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！
1789。 （Cf。 Léonce de Lavergne； 〃Les Assemblées provinciales〃）。
＇54＇ Léonce de Lavergne； ibid。 26； 55； 183。 The tax department
of the provincial assembly of Tours likewise makes its demands on the
privileged class in the matter of taxation。
＇55＇ Procés…verbaux of the prov。 ass。 of Normandy； the
generalship of Alen？on； 252。 … Cf。 Archives nationales； II；
1149： in 1778 in the generalship of Moulins； thirty…nine persons；
mostly nobles； supply from their own funds 18；950 livres to the 60；000
livres allowed by the king for roads and asylums。
＇56＇ Archives nationales； procès…verbaux and registers of the
States…General； vol。 XLIX。 p。712； 714 （the nobles and clergy of
Dijon）； vol。 XVI。 p。 183 （the nobles of Auxerre） vol。 XXIX。
pp。352； 455； 458 （the clergy and nobles of Berry）； vol。 CL。 p。266
（the clergy and nobles of Tours）； vol。 XXIX； the clergy and nobles
of Chateauroux； （January 29； 1789）； pp。 572； 582。 vol。 XIII。
765 （the nobles of Autun）。 … See as a summary of the whole； the
〃Résumé des Cahiers〃 by Prud'homme； 3 vols。
＇57＇ Prud'homme； ibid。。 II。 39； 51； 59。 De Lavergne； 384。
In 1788； two hundred gentlemen of the first families of Dauphiny sign；
conjointly with the clergy and the Third…Estate of the province； an
address to the king in which occurs the following passage： 〃Neither
time nor obligation legitimizes despotism； the rights of men derive
from nature alone and are independent of their engagements。〃
＇58＇ Lacretelle； 〃Hist。 de France au dix…huitième siècle；〃 V。2。
＇59＇ Procès…verbeaux of the prov。 ass。 of the Ile…de…France
（1787）； p。127。
＇60＇ De Lavergne； ibid。。 52； 369。
＇61＇ 〃Le cri de la raison；〃 by Clerget； curé d'Onans （1789）； p。258。
＇62＇ Lucas de Montigny； 〃Mémoires de Mirabeau；〃 I。 290； 368。 …
Théron de Montaugé； 〃L'agriculture et les classes rurales dans le pays
Toulousain；〃 p。 14。
＇63＇ 〃Foreigners generally could scarcely form an idea of the power
of public opinion at this time in France； they can with difficulty
comprehend the nature of that invisible power which commands even in
the king's palace。〃 （Necker； 1784； quoted by De Tocqueville）。
＇64＇ Granier de Cassagnac； II。 236。 … M。 de Malesherbes；
according to custom； inspected the different state prisons； at the
beginning of the reign of Louis XVI。 〃He told me himself that he had
only released two。〃 （Senac de Meilhan； 〃Du gouvemement； des moeurs； et
des conditions en France。〃）。
＇65＇ Archives nationales； II。 1418； 1149； F。 14； 2073。
（Assistance rendered to various suffering provinces and places。）
＇66＇ Aubertin； p。484 （according to Bachaumont）。
＇67＇ De Lavergne； 472。
＇68＇ Mathieu Dumas； 〃Mémoires；〃 I。426。 … Sir Samuel Romilly；
〃Mémoires；〃 I。 99。 〃Confidence increased even to extravagance；〃
（Mme。 de Genlis）。 … On the 29th June； 1789； Necker said at the
council of the king at Marly； 〃What is more frivolous than the fears
now entertained concerning the organization of the assembly of the
States…General？ No law can be passed without obtaining the king's
assent〃 （De Barentin； 〃Mémoires；〃 p。 187）。 … Address of the
National Assembly to its constituents； October 2； 1789。 〃A great
revolution of which the idea should have appeared chimerical a few
months since has been effected amongst us。〃
CHAPTER III。 THE MIDDLE CLASS。
I。 THE PAST。
The former spirit of the Third…Estate。 … Public matters concern
the king only。 … Limits of the Jansenist and parliamentarian
opposition。
The new philosophy； confined to a select circle； had long served
as a mere luxury for refined society。 Merchants； manufacturers；
shopkeepers； lawyers； attorneys； physicians； actors； professors；
curates； every description of functionary； employee and clerk； the
entire middle class； had been absorbed with its own cares。 The
horizon of each was limited； being that of the profession or
occupation which each exercised； that of the corporation in which each
one was comprised； of the town in which each one was born； and； at the
utmost； that of the province which each one inhabited＇1＇。 A dearth of
ideas coupled with conscious diffidence restrained the bourgeois
within his hereditary barriers。 His eyes seldom chanced to wander
outside of them into the forbidden and dangerous territory of state
affairs； hardly was a furtive and rare glance bestowed on any of the
