the origins of contemporary france-1-第105章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



entire　middle　class；　had　been　absorbed　with　its　own　cares。　　The

horizon　of　each　was　limited；　being　that　of　the　profession　or

occupation　which　each　exercised；　that　of　the　corporation　in　which　each

one　was　comprised；　of　the　town　in　which　each　one　was　born；　and；　at　the

utmost；　that　of　the　province　which　each　one　inhabited＇1＇。　　A　dearth　of

ideas　coupled　with　conscious　diffidence　restrained　the　bourgeois

within　his　hereditary　barriers。　　His　eyes　seldom　chanced　to　wander

outside　of　them　into　the　forbidden　and　dangerous　territory　of　state

affairs；　hardly　was　a　furtive　and　rare　glance　bestowed　on　any　of　the

public　acts；　on　the　matters　which　〃belonged　to　the　king。〃　There　was　no

critical　irritability　then；　except　with　the　bar；　the　compulsory

satellite　of　the　Parliament；　and　borne　along　in　its　orbit。　　In　1718；

after　a　session　of　the　royal　court　（lit　de　justice）；　the　lawyers　of

Paris　being　on　a　strike　the　Regent　exclaims　angrily　and　with

astonishment；　〃What！　those　fellows　meddling　too！〃＇2＇　　It　must　be

stated　furthermore　that　many　kept　themselves　in　the　background。　　〃My

father　and　myself；〃　afterwards　writes　the　advocate　Barbier；　〃took　no

part　in　the　uproars；　among　those　caustic　and　turbulent　spirits。〃　and

he　adds　this　significant　article　of　faith：　〃I　believe　that　one　has　to

fulfill　his　duties　honorably；　without　concerning　oneself　with　state

affairs；　in　which　one　has　no　mission　and　exercises　no　power。〃　During

the　first　half　of　the　eighteenth　century　I　am　able　to　discover　but　one

center　of　opposition　in　the　Third…Estate　；　the　Parliament；　and　around

it；　feeding　the　flame；　the　ancient　Gallican　or　Jansenist　spirit。　　〃The

good　city　of　Paris；〃　writes　Barbier　in　1733；　〃is　Jansenist　from　top　to

bottom；〃　and　not　alone　the　magistrates；　the　lawyers；　the　professors；

the　best　among　the　bourgeoisie；　〃but　again　the　mass　of　the　Parisians；

men；　women　and　children；　all　upholding　that　doctrine；　without

comprehending　it；　or　understanding　any　of　its　distinctions　and

interpretations；　out　of　hatred　to　Rome　and　the　Jesuits。　　Women；　the

silliest；　and　even　chambermaids；　would　be　hacked　to　pieces　for　it。　　。

。　　〃　This　party　is　increased　by　the　honest　folks　of　the　kingdom　who

detest　persecutions　and　injustice。　　Accordingly；　when　the　various

chambers　of　magistrates；　in　conjunction　with　the　lawyers；　tender　their

resignations　and　file　out　of　the　palace　〃amidst　a　countless　multitude；

the　crowd　exclaims：　Behold　the　true　Romans；　the　fathers　of　the

country！　and　as　the　two　counselors　Pucelle　and　Menguy　pass　along　they

fling　them　crowns。〃　The　quarrel　between　the　Parliament　and　the　Court；

constantly　revived；　is　one　of　the　sparks　which　provokes　the　grand

final　explosion；　while　the　Jansenist　embers；　smoldering　in　the　ashes；

are　to　be　of　use　in　1791　when　the　ecclesiastical　edifice　comes　to　be

attacked。　　But；　within　this　old　chimney…corner　only　warm　embers　are

now　found；　firebrands　covered　up；　sometimes　scattering　sparks　and

flames；　but　in　themselves　and　by　themselves；　not　incendiary；　the　flame

is　kept　within　bounds　by　its　nature；　and　its　supplies　limit　its　heat。

The　Jansenist　is　too　good　a　Christian　not　to　respect　powers

inaugurated　from　above。　　The　parliamentarian；　conservative　through　his

profession；　would　be　horrified　at　overthrowing　the　established　order

of　things。　　Both　combat　for　tradition　and　against　innovation；　hence；

after　having　defended　the　past　against　arbitrary　power　they　are　to

defend　it　against　revolutionary　violence；　and　to　fall；　the　one　into

impotency　and　the　other　into　oblivion。







　　　II。　　　CHANGE　IN　THE　CONDITION　OF　THE　BOURGEOIS。



　　　Change　in　the　condition　of　the　bourgeois。　　…　He　becomes　wealthy。

…　He　makes　loans　to　the　State。　　…　The　danger　of　his　creditorship。　　…

He　interests　himself　in　public　matters。



　　　The　uprising　is；　however；　late　to　catch　on　among　the　middle

class；　and；　before　it　can　take　hold；　the　resistant　material　must

