the story of mankind-第66章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



remedy　for　a　hungry　stomach　and　even　the　soldiers　（who　came

from　among　the　people）　were　no　longer　to　be　depended　upon。

It　was　absolutely　necessary　that　the　king　should　do　something

definite　to　regain　the　popular　goodwill；　but　again　he　hesitated。



Here　and　there　in　the　provinces；　little　independent　Republics

were　established　by　followers　of　the　new　school。　The　cry

of　‘‘no　taxation　without　representation''　（the　slogan　of　the

American　rebels　a　quarter　of　a　century　before）　was　heard

among　the　faithful　middle　classes。　France　was　threatened　with

general　anarchy。　To　appease　the　people　and　to　increase　the

royal　popularity；　the　government　unexpectedly　suspended　the

former　very　strict　form　of　censorship　of　books。　At　once　a

flood　of　ink　descended　upon　France。　Everybody；　high　or

low；　criticised　and　was　criticised。　More　than　2000

pamphlets　were　published。　Lomenie　de　Brienne　was　swept　away

by　a　storm　of　abuse。　Necker　was　hastily　called　back　to　placate；

as　best　he　could；　the　nation…wide　unrest。　Immediately　the　stock

market　went　up　thirty　per　cent。　And　by　common　consent；　people

suspended　judgment　for　a　little　while　longer。　In　May　of

1789　the　Estates　General　were　to　assemble　and　then　the　wisdom

of　the　entire　nation　would　speedily　solve　the　difficult　problem

of　recreating　the　kingdom　of　France　into　a　healthy　and　happy

state。



This　prevailing　idea；　that　the　combined　wisdom　of　the

people　would　be　able　to　solve　all　difficulties；　proved　disastrous。

It　lamed　all　personal　effort　during　many　important　months。

Instead　of　keeping　the　government　in　his　own　hands　at　this

critical　moment；　Necker　allowed　everything　to　drift。　Hence

there　was　a　new　outbreak　of　the　acrimonious　debate　upon　the

best　ways　to　reform　the　old　kingdom。　Everywhere　the　power

of　the　police　weakened。　The　people　of　the　Paris　suburbs；

under　the　leadership　of　professional　agitators；　gradually　began

to　discover　their　strength；　and　commenced　to　play　the　role

which　was　to　be　theirs　all　through　the　years　of　the　great　unrest；

when　they　acted　as　the　brute　force　which　was　used　by　the　actual

leaders　of　the　Revolution　to　secure　those　things　which　could

not　be　obtained　in　a　legitimate　fashion。



As　a　sop　to　the　peasants　and　the　middle　class；　Necker　de…

cided　that　they　should　be　allowed　a　double　representation　in

the　Estates　General。　Upon　this　subject；　the　Abbe　Sieyes　then

wrote　a　famous　pamphlet；　‘‘To　what　does　the　Third　Estate

Amount？''　in　which　he　came　to　the　conclusion　that　the　Third

Estate　（a　name　given　to　the　middle　class）　ought　to　amount　to

everything；　that　it　had　not　amounted　to　anything　in　the　past；

and　that　it　now　desired　to　amount　to　something。　He　expressed

the　sentiment　of　the　great　majority　of　the　people　who　had　the

best　interests　of　the　country　at　heart。



Finally　the　elections　took　place　under　the　worst　conditions

imaginable。　When　they　were　over；　308　clergymen；　285　noblemen

and　621　representatives　of　the　Third　Estate　packed　their

trunks　to　go　to　Versailles。　The　Third　Estate　was　obliged　to

carry　additional　luggage。　This　consisted　of　voluminous　reports

called　‘‘cahiers''　in　which　the　many　complaints　and　grievances

of　their　constituents　had　been　written　down。　The　stage

was　set　for　the　great　final　act　that　was　to　save　France。



The　Estates　General　came　together　on　May　5th；　1789。

The　king　was　in　a　bad　humour。　The　Clergy　and　the　Nobility

let　it　be　known　that　they　were　unwilling　to　give　up　a　single　one

of　their　privileges。　The　king　ordered　the　three　groups　of

representatives　to　meet　in　different　rooms　and　discuss　their

grievances　separately。　The　Third　Estate　refused　to　obey　the　royal

command。　They　took　a　solemn　oath　to　that　effect　in　a　squash

court　（hastily　put　in　order　for　the　purpose　of　this　illegal　meeting）

on　the　20th　of　June；　1789。　They　insisted　that　all　three

Estates；　Nobility；　Clergy　and　Third　Estate；　should　meet　together

and　so　informed　His　Majesty。　The　king　gave　in。



