the origins of contemporary france-1-第12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！



countries　at　the　gates　of　France　in　which　feudal　subjection；　more

burdensome　than　in　France；　seems　lighter　because；　in　the　other　scale；

the　benefits　counterbalance　disadvantages。　　At　Munster；　in　1809；

Beugnot　finds　a　sovereign　bishop；　a　town　of　convents　and　a　large

seigniorial　mansion；　a　few　merchants　for　indispensable　trade；　a　small

bourgeoisie；　and；　all　around；　a　peasantry　composed　of　either　colons　or

serfs。　　The　seignior　deducts　a　portion　of　all　their　crops　in　provisions

or　in　cattle；　and；　at　their　deaths；　a　portion　of　their　inheritances。

If　they　go　away　their　property　revert　to　him。　　His　servants　are

chastised　like　Russian　moujiks；　and　in　each　outhouse　is　a　trestle　for

this　purpose　〃without　prejudice　to　graver　penalties；〃　probably　the

bastinado　and　the　like。　　But　〃never　did　the　culprit　entertain　the

slightest　idea　of　complaint　or　appeal。〃　For　if　the　seignior　whips　them

as　the　father　of　family　he　protects　them　〃as　the　father　of　a　family；

ever　coming　to　their　assistance　when　misfortune　befalls　them；　and

taking　care　of　them　in　their　illness。〃　He　provides　an　asylum　for　them

in　old　age；　he　looks　after　their　widows；　and　rejoices　when　they　have

plenty　of　children。　　He　is　bound　to　them　by　common　sympathies　they　are

neither　miserable　nor　uneasy；　they　know　that；　in　every　extreme　or

unforeseen　necessity；　he　will　be　their　refuge。＇1＇　In　the　Prussian　states

and　according　to　the　code　of　Frederick　the　Great；　a　still　more

rigorous　servitude　is　atoned　for　by　similar　obligations。　　The

peasantry；　without　their　seignior's　permission；　cannot　alienate　a

field；　mortgage　it；　cultivate　it　differently；　change　their　occupation

or　marry。　　If　they　leave　the　seigniory　he　can　pursue　them　in　every

direction　and　bring　them　back　by　force。　　He　has　the　right　of

surveillance　over　their　private　life；　and　he　chastises　them　if　drunk

or　lazy。　　When　young　they　serve　for　years　as　servants　in　his　mansion；

as　cultivators　they　owe　him　corvees　and；　in　certain　places；　three

times　a　week。　　But；　according　to　both　law　and　custom；　he　is　obliged　〃to

see　that　they　are　educated；　to　succor　them　in　indigence；　and；　as　far

as　possible；　to　provide　them　with　the　means　of　support。〃　Accordingly

he　is　charged　with　the　duties　of　the　government　of　which　he　enjoys　the

advantages；　and；　under　the　heavy　hand　which　curbs　them；　but　which

sustains　them；　we　do　not　find　his　subjects　recalcitrant。　　In　England；

the　upper　class　attains　to　the　same　result　by　other　ways。　　There　also

the　soil　still　pays　the　ecclesiastic　tithe；　strictly　the　tenth；　which

is　much　more　than　in　France。＇2＇　The　squire；　the　nobleman；　possesses　a

still　larger　portion　of　the　soil　than　his　French　neighbor　and；　in

truth；　exercises　greater　authority　in　his　canton。　　But　his　tenants；　the

lessees　and　the　farmers；　are　no　longer　his　serfs；　not　even　his

vassals；　they　are　free。　　If　he　governs　it　is　through　influence　and　not

by　virtue　of　a　command。　　Proprietor　and　patron；　he　is　held　in　respect。

Lord…lieutenant；　officer　in　the　militia；　administrator；　justice；　he　is

visibly　useful。　　And；　above　all；　he　lives　at　home；　from　father　to　son；

he　belongs　to　the　district。　　He　is　in　hereditary　and　constant　relation

with　the　local　public　through　his　occupations　and　through　his

pleasures；　through　the　chase　and　caring　for　the　poor；　through　his

farmers　whom　he　admits　at　his　table；　and　through　his　neighbors　whom　he

meets　in　committee　or　in　the　vestry。　　This　shows　how　the　old

hierarchies　are　maintained：　it　is　necessary；　and　it　suffices；　that

they　should　change　their　military　into　a　civil　order　of　things　and

find　modern　employment　for　the　chieftain　of　feudal　times。



II。　　Resident　Seigniors。



　Remains　of　the　beneficent　feudal　spirit。…They　are　not　rigorous

with　their　tenants　but　no　longer　retain　the　local　government。…Their

isolation。…Insignificance　or　mediocrity　of　their　means　of

subsistence。…Their　expenditure。…Not　in　a　condition　to　remit　dues。…

Sentiments　of　peasantry　towards　them。



