the origins of contemporary france-1-第22部分

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prelates　possessing　half　a　million　income；　the　pomp　of　their　palaces；

the　hunting　equipment　of　M。　de　Dillon；　bishop　of　Evreux；　the

confessionals　lined　with　satin　of　M。　de　Barral；　bishop　of　Troyes；　and

the　innumerable　culinary　utensils　in　massive　silver　of　M。　de　Rohan；

bishop　of　Strasbourg。　　…　　Such　is　the　lot　of　curates　at　the

established　rates；　and　there　are　〃a　great　many〃　who　do　not　get　the

established　rates；　withheld　from　them　through　the　ill…will　of　the

higher　clergy；　who；　with　their　perquisites；　get　only　from　400　to　500

livres；　and　who　vainly　ask　for　the　meager　pittance　to　which　they　are

entitled　by　the　late　edict。　　〃Should　not　such　a　request；〃　says　a

curate；　〃be　willingly　granted　by　Messieurs　of　the　upper　clergy　who

suffer　monks　to　enjoy　from　5　to　6；000　livres　income　each　person；

whilst　they　see　curates；　who　are　at　least　as　necessary；　reduced　to　the

lighter　portion；　as　little　for　themselves　as　for　their　parish？　〃　　…

And　they　yet　gnaw　on　this　slight　pittance　to　pay　the　free　gift。　　In

this；　as　in　the　rest；　the　poor　are　charged　to　discharge　the　rich。　　In

the　diocese　of　Clermont；　〃the　curates；　even　with　the　simple　fixed

rates；　are　subject　to　a　tax　of　60；　80；　100；　120　livres　and　even　more；

the　vicars；　who　live　only　by　the　sweat　of　their　brows；　are　taxed　22

livres。〃　The　prelates；　on　the　contrary；　pay　but　little；　and　〃it　is

still　a　custom　to　present　bishops　on　New…Year's　day　with　a　receipt　for

their　taxes。〃＇30＇　　…　　There　is　no　escape　for　the　curates。　　Save　two　or

three　small　bishoprics　of　〃lackeys；〃　all　the　dignities　of　the　church

are　reserved　to　the　nobles；　〃to　be　a　bishop　nowadays；〃　says　one　of

them；　〃a　man　must　be　a　gentleman。〃　I　regard　them　as　sergeants　who；

like　their　fellows　in　the　army；　have　lost　all　hope　of　becoming

officers。　　…　　Hence　there　are　some　whose　anger　bursts　its　bounds：　〃We；

unfortunate　curates　at　fixed　rates；　we；　commonly　assigned　to　the

largest　parishes；　like　my　own　which；　for　two　leagues　in　the　woods；

includes　hamlets　that　would　form　another；　we；　whose　lot　makes　even　the

stones　and　beams　of　our　miserable　dwellings　cry　aloud；〃　we　have　to

endure　prelates　〃who　would　still；　through　their　forest…keepers；

prosecute　a　poor　curate　for　cutting　a　stick　in　their　forests；　his　sole

support　on　his　long　journeys　over　the　road。〃　On　their　passing；　the

poor　man　〃is　obliged　to　jump　close　against　a　slope　to　protect　himself

from　the　feet　and　the　spattering　of　the　horses；　as　likewise　from　the

wheels　and；　perhaps；　the　whip　of　an　insolent　coachman；〃　and　then；

〃begrimed　with　dirt；　with　his　stick　in　one　hand　and　his　hat；　such　as

it　is；　in　the　other；　he　must　salute；　humbly　and　quickly；　through　the

door　of　the　close；　gilded　carriage；　the　counterfeit　hierophant　who　is

snoring　on　the　wool　of　the　flock　the　poor　curate　is　feeding；　and　of

which　he　merely　leaves　him　the　dung　and　the　grease。〃　The　whole　letter


is　one　long　cry　of　rage；　it　is　rancor　of　this　stamp　which　is　to

fashion　Joseph　Lebons　and　Fouchés。　　…　　In　this　situation　and　with

these　sentiments　it　is　evident　that　the　lower　clergy　will　treat　its

chiefs　as　the　provincial　nobility　treated　theirs。＇31＇　　They　will　not

select　〃for　representatives　those　who　swim　in　opulence　and　who　have

always　regarded　their　sufferings　with　tranquility。〃　The　curates；　on

