the origins of contemporary france-2- 第31部分

amiabilities　of　universal　urbanity。　　　They　are　at　once　beside

themselves。　　…　　And　all　the　more　so　because　they　never　anticipated　a

battle；　but；　on　the　contrary；　a　festival；　a　grand　and　charming

idyll；　in　which　everybody；　hand　in　hand；　would　assemble　in　tears

around　the　throne　and　save　the　country　amid　mutual　embraces。

Necker　himself　arranges；　like　a　theater；　the　chamber　in　which　the

sessions　of　the　Assembly　are　to　be　held。＇7＇　　〃He　was　not　disposed　to

regard　the　Assemblies　of　the　States…General　as　anything　but　a

peaceful；　imposing；　solemn；　august　spectacle；　which　the　people　would

enjoy；〃　and　when　the　idyll　suddenly　changes　into　a　drama；　he　is　so

frightened　that　it　seems　to　him　as　if　a　landslide　had　occurred　that

threatened；　during　the　night；　to　break　down　the　framework　of　the

building。　　…　　At　the　time　of　the　meeting　of　the　States…General；

everybody　is　delighted；　all　imagine　that　they　are　about　to　enter　the

promised　land。　　　During　the　procession　of　the　4thof　May；



　〃tears　of　joy；〃　says　the　Marquis　de　Ferrières；　〃filled　my　eyes。　。　。

。　　　In　a　state　of　sweet　rapture　I　beheld　France　supported　by

Religion〃　exhorting　us　all　to　concord。　　　〃The　sacred　ceremonies；　the

music；　the　incense；　the　priests　in　their　sacrificial　robes；　that

dais；　that　orb　radiant　with　precious　stones。　　　。。　　　I　called　to　my

mind　the　words　of　the　prophet。　。　。　　。　　　My　God；　my　country；　and　my

countrymen；　all　were　one　with　myself！　〃





Such　emotions　repeatedly　explode　in　the　course　of　the　session；　and

resulted　in　the　passage　of　laws　which　no　one　could　have　imagined。





〃Sometimes；〃＇8＇　writes　the　American　ambassador；　〃a　speaker　gets　up

in　the　midst　of　a　deliberation；　makes　a　fine　discourse　on　a

different　subject；　and　closes　with　a　nice　little　resolution　which　is

carried　with　a　hurrah。　　　Thus；　in　considering　the　plan　of　a　national

bank　proposed　by　M。　Necker；　one　of　them　took　it　into　his　head　to

move　that　every　member　should　give　his　silver　buckles；　which　was

agreed　to　at　once；　and　the　honorable　mover　laid　his　upon　the　table；

after　which　the　business　went　on　again。〃





Thus；　over…excited；　they　do　not　know　in　the　morning　what　they　will

do　in　the　afternoon；　and　they　are　at　the　mercy　of　every　surprise。

When　they　are　seized　with　these　fits　of　enthusiasm；　infatuation

spreads　over　all　the　benches；　prudence　gives　way；　all　foresight

disappears　and　every　objection　is　stifled。　　　During　the　night　of　the

4th　of　August；＇9＇　〃nobody　is　master　of　himself　。　　　The　Assembly

presents　the　spectacle　of　an　inebriated　crowd　in　a　shop　of　valuable

furniture；　breaking　and　smashing　at　will　whatever　they　can　lay　their

hands　on。〃





　〃That　which　would　have　required　a　year　of　care　and　reflection；〃

says　a　competent　foreigner；　〃was　proposed；　deliberated　over；　and

passed　by　general　acclamation。　　　The　abolition　of　feudal　rights；　of

titles；　of　the　privileges　of　the　provinces；　three　articles　which

alone　embraced　a　whole　system　of　jurisprudence　and　statesmanship；

were　decided　with　ten　or　twelve　other　measures　in　less　time　than　is

required　in　the　English　Parliament　for　the　first　reading　of　an

important　bill。〃





　〃Such　are　our　Frenchmen；〃　says　Mirabeau　again；　〃they　spend　a　month

in　disputes　about　syllables；　and　overthrow；　in　a　single　night；　the

