the origins of contemporary france-1-第74章

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stories；　their　contagious　infatuations　like　those　of　sheep；　their

blind　fury　like　that　of　bulls；　and　all　those　traits　of　character　the

Revolution　was　about　to　bring　to　light。　　Twenty　millions　of　men　and

more　had　scarcely　passed　out　of　the　mental　condition　of　the　middle

ages；　hence；　in　its　grand　lines；　the　social　edifice　in　which　they

could　dwell　had　necessarily　to　be　mediaeval。　　It　had　to　be　cleaned　up；

windows　put　in　and　walls　pulled　down；　but　without　disturbing　the

foundations；　or　the　main　building　and　its　general　arrangement；

otherwise　after　demolishing　it　and　living　encamped　for　ten　years　in

the　open　air　like　savages；　its　inmates　would　have　been　obliged　to

rebuild　it　on　the　same　plan。　　In　uneducated　minds；　those　having　not　yet

attained　to　reflection；　faith　attaches　itself　only　to　the　corporeal

symbol；　obedience　being　brought　about　only　through　physical　restraint；

religion　is　upheld　by　the　priest　and　the　State　by　the　policeman。　　

One　writer　only；　Montesquieu；　the　best　instructed；　the　most　sagacious；

and　the　best　balanced　of　all　the　spirits　of　the　age；　made　these　truths

apparent；　because　he　was　at　once　an　erudite；　an　observer；　a　historian

and　a　jurisconsult。　　He　spoke；　however；　as　an　oracle；　in　maxims　and

riddles；　and　every　time　he　touched　matters　belonging　to　his　country

and　epoch　he　hopped　about　as　if　upon　red　hot　coals。　　That　is　why　he

remained　respected　but　isolated；　his　fame　exercising　no　influence。　　The

classic　reason　refused＇11＇　to　go　so　far　as　to　make　a　careful　study　of

both　the　ancient　and　the　contemporary　human　being。　　It　found　it　easier

and　more　convenient　to　follow　its　original　bent；　to　shut　its　eyes　on

man　as　he　is；　to　fall　back　on　its　stores　of　current　notions；　to　derive

from　these　an　idea　of　man　in　general；　and　build　in　empty　space。　　

Through　this　natural　and　complete　state　of　blindness　it　no　longer

heeds　the　old　and　living　roots　of　contemporary　institutions；　no　longer

seeing　them　makes　it　deny　their　existence。　　Custom　now　appears　as　pure

prejudice；　the　titles　of　tradition　are　lost；　and　royalty　seems　based

on　robbery。　　So　from　now　on　Reason　is　armed　and　at　war　with　its

predecessor　to　wrench　away　its　control　over　the　minds　and　to　replace　a

rule　of　lies　with　a　rule　of　truth。





IV。　　CASTING　OUT　THE　RESIDUE　OF　TRUTH　AND　JUSTICE。



Two　stages　in　this　operation。　　…　Voltaire；　Montesquieu；　the　deists

and　the　reformers　represent　the　first　one。　　…　What　they　destroy　and

what　they　respect。



　　In　this　great　undertaking　there　are　two　stages。　　Owing　to　common

sense　or　timidity　many　stop　half…way。　　Motivated　by　passion　or　logic

others　go　to　the　end。　　　　A　first　campaign　results　in　carrying　the

enemy's　out…works　and　his　frontier　fortresses；　the　philosophical　army

being　led　by　Voltaire。　　To　combat　hereditary　prejudice；　other

prejudices　are　opposed　to　it　whose　empire　is　as　extensive　and　whose

authority　is　not　less　recognized。　　Montesquieu　looks　at　France　through

the　eyes　of　a　Persian；　and　Voltaire；　on　his　return　from　England；

describes　the　English；　an　unknown　species。　　Confronting　dogma　and　the

prevailing　system　of　worship；　accounts　are　given；　either　with　open　or

with　disguised　irony；　of　the　various　Christian　sects；　the　Anglicans；

the　Quakers；　the　Presbyterians；　the　Socinians；　those　of　ancient　or　of

remote　people；　the　Greeks；　Romans；　Egyptians；　Muslims；　and　Guebers；　of

the　worshippers　of　Brahma；　of　the　Chinese　and　of　pure　idolaters。　　In

relation　to　established　laws　and　customs；　expositions　are　made；　with

evident　intentions；　of　other　constitutions　and　other　social　habits；　of

despotism；　of　limited　monarchy；　of　a　republic；　here　the　church　subject

to　the　state；　there　the　church　free　of　the　state；　in　this　country

castes；　in　another　polygamy；　and；　from　country　to　country；　from

century　to　century；　the　diversity；　contradiction　and　antagonism　of

fundamental　customs　which；　each　on　its　own　ground；　are　all　equally

consecrated　by　tradition；　all　legitimately　forming　the　system　of

