the origins of contemporary france-5-第34章

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itself。　Let　him　in　this　well…defined；　circumscribed　abode　be　free　to

turn　round　and　range　as　he　pleases；　free　to　browse　at　will；　and；　if　he

chooses；　to　consume　all　his　hay　himself。　It　is　not　essential　that　his

meadows　should　be　very　extensive：　most　men　live　with　their　nose　to　the

ground；　very　few　look　beyond　a　very　narrow　circle；　men　are　not　much

troubled　by　being　penned　up；　the　egoism　and　urgent　needs　of　daily　life

are　already　for　them　ready…made　limits：　within　these　natural　barriers

they　ask　for　nothing　but　to　be　allowed　to　graze　in　security。　Let　us

give　them　this　assurance　and　leave　them　free　to　consult　their　own

welfare。　…　As　to　the　rest；　in　very　small　number；　more　or　less

imaginative；　energetic；　and　ardent；　there　is；　outside　the　enclosure；

an　issue　expressly　provided　for　them：　the　new　administrative　and

military　professions　offer　an　outlet　to　their　ambition　and　to　their

vanity　which；　from　the　start；　keeps　on　expanding　until；　suddenly；　the

first　Consul　points　to　an　infinite　perspective　on　the　horizon。＇26＇

According　to　an　expression　attributed　to　him；　henceforth；



〃the　field　is　open　to　all　talents；〃



and　hence　all　talents；　gathered　into　the　central　current　and

precipitated　headlong　through　competition；　swell　with　their　inflow　the

immensity　of　the　public　power。



This　done；　the　principal　features　of　modern　France　are　traced；　a　tool

of　a　new　and　strange　type　arises；　defines　itself；　and　issues　forth；

its　structure　determining　its　destiny。　It　consists　of　a　social　body

organized　by　a　despot　and　for　a　despot；　calculated　for　the　use　of　one

man；　excellent　for　action　under　the　impulsion　of　a　unique　will；　with　a

superior　intelligence；　admirable　so　long　as　this　intelligence　remains

lucid　and　this　will　remains　healthy。　It　is　adapted　to　a　military　life

and　not　to　civil　life；　and　therefore　badly　balanced；　hampered　（géné）

in　its　development；　exposed　to　periodical　crises；　condemned　to

precocious　debility；　but　viable　for　a　long　time；　and；　for　the　present

robust；　alone　able　to　bear　the　weight　of　the　new　reign　and　to　furnish

for　fifteen　successive　years　the　crushing　labor；　the　conquering

obedience；　the　superhuman；　murderous；　insensate　effort　which　its

master　exacts。







IV。　Napoleon's　barracks。



General　aspect　and　characteristics　of　the　new　State。　…　Contrast

between　its　structure　and　that　of　other　contemporary　or　pre…existing

States。　…　The　plurality；　complexity；　and　irregularity　of　ancient

France。　…　The　unity；　simplicity；　and　regularity　of　modern　France。　…　To

what　class　of　works　it　belongs。　…　It　is　the　modern　masterpiece　of　the

classic　spirit　in　the　political　and　social　order　of　things。



Let　us　take　a　nearer　view　of　the　master's　idea　and　of　the　way　in

which；　at　this　moment；　he　figures　to　himself　the　society　which　is

assuming　new　shape　in　his　hands。　All　the　leading　features　of　the　plan

are　fixed　beforehand　in　his　mind：　they　are　already　deeply　graven　on　it

through　his　education　and　through　his　instinct。　By　virtue　of　this

instinct；　which　is　despotic；　by　virtue　of　this　education；　which　is

classic　and　Latin；　he　conceives　human　associations　not　in　the　modern

fashion；　Germanic　and　Christian；　as　a　concert　of　initiations　starting

from　below；　but　in　the　antique　fashion；　pagan　and　Roman；　as　a

hierarchy　of　authorities　imposed　from　above。　He　puts　his　own　spirit

into　his　civil　institutions；　the　military　spirit；　consequently；　he

constructs　a　huge　barracks　wherein；　to　begin　with；　he　lodges　thirty

million；　men；　women；　and　children；　and；　later　on；　forty…two　million；

all　the　way　from　Hamburg　to　Rome。



