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the origins of contemporary france-2-第49章

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portion of possessions which had escheated were usefully applied;

and the congregations of men lacked novices and complained that they

could not fill up their ranks。  If the monks were still found to be

too numerous; too wealthy; and too indolent; it was merely necessary

to keep on in this way; before the end of the century; merely by the

application of the edict; the institution would be brought back;

without brutality or injustice; within the scope of the development;

the limitations of fortune; and the class of functions acceptable to

a modern State。



But; because these ecclesiastical bodies stood in need of reform it

does not follow that it was necessary to destroy them; nor; in

general; that independent institutions are detrimental to a nation。

Organized purposely for a public service; and possessing; nearly or

remotely under the supervision of the State; the faculty of self…

administration; these bodies are valuable organs and not malign

tumors。



In the first place; through their institution; a great public

benefit is secured without any cost to the government … worship;

scientific research; primary or higher education; help for the poor;

care of the sick … all set apart and sheltered from the cuts which

public financial difficulties might make necessary; and supported by

the private generosity which; finding a ready receptacle at hand;

gathers together; century after century; its thousands of scattered

springs: as an example; note the wealth; stability; and usefulness

of the English and German universities。



In the second place; their institution furnishes an obstacle to the

omnipotence of the State; their walls provide a protection against

the leveling standardization of absolute monarchy or of pure

democracy。  A man can here freely develop himself without donning

the livery of either courtier or demagogue; he can acquire wealth;

consideration and authority; without being indebted to the caprices

of either royal or popular favor; he can stand firm against

established or prevailing opinions sheltered by associates bound by

their esprit de corps。  Such; at the present day (1885); is the

situation of a professor at Oxford; G?ttingen; and Harvard Such;

under the Ancient Régime; were a bishop; a member of the French

Parliaments; and even a plain attorney。  What can be worse than

universal bureaucracy; producing a mechanical and servile

uniformity! Those who serve the public need not all be Government

clerks; in countries where an aristocracy has perished; bodies of

this kind are their last place of refuge。



In the third place; through such institutions; distinct original

societies may come to be inside the great commonplace world。  Here

special personalities may find the only existence that suits them。

If devout or laborious; not only do these afford an outlet for the

deeper needs of conscience; of the imagination; of activity; and of

discipline; but also they serve as dikes which restrain and direct

them in a channel which will lead to the creation of a masterpiece

of infinite value。 In this way thousands of men and women fulfill

at small cost; voluntarily and gratis; and with great effect; the

least attractive and more repulsive social needs; thus performing in

human society the role which; inside the ant…hill; we see assigned

to the sexless worker…ant。'42'



Thus; at bottom; the institution was really good; and if it had to

be cauterized it was merely essential to remove the inert or

corrupted parts and preserve the healthy and sound parts。    Now;

if we take only the monastic bodies; there were more than one…half

of these entitled to respect。  I omit those monks; one…third of whom

remained zealous and exemplary…the Benedictines; who continue the

〃Gallia Christiana;〃 with others who; at sixty years of age; labor

in rooms without a fire; the Trappists; who cultivate the ground

with their own hands; and the innumerable monasteries which serve as

educational seminaries; bureaus of charity; hospices for shelter;

and of which all the villages in their neighborhood demand the

conservation by the National Assembly。'43'  I have to mention the

nuns; thirty…seven thousand in fifteen hundred convents。  Here;

except in the twenty…five chapters of canonesses; which are a semi…

worldly rendezvous for poor young girls of noble birth; fervor;

frugality; and usefulness are almost everywhere incontestable。  One

of the members of the Ecclesiastical Committee admits in the

Assembly tribunal that; in all their letters and addresses; the nuns

ask to be allowed to remain in their cloisters; their entreaties; in

fact; are as earnest as they are affecting。'44'  One Community

writes;



 〃We should prefer the sacrifice of our lives to that of our

calling。  。  。  。  This is not the voice of some among our sisters;

but of all。  The National Assembly has established the claims of

liberty…would it prevent the exercise of these by the only

disinterested beings who ardently desire to be useful; and have

renounced society solely to be of greater service to it?〃



 〃The little contact we have with the world;〃 writes another 〃is the

reason why our contentment is so little known。  But it is not the

less real and substantial。  We know of no distinctions; no

privileges amongst ourselves; our misfortunes and our property are

in common。  One in heart and one in soul 。  。  。  we protest before

the nation; in the face of heaven and of earth; that it is not in

the power of any being to shake our fidelity to our vows; which vows

we renew with still more ardor than when we first pronounced

them。〃'45'



Many of the communities have no means of subsistence other than the

work of their own hands and the small dowries the nuns have brought

with them on entering the convent。  So great; however is their

frugality and economy; that the total expenditure of each nun does

not surpass 250 livres a year。  The Annonciades of Saint…Amour say;



 〃We; thirty…three nuns; both choristers and those of the white

veil; live on 4;400 livres net income; without being a charge to our

families or to the public。  。  。  If we were living in society; our

expenses would be three times as much;〃



and; not content with providing for themselves; they give in

charity。



Among these communities several hundreds are educational

establishments; a very great number give gratuitous primary

instruction。    Now; in 1789; there are no other schools for

girls; and were these to be suppressed; every avenue of instruction

and culture would be closed to one of the two sexes; forming one…

half of the French population。  Fourteen thousand sisters of

charity; distributed among four hundred and twenty convents; look

after the hospitals; attend upon the sick; serve the infirm; bring

up foundlings; provide for orphans; lying…in women; and repentant

prostitutes。  The 〃Visitation〃 is an asylum for 〃those who are not

favored by nature;〃    and; in those days; there were many more of

the disfigured than at present; since out of every eight deaths one

was caused by the smallpox。  Widows are received here; as well as

girls without means and without protection; persons 〃worn out。  with

the agitation of the world;〃 those who are too feeble to support the

battle of life; those who withdraw from it wounded or invalid; and

〃the rules of the order; not very strict; are not beyond the health

or strength of the most frail and delicate。〃 Some ingenious device

of charity thus applies to each moral or social sore; with skill and

care; the proper and proportionate dressing。  And finally; far from

falling off; nearly all these communities are in a flourishing

state; and whilst among the establishments for men there are only

nine; on the average; to each; in those for women there is an

average of twenty…four。  Here; at Saint…Flour; is one which is

bringing up fifty boarders; another; at Beaulieu; instructs one

hundred; another; in Franche…Comté; has charge of eight hundred

abandoned children。'46'   Evidently; in the presence of such

institutions one must pause; however。  little one may care for

justice and the public interest; and; moreover; because it is

useless to act rigorously against them the legislator crushes them

in vain; for they spring up again of their own accord; they are in

the blood of every Catholic nation。  In France; instead of thirty…

seven thousand nuns; at the present day (1866) there are eighty…six

thousand…that is to say; forty…five in every ten thousand women

instead of twenty…eight。'47'



In any case; if the State deprives them of their property; along

with that of other ecclesiastical bodies; it is not the State that

ought to claim the spoil。    The State is not their heir; and

their land; furniture; and rentals are in their very nature devoted

to a special purpose; although they have no designated proprietor。

This treasure; which consists of the accumulations of fourteen

c
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