the origins of contemporary france-5-第69部分

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Meurthe；　he　employs　others　branded　or　noted　for　terrible　acts；　Barère

himself；　at　least　for　a　certain　period；　and　in　the　sole　office　he　was

fitted　for；　that　of　a　denunciator；　gazetteer　and　stimulator　of　public

opinion；　everybody　has　a　place　according　to　his　faculties；　and　each

has　rank　according　to　his　usefulness　and　merit。　Barère；　consequently；

becomes　a　paid　spy　and　pamphleteer；　Drouet；　the　postmaster；　who

arrested　the　royal　family　at　Varennes；　becomes　sub…prefect　at　Sainte…

Menehould；　Jean…Bon　Saint…André；　one　of　the　Committee　of　Public

Safety；　is　made　prefect　at　Mayence；　Merlin　de　Douai；　reporter　of　the

law　against　suspects；　is　prosecuting　attorney　in　the　court　of

cassation；　Fouché；　whose　name　tells　all；　becomes　minister　of　state　and

Duke　of　Otranto；　nearly　all　of　the　survivors　of　the　Convention　are

made　judges　of　première　instancc　or　of　appeal；　revenue…collectors；

deputies；　prefects；　foreign　consuls；　police　commissioners；　inspectors

of　reviews；　head…clerks　in　the　post…offices；　custom…houses　and　tax…

offices；　while；　in　1808；　among　these　functionaries；　one　hundred　and

thirty　were　regicides。＇10＇



II。　Ambitions　during　the　Ancient　Regime。



The　need　of　success。　…　Initiation　and　conditions　of　promotion　under

the　old　monarchy。　…　Effect　on　minds。　…　Ambitions　are　limited。　…　The

external　outlets　open　to　them。　…



To　make　one's　way；　get　ahead；　and　succeed　in　the　world　is　now　the

dominant　thought　in　the　minds　of　men。　Before　1789；　this　thought　had

not　acquired　sovereign　control　in　their　minds；　it　found　that　there

were　rival　ideas　to　contend　with；　and　it　had　only　half…developed

itself；　its　roots　had　not　sunk　down　deep　enough　to　monopolize　the

activity　of　the　imagination；　to　absorb　the　will　and　possess　the　mind

entirely；　and　the　reason　is　that　it　lacked　both　air　and　victuals。

Promotion；　under　the　old　monarchy；　was　slow；　and　in　the　first　place；

because　the　monarchy　was　old　and　because　in　every　order　which　is　not

new　each　new　generation　finds　that　every　office　is　filled；　and　next；

because；　in　this　old　order　founded　on　tradition　and　heredity；　future

vacancies　were　supplied　long　beforehand。　The　great　social　staircase

led　to　several　stories　；　each　man　could　ascend　every　step　of　his　own

flight；　but　he　could　not　mount　above　it；　the　landing　reached；　he　found

closed　doors　and　nearly　insurmountable　barriers。　The　story　above　was

reserved　to　its　own　inhabitants；　they　occupied　it　now　and　were　still

to　occupy　it　in　time　to　come；　the　inevitable　successors　of　the　titular

possessor　were　seen　around　him　on　each　step；　his　equals；　peers　and

neighbors；　one　or　the　other　often　designated　by　name　as　his　legal

heir；　the　purchaser　of　his　survivorship。　In　those　days；　not　only　was

the　individual　himself　considered；　his　merits　and　his　services；　but

likewise　his　family　and　ancestry；　his　state　and　condition；　the　society

he　entered　into；　the　〃salon〃　he　maintained；　his　fortune　and　his

followers；　these　antecedents　and　surroundings　composed　the　quality　of

the　personage；　without　this　requisite　quality；　he　could　not　go　beyond

the　landing…place。　Strictly　speaking；　a　personage　born　on　the　upper

steps　of　one　story　might　sometimes　succeed　in　mounting　the　lowest

steps　of　the　next　story；　but　there　he　stopped。　In　short；　it　was　always

