the origins of contemporary france-1-第6章

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！



in　this　way　1；500；000　livres。…As　for　the　nobles；　they；　being　unable　to

combine　together；　to　have　representatives；　and　to　act　in　a　public　way；

operate　instead　in　a　private　way。　　They　contact　ministers；　intendants；

sub…delegates；　farmer…generals；　and　all　others　clothed　with　authority；

their　quality　securing　attentions；　consideration　and　favors。　　In　the

first　place；　this　quality　exempts　themselves；　their　dependents；　and

the　dependents　of　their　dependents；　from　drafting　in　the　militia；　from

lodging　soldiers；　from　（la　corvée）　laboring　on　the　highways。　　Next；　the

capitation　being　fixed　according　to　the　tax　system；　they　pay　little；

because　their　taxation　is　of　little　account。　　Moreover；　each　one　brings

all　his　credit　to　bear　against　assessments。　　〃Your　sympathetic　heart；〃

writes　one　of　them　to　the　intendant；　〃will　never　allow　a　father　of　my

condition　to　be　taxed　for　the　vingtiémes　rigidly　like　a　father　of　low

birth。〃＇19＇　On　the　other　hand；　as　the　taxpayer　pays　the　capitation…tax

at　his　actual　residence；　often　far　away　from　his　estates；　and　no　one

having　any　knowledge　of　his　personal　income；　he　may　pay　whatever　seems

to　him　proper。　　There　are　no　proceedings　against　him；　if　he　is　a　noble；

the　greatest　circumspection　is　used　towards　persons　of　high　rank。　　〃In

the　provinces；〃　says　Turgot；　〃　the　capitation…tax　of　the　privileged

classes　has　been　successively　reduced　to　an　exceedingly　small　matter；

whilst　the　capitation…tax　of　those　who　are　liable　to　the　taille　is

almost　equal　to　the　aggregate　of　that　tax。〃　And　finally；　〃the

collectors　think　that　they　are　obliged　to　act　towards　them　with　marked

consideration〃　even　when　they　owe；　〃the　result　of　which；〃　says　Necker；

〃is　that　very　ancient；　and　much　too　large　amounts；　of　their

capitation…tax　remain　unpaid。〃　Accordingly；　not　having　been　able　to

repel　the　assault　of　the　revenue　services　in　front　they　evaded　it　or

diminished　it　until　it　became　almost　unobjectionable。　　In　Champagne；　on

nearly　1；500；000　livres　provided　by　the　capitation…tax；　they　paid　in

only　14；000　livres；〃　that　is　to　say；　〃2　sous　and　2　deniers　for　the

same　purpose　which　costs　12　sous　per　livre　to　those　chargeable　with

the　taille。〃　According　to　Calonne；　〃if　concessions　and　privileges　had

been　suppressed　the　vingtièmes　would　have　furnished　double　the

amount。〃　In　this　respect　the　most　opulent　were　the　most　skillful　in

protecting　themselves。　　〃With　the　intendants；〃　said　the　Duc　d'Orleans；

〃I　settle　matters；　and　pay　about　what　I　please；〃　and　he　calculated

that　the　provincial　administration；　rigorously　taxing　him；　would　cause

him　to　lose　300；000　livres　rental。　　It　has　been　proved　that　the　princes

of　the　blood　paid；　for　their　two…twentieths；　188；000　instead　of

2；400；000　livres。　　In　the　main；　in　this　régime；　exception　from　taxation

is　the　last　remnant　of　sovereignty　or；　at　least；　of　independence。　　The

privileged　person　avoids　or　repels　taxation；　not　merely　because　it

despoils　him；　but　because　it　belittles　him；　it　is　a　mark　of　the

commoner；　that　is　to　say；　of　former　servitude；　and　he　resists　the　fisc

（the　revenue　services）　as　much　through　pride　as　through　interest。



IV。　　Their　Feudal　Rights。



These　advantages　are　the　remains　of　primitive　sovereignty。



Let　us　follow　him　home　to　his　own　domain。　　A　bishop；　an　abbé；　a

chapter　of　the　clergy；　an　abbess；　each　has　one　like　a　lay　seignior；

for；　in　former　times；　the　monastery　and　the　church　were　small

governments　like　the　county　and　the　duchy。　　…Intact　on　the　other　bank

of　the　Rhine；　almost　ruined　in　France；　the　feudal　structure　everywhere

