the origins of contemporary france-1-第106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！



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

1788；　to　guard　against　famine；　it　purchases　grain　to　the　amount　of

forty　millions。



　　　Through　this　increase　of　activity　and　its　demands　for　capital

the　State　becomes　the　universal　debtor；　henceforth　public　affairs　are

no　longer　exclusively　the　king's　business。　　His　creditors　become

uneasy　at　his　expenditures；　for　it　is　their　money　he　wastes；　and；　if

he　proves　a　bad　administrator；　they　will　be　ruined。　　They　want　to　know

something　of　his　budget；　to　examine　his　books：　a　lender　always　has　the

right　to　look　after　his　securities。　　We　accordingly　see　the　bourgeois

raising　his　head　and　beginning　to　pay　close　attention　to　the　great

machine　whose　performances；　hitherto　concealed　from　vulgar　eyes；　have；

up　to　the　present　time；　been　kept　a　state　secret。　　He　becomes　a

politician；　and；　at　the　same　time；　discontented。　　For　it　cannot　be

denied　that　these　matters；　in　which　he　is　interested；　are　badly

conducted。　　Any　young　man　of　good　family　managing　affairs　in　the　same

way　would　be　checked。　　The　expenses　of　the　administration　of　the　State

are　always　in　excess　of　the　revenue＇9＇。　　According　to　official

admissions＇10＇　the　annual　deficit　amounted　to　70　in　1770；　and　80

millions　in　1783；　when　one　has　attempted　to　reduce　this　it　has　been

through　bankruptcies；　one　to　the　tune　of　two　milliards　at　the　end　of

the　reign　of　Louis　XIV；　and　another　almost　equal　to　it　in　the　time　of

Law；　and　another　on　from　a　third　to　a　half　of　all　the　interests　in　the

time　of　Terray；　without　mentioning　suppressions　in　detail；　reductions；

indefinite　delays　in　payment；　and　other　violent　and　fraudulent　means

which　a　powerful　debtor　employs　with　impunity　against　a　feeble

creditor。　　〃Fifty…six　violations　of　public　faith　have　occurred　from

Henry　IV　down　to　the　ministry　of　M。　de　Loménie　inclusive；〃＇11＇　while　a

last　bankruptcy；　more　frightful　than　the　others；　loom　up　on　the

horizon。　　Several　persons；　Bezenval　and　Linguet　for　instance；

earnestly　recommend　it　as　a　necessary　and　salutary　amputation。　　Not

only　are　there　precedents　for　this；　and　in　this　respect　the　government

will　do　no　more　than　follow　its　own　example；　but　such　is　its　daily

practice；　since　it　lives　only　from　day　to　day；　by　dint　of　expedients

and　delays；　digging　one　hole　to　stop　up　another；　and　escaping　failure

only　through　the　forced　patience　which　it　imposes　on　its　creditors。

With　it；　says　a　contemporary；　people　were　never　sure　of　anything；

being　always　obliged　to　wait＇12＇。　　〃Were　their　capital　invested　in　its

loans；　they　could　never　rely　on　a　fixed　date　for　the　payment　of

interest。　　Did　they　build　ships；　repair　highways；　or　the　soldiers

clothed；　they　had　no　guarantees　for　their　advances；　no　certificates　of

repayment；　being　reduced　to　calculate　the　chances　involved　in　a

ministerial　contract　as　they　would　the　risks　of　a　bold　speculation。〃

It　pays　if　it　can　and　only　when　it　can；　even　the　members　of　the

household；　the　purveyors　of　the　table　and　the　personal　attendants　of

the　king。　　In　1753　the　domestics　of　Louis　XV　had　received　nothing　for

three　years。　　We　have　seen　how　his　grooms　went　out　to　beg　during　the

night　in　the　streets　of　Versailles；　how　his　purveyors　〃hid

themselves；〃　how　；　under　Louis　XVI　in　1778；　there　were　792；620　francs

due　to　the　wine…merchant；　and　3；467；980　francs　to　the　purveyor　of　fish

and　meat＇13＇。　　In　1788；　so　great　is　the　distress；　the　Minister　de

Loménie　appropriates　and　expends　the　funds　of　a　private　subscription

raised　for　a　hospital；　and；　at　the　time　of　his　resignation；　the

treasury　is　empty；　save　450；000　francs；　half　of　which　he　puts　in　his

pocket。　　What　an　administration！　　　　In　the　presence　of　this　debtor；

evidently　becoming　insolvent；　all　people；　far　and　near；　interested　in

his　business；　consult　together　with　alarm；　and　debtors　are

innumerable；　consisting　of　bankers；　merchants；　manufacturers；

employees；　lenders　of　every　kind　and　degree；　and；　in　the　front　rank；