As　the　‘‘National　Assembly；''　the　Estates　General　began

to　discuss　the　state　of　the　French　kingdom。　The　King　got

angry。　Then　again　he　hesitated。　He　said　that　he　would　never

surrender　his　absolute　power。　Then　he　went　hunting；　forgot

all　about　the　cares　of　the　state　and　when　he　returned　from　the

chase　he　gave　in。　For　it　was　the　royal　habit　to　do　the　right

thing　at　the　wrong　time　in　the　wrong　way。　When　the　people

clamoured　for　A；　the　king　scolded　them　and　gave　them　nothing。

Then；　when　the　Palace　was　surrounded　by　a　howling　multitude

of　poor　people；　the　king　surrendered　and　gave　his　subjects

what　they　had　asked　for。　By　this　time；　however；　the　people

wanted　A　plus　B。　The　comedy　was　repeated。　When　the　king

signed　his　name　to　the　Royal　Decree　which　granted　his　beloved

subjects　A　and　B　they　were　threatening　to　kill　the　entire　royal

family　unless　they　received　A　plus　B　plus　C。　And　so　on；

through　the　whole　alphabet　and　up　to　the　scaffold。



Unfortunately　the　king　was　always　just　one　letter　behind。

He　never　understood　this。　Even　when　he　laid　his　head　under

the　guillotine；　he　felt　that　he　was　a　much…abused　man　who　had

received　a　most　unwarrantable　treatment　at　the　hands　of　people

whom　he　had　loved　to　the　best　of　his　limited　ability。



Historical　‘‘ifs；''　as　I　have　often　warned　you；　are　never　of

any　value。　It　is　very　easy　for　us　to　say　that　the　monarchy

might　have　been　saved　‘‘if''　Louis　had　been　a　man　of　greater

energy　and　less　kindness　of　heart。　But　the　king　was　not　alone。

Even　‘‘if''　he　had　possessed　the　ruthless　strength　of　Napoleon；

his　career　during　these　difficult　days　might　have　been　easily

ruined　by　his　wife　who　was　the　daughter　of　Maria　Theresa　of

Austria　and　who　possessed　all　the　characteristic　virtues　and

vices　of　a　young　girl　who　had　been　brought　up　at　the　most

autocratic　and　mediaeval　court　of　that　age。



She　decided　that　some　action　must　be　taken　and　planned　a

counter…revolution。　Necker　was　suddenly　dismissed　and　loyal

troops　were　called　to　Paris。　The　people；　when　they　heard　of

this；　stormed　the　fortress　of　the　Bastille　prison；　and　on　the

fourteenth　of　July　of　the　year　1789；　they　destroyed　this

familiar　but　much…hated　symbol　of　Autocratic　Power

which　had　long　since　ceased　to　be　a　political　prison　and

was　now　used　as　the　city　lock…up　for　pickpockets　and　second…

story　men。　Many　of　the　nobles　took　the　hint　and　left　the

country。　But　the　king　as　usual　did　nothing。　He　had　been

hunting　on　the　day　of　the　fall　of　the　Bastille　and　he　had　shot

several　deer　and　felt　very　much　pleased。



The　National　Assembly　now　set　to　work　and　on　the　4th　of

August；　with　the　noise　of　the　Parisian　multitude　in　their　ears；

they　abolished　all　privileges。　This　was　followed　on　the　27th

of　August　by　the　‘‘Declaration　of　the　Rights　of　Man；''　the

famous　preamble　to　the　first　French　constitution。　So　far　so

good；　but　the　court　had　apparently　not　yet　learned　its　lesson。

There　was　a　wide…spread　suspicion　that　the　king　was　again

trying　to　interfere　with　these　reforms　and　as　a　result；　on　the

5th　of　October；　there　was　a　second　riot　in　Paris。　It　spread　to

Versailles　and　the　people　were　not　pacified　until　they　had

brought　the　king　back　to　his　palace　in　Paris。　They　did　not

trust　him　in　Versailles。　They　liked　to　have　him　where　they

could　watch　him　and　control　his　correspondence　with　his　relatives

in　Vienna　and　Madrid　and　the　other　courts　of　Europe。



In　the　Assembly　meanwhile；　Mirabeau；　a　nobleman　who

had　become　leader　of　the　Third　Estate；　was　beginning　to　put

order　into　chaos。　But　before　he　could　save　the　position　of　the

king　he　died；　on　the　2nd　of　April　of　the　year　1791。　The　king；

who　now　began　to　fear　for　his　own　life；　tried　to　escape　on　the

21st　of　June。　He　was　recognised　from　his　picture　on　a　coin；

was　stopped　near　the　village　of　Varennes　by　members　of　the

National　Guard；　and　was　brought　back　to　Paris；



In　September　of　1791；　the　first　constitution　of　France　was

accepted；　and　the　members　of　the　National　Assembly　went

home。　On　the　first　of　October　of