the village rector-第53章

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taught　communities　of　the　lesser　bourgeoisie；　and　the　fatal　maxim
'Each　for　himself；'　which　had　its　effect　upon　the　upper　classes　in　
July　of　this　year；　will　soon　have　gangrened　the　middle　classes。　A
proletariat　devoid　of　sentiment；　with　no　other　god　than　envy；　no　other
fanaticism　than　the　despair　of　hunger；　without　faith；　without　belief；
will　come　forward　before　long　and　put　its　foot　on　the　heart　of　the
nation。　Foreigners；　who　have　thriven　under　monarchical　rule；　will　find
that；　having　royalty；　we　have　no　king；　having　legality；　we　have　no
laws；　having　property；　no　owners；　no　government　with　our　elections；　no
force　with　freedom；　no　happiness　with　equality。　Let　us　hope　that
before　that　day　comes　God　may　raise　up　in　France　a　providential　man；
one　of　those　Elect　who　give　a　new　mind　to　nations；　and　like　Sylla　or
like　Marius；　whether　he　comes　from　above　or　rises　from　below；　remakes
society。〃

〃He　would　be　sent　to　the　assizes；〃　said　Gerard。　〃The　sentence
pronounced　against　Socrates　and　Jesus　Christ　would　be　rendered　against
them　in　1831。　In　these　days　as　in　the　old　days；　envious　mediocrity
lets　thinkers　die　of　poverty；　and　so　gets　rid　of　the　great　political
physicians　who　have　studied　the　wounds　of　France；　and　who　oppose　the
tendencies　of　their　epoch。　If　they　bear　up　under　poverty；　common　minds
ridicule　them　or　call　them　dreamers。　In　France；　men　revolt　in　the
moral　world　against　the　great　man　of　the　future；　just　as　they　revolt
in　the　political　world　against　a　sovereign。〃

〃In　the　olden　time　sophists　talked　to　a　limited　number　of　men；　to…day
the　periodical　press　enables　them　to　lead　astray　a　nation；〃　cried　the
/juge　de　paix/；　〃and　that　portion　of　the　press　which　pleads　for　right
ideas　finds　no　echo。〃

The　mayor　looked　at　Monsieur　Clousier　in　amazement。　Madame　Graslin；
glad　to　find　in　a　simple　/juge　de　paix/　a　man　whose　mind　was　occupied
with　serious　questions；　said　to　Monsieur　Roubaud；　her　neighbor；　〃Do
you　know　Monsieur　Clousier？〃

〃Not　rightly　until　to…day；　madame。　You　are　doing　miracles；〃　he
answered　in　a　whisper。　〃And　yet；　look　at　his　brow；　how　noble　in　shape！
Isn't　it　like　the　classic　or　traditional　brow　given　by　sculptors　to
Lycurgus　and　the　Greek　sages？　The　revolution　of　July　has　an　evidently
retrograde　tendency；〃　said　the　doctor　（who　might　in　his　student　days
have　made　a　barricade　himself）；　after　carefully　considering
Grossetete's　calculation。

〃These　ideas　are　threefold；〃　continued　Clousier。　〃You　have　talked　of
law　and　finance；　but　how　is　it　with　the　government　itself？　The　royal
power；　weakened　by　the　doctrine　of　national　sovereignty；　in　virtue　of
which　the　election　of　August　9；　1830；　has　just　been　made；　will
endeavor　to　counteract　that　rival　principle　which　gives　to　the　people
the　right　to　saddle　the　nation　with　a　new　dynasty　every　time　it　does
not　fully　comprehend　the　ideas　of　its　king。　You　will　see　that　we　shall
then　have　internal　struggles　which　will　arrest　for　long　periods
together　the　progress　of　France。〃

〃All　these　reefs　have　been　wisely　evaded　by　England；〃　remarked　Gerard。
〃I　have　been　there；　I　admire　that　beehive；　which　sends　its　swarms　over
the　universe　and　civilizes　mankind；a　people　among　whom　discussion　is
a　political　comedy；　which　satisfies　the　masses　and　hides　the　action　of
power；　which　then　works　freely　in　its　upper　sphere；　a　country　where
elections　are　not　in　the　hands　of　a　stupid　bourgeoisie；　as　they　are　in
France。　If　England　were　parcelled　out　into　small　holdings　the　nation
would　no　longer　exist。　The　land…owning　class；　the　lords；　guide　the
social　mechanism。　Their　merchant…service；　under　the　nose　of　Europe；
takes　possession　of　whole　regions　of　the　globe　to　meet　the　needs　of
their　commerce　and　to　get　rid　of　their　paupers　and　malcontents。
Instead　of　fighting　capacities；　as　we　do；　thwarting　them；　nullifying
them；　the　English　aristocratic　class　seeks　out　young　talent；　rewards
it；　and　is　constantly　assimilating　it。　Everything　which　concerns　the
action　of　the　government；　in　the　choice　of　men　and　things；　is　prompt
in　England；　whereas　with　us　all　is　slow；　and　yet　the　English　are　slow
by　nature；　while　we　are　impatient。　With　them　money　is　bold　and
actively　employed；　with　us　it　is　timid　and　suspicious。　What　Monsieur
Grossetete　has　said　of　the　industrial　losses　which　the　hoarding
peasantry　inflict　on　France　has　its　proof　in　a　fact　I　will　show　to　you
in　two　words：　English　capital；　by　its　perpetual　turning　over；　has
created　ten　thousand　millions　of　manufacturing　and　interest…bearing
property；　whereas　French　capital；　which　is　far　more　abundant；　has　not
created　one　tenth　of　that　amount。〃

