the duchesse de langeais-第7章

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　been　led　astray　many　a　time；　but　she　is　deluded；　woman…like；　by　generous　ideas；　by　a　glow　of　enthusiasm　which　at　first　outstrips　sober　reason。

So；　to　begin　with；　the　most　striking　characteristic　of　the　Faubourg　is　the　splendour　of　its　great　mansions；　its　great　gardens；　and　a　surrounding　quiet　in　keeping　with　princely　revenues　drawn　from　great　estates。

And　what　is　this　distance　set　between　a　class　and　a　whole　metropolis　but　visible　and　outward　expression　of　the　widely　different　attitude　of　mind　which　must　inevitably　keep　them　apart？

The　position　of　the　head　is　well　defined　in　every　organism。　　If　by　any　chance　a　nation　allows　its　head　to　fall　at　its　feet；　it　is　pretty　sure　sooner　or　later　to　discover　that　this　is　a　suicidal　measure；　and　since　nations　have　no　desire　to　perish；　they　set　to　work　at　once　to　grow　a　new　head。　　If　they　lack　the　strength　for　this；　they　perish　as　Rome　perished；　and　Venice；　and　so　many　other　states。

This　distinction　between　the　upper　and　lower　spheres　of　social　activity；　emphasised　by　differences　in　their　manner　of　living；　necessarily　implies　that　in　the　highest　aristocracy　there　is　real　worth　and　some　distinguishing　merit。　　In　any　state；　no　matter　what　form　of　〃government〃　is　affected；　so　soon　as　the　patrician　class　fails　to　maintain　that　complete　superiority　which　is　the　condition　of　its　existence；　it　ceases　to　be　a　force；　and　is　pulled　down　at　once　by　the　populace。　　The　people　always　wish　to　see　money；　power；　and　initiative　in　their　leaders；　hands；　hearts；　and　heads；　they　must　be　the　spokesmen；　they　must　represent　the　intelligence　and　the　glory　of　the　nation。　　Nations；　like　women；　love　strength　in　those　who　rule　them；　they　cannot　give　love　without　respect；　they　refuse　utterly　to　obey　those　of　whom　they　do　not　stand　in　awe。　　An　aristocracy　fallen　into　contempt　is　a　roi　faineant；　a　husband　in　petticoats；　first　it　ceases　to　be　itself；　and　then　it　ceases　to　be。

And　in　this　way　the　isolation　of　the　great；　the　sharply　marked　distinction　in　their　manner　of　life；　or　in　a　word；　the　general　custom　of　the　patrician　caste　is　at　once　the　sign　of　a　real　power；　and　their　destruction　so　soon　as　that　power　is　lost。　　The　Faubourg　Saint…Germain　failed　to　recognise　the　conditions　of　its　being；　while　it　would　still　have　been　easy　to　perpetuate　its　existence；　and　therefore　was　brought　low　for　a　time。　　The　Faubourg　should　have　looked　the　facts　fairly　in　the　face；　as　the　English　aristocracy　did　before　them；　they　should　have　seen　that　every　institution　has　its　climacteric　periods；　when　words　lose　their　old　meanings；　and　ideas　reappear　in　a　new　guise；　and　the　whole　conditions　of　politics　wear　a　changed　aspect；　while　the　underlying　realities　undergo　no　essential　alteration。

These　ideas　demand　further　development　which　form　an　essential　part　of　this　episode；　they　are　given　here　both　as　a　succinct　statement　of　the　causes；　and　an　explanation　of　the　things　which　happen　in　the　course　of　the　story。　

The　stateliness　of　the　castles　and　palaces　where　nobles　dwell；　the　luxury　of　the　details；　the　constantly　maintained　sumptuousness　of　the　furniture；　the　〃atmosphere〃　in　which　the　fortunate　owner　of　landed　estates　（a　rich　man　before　he　was　born）　lives　and　moves　easily　and　without　friction；　the　habit　of　mind　which　never　descends　to　calculate　the　petty　workaday　gains　of　existence；　the　leisure；　the　higher　education　attainable　at　a　much　earlier　age；　and　lastly；　the　aristocratic　tradition　that　makes　of　him　a　social　force；　for　which　his　opponents；　by　dint　of　study　and　a　strong　will　and　tenacity　of　vocation；　are　scarcely　a　match…all　these　things　should　contribute　to　form　a　lofty　spirit　in　a　man；　possessed　of　such　privileges　from　his　youth　up；　they　should　stamp　his　character　with　that　high　self…respect；　of　which　the　least　consequence　is　a　nobleness　of　heart　in　harmony　with　the　noble　name　that　he　bears。　　And　in　some　few　families　all　this　is　realised。　　There　are　noble　characters　here　and　there　in　the　Faubourg；　but　they　are　marked　exceptions　to　a　general　rule　of　egoism　which　has　been　the　ruin　of　this　world　within　a　world。　　The　privileges　above　enumerated　are　the　birthright　of　the　French　noblesse；　as　of　every　patrician　efflorescence　ever　formed　on　the　surface　of　a　nation；　and　will　continue　to　be　theirs　so　long　as　their　existence　is　based　upon　real　estate；　or　money；　domaine…sol　and　domaine…argent　alike；　the　only　solid　bases　of　an　organised　society；　but　such　privileges　are　held　upon　the　understanding　that　the　patricians　must　continue　to　justify　their　existence。　　There　is　a　sort　of　moral　fief　held　on　a　tenure　of　service　rendered　to　the　sovereign；　and　here　in　France　the　people　are　undoubtedly　the　sovereigns　nowadays。　　The　times　are　changed；　and　so　are　the　weapons。　　The　knight…banneret　of　old　wore　a　coat　of　chain　armour　and　a　hauberk；；　he　could　handle　a　lance　well　and　display　his　pennon；　and　no　more　was　required　of　him；　today　he　is　bound　to　give　proof　of　his　intelligence。　　A　stout　heart　was　enough　in　the　days　of　old；　in　our　days　he　is　required　to　have　a　capacious　brain…pan。　　Skill　and　knowledge　and　capitalthese　three　points　mark　out　a　social　triangle　on　which　the　scutcheon　of　power　is　blazoned；　our　modern　aristocracy　must　take　its　stand　on　these。

