the origins of contemporary france-1-第59部分

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lois；〃　indulged　in　wit　about　laws。　　Reynal；　to　give　an　impetus　to　his

history　of　commerce　in　the　Indies；　welded　to　it　the　declamation　of

Diderot。　　The　Abbé　Barthélemy　covered　over　the　realities　of　Greek

manners　and　customs　with　his　literary　varnish。　　Science　was　expected　to

be　either　epigrammatic　or　oratorical；　crude　or　technical　details　would

have　been　objectionable　to　a　public　composed　of　people　of　the　good

society；　correctness　of　style　therefore　drove　out　or　falsified　those

small　significant　facts　which　give　a　peculiar　sense　and　their　original

relief　to　ancient　personalities。　　　　Even　if　writers　had　dared　to

note　them；　their　sense　and　bearing　would　not　have　been　understood。　　The

sympathetic　imagination　did　not　exist＇9＇；　people　were　incapable　of

going　out　of　themselves；　of　betaking　themselves　to　distant　points　of

view；　of　conjecturing　the　peculiar　and　violent　states　of　the　human

brain；　the　decisive　and　fruitful　moment　during　which　it　gives　birth　to

a　vigorous　creation；　a　religion　destined　to　rule；　a　state　that　is　sure

to　endure。　　The　imagination　of　Man　is　limited　to　personal　experiences；

and　where　in　their　experience；　could　individuals　in　this　society　have

found　the　material　which　would　have　allowed　them　to　imagine　the

convulsions　of　a　delivery？　How　could　minds；　as　polished　and　as　amiable

as　these；　fully　adopt　the　sentiments　of　an　apostle；　of　a　monk；　of　a

barbarian　or　feudal　founder；　see　these　in　the　milieu　which　explains

and　justifies　them；　picture　to　themselves　the　surrounding　crowd；　at

first　souls　in　despair　and　haunted　by　mystic　dreams；　and　next　the　rude

and　violent　intellects　given　up　to　instinct　and　imagery；　thinking　with

half…visions；　their　resolve　consisting　of　irresistible　impulses？　A

speculative　reasoning　of　this　stamp　could　not　imagine　figures　like

these。　　To　bring　them　within　its　rectilinear　limits　they　require　to　be

reduced　and　made　over；　the　Macbeth　of　Shakespeare　becomes　that　of

Ducis；　and　the　Mahomet　of　the　Koran　that　of　Voltaire。　　Consequently；　as

they　failed　to　see　souls；　they　misconceived　institutions。　　The

suspicion　that　truth　could　have　been　conveyed　only　through　the　medium

of　legends；　that　justice　could　have　been　established　only　by　force；

that　religion　was　obliged　to　assume　the　sacerdotal　form；　that　the

State　necessarily　took　a　military　form；　and　that　the　Gothic　edifice

possessed；　as　well　as　other　structures；　its　own　architecture；

proportions；　balance　of　parts；　solidity；　and　even　beauty；　never

entered　their　heads。　　　　Furthermore；　unable　to　comprehend　the　past；

they　could　not　comprehend　the　present。　　They　knew　nothing　about　the

mechanic；　the　provincial　bourgeois；　or　even　the　lesser　nobility；　these

were　seen　only　far　away　in　the　distance；　half…effaced；　and　wholly

transformed　through　philosophic　theories　and　sentimental　haze。　　〃Two　or

three　thousand〃＇10＇　polished　and　cultivated　individuals　formed　the

circle　of　ladies　and　gentlemen；　the　so…called　honest　folks；　and　they

never　went　outside　of　their　own　circle。　　If　they　fleeting　had　a　glimpse

of　the　people　from　their　chateaux　and　on　their　journeys；　it　was　in

passing；　the　same　as　of　their　post…horses；　or　of　the　cattle　on　their

farms；　showing　compassion　undoubtedly；　but　never　divining　their

