the origins of contemporary france-1-第6部分

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acquired　or　purchased　nobility；　it　is　clear　that　here　are　to　be　found

almost　all　the　great　fortunes　of　France；　old　or　new；　transmitted　by

inheritance；　obtained　through　court　favors；　or　acquired　in　business。

When　a　class　reaches　the　summit　it　is　recruited　out　of　those　who　are

mounting　or　clambering　up。　　Here；　too；　there　is　colossal　wealth。　　It　has

been　calculated　that　the　possessions　of　the　princes　of　the　royal

family；　the　Comtés　of　Artois　and　of　Provence；　the　Ducs　d'Orléans　and

de　Penthiévre　then　covered　one…seventh　of　the　territory。＇10＇　The

princes　of　the　blood　have　together　a　revenue　of　from　24　to　25

millions；　the　Duc　d'Orléans　alone　has　a　rental　of　11；500；000。＇11＇　

These　are　the　vestiges　of　the　feudal　régime。　　Similar　vestiges　are

found　in　England；　in　Austria；　in　Germany　and　in　Russia。

Proprietorship；　indeed；　survives　a　long　time　survives　the

circumstances　on　which　it　is　founded。　　Sovereignty　had　constituted

property；　divorced　from　sovereignty　it　has　remained　in　the　hands

formerly　sovereign。　　In　the　bishop；　the　abbot　and　the　count；　the　king

respected　the　proprietor　while　overthrowing　the　rival；　and；　in　the

existing　proprietor　a　hundred　traits　still　indicate　the　annihilated　or

modified　sovereign。



III。　　Their　Immunities。



Such　is　the　total　or　partial　exemption　from　taxation。　　The　tax…

collectors　halt　in　their　presence　because　the　king　well　knows　that

feudal　property　has　the　same　origin　as　his　own；　if　royalty　is　one

privilege　seigniory　is　another；　the　king　himself　is　simply　the　most

privileged　among　the　privileged。　　The　most　absolute；　the　most

infatuated　with　his　rights；　Louis　XIV；　entertained　scruples　when

extreme　necessity　compelled　him　to　enforce　on　everybody　the　tax　of　the

tenth。＇12＇　Treaties；　precedents；　immemorial　custom；　reminiscences　of

ancient　rights　again　restrain　the　fiscal　hand。　　The　clearer　the

resemblance　of　the　proprietor　to　the　ancient　　independent　sovereign

the　greater　his　immunity。　　…　In　some　places　a　recent　treaty　guarantees

him　by　his　position　as　a　stranger；　by　his　almost　royal　extraction。　　〃In

Alsace　foreign　princes　in　possession；　with　the　Teutonic　order　and　the

order　of　Malta；　enjoy　exemption　from　all　real　and　personal

contributions。〃　〃In　Lorraine　the　chapter　of　Remiremont　has　the

privilege　of　assessing　itself　in　all　state　impositions。〃＇13＇　Elsewhere

he　is　protected　by　the　maintenance　of　the　provincial　Assemblies；　and

through　the　incorporation　of　the　nobility　with　the　soil：　in　Languedoc

and　in　Brittany　the　commoners　alone　paid　the　taille＇14＇　…Everywhere

else　his　quality　preserved　him　from　it；　him；　his　chateau　and　the

chateau's　dependencies；　the　taille　reaches　him　only　through　his

farmers。　　And　better　still；　it　is　sufficient　that　he　himself　should

work；　or　his　steward；　to　communicate　to　the　land　his　original

independence。　　As　soon　as　he　touches　the　soil；　either　personally　or

through　his　agent；　he　exempts　four　plowing…areas　（quatre　charrues）；

three　hundred　arpents；＇15＇　which　in　other　hands　would　pay　2；000　francs

tax。　　Besides　this　he　is　excempt　on　〃the　woods；　the　meadows；　the　vines；

the　ponds　and　the　enclosed　land　belonging　to　the　chateau；　of　whatever

extent　it　may　be。〃　Consequently；　in　Limousin　and　elsewhere；　in　regions

