the origins of contemporary france-1-第23部分

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

in　any　event　weak　and　base；　should　he　allow　any　portion　of　the　trust

received　by　him　intact　from　his　ancestors　for　transmission　to　his

children；　to　pass　into　the　hands　of　his　subjects。　　Not　only　according

to　medieval　traditions　is　he　proprietor…commandant　of　the　French　and

of　France；　but　again；　according　to　the　theory　of　the　jurists；　he　is；

like　Caesar；　the　sole　and　perpetual　representative　of　the　nation；　and；

according　to　the　theological　doctrine；　like　David；　the　sacred　and

special　delegate　of　God　himself。　　It　would　be　astonishing；　if；　with　all

these　titles；　he　did　not　consider　the　public　revenue　as　his　personal

revenue；　and　if；　in　many　cases；　he　did　not　act　accordingly。　　Our　point

of　view；　in　this　matter；　is　so　essentially　opposed　to　his；　we　can

scarcely　put　ourselves　in　his　place；　but　at　that　time　his　point　of

view　was　everybody's　point　of　view。　　It　seemed；　then；　as　strange　to

meddle　with　the　king's　business　as　to　meddle　with　that　of　a　private

person。　　Only　at　the　end　of　the　year　1788＇37＇　the　famous　salon　of　the

Palais…Royal　〃with　boldness　and　unimaginable　folly；　asserts　that　in　a

true　monarchy　the　revenues　of　the　State　should　not　be　at　the

sovereign's　disposition；　that　he　should　be　granted　merely　a　sum

sufficient　to　defray　the　expenses　of　his　establishment；　of　his

donations；　and　for　favors　to　his　servants　as　well　as　for　his

pleasures；　while　the　surplus　should　be　deposited　in　the　royal　treasury

to　be　devoted　only　to　purposes　sanctioned　by　the　National　Assembly。　　To

reduce　the　sovereign　to　a　civil　list；　to　seize　nine…tenths　of　his

income；　to　forbid　him　cash　on　demand；　what　an　outrage！　The　surprise

would　be　no　greater　if　at　the　present　day　it　were　proposed　to　divide

the　income　of　each　millionaire　into　two　portions；　the　smallest　to　go

for　the　owner's　support；　and　the　largest　to　be　placed　in　the　hands　of

a　government　to　be　expended　in　works　of　public　utility。　　An　old　farmer…

general；　an　intellectual　and　unprejudiced　man；　gravely　attempts　to

justify　the　purchase　of　Saint…Cloud　by　calling　it　〃a　ring　for　the

queen's　finger。〃　The　ring　cost；　indeed；　7；700；000　francs；　but　〃the

king　of　France　then　had　an　income　of　447；000；000。　　What　could　be　said

of　any　private　individual　who；　with　477；000　livres　income；　should；　for

once　in　his　life；　give　his　wife　diamonds　worth　7；000　or　8；000

livres？〃＇38＇　　People　would　say　that　the　gift　is　moderate；　and　that　the

husband　is　reasonable。



To　properly　understand　the　history　of　our　kings；　let　the

fundamental　principle　be　always　recognized　that　France　is　their　land；

a　farm　transmitted　from　father　to　son；　at　first　small；　then　slowly

enlarged；　and；　at　last；　prodigiously　enlarged；　because　the　proprietor；

always　alert；　has　found　means　to　make　favorable　additions　to　it　at　the

expense　of　his　neighbors；　at　the　end　of　eight　hundred　years　it

comprises　about　27；000　square　leagues　of　territory。　　His　interests　and

his　vanity　harmonize；　certainly；　in　several　areas　with　public　welfare；

he　is；　all　in　all；　not　a　poor　administrator；　and；　since　he　has　always

expanded　his　territory；　he　has　done　better　than　many　others。　　Moreover；

around　him；　a　number　of　expert　individuals；　old　family　councilors；

withdrawn　from　business　and　devoted　to　the　domain；　with　good　heads　an

