scaramouche-第2章

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ranks　of　an　order　in　whose　deliberations　he　took　part　as　the
representative　of　a　nobleman；　was　not　at　all　surprised　by　what　he
heard。　　M。　de　Vilmorin　found　it　exasperating　that　his　friend　should
apparently　decline　to　share　his　own　indignation。

〃Don't　you　see　what　it　means？〃　he　cried。　　〃The　nobles；　by　disobeying
the　King；　are　striking　at　the　very　foundations　of　the　throne。　　Don't
they　perceive　that　their　very　existence　depends　upon　it；　that　if　the
throne　falls　over；　it　is　they　who　stand　nearest　to　it　who　will　be
crushed？　　Don't　they　see　that？〃

〃Evidently　not。　　They　are　just　governing　classes；　and　I　never　heard
of　governing　classes　that　had　eyes　for　anything　but　their　own　profit。〃

〃That　is　our　grievance。　　That　is　what　we　are　going　to　change。〃

〃You　are　going　to　abolish　governing　classes？　　An　interesting
experiment。　　I　believe　it　was　the　original　plan　of　creation；　and　it
might　have　succeeded　but　for　Cain。〃

〃What　we　are　going　to　do；〃　said　M。　de　Vilmorin；　curbing　his
exasperation；　〃is　to　transfer　the　government　to　other　hands。〃

〃And　you　think　that　will　make　a　difference？〃
　
〃I　know　it　will。〃

〃Ah！　　I　take　it　that　being　now　in　minor　orders；　you　already　possess
the　confidence　of　the　Almighty。　　He　will　have　confided　to　you　His
intention　of　changing　the　pattern　of　mankind。〃

M。　de　Vilmorin's　fine　ascetic　face　grew　overcast。　　〃You　are　profane；
Andre；〃　he　reproved　his　friend。

〃I　assure　you　that　I　am　quite　serious。　　To　do　what　you　imply　would
require　nothing　short　of　divine　intervention。　　You　must　change　man；
not　systems。　　Can　you　and　our　vapouring　friends　of　the　Literary
Chamber　of　Rennes；　or　any　other　learned　society　of　France；　devise　a
system　of　government　that　has　never　yet　been　tried？　　Surely　not。
And　can　they　say　of　any　system　tried　that　it　proved　other　than　a
failure　in　the　end？　　My　dear　Philippe；　the　future　is　to　be　read
with　certainty　only　in　the　past。　　Ab　actu　ad　posse　valet　consecutio。
Man　never　changes。　　He　is　always　greedy；　always　acquisitive；　always
vile。　　I　am　speaking　of　Man　in　the　bulk。〃

〃Do　you　pretend　that　it　is　impossible　to　ameliorate　the　lot　of　the
people？〃　M。　de　Vilmorin　challenged　him。

〃When　you　say　the　people　you　mean；　of　course；　the　populace。　　Will
you　abolish　it？　　That　is　the　only　way　to　ameliorate　its　lot；　for　as
long　as　it　remains　populace　its　lot　will　be　damnation。〃

〃You　argue；　of　course；　for　the　side　that　employs　you。　　That　is
natural；　I　suppose。〃　　M。　de　Vilmorin　spoke　between　sorrow　and
indignation。

〃On　the　contrary；　I　seek　to　argue　with　absolute　detachment。　　Let　us
test　these　ideas　of　yours。　　To　what　form　of　government　do　you　aspire？
A　republic；　it　is　to　be　inferred　from　what　you　have　said。　　Well；　you
have　it　already。　　France　in　reality　is　a　republic　to…day。〃

Philippe　stared　at　him。　〃You　are　being　paradoxical；　I　think。　　What
of　the　King？〃

〃The　King？　　All　the　world　knows　there　has　been　no　king　in　France
since　Louis　XIV。　　There　is　an　obese　gentleman　at　Versailles　who
wears　the　crown；　but　the　very　news　you　bring　shows　for　how　little
he　really　counts。　　It　is　the　nobles　and　clergy　who　sit　in　the　high
places；　with　the　people　of　France　harnessed　under　their　feet；　who
are　the　real　rulers。　　That　is　why　I　say　that　France　is　a　republic；
she　is　a　republic　built　on　the　best　pattern　…　the　Roman　pattern。
Then；　as　now；　there　were　great　patrician　families　in　luxury；
preserving　for　themselves　power　and　wealth；　and　what　else　is
accounted　worth　possessing；　and　there　was　the　populace　crushed　and
groaning；　sweating；　bleeding；　starving；　and　perishing　in　the　Roman
kennels。　　That　was　a　republic；　the　mightiest　we　have　seen。〃

Philippe　strove　with　his　impatience。　　〃At　least　you　will　admit　…　you
have；　in　fact；　admitted　it　…　that　we　could　not　be　worse　governed
than　we　are？〃

〃That　is　not　the　point。　　The　point　is　should　we　be　better　governed
if　we　replaced　the　present　ruling　class　by　another？　　Without　some
guarantee　of　that　I　should　be　the　last　to　lift　a　finger　to　effect　a
change。　　And　what　guarantees　can　you　give？　　What　is　the　class　that
aims　at　government？　　I　will　tell　you。　　The　bourgeoisie。〃

