the psychology of revolution- 第6部分

To　prevent　the　condemned　from　speaking　to　the　people　their

tongues　were　cut　out　before　they　were　burned。　　The　horror　of

their　sufferings　was　increased　by　attaching　the　victims　to　an

iron　chain；　which　enabled　the　executioners　to　plunge　them　into

the　fire　and　withdraw　them　several　times　in　succession。



But　nothing　induced　the　Protestants　to　retract；　even　the　offer　of

an　amnesty　after　they　had　felt　the　fire。



In　1535　Francis　I。；　forsaking　his　previous　tolerance；　ordered　six

fires　to　be　lighted　simultaneously　in　Paris。　　The　Convention；　as

we　know；　limited　itself　to　a　single　guillotine　in　the　same　city。　

It　is　probable　that　the　sufferings　of　the　victims　were　not　very

excruciating；　the　insensibility　of　the　Christian　martyrs　had

already　been　remarked。　　Believers　are　hypnotised　by　their　faith；

and　we　know　to…day　that　certain　forms　of　hypnotism　engender

complete　insensibility。



The　new　faith　progressed　rapidly。　　In　1560　there　were　two

thousand　reformed　churches　in　France；　and　many　great　lords；　at

first　indifferent　enough；　adhered　to　the　new　doctrine。





5。　　Conflict　between　different　religious　beliefsImpossibility

of　Tolerance。





I　have　already　stated　that　intolerance　is　always　an　accompaniment

of　powerful　religious　beliefs。　　Political　and　religious

revolutions　furnish　us　with　numerous　proofs　of　this　fact；　and

show　us　also　that　the　mutual　intolerance　of　sectaries　of　the　same

religion　is　always　much　greater　than　that　of　the　defenders

of　remote　and　alien　faiths；　such　as　Islamism　and　Christianity。　

In　fact；　if　we　consider　the　faiths　for　whose　sake　France　was　so

long　rent　asunder；　we　shall　find　that　they　did　not　differ　on　any

but　accessory　points。　　Catholics　and　Protestants　adored　exactly

the　same　God；　and　only　differed　in　their　manner　of　adoring　Him。　

If　reason　had　played　the　smallest　part　in　the　elaboration　of

their　belief；　it　could　easily　have　proved　to　them　that　it　must　be

quite　indifferent　to　God　whether　He　sees　men　adore　Him　in　this

fashion　or　in　that。



Reason　being　powerless　to　affect　the　brain　of　the　convinced；

Protestants　and　Catholics　continued　their　ferocious　conflicts。　

All　the　efforts　of　their　sovereigns　to　reconcile　them　were　in

vain。　　Catherine　de　Medicis；　seeing　the　party　of　the　Reformed

Church　increasing　day　by　day　in　spite　of　persecution；　and

attracting　a　considerable　number　of　nobles　and　magistrates；

thought　to　disarm　them　by　convoking　at　Poissy；　in　1561；　an

assembly　of　bishops　and　pastors　with　the　object　of　fusing　the　two

doctrines。　　Such　an　enterprise　indicated　that　the　queen；　despite

her　subtlety；　knew　nothing　of　the　laws　of　mystic　logic。　　Not　in

all　history　can　one　cite　an　example　of　a　belief　destroyed　or

reduced　by　means　of　refutation。　　Catherine　did　not　even　know　that

although　toleration　is　with　difficulty　possible　between

individuals；　it　is　impossible　between　collectivities。　　Her

attempt　failed　completely。　　The　assembled　theologians　hurled

texts　and　insults　at　one　another's　heads；　but　no　one　was　moved。　

Catherine　thought　to　succeed　better　in　1562　by　promulgating　an

edict　according　Protestants　the　right　to　unite　in　the　public

celebration　of　their　cult。



This　tolerance；　very　admirable　from　a　philosophical　point　of

view；　but　not　at　all　wise　from　the　political　standpoint；　had　no