public　rights。　　From　now　on　the　charm　is　broken。　　Ancient　institutions

lose　their　divine　prestige；　they　are　simply　human　works；　the　fruits　of

the　place　and　of　the　moment；　and　born　out　of　convenience　and　a

covenant。　　Skepticism　enters　through　all　the　breaches。　　With　regard　to

Christianity　it　at　once　enters　into　open　hostility；　into　a　bitter　and

prolonged　polemical　warfare；　for；　under　the　title　of　a　state　religion

this　occupies　the　ground；　censuring　free　thought；　burning　writings；

exiling；　imprisoning　or　disturbing　authors；　and　everywhere　acting　as　a

natural　and　official　adversary。　　Moreover；　by　virtue　of　being　an

ascetic　religion；　it　condemns　not　only　the　free　and　cheerful　ways

tolerated　by　the　new　philosophy　but　again　the　natural　tendencies　it

sanctions；　and　the　promises　of　terrestrial　felicity　with　which　it

everywhere　dazzles　the　eyes。　　Thus　the　heart　and　the　head　both　agree　in

their　opposition。　　　　Voltaire；　with　texts　in　hand；　pursues　it　from

one　end　to　the　other　of　its　history；　from　the　first　biblical　narration

to　the　latest　papal　bulls；　with　unflagging　animosity　and　energy；　as

critic；　as　historian；　as　geographer；　as　logician；　as　moralist；

questioning　its　sources；　opposing　evidences；　driving　ridicule　like　a

pick…ax　into　every　weak　spot　where　an　outraged　instinct　beats　against

its　mystic　walls；　and　into　all　doubtful　places　where　ulterior

patchwork　disfigures　the　primitive　structure。　　　　He　respects；

however；　the　first　foundation；　and；　in　this　particular；　the　greatest

writers　of　the　day　follow　the　same　course。　　Under　positive　religions

that　are　false　there　is　a　natural　religion　that　is　true。　　This　is　the

simple　and　authentic　text　of　which　the　others　are　altered　and

amplified　translations。　　Remove　the　ulterior　and　divergent　excesses　and

the　original　remains；　this　common　essence；　on　which　all　copies

harmonize；　is　deism。　　　　The　same　operation　is　to　be　made　on　civil

and　political　law。　　In　France；　where　so　many　survive　their　utility；

where　privileges　are　no　longer　paid　for　with　service；　where　rights　are

changed　into　abuses；　how　incoherent　is　the　architecture　of　the　old

Gothic　building！　How　poorly　adapted　to　a　modern　nation　！　Of　what　use；

in　an　unique　and　compact　state；　are　those　feudal　compartments

separating　orders；　corporations　and　provinces？　What　a　living　paradox

is　the　archbishop　of　a　semi…province；　a　chapter　owning　12；000　serfs；　a

drawing　room　abbé　well　supported　by　a　monastery　he　never　saw；　a　lord

liberally　pensioned　to　figure　in　antechambers；　a　magistrate　purchasing

the　right　to　administer　justice；　a　colonel　leaving　college　to　take　the

command　of　his　inherited　regiment；　a　Parisian　trader　who；　renting　a

house　for　one　year　in　Franche…Comté；　alienates　through　this　act　alone

the　ownership　of　his　property　and　of　his　person。　　Throughout　Europe

there　are　others　of　the　same　character。　　The　best　that　can　be　said　of

〃a　civilized　nation〃　＇12＇　is　that　its　laws；　customs　and　practices　are

composed　〃one…half　of　abuses　and　one…half　of　tolerable　usage〃。　　

But；　underneath　these　concrete　laws；　which　contradict　each　other；　and

of　which　each　contradicts　itself；　a　natural　law　exists；　implied　in　the

codes；　applied　socially；　and　written　in　all　hearts。



　〃Show　me　a　country　where　it　is　honest　to　steal　the　fruits　of　my

labor；　to　violate　engagements；　to　lie　for　injurious　purposes；　to

calumniate；　to　assassinate；　to　poison；　to　be　ungrateful　to　one's

benefactor；　to　strike　one's　father　and　mother　on　offering　you　food〃。　　…

〃Justice　and　injustice　is　the　same　throughout　the　universe；〃



and；　as　in　the　worst　community　force　always；　in　some　respects；　is

at　the　service　of　right；　so；　in　the　worst　religion；　the　extravagant

dogma　always　in　some　fashion　proclaims　a　supreme　architect。　　

Religions　and　communities；　accordingly；　disintegrated　under　the

investigating　process；　disclose　at　the　bottom　of　the　crucible；　some

residue　of　truth；　others　a　residue　of　justice；　a　small　but　precious

balance；　a　sort　of　gold　ingot　of　preserved　tradition；　purified　by

R