〃And　that　is　all　the　more　extraordinary；〃　said　Roubaud；　〃because　they
are　lymphatic；　and　we；　as　a　general　thing；　are　sanguine　and
energetic。〃

〃Ah！　monsieur；〃　said　Clousier；　〃there　you　touch　a　great　question；
which　ought　to　be　studied：　How　to　find　institutions　properly　adapted
to　repress　the　temperament　of　a　people！　Assuredly　Cromwell　was　a　great
legislator。　He　alone　made　the　England　of　to…day；　by　inventing　the
'Navigation　Act；'　which　has　made　the　English　enemies　of　all　the　world；
and　infused　into　them　a　ferocious　pride　and　self…conceit；　which　is
their　mainstay。　But；　in　spite　of　their　Malta　citadel；　if　France　and
Russia　will　only　comprehend　the　part　the　Mediterranean　and　the　Black
Sea　ought　to　be　made　to　play　in　the　future；　the　road　to　Asia　through
Egypt　or　by　the　Euphrates；　made　feasible　by　recent　discoveries；　will
kill　England；　as　in　former　times　the　discovery　of　the　Cape　of　Good
Hope　killed　Venice。〃

〃Not　one　word　of　God's　providence　in　all　this！〃　cried　the　rector。
〃Monsieur　Clousier　and　Monsieur　Roubaud　are　oblivious　of　religion。　How
is　it　with　you；　monsieur？〃　he　added；　turning　to　Gerard。

〃Protestant；〃　put　in　Grossetete。

〃You　guessed　it；〃　cried　Veronique；　looking　at　the　rector　as　she　took
Clousier's　arm　to　return　to　the　salon。

The　prejudice　Gerard's　appearance　excited　against　him　had　been　quickly
dispelled；　and　the　three　notables　congratulated　themselves　on　so　good
an　acquisition。

〃Unfortunately；〃　said　Monsieur　Bonnet；　〃there　is　a　cause　of　antagonism
between　Russia　and　the　Catholic　countries　which　border　the
Mediterranean；　in　the　very　unimportant　schism　which　separates　the
Greek　religion　from　the　Latin　religion；　and　it　is　a　great　misfortune
for　humanity。〃

〃We　all　preach　our　own　saint；〃　said　Madame　Graslin。　〃Monsieur
Grossetete　thinks　of　the　lost　millions；　Monsieur　Clousier；　of　the
overthrow　of　rights；　the　doctor　here　regards　legislation　as　a　question
of　temperaments；　and　the　rector　sees　an　obstacle　to　the　good
understanding　of　France　and　Russia　in　religion。〃

〃Add　to　that；　madame；〃　said　Gerard；　〃that　I　see；　in　the　hoarding　of
capital　by　the　peasant　and　the　small　burgher；　the　postponement　of　the
building　of　railroads　in　France。〃

〃Then　what　is　it　you　all　want？〃　she　asked。

〃We　want　the　wise　State　councillors　who；　under　the　Emperor；　reflected
on　the　laws；　and　a　legislative　body　elected　by　the　intelligence　of　the
country　as　well　as　by　the　land…owners；　whose　only　function　would　be　to
oppose　bad　legislation　and　capricious　wars。　The　Chamber；　as
constituted　to…day；　will　proceed；　as　you　will　soon　see；　to　govern；　and
that　is　the　first　step　to　legal　anarchy。〃

〃Good　God！〃　cried　the　rector；　in　a　flush　of　sacred　patriotism；　〃how
can　such　enlightened　minds　as　these；〃　and　he　motioned　to　Clousier；
Roubaud；　and　Gerard；　〃how　can　they　see　evil　so　clearly　and　suggest
remedies　without　first　looking　within　and　applying　a　remedy　to
themselves？　All　of　you；　who　represent　the　attacked　classes；　recognize
the　necessity　of　the　passive　obedience　of　the　masses　of　the　State；
like　that　of　soldiers　during　a　war；　you　want　the　unity　of　power；　and
you　desire　that　it　shall　never　be　brought　into　question。　What　England
has　obtained　by　the　development　of　her　pride　and　self…interest　（a　part
of　her　creed）　cannot　be　obtained　in　France　but　through　sentiments　due
to　Catholicism；　and　none　of　you　are　Catholics！　Here　am　I；　a　priest；
obliged　to　leave　my　own　ground　and　argue　with　arguers。　How　can　you
expect　the　masses　to　become　religious　and　obedient　when　they　see
irreligion　and　want　of　discipline　above　them？　All　peoples　united　by
any　faith　w