the origins of contemporary france-1-第3章

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

before　me；　been　tempted　to　speak　aloud　with　them。



H。　　A。　　Taine；　August　1875。







Notes：



＇1＇。　　Taine's　friend　who　was　the　director　of　the　French　National

Archives。　　（SR。）



＇2＇。　　One　sou　equals　1/20th　of　a　franc　or　5　centimes。　　12　diniers

equaled　one　sou。　　（SR。）







BOOK　FIRST。　　THE　STRUCTURE　OF　THE　ANCIENT　SOCIETY。



CHAPTER　I。　　THE　ORIGIN　OF　PRIVILEGES。



In　1789　three　classes　of　persons；　the　Clergy；　the　Nobles　and　the

King；　occupied　the　most　prominent　position　in　the　State　with　all　the

advantages　pertaining　thereto　namely；　authority；　property；　honors；　or；

at　the　very　least；　privileges；　immunities；　favors；　pensions；

preferences；　and　the　like。　　If　they　occupied　this　position　for　so　long

a　time；　it　is　because　for　so　long　a　time　they　had　deserved　it。　　They

had；　in　short；　through　an　immense　and　secular　effort；　constructed　by

degrees　the　three　principal　foundations　of　modern　society。



I。　　Services　and　Recompenses　of　the　Clergy。



Of　these　three　layered　foundations　the　most　ancient　and　deepest　was

the　work　of　the　clergy。　　For　twelve　hundred　years　and　more　they　had

labored　upon　it；　both　as　architects　and　workmen；　at　first　alone　and

then　almost　alone。　　…　In　the　beginning；　during　the　first　four

centuries；　they　constituted　religion　and　the　church。　　Let　us　ponder

over　these　two　words；　in　order　to　weigh　them　well。　　One　the　one　hand；

in　a　society　founded　on　conquest；　hard　and　cold　like　a　machine　of

brass；　forced　by　its　very　structure　to　destroy　among　its　subjects　all

courage　to　act　and　all　desire　to　live；　they　had　proclaimed　the　〃glad

tidings；〃　held　forth　the　〃kingdom　of　God；〃　preached　loving　resignation

in　the　hands　of　a　Heavenly　Father；　inspired　patience；　gentleness；

humility；　self…abnegation；　and　charity；　and　opened　the　only　issues　by

which　Man　stifling　in　the　Roman　'ergastulum'　could　again　breathe　and

see　daylight：　and　here　we　have　religion。　　On　the　other　hand；　in　a　State

gradually　undergoing　depopulation；　crumbling　away；　and　fatally

becoming　a　prey；　they　had　formed　a　living　society　governed　by　laws　and

discipline；　rallying　around　a　common　aim　and　a　common　doctrine；

sustained　by　the　devotion　of　chiefs　and　by　the　obedience　of　believes；

alone　capable　of　subsisting　beneath　the　flood　of　barbarians　which　the

empire　in　ruin　suffered　to　pour　in　through　its　breaches：　and　here　we

have　the　church。　　…　It　continues　to　build　on　these　two　first

foundations；　and　after　the　invasion；　for　over　five　hundred　years；　it

saves　what　it　can　still　save　of　human　culture。　　It　marches　in　the　van

of　the　barbarians　or　converts　them　directly　after　their　entrance；

which　is　a　wonderful　advantage。　　Let　us　judge　of　it　by　a　single　fact：

In　Great　Britain；　which　like　Gaul　had　become　Latin；　but　whereof　the

conquerors　remain　pagan　during　a　century　and　a　half；　arts；　industries；

society；　language；　all　were　destroyed；　nothing　remained　of　an　entire

people；　either　massacred　or　fugitive；　but　slaves。　　We　have　still　to

divine　their　traces；　reduced　to　the　condition　of　beasts　of　burden；

they　disappear　from　history。　　Such　might　have　been　the　fate　of　Europe

if　the　clergy　had　not　promptly　tamed　the　fierce　brutes　to　which　it

belonged。



Before　the　bishop　in　his　gilded　cope　or　before　the　monk；　the

converted　German　〃emaciated；　clad　in　skins；〃　wan；　〃dirtier　and　more

spotted　than　a　chameleon；〃＇1＇　stood　fear…stricken　as　before　a

sorcerer。　　In　his　calm　moments；　after　the　chase　or　inebriety；　the　vague

divination　of　a　mysterious　and　grandiose　future；　the　dim　conception　of

an　unknown　tribunal；　the　rudiment　of　conscience　which　he　already　had

in　his　forests　beyond　the　Rhine；　arouses　in　him　through　sudden　alarms

half…formed；　menacing　visions。　　At　the　moment　of　violating　a　sanctuary

he　asks　himself　whether　he　may　not　fall　on　its　threshold　with　vertigo

and　a　broken　neck。＇2＇　　　Convicted　through　his　own　perplexity；　he　stops

and　spares　the　farm；　the　village；　and　the　town；　which　live　under　the