the　capitalists；　who　have　put　all　their　means　for　life　into　his　hands；

and　who　are　to　beg　should　he　not　pay　them　annually　the　44　millions　he

owes　them；　the　industrialists　and　traders　who　have　entrusted　their

commercial　integrity　to　him　and　who　would　shrink　with　horror　from

failure　as　its　issue；　and　after　these　come　their　creditors；　their

clerks；　their　relations；　in　short；　the　largest　portion　of　the　laboring

and　peaceable　class　which；　thus　far；　had　obeyed　without　a　murmur　and

never　dreamed　of　bringing　the　established　order　of　things　under　its

control。　　Henceforth　this　class　will　exercise　control　attentively；

distrustfully　and　angrily。　　Woe　to　those　who　are　at　fault；　for　they

well　know　that　the　ruin　of　the　State　is　their　ruin。







　　　III。　　　SOCIAL　PROMOTION。



　　　He　rises　on　the　social　ladder。　　…　The　noble　draws　near　to　him。

…　He　becomes　cultivated。　　…　He　enters　into　society。　　…　He　regards

himself　as　the　equal　of　the　noble。　　…　Privileges　an　annoyance。



　　　　　Meanwhile　this　class　has　climbed　up　the　social　ladder；　and；

through　its　élite；　rejoined　those　in　the　highest　position。　　Formerly

between　Dorante　and　M。　Jourdain；　between　Don　Juan　and　M。　Dimanche；＇14＇

between　M。　Sotenville　himself　and　Georges　Dandin；　the　distance　was

vast；　everything　was　different　…　dress；　house；　habits；　characters；

points　of　honor；　ideas　and　language。　　On　the　one　hand　the　nobles　are

drawn　nearer　to　the　Third…Estate　and；　on　the　other；　the　Third…Estate

is　drawn　nearer　to　the　nobles；　actual　equality　having　preceded

equality　as　a　right。　　　　　　On　the　approach　of　the　year　1789　it　was

difficult　to　distinguish　one　from　the　other　in　the　street。　　The　sword

is　no　longer　worn　by　gentlemen　in　the　city；　they　have　abandoned

embroideries　and　laces；　and　walk　about　in　plain　frock…coats；　or　drive

themselves　in　their　cabriolets＇15＇。　　〃The　simplicity　of　English

customs；〃　and　the　customs　of　the　Third…Estate　seem　to　them　better

adapted　to　ordinary　life。　　Their　prominence　proves　irksome　to　them　and

they　grow　weary　of　being　always　on　parade。　　Henceforth　they　accept

familiarity　that　they　may　enjoy　freedom　of　action；　and　are　content　〃to

mingle　with　their　fellow…citizens　without　obstacle　or　ostentation。　　　…

…　　〃It　is　certainly　a　grave　sign；　and　the　old　feudal　spirits　have

reason　to　tremble。　　The　Marquis　de　Mirabeau；　on　learning　that　his　son

wishes　to　act　as　his　own　lawyer；　consoles　himself　by　seeing　others；　of

still　higher　rank；　do　much　worse＇16＇。



　　　〃As　it　was　difficult　to　accept　the　idea　that　the　grandson　of　my

father；　whom　we　just　had　seen　pass　by　on　the　promenade；　everybody；

young　and　old；　raising　their　hats　to　him　from　afar；　would　soon　be　seen

at　the　bar　of　a　lower　tribunal；　there　to　contest　minor　legal　matters

with　pettifoggers；　but　I　said　to　myself；　however；　that　Louis　XIV　would

be　still　more　astonished　had　he　seen　the　wife　of　his　grand…successor

dressed　in　a　peasant's　frock　and　apron；　with　no　attendants；　not　a　page

or　any　one　else；　running　about　the　palace　and　the　terraces；　requesting

the　first　scamp　in　a　frock…coat　she　encountered　to　give　her　his　hand；

which　he　simply　does；　all　the　way　down　to　the　foot　of　the　steps。〃



　　　But　the　leveling　of　manners　and　appearances　of　life　reflected；

indeed；　only　an　equalization　of　minds　and　tempers。　　The　antique

scenery　being　torn　away　indicates　the　disappearance　of　the　sentiments

to　which　it　belonged。　　It　indicated　gravity；　dignity；　custom　of　self…

control　and　of　exposed；　in　authority　and　command。　　It　was　the　rigid

and　sumptuous　parade　of　a　social　corps　of　staff…officers。　　At　this

time　the　parade　is　discontinued　because　the　corps　has　been　dissolved。

If　the　nobles　dress　like　the　bourgeoisie　it　is　owing　to　their　having

become　bourgeois；　that　is　to　say；　idlers　retired　from　business；　with

nothing　to　do　but　to　talk　and　amuse　themselves。　　　　　Undoubtedly　they

amuse　themselves　and　converse　like　people　of　refinement；　but　it　is　not

very　difficult　to　equal　them　in　this　respect。　　Now　that　the　Third…

Estate　has　acquired　its　wealth　a