the ancien regime-第7部分

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slaves；　provided　we　are　all　slaves　alike。〃　　It　may　destroy　every

standard　of　humanity　above　its　own　mean　average；　it　may　forget　that

the　old　ruling　class；　in　spite　of　all　its　defects　and　crimes；　did　at

least　pretend　to　represent　something　higher　than　man's　necessary

wants；　plus　the　greed　of　amassing　money；　never　meeting　（at　least　in

the　country　districts）　any　one　wiser　or　more　refined　than　an

official　or　a　priest　drawn　from　the　peasant　class；　it　may　lose　the

belief　that　any　standard　higher　than　that　is　needed；　and；　all　but

forgetting　the　very　existence　of　civilisation；　sink　contented　into　a

dead　level　of　intellectual　mediocrity　and　moral　barbarism；　crying；

〃Let　us　eat　and　drink；　for　to…morrow　we　die。〃



A　nation　in　such　a　temper　will　surely　be　taken　at　its　word。　　Where

the　carcase　is；　there　the　eagles　will　be　gathered　together；　and

there　will　not　be　wanting　to　such　nationsas　there　were　not　wanting

in　old　Greece　and　Romedespots　who　will　give　them　all　they　want；

and　more；　and　say　to　them：　　〃Yes；　you　shall　eat　and　drink；　and　yet

you　shall　not　die。　　For　I；　while　I　take　care　of　your　mortal　bodies；

will　see　that　care　is　taken　of　your　immortal　souls。〃



For　there　are　those　who　have　discovered；　with　the　kings　of　the　Holy

Alliance；　that　infidelity　and　scepticism　are　political　mistakes；　not

so　much　because　they　promote　vice；　as　because　they　promote　（or　are

supposed　to　promote）　free　thought；　who　see　that　religion　（no　matter

of　what　quality）　is　a　most　valuable　assistant　to　the　duties　of　a

minister　of　police。　　They　will　quote　in　their　own　behalf

Montesquieu's　opinion　that　religion　is　a　column　necessary　to　sustain

the　social　edifice；　they　will　quote；　too；　that　sound　and　true　saying

of　De　Tocqueville's：　　｛1｝　〃If　the　first　American　who　might　be　met；

either　in　his　own　country；　or　abroad；　were　to　be　stopped　and　asked

whether　he　considered　religion　useful　to　the　stability　of　the　laws

and　the　good　order　of　society；　he　would　answer；　without　hesitation；

that　no　civilised　society；　but　more　especially　none　in　a　state　of

freedom；　can　exist　without　religion。　　Respect　for　religion　is；　in

his　eyes；　the　greatest　guarantee　of　the　stability　of　the　State；　and

of　the　safety　of　the　community。　　Those　who　are　ignorant　of　the

science　of　government；　know　that　fact　at　least。〃



M。　de　Tocqueville；　when　he　wrote　these　words；　was　lamenting　that　in

France；　〃freedom　was　forsaken；〃　〃a　thing　for　which　it　is　said　that

no　one　any　longer　cares　in　France。〃　　He　did　not；　it　seems　to　me；

perceive　that；　as　in　America　the　best　guarantee　of　freedom　is　the

reverence　for　a　religion　or　religions；　which　are　free　themselves；

and　which　teach　men　to　be　free；　so　in　other　countries　the　best

guarantee　of　slavery　is；　reverence　for　religions　which　are　not　free；

and　which　teach　men　to　be　slaves。



But　what　M。　de　Tocqueville　did　not　see；　there　are　others　who　will

see；　who　will　say：　　〃If　religion　be　the　pillar　of　political　and

social　order；　there　is　an　order　which　is　best　supported　by　a

religion　which　is　adverse　to　free　thought；　free　speech；　free

conscience；　free　communion　between　man　and　God。　　The　more　enervating

the　superstition；　the　more　exacting　and　tyrannous　its　priesthood；

the　more　it　will　do　our　work；　if　we　help　it　to　do　its　own。　　If　it

