the origins of contemporary france-1-第100章

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and；　therefore；　rare。　　　Almost　everybody；　male　and　female；　〃ally　with

freedom　of　ideas　a　proper　observance　of　forms。〃＇26＇　　When　a　maid

appears　and　says　to　her　mistress；　〃Madame　la　Duchesse；　the　Host　（le

bon　Dieu）　is　outside；　will　you　allow　him　to　enter？　He　desires　to　have

the　honor　of　administering　to　you；〃　appearances　are　kept　up。　　　The

troublesome　individual　is　admitted　and　he　is　politely　received。　　　If

they　slip　away　from　him　it　is　under　a　decent　pretext；　but　if　he　is

humored　it　is　only　out　of　a　sense　of　decorum。　　　〃At　Sura　when　a　man

dies；　he　holds　a　cow's　tail　in　his　hand。〃　Society　was　never　more

detached　from　Christianity。　　　In　its　eyes　a　positive　religion　is　only

a　popular　superstition；　good　enough　for　children　and　innocents　but　not

for　〃sensible　people〃　and　the　great。　　　It　is　your　duty　to　raise　your

hat　to　the　Host　as　it　passes；　but　your　duty　is　only　to　raise　your　hat。



The　last　and　gravest　sign　of　all！　If　the　curates　who　work　and　who

are　of　the　people　hold　the　people's　ideas；　the　prelates　who　talk；　and

who　are　of　society　hold　the　opinions　of　society。　　　And　I　do　not　allude

merely　to　the　abbés　of　the　drawing…room；　the　domestic　courtiers；

bearers　of　news；　and　writers　of　light　verse；　those　who　fawn　in

boudoirs；　and　who；　when　in　company；　answer　like　an　echo；　and　who；

between　one　drawing　room　and　another；　serve　as　megaphone；　an　echo；　a

megaphone　only　repeats　the　phrase；　whether　skeptical　or　not；　with

which　it　is　charged。　　　I　refer　to　the　dignitaries；　and；　on　this　point；

the　witnesses　all　concur。　　　In　the　month　of　August；　1767；　the　Abbé

Bassinet；　grand　vicar　of　Cahors；　on　pronouncing　the　panegyric　of　St。

Louis　in　the　Louvre　chapel；＇27＇　〃suppressed　the　sign　of　the　cross；

making　no　quotation　from　Scripture　and　never　uttering　a　word　about

Christ　and　the　Saints。　　　He　considered　Louis　IX　merely　on　the　side　of

his　political；　moral　and　military　virtues。　　　He　animadverted　on　the

Crusades；　setting　forth　their　absurdity；　cruelty　and　even　injustice。

He　struck　openly　and　without　caution　at　the　see　of　Rome。〃　Others

〃avoid　the　name　of　Christ　in　the　pulpit　and　merely　allude　to　him　as　a

Christian　legislator。〃＇28＇　In　the　code　which　the　prevailing　opinions

and　social　decency　impose　on　the　clergy　a　delicate　observer＇29＇　thus

specifies　distinctions　in　rank　with　their　proper　shades　of　behavior：

〃A　plain　priest；　a　curate；　must　have　a　little　faith；　otherwise　he

would　be　found　a　hypocrite；　at　the　same　time；　he　must　not　be　too　well

satisfied；　for　he　would　be　found　intolerant。　　　On　the　contrary；　the

grand　vicar　may　smile　at　an　expression　against　religion；　the　bishop

may　laugh　outright；　and　the　cardinal　may　add　something　of　his　own　to

it。〃　〃A　little　while　ago；〃　a　chronicle　narrates；　〃some　one　put　this

question　to　one　of　the　most　respectable　curates　in　Paris：　Do　you　think

that　the　bishops　who　insist　so　strenuously　on　religion　have　much　of　it

themselves？　The　worthy　pastor　replied；　after　a　moment's　hesitation：

There　may　be　four　or　five　among　them　who　still　believe。〃　To　one　who　is

familiar　with　their　birth；　their　social　relations；　their　habits　and

their　tastes；　this　does　not　appear　at　all　improbable。　　　〃Dom

Collignon；　a　representative　of　the　abbey　of　Mettach；　seignior　high…

justiciary　and　curate　of　Valmunster；〃　a　fine…looking　man；　fine　talker；

and　an　agreeable　housekeeper；　avoids　scandal　by　having　his　two

mistresses　at　his　table　only　with　a　select　few；　he　is　in　other

respects　as　little　devout　as　possible；　and　much　less　so　than　the

Savoyard　vicar；　〃finding　evil　only　in　injustice　and　in　a　lack　of

charity；〃　and　considering　religion　merely　as　a　political　institution

and　for　moral　ends。　　　I　might　cite　many　others；　like　M。　de　Grimaldi；

the　young　and　gallant　bishop　of　Le　Mans；　who　selects　young　and　gallant

comrades　of　his　own　station　for　his　grand　vicars；　and　who　has　a

rendezvous　for　pretty　women　at　his　country　seat　at　Coulans＇30＇。

Judge　of　their　faith　by　their　habits。　　　In　other　cases　we　have　no

