the origins of contemporary france-4-第113章

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senses；　through　fixed；　immemorial　traditions　and　habits；　it　had　become

an　unconscious；　almost　corporeal　necessity；　and　the　Catholic　orthodox

curé；　in　communion　with　the　Pope；　was　about　as　indispensable　to　the

village　as　the　public　fountain；　he　also　quenched　thirst；　the　thirst　of

the　soul；　without　him；　the　inhabitants　could　find　no　drinkable　water。

And；　if　we　keep　human　weaknesses　in　mind；　it　may　be　said　that

nobleness　of　character　in　the　clergy　corresponded　with　nobleness　of

profession；　in　all　points　no　one　could　dispute　their　capacity　for

self…sacrifice；　for　they　willingly　suffered　for　what　they　believed　to

be　the　truth。　　If；　in　1790；　a　number　of　priests　took　the　oath　to　the

civil　constitution　of　the　clergy；　it　was　with　reservations；　or　because

they　deemed　the　oath　licit；　but；　after　the　dismissal　of　the　bishops

and　the　Pope's　disapprobation；　many　of　them　withdrew　it　at　the　risk　of

their　lives；　so　as　not　to　fall　into　schism；　they　fell　back　into　the

ranks　and　gave　themselves　up　voluntarily　to　the　brutality　of　the　crowd

and　the　rigors　of　the　law。　　Moreover；　and　from　the　start；

notwithstanding　threats　and　temptations；　two…thirds　of　the　clergy

would　not　take　the　oath；　in　the　highest　ranks；　among　the　mundane

ecclesiastics　whose　skepticism　and　laxity　were　notorious；　honor；　in

default　of　faith；　maintained　the　same　spirit；　nearly　the　whole　of

them；　great　and　small；　had　subordinated　their　interests；　welfare　and

security　to　the　maintenance　of　their　dignity　or　to　scruples　of

conscience。　　They　had　allowed　themselves　to　be　stripped　of　everything；

they　let　themselves　be　exiled；　imprisoned；　tortured　and　made　martyrs

of；　like　the　Christians　of　the　primitive　church；　through　their

invincible　meekness；　they　were　going；　like　the　primitive　Christians；

to　exhaust　the　rage　of　their　executioners；　wear　out　persecutions；

transform　opinion　and　compel　the　admission；　even　with　those　who

survived　in　the　eighteenth　century；　that　they　were　true；　deserving　and

courageous　men。



V。　　　　The　Bourgeoisie。



Where　recruited。　　…　Difference　between　the　functionary　of　the　ancient

regime　and　the　modern　functionary。　　…　Appointments　seen　as　Property。

…　Guilds。　　…　Independence　and　security　of　office…holders。　　…　Their

ambitions　are　limited　and　satisfied。　　…　Fixed　habits；　seriousness　and

integrity。　　…　Ambition　to　secure　esteem。　　…　Intellectual　culture。　　…

Liberal　ideas。　　…　Respectability　and　public　zeal。　　…　Conduct　of　the

bourgeoisie　in　1789…1791。



Below　the　nobles　and　the　clergy；　a　third　class　of　notables；　the

bourgeoisie；　almost　entirely　confined　to　the　towns；＇74＇　verged　on　the

former　classes　through　its　upper　circles；　while　its　diverse　groups；

ranging　from　the　parliamentarian　to　the　rich　merchant　or　manufacturer；

comprised　the　remainder　of　those　who　were　tolerably　well　educated；　say

100　000　families；　recruited　on　the　same　conditions　as　the　bourgeoisie

of　the　present　day：　they　were　〃bourgeois　living　nobly；〃　meaning　by

this；　living　on　their　incomes；　large　manufacturers　and　traders；

engaged　in　liberal　pursuits…lawyers；　notaries；　procureurs；　physicians；

architects；　engineers；　artists；　professors；　and　especially　the

government　officials；　the　latter；　however；　very　numerous；　differed

from　ours　in　two　essential　points。　　On　the　one　hand；　their　office；　as

nowadays　with　the　notaries'　étude；　or　a　membership　of　the　stock…board；

was　personal　property。　　Their　places；　and　many　others；　such　as　posts

in　the　judiciary；　in　the　finances；　in　bailiwicks；　in　the　Présidial；　in

the　Election；＇75＇　in　the　salt…department；　in　the　customs；　in　the　Mint；

in　the　department　of　forests　and　streams；　in　presidencies；　in

councils；　as　procureurs　du　roi　in　various　civil；　administrative　and

criminal　courts；　holding　places　in　the　treasury；　auditors　and

collectors　of　the　various　branches　of　the　revenue　…　all　of　which

offices；　and　many　others；　had　been　alienated　for　more　than　a　century

by　the　State　in　return　for　specified　sums　of　ready　money；　thenceforth；

