the ancien regime-第13章

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under　the　auspices　of　that　confidence　which　the　king　had　placed　in

the　preceptor　of　his　heir；　seemed　a　domestic　treason。〃　　No　wonder；

also；　if　the　foolish　and　envious　world　outside　was　of　the　same

opinion；　and　after　enjoying　for　awhile　this　exposure　of　the　great

ones　of　the　earth；　left　〃Telemaque〃　as　an　Utopia　with　which　private

folks　had　no　concern；　and　betook　themselves　to　the　easier　and　more

practical　model　of　〃Gil　Blas。〃



But　there　are　solid　defects　in　〃Telemaque〃indicating　corresponding

defects　in　the　author's　mindwhich　would　have；　in　any　case；

prevented　its　doing　the　good　work　which　Fenelon　desired；　defects

which　are　natural；　as　it　seems　to　me；　to　his　position　as　a　Roman

Catholic　priest；　however　saintly　and　pure；　however　humane　and

liberal。　　The　king；　with　him；　is　to　be　always　the　father　of　his

people；　which　is　tantamount　to　saying；　that　the　people　are　to　be

always　children；　and　in　a　condition　of　tutelage；　voluntary；　if

possible：　　if　not；　of　tutelage　still。　　Of　self…government；　and

education　of　human　beings　into　free　manhood　by　the　exercise　of　self…

government；　free　will；　free　thoughtof　this　Fenelon　had　surely　not

a　glimpse。　　A　generation　or　two　passed　by；　and　then　the　peoples　of

Europe　began　to　suspect　that　they　were　no　longer　children；　but　come

to　manhood；　and　determined　（after　the　example　of　Britain　and

America）　to　assume　the　rights　and　duties　of　manhood；　at　whatever

risk　of　excesses　or　mistakes：　　and　then　〃Telemaque〃　was　relegated

half　unjustlyas　the　slavish　and　childish　dream　of　a　past　age；　into

the　schoolroom；　where　it　still　remains。



But　there　is　a　defect　in　〃Telemaque〃　which　is　perhaps　deeper　still。

No　woman　in　it　exercises　influence　over　man；　except　for　evil。

Minerva；　the　guiding　and　inspiring　spirit；　assumes　of　course；　as

Mentor；　a　male　form；　but　her　speech　and　thought　is　essentially

masculine；　and　not　feminine。　　Antiope　is　a　mere　lay…figure；

introduced　at　the　end　of　the　book　because　Telemachus　must　needs　be

allowed　to　have　hope　of　marrying　someone　or　other。　　Venus　plays　but

the　same　part　as　she　does　in　the　Tannenhauser　legends　of　the　Middle

Age。　　Her　hatred　against　Telemachus　is　an　integral　element　of　the

plot。　　She；　with　the　other　women　or　nymphs　of　the　romance；　in　spite

of　all　Fenelon's　mercy　and　courtesy　towards　human　frailties；　really

rise　no　higher　than　the　witches　of　the　Malleus　Maleficanum。　　Woman

as　the　old　monk　held　who　derived　femina　from　fe；　faith；　and　minus；

less；　because　women　have　less　faith　than　menis；　in　〃Telemaque；〃

whenever　she　thinks　or　acts；　the　temptress；　the　enchantress；　the

victim　（according　to　a　very　ancient　calumny）　of　passions　more

violent；　often　more　lawless；　than　man's。



Such　a　conception　of　women　must　make　〃Telemaque；〃　to　the　end　of

time；　useless　as　a　wholesome　book　of　education。　　It　must　have

crippled　its　influence；　especially　in　France；　in　its　own　time。　　For

there；　for　good　and　for　evil；　woman　was　asserting　more　and　more　her

power；　and　her　right　to　power；　over　the　mind　and　heart　of　man。

Rising　from　the　long　degradation　of　the　Middle　Ages；　which　had

really　respected　her　only　when　unsexed　and　celibate；　the　French

woman　had　assumed；　often　lawlessly；　always　triumphantly；　her　just

freedom；　her　true　place　as　the　equal；　the　coadjutor；　the　counsellor

of　man。　　Of　all　problems　connected　with　the　education　of　a　young

prince；　that　of　the　influence　of　woman　was；　in　the　France　of　the

Ancien　Regime；　the　most　important。　　And　it　was　just　that　which

Fenelon　did　not；　perhaps　dared　not；　try　to　touch；　and　which　he　most

certainly　could　not　have　solved。　　Meanwhile；　not　only　Madame　de

Maintenon；　but　women　whose　names　it　were　a　shame　to　couple　with

hers；　must　have　smiled　at；　while　they　hated；　the　saint　who　attempted

to　dispense　not　only　with　them；　but　with　the　ideal　queen　who　should

have　been　the　helpmeet　of　the　ideal　king。



To　those　who　believe　that　the　world　is　governed　by　a　living　God；　it