difficulty　in　determining。　　　Scepticism　is　notorious　with　the　Cardinal

de　Rohan；　withM。　de　Brienne；　archbishop　of　Sens；　withM。　de　Talleyrand；

bishop　of　Autun；　and　with　the　Abbé　Maury；　defender　of　the　clergy。

Rivarol；＇31＇　himself　a　skeptic；　declares　that　at　the　approach　of　the

Revolution；　〃the　enlightenment　of　the　clergy　equaled　that　of　the

philosophers。〃　〃Who　would　believe　it；　but　body　with　the　fewest

prejudices；〃　says　Mercier；＇32＇　〃is　the　clergy。〃　And　the　Archbishop　of

Narbonne；　explaining　the　resistance　of　the　upper　class　of　the　clergy

in　I791＇33＇　attributes　it；　not　to　faith　but　to　a　point　of　honor。　　　〃We

conducted　ourselves　at　that　time　like　true　gentlemen；　for；　with　most

of　us；　it　could　not　be　said　that　it　was　through　religious　feeling。〃







V。　　　　POLITICAL　OPPOSITION。



Progress　of　political　opposition。　　　…　Its　origin。　　　…　The

economists　and　the　parliamentarians。　　　…　They　prepare　the　way　for　the

philosophers。　　　…　Political　fault…finding　in　the　drawing…rooms。　　　…

Female　liberalism。



The　distance　between　the　altar　and　the　throne　is　a　short　one；　　　　and

yet　it　requires　thirty　years　for　opinion　to　overcome　it。　　　No

political　or　social　attacks　are　yet　made　during　the　first　half　of　the

century。　　　The　irony　of　the　〃Lettres　Persanes〃is　as　cautious　as　it　is

delicate；　and　the　〃　Esprit　des　Lois〃　is　conservative。　　　As　to　the　Abbé

de　Saint…Pierre　his　reveries　provoke　a　smile；　and　when　he　undertakes

to　censure　Louis　XIV　the　Academy　strikes　him　off　its　list。　　　At　last；

the　economists　on　one　side　and　the　parliamentarians　on　the　other；　give

the　signal。　　　　　…　　Voltaire　says＇34＇　that　〃about　1750　the　nation；

satiated　with　verse；　tragedies；　comedies；　novels；　operas；　romantic

histories；　and　still　more　romantic　moralizings；　and　with　disputes

about　grace　and　convulsions；　began　to　discuss　the　question　of　corn。〃

What　makes　bread　dear？　Why　is　the　laborer　so　miserable？　What

constitutes　the　material　and　limits　of　taxation？　Ought　not　all　land　to

pay　taxes；　and　should　one　piece　pay　more　than　its　net　product？　These

are　the　questions　that　find　their　way　into　drawing…rooms　under　the

king's　auspices；　by　means　of　Quesnay；　his　physician；　〃his　thinker；〃

the　founder　of　a　system　which　aggrandizes　the　sovereign　to　relieve　the

people；　and　which　multiplies　the　number　of　tax…payers　to　lighten　the

burden　of　taxation。　　　　…　　At　the　same　time；　through　the　opposite　door；

other　questions　enter；　not　less　novel。　　　〃Is　France＇35＇　a　mild　and

representative　monarchy　or　a　government　of　the　Turkish　stamp？　Are　we

subject　to　the　will　of　an　absolute　master；　or　are　we　governed　by　a

limited　and　regulated　power？　。　　　。　　　。　　　The　exiled　parliaments　are

studying　public　rights　at　their　sources　and　conferring　together　on

these　as　in　the　academies。　　　Through　their　researches；　the　opinion　is

gaining　ground　in　the　public　mind　that　the　nation　is　above　the　king；

as　the　universal　church　is　above　the　pope。〃　　　…　　The　change　is

striking　and　almost　immediate。　　　〃Fifty　years　ago；〃　says　d'Argenson；

again；　〃the　public　showed　no　curiosity　concerning　matters　of　the

State。　　　Today　everybody　reads　his　Gazette　de　Paris；　even　in　the

provinces。　　　People　reason　at　random　on　political　subjects；　but

nevertheless　they　occupy　themselves　with　them。〃　　…　　　Conversation

having　once　provided　itself　with　this　diet　holds　fast　to　it；　the

drawing…rooms；　accordingly；　opening　their　doors　to　political

philosophy；　and；　consequently；　to　the　Social　Contract；　to　the

Encyclopedia；　to　the　preachings　of　Rousseau；　Mably；　d'Holbach；　Raynal；

and　Diderot。　　　In　1759；　d'Argenson；　who　becomes　excited；　already

thinks　the　last　hour　has　come。　　　〃We　feel　the　breath　of　a

philosophical　anti…monarchical；　free　government　wind；　the　idea　is

current；　and　possibly　this　form　of　government；　already　in　some　minds；

is　to　be　carried　out　the　first　favorable　opportunity。　　　Perhaps　the

revolution　might　take　place　with　less　opposition　than　one　supposes；

occurring　by　acclamation。＇36＇



The　time　is　not　yet　come；　but　the　seed　is　coming　up。　　　B