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erect on the debris of the others。
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Notes：
＇1＇ Necker； 〃De l'Administration des Finances；〃 II。 422； 435。
＇2＇ The wages have in 1789 been estimated to be 7 sous 4 deniers of
which 2 sous and 6 deniers would have to be paid for the bread。
（Mercure de France； May 7； 1791。）
＇3＇ Aubertin； 345。 Letter to the Comte de St。 Germain （during the
Seven Years War）。 〃The soldier's hardships make one's heart bleed； he
passes his days in a state of abject misery； despised and living like
a chained dog to be used for combat。〃
＇4＇ De Tocqueville； 190； 191。
＇5＇ Archives nationales； H； 1591。
＇6＇ De Rochambeau； 〃Mémoires；〃 I。 427。 … D'Argenson； December 24；
1752。 〃30；000 men have been punished for desertion since the peace of
1748； this extensive desertion is attributed to the new drill which
fatigues and disheartens the soldier； and especially the veterans。〃 …
Voltaire； 〃Dict。 Phil。；〃 article 〃Punishments。〃 〃I was amazed one day
on seeing the list of deserters； for eight years amounting to 60；000。〃
＇7＇ Archives nationales； H； 554。 （Letter of M。 de Bertrand；
intendant of Rennes； August 17； 1785）。
＇8＇ Mercier； XI； 121。
＇9＇ Now we know better。 The most healthy bread is the one in which
some bran is left； such bran is not only good for the digestion but
contains vitamins and minerals as well。 （SR）。
＇10＇ De Vaublanc； 149。
＇11＇ De Ségur； I； 20 （1767）。
＇12＇ Augeard； 〃Mémoires；〃 165。
＇13＇ Horace Walpole； September 5； 1789。
＇14＇ Laboulaye； 〃De l'Administration fran？aise sous Louis XVI。〃
（Revue des Cours littéraires； IV； 743）。 … Albert Babeau； I； 111。
（Doléances et veux des corporations de Troyes）。
＇15＇ De Tocqueville； 158。
＇16＇ Ibid。 304。 （The words of Burke。）
＇17＇ Travels in France； I。 240； 263。
＇18＇ What an impression this view must have made on Lenin who
sought； between 1906 and 1909 in Paris； the means and ways with which
to re…create the French revolution in Russia。 （SR。）
＇19＇ Beugnot； I。 115； 116。
＇20＇ Archives nationales； procès…verbaux and cahiers of the States…
General； vol。 XIII； p。 405。 （Letter of the Marquis de Fodoas；
commandant of Armagnac； to M。 Necker； may 29； 1789。）
＇21＇ Ibid。 Vol。 CL； p。 174。 （ Letter from the intendant of Tours of
March 25； 1789。）
＇22＇ 〃Lenin deviated from Marx not in preaching the necessity for
violent proletarian revolution； but by advocating the creation of an
elite party of professional revolutionaries to hasten this end； and by
arguing for the dictatorship of this party rather than the working
class as a whole。〃 The Guinness Encyclopedia page 269。 （SR。）
＇23＇ Archives nationales； H； 784。 （Letters of M。 de Langeron；
military commandant at Besan？on； October 16 and 18； 1789）。 The
consultation is annexed。
＇24＇ Arthur Young； I； 344。
CHAPTER V。 SUMMARY。
I。 Suicide of the Ancient Regime。
These two forces； radical dogma and brute force； are the
successors and executors of the Ancient regime； and； on contemplating
the way in which this regime engendered； brought forth； nourished；
installed and stimulated them we cannot avoid considering its history
as one long suicide； like that of a man who； having mounted to the top
of an immense ladder； cuts away from under his feet the support which
has kept him up。 … In a case of this kind good intentions are not
sufficient； to be liberal and even generous； to enter upon a few semi…
reforms； is of no avail。 On the contrary； through both their qualities
and defects； through both their virtues and their vices； the
privileged wrought their own destruction； their merits contributing to
their ruin as well as their faults。 … Founders of society； formerly
entitled to their advantages through their services； they have
preserved their rank without fulfilling their duties； their position
in the local as in the central government is a sinecure； and their
privileges have become abuses。 At their head； a king； creating France
by devoting himself to her as if his own property； ended by
sacrificing her as if his own property； the public purse is his
private purse； while passions； vanities； personal weaknesses；
luxurious habits； family solicitudes； the intrigues of a mistress and
the caprices of a wife； govern a state of twenty…six millions of men
with an arbitrariness； a heedlessness； a prodigality； a lack of skill；