may　seem　strange；　at　first　sight；　that　this　moral　anarchy　was

allowed　to　endure；　that　the　avenging；　and　yet　most　purifying　storm

of　the　French　Revolution；　inevitable　from　Louis　XIV。's　latter　years；

was　not　allowed　to　burst　two　generations　sooner　than　it　did。　　Is　not

the　answerthat　the　question　always　is　not　of　destroying　the　world；

but　of　amending　it？　　And　that　amendment　must　always　come　from

within；　and　not　from　without？　　That　men　must　be　taught　to　become

men；　and　mend　their　world　themselves？　　To　educate　men　into　self…

governmentthat　is　the　purpose　of　the　government　of　God；　and　some

of　the　men　of　the　eighteenth　century　did　not　learn　that　lesson。　　As

the　century　rolled　on；　the　human　mind　arose　out　of　the　slough　in

which　Le　Sage　found　it；　into　manifold　and　beautiful　activity；

increasing　hatred　of　shams　and　lies；　increasing　hunger　after　truth

and　usefulness。　　With　mistakes　and　confusions　innumerable　they

worked：　　but　still　they　worked；　planting　good　seed；　and　when　the

fire　of　the　French　Revolution　swept　over　the　land；　it　burned　up　the

rotten　and　the　withered；　only　to　let　the　fresh　herbage　spring　up

from　underneath。



But　that　purifying　fire　was　needed。　　If　we　inquire　why　the　many

attempts　to　reform　the　Ancien　Regime；　which　the　eighteenth　century

witnessed；　were　failures　one　and　all；　why　Pombal　failed　in　Portugal；

Aranda　in　Spain；　Joseph　II。　in　Austria；　Ferdinand　and　Caroline　in

Naplesfor　these　last；　be　it　always　remembered；　began　as　humane　and

enlightened　sovereigns；　patronising　liberal　opinions；　and　labouring

to　ameliorate　the　condition　of　the　poor；　till　they　were　driven　by

the　murder　of　Marie　Antoinette　into　a　paroxysm　of　rage　and　terror

why；　above　all；　Louis　XVI。；　who　attempted　deeper　and　wiser　reforms

than　any　other　sovereign；　failed　more　disastrously　than　anyis　not

the　answer　this；　that　all　these　reforms　would　but　have　cleansed　the

outside　of　the　cup　and　the　platter；　while　they　left　the　inside　full

of　extortion　and　excess？　　It　was　not　merely　institutions　which

required　to　be　reformed；　but　men　and　women。　　The　spirit　of　〃Gil

Blas〃　had　to　be　cast　out。　　The　deadness；　selfishness；　isolation　of

men's　souls；　their　unbelief　in　great　duties；　great　common　causes；

great　self…sacrificesin　a　word；　their　unbelief　in　God；　and

themselves；　and　mankindall　that　had　to　be　reformed；　and　till　that

was　done　all　outward　reform　would　but　have　left　them；　at　best；　in

brute　ease　and　peace；　to　that　soulless　degradation；　which　（as　in　the

Byzantine　empire　of　old；　and　seeming　in　the　Chinese　empire　of　to…

day）　hides　the　reality　of　barbarism　under　a　varnish　of　civilisation。

Men　had　to　be　awakened；　to　be　taught　to　think　for　themselves；　act

for　themselves；　to　dare　and　suffer　side　by　side　for　their　country

and　for　their　children；　in　a　word；　to　arise　and　become　men　once

more。



And；　what　is　more；　men　had　to　punishto　avenge。　　Those　are　fearful

words。　　But　there　is；　in　this　God…guided　universe；　a　law　of

retribution；　which　will　find　men　out；　whether　men　choose　to　find　it

out　or　not；　a　law　of　retribution；　of　vengeance　inflicted　justly；

though　not　necessarily　by　just　men。　　The　public　executioner　was

seldom　a　very　estimable　personage；　at　least　under　the　old　Regime；

and　those　who　have　been　the　scourges　of　God　have　been；　in　general；

mere　scourges；　and　nothing　better；　smiting　blindly；　rashly；

confusedly；　confounding　too　often　the　innocent　with　the　guilty；　till

they　have　seemed　only　to　punish　crime　by　crime；　and　replace　old　sins

by　new。　　But；　however　insoluble；　however　saddening　that　puzzle　be；　I

must　believeas　long　as　I　believe　in　any　God　at　allthat　such　men

as　Robespierre　were　His　instruments；　even　in　their　crimes。



In　the　case　of　the　French　Revolution；　indeed；　the　wickedness　of

certain　of　its　leaders　was　part　of　the　retribution　itself。　　For　the

noblesse　existed　surely　to　make　men　better。　　It　did；　by　certain

classes；　the　very　opposite。　　Therefore　it　was　destroyed　by　wicked

men；　whom　it　itself　had　made　wicked。　　For　over　and　above　all

political；　economic；　social　wrongs；　there　were　wrong