The　edifice　is；　of　course；　superb　and　of　a　new　style。　On　comparing　it

with　other　societies　in　surrounding　Europe；　and　particularly　France　as

she　was　previous　to　1789；　the　contrast　is　striking。　…　Everywhere　else

the　social　edifice　is　a　composition　of　many　distinct　structures　…

provinces；　cities；　seignories；　churches；　universities；　and

corporations。　Each　has　begun　by　being　a　more　or　less　isolated　block　of

buildings　where；　on　an　enclosed　area；　a　population　has　lived　apart。

Little　by　little　the　barriers　have　given　way；　either　they　have　been

broken　in　or　have　tumbled　down　of　their　own　accord；　passages　have　been

made　between　one　and　the　other　and　new　additions　have　been　put　up；　at

last；　these　scattered　buildings　have　all　become　connected　and　soldered

on　as　annexes　to　the　central　pile。　But　they　combine　with　it　only

through　a　visible　and　clumsy　juxtaposition；　through　incomplete　and

bizarre　communications：　the　vestiges　of　their　former　independence　are

still　apparent　athwart　their　actual　dependence。　Each　still　rests　on

its　own　primitive　and　appropriate　foundations；　its　grand　lines

subsist；　its　main　work　is　often　almost　intact。　In　France；　on　the　eve

of　1789；　it　is　easily　recognized　what　she　formerly　was；　for　example；

it　is　clear　that　Languedoc　and　Brittany　were　once　sovereign　States；

Strasbourg　a　sovereign　town；　the　Bishop　of　Mende　and　the　Abbess　of

Remiremont；　sovereign　princes；＇27＇　every　seignior；　laic；　or

ecclesiastic；　was　so　in　his　own　domain；　and　he　still　possessed　some

remnants　of　public　power。　In　brief；　we　see　thousands　of　states　within

the　State；　absorbed；　but　not　assimilated；　each　with　its　own　statutes；

its　own　legal　customs；　its　own　civil　law；　its　own　weights　and

measures；　several　with　special　privileges　and　immunities；　some　with

their　own　jurisdiction　and　their　own　peculiar　administration；　with

their　own　imposts　and　tariffs　like　so　many　more　or　less　dismantled

fortresses；　but　whose　old　feudal；　municipal；　or　provincial　walls　still

rose　lofty　and　thick　on　the　soil　comprehended　within　the　national

enclosure。



Nothing　could　be　more　irregular　than　this　total　aggregate　thus　formed；

it　is　not　really　an　entire　whole；　but　an　agglomeration。　No　plan；　good

or　bad；　has　been　followed　out　；　the　architecture　is　of　ten　different

styles　and　of　ten　different　epochs。　That　of　the　dioceses　is　Roman　and

of　the　fourth　century；　that　of　the　seignories　is　Gothic　and　of　the

ninth　century；　one　structure　dates　from　the　Capetians；　another　from

the　Valois；　and　each　bears　the　character　of　its　date。　Because　each　has

been　built　for　itself　and　with　no　regard　to　the　others；　adapted　to　an

urgent　service　according　to　the　exigencies　or　requirements　of　time；

place；　and　circumstance　；　afterward；　when　circumstances　changed；　it

had　to　adapt　itself　to　other　services；　and　this　constantly　from

century　to　century；　under　Philippe　le　Bel；　under　Louis　XI。；　under

Francis　I。；　under　Richelieu；　under　Louis　XIV。；　through　constant

revision　which　never　consists　of　entire　destruction；　through　a　series

of　partial　demolitions　and　of　partial　reconstructions；　in　such　a　way

as　to　maintain　itself；　during　the　transformation；　in　conciliating；

well　or　ill；　new　demands　and　rooted　habits；　in　reconciling　the　work　of

the　passing　generation　with　the　works　of　generations　gone　before。　…

The　central　seignory　itself　is　merely　a　donjon　of　the　tenth　century；　a

military　tower　of　which　the　enclosure　has　extended　so　as　to　embrace

the　entire　territory；　and　of　which　the　other　buildings；　more　or　less

incorporated　with　it；　have　become　prolongations。　…　A　similar　medley　of

constructions　…　disfigured　by　such　mutilations；　adjuncts；　and　patches；