gray　beards；　respectfully　remonstrate　with　him　when　he　spends　too

freely；　they　often　interest　him　in　public　improvements；　in　roads；

canals；　homes　for　the　invalids；　military　schools；　scientific

institutions　and　charity　workshops；　in　the　control　of　trust…funds　and

foundations；　in　the　tolerance　of　heretics；　in　the　postponement　of

monastic　vows　to　the　age　of　twenty…one；　in　provincial　assemblies；　and

in　other　reforms　by　which　a　feudal　domain　becomes　transformed　into　a

modern　domain。　　Nevertheless；　the　country；　feudal　or　modern；　remains

his　property；　which　he　can　abuse　as　well　as　use；　however；　whoever　uses

with　full　sway　ends　by　abusing　with　full　license。　　If；　in　his　ordinary

conduct；　personal　motives　do　not　prevail　over　public　motives；　he　might

be　a　saint　like　Louis　IX；　a　stoic　like　Marcus　Aurelius；　while

remaining　a　seignior；　a　man　of　the　world　like　the　people　of　his　court；

yet　more　badly　brought　up；　worse　surrounded；　more　solicited；　more

tempted　and　more　blindfolded。　　At　the　very　least　he　has；　like　them；　his

own　vanity；　his　own　tastes；　his　own　relatives；　his　mistress；　his　wife；

his　friends；　all　intimate　and　influential　solicitors　who　must　first　be

satisfied；　while　the　nation　only　comes　after　them。　　…　　The　result　is；

that；　for　a　hundred　years；　from　1672　to　1774；　whenever　he　makes　war　it

is　through　wounded　pride；　through　family　interest；　through　calculation

of　private　advantages；　or　to　gratify　a　woman。　　Louis　XV　maintains　his

wars　yet　worse　than　in　undertaking　them；〃＇39＇　while　Louis　XVI；　during

the　whole　of　his　foreign　policy；　finds　himself　hemmed　in　by　the

marriage　he　has　made。　　…　　At　home　the　king　lives　like　other　nobles；

but　more　grandly；　because　he　is　the　greatest　lord　in　France；　I　shall

describe　his　court　presently；　and　further　on　we　shall　see　by　what

exactions　this　pomp　is　made　possible。　　In　the　meantime　let　us　note　two

or　three　details。　　According　to　authentic　statements；　Louis　XV　expended

on　Mme。　　de　Pompadour　thirty…six　millions　of　livres；　which　is　at　least

seventy…two　millions　nowadays＇40＇　　According　to　d'Argenson；＇41＇　in

1751；　he　has　4；000　horses　in　his　stable；　and　we　are　assured　that　his

household　alone；　or　his　person；　〃cost　this　year　68；000；000；〃　almost　a

quarter　of　the　public　revenue。　　Why　be　astonished　if　we　look　upon　the

sovereign　in　the　manner　of　the　day；　that　is　to　say；　as　a　lord　of　the

manor　enjoying　of　his　hereditary　property？　He　constructs；　he

entertains；　he　gives　festivals；　he　hunts；　and　he　spends　money

according　to　his　station。　　Moreover；　being　the　master　of　his　own　funds；

he　gives　to　whomsoever　he　pleases；　and　all　his　selections　are　favors。

Abbé　de　Vermond　writes　to　Empress　Maria　Theresa＇42＇



〃Your　Majesty　knows　better　than　myself；　that；　according　to

immemorial　custom；　three…fourths　of　the　places　honors　and　pensions　are

awarded　not　on　account　of　services　but　out　of　favor　and　through

influence。　　This　favor　was　originally　prompted　by　birth；　alliance　and

fortune；　the　fact　is　that　it　nearly　always　is　based　on　patronage　and

intrigue。　　This　procedure　is　so　well　established；　that　is　respected　as

a　sort　of　justice　even　by　those　who　suffer　the　most　from　it。　　A　man　of

worth　not　able　to　dazzle　by　his　court　alliances；　nor　through　a

brilliant　expenditure；　would　not　dare　to　demand　a　regiment；　however

