the origins of contemporary france-1-第27章

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Benedictines；　to　whom　a　half　of　the　tithes　belong；　give　ten　livres　per

annum。＇26＇　　At　Sainte…Croix　de　Bernay　in　Normandy；＇27＇　　the　non…

resident　abbé；　who　receives　57；000　livres　gives　1；050　livres　to　the

curate　without　a　parsonage；　whose　parish　contains　4；000　communicants。

At　Saint…Aubin…sur…Gaillon；　the　abbé；　a　gros　décimateur；　gives　350

livres　to　the　vicar；　who　is　obliged　to　go　into　the　village　and　obtain

contributions　of　flour；　bread　and　apples。　　At　Plessis　Hébert；　〃the

substitute　deportuaire；＇28＇　not　having　enough　to　live　on　is　obliged　to

get　his　meals　in　the　houses　of　neighboring　curates。〃　In　Artois；　where

the　tithes　are　often　seven　and　a　half　and　eight　per　cent。　　on　he

product　of　the　soil；　a　number　of　curates　have　a　fixed　rate　and　no

parsonage；　their　church　goes　to　ruin　and　the　beneficiary　gives　nothing

to　the　poor。　　〃At　Saint…Laurent；　in　Normandy；　the　curacy　is　worth　not

more　than　400　livres；　which　the　curate　shares　with　an　obitier；＇29＇

and　there　are　500　inhabitants；　three　quarters　of　whom　receive　alms。〃

As　the　repairs　on　a　parsonage　or　on　a　church　are　usually　at　the

expense　of　a　seignior　or　of　a　beneficiary　often　far　off；　and　in　debt

or　indifferent；　it　sometimes　happens　that　the　priest　does　not　know

where　to　lodge；　or　to　say　mass。　　〃I　arrived；〃　says　a　curate　of　the

Touraine；　〃in　the　month　of　June；　1788。　　。　　。　　。　　The　parsonage　would

resemble　a　hideous　cave　were　it　not　open　to　all　the　winds　and　the

frosts。　　Below　there　are　two　rooms　with　stone　floors；　without　doors　or

windows；　and　five　feet　high；　a　third　room　six　feet　high；　paved　with

stone；　serves　as　parlor；　hall；　kitchen；　wash…house；　bakery；　and　sink

for　the　water　of　the　court　and　garden。　　Above　are　three　similar　rooms；

the　whole　cracking　and　tumbling　in　ruins；　absolutely　threatening　to

fail；　without　either　doors　and　windows　that　hold。〃　And；　in　1790；　the

repairs　are　not　yet　made。　　See；　by　way　of　contrast；　the　luxury　of　the

prelates　possessing　half　a　million　income；　the　pomp　of　their　palaces；

the　hunting　equipment　of　M。　de　Dillon；　bishop　of　Evreux；　the

confessionals　lined　with　satin　of　M。　de　Barral；　bishop　of　Troyes；　and

the　innumerable　culinary　utensils　in　massive　silver　of　M。　de　Rohan；

bishop　of　Strasbourg。　　…　　Such　is　the　lot　of　curates　at　the

established　rates；　and　there　are　〃a　great　many〃　who　do　not　get　the

established　rates；　withheld　from　them　through　the　ill…will　of　the

higher　clergy；　who；　with　their　perquisites；　get　only　from　400　to　500

livres；　and　who　vainly　ask　for　the　meager　pittance　to　which　they　are

entitled　by　the　late　edict。　　〃Should　not　such　a　request；〃　says　a

curate；　〃be　willingly　granted　by　Messieurs　of　the　upper　clergy　who

suffer　monks　to　enjoy　from　5　to　6；000　livres　income　each　person；

whilst　they　see　curates；　who　are　at　least　as　necessary；　reduced　to　the

lighter　portion；　as　little　for　themselves　as　for　their　parish？　〃　　…

And　they　yet　gnaw　on　this　slight　pittance　to　pay　the　free　gift。　　In

this；　as　in　the　rest；　the　poor　are　charged　to　discharge　the　rich。　　In

the　diocese　of　Clermont；　〃the　curates；　even　with　the　simple　fixed

rates；　are　subject　to　a　tax　of　60；　80；　100；　120　livres　and　even　more；

the　vicars；　who　live　only　by　the　sweat　of　their　brows；　are　taxed　22

livres。〃　The　prelates；　on　the　contrary；　pay　but　little；　and　〃it　is

still　a　custom　to　present　bishops　on　New…Year's　day　with　a　receipt　for

their　taxes。〃＇30＇　　…　　There　is　no　escape　for　the　curates。　　Save　two　or

three　small　bishoprics　of　〃lackeys；〃　all　the　dignities　of　the　church

are　reserved　to　the　nobles；　〃to　be　a　bishop　nowadays；〃　says　one　of

them；　〃a　man　must　be　a　gentleman。〃　I　regard　them　as　sergeants　who；

like　their　fellows　in　the　army；　have　lost　all　hope　of　becoming

officers。　　…　　Hence　there　are　some　whose　anger　bursts　its　bounds：　〃We；

unfortunate　curates　at　fixed　rates；　we；　commonly　assigned　to　the

largest　parishes；　like　my　own　which；　for　two　leagues　in　the　woods；

includes　hamlets　that　would　form　another；　we；　whose　lot　makes　even　the

