the ancien regime-第3部分

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century。　　They　are　no　more　like　the　old　French　noblesse；　than　are

the　commercial　class　like　the　old　French　bourgeoisie；　or　the

labouring　like　the　old　French　peasantry。　　Let　them　prove　that　fact

by　their　deeds　during　the　next　generation；　or　sink　into　the

condition　of　mere　rich　men；　exciting；　by　their　luxury　and　laziness；

nothing　but　envy　and　contempt。



Meanwhile；　behind　all　classes　and　social　forcesI　had　almost　said；

above　them　allstands　a　fourth　estate；　which　will；　ultimately；

decide　the　form　which　English　society　is　to　take：　　a　Press　as

different　from　the　literary　class　of　the　Ancien　Regime　as　is

everything　else　English；　and　different　in　thisthat　it　is　free。



The　French　Revolution；　like　every　revolution　（it　seems　to　me）　which

has　convulsed　the　nations　of　Europe　for　the　last　eighty　years；　was

caused　immediatelywhatever　may　have　been　its　more　remote　causes

by　the　suppression　of　thought；　or；　at　least；　by　a　sense　of　wrong

among　those　who　thought。　　A　country　where　every　man；　be　he　fool　or

wise；　is　free　to　speak　that　which　is　in　him；　can　never　suffer　a

revolution。　　The　folly　blows　itself　off　like　steam；　in　harmless

noise；　the　wisdom　becomes　part　of　the　general　intellectual　stock　of

the　nation；　and　prepares　men　for　gradual；　and　therefore　for

harmless；　change。



As　long　as　the　press　is　free；　a　nation　is　guaranteed　against　sudden

and　capricious　folly；　either　from　above　or　from　below。　　As　long　as

the　press　is　free；　a　nation　is　guaranteed　against　the　worse　evil　of

persistent　and　obstinate　folly；　cloaking　itself　under　the　venerable

shapes　of　tradition　and　authority。　　For　under　a　free　press；　a　nation

must　ultimately　be　guided　not　by　a　caste；　not　by　a　class；　not　by

mere　wealth；　not　by　the　passions　of　a　mob：　　but　by　mind；　by　the　net

result　of　all　the　common…sense　of　its　members；　and　in　the　present

default　of　genius；　which　is　un…common　sense；　common…sense　seems　to

be　the　only；　if　not　the　best；　safeguard　for　poor　humanity。



1867







LECTURE　ICASTE







＇Delivered　at　the　Royal　Institution；　London；　1867。＇



These　Lectures　are　meant　to　be　comments　on　the　state　of　France

before　the　French　Revolution。　　To　English　society；　past　or　present；

I　do　not　refer。　　For　reasons　which　I　have　set　forth　at　length　in　an

introductory　discourse；　there　never　was　any　Ancien　Regime　in

England。



Therefore；　when　the　Stuarts　tried　to　establish　in　England　a　system

which　might　have　led　to　a　political　condition　like　that　of　the

Continent；　all　classes　combined　and　exterminated　them；　while　the

course　of　English　society　went　on　as　before。



On　the　contrary；　England　was　the　mother　of　every　movement　which

undermined；　and　at　last　destroyed；　the　Ancien　Regime。



