the origins of contemporary france-4-第131部分

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parts　bore　down　too　heavily　on　the　lower　ones；　the　sorting；　at　least；

which　goes　on　in　every　civilized　State；　constantly　separating　the

wheat　from　the　chaff；　went　on　tolerably　well；　except　at　the　center　and

at　the　Court；　where　the　winnowing　machine　had　worked　haphazard　and；

frequently；　in　an　opposite　sense　for　a　century；　the　separation

proceeded　regularly；　undoubtedly　slower；　but；　perhaps；　more　equitably

than　in　our　contemporary　democracy。　　The　chance　that　a　notable　by

right　could　become　a　notable　de　facto　was　then　much　greater：　it　was

less　difficult；　and　the　inclination　to　found；　maintain　and　perpetuate

a　family　or　a　business　was　much　stronger；　people　looked　more　often

beyond　themselves；　the　eyes　naturally　turned　outside　the　narrow　circle

of　one's　personality；　looking　backward　as　well　as　beyond　this　present

life。　　The　（later）　institution　of　an　equal　partition　of　property；　the

（later）　system　of　obligatory　partition　and　the　rule　of　partition　in

kind；　with　other　prescriptions　of　the　（new）　civil　code；　did　not　split

up　an　heritage　and　ruin　the　home。＇84＇　Parental　negligence　and　the

children's　lack　of　respect　and　consideration　had　not　yet　upset　the

authority　and　abolished　respect　in　the　family。　　Useful　and　natural

associations　were　not　yet　stifled　in　the　germ　nor　arrested　in　their

development　by　the　systematic　hostility　of　the　law。　　The　ease　and

cheapness　of　transportation；　the　promiscuity　of　schools；　the

excitement　of　competition；　everyone's　rush　to　placement　and　office；

the　increasing　excitement　of　ambition　and　greed；　had　not　（yet）

immeasurably　multiplied　the　class　of　irresponsible　malcontents　and

mischievous　nomads。　　In　the　political　order　of　things；　inaptitude；

envy；　brutality　were　not　sovereign；　universal　suffrage　did　not　exclude

from　power　the　men；　born；　bred　and　qualified　to　exercise　it；　countless

public　posts　were　not　offered　as　a　prey　to　charlatanism　and　to　the

intrigues　of　politicians。　　France　was　not　then；　as　now…a…days；　on　a

way　to　become　a　vast　lodging…house　administered　by　casual　managers；

condemned　to　periodical　failures；　inhabited　by　anonymous　residents；

indifferent　to　each　other；　lacking　local　ties；　lacking　engagements　and

having　no　corporate　loyalties；　merely　tenants　and　passing　consumers；

placed　in　numerical　order　around　a　common　mess…table　where　each　thinks

only　of　himself；　gets　served　quickly；　consumes　what　he　can　lay　his

hands　on；　and　ends　by　finding　out　that；　in　a　place　of　this　sort；　the

best　condition；　the　wisest　course；　is　to　put　all　one's　property　into

an　annuity　and　live　a　bachelor。　　…　Formerly；　among　all　classes　and　in

all　the　provinces；　there　were　a　large　number　of　families　that　had

taken　root　on　the　spot；　living　there　a　hundred　years　and　more。　　Not

only　among　the　nobles；　but　among　the　bourgeoisie　and　the　Third…Estate；

the　heir　of　any　enterprise　was　expected　to　continue　his　calling。　　This

was　so　with　the　seignorial　chateau　and　extensive　domain；　as　with　the

bourgeois　dwelling　and　patrimonial　office；　the　humble　rural　domain；

farm；　shop　and　factory；　all　were　transmitted　intact　from　one

generation　to　another。＇85＇　Great　or　small；　the　individual　was　not

exclusively　interested　in　himself；　his　thoughts　also　traveled　forward

to　the　future　and　back　to　the　past；　on　the　side　of　ancestors　and　on

that　of　descendants；　along　the　endless　chain　of　which　his　own　life　was

but　a　link；　he　possessed　traditions；　he　felt　bound　to　set　examples。