whole　established　system　of　the　Monarchy　！〃＇10＇





　The　truth　is；　they　display　the　nervousness　of　women；　and；　from　one

end　of　the　Revolution　to　the　other；　this　excitability　keeps　on

increasing。





Not　only　are　they　excited；　but　the　pitch　of　excitement　must　be

maintained；　and；　like　the　drunkard　who；　once　stimulated；　has

recourse　again　to　strong　waters；　one　would　say　that　they　carefully

try　to　expel　the　last　remnants　of　calmness　and　common　sense　from

their　brains。　　　They　delight　in　pompous　phrases；　in　high…sounding

rhetoric；　in　declamatory　sentimental　strokes　of　eloquence：　this　is

the　style　of　nearly　all　their　speeches；　and　so　strong　is　their

taste；　they　are　not　satisfied　with　the　orations　made　amongst

themselves。　　　Lally　and　Necker；　having　made　〃affecting　and　sublime〃

speeches　at　the　H？tel…de…Ville；　the　Assembly　wish　them　to　be

repeated　before　them：＇11＇　　this　being　the　heart　of　France；　it　is

proper　for　it　to　answer　to　the　noble　emotions　of　all　Frenchmen。

Let　this　heart　throb　on；　and　as　strongly　as　possible；　for　that　is

its　office；　and　day　by　day　it　receives　fresh　impulses。　　　Almost　all

sittings　begin　with　the　reading　of　flattering　addresses　or　of

threatening　denunciations。　　　The　petitioners　frequently　appear　in

person；　and　read　their　enthusiastic　effusions；　their　imperious

advice；　their　doctrines　of　dissolution。　　　To…day　it　is　Danton；　in

the　name　of　Paris；　with　his　bull　visage　and　his　voice　that　seems　a

tocsin　of　insurrection；　to…morrow；　the　vanquishers　of　the　Bastille；

or　some　other　troop；　with　a　band　of　music　which　continues　playing

even　into　the　hall。　　　The　meeting　is　not　a　conference　for　business；

but　a　patriotic　opera；　where　the　eclogue；　the　melodrama；　and

sometimes　the　masquerade；　mingle　with　the　cheers　and　the　clapping　of

hands。＇12＇　　　A　serf　of　the　Jura　is　brought　to　the　bar　of　the

Assembly　aged　one　hundred　and　twenty　years；　and　one　of　the　members

of　the　cortège；　〃　M。　Bourbon　de　la　Crosnière；　director　of　a

patriotic　school；　asks　permission　to　take　charge　of　an　honorable　old

man；　that　he　may　be　waited　on　by　the　young　people　of　all　ranks；　and

especially　by　the　children　of　those　whose　fathers　were　killed　in　the

attack　on　the　Bastille。〃　＇13＇　Great　is　the　hubbub　and　excitement。

The　scene　seems　to　be　in　imitation　of　Berquin；＇14＇　with　the

additional　complication　of　a　mercenary　consideration。



But　small　matters　are　not　closely　looked　into；　and　the　Assembly；

under　the　pressure　of　the　galleries；　stoops　to　shows；　such　as　are

held　at　fairs。　　　Sixty　vagabonds　who　are　paid　twelve　francs　a　head；

in　the　costumes　of　Spaniards；　Dutchmen；　Turks；　Arabs；　Tripolitans；

Persians；　Hindus；　Mongols；　and　Chinese；　conducted　by　the　Prussian

Anacharsis　Clootz；　enter；　under　the　title　of　Ambassadors　of　the

Human　Race；　to　declaim　against　tyrants；　and　they　are　admitted　to　the

honors　of　the　sitting。　　　On　this　occasion　the　masquerade　is　a　stroke

devised　to　hasten　and　extort　the　abolition　of　nobility。＇15＇　At　other

times；　there　is　little　or　no　object　in　it；　its　ridiculousness　is

inexpressible；　for　the　farce　is　played　out　as　seriously　and

earnestly　as　in　a　village　award　of　prizes。　　　For　three　days；　the

children　who　have　taken　their　first　communion　before　the

constitutional　bishop　have　been　promenaded　through　the　streets　of

Paris；　at　the　Jacobin　club　they　recite　the　nonsense　they　have