a　pell…mell　so　complicated　with　such　incongruous　bits　and　fragments　…

can　be　comprehended　only　by　antiquaries　and　historians；　ordinary

spectators…　…　the　public　…　pronounce　it　absurd；　it　finds　no　favor　with

that　class　of　reasoners　who；　in　social　architecture　as　in　physical

architecture；　repudiate　disorder；　posit　theories；　deduce　consequences；

and　require　that　every　work　shall　proceed　from　the　application　of　a

simple　idea。



And　worse　still；　not　only　is　good　taste　offended　but；　again；　good

sense　often　murmurs。　Practically；　the　edifice　fails　in　its　object；

for；　erected　for　men　to　dwell　in；　it　is　in　many　places　scarcely

habitable。　Because　it　endures　it　is　found　superannuated；　ill…adapted

to　prevailing　customs　；　it　formerly　suited；　and　still　suits；　the

feudal；　scattered；　and　militant　way　of　living；　hence　it　no　longer

suits　the　unity　and　repose　of　modern　life。　New…born　rights　obtain　no

place　in　it　alongside　of　established　rights；　it　is　either　not

sufficiently　transformed　or　it　has　been　transformed　in　an　opposite

sense；　in　such　a　way　as　to　be　inconvenient　or　unhealthy；　badly

accommodating　people　who　are　useful　and　giving　good　accommodations　to

useless　people；　costing　too　much　to　keep　up　and　causing　discomfort　and

discontent　to　nearly　all　its　occupants。　…　In　France；　in　particular；

the　best　apartments；　especially　that　of　the　King；　are　for　a　century

past　too　high　and　too　large；　too　sumptuous　and　too　expensive。　Since

Louis　XIV。　these　have　imperceptibly　ceased　to　be　government　and

business　bureaus；　they　have　become　in　their　disposition；　decoration；

and　furnishing；　saloons　for　pomp　and　conversation；　the　occupants　of

which；　for　lack　of　other　employment；　delight　in　discussing

architecture　and　in　tracing　plans　on　paper　for　an　imaginary　edifice　in

which　everybody　will　find　himself　comfortable。　Now；　underneath　these；

everybody　finds　himself　uncomfortable；　the　bourgeoisie　in　its　small

scanty　lodgings　on　the　ground…floor　and　the　people　in　their　holes　in

the　cellar；　which　are　low　and　damp；　wherein　light　and　air　never

penetrate。　Innumerable　vagabonds　and　vagrants　are　still　worse　off；

for；　with　no　shelter　or　fireside；　they　sleep　under　the　stars；　and　as

they　are　without　anything　to　care　for；　they　are　disposed　to　pull

everything　down。　…　Under　the　double　pressure　of　insurrection　and

theory　the　demolition　begins；　while　the　fury　of　destruction　goes　on

increasing　until　nothing　is　left　of　the　razed　edifice　but　the　soil　it

stood　on。



The　new　one　rises　on　this　cleared　ground　and；　historically　as　well　as

structurally；　it　differs　from　all　the　others。　…　In　less　than　ten　years

it　springs　up　and　is　finished　according　to　a　plan　which；　from　the

first　day；　is　definite　and　complete。　It　forms　one　unique；　vast；

monumental　block；　in　which　all　branches　of　the　service　are　lodged

under　one　roof；　in　addition　to　the　national　and　general　services

belonging　to　the　public　power；　we　find　here　others　also；　local　and

special；　which　do　not　belong　to　it；　such　as　worship；　education；

charity；　fine　arts；　literature；　departmental　and　communal　interests；

each　installed　in　a　distinct　compartment。　All　the　compartments　are

ordered　and　arranged　alike；　forming　a　circle　around　the　magnificent

central　apartment；　with　which　each　is　in　communication　by　a　bell；　as

soon　as　the　bell　rings　and　the　sound　spreads　from　division　to　sub…

division；　the　entire　service；　from　the　chief　clerk　down　to　the　lowest

employee；　is　instantly　in　motion；　in　this　respect　the　arrangement；　as

regards　despatch；　co…ordination；　exactitude；　and　working　facilities；

is　admirable。＇28＇



On　the　other　hand；　its　advantages　and　attractions　for　employees　and

aspirants　of　every　kind　and　degree　are　not　mediocre。　There