ancient　and　illustrious　his　services；　or　his　birth。　　Twenty　years　ago；

the　sons　of　dukes　and　ministers；　of　people　attached　to　the　court；　of

the　relations　and　protégés　of　mistresses；　became　colonels　at　the　age

of　sixteen。　　M。　de　Choiseul　caused　loud　complaints　on　extending　this

age　to　twenty…three　years。　　But　to　compensate　favoritism　and　absolutism

he　assigned　to　the　pure　grace　of　the　king；　or　rather　to　that　of　his

ministers；　the　appointment　to　the　grades　of　lieutenant…colonel　and

major　which；　until　that　time；　belonged　of　right　to　priority　of

services　in　the　government；　also　the　commands　of　provinces　and　of

towns。　　You　are　aware　that　these　places　have　been　largely　multiplied；

and　that　they　are　bestowed　through　favor　and　credit；　like　the

regiments。　　The　cordon　bleu　and　the　cordon　rouge　are　in　the　like

position；　and　abbeys　are　still　more　constantly　subject　to　the　régime

of　influence。　　As　to　positions　in　the　finances；　I　dare　not　allude　to

them。　　Appointments　in　the　judiciary　are　the　most　conditioned　by

services　rendered；　and　yet　how　much　do　not　influence　and

recommendation　affect　the　nomination　of　intendants；　first　presidents〃

and　the　others？



Necker；　entering　on　his　duties；　finds　twenty…eight　millions　in

pensions　paid　from　the　royal　treasury；　and；　at　his　fall；　there　is　an

outflow　of　money　showered　by　millions　on　the　people　of　the　court。　　Even

during　his　term　of　office　the　king　allows　himself　to　make　the　fortunes

of　his　wife's　friends　of　both　sexes；　the　Countess　de　Polignac　obtains

400；000　francs　to　pay　her　debts；　100；000　francs　dowry　for　her

daughter；　and；　besides；　for　herself；　the　promise　of　an　estate　of

35；000　livres　income；　and；　for　her　lover；　the　Count　de　Vaudreil；　a

pension　of　30；000　livres；　the　Princess　de　Lamballe　obtains　100；000

crowns　per　annum；　as　much　for　the　post　of　superintendent　of　the

queen's　household；　which　is　revived　on　her　behalf；　as　for　a　position

for　her　brother。＇43＇　The　king　is　reproached　for　his　parsimony；　why

should　he　be　sparing　of　his　purse？　Started　on　a　course　not　his　own；　he

gives；　buys；　builds；　and　exchanges；　he　assists　those　belonging　to　his

own　society；　doing　everything　in　a　style　becoming　to　a　grand　seignior；

that　is　to　say；　throwing　money　away　by　handfuls。One　instance　enables

us　to　judge　of　this：　in　order　to　assist　the　bankrupt　Guéménée　family；

he　purchases　of　them　three　estates　for　about　12；500；000　livres；　which

they　had　just　purchased　for　4；000；000；　moreover；　in　exchange　for　two

domains　in　Brittany；　which　produce　33；758　livres　income；　he　makes　over

to　them　the　principality　of　Dombes　which　produces　nearly　70；000　livres

income。＇44＇　　…　　When　we　come　to　read　the　Red　Book　further　on　we　shall

find　700；000　livres　of　pensions　for　the　Polignac　family；　most　of　them

revertible　from　one　member　to　another；　and　nearly　2；000；000　of　annual

benefits　to　the　Noailles　family。　　…　　The　king　has　forgotten　that　his

favors　are　mortal　blows；　〃the　courtier　who　obtains　6；000　livres

pension；　receiving　the　taille　of　six　villages。〃＇45＇　　Each　largess　of

the　monarch；　considering　the　state　of　the　taxes；　is　based　on　the

privation　of　the　peasants；　the　sovereign；　through　his　clerks；　taking

bread　from　the　poor　to　give　coaches　to　the　rich。　　…　　The　center　of　the

government；　in　short；　is　the　center　of　the　evil；　all　the　wrongs　and

all　the　miseries　start　from　it　as　from　the