If　we　go　back　a　little　way　in　our　history　we　find　here　and　there

similar　nobles。＇3＇　Such　was　the　Duc　de　Saint…Simon；　father　of　the

writer；　a　real　sovereign　in　his　government　of　Blaye；　a　respected　by

the　king　himself。　　Such　was　the　grandfather　Mirabeau；　in　his　chateau　of

Mirabeau　in　Provence；　the　haughtiest；　most　absolute；　most　intractable

of　men；　〃demanding　that　the　officers　whom　he　appointed　in　his　regiment

should　be　favorably　received　by　the　king　and　by　his　ministers；〃

tolerating　the　inspectors　only　as　a　matter　of　form；　but　heroic；

generous；　faithful；　distributing　the　pension　offered　to　himself　among

six　wounded　captains　under　his　command；　mediating　for　poor　litigants

in　the　mountain；　driving　off　his　grounds　the　wandering　attorneys　who

come　to　practice　their　chicanery；　〃the　natural　protector　of　man　even

against　ministers　and　the　king。　　A　party　of　tobacco　inspectors　having

searched　his　curate's　house；　he　pursues　them　so　energetically　on

horseback　that　they　hardly　escape　him　by　fording　the　Durance。

Whereupon；　〃he　wrote　to　demand　the　dismissal　of　the　officers；

declaring　that　unless　this　was　done　every　person　employed　in　the

Excise　should　be　driven　into　the　Rhine　or　the　sea；　some　of　them　were

dismissed　and　the　director　himself　came　to　give　him　satisfaction。〃

Finding　his　canton　sterile　and　the　settlers　on　it　idle　he　organized

them　into　groups；　women　and　children；　and；　in　the　foulest　weather；

puts　himself　at　their　head；　with　his　twenty　severe　wounds　and　neck

supported　by　a　piece　of　silver。　　He　pays　them　to　work　making　them　clear

off　the　lands；　which　he　gives　them　on　leases　of　a　hundred　years；　and

he　makes　them　enclose　a　mountain　of　rocks　with　high　walls　and　plant　it

with　olive　trees。　　〃No　one；　under　any　pretext　could　be　excused　from

working　unless　he　was　ill；　and　in　this　case　under　treatment；　or

occupied　on　his　own　property；　a　point　in　which　my　father　could　not　be

deceived；　and　nobody　would　have　dared　to　do　it。〃　These　are　the　last

offshoots　of　the　old；　knotty；　savage　trunk；　but　still　capable　of

affording　shelter。　　Others　could　still　be　found　in　remote　cantons；　in

Brittany　and　in　Auvergne；　veritable　district　commanders；　and　I　am　sure

that　in　time　of　need　the　peasants　would　obey　them　as　much　out　of

respect　as　from　fear。　　Vigor　of　heart　and　of　body　justifies　its　own

ascendancy；　while　the　superabundance　of　energy；　which　begins　in

violence；　ends　in　beneficence。



Less　independent　and　less　harsh　a　paternal　government　subsists

elsewhere；　if　not　in　the　law　at　least　through　custom。　　In　Brittany；

near　Tréguier　and　Lannion；　says　the　bailiff　of　Mirabeau；＇4＇　〃the　entire

staff　of　the　coast…guard　is　composed　of　people　of　quality　and　of　stock

going　back　a　thousand　years。　　I　have　not　seen　one　of　them　get　irritated

with　a　peasant…soldier；　while；　at　the　same　time；　I　have　seen　on　the

part　of　the　latter　an　air　of　filial　respect　for　them　。　　。　　。　　。　　It　is　a

terrestrial　paradise　with　respect　to　patriarchal　manners；　simplicity

and　true　grandeur；　the　attitude　of　the　peasants　towards　the　seigniors

is　that　of　an　affectionate　son　with　his　father；　and　the　seigniors　in

talking　with　the　peasants　use　their　rude　and　coarse　language；　and

speak　only　in　a　kind　and　genial　way。　　We　see　mutual　regard　between

masters　and　servants。〃　Farther　south；　in　the　Bocage；　a　wholly

agricultural　region；　and　with　no　roads；　where　ladies　are　obliged　to

travel　on　horseback　and　in　ox…carts；　where　the　seignior　has　no

farmers；　but　only　twenty…five　or　thirty　métayers　who　work　for　him　on

shares；　the　supremacy　of　the　great　is　no　offense　to　their　inferiors。

People　live　together　harmoniously　when　living　together　from　birth　to

death；　familiarly；　and　with　the　same　interests；　occupations　and

pleasures；　like　soldiers　with　their　officers；　on　campaigns　and　under

tents；　in　subordination　although　in　companionship；　familiarity　never

endangering　respect。　　〃The　seignior　often　visits　them　on　their　small

farms；＇5＇　talks　with　them　about　their　affairs；　about　taking　care　of

their　cattle；　sharing　in　the　accident