public acts； on the matters which 〃belonged to the king。〃 There was no
critical irritability then； except with the bar； the compulsory
satellite of the Parliament； and borne along in its orbit。 In 1718；
after a session of the royal court （lit de justice）； the lawyers of
Paris being on a strike the Regent exclaims angrily and with
astonishment； 〃What！ those fellows meddling too！〃＇2＇ It must be
stated furthermore that many kept themselves in the background。 〃My
father and myself；〃 afterwards writes the advocate Barbier； 〃took no
part in the uproars； among those caustic and turbulent spirits。〃 and
he adds this significant article of faith： 〃I believe that one has to
fulfill his duties honorably； without concerning oneself with state
affairs； in which one has no mission and exercises no power。〃 During
the first half of the eighteenth century I am able to discover but one
center of opposition in the Third…Estate ； the Parliament； and around
it； feeding the flame； the ancient Gallican or Jansenist spirit。 〃The
good city of Paris；〃 writes Barbier in 1733； 〃is Jansenist from top to
bottom；〃 and not alone the magistrates； the lawyers； the professors；
the best among the bourgeoisie； 〃but again the mass of the Parisians；
men； women and children； all upholding that doctrine； without
comprehending it； or understanding any of its distinctions and
interpretations； out of hatred to Rome and the Jesuits。 Women； the
silliest； and even chambermaids； would be hacked to pieces for it。 。
。 〃 This party is increased by the honest folks of the kingdom who
detest persecutions and injustice。 Accordingly； when the various
chambers of magistrates； in conjunction with the lawyers； tender their
resignations and file out of the palace 〃amidst a countless multitude；
the crowd exclaims： Behold the true Romans； the fathers of the
country！ and as the two counselors Pucelle and Menguy pass along they
fling them crowns。〃 The quarrel between the Parliament and the Court；
constantly revived； is one of the sparks which provokes the grand
final explosion； while the Jansenist embers； smoldering in the ashes；
are to be of use in 1791 when the ecclesiastical edifice comes to be
attacked。 But； within this old chimney…corner only warm embers are
now found； firebrands covered up； sometimes scattering sparks and
flames； but in themselves and by themselves； not incendiary； the flame
is kept within bounds by its nature； and its supplies limit its heat。
The Jansenist is too good a Christian not to respect powers
inaugurated from above。 The parliamentarian； conservative through his
profession； would be horrified at overthrowing the established order
of things。 Both combat for tradition and against innovation； hence；
after having defended the past against arbitrary power they are to
defend it against revolutionary violence； and to fall； the one into
impotency and the other into oblivion。
II。 CHANGE IN THE CONDITION OF THE BOURGEOIS。
Change in the condition of the bourgeois。 … He becomes wealthy。
… He makes loans to the State。 … The danger of his creditorship。 …
He interests himself in public matters。
The uprising is； however； late to catch on among the middle
class； and； before it can take hold； the resistant material must
gradually be made inflammable。 In the eighteenth century a
great change takes place in the condition of the Third…Estate 。 The
bourgeois has worked； manufactured； traded； earned and saved money；
and has daily become richer and richer。＇3＇ This great expansion of
enterprises； of trade； of speculation and of fortunes dates from
Law；＇4＇ arrested by war it reappears with more vigor and more
animation at each interval of peace after the treaty of Aix…la…
Chapelle in 1748； and that of Paris in 1763； and especially after the
beginning of the reign of Louis XVI。 The exports of France which
amounted to
106 millions in 1720
124 millions in 1735
192 millions in 1748
257 millions in 1755
309 millions in 1776
354 millions in 1788。
In 1786 Saint Domingo alone ships back to France for 131
millions of its products； and in return receives 44 millions in
merchandise。 As a result of these exchanges we see； at Nantes； and at
Bordeaux； the creation of colossal commercial houses。 〃I consider
Bordeaux； says Arthur Young； as richer and doing more business than
any city in England except Lon