all　sides　〃will　confederate　together〃　to　send　only　curates　to　the

States…General；　and　to　exclude　〃not　only　canons；　abbés；　priors　and

other　beneficiaries；　but　again　the　principal　superiors；　the　heads　of

the　hierarchy；〃　that　is　to　say；　the　bishops。　　In　fact；　in　the　States…

General；　out　of　three　hundred　clerical　deputies　we　count　two　hundred

and　eight　curates；　and；　like　the　provincial　nobles；　these　bring　along

with　them　the　distrust　and　the　ill…will　which　they　have　so　long

entertained　against　their　chiefs。　　Events　are　soon　to　prove　this。　　If

the　first　two　orders　are　constrained　to　combine　against　the　communes

it　is　at　the　critical　moment　when　the　curates　withdraw。　　If　the

institution　of　an　upper　chamber　is　rejected　it　is　owing　to　the

commonalty　of　the　gentry　（la　plèbe　des　gentilshommes）　being　unwilling

to　allow　the　great　families　a　prerogative　which　they　have　abused。



V。　　The　King's　Incompetence　and　Generosity。



The　most　privileged　of　all　…　　Having　monopolized　all　powers；　he

takes　upon　himself　their　functional　activity　…　The　burden　of　this　task

…　He　evades　it　or　is　incompetent　…　His　conscience　at　ease　…　France　is

his　property　…　How　he　abuses　it　…　Royalty　the　center　of　abuses。



One　privilege　remains　the　most　considerable　of　all；　that　of　the

king；　for；　in　his　staff　of　hereditary　nobles　he　is　the　hereditary

general。　　His　office；　indeed；　is　not　a　sinecure；　like　their　rank；　but

it　involves　quite　as　grave　disadvantages　and　worse　temptations。　　Two

things　are　pernicious　to　Man；　the　lack　of　occupation　and　the　lack　of

restraint；　neither　inactivity　nor　omnipotence　are　in　harmony　with　his

nature。　　The　absolute　prince　who　is　all…powerful；　like　the　listless

aristocracy　with　nothing　to　do；　in　the　end　become　useless　and

mischievous。　　…　　In　grasping　all　powers　the　king　insensibly　took　upon

himself　all　functions；　an　immense　undertaking　and　one　surpassing　human

strength。　　For　it　is　the　Monarchy；　and　not　the　Revolution；　which

endowed　France　with　administrative　centralization　＇32＇。　　Three

functionaries；　one　above　the　other；　manage　all　public　business　under

the　direction　of　the　king's　council；　the　comptroller…general　at　the

center；　the　intendant　in　each　generalship；＇33＇　　the　sub…delegate　in

each　election；　fixing；　apportioning　and　levying　taxes　and　the　militia；

laying　out　and　building　highways；　employing　the　national　police　force；

distributing　succor；　regulating　cultivation；　imposing　their　tutelage

on　the　parishes；　and　treating　municipal　magistrates　as　valets。　　〃A

village；〃　says　Turgot；＇34＇　　〃is　simply　an　assemblage　of　houses　and

huts；　and　of　inhabitants　equally　passive。　　。　　。　　。　　Your　Majesty　is

obliged　to　decide　wholly　by　yourself　or　through　your　mandataries。　　。　　。

。　　Each　awaits　your　special　instructions　to　contribute　to　the　public

good；　to　respect　the　rights　of　others；　and　even　sometimes　to　exercise

his　own。〃　Consequently；　adds　Necker；　〃the　government　of　France　is

carried　on　in　the　bureaux。　　。　　。。The　clerks；　relishing　their　influence；

never　fail　to　persuade　the　minister　that　he　cannot　separate　himself

from　command　in　a　single　detail。〃　Bureaucratic　at　the　center；

arbitrariness；　exceptions　and　favors　everywhere；　such　is　a　summary　of

the　system。　　〃Sub…delegates；　officers　of　elections；　receivers　and

comptrollers　of　the　vingtièmes；　commissaires　and　collectors　of　the

