the origins of contemporary france-1-第109章

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occupies　and；　accordingly；　suffers　through　a　thousand　petty　grievances

it　would　not；　formerly；　have　noticed。　　On　discovering　that　he　is　a

citizen　a　man　is　irritated　at　being　treated　as　a　subject；　no　one

accepting　an　inferior　position　alongside　of　one　of　whom　he　believes

himself　the　equal。　　Hence；　during　a　period　of　twenty　years；　the

ancient　régime　while　attempting　to　grow　easier；　appear　to　be　still

more　burdensome；　and　its　pinpricks　exasperate　as　if　they　were　so　many

wounds。　　Countless　instances　might　be　quoted　instead　of　one。　　　　　At

the　theater　in　Grenoble；　Barnave；＇36＇　a　child；　is　with　his　mother　in　a

box　which　the　Duc　de　Tonnerre；　governor　of　the　province；　had　assigned

to　one　of　his　satellites。　　The　manager　of　the　theater；　and　next　an

officer　of　the　guard；　request　Madame　Barnave　to　withdraw。　　She

refuses；　whereupon　the　governor　orders　four　fusiliers　to　force　her

out。　　The　audience　in　the　stalls　had　already　taken　the　matter　up；　and

violence　was　feared；　when　M。　Barnave；　advised　of　the　affront；　entered

and　led　his　wife　away；　exclaiming　aloud；　〃I　leave　by　order　of　the

governor。〃　The　indignant　public；　all　the　bourgeoisie；　agreed　among

themselves　not　to　enter　the　theater　again　without　an　apology　being

made；　the　theater；　in　fact；　remaining　empty　several　months；　until

Madame　Barnave　consented　to　reappear　there。　　This　outrage　afterwards

recurred　to　the　future　deputy；　and　he　then　swore　〃to　elevate　the　caste

to　which　he　belonged　out　of　the　humiliation　to　which　it　seemed

condemned。〃　In　like　manner　Lacroix；　the　future　member　of　the

Convention；＇37＇　on　leaving　a　theater；　and　jostled　by　a　gentleman　who

was　giving　his　arm　to　a　lady；　utters　a　loud　complaint。　　〃Who　are　you？

〃　says　the　person。　　Still　the　provincial；　he　is　simple　enough　to　give

his　name；　surname；　and　qualifications　in　full。　　〃Very　well；〃　says　the

other　man；　〃good　for　you　　　　I　am　the　Comte　de　Chabannes；　and　I　am　in

a　hurry；〃　saying　which；　〃laughing　heartily；〃　he　jumps　into　his

vehicle。　　〃Ah；　sir；　exclaimed　Lacroix；　still　much　excited　by　his

misadventure；　〃pride　and　prejudice　establish　an　awful　gulf　between　man

and　man　！〃　We　may　rest　assured　that；　with　Marat；　a　veterinary　surgeon

in　the　Comte　d'Artois's　stables；　with　Robespierre；　a　protégé　of　the

bishop　of　Arras；　with　Danton；　an　insignificant　lawyer　in　Mery…sur…

Seine；　and　with　many　others　beside；　self…esteem；　in　frequent

encounters；　bled　in　the　same　fashion。　　The　concentrated　bitterness

with　which　Madame　Roland's　memoirs　are　imbued　has　no　other　cause。

〃She　could　not　forgive　society＇38＇　for　the　inferior　position　she　had

so　long　occupied　in　it。〃＇39＇　Thanks　to　Rousseau；　vanity；　so　natural　to

man；　and　especially　sensitive　with　a　Frenchman；　becomes　still　more

sensitive。　　The　slightest　discrimination；　a　tone　of　the　voice；　seems　a

mark　of　disdain。　　〃One　day；＇40＇　on　alluding；　before　the　minister　of

war；　to　a　general　officer　who　had　obtained　his　rank　through　his　merit；

he　exclaimed；　'Oh；　yes；　an　officer　of　luck。'　This　expression；　being

repeated　and　commented　on；　does　much　mischief。〃　In　vain　do　the

grandees　show　their　condescending　spirit；　〃welcoming　with　equal

kindness　and　gentleness　all　who　are　presented　to　them。〃　In　the　mansion

of　the　Due　de　Penthièvre　the　nobles　eat　at　the　table　of　the　master　of

the　house；　the　commoners　dine　with　his　first　gentleman　and　only　enter

the　drawing　room　when　coffee　is　served。　　There　they　find　〃in　full

force　and　with　a　superior　tone〃　the　others　who　had　the　honor　of　dining

with　His　Highness；　and　〃who　do　not　fail　to　salute　the　new　arrivals

with　an　obliging　civility　indicating　patronage。〃＇41＇　No　more　is

required；　in　vain　does　the　Duke　〃carry　his　attentions　to　an　extreme；〃

Beugnot；　so　pliable；　has　no　desire　to　return。　　They　bear　them　ill…

will；　not　only　on　account　of　their　slight　bows　but　again　on　account　of

their　over…politeness。　　Champfort　acrimoniously　relates　that

d'Alembert；　at　the　height　of　his　reputation；　being　in　Madame　du