principally　devoted　to　pasturage　or　to　vineyards；　he　takes　care　to

manage　himself；　or　to　have　managed；　a　certain　portion　of　his　domain；

in　this　way　he　exempts　it　from　the　tax　collector。＇16＇　There　is　yet

more。　　In　Alsace；　through　an　express　covenant　he　does　not　pay　a　cent　of

tax。　　Thus；　after　the　assaults　of　four　hundred　and　fifty　years；

taxation；　the　first　of　fiscal　instrumentalities；　the　most　burdensome

of　all；　leaves　feudal　property　almost　intact。＇17＇　　For　the　last

century；　two　new　tools；　the　capitation…tax　and　the　vingtièmes；　appear

more　effective；　and　yet　are　but　little　more　so。　　…　First　of　all；

through　a　masterstroke　of　ecclesiastical　diplomacy；　the　clergy　diverts

or　weakens　the　blow。　　As　it　is　an　organization；　holding　assemblies；　it

is　able　to　negotiate　with　the　king　and　buy　itself　off。　　To　avoid　being

taxed　by　others　it　taxes　itself。　　It　makes　it　appear　that　its　payments

are　not　compulsory　contributions；　but　a　〃free　gift。〃　It　obtains　then

in　exchange　a　mass　of　concessions；　is　able　to　diminish　this　gift；

sometimes　not　to　make　it；　in　any　event　to　reduce　it　to　sixteen

millions　every　five　years；　that　is　to　say　to　a　little　more　than　three

millions　per　annum。　　In　1788　it　is　only　1；800；000　livres；　and　in　1789

it　is　refused　altogether。＇18＇　And　still　better：　as　it　borrows　to

provide　for　this　tax；　and　as　the　décimes　which　it　raises　on　its

property　do　not　suffice　to　reduce　the　capital　and　meet　the　interest　on

its　debt；　it　has　the　adroitness　to　secure；　besides；　a　grant　from　the

king。　　Out　of　the　royal　treasury；　each　year；　it　receives　2；500；000

livres；　so　that；　instead　of　paying；　it　receives。　　In　1787　it　receives

in　this　way　1；500；000　livres。…As　for　the　nobles；　they；　being　unable　to

combine　together；　to　have　representatives；　and　to　act　in　a　public　way；

operate　instead　in　a　private　way。　　They　contact　ministers；　intendants；

sub…delegates；　farmer…generals；　and　all　others　clothed　with　authority；

their　quality　securing　attentions；　consideration　and　favors。　　In　the

first　place；　this　quality　exempts　themselves；　their　dependents；　and

the　dependents　of　their　dependents；　from　drafting　in　the　militia；　from

lodging　soldiers；　from　（la　corvée）　laboring　on　the　highways。　　Next；　the

capitation　being　fixed　according　to　the　tax　system；　they　pay　little；

because　their　taxation　is　of　little　account。　　Moreover；　each　one　brings

all　his　credit　to　bear　against　assessments。　　〃Your　sympathetic　heart；〃

writes　one　of　them　to　the　intendant；　〃will　never　allow　a　father　of　my

condition　to　be　taxed　for　the　vingtiémes　rigidly　like　a　father　of　low

birth。〃＇19＇　On　the　other　hand；　as　the　taxpayer　pays　the　capitation…tax

at　his　actual　residence；　often　far　away　from　his　estates；　and　no　one

having　any　knowledge　of　his　personal　income；　he　may　pay　whatever　seems

to　him　proper。　　There　are　no　proceedings　against　him；　if　he　is　a　noble；

the　greatest　circumspection　is　used　towards　persons　of　high　rank。　　〃In

the　provinces；〃　says　Turgot；　〃　the　capitation…tax　of　the　privileged

classes　has　been　successively　reduced　to　an　exceedingly　small　matter；

whilst　the　capitation…tax　of　those　who　are　liable　to　the　taille　is

almost　equal　to　the　aggregate　of　that　tax。〃　And　finally；　〃the

collectors　think　that　they　are　obliged　to　act　towards　them　with　marked

consideration〃　even　when　they　owe；　〃the　result　of　which；〃　says　Necker；

〃is　that　very　ancient；　and　much　too　large　amounts；　of　their

