the origins of contemporary france-5-第35章

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

aspirants　of　every　kind　and　degree　are　not　mediocre。　There　is　no

separation　between　the　stories；　no　insurmountable　barrier　or　enclosure

between　large　and　small　apartments；　all；　from　the　least　to　the　finest；

from　the　outside　as　well　as　from　the　inside；　have　free　access。

Spacious　entrances　around　the　exterior　terminate　in　broad；　well…

lighted　staircases　open　to　the　public；　everybody　can　clamber　up　that

pleases；　and　to　mount　these　one　must　clamber；　from　top　to　bottom　there

is　no　other　communication　than　that　which　they　present。　There　is　no

concealed　and　privileged　passage；　no　private　stairway　or　false　door；

glancing　along　the　whole　rectilinear；　uniform　flight；　we　behold　the

innumerable　body　of　clerks；　functionaries；　supernumeraries；　and

postulants；　an　entire　multitude；　ranged　tier　beyond　tier　and

attentive；　nobody　advances　except　at　the　word　and　in　his　turn。　…

Nowhere　in　Europe　are　human　lives　so　well　regulated；　within　lines　of

demarcation　so　universal；　so　simple；　and　so　satisfactory　to　the　eye

and　to　logic：　the　edifice　in　which　Frenchmen　are　henceforth　to　move

and　act　is　regular　from　top　to　bottom；　in　its　entirety　as　well　as　in

its　details；　outside　as　well　as　inside；　its　stories；　one　above　the

other；　are　adjusted　with　exact　symmetry；　its　juxtaposed　masses　form

pendants　and　counterpoise；　all　its　lines　and　forms；　every　dimension

and　proportion；　all　its　props　and　buttresses　combine；　through　their

mutual　dependencies；　to　compose　a　harmony　and　to　maintain　an

equilibrium。　In　this　respect　the　structure　is　classic；　belonging　to

the　same　family　of　productions　which　the　same　spirit；　guided　by　the

same　method；　had　produced　in　Europe　for　the　previous　one　hundred　and

fifty　years。＇29＇　Its　analogues；　in　the　physical　order　of　things；　are

the　architectural　productions　of　Mansard；　Le　Notre；　and　their

successors；　from　the　structures　and　gardens　of　Versailles　down　to　and

embracing　the　Madeleine　and　the　Rue　de　Rivoli。　In　the　intellectual

order；　its　analogues　consist　of　the　literary　forms　of　the　seventeenth

and　eighteenth　centuries；　the　superb　oratorical　prose　and　correct；

eloquent　poetry；　especially　epics　and　tragedies；　including　those　still

manufactured　according　to　rule　about　the　year　1810。　It　corresponds　to

these　and　forms　their　pendant　in　the　political　and　social　order　of

things；　because　it　emanates　from　the　same　deliberate　purpose。　Four

constitutions；　in　the　same　style；　preceded　it；　but　these　were　good

only　on　paper；　while　this　one　stands　firm　on　the　ground。　For　the　first

time　in　modern　history　we　see　a　society　due　to　ratiocination　and；　at

the　same　time；　substantial；　the　new　France；　under　these　two　heads；　is

the　masterpiece　of　the　classic　spirit。



V。　Modeled　after　Rome。



Its　analogue　in　the　antique　world。　…　The　Roman　State　from　Diocletian

to　Constantine。　…　Causes　and　bearing　of　this　analogy。　…　Survival　of

the　Roman　idea　in　Napoleon's　mind。　…　The　new　Empire　of　the　West。



Nevertheless；　if　we　go　back　in　time；　beyond　modern　times；　beyond　the

Middle　Ages；　as　far　as　the　antique　world；　we　encounter　during　the

Roman　emperors　Diocletian's　and　Constantine's　era　another　monument

whose　architecture；　equally　regular；　is　developed　on　a　still　grander

scale：　back　then　we　are　in　the　natal　atmosphere　and　stand　on　the　natal

soil　of　the　classic　spirit。　…　At　this　time；　the　human　material；　more

reduced　and　better　prepared　than　in　France；　existed　similarly　in　the

requisite　condition。　At　this　date；　we　likewise　see　at　work　the

prearranging　reasoning…faculty



*　which　simplifies　in　order　to　deduce；

*　which　leaves　out　historic　customs　and　local　diversities；

*　which　considers　the　basic　human　being；

*　which　treats　individuals　as　units　and　the　people　as　totals；

*　which　forcibly　applies　its　general　outlines　to　all　special　lives；

and

*　which　glories　in　constituting；　legislating；　and　administering　by

rule　according　to　the　measurements　of　square　and　compass。



At　this　date；　in　effect；　the　turn　of　mind；　the　talent；　the　ways　of　the

Roman　architect；　his　object；　his　resources　and　his　means　of　execution；

are　already　those　of　his　French　successor；　the　conditions　around　him

in　the　Roman　world　are　equivalent；　behind　him　in　Roman　history　the