tailles；　officers　of　the　salt…tax；　process…servers；　voituriers…

buralistes；　overseers　of　the　corvées；　clerks　of　the　excise；　of　the

registry；　and　of　dues　reserved；　all　these　men　belonging　to　the　tax…

service。　　Each　of　these　will；　aided　by　his　fiscal　knowledge　and　petty


authority；　so　overwhelm　the　ignorant　and　inexperienced　tax　payer　that

he　does　not　recognize　that　he　is　being　cheated。〃　＇35＇　A　rude　species

of　centralization　with　no　control　over　it；　with　no　publicity；　without

uniformity；　thus　installs　over　the　whole　country　an　army　of　petty

pashas　who；　as　judges；　decide　causes　in　which　they　are　themselves

contestants；　ruling　by　delegation；　and；　to　sanction　their　theft　or

their　insolence；　always　having　on　their　lips　the　name　of　the　king；　who

is　obliged　to　let　them　do　as　they　please。　　…　　In　short；　the　machine；

through　its　complexity；　irregularity；　and　dimensions；　escapes　from　his

grasp。　　A　Frederick　II。　　who　rises　at　four　o'clock　in　the　morning；　a

Napoleon　who　dictates　half　the　night　in　his　bath；　and　who　works

eighteen　hours　a　day；　would　scarcely　suffice　for　its　needs。　　Such　a

régime　cannot　operate　without　constant　strain；　without　indefatigable

energy；　without　infallible　discernment；　without　military　rigidity；

without　superior　genius；　on　these　conditions　alone　can　one　convert

twenty…five　millions　of　men　into　automatons　and　substitute　his　own

will；　lucid　throughout；　coherent　throughout　and　everywhere　present；

for　the　wills　of　those　he　abolishes。　　Louis　XV　lets　〃the　good　machine〃

work　by　itself；　while　he　settles　down　into　apathy。　　〃They　would　have　it

so；　they　thought　it　all　for　the　best；〃＇36＇　　is　his　manner　of　speaking

when　ministerial　measures　prove　unsuccessful。　　〃If　I　were　a　lieutenant

of　the　police；〃　he　would　say　again；　〃I　would　prohibit　cabs。〃　In　vain

is　he　aware　of　the　machine　being　dislocated；　for　he　can　do　nothing　and

he　causes　nothing　to　be　done。　　In　the　event　of　misfortune　he　has　a

private　reserve；　his　purse　apart。　　〃The　king；〃　said　Mme。　　de　Pompadour；

〃would　sign　away　a　million　without　thinking　of　it；　but　he　would

scarcely　bestow　a　hundred　louis　out　of　his　own　little　treasury。〃　　…

Louis　XVI　strives　for　some　time　to　remove　some　of　the　wheels；　to

introduce　better　ones　and　to　reduce　the　friction　of　the　rest；　but　the

pieces　are　too　rusty；　and　too　weighty。　　He　cannot　adjust　them；　or

harmonize　them　and　keep　them　in　their　places；　his　hand　falls　by　his

side　wearied　and　powerless。　　He　is　content　to　practice　economy　himself；

he　records　in　his　journal　the　mending　of　his　watch；　and　leaves　the

State　carriage　in　the　hands　of　Calonne　to　be　loaded　with　fresh　abuses

that　it　may　revert　back　to　the　old　rut　from　which　it　is　to　issue　only

by　breaking　down。



Undoubtedly　the　wrong　they　do；　or　which　is　done　in　their　name；

dissatisfies　the　kings　and　upsets　them；　but；　at　the　bottom；　their

conscience　is　not　disturbed。　　They　may　feel　compassion　for　the　people；

but　they　do　not　feel　guilty；　they　are　its　sovereigns　and　not　its

representatives。　　France；　to　them；　is　as　a　domain　to　its　lord；　and　a

lord　is　not　deprived　of　honor　in　being　prodigal　and　neglectful。　　He

merely　gambles　away　his　own　property；　and　nobody　has　a　right　to　call

him　to　account。　　Founded　on　feudal　society；　royalty　is　like　an　estate；

an　inheritance。　　It　would　be　infidelity；　almost　treachery　in　a　prince；

in　any　event　weak　and　base