the origins of contemporary france-1-第15章

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this　decay；　the　law；　habits　and　customs；　and；　above　all；　the　right　of

primogeniture。　　Instituted　for　the　purpose　of　maintaining　undivided

sovereignty　and　patronage　it　ruins　the　nobles　since　sovereignty　and

patronage　have　no　material　to　work　on。　　〃In　Brittany；〃　says

Chateaubriand；　〃the　elder　sons　of　the　nobles　swept　away　two…thirds　of

the　property；　while　the　younger　sons　shared　in　one…third　of　the

paternal　heritage。〃＇19＇　Consequently；　〃the　younger　sons　of　younger

sons　soon　come　to　the　sharing　of　a　pigeon；　rabbit；　hound　and　fowling…

piece。　　The　entire　fortune　of　my　grandfather　did　not　exceed　five

thousand　livres　income；　of　which　his　elder　son　had　two…thirds；　three

thousand　three　hundred　livres；　leaving　one　thousand　six　hundred　and

sixty…six　livres　for　the　three　younger　ones；　upon　which　sum　the　elder

still　had　a　préciput　claim。〃＇20＇　This　fortune；　which　crumbles　away　and

dies　out；　they　neither　know　how；　nor　are　they　disposed；　to　restore　by

commerce；　manufactures　or　proper　administration　of　it；　it　would　be

derogatory。　　〃High　and　mighty　seigniors　of　dove…cote；　frog…pond　and

rabbit…warren；〃　the　more　substance　they　lack　the　more　value　they　set

on　the　name。…Add　to　all　this　winter　sojourn　in　town；　the　ceremonial

and　expenses　caused　by　vanity　and　social　requirements；　and　the　visits

to　the　governor　and　the　intendant。　　A　man　must　be　either　a　German　or　an

Englishman　to　be　able　to　pass　three　gloomy；　rainy　months　in　a　castle

or　on　a　farm；　alone；　in　companionship　with　peasants；　at　the　risk　of

becoming　as　awkward　and　as　fantastic　as　they。＇21＇　They　accordingly　run

in　debt；　become　involved；　sell　one　piece　of　ground　and　then　another

piece。　　A　good　many　alienate　the　whole；　excepting　their　small　manor　and

their　seigniorial　dues；　the　cens　and　the　lods　et　ventes；　and　their

hunting　and　justiciary　rights　on　the　territory　of　which　they　were

formerly　proprietors。＇22＇　Since　they　must　support　themselves　on　these

privileges　they　must　necessarily　enforce　them；　even　when　the　privilege

is　burdensome；　and　even　when　the　debtor　is　a　poor　man。　　How　could　they

remit　dues　in　grain　and　in　wine　when　these　constitute　their　bread　and

wine　for　the　entire　year？　How　could　they　dispense　with　the　fifth　and

the　fifth　of　the　fifth　（du　quint　et　du　requint）　when　this　is　the　only

coin　they　obtain？　Why；　being　needy　should　they　not　be　exacting？

Accordingly；　in　relation　to　the　peasant；　they　are　simply　his

creditors；　and　to　this　end　come　the　feudal　régime　transformed　by　the

monarchy。　　Around　the　chateau　I　see　sympathies　declining；　envy　raising

its　head；　and　hatreds　on　the　increase。　　Set　aside　in　public　matters；

freed　from　taxation；　the　seignior　remains　isolated　and　a　stranger

among　his　vassals；　his　extinct　authority　with　his　unimpaired

privileges　form　for　him　an　existence　apart。　　When　he　emerges　from　it；

it　is　to　forcibly　add　to　the　public　misery。　　From　this　soil；　ruined　by

the　tax…man；　he　takes　a　portion　of　its　product；　so　much　it；　sheaves　of

wheat　and　so　many　measures　of　wine。　　His　pigeons　and　his　game　eat　up

the　crops。　　People　are　obliged　to　grind　in　his　mill；　and　to　leave　with

him　a　sixteenth　of　the　flour。　　The　sale　of　a　field　for　the　sum　of　six

hundred　livres　puts　one　hundred　livres　into　his　pocket。　　A　brother's

inheritance　reaches　a　brother　only　after　he　has　gnawed　out　of　it　a

year's　income。　　A　score　of　other　dues；　formerly　of　public　benefit；　no

longer　serve　but　to　support　a　useless　private　individual。　　The　peasant；

then　as　today；　is　eager　for　gain；　determined　and　accustomed　to　do　and

to　suffer　everything　to　save　or　gain　a　crown。　　He　ends　by　looking

angrily　on　the　turret　in　which　are　preserved　the　archives；　the　rent…

roll；　the　detested　parchments　by　means　of　which　a　Man　of　another

species；　favored　to　the　detriment　of　the　rest；　a　universal　creditor

and　paid　to　do　nothing；　grazes　over　all　the　ground　and　feeds　on　all

the　products。　　Let　the　opportunity　come　to　enkindle　all　this