Under　this　twofold　title；　his　domestic　authority　was　uncontested；＇86＇

his　household　and　all　his　employees　followed　his　instructions　without

swerving　and　without　resistance。　　When；　by　virtue　of　this　domestic

discipline；　a　family　had　maintained　itself　upright　and　respected　on

the　same　spot　for　a　century；　it　could　easily　advance　a　degree；　it

could　introduce　one　of　its　members　into　the　upper　class；　pass　from　the

plow　or　trade　to　petty　offices；　and　from　these　to　the　higher　ones　and

to　parliamentary　dignities；　from　the　four　thousand　posts　that　ennoble

to　the　legalized　nobility；　from　the　lately　made　nobles　to　the　old

nobility。　　Apart　from　the　two　or　three　thousand　gilded　drones　living

on　the　public　honey　at　Versailles；　apart　from　the　court　parasites　and

their　valets；　three　or　four　hundred　thousand　notables　and　half…

notables　of　France　thus　acquired　and　kept　their　offices；　consideration

and　fortune；　they　were　therefore　their　legitimate　possessors。　　The

peasant…proprietor　and　master…artisan　had　risen　from　father　to　son；　at

four　o'clock　in　the　morning；　toiled　all　day　and　never　drank。　　From

father　to　son；　the　trader；　notary；　lawyer　and　office…holder；　had　been

careful；　economical；　skillful　and　attentive　to　business；　correct　in

their　papers；　precise　in　their　accounts。　　From　father　to　son；　the

nobleman　had　served　bravely；　the　parliamentarian　had　judged　equitably；

as　a　point　of　honor；　with　a　salary　inferior　to　the　interest　of　the　sum

paid　by　him　to　acquire　his　rank　or　post。　　Each　of　these　men　received

no　more　than　his　due；　his　possessions　and　his　rank　were　the　savings　of

his　ascendants；　the　price　of　social　services　rendered　by　the　long　file

of　deserving　dead；　all　that　his　ancestors；　his　father　and　himself　had

created　or　preserved　of　any　stable　value；　each　piece　of　gold　that

remained　in　the　hereditary　purse　represented　the　balance　of　a

lifetime；　the　enduring　labor　of　some　one　belonging　to　his　line；　while

among　these　gold　pieces；　he　himself　had　provided　his　share。　　…　For；

personal　services　counted；　even　among　the　upper　nobility；　and　all　the

more　among　the　lower　class；　in　the　Third…Estate；　and　among　the　people。

Among　the　notables　of　every　degree　just　described；　most　of　them；　in

1789；　were　fully　grown　men；　many　of　them　mature；　a　goodly　number

advanced　in　years；　and　some　quite　aged；　consequently；　in　justification

of　his　rank　and　emoluments；　or　of　his　gains　and　his　fortune；　each

could　allege　fifteen；　twenty；　thirty　and　forty　years　of　labor　and

honorability　in　private　or　public　situations；　the　grand…vicar　of　the

diocese　as　well　as　the　chief…clerk　of　the　ministry；　the　intendant　of

the　généralité　as　well　as　the　president　of　the　royal　tribunal；　the

village　curé；　the　noble　officer；　the　office…holder；　the　lawyer；　the

procureur；　the　large　manufacturer；　the　wholesale　dealer；　as　well　as

the　well…to…do　farmer；　and　the　well…known　handicraftsman。　　…　Thus；　not

only　were　they　an　élite　corps；　the　most　valuable　portion　of　the

nation；　the　best　timber　of　the　forest；　but　again；　the　wood　of　each

branch　belonged　to　that　trunk；　it　grew　there；　and　was　the　product　of

its　own　vegetation；　it　sprung　out　of　the　trunk　wholly　through　the

unceasing　and　spontaneous　effort　of　the　native　sap；　through　time…

honored　and　recent　labor；　and；　on　this　account；　it　merited　respect。　　…

Through　a　double　onslaught；　at　once　against　each　human　branch　and

against　the　entire　French　forest；　the　Jacobin　wood…choppers　seek　to

clear　the　ground。　　Their　theory　results　in　this　precept；　that　not　one

of　the　noble　trees　of　this　forest；　not　one　valuable　trunk　from　the