the origins of contemporary france-1- 第86部分

Laharpe；　supported　and　raised　on　charity；　Marmontel；　the　son　of　a

village　tailor；　and　may　others　of　less　note；　in　short；　every　parvenu

possessing　wit。



　　　The　nobility；　to　perfect　their　own　accomplishments；　borrow　their

pens　and　aspire　to　their　successes。　　〃We　have　recovered　from　those　old

Gothic　and　absurd　prejudices　against　literary　culture；〃　says　the

Prince　de　Hénin；＇19＇　〃as　for　myself　I　would　compose　a　comedy　to…morrow

if　I　had　the　talent；　and　if　I　happened　to　be　made　a　little　angry；　I

would　perform　in　it。〃　And；　in　fact；　〃the　Vicomte　de　Ségur；　son　of　the

minister　of　war；　plays　the　part　of　the　lover　in　'Nina'　on　Mlle。　　de

Guimard's　stage　with　the　actors　of　the　Italian　Comedy。〃＇20＇　　One　of

Mme。　　de　Genlis's　personages；　returning　to　Paris　after　five　years'

absence；　says　that　〃he　left　men　wholly　devoted　to　play；　hunting；　and

their　small　houses；　and　he　finds　them　all　turned　authors。〃＇21＇　　They

hawk　about　their　tragedies；　comedies；　novels；　eclogues；　dissertations

and　treatises　of　all　kinds　from　one　drawing　room　to　another。　　They

strive　to　get　their　pieces　played；　they　previously　submit　them　to　the

judgment　of　actors；　they　solicit　a　word　of　praise　from　the　Mercure；

they　read　fables　at　the　sittings　of　the　Academy。　　They　become　involved

in　the　bickering；　in　the　vainglory；　in　the　pettiness　of　literary　life；

and　still　worse；　of　the　life　of　the　stage；　inasmuch　as　they　are

themselves　performers　and　play　in　company　with　real　actors　in　hundreds

of　private　theaters。　　Add　to　this；　if　you　please；　other　petty　amateur

talents　such　as　sketching　in　water…colors；　writing　songs；　and　playing

the　flute。　　　　　　After　this　amalgamation　of　classes　and　this　transfer

of　parts　what　remains　of　the　superiority　of　the　nobles？　By　what

special　merit；　through　what　recognized　capacity　are　they　to　secure

respect　of　a　member　of　the　Third…Estate？　Outside　of　fashionable

elegance　and　a　few　points　of　breeding；　in　what　respect　they　differ

from　him？　What　superior　education；　what　familiarity　with　affairs；　what

experience　with　government；　what　political　instruction；　what　local

ascendancy；　what　moral　authority　can　be　alleged　to　sanction　their

pretensions　to　the　highest　places？　　　　In　the　way　of　practice；　the

Third…Estate　already　does　the　work；　providing　the　qualified　men；　the

intendants；　the　ministerial　head…clerks；　the　lay　and　ecclesiastical

administrators；　the　competent　laborers　of　all　kinds　and　degrees。　　Call

to　mind　the　Marquis　of　whom　we　have　just　spoken；　a　former　captain　in

the　French　guards；　a　man　of　feeling　and　of　loyalty；　admitting　at　the

elections　of　1789　that　〃the　knowledge　essential　to　a　deputy　would　most

generally　be　found　in　the　Third…Estate　；　the　mind　there　being

accustomed　to　business。〃　　　　　In　the　way　of　theory：　the　commoner　is

as　well…informed　as　the　noble；　and　he　thinks　he　is　still　better

informed；　because；　having　read　the　same　books　and　arrived　at　the　same

principles；　he　does　not；　like　him；　stop　half…way　on　the　road　to　their

consequences；　but　plunges　headlong　to　the　very　depths　of　the　doctrine；

convinced　that　his　logic　is　clairvoyance　and　that　he　is　more

enlightened　because　he　is　the　least　prejudiced。　　　　　　Consider　the

young　men　who；　about　twenty　years　of　age　in　1780；　born　in　industrious

families；　accustomed　to　effort　and　able　to　work　twelve　hours　a　day；　a