discloses　the　same　plan。　　In　certain　places；　better　protected　or　less

attacked；　it　has　preserved　all　its　ancient　externals。　　At　Cahors；　the

bishop…count　of　the　town　had　the　right；　on　solemnly　officiating；　〃to

place　his　helmet；　cuirass；　gauntlets　and　sword　on　the　altar。〃＇20＇　　At

Besan？on；　the　archbishop…prince　has　six　high　officers；　who　owe　him

homage　for　their　fiefs；　and　who　attend　at　his　coronation　and　at　his

obsequies。　　At　Mende；＇21＇　the　bishop；　seignior…suzerain　for　Gévaudan

since　the　eleventh　century；　appoints　〃the　courts；　ordinary　judges　and

judges　of　appeal；　the　commissaries　and　syndics　of　the　country。〃　He

disposes　of　all　the　places；　〃municipal　and　judiciary。〃　Entreated　to

appear　in　the　assembly　of　the　three　orders　of　the　province；　he

〃replies　that　his　place；　his　possessions　and　his　rank　exalting　him

above　every　individual　in　his　diocese。　　He　cannot　sit　under　the

presidency　of　any　person；　that；　being　seignior…suzerain　of　all　estates

and　particularly　of　the　baronies；　he　cannot　give　way　to　his　vassals。〃

In　brief　that　he　is　king；　or　but　little　short　of　it；　in　his　own

province。　　At　Remiremont；　the　noble　chapter　of　canonesses　has；

〃inferior；　superior；　and　ordinary　judicature　in　fifty…two　bans　of

seigniories；〃　nominates　seventy…five　curacies　and　confers　ten　male

canonships。　　It　appoints　the　municipal　officers　of　the　town；　and；

besides　these；　three　lower　and　higher　courts；　and　everywhere　the

officials　in　the　jurisdiction　over　woods　and　forests。　　Thirty…two

bishops；　without　counting　the　chapters；　are　thus　temporal　seigniors；

in　whole　or　in　part；　of　their　episcopal　town；　sometimes　of　the

surrounding　district；　and　sometimes；　like　the　bishop　of　St。　　Claude；　of

the　entire　country。　　Here　the　feudal　tower　has　been　preserved。

Elsewhere　it　is　plastered　over　anew；　and　more　particularly　in　the

appanages。　　In　these　domains；　comprising　more　than　twelve　of　our

departments；　the　princes　of　the　blood　appoint　to　all　offices　in　the

judiciary　and　to　all　clerical　livings。　　Being　substitutes　of　the　king

they　enjoy　his　serviceable　and　honorary　rights。　　They　are　almost

delegated　kings；　and　for　life；　for　they　not　only　receive　all　that　the

king　would　receive　as　seignior；　but　again　a　portion　of　that　which　he

would　receive　as　monarch。　　For　example；　the　house　of　Orleans　collects

the　excises；＇22＇　that　is　to　say　the　duty　on　liquors；　on　works　in　gold

or　silver；　on　manufactures　of　iron；　on　steel；　on　cards；　on　paper　and

starch；　in　short；　on　the　entire　sum…total　of　one　of　the　most　onerous

indirect　taxes。　　It　is　not　surprising；　if；　having　a　nearly　sovereign

situation；　they　have　a　council；　a　chancellor；　an　organized　debt；　a

court；＇23＇　a　domestic　ceremonial　system；　and　that　the　feudal　edifice

in　their　hands　should　put　on　the　luxurious　and　formal　trappings　which

it　had　assumed　in　the　hands　of　the　king。



Let　us　turn　to　its　inferior　personages；　to　a　seignior　of　medium

rank；　on　his　square　league　of　ground；　amidst　the　thousand　inhabitants

who　were　formerly　his　villeins　or　his　serfs；　within　reach　of　the

monastery；　or　chapter；　or　bishop　whose　rights　intermingle　with　his

rights。　　Whatever　may　have　been　done　to　abase　him　his　position　is　still

very　high。　　He　is　yet；　as　the　intendants　say；　〃the　first　inhabitant；〃　a

prince　whom　they　have　half　despoiled　of　his　public　functions　and

consigned　to　his　honorary　and　available　rights；　but　who　nevertheless

remains　a　prince。＇24＇　　He　has　his　bench　in　the　church；　and　his　right

of　sepulture　in　the　choir；　the　tapestry　bears　his　coat　of　arms；　they

bestow　on　him　incense；　〃holy　water　by　distinction。〃　Often；　having

founded　the　church；　he　is　its　patron；　choosing　the　curate　and　claiming

to　control　him；　in　the　rural　districts　we　see　him　advancing　or

