the origins of contemporary france-3-第4部分

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where　so　few　people　are　content　with　their　lot；　where　the　corner

grocer　is　prouder　of　his　epaulette　than　the　Grand　Condé　of　his

Marshal's　baton；　where　agitation　without　object　or　resources　is

perpetual；　where；　from　the　floor…scrubber　to　the　dramatist；　from　the

academician　to　the　simpleton　who　gets　muddled　over　the　evening

newspaper；　from　the　witty　courtier　down　to　his　philosophic　lackey；

each　one　revises　Montesquieu　with　the　self…sufficiency　of　a　child

which；　because　it　is　learning　to　read；　deems　itself　wise；　where　self…

esteem；　in　disputation；　caviling　and　sophistication；　destroys　all

sensible　conversation；　where　no　one　utters　a　word；　but　to　teach；　never

imagining　that　to　learn　one　must　keep　quiet；　where　the　triumphs　of　a

few　lunatics　entice　every　crackbrain　from　his　den；　where；　with　two

nonsensical　ideas　put　together　out　of　a　book　that　is　not　understood；　a

man　assumes　to　have　principles；　where　swindlers　talk　about　morality；

women　of　easy　virtue　about　civism；　and　the　most　infamous　of　beings

about　the　dignity　of　the　species；　where　the　discharged　valet　of　a

grand　seignior　calls　himself　Brutus！〃



…　In　reality；　he　is　Brutus　in　his　own　eyes。　Let　the　time　come　and　he

will　be　so　in　earnest；　especially　against　his　late　master；　all　he　has

to　do　is　to　give　him　a　thrust　with　his　pike。　Until　he　acts　out　the

part　he　spouts　it；　and　grows　excited　over　his　own　tirades；　his　common

sense　gives　way　to　the　bombastic　jargon　of　the　revolution　and　to

declamation；　which　completes　the　Utopian　performance　and　eases　his

brain　of　its　last　　modicum　of　ballast。



It　is　not　merely　ideas　which　the　new　regime　has　disturbed；　but　it　has

also　disordered　sentiments。　　〃Authority　is　transferred　from　the

Chateau　of　Versailles　and　the　courtier's　antechamber；　with　no

intermediary　or　counterpoise；　to　the　proletariat　and　its

flatterers。〃＇14＇　　The　whole　of　the　staff　of　the　old　government　is

brusquely　set　aside；　while　a　general　election　has　brusquely　installed

another　in　is　place；　offices　not　being　given　to　capacity；　seniority；

and　experience；　but　to　self…sufficiency；　intrigue；　and　exaggeration。

Not　only　are　legal　rights　reduced　to　a　common　level；　but　natural

grades　are　transposed；　the　social　ladder；　overthrown；　is　set　up　again

bottom　upwards；　the　first　effect　of　the　promised　regeneration　is　　〃to

substitute　in　the　administration　of　public　affairs　pettifoggers　for

magistrates；　ordinary　citizens　for　cabinet　ministers；　ex…commoners　for

ex…nobles；　rustics　for　soldiers；　soldiers　for　captains；　captains　for

generals；　curés　for　bishops；　vicars　for　curés；　monks　for　vicars；

brokers　for　financiers；　empiricists　for　administrators；　journalists

for　political　economists；　stump…orators　for　legislators；　and　the　poor

for　the　rich。〃　　…　　Every　species　of　covetousness　is　stimulated　by　this

spectacle。　The　profusion　of　offices　and　the　anticipation　of　vacancies

〃has　excited　the　thirst　for　command；　stimulated　self…esteem；　and

inflamed　the　hopes　of　the　most　inept。　A　rude　and　grim　presumption

renders　the　fool　and　the　ignoramus　unconscious　of　their

insignificance。　They　have　deemed　themselves　capable　of　anything；

because　the　law　granted　public　functions　merely　to　capacity。　There　has

appeared　in　front　of　one　and　all　an　ambitious　perspective；　the　soldier

thinks　only　of　displacing　his　captain；　the　captain　of　becoming

general；　the　clerk　of　supplanting　the　chief　of　his　department；　the

new…fledged　attorney　of　being　admitted　to　the　high　court；　the　curé　of

being　ordained　a　bishop；　the　shallow　scribbler　of　seating　himself　on

the　legislative　bench。　Offices　and　professions　vacated　by　the

appointment　of　so　many　upstarts　afford　in　their　turn　a　vast　field　for

the　ambition　of　the　lower　classes。〃　　Thus；　step　by　step；　owing　to

the　reversal　of　social　positions；　is　brought　about　a　general

intellectual　fever。



　〃France　is　transformed　into　a　gaming…table；　where；　alongside　of　the

discontented　citizen　offering　his　stakes；　sits；　bold；　blustering；　and

with　fermenting　brain；　the　pretentious　subaltern　rattling　his　dice…

box。　。　。　　At　the　sight　of　a　public　official　rising　from　nowhere；　　even

the　soul　of　a　bootblack　will　　bound　with　emulation。〃　　　　He　has

merely　to　push　himself　ahead　and　elbow　his　way　to　secure　a　ticket　　〃in

this　immense　lottery　of　popular　luck；　of　preferment　without　merit；　of

success　without　talent；　of　apotheoses　without　virtues；　of　an　infinity

of　places　distributed　by　the　people　wholesale；　and　enjoyed　by　the