〃What？〃

〃That　startles　you；　eh？　　Truth　is　so　often　disconcerting。　　You　hadn't
thought　of　it？　　Well；　think　of　it　now。　　Look　well　into　this　Nantes
manifesto。　　Who　are　the　authors　of　it？〃

〃I　can　tell　you　who　it　was　constrained　the　municipality　of　Nantes
to　send　it　to　the　King。　　Some　ten　thousand　workmen　…　shipwrights；
weavers；　labourers；　and　artisans　of　every　kind。〃

〃Stimulated　to　it；　driven　to　it；　by　their　employers；　the　wealthy
traders　and　shipowners　of　that　city；〃　Andre…Louis　replied。　　〃I　have
a　habit　of　observing　things　at　close　quarters；　which　is　why　our
colleagues　of　the　Literary　Chamber　dislike　me　so　cordially　in　debate。
Where　I　delve　they　but　skim。　Behind　those　labourers　and　artisans　of
Nantes；　counselling　them；　urging　on　these　poor；　stupid；　ignorant
toilers　to　shed　their　blood　in　pursuit　of　the　will　o'　the　wisp　of
freedom；　are　the　sail…makers；　the　spinners；　the　ship…owners　and　the
slave…traders。　　The　slave…traders！　　The　men　who　live　and　grow　rich
by　a　traffic　in　human　flesh　and　blood　in　the　colonies；　are　conducting
at　home　a　campaign　in　the　sacred　name　of　liberty！　　Don't　you　see　that
the　whole　movement　is　a　movement　of　hucksters　and　traders　and
peddling　vassals　swollen　by　wealth　into　envy　of　the　power　that　lies
in　birth　alone？　　The　money…changers　in　Paris　who　hold　the　bonds　in
the　national　debt；　seeing　the　parlous　financial　condition　of　the
State；　tremble　at　the　thought　that　it　may　lie　in　the　power　of　a
single　man　to　cancel　the　debt　by　bankruptcy。　　To　secure　themselves
they　are　burrowing　underground　to　overthrow　a　state　and　build　upon
its　ruins　a　new　one　in　which　they　shall　be　the　masters。　　And　to
accomplish　this　they　inflame　the　people。　　Already　in　Dauphiny　we
have　seen　blood　run　like　water　…　the　blood　of　the　populace；　always
the　blood　of　the　populace。　　Now　in　Brittany　we　may　see　the　like。
And　if　in　the　end　the　new　ideas　prevail？　　if　the　seigneurial　rule
is　overthrown；　what　then？　　You　will　have　exchanged　an　aristocracy
for　a　plutocracy。　　Is　that　worth　while？　　Do　you　'think　that　under
money…changers　and　slave…traders　and　men　who　have　waxed　rich　in
other　ways　by　the　ignoble　arts　of　buying　and　selling；　the　lot　of
the　people　will　be　any　better　than　under　their　priests　and　nobles？
Has　it　ever　occurred　to　you；　Philippe；　what　it　is　that　makes　the
rule　of　the　nobles　so　intolerable？　　Acquisitiveness。　　Acquisitiveness
is　the　curse　of　mankind。　　And　shall　you　expect　less　acquisitiveness
in　men　who　have　built　themselves　up　by　acquisitiveness？　　Oh；　I　am
ready　to　admit　that　the　present　government　is　execrable；　unjust；
tyrannical　…　what　you　will；　but　I　beg　you　to　look　ahead；　and　to　see
that　the　government　for　which　it　is　aimed　at　exchanging　it　may　be
infinitely　worse。〃

Philippe　sat　thoughtful　a　moment。　　Then　he　returned　to　the　attack。

〃You　do　not　speak　of　the　abuses；　the　horrible；　intolerable　abuses
of　power　under　which　we　labour　at　present。〃

〃Where　there　is　power　there　will　always　be　the　abuse　of　it。〃

〃Not　if　the　tenure　of　power　is　dependent　upon　its　equitable
administration。〃

〃The　tenure　of　power　is　power。　　We　cannot　dictate　to　those　who　hold
it。〃

〃The　people　can　…　the　people　in　its　might。〃

〃Again　I　ask　you；　when　you　say　the　people　do　you　mean　the　populace？
You　do。　　What　power　can　the　populace　wield？　　It　can　run　wild。　　It
can　burn　and　slay　for　a　time。　　But　enduring　power　it　cannot　wield；
because　power　demands　qualities　which　the　populace　does　not　possess；
or　it　would　not　be　populace。　　The　inevitable；　tragic　corollary　of
civilization　is　populace。　　For　the　rest；　abuses　can　be　corrected　by
equity；　and　equity；　if　it　is　not　found　in　the　enlightened；　is　not
to　be　found　at　all。　　M。　Necker　is　to　set　about　correcting　abuses；
and　limiting　privileges。　　That　is　decided。　　To　that　end　the　States
General　are　to　assemble。〃

〃And　a　promising　beginning　we　have　made　in　Brittany；　as　Heaven　hears
me！〃　cried　Philippe。

〃Pooh！　　That　is　nothing。　　Naturally　the　nobles　will　not　yield　without
a　struggle。　　It　is　a　futile　and　ridiculous　struggle　…　but　then。。。　it
is　human　nature；　I　suppose；　to　be　futile　a