anxious　thoughts　and　their　obscure　instincts。　　The　structure　of　the

still　primitive　mind　of　the　people　was　never　imagined；　the　paucity　and

tenacity　of　their　ideas；　the　narrowness　of　their　mechanical；　routine

existence；　devoted　to　manual　labor；　absorbed　with　the　anxieties　for

daily　bread；　confined　to　the　bounds　of　a　visible　horizon；　their

attachment　to　the　local　saint；　to　rites；　to　the　priest；　their　deep…

seated　rancor；　their　inveterate　distrust；　their　credulity　growing　out

of　the　imagination；　their　inability　to　comprehend　abstract　rights；　the

law　and　public　affairs；　the　hidden　operation　by　which　their　brains

would　transform　political　novelties　into　nursery　fables　or　into　ghost

stories；　their　contagious　infatuations　like　those　of　sheep；　their

blind　fury　like　that　of　bulls；　and　all　those　traits　of　character　the

Revolution　was　about　to　bring　to　light。　　Twenty　millions　of　men　and

more　had　scarcely　passed　out　of　the　mental　condition　of　the　middle

ages；　hence；　in　its　grand　lines；　the　social　edifice　in　which　they

could　dwell　had　necessarily　to　be　mediaeval。　　It　had　to　be　cleaned　up；

windows　put　in　and　walls　pulled　down；　but　without　disturbing　the

foundations；　or　the　main　building　and　its　general　arrangement；

otherwise　after　demolishing　it　and　living　encamped　for　ten　years　in

the　open　air　like　savages；　its　inmates　would　have　been　obliged　to

rebuild　it　on　the　same　plan。　　In　uneducated　minds；　those　having　not　yet

attained　to　reflection；　faith　attaches　itself　only　to　the　corporeal

symbol；　obedience　being　brought　about　only　through　physical　restraint；

religion　is　upheld　by　the　priest　and　the　State　by　the　policeman。　　

One　writer　only；　Montesquieu；　the　best　instructed；　the　most　sagacious；

and　the　best　balanced　of　all　the　spirits　of　the　age；　made　these　truths

apparent；　because　he　was　at　once　an　erudite；　an　observer；　a　historian

and　a　jurisconsult。　　He　spoke；　however；　as　an　oracle；　in　maxims　and

riddles；　and　every　time　he　touched　matters　belonging　to　his　country

and　epoch　he　hopped　about　as　if　upon　red　hot　coals。　　That　is　why　he

remained　respected　but　isolated；　his　fame　exercising　no　influence。　　The

classic　reason　refused＇11＇　to　go　so　far　as　to　make　a　careful　study　of

both　the　ancient　and　the　contemporary　human　being。　　It　found　it　easier

and　more　convenient　to　follow　its　original　bent；　to　shut　its　eyes　on

man　as　he　is；　to　fall　back　on　its　stores　of　current　notions；　to　derive

from　these　an　idea　of　man　in　general；　and　build　in　empty　space。　　

Through　this　natural　and　complete　state　of　blindness　it　no　longer

heeds　the　old　and　living　roots　of　contemporary　institutions；　no　longer

seeing　them　makes　it　deny　their　existence。　　Custom　now　appears　as　pure

prejudice；　the　titles　of　tradition　are　lost；　and　royalty　seems　based

on　robbery。　　So　from　now　on　Reason　is　armed　and　at　war　with　its

predecessor　to　wrench　away　its　control　over　the　minds　and　to　replace　a

rule　of　lies　with　a　rule　of　truth。





IV。　　CASTING　OUT　THE　RESIDUE　OF　TRUTH　AND　JUSTICE。



Two　stages　in　this　operation。　　…　Voltaire；　Montesquieu；　the　deists

and　the　reformers　represent　the　first　one。　　…　What　they　destroy　and

what　they　respect。



　　In　this　great　undertaking　there　are　two　stages。　　Owing　to　common

sense　or　timidity　many　stop　half…way。　　Motivated　by　passion　or　logic

others　go　to　the　end。　　　　A　first　campaign　results　in　carrying　the