permit　us　to　enslave　the　body；　we　will　permit　it　to　enslave　the

soul。〃



And　so　may　be　inaugurated　a　period　of　that　organised　anarchy　of

which　the　poet　says：





It　is　not　life；　but　death；　when　nothing　stirs。







LECTURE　IICENTRALISATION







The　degradation　of　the　European　nobility　caused；　of　course；　the

increase　of　the　kingly　power；　and　opened　the　way　to　central

despotisms。　　The　bourgeoisie；　the　commercial　middle　class；　whatever

were　its　virtues；　its　value；　its　real　courage；　were　never　able　to

stand　alone　against　the　kings。　　Their　capital；　being　invested　in

trade；　was　necessarily　subject　to　such　sudden　dangers　from　war；

political　change；　bad　seasons；　and　so　forth；　that　its　holders；

however　individually　brave；　were　timid　as　a　class。　　They　could　never

hold　out　on　strike　against　the　governments；　and　had　to　submit　to　the

powers　that　were；　whatever　they　were；　under　penalty　of　ruin。



But　on　the　Continent；　and　especially　in　France　and　Germany；　unable

to　strengthen　itself　by　intermarriage　with　the　noblesse；　they

retained　that　timidity　which　is　the　fruit　of　the　insecurity　of

trade；　and　had　to　submit　to　a　more　and　more　centralised　despotism；

and　grow　up　as　they　could；　in　the　face　of　exasperating　hindrances　to

wealth；　to　education；　to　the　possession；　in　many　parts　of　France；　of

large　landed　estates；　leaving　the　noblesse　to　decay　in　isolated

uselessness　and　weakness；　and　in　many　cases　debt　and　poverty。



The　systemor　rather　anarchyaccording　to　which　France　was

governed　during　this　transitional　period；　may　be　read　in　that　work

of　M。　de　Tocqueville's　which　I　have　already　quoted；　and　which　is

accessible　to　all　classes；　through　Mr。　H。　Reeve's　excellent

translation。　　Every　student　of　history　is；　of　course；　well

acquainted　with　that　book。　　But　as　there　is　reason　to　fear；　from

language　which　is　becoming　once　more　too　common；　both　in　speech　and

writing；　that　the　general　public　either　do　not　know　it；　or　have　not

understood　it；　I　shall　take　the　liberty　of　quoting　from　it　somewhat

largely。　　I　am　justified　in　so　doing　by　the　fact　that　M。　de

Tocqueville's　book　is　founded　on　researches　into　the　French

Archives；　which　have　been　made　（as　far　as　I　am　aware）　only　by　him；

and　contains　innumerable　significant　facts；　which　are　to　be　found

（as　far　as　I　am　aware）　in　no　other　accessible　work。



The　French　peoplesays　M。　de　Tocquevillemade；　in　1789；　the

greatest　effort　which　was　ever　made　by　any　nation　to　cut；　so　to

speak；　their　destiny　in　halves；　and　to　separate　by　an　abyss　that

which　they　had　heretofore　been；　from　that　which　they　sought　to

become　hereafter。　　But　he　had　long　thought　that　they　had　succeeded

in　this　singular　attempt　much　less　than　was　supposed　abroad；　and

less　than　they　had　at　first　supposed　themselves。　　He　was　convinced

that　they　had　unconsciously　retained；　from　the　former　state　of

society；　most　of　the　sentiments；　the　habits；　and　even　the　opinions；

by　means　of　which　they　had　effected　the　destruction　of　that　state　of

things；　and　that；　without　intending　it；　they　had　used　its　remains　to

rebuild　the　edifice　of　modern　society。　　This　is　his　thesis；　and　this

he　proves；　it　seems　to　me；　incontestably　by　documentary　evidence。

Not　only　does　he　find　habits　which　we　supposeor　supposed　till

latelyto　have　died　with　the　eighteenth　century；　still　living　and

