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the psychology of revolution-第7部分

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at a later date; was to reappear in the wars of La Vendee。



Old men; women; and children; all were exterminated。  A certain

Baron d'Oppede; first president of the Parliament of Aix; had

already set an example by killing 3;000 persons in the space of

ten days; with refinements of cruelty; and destroying three

cities and twenty…two villages。  Montluc; a worthy forerunner of

Carrier; had the Calvinists thrown living into the wells until

these were full。  The Protestants were no more humane。  They did

not spare even the Catholic churches; and treated the tombs and

statues just as the delegates of the Convention were to treat the

royal tombs of Saint Denis。



Under the influence of these conflicts France was progressively

disintegrated; and at the end of the reign of Henri III。 was

parcelled out into veritable little confederated municipal

republics; forming so many sovereign states。  The royal power was

vanishing。  The States of Blois claimed to dictate their wishes

to Henri III。; who had fled from his capital。  In 1577 the

traveller Lippomano; who traversed France; saw important cities

Orleans; Tours; Blois; Poitiersentirely devastated; the

cathedrals and churches in ruins; and the tombs shattered。  This

was almost the state of France at the end of the Directory。



Among the events of this epoch; that which has left the darkest

memory; although it was not perhaps the most murderous; was the

massacre of St。 Bartholomew in 1572; ordered; according to the

historians; by Catherine de Medicis and Charles IX。



One does not require a very profound knowledge of psychology to

realise that no sovereign could have ordered such an event。  St。

Bartholomew's Day was not a royal but a popular crime。  Catherine

de Medicis; believing her existence and that of the king

threatened by a plot directed by four or five Protestant leaders

then in Paris; sent men to kill them in their houses; according

to the summary fashion of the time。  The massacre which followed

is very well explained by M。 Battifol in the following terms:



‘‘At the report of what was afoot the rumour immediately ran

through Paris that the Huguenots were being massacred; Catholic

gentlemen; soldiers of the guard; archers; men of the people; in

short all Paris; rushed into the streets; arms in hand; in order

to participate in the execution; and the general massacre

commenced; to the sound of ferocious cries of ‘The

Huguenots! Kill; kill!'  They were struck down; they were

drowned; they were hanged。  All that were known as heretics were

so served。  Two thousand persons were killed in Paris。''



By contagion; the people of the provinces imitated those of

Paris; and six to eight thousand Protestants were slain。



When time had somewhat cooled religious passions; all the

historians; even the Catholics; spoke of St。 Bartholomew's Day

with indignation。  They thus showed how difficult it is for the

mentality of one epoch to understand that of another。



Far from being criticised; St。 Bartholomew's Day provoked an

indescribable enthusiasm throughout the whole of Catholic Europe。



Philip II。 was delirious with joy when he heard the news; and the

King of France received more congratulations than if he had won a

great battle。



But it was Pope Gregory XIII。 above all who manifested the

keenest satisfaction。  He had a medal struck to commemorate the

happy event;'2' ordered joy…fires to be lit and cannon fired;

celebrated several masses; and sent for the painter Vasari to

depict on the walls of the Vatican the principal scenes of

carnage。  Further; he sent to the King of France an ambassador

instructed to felicitate that monarch upon his fine action。  It

is historical details of this kind that enable us to comprehend

the mind of the believer。  The Jacobins of the Terror had a

mentality very like that of Gregory XIII。







'2' The medal must have been distributed pretty widely; for the

cabinet of medals at the Bibliotheque Nationale possesses

three examples: one in gold; one in silver; and one in copper。 

This medal; reproduced by Bonnani in his Numism。 Pontific。

(vol。 i。 p。 336); represents on one side Gregory XIII。; and on

the other an angel striking Huguenots with a sword。  The exergue

is Ugonotorum strages; that is; Massacre of the Huguenots。 

(The word strages may be translated by carnage or massacre; a

sense which it possesses in Cicero and Livy; or again by

disaster; ruin; a sense attributed to it in Virgil and Tacitus。)







Naturally the Protestants were not indifferent to such a

hecatomb; and they made such progress that in 1576 Henri III。 was

reduced to granting them; by the Edict of Beaulieu; entire

liberty of worship; eight strong places; and; in the Parliaments;

Chambers composed half of Catholics and half of Huguenots。



These forced concessions did not lead to peace。  A Catholic

League was created; having the Duke of Guise at its head; and the

conflict continued。  But it could not last for ever。  We know how

Henri IV。 put an end to it; at least for a time; by his

abjuration in 1593; and by the Edict of Nantes。



The struggle was quieted but not terminated。  Under Louis XIII。

the Protestants were still restless; and in 1627 Richelieu was

obliged to besiege La Rochelle; where 15;000 Protestants

perished。  Afterwards; possessing more political than religious

feeling; the famous Cardinal proved extremely tolerant toward the

Reformers。



This tolerance could not last。  Contrary beliefs cannot come into

contact without seeking to annihilate each other; as soon as one

feels capable of dominating the other。  Under Louis XIV。 the

Protestants had become by far the weaker; and were forced to

renounce the struggle and live at peace。  Their number was then

about 1;200;000; and they possessed more than 600 churches;

served by about 700 pastors。  The presence of these

heretics on French soil was intolerable to the Catholic clergy;

who endeavoured to persecute them in various ways。  As these

persecutions had little result; Louis XIV。 resorted to

dragonnading them in 1685; when many individuals perished; but

without further result。  Under the pressure of the clergy;

notably of Bossuett; the Edict of Nantes was revoked; and the

Protestants were forced to accept conversion or to leave France。 

This disastrous emigration lasted a long time; and is said to

have cost France 400;000 inhabitants; men of notable energy;

since they had the courage to listen to their conscience rather

than their interests。





6。  The results of Religious Revolutions。





If religious revolutions were judged only by the gloomy story of

the Reformation; we should be forced to regard them as highly

disastrous。  But all have not played a like part; the civilising

influence of certain among them being considerable。



By giving a people moral unity they greatly increase its material

power。  We see this notably when a new faith; brought by

Mohammed; transforms the petty and impotent tribes of Arabia into

a formidable nation。



Such a new religious belief does not merely render a people

homogeneous。  It attains a result that no philosophy; no code

ever attained: it sensibly transforms what is almost

unchangeable; the sentiments of a race。



We see this at the period when the most powerful religious

revolution recorded by history overthrew paganism to substitute a

God who came from the plains of Galilee。  The new ideal demanded

the renunciation of all the joys of existence in order to

acquire the eternal happiness of heaven。  No doubt such an ideal

was readily accepted by the poor; the enslaved; the disinherited

who were deprived of all the joys of life here below; to whom an

enchanting future was offered in exchange for a life without

hope。  But the austere existence so easily embraced by the poor

was also embraced by the rich。  In this above all was the power

of the new faith manifested。



Not only did the Christian revolution transform manners: it also

exercised; for a space of two thousand years; a preponderating

influence over civilisation。  Directly a religious faith triumphs

all the elements of civilisation naturally adapt themselves to

it; so that civilisation is rapidly transformed。  Writers;

artists and philosophers merely symbolise; in their works; the

ideas of the new faith。



When any religious or political faith whatsoever has triumphed;

not only is reason powerless to affect it; but it even finds

motives which impel it to interpret and so justify the faith in

question; and to strive to impose it upon others。  There were

probably as many theologians and orators in the time of Moloch;

to prove the utility of human sacrifices; as there were at other

periods to glorify the Inquisition; the massacre of St。

Bartholomew; and the hecatombs of the Terror。



We must not hope to see peoples possessed by strong beliefs

readily achieve tolerance。
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