enemy's　out…works　and　his　frontier　fortresses；　the　philosophical　army

being　led　by　Voltaire。　　To　combat　hereditary　prejudice；　other

prejudices　are　opposed　to　it　whose　empire　is　as　extensive　and　whose

authority　is　not　less　recognized。　　Montesquieu　looks　at　France　through

the　eyes　of　a　Persian；　and　Voltaire；　on　his　return　from　England；

describes　the　English；　an　unknown　species。　　Confronting　dogma　and　the

prevailing　system　of　worship；　accounts　are　given；　either　with　open　or

with　disguised　irony；　of　the　various　Christian　sects；　the　Anglicans；

the　Quakers；　the　Presbyterians；　the　Socinians；　those　of　ancient　or　of

remote　people；　the　Greeks；　Romans；　Egyptians；　Muslims；　and　Guebers；　of

the　worshippers　of　Brahma；　of　the　Chinese　and　of　pure　idolaters。　　In

relation　to　established　laws　and　customs；　expositions　are　made；　with

evident　intentions；　of　other　constitutions　and　other　social　habits；　of

despotism；　of　limited　monarchy；　of　a　republic；　here　the　church　subject

to　the　state；　there　the　church　free　of　the　state；　in　this　country

castes；　in　another　polygamy；　and；　from　country　to　country；　from

century　to　century；　the　diversity；　contradiction　and　antagonism　of

fundamental　customs　which；　each　on　its　own　ground；　are　all　equally

consecrated　by　tradition；　all　legitimately　forming　the　system　of

public　rights。　　From　now　on　the　charm　is　broken。　　Ancient　institutions

lose　their　divine　prestige；　they　are　simply　human　works；　the　fruits　of

the　place　and　of　the　moment；　and　born　out　of　convenience　and　a

covenant。　　Skepticism　enters　through　all　the　breaches。　　With　regard　to

Christianity　it　at　once　enters　into　open　hostility；　into　a　bitter　and

prolonged　polemical　warfare；　for；　under　the　title　of　a　state　religion

this　occupies　the　ground；　censuring　free　thought；　burning　writings；

exiling；　imprisoning　or　disturbing　authors；　and　everywhere　acting　as　a

natural　and　official　adversary。　　Moreover；　by　virtue　of　being　an

ascetic　religion；　it　condemns　not　only　the　free　and　cheerful　ways

tolerated　by　the　new　philosophy　but　again　the　natural　tendencies　it

sanctions；　and　the　promises　of　terrestrial　felicity　with　which　it

everywhere　dazzles　the　eyes。　　Thus　the　heart　and　the　head　both　agree　in

their　opposition。　　　　Voltaire；　with　texts　in　hand；　pursues　it　from

one　end　to　the　other　of　its　history；　from　the　first　biblical　narration

to　the　latest　papal　bulls；　with　unflagging　animosity　and　energy；　as

critic；　as　historian；　as　geographer；　as　logician；　as　moralist；

questioning　its　sources；　opposing　evidences；　driving　ridicule　like　a

pick…ax　into　every　weak　spot　where　an　outraged　instinct　beats　against

its　mystic　walls；　and　into　all　doubtful　places　where　ulterior

patchwork　disfigures　the　primitive　structure。　　　　He　respects；

however；　the　first　foundation；　and；　in　this　particular；　the　greatest

writers　of　the　day　follow　the　same　course。　　Under　positive　religions

that　are　false　there　is　a　natural　religion　that　is　true。　　This　is　the

simple　and　authentic　text　of　which　the　others　are　altered　and

amplified　translations。　　Remove　the　ulterior　and　divergent　excesses　and

the　original　remains；　this　common　essence；　on　which　all　copies

harmonize；　is　deism。　　　　The　same　operation　is　to　be　made　on　civil

and　political　law。　　In　France；　where　so　many　survive　their　utility；

where　privileges　are　no　longer　paid　for　with　service；　where　rights　are

changed　into　abus