the ancien regime-第3章

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and　breadth　of　the　land；　and　have　been　applied；　as　it　surely　will　be

some　day；　not　only　to　distribution；　not　only　to　manufacture；　but　to

agriculture　likewisetill　then；　the　best　judges　of　the　working

men's　worth　must　be　their　employers；　and　especially　the　employers　of

the　northern　manufacturing　population。　　What　their　judgment　is；　is

sufficiently　notorious。　　Those　who　depend　most　on　the　working　men；

who　have　the　best　opportunities　of　knowing　them；　trust　them　most

thoroughly。　　As　long　as　great　manufacturers　stand　forward　as　the

political　sponsors　of　their　own　workmen；　it　behoves　those　who　cannot

have　had　their　experience；　to　consider　their　opinion　as　conclusive。

As　for　that　〃influence　of　the　higher　classes〃　which　is　said　to　be

endangered　just　now；　it　will　exist；　just　as　much　as　it　deserves　to

exist。　　Any　man　who　is　superior　to　the　many；　whether　in　talents；

education；　refinement；　wealth；　or　anything　else；　will　always　be　able

to　influence　a　number　of　menand　if　he　thinks　it　worth　his　while；

of　votesby　just　and　lawful　means。　　And　as　for　unjust　and　unlawful

means；　let　those　who　prefer　them　keep　up　heart。　　The　world　will　go

on　much　as　it　did　before；　and　be　always　quite　bad　enough　to　allow

bribery　and　corruption；　jobbery　and　nepotism；　quackery　and

arrogance；　their　full　influence　over　our　home　and　foreign　policy。

An　extension　of　the　suffrage；　however　wide；　will　not　bring　about　the

millennium。　　It　will　merely　make　a　large　number　of　Englishmen

contented　and　loyal；　instead　of　discontented　and　disloyal。　　It　may

make；　too；　the　educated　and　wealthy　classes　wiser　by　awakening　a

wholesome　fearperhaps；　it　may　be；　by　awakening　a　chivalrous

emulation。　　It　may　put　the　younger　men　of　the　present　aristocracy

upon　their　mettle；　and　stir　them　up　to　prove　that　they　are　not　in

the　same　effete　condition　as　was　the　French　noblesse　in　1789。　　It

may　lead　them　to　take　the　warnings　which　have　been　addressed　to

them；　for　the　last　thirty　years；　by　their　truest　friendsoften　by

kinsmen　of　their　own。　　It　may　lead　them　to　ask　themselves　why；　in　a

world　which　is　governed　by　a　just　God；　such　great　power　as　is

palpably　theirs　at　present　is　entrusted　to　them；　save　that　they　may

do　more　work；　and　not　less；　than　other　men；　under　the　penalties

pronounced　against　those　to　whom　much　is　given；　and　of　whom　much　is

required。　　It　may　lead　them　to　discover　that　they　are　in　a　world

where　it　is　not　safe　to　sit　under　the　tree；　and　let　the　ripe　fruit

drop　into　your　mouth；　where　the　〃competition　of　species〃　works　with

ruthless　energy　among　all　ranks　of　being；　from　kings　upon　their

thrones　to　the　weeds　upon　the　waste；　where　〃he　that　is　not　hammer；

is　sure　to　be　anvil；〃　and　he　who　will　not　work；　neither　shall　he

eat。　　It　may　lead　them　to　devote　that　energy　（in　which　they　surpass

so　far　the　continental　aristocracies）　to　something　better　than

outdoor　amusements　or　indoor　dilettantisms。　　There　are　those　among

them　who；　like　one　section　of　the　old　French　noblesse；　content

themselves　with　mere　complaints　of　〃the　revolutionary　tendencies　of

the　age。〃　　Let　them　beware　in　time；　for　when　the　many　are　on　the

march；　the　few　who　stand　still　are　certain　to　be　walked　over。　　There

are　those　among　them　who；　like　another　section　of　the　French

noblesse；　are　ready；　more　generously　than　wisely；　to　throw　away

their　own　social　and　political　advantages；　and　play　（for　it　will

never　be　really　more　than　playing）　at　democracy。　　Let　them；　too；

beware。　　The　penknife　and　the　axe　should　respect　each　other；　for

they　were　wrought　from　the　same　steel：　　but　the　penknife　will　not　be

wise　in　trying　to　fell　trees。　　Let　them　accept　their　own　position；

not　in　conceit　and　arrogance；　but　in　fear　and　trembling；　and　see　if

they　cannot　play　the　man　therein；　and　save　their　own　class；　and　with

it；　much　which　it　has　needed　many　centuries　to　accumulate　and　to

organise；　and　without　which　no　nation　has　yet　existed　for　a　single