an absence of consistency that would scarcely be overlooked in the
management of a private domain。 … The king and the privileged excel
in one direction； in manners； in good taste； in fashion； in the talent
for representation and in entertaining and receiving； in the gift of
graceful conversation； in finesse and in gaiety； in the art of
converting life into a brilliant and ingenious festivity； regarding
the world as a drawing room of refined idlers in which it suffices to
be amiable and witty； whilst； actually； it is an arena where one must
be strong for combats； and a laboratory in which one must work in
order to be useful。 … Through the habit； perfection and sway of
polished intercourse they stamped on the French intellect a classic
form； which； combined with recent scientific acquisitions； produced
the philosophy of the eighteenth century； the disrepute of tradition；
the ambition of recasting all human institutions according to the sole
dictates of Reason； the appliance of mathematical methods to politics
and morals； the catechism of the Rights of Man； and other dogmas of
anarchical and despotic character in the CONTRAT SOCIAL。 … Once
this chimera is born they welcome it as a drawing room fancy； they use
the little monster as a plaything； as yet innocent and decked with
ribbons like a pastoral lambkin； they never dream of its becoming a
raging； formidable brute； they nourish it； and caress it； and then；
opening their doors； they let it descend into the streets。 … Here
among the middle class which the government has rendered ill…disposed
by compromising its fortunes； which the privileged have offended by
restricting its ambition； which is wounded by inequality through
injured self…esteem； the revolutionary theory gains rapid accessions；
a sudden asperity； and； in a few years； it finds itself undisputed
master of public opinion。 … At this moment and at its summons；
another colossal monster rises up； a monster with millions of heads； a
blind； startled animal； an entire people pressed down； exasperated and
suddenly loosened against the government whose exactions have
despoiled it； against the privileged whose rights have reduced it to
starvation； without； in these rural districts abandoned by their
natural protectors； encountering any surviving authority； without； in
these provinces subject to the yoke of universal centralization；
encountering a single independent group and without the possibility of
forming； in this society broken up by despotism； any centers of
enterprise and resistance； without finding； in this upper class
disarmed by its very humanity； a policy devoid of illusion and capable
of action。 Without which all these good intentions and fine intellects
shall be unable to protect themselves against the two enemies of all
liberty and of all order； against the contagion of the democratic
nightmare which disturbs the ablest heads and against the irruptions
of the popular brutality which perverts the best of laws。 At the
moment of opening the States…General the course of ideas and events is
not only fixed but； again； apparent。 Beforehand and unconsciously；
each generation bears （Page 400/296）within itself its past and its
future； and to this one； long before the end； one might have been able
to foretell its fate； and； if both details as well as the entire
action could have been foreseen； one would readily have accepted the
following fiction made up by a converted Laharpe＇1＇ when； at the end
of the Directory； he arranged his souvenirs：
II。
〃It seems to me；〃 he says； 〃as if it were but yesterday； and yet it
is at the beginning of the year 1788。 We were dining with one of our
fellow members of the Academy； a grand seignior and a man of
intelligence。 The company was numerous and of every profession；
courtiers； advocates； men of letters and academicians； all had feasted
luxuriously according to custom。 At the dessert the wines of Malvoisie
and of Constance contributed to the social gaiety a sort of freedom
not always kept within decorous limits。 At that time society had
reached the point at which everything may be expressed that excites
laughter。 Champfort had read to us his impious and libertine stories；
and great ladies had listened to these without recourse to their fans。
Hence a deluge of witticisms against religion； one quoting a tirade
from 'La Pucelle；' another bringing forward certain philosophi