stones　and　beams　of　our　miserable　dwellings　cry　aloud；〃　we　have　to

endure　prelates　〃who　would　still；　through　their　forest…keepers；

prosecute　a　poor　curate　for　cutting　a　stick　in　their　forests；　his　sole

support　on　his　long　journeys　over　the　road。〃　On　their　passing；　the

poor　man　〃is　obliged　to　jump　close　against　a　slope　to　protect　himself

from　the　feet　and　the　spattering　of　the　horses；　as　likewise　from　the

wheels　and；　perhaps；　the　whip　of　an　insolent　coachman；〃　and　then；

〃begrimed　with　dirt；　with　his　stick　in　one　hand　and　his　hat；　such　as

it　is；　in　the　other；　he　must　salute；　humbly　and　quickly；　through　the

door　of　the　close；　gilded　carriage；　the　counterfeit　hierophant　who　is

snoring　on　the　wool　of　the　flock　the　poor　curate　is　feeding；　and　of

which　he　merely　leaves　him　the　dung　and　the　grease。〃　The　whole　letter


is　one　long　cry　of　rage；　it　is　rancor　of　this　stamp　which　is　to

fashion　Joseph　Lebons　and　Fouchés。　　…　　In　this　situation　and　with

these　sentiments　it　is　evident　that　the　lower　clergy　will　treat　its

chiefs　as　the　provincial　nobility　treated　theirs。＇31＇　　They　will　not

select　〃for　representatives　those　who　swim　in　opulence　and　who　have

always　regarded　their　sufferings　with　tranquility。〃　The　curates；　on

all　sides　〃will　confederate　together〃　to　send　only　curates　to　the

States…General；　and　to　exclude　〃not　only　canons；　abbés；　priors　and

other　beneficiaries；　but　again　the　principal　superiors；　the　heads　of

the　hierarchy；〃　that　is　to　say；　the　bishops。　　In　fact；　in　the　States…

General；　out　of　three　hundred　clerical　deputies　we　count　two　hundred

and　eight　curates；　and；　like　the　provincial　nobles；　these　bring　along

with　them　the　distrust　and　the　ill…will　which　they　have　so　long

entertained　against　their　chiefs。　　Events　are　soon　to　prove　this。　　If

the　first　two　orders　are　constrained　to　combine　against　the　communes

it　is　at　the　critical　moment　when　the　curates　withdraw。　　If　the

institution　of　an　upper　chamber　is　rejected　it　is　owing　to　the

commonalty　of　the　gentry　（la　plèbe　des　gentilshommes）　being　unwilling

to　allow　the　great　families　a　prerogative　which　they　have　abused。



V。　　The　King's　Incompetence　and　Generosity。



The　most　privileged　of　all　…　　Having　monopolized　all　powers；　he

takes　upon　himself　their　functional　activity　…　The　burden　of　this　task

…　He　evades　it　or　is　incompetent　…　His　conscience　at　ease　…　France　is

his　property　…　How　he　abuses　it　…　Royalty　the　center　of　abuses。



One　privilege　remains　the　most　considerable　of　all；　that　of　the

king；　for；　in　his　staff　of　hereditary　nobles　he　is　the　hereditary

general。　　His　office；　indeed；　is　not　a　sinecure；　like　their　rank；　but

it　involves　quite　as　grave　disadvantages　and　worse　temptations。　　Two

things　are　pernicious　to　Man；　the　lack　of　occupation　and　the　lack　of

restraint；　neither　inactivity　nor　omnipotence　are　in　harmony　with　his

nature。　　The　absolute　prince　who　is　all…powerful；　like　the　listless

aristocracy　with　nothing　to　do；　in　the　end　become　useless　and

mischievous。　　…　　In　grasping　all　powers　the　king　insensibly　took　upon

himself　all　functions；　an　immense　undertaking　and　one　surpassing　human

strength。　　For　it　is　the　Monarchy；　and　not　the　Revolution；　which

endowed　France　with　administrative　centralization　＇32＇。　　Three

functionaries；　one　above　the　other；　manage　all　public　business　under

the　direction　of　the　king's　council；　the　comptroller…general　at　the

center；　the　intendant　in　each　generalship；＇33＇　　the　sub…delegate　in

each　election；　fixing；　apportioning　and　levying　taxes　and　the　militia；

laying　out　and　building　highways；　employing　the　national　police　force；

distributing　succor；　regulating　cultivation；　imposing　their　tutelage

on　the　parishes；　and　treating　municipal　magistrates　as　valets。　　〃A

village；〃　says　Turgot；＇34＇　　〃is　simply　an　assemblage　of　houses　and

huts；　and　of　inhabitants　equally　passive。　　。　　。　　。　　Your　Majesty　is

obliged　to　decide　wholly　by　yourself　or　through　your　mandataries。　　。　　。

。　　Each　awaits　your　special　instructions　to　contribute　to　the　public