century。　　They　are　no　more　like　the　old　French　noblesse；　than　are

the　commercial　class　like　the　old　French　bourgeoisie；　or　the

labouring　like　the　old　French　peasantry。　　Let　them　prove　that　fact

by　their　deeds　during　the　next　generation；　or　sink　into　the

condition　of　mere　rich　men；　exciting；　by　their　luxury　and　laziness；

nothing　but　envy　and　contempt。



Meanwhile；　behind　all　classes　and　social　forcesI　had　almost　said；

above　them　allstands　a　fourth　estate；　which　will；　ultimately；

decide　the　form　which　English　society　is　to　take：　　a　Press　as

different　from　the　literary　class　of　the　Ancien　Regime　as　is

everything　else　English；　and　different　in　thisthat　it　is　free。



The　French　Revolution；　like　every　revolution　（it　seems　to　me）　which

has　convulsed　the　nations　of　Europe　for　the　last　eighty　years；　was

caused　immediatelywhatever　may　have　been　its　more　remote　causes

by　the　suppression　of　thought；　or；　at　least；　by　a　sense　of　wrong

among　those　who　thought。　　A　country　where　every　man；　be　he　fool　or

wise；　is　free　to　speak　that　which　is　in　him；　can　never　suffer　a

revolution。　　The　folly　blows　itself　off　like　steam；　in　harmless

noise；　the　wisdom　becomes　part　of　the　general　intellectual　stock　of

the　nation；　and　prepares　men　for　gradual；　and　therefore　for

harmless；　change。



As　long　as　the　press　is　free；　a　nation　is　guaranteed　against　sudden

and　capricious　folly；　either　from　above　or　from　below。　　As　long　as

the　press　is　free；　a　nation　is　guaranteed　against　the　worse　evil　of

persistent　and　obstinate　folly；　cloaking　itself　under　the　venerable

shapes　of　tradition　and　authority。　　For　under　a　free　press；　a　nation

must　ultimately　be　guided　not　by　a　caste；　not　by　a　class；　not　by

mere　wealth；　not　by　the　passions　of　a　mob：　　but　by　mind；　by　the　net

result　of　all　the　common…sense　of　its　members；　and　in　the　present

default　of　genius；　which　is　un…common　sense；　common…sense　seems　to

be　the　only；　if　not　the　best；　safeguard　for　poor　humanity。



1867







LECTURE　ICASTE







＇Delivered　at　the　Royal　Institution；　London；　1867。＇



These　Lectures　are　meant　to　be　comments　on　the　state　of　France

before　the　French　Revolution。　　To　English　society；　past　or　present；

I　do　not　refer。　　For　reasons　which　I　have　set　forth　at　length　in　an

introductory　discourse；　there　never　was　any　Ancien　Regime　in

England。



Therefore；　when　the　Stuarts　tried　to　establish　in　England　a　system

which　might　have　led　to　a　political　condition　like　that　of　the

Continent；　all　classes　combined　and　exterminated　them；　while　the

course　of　English　society　went　on　as　before。



On　the　contrary；　England　was　the　mother　of　every　movement　which

undermined；　and　at　last　destroyed；　the　Ancien　Regime。



From　England　went　forth　those　political　theories　which；　transmitted

from　America　to　France；　became　the　principles　of　the　French

Revolution。　　From　England　went　forth　the　philosophy　of　Locke；　with

all　its　immense　results。　　It　is　noteworthy；　that　when　Voltaire　tries

to　persuade　people；　in　a　certain　famous　passage；　that　philosophers

do　not　care　to　trouble　the　worldof　the　ten　names　to　whom　he　does

honour；　seven　names　are　English。　　〃It　is；〃　he　says；　〃neither

Montaigne；　nor　Locke；　nor　Boyle；　nor　Spinoza；　nor　Hobbes；　nor　Lord

Shaftesbury；　nor　Mr。　Collins；　nor　Mr。　Toland；　nor　Fludd；　nor　Baker；

who　have　carried　the　torch　of　discord　into　their　countries。〃　　It　is

worth　notice；　that　not　only　are　the　majority　of　these　names　English；

but　that　they　belong　not　to　the　latter　but　to　the　former　half　of　the

eighteenth　century；　and　indeed；　to　the　latter　half　of　the

seventeenth。



So　it　was　with　that　Inductive　Physical　Science；　which　helped　more

than　all　to　break　up　the　superstitions　of　the　Ancien　Regime；　and　to

set　man　face　to　face　with　the　facts　of　the　universe。　　From　England；

towards　the　end　of　the　seventeenth　century；　it　was　promulgated　by

such　men　as　Newton；　Boyle；　Sydenham；　Ray；　and　the　first　founders　of

our　Royal　Society。



In　England；　too；　arose　the　great　religious　movements　of　the

seventeenth　and　eighteenth　centuriesand　es