the origins of contemporary france-1-第17章

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seigniors　have　their　hotels　in　the　capital；　their　entresol　at

Versailles；　and　their　pleasure…house　within　a　circuit　of　twenty

leagues；　if　they　visit　their　estates　at　long　intervals；　it　is　to　hunt。

The　fifteen　hundred　commendatory　abbés　and　priors　enjoy　their

benefices　as　if　they　were　so　many　remote　farms。　　The　two　thousand　seven

hundred　vicars　and　canons　visit　each　other　and　dine　out。　　With　the

exception　of　a　few　apostolic　characters　the　one　hundred　and　thirty…one

bishops　stay　at　home　as　little　as　they　can；　nearly　all　of　them　being

nobles；　all　of　them　men　of　society；　what　could　they　do　out　of　the

world；　confined　to　a　provincial　town？　Can　we　imagine　a　grand　seignior；

once　a　gay　and　gallant　abbé　and　now　a　bishop　with　a　hundred　thousand

livres　income；　voluntarily　burying　himself　for　the　entire　year　at

Mende；　at　Comminges；　in　a　paltry　cloister？　The　interval　has　become　too

great　between　the　refined；　varied　and　literary　life　of　the　great

center；　and　the　monotonous；　inert；　practical　life　of　the　provinces。

Hence　it　is　that　the　grand　seignior　who　withdraws　from　the　former

cannot　enter　into　the　latter；　and　he　remains　an　absentee；　at　least　in

feeling。



A　country　in　which　the　heart　ceases　to　impel　the　blood　through　its

veins　presents　a　somber　aspect。　　Arthur　Young；　who　traveled　over　France

between　1787　and　1789；　is　surprised　to　find　at　once　such　a　vital

center　and　such　dead　extremities。　　Between　Paris　and　Versailles　the

double　file　of　vehicles　going　and　coming　extends　uninterruptedly　for

five　leagues　from　morning　till　night。＇33＇　The　contrast　on　other　roads

is　very　great。　　Leaving　Paris　by　the　Orleans　road；　says　Arthur　Young；

〃we　met　not　one　stage　or　diligence　for　ten　miles；　only　two　messageries

and　very　few　chaises；　not　a　tenth　of　what　would　have　been　met　had　we

been　leaving　London　at　the　same　hour。〃　On　the　highroad　near　Narbonne；

〃for　thirty…six　miles；〃　he　says；　〃I　came　across　but　one　cabriolet；

half　a　dozen　carts　and　a　few　women　leading　asses。〃　Elsewhere；　near　St。

Girons；　he　notices　that　in　two　hundred　and　fifty　miles　he　encountered

in　all；　〃two　cabriolets　and　three　miserable　things　similar　to　our　old

one…horse　post　chaise；　and　not　one　gentleman。〃　Throughout　this　country

the　inns　are　execrable；　it　is　impossible　to　hire　a　wagon；　while　in

England；　even　in　a　town　of　fifteen　hundred　or　two　thousand

inhabitants；　there　are　comfortable　hotels　and　every　means　of

transport。　　This　proves　that　in　France　〃there　is　no　circulation。〃　It　is

only　in　very　large　towns　that　there　is　any　civilization　and　comfort。

At　Nantes　there　is　a　superb　theater　〃twice　as　large　as　Drury…Lane　and

five　times　as　magnificent。　　Mon　Dieu！　I　cried　to　myself；　do　all　these

wastes；　moors；　and　deserts；　that　I　have　passed　for　300　miles　lead　to

this　spectacle？　。　　。　　。　　In　a　single　leap　you　pass　from　misery　to

extravagance；　。。。the　country　deserted；　or　if　a　gentleman　in　it；　you

find　him　in　some　wretched　hole　to　save　that　money　which　is　lavished

with　profusion　in　the　luxuries　of　a　capital。〃　〃A　coach；〃　says　M。　de

Montlosier；　〃set　out　weekly　from　the　principal　towns　in　the　provinces

for　Paris　and　was　not　always　full；　which　tells　us　about　the　activity

in　business。　　There　was　a　single　journal　called　the　Gazette　de　France；

appearing　twice　a　week；　which　represents　the　activity　of　minds。〃＇34＇

Some　magistrates　of　Paris　in　exile　at　Bourges　in　1753　and　1754　give

the　following　picture　of　that　place：




　〃A　town　in　which　no　one　can　be　found　with　whom　you　can　talk　at

your　ease　on　any　topic　whatever；　reasonably　or　sensibly。　　The　nobles；

three…fourths　of　them　dying　of　hunger；　rotting　with　pride　of　birth；

keeping　apart　from　men　of　the　robe　and　of　finance；　and　finding　it

strange　that　the　daughter　of　a　tax…collector；　married　to　a　counselor

of　the　parliament　of　Paris；　should　presume　to　be　intelligent　and

entertain　company。　　The　citizens　are　of　the　grossest　ignorance；　the

sole　support　of　this　species　of　lethargy　in　which　the　minds　of　most　of

