the origins of contemporary france-1-第5章

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wretched；　who；　in　the　universal　disorder　and　devastation；　seek　refuge

under　his　guardianship；　their　condition　is　harder。　　The　soil　belongs　to

the　lord　because　without　him　it　would　be　uninhabitable。　　If　he　assigns

them　a　plot　of　ground；　if　he　permits　them　merely　to　encamp　on　it；　if

he　sets　them　to　work　or　furnishes　them　with　seeds　it　is　on　conditions；

which　he　prescribes。　　They　are　to　become　his　serfs；　subject　to　the　laws

on　mainmorte。＇11＇　　Wherever　they　may　go　he　is　to　have　the　right　of

fetching　them　back。　　From　father　to　son　they　are　his　born　domestics；

applicable　to　any　pursuit　he　pleases；　taxable　and　workable　at　his

discretion。　　They　are　not　allowed　to　transmit　anything　to　a　child

unless　the　latter；　〃living　from　their　pot；〃　can；　after　their　death；

continue　their　service。　　〃Not　to　be　killed；〃　says　Stendhal；　〃and　to

have　a　good　sheepskin　coat　in　winter；　was；　for　many　people　in　the

tenth　century；　the　height　of　felicity〃；　let　us　add；　for　a　woman；　that

of　not　being　violated　by　a　whole　band。　　When　we　clearly　represent　to

ourselves　the　condition　of　humanity　in　those　days；　we　can　comprehend

how　men　readily　accepted　the　most　obnoxious　of　feudal　rights；　even

that　of　the　droit　du　seigneur。　　The　risks　to　which　they　were　daily

exposed　were　even　worse。＇12＇　　The　proof　of　it　is　that　the　people

flocked　to　the　feudal　structure　as　soon　as　it　was　completed。　　In

Normandy；　for　instance；　when　Rollo　had　divided　off　the　lands　with　a

line；　and　hung　the　robbers；　the　inhabitants　of　the　neighboring

provinces　rushed　in　to　establish　themselves。　　The　slightest　security

sufficed　to　repopulate　a　country。



People　accordingly　lived；　or　rather　began　to　live　once　more；　under

the　rude；　iron…gloved　hand　which　used　them　roughly；　but　which　afforded

them　protection。　　The　seignior；　sovereign　and　proprietor；　maintains　for

himself　under　this　double　title；　the　moors；　the　river；　the　forest；　all

the　game。　　It　is　no　great　evil；　since　the　country　is　nearly　a　desert；

and　he　devotes　his　leisure　to　exterminating　large　wild　beasts。　　He

alone　possessed　the　resources。　　He　is　the　only　one　that　is　able　to

construct　the　mill；　the　oven；　and　the　winepress；　to　establish　the

ferry；　the　bridge；　or　the　highway；　to　dike　in　a　marsh；　and　to　raise　or

purchase　a　bull。　　To　indemnify　himself　he　taxes　for　these；　for　forces

their　use。　　If　he　is　intelligent　and　a　good　manager　of　men；　if　he　seeks

to　derive　the　greatest　profit　from　his　ground；　he　gradually　relaxes；

or　allows　to　become　relaxed；　the　meshes　of　the　net　in　which　his

peasants　and　serfs　work　unprofitably　because　they　are　too　tightly

drawn。　　Habits；　necessity；　a　voluntary　or　forced　conformity；　have　their

effect。　　Lords；　peasants；　serfs；　and　bourgeois；　in　the　end　adapted　to

their　condition；　bound　together　by　a　common　interest；　form　together　a

society；　a　veritable　corporation。　　The　seigniory；　the　county；　the　duchy

becomes　a　patrimony　which　is　loved　through　a　blind　instinct；　and　to

which　all　are　devoted。　　It　is　confounded　with　the　seignior　and　his

family；　in　this　relation　people　are　proud　of　him。　　They　narrate　his

feats　of　arms；　they　cheer　him　as　his　cavalcade　passes　along　the

street；　they　rejoice　in　his　magnificence　through　sympathy。＇13＇　　If　he

becomes　a　widower　and　has　no　children；　they　send　deputations　to　him　to

entreat　him　to　remarry；　in　order　that　at　his　death　the　country　may　not

fall　into　a　war　of　succession　or　be　given　up　to　the　encroachment　of

neighbors。　　Thus　there　is　a　revival；　after　a　thousand　years；　of　the

most　powerful　and　the　most　vivacious　of　the　sentiments　that　support

human　society。　　This　one　is　the　more　precious　because　it　is　capable　of

expanding。　　In　order　that　the　small　feudal　patrimony　to　become　the

great　national　patrimony；　it　now　suffices　for　the　seigniories　to　be

combined　in　the　hands　of　a　single　lord；　and　that　the　king；　chief　of

the　nobles；　should　overlay　the　work　of　the　nobles　with　the　third

foundation　of　France。



