the origins of contemporary france-1-第24章

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nation。　　The　nobility；　in　default　of　the　right　to　meet　together　and　to

vote；　exercises　its　influence；　and；　to　know　how　it　uses　this；　it　is

sufficient　to　read　over　the　edicts　and　the　Almanac。　　A　regulation

imposed　on　Marshal　de　Ségur＇4＇has　just　restored　the　old　barrier；　which

excluded　commoners　from　military　rank；　and　thenceforward；　to　be　a

captain；　it　is　necessary　to　prove　four　degrees　of　nobility。　　In　like

manner；　in　late　days；　one　must　be　a　noble　to　be　a　master　of　requests；

and　it　is　secretly　determined　that　in　future　〃all　ecclesiastical

property；　from　the　humblest　priory　to　the　richest　abbeys；　shall　be

reserved　to　the　nobility。〃　In　fact；　all　the　high　places；　ecclesiastic

or　laic；　are　theirs；　all　the　sinecures；　ecclesiastic　or　laic；　are

theirs；　or　for　their　relations；　adherents；　protégés；　and　servitors。

France＇5＇　　is　like　a　vast　stable　in　which　the　blood…horses　obtain

double　and　triple　rations　for　doing　nothing；　or　for　only　half…work；

whilst　the　draft…horses　perform　full　service　on　half　a　ration；　and

that　often　not　supplied。　　Again；　it　must　be　noted；　that　among　these

blood…horses　is　a　privileged　circle　which；　born　near　the　manger；　keeps

its　fellows　away　and　feeds　bountifully；　fat；　shining；　with　their　skins

polished；　and　up　to　their　bellies　in　litter；　and　with　no　other

occupation　than　that　of　appropriating　everything　to　themselves。　　These

are　the　court　nobles；　who　live　within　reach　of　favors；　brought　up　from

infancy　to　ask　for　them；　to　obtain　and　to　ask　again；　solely　attentive

to　royal　condescension　and　frowns；　for　whom　the　OEil　de　boeuf＇6＇

forms　the　universe。　　They　are　as　〃indifferent　to　the　affairs　of　the

State　as　to　their　own　affairs；　allowing　one　to　be　governed　by

provincial　intendants　as　they　allowed　he　other　to　be　governed　by　their

own　intendants。〃



Let　us　contemplate　them　at　work　on　the　budget。　　We　know　how　large

that　of　the　church　is；　I　estimate　that　they　absorb　at　east　one…half　of

it。　　Nineteen　chapters　of　male　nobles；　twenty…five　chapters　of　female

nobles；　two　hundred　and　sixty　commanderies　of　Malta　belong　to　them　by

institution。　　They　occupy；　by　favor；　all　the　archbishoprics；　and；

except　five；　all　the　bishoprics。＇7＇　　They　furnish　three　out　of　four

abbés…commendatory　and　vicars…general。　　If；　among　the　abbeys　of　females

royally　nominated；　we　set　apart　those　bringing　in　twenty　thousand

livres　and　more；　we　find　that　they　all　have　ladies　of　rank　for

abbesses。　　One　fact　alone　shows　the　extent　of　these　favors：　I　have

counted　eighty…three　abbeys　of　men　possessed　by　the　almoners；

chaplains；　preceptors　or　readers　to　the　king；　queen；　princes；　and

princesses；　one　of　them；　the　abbé　de　Vermont；　has　80；000　livres　income

in　benefices。　　In　short；　the　fifteen　hundred　ecclesiastical　sinecures

under　royal　appointment；　large　or　small；　constitute　a　flow　of　money

for　the　service　of　the　great；　whether　they　pour　it　out　in　golden　rain

to　recompense　the　assiduity　of　their　intimates　and　followers；　or　keep

it　in　large　reservoirs　to　maintain　the　dignity　of　their　rank。　　Besides；

according　to　the　fashion　of　giving　more　to　those　who　have　already

enough；　the　richest　prelates　possess；　above　their　episcopal　revenues；

the　wealthiest　abbeys。　　According　to　the　Almanac；　M。　d'Argentré；　bishop

of　Séez；＇8＇　thus　enjoys　an　extra　income　of　34；000　livres；　M。　de

Suffren；　bishop　of　Sisteron；　36；000；　M。　de　Girac；　bishop　of　Rennes；

40；000；　M。　de　Bourdeille；　bishop　of　Soissons；　42；000；　M。　d'Agout　de

Bonneval；　bishop　of　Pamiers；　45；000；　M。　de　Marboeuf　bishop　of　Autun；

50；000；　M。　de　Rohan；　bishop　of　Strasbourg；　60；000；　M。　de　Cicé；

archbishop　of　Bordeaux；　63；000；　M。　de　Luynes；　archbishop　of　Sens；

82；000；　M。　de　Bernis；　archbishop　of　Alby；　100；000；　M。　de　Brienne；

archbishop　of　Toulouse；　l06；000；　M。　de　Dillon；　archbishop　of　Narbonne；

120；000；　M。　de　Larochefoucauld；　archbishop　of　Rouen；　130；000　；　that　is

to　say；　double　and　sometimes　triple　the　sums　stated；　and　quadruple；