A　fine　theorem　is　as　good　as　a　great　name。　　The　Rothschilds；　the　Fuggers　of　the　nineteenth　century；　are　princes　de　facto。　　A　great　artist　is　in　reality　an　oligarch；　he　represents　a　whole　century；　and　almost　always　he　is　a　law　to　others。　　And　the　art　of　words；　the　high　pressure　machinery　of　the　writer；　the　poet's　genius；　the　merchant's　steady　endurance；　the　strong　will　of　the　statesman　who　concentrates　a　thousand　dazzling　qualities　in　himself；　the　general's　swordall　these　victories；　in　short；　which　a　single　individual　will　win；　that　he　may　tower　above　the　rest　of　the　world；　the　patrician　class　is　now　bound　to　win　and　keep　exclusively。　　They　must　head　the　new　forces　as　they　once　headed　the　material　forces；　how　should　they　keep　the　position　unless　they　are　worthy　of　it？　　How；　unless　they　are　the　soul　and　brain　of　a　nation；　shall　they　set　its　hands　moving？　　How　lead　a　people　without　the　power　of　command？　　And　what　is　the　marshal's　baton　without　the　innate　power　of　the　captain　in　the　man　who　wields　it？

The　Faubourg　Saint…Germain　took　to　playing　with　batons；　and　fancied　that　all　the　power　was　in　its　hands。　　It　inverted　the　terms　of　the　proposition　which　called　it　into　existence。　　And　instead　of　flinging　away　the　insignia　which　offended　the　people；　and　quietly　grasping　the　power；　it　allowed　the　bourgeoisie　to　seize　the　authority；　clung　with　fatal　obstinacy　to　its　shadow；　and　over　and　over　again　forgot　the　laws　which　a　minority　must　observe　if　it　would　live。　　When　an　aristocracy　is　scarce　a　thousandth　part　of　the　body　social；　it　is　bound　today；　as　of　old；　to　multiply　its　points　of　action；　so　as　to　counterbalance　the　weight　of　the　masses　in　a　great　crisis。　　And　in　our　days　those　means　of　action　must　be　living　forces；　and　not　historical　memories。

In　France；　unluckily；　the　noblesse　were　still　so　puffed　up　with　the　notion　of　their　vanished　power；　that　it　was　difficult　to　contend　against　a　kind　of　innate　presumption　in　themselves。　　Perhaps　this　is　a　national　defect。　　The　Frenchman　is　less　given　than　anyone　else　to　undervalue　himself；　it　comes　natural　to　him　to　go　from　his　degree　to　the　one　above　it；　and　while　it　is　a　rare　thing　for　him　to　pity　the　unfortunates　over　whose　heads　he　rises；　he　always　groans　in　spirit　to　see　so　many　fortunate　people　above　him。　　He　is　very　far　from　heartless；　but　too　often　he　prefers　to　listen　to　his　intellect。　　The　national　instinct　which　brings　the　Frenchman　to　the　front；　the　vanity　that　wastes　his　substance；　is　as　much　a　dominant　passion　as　thrift　in　the　Dutch。　　For　three　centuries　it　swayed　the　noblesse；　who；　in　this　respect；　were　certainly　pre…eminently　French。　　The　scion　of　the　Faubourg　Saint…Germain；　beholding　his　material　superiority；　was　fully　persuaded　of　his　intellectual　superiority。　　And　everything　contributed　to　confirm　him　in　his　belief；　for　ever　since　the　Faubourg　Saint…Germain　existed　at　allwhich　is　to　say；　ever　since　Versailles　ceased　to　be　the　royal　residencethe　Faubourg；　with　some　few　gaps　in　continuity；　was　always　backed　up　by　the　central　power；　which　in　Fran