Barnave；　a　Carnot；　a　Roederer；　a　Merlin　de　Thionville；　a　Robespierre；

an　energetic　stock；　feeling　their　strength；　criticizing　their　rivals；

aware　of　their　weakness；　comparing　their　own　application　and　education

to　their　levity　and　incompetence；　and；　at　the　moment　when　youthful

ambition　stirs　within　them；　seeing　themselves　excluded　in　advance　from

any　superior　position；　consigned　for　life　to　subaltern　employment；　and

subjected　in　every　career　to　the　precedence　of　superiors　who　they

hardly　recognize　as　their　equals。　　At　the　artillery　examinations　where

Chérin；　the　genealogist；　refuses　commoners；　and　where　the　Abbé　Bosen；

a　mathematician；　rejects　the　ignorant；　it　is　discovered　that　capacity

is　wanting　among　the　noble　pupils　and　nobility　among　the　capable

pupils；＇22＇　the　two　qualities　of　gentility　and　intelligence　seeming　to

exclude　each　other；　as　there　are　but　four　or　five　out　of　a　hundred

pupils　who　combine　the　two　conditions。　　Now；　as　society　at　this　time

is　mixed；　such　tests　are　frequent　and　easy。　　Whether　lawyer；

physician；　or　man　of　letters；　a　member　of　the　Third…Estate　with　whom　a

duke　converses　familiarly；　who　sits　in　a　diligence　alongside　of　a

count…colonel　of　hussars；＇23＇　can　appreciate　his　companion　or　his

interlocutor；　weigh　his　ideas；　test　his　merit　and　esteem　him　at　his

correct　value；　and　I　am　sure　that　he　does　not　overrate　him。　　　　

Now　that　the　nobles　have　lost　their　special　capacities　and　the　Third…

Estate　have　acquired　general　competence；　and　as　they　are　on　the　same

level　in　education　and　competence；　the　inequality　which　separates　them

has　become　offensive　because　it　has　become　useless。　　　Nobility　being

instituted　by　custom　is　no　longer　sanctified　by　conscience；　the　Third…

Estate　being　justly　excited　against　privileges　that　have　no

justification；　whether　in　the　capacity　of　the　noble　or　in　the

incapacity　of　the　bourgeois。





　　　IV。　　　ROUSSEAU'S　PHILOSOPHY　SPREADS　AND　TAKES　HOLD。



　　　Philosophy　in　the　minds　thus　fitted　for　it。　　…　That　of　Rousseau

prominent。　　…　This　philosophy　in　harmony　with　new　necessities。　　…　It

is　adopted　by　the　Third…Estate　。



　　　　　Distrust　and　anger　against　a　government　putting　all　fortunes

at　risk；　rancor　and　hostility　against　a　nobility　barring　all　roads　to

popular　advancement；　are；　then；　the　sentiments　developing　themselves

among　the　middle　class　solely　due　to　their　advance　in　wealth　and

culture。　　　　　　We　can　imagine　the　effect　of　the　new　philosophy　upon

people　with　such　attitudes。　　At　first；　confined　to　the　aristocratic

reservoir；　the　doctrine　filters　out　through　numerous　cracks　like　so

many　trickling　streams；　to　scatter　imperceptibly　among　the　lower

class。　　Already；　in　1727；　Barbier；　a　bourgeois　of　the　old　school　and

having　little　knowledge　of　philosophy　and　philosophers　except　the

name；　writes　in　his　journal：



　　　〃A　hundred　poor　families　are　deprived　of　the　annuities　on　which

they　supported　themselves；　acquired　with　bonds　for　which　the　capital

is　obliterated；　56；000　livres　are　given　in　pensions　to　people　who　have

held　the　best　offices；　where　they　have　amassed　considerable　property；

always　at　the　expense　of　the　people；　and　all　this　merely　that　they　may

rest　themselves　and　do　nothing。〃＇24＇



　　　One　by　one；　reformative　ideas　penetrate　to　his　office　of