and　often　six　times　as　much；　according　to　the　present　standard。　　M。　de

Rohan　derived　from　his　abbeys；　not　60；000　livres　but　400；000；　and　M。

de　Brienne；　the　most　opulent　of　all；　next　to　M。　de　Rohan；　the　24th　of

August；　1788；　at　the　time　of　leaving　the　ministry；＇9＇　　sent　to

withdraw　from　the　treasury　〃the　20；000　livres　of　his　month's　salary

which　had　not　yet　fallen　due；　a　punctuality　the　more　remarkable　that；

without　taking　into　account　the　salary　of　his　place；　with　the　6；000

livres　pension　attached　to　his　blue　ribbon；　he　possessed；　in

benefices；　678；000　livres　income；　and　that；　still　quite　recently；　a

cutting　of　wood　on　one　of　his　abbey　domains　yielded　him　a　million。〃



Let　us　pass　on　to　the　lay　budget；　here　also　are　prolific　sinecures；

and　almost　all　belong　to　the　nobles。　　Of　this　class　there　are　in　the

provinces　the　thirty…seven　great　governments…general；　the　seven　small

governments…general；　the　sixty…six　lieutenancies…general；　the　four

hundred　and　seven　special　governments；　the　thirteen　governorships　of

royal　palaces；　and　a　number　of　others；　all　of　them　for　ostentation　and

empty　honors。　　They　are　all　in　the　hands　of　the　nobles；　all　lucrative；

not　only　through　salaries　paid　by　the　treasury；　but　also　through　local

profits。　　Here；　again；　the　nobility　allowed　itself　to　evade　the

authority；　the　activity　and　the　usefulness　of　its　charge　on　the

condition　of　retaining　its　title；　pomp　and　money。＇10＇　The　intendant　is

really　the　governor；　〃the　titular　governor；　exercising　a　function　with

special　letters　of　command；〃　is　only　there　to　give　dinners；　and　again

he　must　have　permission　to　do　that；　〃the　permission　to　go　and　reside

at　his　place　of　government。〃　The　place；　however；　yields　fruit。　　The

government…general　of　Berry　is　worth　35；000　livres　income；　that　of

Guyenne　120；000；　that　of　Languedoc　160；000；　a　small　special

government；　like　that　of　Havre；　brings　in　35；000　livres；　besides　the

accessories；　a　medium　lieutenancy…general；　like　that　of　Roussillon；

13；000　to　14；000　livres；　one　special　government　from　12；000　to　18；000

livres；　and　observe　that；　in　the　Isle　of　France　alone；　there　are

thirty…four；　at　Vervins；　Senlis；　Melun；　Fontainebleau；　Dourdan；　Sens；

Limours；　Etampes；　Dreux；　Houdan　and　other　towns　as　insignificant　as

they　are　pacific；　it　is　the　staff　of　the　Valois　dynasty　which；　since

the　time　of　Richelieu；　has　ceased　to　perform　any　service；　but　which

the　treasury　continues　to　pay。　　…　　Consider　these　sinecures　in　one

province　alone；　in　Languedoc；　a　country　with　its　own　provincial

assembly；　which　ought　to　provide　some　protection　the　taxpayer's　purse。

There　are　three　sub…commandants　at　Tournon；　Alais；　and　Montpelier；

〃each　one　paid　16；000　livres；　although　without　any　functions　since

their　places　were　established　at　the　time　of　the　religious　wars　and

troubles；　to　keep　down　the　Protestants。〃　Twelve　royal　lieutenants　are

equally　useless；　and　only　for　parade。　　The　same　with　three　lieutenants…

general；　each　one　〃receiving　in　his　turn；　every　three　years；　a

gratuity　of　30；000　livres；　for　services　rendered　in　the　said　province。

These　are　vain　and　chimerical；　they　are　not　specified〃　because　none　of

them　reside　there；　and；　if　they　are　paid；　it　is　to　secure　their

support　at　the　court。　　〃Thus　the　Comte　de　Caraman；　who　has　more　than

600；000　livres　income　as　proprietor　of　the　Languedoc　canal；　receives

30；000　livres　every　three　years；　without　legitimate　cause；　and

independently　of　frequent　and　ample　gifts　which　the　province　awards　to

him　for　repairs　on　his　canal。〃　　…　　The　province　likewise　gives　to　the

commandant；　Comte　de　Périgord；　a　gratuity　of　12；000　livres　in　addition

to　his　salary；　and　to　his　wife　another　gratuity　of　12；000　livres　on

her　honoring　the　states　for　the　first　time　with　her　presence。　　It

again　pays；　for　the　same　commandant；　forty　guards；　〃of　which　twenty…

four　only　serve　during　his　short　appearance　at　the　Assembly；〃　and　who；

with　their　captain；　annually　cost　15；000　livres。　　It　pays　likewise　for

the　Governor　from　eighty　to　one　hundred　guards；　〃　who　each　receive　300