the　inhabitants　are　plunged。　　Women；　bigoted　and　pretentious；　and　much

given　to　play　and　to　gallantry。〃＇35＇



In　this　impoverished　and　benumbed　society；　among　these　Messieurs

Thibaudeau；　the　counselor；　and　Harpin；　the　tax…collector；　among　these

vicomtes　de　Sotenville　and　Countesses　d'Escarbagnas；　lives　the

Archbishop；　Cardinal　de　Larochefoucauld；　grand　almoner　to　the　king；

provided　with　four　great　abbeys；　possessing　five　hundred　thousand

livres　income；　a　man　of　the　world；　generally　an　absentee；　and　when　at

home；　finding　amusement　in　the　embellishing　of　his　gardens　and　palace；

in　short；　the　golden　pheasant　of　an　aviary　in　a　poultry　yard　of

geese。＇36＇　Naturally　there　is　an　entire　absence　of　political　thought。

〃You　cannot　imagine；〃　says　the　manuscript；　〃a　person　more　indifferent

to　all　public　matters。〃　At　a　later　period；　in　the　very　midst　of　events

of　the　gravest　character；　and　which　most　nearly　concern　them；　there　is

the　same　apathy。　　At　Chateau…Thierry　on　the　4th　of　July；　1789；＇37＇

there　is　not　a　café　in　which　a　new　paper　can　be　found；　there　is　but

one　at　Dijon；　at　Moulins；　the　7th　of　August；　〃in　the　best　café　in　the

town；　where　I　found　near　twenty　tables　set　for　company；　but　as　for　a

newspaper　I　might　as　well　have　demanded　an　elephant。〃　Between

Strasbourg　and　Besan？on　there　is　not　a　gazette。　　At　Besan？on　there　is

〃nothing　but　the　Gazette　de　France；　for　which；　this　period；　a　man　of

common　sense　would　not　give　one　sol；　。　　。　　。　　and　the　Courier　de　l'Europe

a　fortnight　old；　and　well…dressed　people　are　now　talking　of　the　news

of　two　or　three　weeks　past；　and　plainly　by　their　discourse　know

nothing　of　what　is　passing。　　At　Clermont　〃I　dined；　or　supped；　five

times　at　the　table　d'h？te　with　from　twenty　to　thirty　merchants；　trade

men；　officers；　etc。；　and　it　is　not　easy　for　me　to　express　the

insignificance；　…　the　inanity　of　their　conversation。　　Scarcely　any

politics　are　mentioned　at　a　moment　when　every　bosom　ought　to　beat　with

none　but　political　sensations。　　The　ignorance　or　the　stupidity　of　these

people　must　be　absolutely　incredible；　not　a　week　passes　without　their

country　abounding　with　events＇38＇　that　are　analyzed　an　debated　by　the

carpenters　and　blacksmiths　of　England。〃　The　cause　of　this　inertia　is

manifest；　interrogated　on　their　opinions；　all　reply：　〃We　are　of　the

provinces　and　we　must　wait　to　know　what　is　going　on　in　Paris。〃　Never

having　acted；　they　do　no　know　how　to　act。　　But；　thanks　to　this　inertia；

they　let　themselves　be　driven。　　The　provinces　form　an　immense　stagnant

pond；　which；　by　a　terrible　inundation；　may　be　emptied　exclusively　on

one　side；　and　suddenly；　the　fault　lies　with　the　engineers　who　failed

to　provide　it　with　either　dikes　or　outlets。



Such　is　the　languor　or；　rather；　the　prostration；　into　which　local

life　falls　when　the　local　chiefs　deprive　it　of　their　presence；　action

or　sympathy。　　I　find　only　three　or　four　grand　seigniors　taking　a　part

in　it；　practical　philanthropists　following　the　example　of　English

noblemen；　the　Duc　d'Harcourt；　who　settles　the　lawsuits　of　his

peasants；　the　Duc　de　Larochefoucauld…Liancourt　who　establishes　a　model

farm　on　his　domain；　and　a　school　of　industrial　pursuits　for　the

children　of　poor　soldiers；　and　the　Comte　de　Brienne；　whose　thirty

villages　are　to　demand　liberty　of　the　Convention。＇39＇　The　rest；　for

the　most　part　liberals；　content　themselves　with　discussions　on　public

affairs　and　on　political　economy。　　In　fact；　the　difference　in　manners；

the　separation　of　interests；　the　remoteness　of　ideas　are　so　great　that

contact　between　those　most　exempt　from　haughtiness　and　their　immediate

tenantry　is　rare；　and　at　long　intervals。　　Arthur　Young；　needing　some

information　at　the　house　of　the　Duc　de　Larochefoucauld　himself；　the

steward　is　sent　for。　　〃At　an　English　nobleman's；　there　would　have　been

three　or　four　farmers　asked　to　meet　me；　who　would　have　dined　with　the

family　amongst　the　ladies　of　the　first　rank。　　I　do　not　exaggerate　when

I　say　that　I　have　had　this　at　least　an　hundred　times　in　the　fi