From　England　went　forth　those　political　theories　which；　transmitted

from　America　to　France；　became　the　principles　of　the　French

Revolution。　　From　England　went　forth　the　philosophy　of　Locke；　with

all　its　immense　results。　　It　is　noteworthy；　that　when　Voltaire　tries

to　persuade　people；　in　a　certain　famous　passage；　that　philosophers

do　not　care　to　trouble　the　worldof　the　ten　names　to　whom　he　does

honour；　seven　names　are　English。　　〃It　is；〃　he　says；　〃neither

Montaigne；　nor　Locke；　nor　Boyle；　nor　Spinoza；　nor　Hobbes；　nor　Lord

Shaftesbury；　nor　Mr。　Collins；　nor　Mr。　Toland；　nor　Fludd；　nor　Baker；

who　have　carried　the　torch　of　discord　into　their　countries。〃　　It　is

worth　notice；　that　not　only　are　the　majority　of　these　names　English；

but　that　they　belong　not　to　the　latter　but　to　the　former　half　of　the

eighteenth　century；　and　indeed；　to　the　latter　half　of　the

seventeenth。



So　it　was　with　that　Inductive　Physical　Science；　which　helped　more

than　all　to　break　up　the　superstitions　of　the　Ancien　Regime；　and　to

set　man　face　to　face　with　the　facts　of　the　universe。　　From　England；

towards　the　end　of　the　seventeenth　century；　it　was　promulgated　by

such　men　as　Newton；　Boyle；　Sydenham；　Ray；　and　the　first　founders　of

our　Royal　Society。



In　England；　too；　arose　the　great　religious　movements　of　the

seventeenth　and　eighteenth　centuriesand　especially　that　of　a　body

which　I　can　never　mention　without　most　deep　respectthe　Society　of

Friends。　　At　a　time　when　the　greater　part　of　the　Continent　was　sunk

in　spiritual　sleep；　these　men　were　reasserting　doctrines　concerning

man；　and　his　relation　to　his　Creator；　which；　whether　or　not　all

believe　them　（as　I　believe　them）　to　be　founded　on　eternal　fact；　all

must　confess　to　have　been　of　incalculable　benefit　to　the　cause　of

humanity　and　civilisation。



From　England；　finally；　about　the　middle　of　the　eighteenth　century；

went　forthpromulgated　by　English　noblementhat　freemasonry　which

seems　to　have　been　the　true　parent　of　all　the　secret　societies　of

Europe。　　Of　this　curious　question；　more　hereafter。　　But　enough　has

been　said　to　show　that　England；　instead　of　falling；　at　any　period；

into　the　stagnation　of　the　Ancien　Regime；　was；　from　the　middle　of

the　seventeenth　century；　in　a　state　of　intellectual　growth　and

ferment　which　communicated　itself　finally　to　the　continental

nations。　　This　is　the　special　honour　of　England；　universally

confessed　at　the　time。　　It　was　to　England　that　the　slowly…awakening

nations　looked；　as　the　source　of　all　which　was　noble；　true；　and

free；　in　the　dawning　future。



It　will　be　seen；　from　what　I　have　said；　that　I　consider　the　Ancien

Regime　to　begin　in　the　seventeenth　century。　　I　should　date　its

commencementas　far　as　that　of　anything　so　vague；　unsystematic；

indeed　anarchic；　can　be　definedfrom　the　end　of　the　Thirty　Years'