priest's　protection。　　If　the　animal　impulse　of　rage；　or　of　primitive

lusts；　leads　him　to　murder　or　to　rob；　later；　after　satiety；　in　times

of　sickness　or　of　misfortune；　taking　the　advice　of　his　concubine　or　of

his　wife；　he　repents　and　makes　restitution　twofold；　tenfold；　a

hundredfold；　unstinted　in　his　gifts　and　immunities。＇3＇　Thus；　over　the

whole　territory　the　clergy　maintain　and　enlarge　their　asylums　for　the

oppressed　and　the　vanquished。　　…　　On　the　other　hand；　among　the　warrior

chiefs　with　long　hair；　by　the　side　of　kings　clad　in　furs；　the　mitered

bishop　and　abbot；　with　shaven　brows；　take　seats　in　the　assemblies；

they　alone　know　how　to　use　the　pen　and　how　to　discuss。　　Secretaries；

councilors；　theologians；　they　participate　in　all　edicts；　they　have

their　hand　in　the　government；　they　strive　through　its　agency　to　bring

a　little　order　out　of　immense　disorder；　to　render　the　law　more

rational　and　more　humane；　to　re…establish　or　preserve　piety；

instruction；　justice；　property；　and　especially　marriage。　　To　their

ascendancy　is　certainly　due　the　police　system；　such　as　it　was；

intermittent　and　incomplete；　which　prevented　Europe　from　falling　into

a　Mongolian　anarchy。　　If；　down　to　the　end　of　the　twelfth　century；　the

clergy　bears　heavily　on　the　princes；　it　is　especially　to　repress　in

them　and　beneath　them　the　brutal　appetites；　the　rebellions　of　flesh

and　blood；　the　outbursts　and　relapses　of　irresistible　ferocity　which

are　undermining　the　social　fabric。　　…　　Meanwhile；　in　its　churches　and

in　its　convents；　it　preserves　the　ancient　acquisitions　of　humanity；

the　Latin　tongue；　Christian　literature　and　theology；　a　portion　of

pagan　literature　and　science；　architecture；　sculpture；　painting；　the

arts　and　industries　which　aid　worship。　　It　also　preserved　the　more

valuable　industries；　which　provide　man　with　bread；　clothing；　and

shelter；　and　especially　the　greatest　of　all　human　acquisitions；　and

the　most　opposed　to　the　vagabond　humor　of　the　idle　and　plundering

barbarian；　the　habit　and　taste　for　labor。　　In　the　districts　depopulated

through　Roman　exactions；　through　the　revolt　of　the　Bagaudes；　through

the　invasion　of　the　Germans；　and　the　raids　of　brigands；　the

Benedictine　monk　built　his　cabin　of　boughs　amid　briers　and

brambles。＇4＇　　Large　areas　around　him；　formerly　cultivated；　are　nothing

but　abandoned　thickets。　　Along　with　his　associates　he　clears　the　ground

and　erects　buildings；　he　domesticates　half…tamed　animals；　he

establishes　a　farm；　a　mill；　a　forge；　an　oven；　and　shops　for　shoes　and

clothing。　　According　to　the　rules　of　his　order；　he　reads　daily　for　two

hours。　　He　gives　seven　hours　to　manual　labor；　and　he　neither　eats　nor

drinks　more　than　is　absolutely　essential。　　Through　his　intelligent；

voluntary　labor；　conscientiously　performed　and　with　a　view　to　the

future；　he　produces　more　than　the　layman　does。　　Through　his　temperate；

judicious；　economical　system　he　consumes　less　than　the　layman　does。

Hence　it　is　that　where　the　layman　had　failed　he　sustains　himself　and

even　prospers。＇5＇　　　He　welcomes　the　unfortunate；　feeds　them；　sets　them

to　work；　and　unites　them　in　matrimony　and　beggars；　vagabonds；　and

fugitive　peasants　gather　around　the　sanctuary。　　Their　camp　gradually

becomes　a　village　and　next　a　small　town；　man　plows　as　soon　as　he　can

be　sure　of　his　crops；　and　becomes　the　father　of　a　family　as　soon　as　he

considers　himself　able　to　provide　for　his　offspring。　　In　this　way　new

centers　of　agriculture　and　industry　are　formed；　which　likewise　become

new　centers　of　population。＇6＇



To　food　for　the　body　add　food　for　the　soul；　not　less　essential。

For；　along　with　nourishment；　it　was　still　necessary　to　furnish　Man

with　inducements　to　live；　or；　at　the　very　least；　with　the　resignation

that　makes　life　endurable；　and　also　with　the　poetic　daydreams　taking

the　place　of　massing　happiness。＇7＇　　Down　to　the　middle　of　the

thirteenth　century　the　clergy　stands　almost　alone　in　furnishing　this。

Through　its　innumerable　legend