consulting　advocate；　conversation　has　sufficed　to　propagate　them；

homely　common　sense　needing　no　philosophy　to　secure　their　recognition。



　　　〃The　tax　on　property；〃　said　he；　in　1750；　〃should　be　proportioned

and　equally　distributed　among　all　the　king's　subjects　and　the　members

of　the　government；　in　proportion　to　the　property　each　really　possesses

in　the　kingdom；　in　England；　the　lands　of　the　nobility；　the　clergy　and

the　Third…Estate　pay　alike　without　distinction；　and　nothing　is　more

just。〃



　　　　In　the　six　years　which　follow　the　flood　increases。　　People

denounce　the　government　in　the　cafés；　on　their　promenades；　while　the

police　dare　not　arrest　malcontents　〃because　they　would　have　to　arrest

everybody。〃　The　disaffection　goes　on　increasing　up　to　the　end　of　the

reign。　　In　1744；　says　the　bookseller　Hardy；　during　the　king's　illness

at　Metz；　private　individuals　cause　six　thousand　masses　to　be　said　for

his　recovery　and　pay　for　them　at　the　sacristy　of　Notre　Dame；　in　1757；

after　Damiens's　attempt　on　the　king's　life；　the　number　of　masses

demanded　is　only　six　hundred；　in　1774；　during　the　malady　which　carries

him　off；　the　number　falls　down　to　three。　　The　complete　discredit　of

the　government；　the　immense　success　of　Rousseau；　these　two　events；

occurring　simultaneously；　afford　a　date　for　the　conversion　of　the

Third…Estate　to　philosophy＇25＇。　　A　traveler；　at　the　beginning　of　the

reign　of　Louis　XVI；　who　returns　home　after　some　years'　absence；　on

being　asked　what　change　he　noticed　in　the　nation；　replied；　〃Nothing；

except　that　what　used　to　be　talked　about　in　the　drawing…rooms　is

repeated　in　the　streets。〃＇26＇　　And　that　which　is　repeated　in　the

streets　is　Rousseau's　doctrine；　the　Discourse　on　Inequality；　the

Social　Contract　amplified；　popularized　and　repeated　by　adherents　in

every　possible　way　and　in　all　their　forms。　　What　could　be　more

fascinating　for　the　man　of　the　Third…Estate？　Not　only　is　this　theory

in　vogue；　and　encountered　by　him　at　the　decisive　moment　when；　for　the

first　time；　he　turns　his　attention　to　general　principles；　but　again　it

provides　him　with　arms　against　social　inequality　and　political

absolutism；　and　much　sharper　than　he　needs。　　To　people　disposed　to　put

restraints　on　power　and　to　abolish　privileges；　what　guide　is　more

sympathetic　than　the　writer　of　genius；　the　powerful　logician；　the

impassioned　orator；　who　establishes　natural　law；　who　repudiates

historic　law；　who　proclaims　the　equality　of　men；　who　contends　for　the

sovereignty　of　the　people；　who　denounces　on　every　page　the　usurpation；

the　vices；　the　worthlessness；　the　malefactions　of　the　great　and　of

kings！　And　I　omit　the　points　by　which　he　makes　acceptable　to　a　rigid

and　laborious　bourgeoisie；　to　the　new　men　that　are　working　and

advancing　themselves；　his　steady　earnestness；　his　harsh　and　bitter

tone；　his　eulogy　of　simple　habits；　of　domestic　virtues；　of　personal

merit；　of　virile　energy；　the　commoner　addressing　commoners。　　It　is　not

surprising　that　they　should　accept　him　as　a　guide　and　welcome　his

doctrines　with　that　fervor　of　faith　called　enthusiasm；　and　which

invariably　accompanies　the　newborn　idea　as　well　as　the　first　love。



　　　A　competent　judge；　and　an　eye…witness；　Mallet　du　Pan；＇27＇　writes

in　1799：



　　　〃Rousseau　had　a　hundred　times　more　readers　among　the　middle　and

lower　classes　than　Voltaire。　　He　alone　inoculated　t