the origins of contemporary france-1-第2章

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meaningless　planning。　　I　promised　myself　that；　for　my　own　part；　if　I

should　some　day　undertake　to　form　a　political　opinion；　it　would　be

only　after　having　studied　France。



What　is　contemporary　France？　To　answer　this　question　we　must　know

how　this　France　is　formed；　or；　what　is　still　better；　to　act　as

spectator　at　its　formation。　　At　the　end　of　the　last　century　（in　1789）；

like　a　molting　insect；　it　underwent　a　metamorphosis。　　Its　ancient

organization　is　dissolved；　it　tears　away　its　most　precious　tissues　and

falls　into　convulsions；　which　seem　mortal。　　Then；　after　multiplied

throes　and　a　painful　lethargy；　it　re…establishes　itself。　　But　its

organization　is　no　longer　the　same：　by　silent　interior　travail　a　new

being　is　substituted　for　the　old。　　In　1808；　its　leading　characteristics

are　decreed　and　defined：　departments；　arondissements；　cantons　and

communes；　no　change　have　since　taken　place　in　its　exterior　divisions

and　functions。　　Concordat；　Code；　Tribunals；　University；　Institute；

Prefects；　Council　of　State；　Taxes；　Collectors；　Cours　des　Comptes；　a

uniform　and　centralized　administration；　its　principal　organs；　are

still　the　same。　　Nobility；　commoners；　artisans；　peasants；　each　class

has　henceforth　the　position；　the　sentiments；　the　traditions　which　we

see　at　the　present　day　（1875）。　　Thus　the　new　creature　is　at　once　stable

and　complete；　consequently　its　structure；　its　instincts　and　its

faculties　mark　in　advance　the　circle　within　which　its　thought　and　its

action　will　be　stimulated。　　Around　it；　other　nations；　some　more

advanced；　others　less　developed；　all　with　greater　caution；　some　with

better　results；　attempt　similarly　a　transformation　from　a　feudal　to　a

modern　state；　the　process　takes　place　everywhere　and　all　but

simultaneously。　　But；　under　this　new　system　as　beneath　the　ancient；　the

weak　is　always　the　prey　of　the　strong。　　Woe　to　those　（nations）　whose

retarded　evolution　exposes　them　to　the　neighbor　suddenly　emancipated

from　his　chrysalis　state；　and　is　the　first　to　go　forth　fully　armed！

Woe　likewise　to　him　whose　too　violent　and　too　abrupt　evolution　has

badly　balanced　his　internal　economy。　　Who；　through　the　exaggeration　of

his　governing　forces；　through　the　deterioration　of　his　deep…seated

organs；　through　the　gradual　impoverishment　of　his　vital　tissues　is

condemned　to　commit　inconsiderate　acts；　to　debility；　to　impotency；

amidst　sounder　and　better…balanced　neighbors！　In　the　organization；

which　France　effected　for　herself　at　the　beginning　of　the　（19th）

century；　all　the　general　lines　of　her　contemporary　history　were

traced。　　Her　political　revolutions；　social　Utopias；　division　of

classes；　role　of　the　church；　conduct　of　the　nobility；　of　the　middle

class；　and　of　the　people；　the　development；　the　direction；　or　deviation

of　philosophy；　of　letters　and　of　the　arts。　　That　is　why；　should　we　wish

to　understand　our　present　condition　our　attention　always　reverts　to

the　terrible　and　fruitful　crisis　by　which　the　ancient　regime　produced

the　Revolution；　and　the　Revolution　the　new　regime。



Ancient　régime；　Revolution；　new　régime；　I　am　going　to　try　to

describe　these　three　conditions　with　exactitude。　　I　have　no　other

object　in　view。　　A　historian　may　be　allowed　the　privilege　of　a

naturalist；　I　have　regarded　my　subject　the　same　as　the　metamorphosis

of　an　insect。　　Moreover；　the　event　is　so　interesting　in　itself　that　it

is　worth　the　trouble　of　being　observed　for　its　own　sake；　and　no　effort

is　required　to　suppress　one's　ulterior　motives。　　Freed　from　all

prejudice；　curiosity　becomes　scientific　and　may　be　completely

concentrated　on　the　secret　forces；　which　guide　the　wonderful　process。

These　forces　are　the　situation；　the　passions；　the　ideas；　the　wills　of

each　group　of　actors；　and　which　can　be　defined　and　almost　measured。

They　are　in　full　view；　we　are　not　reduced　to　conjectures　about　them；

to　uncertain　divination；　to　vague　indications。　　By　singular　good

fortune　we　perceive　the　men　themselves；　their　exterior　and　their

