the ancien regime-第7章

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give　proof　thereof。　　Not　good　men　according　to　our　higher　standard

far　from　it；　though　Sidonius's　picture　of　Theodoric；　the　East　Goth；

in　his　palace　of　Narbonne；　is　the　picture　of　an　eminently　good　and

wise　ruler。　　But　not　good；　I　say；　as　a　rulethe　Franks；　alas！　often

very　bad　men：　　but　still　better；　wiser；　abler；　than　those　whom　they

ruled。　　We　must　believe　too；　that　they　were　better；　in　every　sense

of　the　word；　than　those　tribes　on　their　eastern　frontier；　whom　they

conquered　in　after　centuries；　unless　we　discredit　（which　we　have　no

reason　to　do）　the　accounts　which　the　Roman　and　Greek　writers　give　of

the　horrible　savagery　of　those　tribes。



So　it　was　in　later　centuries。　　One　cannot　read　fairly　the　history　of

the　Middle　Ages　without　seeing　that　the　robber　knight　of　Germany　or

of　France；　who　figures　so　much　in　modern　novels；　must　have　been　the

exception；　and　not　the　rule：　　that　an　aristocracy　which　lived　by　the

saddle　would　have　as　little　chance　of　perpetuating　itself；　as　a

priesthood　composed　of　hypocrites　and　profligates；　that　the

mediaeval　Nobility　has　been　as　much　slandered　as　the　mediaeval

Church；　and　the　exceptions　takenas　more　salient　and　excitingfor

the　average：　　that　side　by　side　with　ruffians　like　Gaston　de　Foix

hundreds　of　honest　gentlemen　were　trying　to　do　their　duty　to　the

best　of　their　light；　and　were　raising；　and　not　depressing；　the

masses　below　themone　very　important　item　in　that　duty　being；　the

doing　the　whole　fighting　of　the　country　at　their　own　expense；

instead　of　leaving　it　to　a　standing　army　of　mercenaries；　at　the　beck

and　call　of　a　despot；　and　that；　as　M。　de　Tocqueville　says：　　〃In

feudal　times；　the　Nobility　were　regarded　pretty　much　as　the

government　is　regarded　in　our　own；　the　burdens　they　imposed　were

endured　in　consequence　of　the　security　they　afforded。　　The　nobles

had　many　irksome　privileges；　they　possessed　many　onerous　rights：

but　they　maintained　public　order；　they　administered　justice；　they

caused　the　law　to　be　executed；　they　came　to　the　relief　of　the　weak；

they　conducted　the　business　of　the　community。　　In　proportion　as　they

ceased　to　do　these　things；　the　burden　of　their　privileges　appeared

more　oppressive；　and　their　existence　became　an　anomaly　in　proportion

as　they　ceased　to　do　these　things。〃　　And　the　Ancien　Regime　may　be

defined　as　the　period　in　which　they　ceased　to　do　these　thingsin

which　they　began　to　play　the　idlers；　and　expected　to　take　their　old

wages　without　doing　their　old　work。



But　in　any　case；　government　by　a　ruling　caste；　whether　of　the

patriarchal　or　of　the　feudal　kind；　is　no　ideal　or　permanent　state　of

society。　　So　far　from　it；　it　is　but　the　first　or　second　step　out　of

primeval　savagery。　　For　the　more　a　ruling　race　becomes　conscious　of

its　own　duty；　and　not　merely　of　its　own　powerthe　more　it　learns　to

regard　its　peculiar　gifts　as　entrusted　to　it　for　the　good　of　menso

much　the　more　earnestly　will　it　labour　to　raise　the　masses　below　to

its　own　level；　by　imparting　to　them　its　own　light；　and　so　will　it

continually　tend　to　abolish　itself；　by　producing　a　general　equality；

moral　and　intellectual；　and　fulfil　that　law　of　self…sacrifice　which

is　the　beginning　and　the　end　of　all　virtue。



A　race　of　noblest　men　and　women；　trying　to　make　all　below　them　as

noble　as　themselvesthat　is　at　least　a　fair　ideal；　tending　toward；

though　it　has　not　reached；　the　highest　ideal　of　all。



But　suppose　that　the　very　opposite　tendencyinherent　in　the　heart

of　every　child　of　manshould　conquer。　　Suppose　the　ruling　caste　no

longer　the　physical；　intellectual；　and　moral　superiors　of　the　mass；

but　their　equals。　　Suppose　themshameful；　but　not　without　example

actually　sunk　to　be　their　inferiors。　　And　that　such　a　fall　did　come…

…nay；　that　it　must　have　comeis　matter　of　history。　　And　its　cause；

like　all　social　causes；　was　not　a　political　nor　a　physical；　but　a

moral　cause。　　The　profligacy　of　the　French　and　Italian