considered　by　those　on　the　lower　story　that　the　upper　story　was

inaccessible　and；　moreover；　uninhabitable。



Accordingly；　most　of　the　public　offices；　in　the　finances；　in　the

administration；　in　the　judiciary；　in　the　parliaments；　in　the　army；　at

court；　were　private　property　as　is　now　the　case　with　the　places　of

advocates；　notaries　and　brokers；　they　had　to　be　bought　to　enable　one

to　follow　these　pursuits；　and　were　very　dear；　one　had　to　possess　a

large　capital　and　be　content　beforehand　to　derive　only　a　mediocre

revenue　from　it；　10；　5　and　sometimes　3　％　on　the　purchase…money。＇11＇

The　place　once　acquired；　especially　if　an　important　one；　involved

official　parade；　receptions；　an　open　table；　a　large　annual　outlay；＇12＇

it　often　ran　the　purchaser　in　debt　；　he　knew　that　his　acquisition

would　bring　him　more　consideration　than　crowns。　On　the　other　hand；　to

obtain　possession　of　it；　he　had　to　secure　the　good…will　of　the　body　of

which　he　became　a　member；　or　of　the　patron　who　bestowed　the　office。

That　is　to　say；　he　must　be　regarded　by　his　future　colleagues　as

acceptable；　or　by　the　patron　as　a　guest；　invited；　and　feasible　friend；

in　other　words；　provide　sponsors　for　himself；　furnish　guarantees；

prove　that　he　was　well…off　and　well…educated；　that　his　ways　and

manners　qualified　him　for　the　post；　and　that；　in　the　society　he　was

about　to　enter；　he　would　not　turn　out　unsuitable。　To　maintain　one's

self　in　office　at　court　one　was　obliged　to　possess　the　tone　of

Versailles；　quite　different　from　that　of　Paris　and　the　provinces。＇13＇

To　maintain　one's　self　in　a　high　parliamentary　position；　one　was

expected　to　possess　local　alliances；　moral　authority；　the　traditions

and　deportment　handed　down　from　father　to　son　in　the　old　magistrate

families；　and　which　a　mere　advocate；　an　ordinary　pleader；　could　not

arrive　at。＇14＇　　In　short；　on　this　staircase；　each　distinct　story

imposed　on　its　inmates　a　sort　of　distinct　costume；　more　or　less

costly；　embroidered　and　gilded；　I　mean　a　sum　of　outward　and　inward

habits　and　connections；　all　obligatory　and　indispensable；　comprising

title；　particle　and　name：　the　announcement　of　any　bourgeois　name　by　a

lackey　in　the　ante…chamber　would　be　considered　a　discord；

consequently；　one　had　one's　self　ennobled　in　the　current　coin；　or

assumed　a　noble　name　gratis。　Caron；　son　of　a　watchmaker；　became

Beaumarchais；　Nicolas；　a　foundling；　called　himself　M。　de　Champfort；

Danton；　in　public　documents；　signed　himself　d'Anton；　in　the　same　way；

a　man　without　a　dress…coat　hires　or　borrows　one；　no　matter　how；　on

going　out　to　dine；　all　this　was　tolerated　and　accepted　as　a　sign　of

good　behavior　and　of　final　conformity　with　custom；　as　in　testimony　of

respect　for　the　usages　of　good　society。



Through　this　visible　separation　of　stories；　people　had　acquired　the

habit　of　remaining　in　the　condition　in　which　they　were　placed；　they

were　not　irritated　by　being　obliged　to　stay　in　it　；　the　soldier　who

enlisted　did　not　aspire　to　become　an　officer；　the　young　officer　of　the

lower　noblesse　and　of　small　means　did　not　aspire　to　the　post　of

colonel　or　lieutenant…general；　a　limited　perspective　kept　hopes　and

the　imagination　from　fruitlessly　launching　forth　into　a　boundless

future：　ambition；　humbled　to　the　ground　at　the　start；　walked　instead

of　flying；　it　recognized　at　the　outset　that　the　summits　were　beyond