interior。　　The　Frenchmen　of　the　ancient　régime　are　still　within　visual

range。　　All　of　us；　in　our　youth；　（around　1840…50）；　have　encountered　one

or　more　of　the　survivors　of　this　vanished　society。　　Many　of　their

dwellings；　with　the　furniture；　still　remain　intact。　　Their　pictures　and

engravings　enable　us　to　take　part　in　their　domestic　life；　see　how　they

dress；　observe　their　attitudes　and　follow　their　movements。　　Through

their　literature；　philosophy；　scientific　pursuits；　gazettes；　and

correspondence；　we　can　reproduce　their　feeling　and　thought；　and　even

enjoy　their　familiar　conversation。　　The　multitude　of　memoirs；　issuing

during　the　past　thirty　years　from　public　and　private　archives；　lead　us

from　one　drawing　room　to　another；　as　if　we　bore　with　us　so　many

letters　of　introduction。　　The　independent　descriptions　by　foreign

travelers；　in　their　journals　and　correspondence；　correct　and　complete

the　portraits；　which　this　society　has　traced　of　itself。　　Everything

that　it　could　state　has　been　stated；　except；



*　what　was　commonplace　and　well…known　to　contemporaries；



*　whatever　seemed　technical；　tedious　and　vulgar；



*　whatever　related　to　the　provinces；　to　the　bourgeoisie；　the

peasant；　to　the　laboring　man；　to　the　government；　and　to　the　household。



It　has　been　my　aim　to　fill　this　void；　and　make　France　known　to

others　outside　the　small　circle　of　the　literary　and　the　cultivated。

Owing　to　the　kindness　of　M。　Maury＇1＇　and　the　precious　indications　of

M。　Boutaric；　I　have　been　able　to　examine　a　mass　of　manuscript

documents。　　These　include　the　correspondence　of　a　large　number　of

intendants；　（the　Royal　governor　of　a　large　district）；　the　directors　of

customs　and　tax　offices；　legal　officers；　and　private　persons　of　every

kind　and　of　every　degree　during　the　thirty　last　years　of　the　ancient

regime。　　Also　included　are　the　reports　and　registers　of　the　various

departments　of　the　royal　household；　the　reports　and　registers　of　the

States　General　in　176　volumes；　the　dispatches　of　military　officers　in

1789　and　1790；　letters；　memoirs　and　detailed　statistics　preserved　in

the　one　hundred　boxes　of　the　ecclesiastical　committee；　the

correspondence；　in　94　bundles；　of　the　department　and　municipal

authorities　with　the　ministries　from　1790　to　1799；　the　reports　of　the

Councilors　of　State　on　mission　at　the　end　of　1801；　the　reports　of

prefects　under　the　Consulate；　the　Empire；　and　the　Restoration　down　to

1823。　　There　is　such　a　quantity　of　unknown　and　instructive　documents

besides　these　that　the　history　of　the　Revolution　seems；　indeed；　to　be

still　unwritten。　　In　any　event；　it　is　only　such　documents；　which　can

make　all　these　people　come　alive。　　The　lesser　nobles；　the　curates；　the

monks；　the　nuns　of　the　provinces；　the　aldermen　and　bourgeoisie　of　the

towns；　the　attorneys　and　syndics　of　the　country　villages；　the　laborers

and　artisans；　the　officers　and　the　soldiers。　　These　alone　enable　us　to

contemplate　and　appreciate　in　detail　the　various　conditions　of　their

existence；　the　interior　of　a　parsonage；　of　a　convent；　of　a　town…

council；　the　wages　of　a　workman；　the　produce　of　a　farm；　the　taxes

levied　on　a　peasant；　the　duties　of　a　tax…collector；　the　expenditure　of

a　noble　or　prelate；　the　budget；　retinue　and　ceremonial　of　a　court。

Thanks　to　such　resources；　we　are　able　to　give　precise　figures；　to　know

hour　by　hour　the　occupations　of　a　day　and；　better　still；　read　off　the

bill　of　fare　of　a　grand　dinner；　and　recompose　all　parts　of　a　full…

dress　costume。　　We　have　even；　on　the　one　hand；　samples　of　the　materials

of　the　dresses　worn　by　Marie　Antoinette；　pinned　on　paper　and

classified　by　dates。　　And　on　the　other　hand；　we　can　tell　what　clothes

were　worn　by　the　peasant；　describe　the　bread　he　ate；　specify　the　flour

it　was　made　of；　and　state　the　cost　of　a　pound　of　it　in　sous　and

deniers。＇2＇　With　such　resources　one　becomes　almost　contemporary　with

the　men　whose　history　one　writes　and；　more　than　once；　in　the　Archives；

I　have；　while　tracing　their　old　handwriting　on　the　time…stained　paper