aristocracies；　in　the　sixteenth　century；　avenged　itself　on　them　by　a

curse　（derived　from　the　newly…discovered　America）　from　which　they

never　recovered。　　The　Spanish　aristocracy　suffered；　I　doubt　not　very

severely。　　The　English　and　German；　owing　to　the　superior　homeliness

and　purity　of　ruling　their　lives；　hardly　at　all。　　But　the

continental　caste；　instead　of　recruiting　their　tainted　blood　by

healthy　blood　from　below；　did　all；　under　pretence　of　keeping　it

pure；　to　keep　it　tainted　by　continual　intermarriage；　and　paid；　in

increasing　weakness　of　body　and　mind；　the　penalty　of　their　exclusive

pride。　　It　is　impossible　for　anyone　who　reads　the　French　memoirs　of

the　sixteenth　and　seventeenth　centuries；　not　to　perceive；　if　he　be

wise；　that　the　aristocracy　therein　depicted　was　ripe　for　ruinyea；

already　ruinedunder　any　form　of　government　whatsoever；　independent

of　all　political　changes。　　Indeed；　many　of　the　political　changes

were　not　the　causes　but　the　effects　of　the　demoralisation　of　the

noblesse。　　Historians　will　tell　you　how；　as　early　as　the　beginning

of　the　seventeenth　century；　Henry　IV。　complained　that　the　nobles

were　quitting　their　country　districts；　how　succeeding　kings　and

statesmen；　notably　Richelieu　and　Louis　XIV。；　tempted　the　noblesse　up

to　Paris；　that　they　might　become　mere　courtiers；　instead　of　powerful

country　gentlemen；　how　those　who　remained　behind　were　only　the　poor

hobereaux；　little　hobby…hawks　among　the　gentry；　who　considered　it

degradation　to　help　in　governing　the　parish；　as　their　forefathers

had　governed　it；　and　lived　shabbily　in　their　chateaux；　grinding　the

last　farthing　out　of　their　tenants；　that　they　might　spend　it　in　town

during　the　winter。　　No　wonder　that　with　such　an　aristocracy；　who　had

renounced　that　very　duty　of　governing　the　country；　for　which　alone

they　and　their　forefathers　had　existed；　there　arose　government　by

intendants　and　sub…delegates；　and　all　the　other　evils　of

administrative　centralisation；　which　M。　de　Tocqueville　anatomises

and　deplores。　　But　what　was　the　cause　of　the　curse？　　Their　moral

degradation。　　What　drew　them　up　to　Paris　save　vanity　and　profligacy？

What　kept　them　from　intermarrying　with　the　middle　class　save　pride？

What　made　them　give　up　the　office　of　governors　save　idleness？　　And

if　vanity；　profligacy；　pride；　and　idleness　be　not　injustices　and

moral　vices；　what　are？



The　race　of　heroic　knights　and　nobles　who　fought　under　the　walls　of

Jerusalemwho　wrestled；　and　not　in　vain；　for　centuries　with　the

equally　heroic　English；　in　defence　of　their　native　soilwho　had　set

to　all　Europe　the　example　of　all　knightly　virtues；　had　rotted　down

to　this；　their　only　virtue　left；　as　Mr。　Carlyle　says；　beinga

perfect　readiness　to　fight　duels。



Every　Intendant；　chosen　by　the　Comptroller…General　out　of　the　lower…

born　members　of　the　Council　of　State；　a　needy　young　plebeian　with

his　fortune　to　make；　and　a　stranger　to　the　province；　was；　in　spite

of　his　greed；　ambition；　chicane；　arbitrary　tyranny；　a　better　man

abler；　more　energetic；　and　often；　to　judge　from　the　pages　of　De

Tocqueville；　with　far　more　sympathy　and　mercy　for　the　wretched

peasantrythan　was　the　count　or　marquis　in　the　chateau　above；　who

looked　down　on　him　as　a　roturier；　and　let　him　nevertheless　become

first　his　deputy；　and　then　his　master。



Understand　meI　am　not　speaking　against　the　hereditary　principle　of

the　Ancien　Regime；　but　against　its　caste　principletwo　widely

different　elements；　continually　confounded　nowadays。



The　hereditary　principle　is　good；　because　it　is　founded　on　fact　and

nature。　　If　men's　minds　come　into　the　world　blank　sheets　of　paper

which　I　much　doubtevery　other　part　and　faculty　of　them　comes　in

stamped　with　hereditary　tendencies　and　peculiarities。　　There　are

such　things　as　transmitted　capabilities　for　good　and　for　evil；　and

as　surely　as　the　offspring　of　a　good　horse　or　dog　is　likely　to　be

good；　so　is　the　offspring　of　a　good　man；　and　still　more　of　a　good

woman。　　If　the　parents　have　any　special　ability；　their　children　will

probably　inherit　it；　at　least　in　pa