gradually　be　made　inflammable。　　　　　　In　the　eighteenth　century　a

great　change　takes　place　in　the　condition　of　the　Third…Estate　。　　The

bourgeois　has　worked；　manufactured；　traded；　earned　and　saved　money；

and　has　daily　become　richer　and　richer。＇3＇　This　great　expansion　of

enterprises；　of　trade；　of　speculation　and　of　fortunes　dates　from

Law；＇4＇　arrested　by　war　it　reappears　with　more　vigor　and　more

animation　at　each　interval　of　peace　after　the　treaty　of　Aix…la…

Chapelle　in　1748；　and　that　of　Paris　in　1763；　and　especially　after　the

beginning　of　the　reign　of　Louis　XVI。　　The　exports　of　France　which

amounted　to



　　　106　millions　in　1720



　　　124　millions　in　1735



　　　192　millions　in　1748



　　　257　millions　in　1755



　　　309　millions　in　1776



　　　354　millions　in　1788。



　　　In　1786　Saint　Domingo　alone　ships　back　to　France　for　131

millions　of　its　products；　and　in　return　receives　44　millions　in

merchandise。　　As　a　result　of　these　exchanges　we　see；　at　Nantes；　and　at

Bordeaux；　the　creation　of　colossal　commercial　houses。　　〃I　consider

Bordeaux；　says　Arthur　Young；　as　richer　and　doing　more　business　than

any　city　in　England　except　London；　。　　。　　。　　of　late　years　the　progress

of　maritime　commerce　has　been　more　rapid　in　France　than　even　in

England。〃＇5＇　According　to　an　administrator　of　the　day；　if　the　taxes　on

the　consumption　of　products　daily　increase　the　revenue；　this　is

because　the　industry　since　1774　has　developed　a　number　of　new

products＇6＇。　　And　this　progress　is　regular　and　constant。　　〃We　may

calculate；〃　says　Necker　in　1781；　〃on　an　increase　of　two　millions　a

year　on　all　the　duties　on　consumption。〃　　　　　　In　this　great　exertion

of　innovation；　labor　and　engineering；　Paris；　constantly　growing；　is

the　central　workshop。　　It　enjoys；　to　a　much　greater　extent　than　today；

the　monopoly　of　all　works　of　intelligence　and　taste；　books；　pictures；

engravings；　statues；　jewelry；　toilet　details；　carriages；　furniture；

articles　of　fashion　and　rarity；　whatever　affords　pleasure　and

ornamentation　for　an　elegant　worldly　society；　all　Europe　is　supplied

by　it。　　In　1774　its　trade　in　books　is　estimated　at　45　millions；　and

that　of　London　at　only　one…quarter　of　that　sum＇7＇。　　Upon　the　profits

many　immense　and　even　more　numerous　moderate　fortunes　were　built　up；

and　these　now　became　available　for　investment。　　　　　　In　fact；　we　see

the　noblest　hands　stretching　out　to　receive　them；　princes　of　the

blood；　provincial　assemblies；　assemblies　of　the　clergy；　and；　at　the

head　of　all；　the　king；　who；　the　most　needy；　borrows　at　ten　percent　and

is　always　in　search　of　additional　lenders。　　Already　under　Fleury；　the

debt　has　augmented　to　18　millions　in　interests；　and　during　the　Seven

years'　War；　to　34　millions。　　Under　Louis　XVI。；　M。　Necker　borrows　a

capital　of　530　millions；　M。　Joly　de　Fleury；　300　millions；　M。　de

Calonne；　800　millions；　in　all　1630　millions　over　a　period　of　ten

years。　　The　interest　of　the　public　debt；　only　45　millions　in　1755；

reaches　106　millions　in　1776　and　amounts　to　206　millions　in　1789＇8＇。

What　creditors　which　these　few　figures　tell　us　about　！　　As　the　Third…

Estate　；　it　must　be　noted；　is　the　sole　class　making　and　saving　money；

nearly　all　these　creditors　belong　it。　　Thousands　of　others　must　be

added　to　these。　　In　the　first　place；　the　financiers　who　make　advances

to　the　government；　advances　that　are　indispensable；　because；　from　time

immemorial；　it　has　eaten　its　corn　on　the　blade；　so　the　present　year　is

always　gnawing　into　the　product　of　coming　years；　there　are　80　millions

of　advances　in　1759；　and　170　millions　in　1783。　　In　the　second　place

there　are　so　many　suppliers；　large　and　small；　who；　on　all　parts　of　the

territory；　keep　accounts　with　the　government　for　their　supplies　and

for　public　works；　a　veritable　army　and　increasing　daily；　since　the

government；　impelled　by　centralization；　takes　sole　responsibility　for

all　ventures；　and；　requested　by　public　opinion；　it　increases　the

number　of　undertakings　useful　to　the　public。　　Under　Louis　XV。　　the

State　builds　six　thousand　leagues　of　roads；　and　under　Louis　XVI。　　in

1788；　t