they　fell　into　the　hands　of　special　purchasers；　the　title　of　each

possessor　was　as　good　as　that　of　a　piece　of　real　property；　and　he

could　legally　sell　his　title；　the　same　as　he　had　bought　it；　at　a　given

price；　on　due　advertisement！＇76＇　　On　the　other　hand；　the　different

groups　of　local　functionaries　in　each　town　formed　their　own

associations；　similar　to　our　notarial　chambers；　or　those　of　our　stock…

brokers；　these　small　associations　had　their　own　by…laws；　meetings　and

treasury；　frequently　a　civil　status　and　the　right　of　pleading；　often　a

political　status　and　the　right　of　electing　to　the　municipal

council；＇77＇　consequently；　besides　his　personal　interests；　each　member

cherished　the　professional　interests　of　his　guild。　　Thus　was　his

situation　different　from　what　it　now　is；　and；　through　a　natural

reaction；　his　character；　manners　and　tastes　were　different。　　First；　he

was　much　more　independent；　he　was　not　afraid　of　being　discharged　or

transferred　elsewhere；　suddenly；　unawares；　on　the　strength　of　an

intendant's　report；　for　political　reasons；　to　make　room　for　a　deputy's

candidate　or　a　minister's　tool。　　This　would　have　cost　too　much　it

would　have　required　first　of　all　a　reimbursement　of　the　sum　paid　for

his　office；　and　at　a　rate　of　purchase　ten　times；　at　least；　the　revenue

of　the　office。＇78＇　　Besides；　in　defending　himself；　in　protesting

against　and　forestalling　his　disgrace；　he　would　have　been　supported　by

his　entire　professional　guild；　oftentimes　by　other　similar　bodies；　and

frequently　by　the　whole　town；　filled　with　his　relations；　clients　and

comrades。　　The　entire　hive　protected　the　bee　against　the　caprices　of

favoritism　and　the　brutalities　of　despotism。　　At　Paris；　a　certain

procureur；　supported　by　his　colleagues；　is　known　to　have　imposed　on　a

noble　who　had　insulted　him；　the　most　humiliating　atonement。＇79＇　　In

fact；　under　the　ancient　régime；　it　was　almost　impossible　for　a

functionary　to　be　removed；　hence；　he　could　fulfill　his　duties　securely

and　with　dignity；　without　being　obliged　to　keep　daily　watch　of　the

capital；　of　going　to　Paris　to　see　how　the　official　wind　blew；　to　look

after　all　the　influences　in　his　favor；　to　nurse　his　relations　with　the

government　and　live　like　a　bird　on　a　branch。　　…　In　the　second　place；

there　was　a　limit　to　his　ambition；　he　did　not　keep　constantly　thinking

of　mounting　a　step　higher　in　the　hierarchy；　or　how　to　pass　from　a

small　town　to　a　large　one　and　hold　on　to　his　title；　this　would　have

been　a　too　troublesome　and　complicated　matter；　he　would　first　have　had

to　find　a　purchaser　and　then　sell　his　place；　and　next　find　a　seller

and　buy　another　at　a　higher　price；　a　stock　broker　at　Bordeaux；　a

notary　at　Lyons；　is　not　an　aspirant　for　the　post　of　stock　broker　or

notary　at　Paris。　　…　Nothing　then　bore　any　resemblance　to　the　itinerant

groups　of　functionaries　of　the　present　day　which；　in　obedience　to

orders　from　above；　travels　about　governing　each　of　our　towns；

strangers　on　the　wing；　with　no　personal　standing；　without　local　landed

property；　interests　or　means；　encamped　in　some　hired　apartment；　often

in　a　furnished　room；　sometimes　stopping　at　a　hotel；　eternal　nomads

awaiting　a　telegram；　always　prepared　to　pack　up　and　leave　for　another

place　a　hundred　leagues　off　in　consideration　of　a　hundred　crowns　extra

pay；　and　doing　the　same　detached　work　over　again。　　Their　predecessor；

belonging　to　the　country；　was　a　stable　fixture　and　contented；　he　was

not　tormented　by　a　craving　for　promotion；　he　had　a　career　within　the

bounds　of　his　corporation　and　town；　cherishing　no　wish　or　idea　of

leaving　it；　he　accommodated　himself　to　it；　he　became　proud　of　his

office　and　professional　brethren；　and　rose　above　the　egoism　of　the

individual；　his　self…love　was　bent　on　maintaining　every　prerogative

and　interest　belonging　to　his　guild。　　Established　for　life　in　his

native　town；　in　the　midst　of　old　colleagues；　numerous　relatives　and

youthful　companions；　he　esteemed　their　good　opinion。　　Exempt　from

vexatious　or　burdensome　taxes；　tolerably　w