retarding　the　hour　of　the　parochial　mass　according　to　his　fancy。　　If　he

bears　a　title　he　is　supreme　judge；　and　there　are　entire　provinces；

Maine　and　Anjou；　for　example；　where　there　is　no　fief　without　the

judge。　　In　this　case　he　appoints　the　bailiff；　the　registrar；　and　other

legal　and　judicial　officers；　attorneys；　notaries；　seigniorial

sergeants；　constabulary　on　foot　or　mounted；　who　draw　up　documents　or

decide　in　his　name　in　civil　and　criminal　cases　on　the　first　trial。　　He

appoints；　moreover；　a　forest…warden；　or　decides　forest　offenses；　and

enforces　the　penalties；　which　this　officer　inflicts。　　He　has　his　prison

for　delinquents　of　various　kinds；　and　sometimes　his　forked　gibbets。　　On

the　other　hand；　as　compensation　for　his　judicial　costs；　he　obtains　the

property　of　the　man　condemned　to　death　and　the　confiscation　of　his

estate。　　He　succeeds　to　the　bastard　born　and　dying　in　his　seigniory

without　leaving　a　testament　or　legitimate　children。　　He　inherits　from

the　possessor；　legitimately　born；　dying　in　testate　in　his　house

without　apparent　heirs。　　He　appropriates　to　himself　movable　objects；

animate　or　inanimate；　which　are　found　astray　and　of　which　the　owner　is

unknown；　he　claims　one…half　or　one…third　of　treasure…trove；　and；　on

the　coast；　he　takes　for　himself　the　waif　of　wrecks。　　And　finally；　what

is　more　fruitful；　in　these　times　of　misery；　he　becomes　the　possessor

of　abandoned　lands　that　have　remained　untilled　for　ten　years。…Other

advantages　demonstrate　still　more　clearly　that　he　formerly　possessed

the　government　of　the　canton。　　Such　are；　in　Auvergne；　in　Flanders；　in

Hainaut；　in　Artois；　in　Picardy；　Alsace；　and　Lorraine；　the　dues　de

poursoin　ou　de　sauvement　（care　or　safety　within　the　walls　of　a　town）；

paid　to　him　for　providing　general　protection。　　The　dues　of　de　guet　et

de　garde　（watch　and　guard）；　claimed　by　him　for　military　protection；　of

afforage；　are　exacted　of　those　who　sell　beer；　wine　and　other

beverages；　whole…sale　or　retail。　　The　dues　of　fouage；　dues　on　fires；　in

money　or　grain；　which；　according　to　many　common…law　systems；　he　levies

on　each　fireside；　house　or　family。　　The　dues　of　pulvérage；　quite　common

in　Dauphiny…and　Provence；　are　levied　on　passing　flocks　of　sheep。　　Those

of　the　lods　et　ventes　（lord's　due）；　an　almost　universal　tax；　consist

of　the　deduction　of　a　sixth；　often　of　a　fifth　or　even　a　fourth；　of　the

price　of　every　piece　of　ground　sold；　and　of　every　lease　exceeding　nine

years。　　The　dues　for　redemption　or　relief　are　equivalent　to　one　year's

income；　aid　that　he　receives　from　collateral　heirs；　and　often　from

direct　heirs。　　Finally；　a　rarer　due；　but　the　most　burdensome　of　all；　is

that　of　acapte　ou　de　plaid…a…merci；　which　is　a　double　rent；　or　a

year's　yield　of　fruits；　payable　as　well　on　the　death　of　the　seignior

as　on　that　of　the　copyholder。　　These　are　veritable　taxes；　on　land；　on

movables；　personal；　for　licenses；　for　traffic；　for　mutations；　for

successions；　established　formerly　on　the　condition　of　performing　a

public　service　which　he　is　no　longer　obliged　to　perform。



Other　dues　are　also　ancient　taxes；　but　he　still　performs　the

service　for　which　they　are　a　quittance。　　The　king；　in　fact；　suppresses

many　of　the　tolls；　twelve　hundred　in　1724；　and　the　suppression　is　kept

up。　　A　good　many　still　remain　to　the　profit　of　the　seignior；　…　on

bridges；　on　highways；　on　fords；　on　boats　ascending　　　or　descending；

several　being　very　lucrative；　one　of　them　producing　90；000　livres＇25＇。

He　pays　for　the　expense　of　keeping　up　bridge；　road；　ford　and　towpath。

In　like　manner；　on　condition　of　maintaining　the　market…place　and　of

providing　scales　and　weights　gratis；　he　levies　a　tax　on　provis