the　corner

grocer　is　prouder　of　his　epaulette　than　the　Grand　Condé　of　his

Marshal's　baton；　where　agitation　without　object　or　resources　is

perpetual；　where；　from　the　floor…scrubber　to　the　dramatist；　from　the

academician　to　the　simpleton　who　gets　muddled　over　the　evening

newspaper；　from　the　witty　courtier　down　to　his　philosophic　lackey；

each　one　revises　Montesquieu　with　the　self…sufficiency　of　a　child

which；　because　it　is　learning　to　read；　deems　itself　wise；　where　self…

esteem；　in　disputation；　caviling　and　sophistication；　destroys　all

sensible　conversation；　where　no　one　utters　a　word；　but　to　teach；　never

imagining　that　to　learn　one　must　keep　quiet；　where　the　triumphs　of　a

few　lunatics　entice　every　crackbrain　from　his　den；　where；　with　two

nonsensical　ideas　put　together　out　of　a　book　that　is　not　understood；　a

man　assumes　to　have　principles；　where　swindlers　talk　about　morality；

women　of　easy　virtue　about　civism；　and　the　most　infamous　of　beings

about　the　dignity　of　the　species；　where　the　discharged　valet　of　a

grand　seignior　calls　himself　Brutus！〃



…　In　reality；　he　is　Brutus　in　his　own　eyes。　Let　the　time　come　and　he

will　be　so　in　earnest；　especially　against　his　late　master；　all　he　has

to　do　is　to　give　him　a　thrust　with　his　pike。　Until　he　acts　out　the

part　he　spouts　it；　and　grows　excited　over　his　own　tirades；　his　common

sense　gives　way　to　the　bombastic　jargon　of　the　revolution　and　to

declamation；　which　completes　the　Utopian　performance　and　eases　his

brain　of　its　last　　modicum　of　ballast。



It　is　not　merely　ideas　which　the　new　regime　has　disturbed；　but　it　has

also　disordered　sentiments。　　〃Authority　is　transferred　from　the

Chateau　of　Versailles　and　the　courtier's　antechamber；　with　no

intermediary　or　counterpoise；　to　the　proletariat　and　its

flatterers。〃＇14＇　　The　whole　of　the　staff　of　the　old　government　is

brusquely　set　aside；　while　a　general　election　has　brusquely　installed

another　in　is　place；　offices　not　being　given　to　capacity；　seniority；

and　experience；　but　to　self…sufficiency；　intrigue；　and　exaggeration。

Not　only　are　legal　rights　reduced　to　a　common　level；　but　natural

grades　are　transposed；　the　social　ladder；　overthrown；　is　set　up　again

bottom　upwards；　the　first　effect　of　the　promised　regeneration　is　　〃to

substitute　in　the　administration　of　public　affairs　pettifoggers　for

magistrates；　ordinary　citizens　for　cabinet　ministers；　ex…commoners　for

ex…nobles；　rustics　for　soldiers；　soldiers　for　captains；　captains　for

generals；　curés　for　bishops；　vicars　for　curés；　monks　for　vicars；

brokers　for　financiers；　empiricists　for　administrators；　journalists

for　political　economists；　stump…orators　for　legislators；　and　the　poor

for　the　rich。〃　　…　　Every　species　of　covetousness　is　stimulated　by　this

spectacle。　The　profusion　of　offices　and　the　anticipation　of　vacancies

〃has　excited　the　thirst　for　command；　stimulated　self…esteem；　and

inflamed　the　hopes　of　the　most　inept。　A　rude　and　grim　presumption

renders　the　fool　and　the　ignoramus　unconscious　of　their

insignificance。　They　have　deemed　themselves　capable　of　anything；

because　the　law　granted　public　functions　merely　to　capacity。　There　has

appeared　in　front　of　one　and　all　an　ambitious　perspective；　the　soldier

thinks　only　of　displacing　his　captain；　the　captain　of　becoming

general；　the　clerk　of　supplanting　the　chief　of　his　department；　the

new…fledged　attorney　of　being　admitted　to　the　high　court；　the　curé　of

being　ordained　a　bishop；　the　shallow　scribbler　of　seating　himself　on

the　legislative　bench。　Offices　and　professions　vacated　by　the

appointment　of　so　many　upstarts　afford　in　their　turn　a　vast　field　for

the　ambition　of　the　lower　classes。〃　　Thus；　step　by　step；　owing　to

the　reversal　of　social　positions；　is　brought　about　a　general

intellectual　fever。



　〃France　is　transformed　into　a　gaming…table；　where；　alongside　of　the

discontented　citizen　offering　his　stakes；　sits；　bold；　blustering；　and

with　fermenting　brain；　the　pretentious　subaltern　rattling　his　dice…

box。　。　。　　At　the　sight　of　a　public　official　rising　from　nowhere；　　even

the　soul　of　a　bootblack　will　　bound　with　emulation。〃　　　　He　has

merely　to　push　himself　ahead　and　elbow　his　way　to　secure　a　ticket　　〃in

this　immense　lottery　of　popular　luck；　of　preferment　without　merit；　of

success　without　talent；　of　apotheoses　without　virtues；　of　an　infinity

of　places　distributed　by　the　people　wholesale；　and　enjoyed　by　the

people　in　detail。〃　　　　Political　charlatans　flock　thither　from　every

quarters；　those　taking　the　lead　who；　being　most　in　earnest；　believe　in

the　virtue　of　their　nostrum；　and　need　power　to　impose　its　recipe　on

the　community；　all　being　saviors；　all　places　belong　to　them；　and

especially　the　highest。　They　lay　siege　to　these　conscientiously　and

philanthropically　；　if　necessary；　they　will　take　them　by　assault；　hold

them　through　force；　and；　forcibly　or　otherwise；　administer　their　cure…

all　to　the　human　species。







III。



Psychology　of　the　Jacobin。　　His