other　result　beyond　exasperating　both　parties。　　In　the　Midi；

where　the　Protestants　were　strongest；　they　persecuted　the

Catholics；　sought　to　convert　them　by　violence；　cut　their　throats

if　they　did　not　succeed；　and　sacked　their　cathedrals。　　In　the

regions　where　the　Catholics　were　more　numerous　the　Reformers

suffered　like　persecutions。



Such　hostilities　as　these　inevitably　engendered　civil　war。　　Thus

arose　the　so…called　religious　wars；　which　so　long　spilled　the

blood　of　France。　　The　cities　were　ravaged；　the　inhabitants

massacred；　and　the　struggle　rapidly　assumed　that　special　quality

of　ferocity　peculiar　to　religious　or　political　conflicts；　which；

at　a　later　date；　was　to　reappear　in　the　wars　of　La　Vendee。



Old　men；　women；　and　children；　all　were　exterminated。　　A　certain

Baron　d'Oppede；　first　president　of　the　Parliament　of　Aix；　had

already　set　an　example　by　killing　3；000　persons　in　the　space　of

ten　days；　with　refinements　of　cruelty；　and　destroying　three

cities　and　twenty…two　villages。　　Montluc；　a　worthy　forerunner　of

Carrier；　had　the　Calvinists　thrown　living　into　the　wells　until

these　were　full。　　The　Protestants　were　no　more　humane。　　They　did

not　spare　even　the　Catholic　churches；　and　treated　the　tombs　and

statues　just　as　the　delegates　of　the　Convention　were　to　treat　the

royal　tombs　of　Saint　Denis。



Under　the　influence　of　these　conflicts　France　was　progressively

disintegrated；　and　at　the　end　of　the　reign　of　Henri　III。　was

parcelled　out　into　veritable　little　confederated　municipal

republics；　forming　so　many　sovereign　states。　　The　royal　power　was

vanishing。　　The　States　of　Blois　claimed　to　dictate　their　wishes

to　Henri　III。；　who　had　fled　from　his　capital。　　In　1577　the

traveller　Lippomano；　who　traversed　France；　saw　important　cities

Orleans；　Tours；　Blois；　Poitiersentirely　devastated；　the

cathedrals　and　churches　in　ruins；　and　the　tombs　shattered。　　This

was　almost　the　state　of　France　at　the　end　of　the　Directory。



Among　the　events　of　this　epoch；　that　which　has　left　the　darkest

memory；　although　it　was　not　perhaps　the　most　murderous；　was　the

massacre　of　St。　Bartholomew　in　1572；　ordered；　according　to　the

historians；　by　Catherine　de　Medicis　and　Charles　IX。



One　does　not　require　a　very　profound　knowledge　of　psychology　to

realise　that　no　sovereign　could　have　ordered　such　an　event。　　St。

Bartholomew's　Day　was　not　a　royal　but　a　popular　crime。　　Catherine

de　Medicis；　believing　her　existence　and　that　of　the　king

threatened　by　a　plot　directed　by　four　or　five　Protestant　leaders

then　in　Paris；　sent　men　to　kill　them　in　their　houses；　according

to　the　summary　fashion　of　the　time。　　The　massacre　which　followed

is　very　well　explained　by　M。　Battifol　in　the　following　terms：



‘‘At　the　report　of　what　was　afoot　the　rumour　immediately　ran

through　Paris　that　the　Huguenots　were　being　massacred；　Catholic

gentlemen；　soldiers　of　the　guard；　archers；　men　of　the　people；　in

short　all　Paris；　rushed　into　the　streets；　arms　in　hand；　in　order

to　participate　in　the　execution；　and　the　general　massacre

commenced；　to　the　sound　of　ferocious　cries　of　‘The

Huguenots！　Kill；　kill！'　　They　were　struck　down；　they　were

drowned；　they　were　hanged。　　All　that　were　known　as　heretics　were

so　served。　　Two　thousand　persons　were　killed　in　Paris。''