capitation…tax　remain　unpaid。〃　Accordingly；　not　having　been　able　to

repel　the　assault　of　the　revenue　services　in　front　they　evaded　it　or

diminished　it　until　it　became　almost　unobjectionable。　　In　Champagne；　on

nearly　1；500；000　livres　provided　by　the　capitation…tax；　they　paid　in

only　14；000　livres；〃　that　is　to　say；　〃2　sous　and　2　deniers　for　the

same　purpose　which　costs　12　sous　per　livre　to　those　chargeable　with

the　taille。〃　According　to　Calonne；　〃if　concessions　and　privileges　had

been　suppressed　the　vingtièmes　would　have　furnished　double　the

amount。〃　In　this　respect　the　most　opulent　were　the　most　skillful　in

protecting　themselves。　　〃With　the　intendants；〃　said　the　Duc　d'Orleans；

〃I　settle　matters；　and　pay　about　what　I　please；〃　and　he　calculated

that　the　provincial　administration；　rigorously　taxing　him；　would　cause

him　to　lose　300；000　livres　rental。　　It　has　been　proved　that　the　princes

of　the　blood　paid；　for　their　two…twentieths；　188；000　instead　of

2；400；000　livres。　　In　the　main；　in　this　régime；　exception　from　taxation

is　the　last　remnant　of　sovereignty　or；　at　least；　of　independence。　　The

privileged　person　avoids　or　repels　taxation；　not　merely　because　it

despoils　him；　but　because　it　belittles　him；　it　is　a　mark　of　the

commoner；　that　is　to　say；　of　former　servitude；　and　he　resists　the　fisc

（the　revenue　services）　as　much　through　pride　as　through　interest。



IV。　　Their　Feudal　Rights。



These　advantages　are　the　remains　of　primitive　sovereignty。



Let　us　follow　him　home　to　his　own　domain。　　A　bishop；　an　abbé；　a

chapter　of　the　clergy；　an　abbess；　each　has　one　like　a　lay　seignior；

for；　in　former　times；　the　monastery　and　the　church　were　small

governments　like　the　county　and　the　duchy。　　…Intact　on　the　other　bank

of　the　Rhine；　almost　ruined　in　France；　the　feudal　structure　everywhere

discloses　the　same　plan。　　In　certain　places；　better　protected　or　less

attacked；　it　has　preserved　all　its　ancient　externals。　　At　Cahors；　the

bishop…count　of　the　town　had　the　right；　on　solemnly　officiating；　〃to

place　his　helmet；　cuirass；　gauntlets　and　sword　on　the　altar。〃＇20＇　　At

Besan？on；　the　archbishop…prince　has　six　high　officers；　who　owe　him

homage　for　their　fiefs；　and　who　attend　at　his　coronation　and　at　his

obsequies。　　At　Mende；＇21＇　the　bishop；　seignior…suzerain　for　Gévaudan

since　the　eleventh　century；　appoints　〃the　courts；　ordinary　judges　and

judges　of　appeal；　the　commissaries　and　syndics　of　the　country。〃　He

disposes　of　all　the　places；　〃municipal　and　judiciary。〃　Entreated　to

appear　in　the　assembly　of　the　three　orders　of　the　province；　he

〃replies　that　his　place；　his　possessions　and　his　rank　exalting　him

above　every　individual　in　his　diocese。　　He　cannot　sit　under　the

presidency　of　any　person；　that；　being　seignior…suzerain　of　all　estates

and　particularly　of　the　baronies；　he　cannot　give　way　to　his　vassals。〃

In　brief　that　he　is　king；　or　but　little　short　of　it；　in　his　own

province。　　At　Remiremont；　the　noble　chapter　of　canonesses　has；

〃inferior；　superior；　and　ordinary　judicature　in　fifty…two　bans　of

seigniories；〃　nominates　seventy…five　curacies　and　confers　ten　male

canonships。　　It　appoints　the　municipal　officers　of　the　town；　and；

besides　these；　three　lower　and　higher　courts；　and　everywhere　the

officials　in　the　jurisdiction　over　woods　and　forests。　　Thirty…two

bishops；　without　count