working；　at　least　in　France；　in　the　nineteenth；　but　the　new　opinions

which　we　look　on　usually　as　the　special　children　of　the　nineteenth

century；　he　shows　to　have　been　born　in　the　eighteenth。　　France；　he

considers；　is　still　at　heart　what　the　Ancien　Regime　made　her。



He　shows　that　the　hatred　of　the　ruling　caste；　the　intense

determination　to　gain　and　keep　equality；　even　at　the　expense　of

liberty；　had　been　long　growing　up；　under　those　influences　of　which　I

spoke　in　my　first　lecture。



He　shows；　moreover；　that　the　acquiescence　in　a　centralised

administration；　the　expectation　that　the　government　should　do

everything　for　the　people；　and　nothing　for　themselves；　the

consequent　loss　of　local　liberties；　local　peculiarities；　the

helplessness　of　the　towns　and　the　parishes：　　and　all　which　issued　in

making　Paris　France；　and　subjecting　the　whole　of　a　vast　country　to

the　arbitrary　dictates　of　a　knot　of　despots　in　the　capital；　was　not

the　fruit　of　the　Revolution；　but　of　the　Ancien　Regime　which　preceded

it；　and　that　Robespierre　and　his　〃Comite　de　Salut　Public；〃　and

commissioners　sent　forth　to　the　four　winds　of　heaven　in　bonnet　rouge

and　carmagnole　complete；　to　build　up　and　pull　down；　according　to

their　wicked　will；　were　only　handling；　somewhat　more　roughly；　the

same　wires　which　had　been　handled　for　several　generations　by　the

Comptroller…General　and　Council　of　State；　with　their　provincial

intendants。



〃Do　you　know；〃　said　Law　to　the　Marquis　d'Argenson；　〃that　this

kingdom　of　France　is　governed　by　thirty　intendants？　　You　have

neither　parliament；　nor　estates；　nor　governors。　　It　is　upon　thirty

masters　of　request；　despatched　into　the　provinces；　that　their　evil

or　their　good；　their　fertility　or　their　sterility；　entirely　depend。〃



To　do　everything　for　the　people；　and　let　them　do　nothing　for

themselvesthis　was　the　Ancien　Regime。　　To　be　more　wise　and　more

loving　than　Almighty　God；　who　certainly　does　not　do　everything　for

the　sons　of　men；　but　forces　them　to　labour　for　themselves　by　bitter

need；　and　after　a　most　Spartan　mode　of　education；　who　allows　them　to

burn　their　hands　as　often　as　they　are　foolish　enough　to　put　them

into　the　fire；　and　to　be　filled　with　the　fruits　of　their　own　folly；

even　though　the　folly　be　one　of　necessary　ignorance；　treating　them

with　that　seeming　neglect　which　is　after　all　the　most　provident

care；　because　by　it　alone　can　men　be　trained　to　experience；　self…

help；　science；　true　humanity；　and　so　become　not　tolerably　harmless

dolls；　but　men　and　women　worthy　of　the　name；　with





The　reason　firm；　the　temperate　will；

Endurance；　foresight；　strength；　and　skill；

The　perfect　spirit；　nobly　planned

To　cheer；　to　counsel；　and　command。





Such　seems　to　be　the　education　and　government　appointed　for　man　by

the　voluntatem　Dei　in　rebus　revelatum；　and　the　education；　therefore；

which　the　man　of　science　will　accept　and　carry　out。　　But　the　men　of

the　Ancien　Regimein　as　far　as　it　was　a　Regime　at　alltried　to　be

wiser　than　the　Almighty。　　Why　not？　　They　were　not　the　first；　nor

will　be　the　last；　by　many　who　have　made　the　same　attempt。　　So　this

Council　of　State　settled　arbitrarily；　not　only　taxes；　and　militia；

and　roads；　but　anything　and　everything。　　Its　members　meddled；　with

their　whole　hearts　and　minds。　　They　tried　to　teach　agriculture　by

schools　and　pamphlets　and　prizes；