people　in　detail。〃　　　　Political　charlatans　flock　thither　from　every

quarters；　those　taking　the　lead　who；　being　most　in　earnest；　believe　in

the　virtue　of　their　nostrum；　and　need　power　to　impose　its　recipe　on

the　community；　all　being　saviors；　all　places　belong　to　them；　and

especially　the　highest。　They　lay　siege　to　these　conscientiously　and

philanthropically　；　if　necessary；　they　will　take　them　by　assault；　hold

them　through　force；　and；　forcibly　or　otherwise；　administer　their　cure…

all　to　the　human　species。







III。



Psychology　of　the　Jacobin。　　His　intellectual　method。　　Tyranny　of

formulae　and　suppression　of　facts。　　Mental　balance　disturbed。　

Signs　of　this　in　the　revolutionary　language。　　Scope　and　expression

of　the　Jacobin　intellect。　　In　what　respect　his　method　is

mischievous。　　How　it　is　successful。　　Illusions　produced　by　it。



Such　are　our　Jacobins；　born　out　of　social　decomposition　like　mushrooms

out　of　compost。　Let　us　consider　their　inner　organization；　for　they

have　one　as　formerly　the　Puritans；　we　have　only　to　follow　their　dogma

down　to　its　depths；　as　with　a　sounding…line；　to　reach　the

psychological　stratum　in　which　the　normal　balance　of　faculty　and

sentiment　is　overthrown。



When　a　statesman；　who　is　not　wholly　unworthy　of　that　great　name；　finds

an　abstract　principle　in　his　way；　as；　for　instance；　that　of　popular

sovereignty；　he　accepts　it；　if　he　accepts　it　at　all；　according　to　his

conception　of　its　practical　bearings。　He　begins；　accordingly；　by

imagining　it　applied　and　in　operation。　From　personal　recollections　and

such　information　as　he　can　obtain；　he　forms　an　idea　of　some　village　or

town；　some　community　of　moderate　size　in　the　north；　in　the　south；　or

in　the　center　of　the　country；　for　which　he　has　to　make　laws。　He　then

imagines　its　inhabitants　acting　according　to　his　principle；　that　is　to

say；　voting；　mounting　guard；　levying　taxes；　and　administering　their

own　affairs。　Familiar　with　ten　or　a　dozen　groups　of　this　sort；　which

he　regards　as　examples；　he　concludes　by　analogy　as　to　others　and　the

rest　on　the　territory。　Evidently　it　is　a　difficult　and　uncertain

process；　to　be　exact；　or　nearly　so；　requires　rare　powers　of

observation　and；　at　each　step；　a　great　deal　of　tact；　for　a　nice

calculation　has　to　be　made　on　given　quantities　imperfectly　ascertained

and　imperfectly　noted！＇15＇　　Any　political　leader　who　does　this

successfully；　does　it　through　the　ripest　experience　associated　with

genius。　And　even　then　he　keeps　his　hand　on　the　check…rein　in　pushing

his　innovation　or　reform；　he　is　almost　always　tentative；　he　applies

his　law　only　in　part；　gradually　and　provisionally；　he　wishes　to

ascertain　its　effect；　he　is　always　ready　to　stay　its　operation；　amend

it；　or　modify　it；　according　to　the　good　or　ill　results　of　experiment；

the　state　of　the　human　material　he　has　to　deal　with　is　never　clear　to

his　mind；　even　when　superior；　until　after　many　and　repeated　gropings。

　Now　the　Jacobin　pursues　just　the　opposite　course。　His　principle　is

an　axiom　of　political　geometry；　which　always　carries　its　own　proof

along　with　it；　for；　like　the　axioms　of　common　geometry；　it　is　formed

out　of　the　combination　of　a　few　simple　ideas；　and　its　evidence　imposes

itself　at　once　on　all　minds　capable　of　embracing　in　one　conception　the

two　terms　of　which　it　is　the　aggregate　expression。　Man　in　general；　the

rights　of　Man；　the　social　contract；　liberty；　equality；　reason；　nature；

the　people；　tyrants；　are　examples　of　these　basic　concepts：　whether

precise　or　not；　they　fill　the　brain　of　the　new　sectarian。　Often　these

terms　are　merely　vague　and　grandiose　words；　but　that　makes　no

difference；　as　soon　as　they　meet　in　his　brain　an　axiom　springs　out　of

them　that　can　be　instantly　and　absolutely　applied　on　every　occasion

and　to　excess。　　Mankind　as　it　is　does　not　concern　him。　He　does　not

observe　them；　he　does　not　require　to　observe　them；　with　closed　eyes　he

imposes　a　pattern　of　his　own　on　the　human　substance　manipulated　by

him；　the　idea　never　enters　his　head　of　forming　any　previous　conception

of　this　complex；　multiform；　swaying　material　…　contemporary　peasants；

artisans；　townspeople；　curés　and　nobles；　behind　their　plows；　in　their

homes；　in　their　shops；　in　their　parsonages；　in　their　mansions；　with

their　inveterate　beliefs；　persistent　inclinations；　and　powerful　wills。

Nothing　of　this　enters　into　or　lodges　in　his　mind；　all　its　avenues　are

stopped　by　the　abstract　principle　which　flourishes　there　and　fills　it

completely。　Should　actual　experience　through　the　eye　or　ear　p