committed　to　memory；　and；　on　the　fourth　day；　admitted　to　the　bar　of

the　Assembly；　their　spokesman；　a　poor　little　thing　of　twelve　years；

repeats　the　parrot…like　tirade。　　　He　winds　up　with　the　accustomed

oath；　upon　which　all　the　others　cry　out　in　their　piping；　shrill

voices；　〃　We　swear　！　〃　As　a　climax；　the　President；　Trejlhard；　a

sober　lawyer；　replies　to　the　little　gamins　with　perfect　gravity　in　a

similar　strain；　employing　metaphors；　personifications；　and

everything　else　belonging　to　the　stock…in…trade　of　a　pedant　on　his

platform：



　〃You　merit　a　share　in　the　glory　of　the　founders　of　liberty；

prepared　as　you　are　to　shed　your　blood　in　her　behalf。〃



　Immense　applause　from　the　〃left〃　and　the　galleries；　and　a　decree

ordering　the　speeches　of　both　president　and　children　to　be　printed。

The　children；　probably；　would　rather　have　gone　out　to　play；　but；

willingly　or　unwillingly；　they　receive　or　endure　the　honors　of　the

sitting。＇16＇



Such　are　the　tricks　of　the　stage　and　of　the　platform　by　which　the

managers　here　move　their　political　puppets。　　　Emotional

susceptibility；　once　recognized　as　a　legitimate　force；　thus　becomes

an　instrument　of　intrigue　and　constraint。　　　The　Assembly；　having

accepted　theatrical　exhibitions　when　these　were　sincere　and　earnest；

is　obliged　to　tolerate　them　when　they　become　mere　sham　and

buffoonery。　　　At　this　vast　national　banquet；　over　which　it　meant　to

preside；　and　to　which；　throwing　the　doors　wide　open；　it　invited　all

France；　its　first　intoxication　was　due　to　wine　of　a　noble　quality；

but　it　has　touched　glasses　with　the　populace；　and　by　degrees；　under

the　pressure　of　its　associates；　it　has　descended　to　adulterated　and

burning　drinks；　to　a　grotesque　unwholesome　inebriety　which　is　all

the　more　grotesque　and　unwholesome；　because　it　persists　in　believing

itself　to　be　reason。



　II。



Inadequacy　of　its　information　…　Its　composition　…　The　social

standing　and　culture　of　the　larger　number　…　Their　incapacity。

Their　presumption　…　Fruitless　advice　of　competent　men。…　Deductive

politics　…　Parties　…　The　minority；　its　faults　…　The　majority；　its

dogmatism。



If　reason　could　only　resume　its　empire　during　the　lucid　intervals！

But　reason　must　exist　before　it　can　govern；　and　in　no　French

Assembly；　except　the　two　following　this；　have　there　ever　been　fewer

political　intellects。　　…　　Strictly　speaking；　with　careful　search；

there　could　undoubtedly　be　found　in　France；　in　1789；　five　or　six

hundred　experienced　men；　such　as　the　intendants　and　military

commanders　of　every　province；　next　to　these　the　prelates；

administrators　of　large　dioceses　the　members　of　the　local

〃parlements；〃　whose　courts　gave　them　influence；　and　who；　besides

judicial　functions；　possessed　a　portion　of　administrative　power；　and

finally；　the　principal　members　of　the　Provincial　Assemblies；　all　of

them　influential　and　sensible　people　who　had　exercised　control　over

men　and　affairs；　at　once　humane；　liberal；　moderate；　and　capable　of

understanding　the　difficulty；　as　well　as　the　necessity；　of　a　great

reform；　indeed；　their　correspondence；　full　of　facts；　stated　with

precision　and　judgment；　when　compared　with　the　doctrinaire　rubbish

of　the　Assembly；　presents　the　strongest　possible　contrast。　　…　　But

most　of　these　lights　remain　under　a　bushel；　only　a　few　of　them　get

into　the　Assem