covetousness；　and　the　rent…roll　will　burn；　and　with　it　the　turret；　and

with　the　turret；　the　chateau。



III。　　Absentee　Seigniors。



Vast　extent　of　their　fortunes　and　rights。…Possessing　greater

advantages　they　owe　greater　services。…Reasons　for　their　absenteeism。…

Effect　of　it。　Apathy　of　the　provinces。…Condition　of　their　estates。…

They　give　no　alms。…Misery　of　their　tenants。…Exactions　of　their

agents。…Exigencies　of　their　debts。　　…　State　of　their　justiciary。　　…

Effects　of　their　hunting　rights。　　…　Sentiments　of　the　peasantry　towards

them。



The　spectacle　becomes　still　gloomier；　on　passing　from　the　estates

on　which　the　seigniors　reside　to　those　on　which　they　are　non…

residents。　　Noble　or　ennobled；　lay　and　ecclesiastic；　the　latter　are

privileged　among　the　privileged；　and　form　an　aristocracy　inside　of　an

aristocracy。　　Almost　all　the　powerful　and　accredited　families　belong　to

it　whatever　may　be　their　origin　and　their　date。＇23＇　Through　their

habitual　or　frequent　residence　near　the　court；　through　their　alliances

or　mutual　visits；　through　their　habits　and　their　luxuries；　through　the

influence　which　they　exercise　and　the　enmities　which　they　provoke；

they　form　a　group　apart；　and　are　those　who　possess　the　most　extensive

estates；　the　leading　suzerainties；　and　the　most　complete　and

comprehensive　jurisdictions。　　Of　the　court　nobility　and　of　the　higher

clergy；　they　number　perhaps；　a　thousand　in　each　order；　while　their

small　number　only　brings　out　in　higher　relief　the　enormity　of　their

advantages。　　We　have　seen　that　the　appanages　of　the　princes　of　the

blood　comprise　a　seventh　of　the　territory；　Necker　estimates　the

revenue　of　the　estates　enjoyed　by　the　king's　two　brothers　at　two

millions。＇24＇　The　domains　of　the　Ducs　de　Bouillon；　d'Aiguillon；　and

some　others　cover　entire　leagues；　and；　in　immensity　and　continuity；

remind　one　of　those；　which　the　Duke　of　Sutherland　and　the　Duke　of

Bedford　now　possess　in　England。　　With　nothing　else　than　his　forests　and

his　canal；　the　Duke　of　Orleans；　before　marrying　his　wife；　as　rich　as

himself；　obtains　an　income　of　a　million。　　A　certain　seigniory；　le

Clermontois；　belonging　to　the　Prince　de　Condé；　contains　forty　thousand

inhabitants；　which　is　the　extent　of　a　German　principality；　〃moreover

all　the　taxes　or　subsidies　occurring　in　le　Clermontois　are　imposed　for

the　benefit　of　His　Serene　Highness；　the　king　receiving　absolutely

nothing。〃＇25＇　Naturally　authority　and　wealth　go　together；　and；　the

more　an　estate　yields；　the　more　its　owner　resembles　a　sovereign。　　The

archbishop　of　Cambray；　Duc　de　Cambray；　Comte　de　Cambrésis；　possesses

the　suzerainty　over　all　the　fiefs　of　a　region　which　numbers　over

seventy…five　thousand　inhabitants。　　He　appoints　one…half　of　the

aldermen　of　Cambray　and　the　whole　of　the　administrators　of　Cateau。　　He

nominates　the　abbots　to　two　great　abbeys；　and　presides　over　the

provincial　assemblies　and　the　permanent　bureau；　which　succeeds　them。

In　short；　under　the　intendant；　or　at　his　side；　he　maintains　a　pre…

eminence　and　better　still；　an　influence　somewhat　like　that　to　day

maintained　over　his　domain　by　grand　duke　incorporated　into　the　new

German　empire。　　Near　him；　in　Hainaut；　the　abbé　of　Saint…Armand

possesses　seven…eighths　of　the　territory　of　the　provostship　while

levying　on　the　other　eighth　the　seigniorial　taxes　of　the　corvées　and

the　dime。　　He　nominates　the　provost　of　the　aldermen；　so　that；　in　the

words　of　the　grievances；　〃he　composes　the　entire　State；　or　rather　he

is　himself　the　State。〃＇26＇　I　should　never　end　if　I　were　to　specify　all

these　big　prizes。　　Let　us　select　only　those　of　the　prelacy；　and　but　one

particular　side；　that　of　money。　　In　the　〃Almanach　Royal；〃　and　in　〃La

France　Ecclésiastique〃　for　1788；　we　may　read　their　admitted　revenues。

The　veritable　revenue；　however；　is　one…half　more　for　the　bishoprics；

an　double　and　triple　for　the　abbeys；　and　we　must　again　double　the

veritable　revenue　in　order　to　estimate　its　value　in　the　money　of　to

day。＇27＇。　　The　one　hundred　and　thirty…one　bishops　and　arch…bishops

possess　in　the　aggregate　5；　60