III。　　Services　and　Recompenses　of　the　King。



　　Kings　built　the　whole　of　this　foundation；　one　stone　after

another。　　Hugues　Capet　laid　the　first　one。　　Before　him　royalty　conferred

on　the　King　no　right　to　a　province；　not　even　Laon；　it　is　he　who　added

his　domain　to　the　title。　　During　eight　hundred　years；　through　conquest；

craft；　inheritance；　the　work　of　acquisition　goes　on；　even　under　Louis

XV　France　is　augmented　by　the　acquisition　of　Lorraine　and　Corsica。

Starting　from　nothing；　the　King　is　the　maker　of　a　compact　State；

containing　the　population　of　twenty…six　millions；　and　then　the　most

powerful　in　…Europe。　　…　　Throughout　this　interval　he　is　at　the　head　of

the　national　defense。　　He　is　the　liberator　of　the　country　against

foreigners；　against　the　Pope　in　the　fourteenth　century；　against　the

English　in　the　fifteenth；　against　the　Spaniards　in　the　sixteenth。　　In

the　interior；　from　the　twelfth　century　onward；　with　the　helmet　on　his

brow；　and　always　on　the　road；　he　is　the　great　justiciary；　demolishing

the　towers　of　the　feudal　brigands；　repressing　the　excesses　of　the

powerful；　and　protecting　the　oppressed。＇14＇　　　He　puts　an　end　to

private　warfare；　he　establishes　order　and　tranquility。　　This　was　an

immense　accomplishment；　which；　from　Louis　le　Gros　to　St。　　Louis；　from

Philippe　le　Bel　to　Charles　VII；　continues　uninterruptedly　up　to　the

middle　of　the　eighteenth　century　in　the　edict　against　duels　and　in　the

〃Grand　Jours。〃＇15＇　　　Meanwhile　all　useful　projects　carried　out　under

his　orders；　or　developed　under　his　patronage；　roads；　harbors；　canals；

asylums；　universities；　academies；　institutions　of　piety；　of　refuge；　of

education；　of　science；　of　industry；　and　of　commerce；　bears　his　imprint

and　proclaim　the　public　benefactor。…Services　of　this　character

challenge　a　proportionate　recompense；　it　is　allowed　that　from　father

to　son　he　is　wedded　to　France；　that　she　acts　only　through　him；　that　he

acts　only　for　her；　while　every　souvenir　of　the　past　and　every　present

interest　combine　to　sanction　this　union。　　The　Church　consecrates　it　at

Rheims　by　a　sort　of　eighth　sacrament；　accompanied　with　legends　and

miracles；　he　is　the　anointed　of　God。＇16＇　　　The　nobles；　through　an　old

instinct　of　military　fealty；　consider　themselves　his　bodyguard；　and

down　to　August　10；　1789；　rush　forward　to　die　for　him　on　his　staircase；

he　is　their　general　by　birth。　　The　people；　down　to　1789；　regard　him　as

the　redresser　of　abuses；　the　guardian　of　the　right；　the　protector　of

the　weak；　the　great　almoner　and　the　universal　refuge。　　At　the　beginning

of　the　reign　of　Louis　XVI　〃shouts　of　Vive　le　roi；　which　began　at　six

o'clock　in　the　morning；　continued　scarcely　interrupted　until　after

sunset。〃＇17＇　　　When　the　Dauphin　was　born　the　joy　of　France　was　that　of

a　whole　family。　　〃People　stopped　each　other　in　the　streets；　spoke

together　without　any　acquaintance；　and　everybody　embraced　everybody　he

knew。〃＇18＇　　Every　one；　through　vague　tradition；　through　immemorial

respect；　feels　that　France　is　a　ship　constructed　by　his　hands　and　the

hands　of　his　ancestors。　　In　this　sense；　the　vessel　is　his　property；　it

is　his　right　to　it　is　the　same　as　that　of　each　passenger　to　his

private　goods。　　The　king's　only　duty　consists　in　being　expert　and

vigilant　in　guiding　across　the　oceans　and　beneath　his　banner　the

magnificent　ship　upon　which　everyone's　welfare　depends。…Under　the

ascendancy　of　such　an　idea　he　was　allowed　to　do　everything。　　By　fair

means　or　foul；　he　so　reduced　ancient　authorities　as　to　make　them　a

fragment；　a　pretense；　a　souvenir。　　The　nobles　are　simply　his　officials

or　his　courtiers。　　Since　the　Concordat　he　nominates　the　dignitaries　of

the　Church。　　The　States…General　were　not　convoked　for　a　hundred　and

seventy…five　years；　the　provincial　assemblies；　which　continue　to

subsist；　do　nothing　but　apportion　the　taxes；　the　parliaments　are

exiled　when　they　risk　a　remonstrance。　　Through　his　council；　his

intendants；　his　sub…delegates；　he　intervenes　in　the　most　trifling　of

local　matters。　　His　revenue　is　four　hundred　and　seventy…seven

millions。＇19＇　　　He　disburse