按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
it often ran the purchaser in debt ； he knew that his acquisition
would bring him more consideration than crowns。 On the other hand； to
obtain possession of it； he had to secure the good…will of the body of
which he became a member； or of the patron who bestowed the office。
That is to say； he must be regarded by his future colleagues as
acceptable； or by the patron as a guest； invited； and feasible friend；
in other words； provide sponsors for himself； furnish guarantees；
prove that he was well…off and well…educated； that his ways and
manners qualified him for the post； and that； in the society he was
about to enter； he would not turn out unsuitable。 To maintain one's
self in office at court one was obliged to possess the tone of
Versailles； quite different from that of Paris and the provinces。＇13＇
To maintain one's self in a high parliamentary position； one was
expected to possess local alliances； moral authority； the traditions
and deportment handed down from father to son in the old magistrate
families； and which a mere advocate； an ordinary pleader； could not
arrive at。＇14＇ In short； on this staircase； each distinct story
imposed on its inmates a sort of distinct costume； more or less
costly； embroidered and gilded； I mean a sum of outward and inward
habits and connections； all obligatory and indispensable； comprising
title； particle and name： the announcement of any bourgeois name by a
lackey in the ante…chamber would be considered a discord；
consequently； one had one's self ennobled in the current coin； or
assumed a noble name gratis。 Caron； son of a watchmaker； became
Beaumarchais； Nicolas； a foundling； called himself M。 de Champfort；
Danton； in public documents； signed himself d'Anton； in the same way；
a man without a dress…coat hires or borrows one； no matter how； on
going out to dine； all this was tolerated and accepted as a sign of
good behavior and of final conformity with custom； as in testimony of
respect for the usages of good society。
Through this visible separation of stories； people had acquired the
habit of remaining in the condition in which they were placed； they
were not irritated by being obliged to stay in it ； the soldier who
enlisted did not aspire to become an officer； the young officer of the
lower noblesse and of small means did not aspire to the post of
colonel or lieutenant…general； a limited perspective kept hopes and
the imagination from fruitlessly launching forth into a boundless
future： ambition； humbled to the ground at the start； walked instead
of flying； it recognized at the outset that the summits were beyond
its reach； to be able to mount upward one or two steps was enough。 …
In general； a man obtained promotion on the spot； in his town；
corporation or parliament。 The assistant…counselor who pleaded his
first case in the court of Grenoble or of Rennes calculated that； in
twenty years； he would become first judge at Grenoble or at Rennes；
rest twenty years or more in office； and he aimed at nothing better。
Alongside of the counselor of a （court） presidency； or of an
〃election〃 magistrate； of a clerk in the salt…tax bureau； or in the
frontier custom…house； or in the bureau of 〃rivers and forests；〃
alongside of a clerk in the treasury or ministry of foreign affairs；
or of a lawyer or prosecuting attorney； there was always some son；
son…in…law or nephew； fitted by domestic training； by a technical
apprenticeship； by moral adaptation； not only to perform the duties of
the office； but to be contented in it； pretend to nothing beyond it；
not to look above himself with regret or envy； satisfied with the
society around him； and feel； moreover； that elsewhere he would be out
of his element and uncomfortable。
Life； thus restricted and circumscribed； was more cheerful then than
at the present day； souls； less disturbed and less strained； less
exhausted and less burdened with cares； were healthier。 The Frenchman；
exempt from modern preoccupations； followed amiable and social
instincts； inclined to take things easily； and of a playful
disposition owing to his natural talent for amusing himself by amusing
others； in mutual enjoyment of each other's company and without
calculation； through easy and considerate intercourse； smiling or
laughing； in short； in a constant flow of inspiration； good…humor and
gayety。＇15＇ It is probable that； if the Revolution had not intervened；
the great parvenus of the time and of the Empire would； like their
forerunners； have submitted to prevailing necessities and readily
accommodated themselves to the discipline of the established Régime。
Cambacérès； who had succeeded to his father as counselor at the bar of
Montpellier； would have become president （of the tribunal） in his
turn； meanwhile； he would have composed able jurisprudential treatises
and invented some new paté de becfigues； Lebrun； former collaborator
with Maupeou； might have become counselor in the court of excise at
Paris； or chief…clerk in the Treasury department； he would have kept
up a philosophical salon； with fashionable ladies and polished men of
letters to praise his elegant and faulty translations。 Amongst the
future marshals； some of them； pure plebeians； Masséna； Augereau；
Lannes； Ney； Lefebvre； might have succeeded through brilliant actions
and have become 〃officers of fortune；〃 while others； taking in hand
specially difficult services； like commandant Fischer who undertook
the destruction of Mandrin's band； and again； like the hero Chevert；
and the veteran Lückner； might have become lieutenant…generals。 Rough
as these men were； they would have found； even in the lower ranks； if
not full employment for their superior faculties； at least sufficient
food for their strong and coarse appetites； they would have uttered
just the same oaths； at just as extravagant suppers； with mistresses
of just the same caliber。＇16＇ Had their temperament； character and
genius been indomitable； had they reared and pranced to escape bridle
and harness and been driven like ordinary men； they need not have
broken out of the traces for all that； there were plenty of openings
and issues for them on either side of the highway on which others were
trotting along。 Many families often contained； among numerous
children； some hot…headed； imaginative youth； some independent nature
rebellious in advance； in short； a refractory spirit； unwilling or
incapable of being disciplined； a regular life； mediocrity； even the
certainty of getting ahead； were distasteful to him； he would abandon
the hereditary homestead or purchased office to the docile elder
brother； son…in…law or nephew； by which the domain or the post
remained in the family； as for himself； tempted by illimitable
prospects； he would leave France and go abroad； Voltaire says＇17＇ that
〃Frenchmen were found everywhere；〃 in Canada； in Louisiana； as
surgeons； fencing…masters； riding…masters； officers； engineers；
adventurers especially； and even filibusters； trappers and
backwoodsmen； the supplest； most sympathetic and boldest of colonizers
and civilizers； alone capable of bringing the natives under
assimilation by assimilating with them； by adopting their customs and
by marrying their women； mixing bloods； and forming new and
intermediary races； like Dumas de La Pailleterie； whose descendants
have furnished original and superior men for the past three
generations； and like the Canada half…breeds by which the aboriginal
race succeeds in transforming itself and in surviving。 They were the
first explorers of the great lakes； the first to trace the Mississippi
to its mouth； and found colonial empires with Champlain and Lasalle in
North America and with Dupleix and La Bourdonnais in Hindustan。 Such
was the outlet for daring； uncontrollable spirits； restive
temperaments under constraint and subject to the routine of an old
civilization； souls astray and unclassed from their birth； in which
the primitive instincts of the nomad and barbarian sprouted afresh； in
which insubordination was innate； and in which energy and capacity to
take the initiative remained intact。 … Mirabeau； having compromised
his family by scandals； was on the point of being dispatched by his
father to the Dutch Indies； where deaths were common； it might happen
that he would be hanged or become governor of some large district in
Java or Sumatra； the venerated and adored sovereign of five hundred
thousand Malays； both ends being within the compass of his merits。 Had
Danton been well advised； instead of borrowing the money with which to
buy an advocate's place in the Council at about seventy thousand
livres； which brought him only three cases in four years and obliged
him to hang on to the skirts of his father…in…law； he would have gone
to Pondicherry or to the palace of some indigenous rajah or king as
agent； councilor or companion of his pleasures； he might have become
prime…minister to Tippoo Sahib； or other potentate； lived