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the ancien regime-第7章

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and deplores。  But what was the cause of the curse?  Their moral

degradation。  What drew them up to Paris save vanity and profligacy?

What kept them from intermarrying with the middle class save pride?

What made them give up the office of governors save idleness?  And

if vanity; profligacy; pride; and idleness be not injustices and

moral vices; what are?



The race of heroic knights and nobles who fought under the walls of

Jerusalemwho wrestled; and not in vain; for centuries with the

equally heroic English; in defence of their native soilwho had set

to all Europe the example of all knightly virtues; had rotted down

to this; their only virtue left; as Mr。 Carlyle says; beinga

perfect readiness to fight duels。



Every Intendant; chosen by the Comptroller…General out of the lower…

born members of the Council of State; a needy young plebeian with

his fortune to make; and a stranger to the province; was; in spite

of his greed; ambition; chicane; arbitrary tyranny; a better man

abler; more energetic; and often; to judge from the pages of De

Tocqueville; with far more sympathy and mercy for the wretched

peasantrythan was the count or marquis in the chateau above; who

looked down on him as a roturier; and let him nevertheless become

first his deputy; and then his master。



Understand meI am not speaking against the hereditary principle of

the Ancien Regime; but against its caste principletwo widely

different elements; continually confounded nowadays。



The hereditary principle is good; because it is founded on fact and

nature。  If men's minds come into the world blank sheets of paper

which I much doubtevery other part and faculty of them comes in

stamped with hereditary tendencies and peculiarities。  There are

such things as transmitted capabilities for good and for evil; and

as surely as the offspring of a good horse or dog is likely to be

good; so is the offspring of a good man; and still more of a good

woman。  If the parents have any special ability; their children will

probably inherit it; at least in part; and over and above; will have

it developed in them by an education worthy of their parents and

themselves。  If man werewhat he is nota healthy and normal

species; a permanent hereditary caste might go on intermarrying; and

so perpetuate itself。  But the same moral reason which would make

such a caste dangerousindeed; fatal to the liberty and development

of mankind; makes it happily impossible。  Crimes and follies are

certain; after a few generations; to weaken the powers of any human

caste; and unless it supplements its own weakness by mingling again

with the common stock of humanity; it must sink under that weakness;

as the ancient noblesse sank by its own vice。  Of course there were

exceptions。  The French Revolution brought those exceptions out into

strong light; and like every day of judgment; divided between the

good and the evil。  But it lies not in exceptions to save a caste;

or an institution; and a few Richelieus; Liancourts; Rochefoucaulds;

Noailles; Lafayettes were but the storks among the cranes involved

in the wholesale doom due not to each individual; but to a system

and a class。



Profligacy; pride; idlenessthese are the vices which we have to

lay to the charge of the Teutonic Nobility of the Ancien Regime in

France especially; and (though in a less degree perhaps) over the

whole continent of Europe。  But below them; and perhaps the cause of

them all; lay another and deeper vicegodlessnessatheism。



I do not mean merely want of religion; doctrinal unbelief。  I mean

want of belief in duty; in responsibility。  Want of belief that

there was a living God governing the universe; who had set them

their work; and would judge them according to their work。  And

therefore; want of belief; yea; utter unconsciousness; that they

were set in their places to make the masses below them better men;

to impart to them their own civilisation; to raise them to their own

level。  They would have shrunk from that which I just now defined as

the true duty of an aristocracy; just because it would have seemed

to them madness to abolish themselves。  But the process of abolition

went on; nevertheless; only now from without instead of from within。

So it must always be; in such a case。  If a ruling class will not

try to raise the masses to their own level; the masses will try to

drag them down to theirs。  That sense of justice which allowed

privileges; when they were as strictly official privileges as the

salary of a judge; or the immunity of a member of the House of

Commons; when they were earned; as in the Middle Age; by severe

education; earnest labour; and life and death responsibility in

peace and war; will demand the abolition of those privileges; when

no work is done in return for them; with a voice which must be

heard; for it is the voice of truth and justice。



But with that righteous voice will mingle another; most wicked; and

yet; alas! most flattering to poor humanitythe voice of envy;

simple and undisguised; of envy; which moralists hold to be one of

the basest of human passions; which can never be justified; however

hateful or unworthy be the envied man。  And when a whole people; or

even a majority thereof; shall be possessed by that; what is there

that they will not do?



Some are surprised and puzzled when they find; in the French

Revolution of 1793; the noblest and the foulest characters labouring

in concert; and side by sideoften; too; paradoxical as it may

seem; united in the same personage。  The explanation is simple。

Justice inspired the one; the other was the child of simple envy。

But this passion of envy; if it becomes permanent and popular; may

avenge itself; like all other sins。  A nation may say to itself;

〃Provided we have no superiors to fall our pride; we are content。

Liberty is a slight matter; provided we have equality。  Let us be

slaves; provided we are all slaves alike。〃  It may destroy every

standard of humanity above its own mean average; it may forget that

the old ruling class; in spite of all its defects and crimes; did at

least pretend to represent something higher than man's necessary

wants; plus the greed of amassing money; never meeting (at least in

the country districts) any one wiser or more refined than an

official or a priest drawn from the peasant class; it may lose the

belief that any standard higher than that is needed; and; all but

forgetting the very existence of civilisation; sink contented into a

dead level of intellectual mediocrity and moral barbarism; crying;

〃Let us eat and drink; for to…morrow we die。〃



A nation in such a temper will surely be taken at its word。  Where

the carcase is; there the eagles will be gathered together; and

there will not be wanting to such nationsas there were not wanting

in old Greece and Romedespots who will give them all they want;

and more; and say to them:  〃Yes; you shall eat and drink; and yet

you shall not die。  For I; while I take care of your mortal bodies;

will see that care is taken of your immortal souls。〃



For there are those who have discovered; with the kings of the Holy

Alliance; that infidelity and scepticism are political mistakes; not

so much because they promote vice; as because they promote (or are

supposed to promote) free thought; who see that religion (no matter

of what quality) is a most valuable assistant to the duties of a

minister of police。  They will quote in their own behalf

Montesquieu's opinion that religion is a column necessary to sustain

the social edifice; they will quote; too; that sound and true saying

of De Tocqueville's:  {1} 〃If the first American who might be met;

either in his own country; or abroad; were to be stopped and asked

whether he considered religion useful to the stability of the laws

and the good order of society; he would answer; without hesitation;

that no civilised society; but more especially none in a state of

freedom; can exist without religion。  Respect for religion is; in

his eyes; the greatest guarantee of the stability of the State; and

of the safety of the community。  Those who are ignorant of the

science of government; know that fact at least。〃



M。 de Tocqueville; when he wrote these words; was lamenting that in

France; 〃freedom was forsaken;〃 〃a thing for which it is said that

no one any longer cares in France。〃  He did not; it seems to me;

perceive that; as in America the best guarantee of freedom is the

reverence for a religion or religions; which are free themselves;

and which teach men to be free; so in other countries the best

guarantee of slavery is; reverence for religions which are not free;

and which teach men to be slaves。



But what M。 de Tocqueville did not see; there are others who will

see; who will say:  〃If religion be the pillar of political and

social order; there is an order which is best supported by a

religion which is adverse to free thought; free s
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