its　reach；　to　be　able　to　mount　upward　one　or　two　steps　was　enough。　…

In　general；　a　man　obtained　promotion　on　the　spot；　in　his　town；

corporation　or　parliament。　The　assistant…counselor　who　pleaded　his

first　case　in　the　court　of　Grenoble　or　of　Rennes　calculated　that；　in

twenty　years；　he　would　become　first　judge　at　Grenoble　or　at　Rennes；

rest　twenty　years　or　more　in　office；　and　he　aimed　at　nothing　better。

Alongside　of　the　counselor　of　a　（court）　presidency；　or　of　an

〃election〃　magistrate；　of　a　clerk　in　the　salt…tax　bureau；　or　in　the

frontier　custom…house；　or　in　the　bureau　of　〃rivers　and　forests；〃

alongside　of　a　clerk　in　the　treasury　or　ministry　of　foreign　affairs；

or　of　a　lawyer　or　prosecuting　attorney；　there　was　always　some　son；

son…in…law　or　nephew；　fitted　by　domestic　training；　by　a　technical

apprenticeship；　by　moral　adaptation；　not　only　to　perform　the　duties　of

the　office；　but　to　be　contented　in　it；　pretend　to　nothing　beyond　it；

not　to　look　above　himself　with　regret　or　envy；　satisfied　with　the

society　around　him；　and　feel；　moreover；　that　elsewhere　he　would　be　out

of　his　element　and　uncomfortable。



Life；　thus　restricted　and　circumscribed；　was　more　cheerful　then　than

at　the　present　day；　souls；　less　disturbed　and　less　strained；　less

exhausted　and　less　burdened　with　cares；　were　healthier。　The　Frenchman；

exempt　from　modern　preoccupations；　followed　amiable　and　social

instincts；　inclined　to　take　things　easily；　and　of　a　playful

disposition　owing　to　his　natural　talent　for　amusing　himself　by　amusing

others；　in　mutual　enjoyment　of　each　other's　company　and　without

calculation；　through　easy　and　considerate　intercourse；　smiling　or

laughing；　in　short；　in　a　constant　flow　of　inspiration；　good…humor　and

gayety。＇15＇　It　is　probable　that；　if　the　Revolution　had　not　intervened；

the　great　parvenus　of　the　time　and　of　the　Empire　would；　like　their

forerunners；　have　submitted　to　prevailing　necessities　and　readily

accommodated　themselves　to　the　discipline　of　the　established　Régime。

Cambacérès；　who　had　succeeded　to　his　father　as　counselor　at　the　bar　of

Montpellier；　would　have　become　president　（of　the　tribunal）　in　his

turn；　meanwhile；　he　would　have　composed　able　jurisprudential　treatises

and　invented　some　new　paté　de　becfigues；　Lebrun；　former　collaborator

with　Maupeou；　might　have　become　counselor　in　the　court　of　excise　at

Paris；　or　chief…clerk　in　the　Treasury　department；　he　would　have　kept

up　a　philosophical　salon；　with　fashionable　ladies　and　polished　men　of

letters　to　praise　his　elegant　and　faulty　translations。　Amongst　the

future　marshals；　some　of　them；　pure　plebeians；　Masséna；　Augereau；

Lannes；　Ney；　Lefebvre；　might　have　succeeded　through　brilliant　actions

and　have　become　〃officers　of　fortune；〃　while　others；　taking　in　hand

specially　difficult　services；　like　commandant　Fischer　who　undertook

the　destruction　of　Mandrin's　band；　and　again；　like　the　hero　Chevert；

and　the　veteran　Lückner；　might　have　become　lieutenant…generals。　Rough

as　these　men　were；　they　would　have　found；　even　in　the　lower　ranks；　if

not　full　employment　for　their　superior　faculties；　at　least　sufficient

food　for　their　strong　and　coarse　appetites；　they　would　have　uttered

just　the　same　oaths；　at　just　as　extravagant　suppers；　with　mistresses

of　just　the　same　caliber。＇16＇　Had　their　temperament；　character　and

genius　been　indomitabl