War；　and　the　peace　of　Westphalia　in　1648。



For　by　that　time　the　mighty　spiritual　struggles　and　fierce　religious

animosities　of　the　preceding　century　had　worn　themselves　out。　　And；

as　always　happens；　to　a　period　of　earnest　excitement　had　succeeded

one　of　weariness；　disgust；　half…unbelief　in　the　many　questions　for

which　so　much　blood　had　been　shed。　　No　man　had　come　out　of　the

battle　with　altogether　clean　hands；　some　not　without　changing　sides

more　than　once。　　The　war　had　ended　as　one；　not　of　nations；　not　even

of　zealots；　but　of　mercenaries。　　The　body　of　Europe　had　been　pulled

in　pieces　between　them　all；　and　the　poor　soul　thereofas　was　to　be

expectedhad　fled　out　through　the　gaping　wounds。　　Life；　mere

existence；　was　the　most　pressing　need。　　If　men　couldin　the　old

prophet's　wordsfind　the　life　of　their　hand；　they　were　content。

High　and　low　only　asked　to　be　let　live。　　The　poor　asked　it

slaughtered　on　a　hundred　battle…fields；　burnt　out　of　house　and　home：

vast　tracts　of　the　centre　of　Europe　were　lying　desert；　the

population　was　diminished　for　several　generations。　　The　trading

classes；　ruined　by　the　long　war；　only　asked　to　be　let　live；　and　make

a　little　money。　　The　nobility；　too；　only　asked　to　be　let　live。　　They

had　lost；　in　the　long　struggle；　not　only　often　lands　and　power；　but

their　ablest　and　bravest　men；　and　a　weaker　and　meaner　generation　was

left　behind；　to　do　the　governing　of　the　world。　　Let　them　live；　and

keep　what　they　had。　　If　signs　of　vigour　still　appeared　in　France；　in

the　wars　of　Louis　XIV。　they　were　feverish；　factitious；　temporary

soon；　as　the　event　proved；　to　droop　into　the　general　exhaustion。　　If

wars　were　still　to　be　waged　they　were　to　be　wars　of　succession；　wars

of　diplomacy；　not　wars　of　principle；　waged　for　the　mightiest

invisible　interests　of　man。　　The　exhaustion　was　general；　and　to　it

we　must　attribute　alike　the　changes　and　the　conservatism　of　the

Ancien　Regime。　　To　it　is　owing　that　growth　of　a　centralising

despotism；　and　of　arbitrary　regal　power；　which　M。　de　Tocqueville　has

set　forth　in　a　book　which　I　shall　have　occasion　often　to　quote。　　To

it　is　owing；　too；　that　longing；　which　seems　to　us　childish；　after

ancient　forms；　etiquettes；　dignities；　court　costumes；　formalities

diplomatic；　legal；　ecclesiastical。　　Men　clung　to　them　as　to

keepsakes　of　the　pastrevered　relics　of　more　intelligible　and

better…ordered　times。　　If　the　spirit　had　been　beaten　out　of　them　in

a　century　of　battle；　that　was　all　the　more　reason　for　keeping　up　the

letter。　　They　had　had　a　meaning　once；　a　life　once；　perhaps　there　was

a　little　life　left　in　them　still；　perhaps　the　dry　bones　would　clothe

themselves　with　flesh　once　more；　and　stand　upon　their　feet。　　At

least　it　was　useful　that　the　common　people　should　so　believe。　　There

was　good　hope　that　the　simple　masses；　seeing　the　old　dignities　and

formalities　still　parading　the　streets；　should　suppose　that　they

still　contained　men；　and　were　not　mere　wooden　figures；　dressed

artistically　in　official　costume。　　And；　on　the　whole；　that　hope　was

not　deceived。　　More　than　a　century　of　bitter　experience　was　needed

ere　the　masses　discovered　that　their　ancient　rulers　were　like　the

suits　of　armour　in　the　Tower　of　Londonempty　iron　astride　of　wooden

steeds；　and　armed　with　lances　which　every　ploughboy　could　wrest　out

of　their　hands；　and　use　in　his　own　behalf。



The　mistake　of　the　masses　was　pardonable。　　For　those　suits　of　armour

had　once　held　living　men；　strong；　brave；　wise；　men　of　an　admirable

temper；　doing　their　work　according　to　their　light；　not　altogether

wellwhat　man　does　that　on　earth？but　well　enough　to　make

themselves　necessary　to；　and　loyally　followed　by；　the　masses　whom

they　ruled。　　No　one　can　read　fairly　the　〃Gesta　Dei　per　Francos　in

Oriente；〃　or　the　deeds　of　the　French　Nobility　in　their　wars　with

England；　or　those　taleshowever　legendaryof　the　mediaeval

knights；　which　form　so　noble　an　element　in　German　literature；

without　seeing；　that　however　black　were　these　men's　occasional

crimes；　they　were　a　truly　noble　race；　the　old　Nobility　of　the

Continent；　a　race　which　ruled　simply　because；　without　them；　there

would　have　been　naught　but　anarchy　and　barbarism。　　To　their

chivalrous　ideal　they　were　too　often；　perhaps　for　the　most　part；

untrue：　　but；　partial　and　defective　as　it　is；　it　is　an　ideal　such　as

never　entered　into　the　mind　of　Celt　or　Gaul；　Hun　or　Sclav；　one　which

seems　continuous　with　t