By　contagion；　the　people　of　the　provinces　imitated　those　of

Paris；　and　six　to　eight　thousand　Protestants　were　slain。



When　time　had　somewhat　cooled　religious　passions；　all　the

historians；　even　the　Catholics；　spoke　of　St。　Bartholomew's　Day

with　indignation。　　They　thus　showed　how　difficult　it　is　for　the

mentality　of　one　epoch　to　understand　that　of　another。



Far　from　being　criticised；　St。　Bartholomew's　Day　provoked　an

indescribable　enthusiasm　throughout　the　whole　of　Catholic　Europe。



Philip　II。　was　delirious　with　joy　when　he　heard　the　news；　and　the

King　of　France　received　more　congratulations　than　if　he　had　won　a

great　battle。



But　it　was　Pope　Gregory　XIII。　above　all　who　manifested　the

keenest　satisfaction。　　He　had　a　medal　struck　to　commemorate　the

happy　event；＇2＇　ordered　joy…fires　to　be　lit　and　cannon　fired；

celebrated　several　masses；　and　sent　for　the　painter　Vasari　to

depict　on　the　walls　of　the　Vatican　the　principal　scenes　of

carnage。　　Further；　he　sent　to　the　King　of　France　an　ambassador

instructed　to　felicitate　that　monarch　upon　his　fine　action。　　It

is　historical　details　of　this　kind　that　enable　us　to　comprehend

the　mind　of　the　believer。　　The　Jacobins　of　the　Terror　had　a

mentality　very　like　that　of　Gregory　XIII。







＇2＇　The　medal　must　have　been　distributed　pretty　widely；　for　the

cabinet　of　medals　at　the　Bibliotheque　Nationale　possesses

three　examples：　one　in　gold；　one　in　silver；　and　one　in　copper。　

This　medal；　reproduced　by　Bonnani　in　his　Numism。　Pontific。

（vol。　i。　p。　336）；　represents　on　one　side　Gregory　XIII。；　and　on

the　other　an　angel　striking　Huguenots　with　a　sword。　　The　exergue

is　Ugonotorum　strages；　that　is；　Massacre　of　the　Huguenots。　

（The　word　strages　may　be　translated　by　carnage　or　massacre；　a

sense　which　it　possesses　in　Cicero　and　Livy；　or　again　by

disaster；　ruin；　a　sense　attributed　to　it　in　Virgil　and　Tacitus。）







Naturally　the　Protestants　were　not　indifferent　to　such　a

hecatomb；　and　they　made　such　progress　that　in　1576　Henri　III。　was

reduced　to　granting　them；　by　the　Edict　of　Beaulieu；　entire

liberty　of　worship；　eight　strong　places；　and；　in　the　Parliaments；

Chambers　composed　half　of　Catholics　and　half　of　Huguenots。



These　forced　concessions　did　not　lead　to　peace。　　A　Catholic

League　was　created；　having　the　Duke　of　Guise　at　its　head；　and　the

conflict　continued。　　But　it　could　not　last　for　ever。　　We　know　how

Henri　IV。　put　an　end　to　it；　at　least　for　a　time；　by　his

abjuration　in　1593；　and　by　the　Edict　of　Nantes。



The　struggle　was　quieted　but　not　terminated。　　Under　Louis　XIII。

the　Protestants　were　still　restless；　and　in　1627　Richelieu　was

obliged　to　besiege　La　Rochelle；　where　15；000　Protestants

perished。　　Afterwards；　possessing　more　political　than　religious

feeling；　the　famous　Cardinal　proved　extremely　tolerant　toward　the

Reformers。



This　tolerance　could　not　last。　　Contrary　beliefs　cannot　come　into

contact　without　seeking　to　annihilate　each　other；　as　soon　as　one

feels　capable　of　dominating　the　other。　　Under　Louis　XIV。　the

Protestants　had　become　by　far　the　weaker；　and　were　forced　to

renounce　the　struggle　and　live　at　peace。　　Their　number　was　then

about　1；200；000；　and　they　possessed　more　than　600　churches；

served　by　about　700　pastors。　　The　presence　of　these

heretics　on　French　soil　was　intolerable　to　the　Catholic　clergy；

who　en