Deffant's　drawing　room　with　President　Hénault　and　M。　de　Pont…de…Veyle；

a　physician　enters　named　Fournier；　and　he；　addressing　Madame　du

Deffant；　says；　〃Madame；　I　have　the　honor　of　presenting　you　with　my

very　humble　respects；''　turning　to　President　Hénault；　〃I　have　the

honor　to　be　your　obedient　servant；〃　and　then　to　M。　de　Pont…de…Veyle；

〃Sir；　your　most　obedient；〃　and　to　d'Alembert；　〃Good　day；　sir。〃＇42＇　To

a　rebellious　heart　everything　is　an　object　of　resentment。　　The　Third…

Estate；　following　Rousseau's　example；　cherishes　ill…feeling　against

the　nobles　for　what　they　do；　and　yet　again；　for　what　they　are；　for

their　luxury；　their　elegance；　their　insincerity；　their　refined　and

brilliant　behavior。　　Champfort　is　embittered　against　them　on　account

of　the　polite　attentions　with　which　they　overwhelm　him。　　Sieyès　bears

them　a　grudge　on　account　of　a　promised　abbey　which　he　did　not　obtain。

Each　individual；　besides　the　general　grievances；　has　his　personal

grievance。　　Their　coolness；　like　their　familiarity；　attentions　and

inattentions；　is　an　offense；　and；　under　these　millions　of　needle…

thrusts；　real　or　imaginary；　the　mind　gets　to　be　full　of　gall。　　In

1789；　it　is　full　to　overflowing。



　　　　〃The　most　honorable　title　of　the　French　nobility；〃　writes

Champfort；　〃is　a　direct　descent　from　some　30；000　armed；　helmeted；

armletted　and　armored　men　who；　on　heavy　horses　sheathed　in　armor；　trod

under　foot　8　or　10　millions　of　naked　men；　the　ancestors　of　the　actual

nation。　　Behold　these　well…established　claims　to　the　respect　and

affection　of　their　descendants！　And；　to　complete　the　respectability　of

this　nobility；　it　is　recruited　and　regenerated　by　the　adoption　of

those　who　have　acquired　fortune　by　plundering　the　cabins　of　the　poor

who　are　unable　to　pay　its　impositions。〃＇43＇　　



　　　　〃Why　should　not　the　Third…Estate　send　back；〃　says　Sieyès；　〃into

the　forests　of　Franconia　every　family　that　maintains　its　absurd

pretension　of　having　sprung　from　the　loins　of　a　race　of　conquerors；

and　of　having　succeeded　to　the　rights　of　conquest？　＇44＇　　I　can　well

imagine；　were　there　no　police；　every　Cartouche＇45＇　firmly　establishing

himself　on　the　high…road　　　　would　that　give　him　a　right　to　levy

toll？　Suppose　him　to　sell　a　monopoly　of　this　kind；　once　common　enough；

to　an　honest　successor；　would　the　right　become　any　more　respectable　in

the　hands　of　the　purchaser？　。　　。　　。　　Every　privilege；　in　its　nature；

is　unjust；　odious；　and　against　the　social　compact。　　The　blood　boils　at

the　thought　of　its　ever　having　been　possible　to　legally　consecrate

down　to　the　eighteenth　century　the　abominable　fruits　of　an　abominable

feudal　system。　　。　　。　　。　　The　caste　of　nobles　is　really　a　population

apart；　a　fraudulent　population；　however；　which；　for　lack　of

serviceable　faculties；　and　unable　to　exist　alone；　fastens　itself　upon

a　living　nation；　like　the　vegetable　tumors　that　support　themselves　on

the　sap　of　the　plants　to　which　they　are　a　burden；　and　which　wither

beneath　the　load。〃　　They　suck　all；　everything　being　for　them。

〃Every　branch　of　the　executive　power　has　fallen　into　the　hands　of　this

caste；　which　staffed　（already）　the　church；　the　robe　and　the　sword。　　A

sort　of　confraternity　or　joint　paternity　leads　the　nobles　each　to

prefer　the　other　and　all　to　the　rest　of　the　nation。　　。　　。　　。　　The

Court　reigns；　and　not　the　monarch。　　The　Court　creates　and　distributes

offices。　　And　what　is　the　Court　but　the　head　of　this　vast　aristocracy

that　covers　all　parts　of　France；　and　which；　through　its　members；

attains　to　and　exercises　everywhere　whatever　is　requisite　in　all

branches　of　the　public　administration？〃　　　Let　us　put　an　end　to　〃this

social　crime；　this　long　parricide　which　one　class　does　itself　the

honor　to　commit　daily　against　the　others。　　。　　。　　。　　Ask　no　longer　what

place　the　privileged　shall　occupy　in　the　social　order；　it　is　simply

asking　what　place　in　a　sick　man's　body　must　be　assigned　to　a　malignant

ulcer　that　is　undermining　and　tormenting　it　。　　。　　。　　to　the　loathsome

disease　that　is　consuming　the　living　flesh。〃　　　The　solut