precedents；　ancient　and　recent；　are　almost　the　same。



In　the　first　place；＇30＇　　there　is；　since　emperor　Augustus；　the

absolute　monarchy；　and；　since　the　Antonines；　administrative

centralization　the　result　of　which　is　that



*　all　the　old　national　and　municipal　communities　are　broken　up　or

crushed　out；

*　all　collective　existences　chilled　or　extinguished；

*　local　patriotism　slowly　worn　away；

*　an　increasing　diminution　of　individual　initiative；



and；　under　the　invasive　interference；　direction；　and　providence　of　the

State；　one　hundred　millions　of　men　become　more　and　more　passive　and

separated　from　each　other。＇31＇



And　as　a　result；　in　full　enjoyment　of　peace　and　internal　prosperity

under　the　appearances　of　union；　force；　and　health；　latent　feebleness；

and；　as　in　France　on　the　approach　of　1789；　a　coming　dissolution。



There　is　next；　as　after　1789　in　France；　the　total　collapse；　not　from

below　and　among　the　people；　but　from　above　and　through　the　army；　a

worse　collapse　than　in　France；　prolonged　for　fifty　years　of　anarchy；

civil　wars；　local　usurpations；　ephemeral　tyrannies；　urban　seditions；

rural　jacqueries；　brigandage；　famines；　and　invasions　along　the　whole

frontier；　with　such　a　ruin　of　agriculture　and　other　useful　activities；

with　such　a　diminution　of　public　and　private　capital；　with　such　a

destruction　of　human　lives　that；　in　twenty　years；　the　number　of　the

population　seems　to　have　diminished　one　half。＇32＇　　There　is；　finally；

as　after　1799；　in　France；　the　re…establishment　of　order　brought　about

more　slowly；　but　by　the　same　means；　the　army　and　a　dictatorship；　in

the　rude　hands　of　three　or　four　great　military　parvenus；　Pannonians　or

Dalmatians；　Bonapartes　of　Sirmium　or　of　Scutari；　they　too；　of　a　new

race　or　of　intact　energy；　adventurers　and　children　of　their　own　deeds；

the　last　Diocletian；　like　Napoleon；　a　restorer　and　an　innovator。

Around　them；　as　around　Napoleon；　to　aid　them　in　their　civil

undertakings；　is　a　crowd　of　expert　administrators　and　eminent

jurisconsults；　all　practitioners；　statesmen；　and　businessmen；　and　yet

men　of　culture；　logicians；　and　philosophers。　They　were　imbued　with　the

double　governmental　and　humanitarian　view；　which　for　three　centuries

Greek　speculation　and　Roman　practice　had　introduced　into　minds　and

imaginations。　This　view；　at　once　leveling　and　authoritative；　tending

to　exaggerate　the　attributes　of　the　State　and　the　supreme　power　of　the

prince；＇33＇　was　nevertheless　inclined



*　to　put　natural　right　in　the　place　of　positive　law；＇34＇

*　to　preferring　equity　and　logic　to　antiquity　and　to　custom；

*　to　reinstate　the　dignity　of　man　among　the　qualities　of　mankind；

*　to　enhance　the　condition　of　the　slave；　of　the　provincial；　of　the

debtor；　of　the　bastard；　of　woman；　of　the　child；　and

*　to　recover　for　the　human　community　all　its　inferior　members；　foreign

or　degraded；　which　the　ancient　constitution　of　the　family　and　of　the

city　had　excluded　from　it。



Therefore　Napoleon　could　find　the　outlines　of　his　construction　in　the

political；　legislative；　and　judicial　organizations　extending　from

Diocletian　to　Constantine；　and　beyond　these　down　to　Theodosius。　At　the

base；　popular　sovereignty；＇35＇　the　powers　of　the　people　delegated

unconditionally　to　one　man。　This　omnipotence　conferred；　theoretically

or　apparently；　through　the　free　choice　of　citizens；　but　really　through

the　will　of　the　army。　No　protection　against　the　Prince's　arbitrary

edict；　except　a　no　less　arbitrary　rescript　from　the　same　hand。　His

successor　designated；　adopted；　and　qualified　by　himself。　A　senate　for

show；　a　council　of　state　for　administration；　all　local　powers

conferred　from　above；　cities　under　tutelage。　All　subjects　endowed　with

the　showy　title　of　citizen；　and　all　citizens　reduced　to　the　humble

condition　of　taxpayers　and　of　people　under　control。　An　administration

of　a　hundred　thousand　officials　taking　all　services　into　its　hands；

comprising　public　instruction；　public　succor；　and　public　supplies　of

food；　together　with　systems　of　worship。　This　was　at　first　pagan　cults；

and　after　Constantine；　the　Christian　cult。　All　these　services　were

classified；　ranked；　co…coordinated；　carefully　defined　in　such　a　way　as

not　to　encroach　on　each　other；　and　carefully　combined　in　such　a　way　as

to　complete　each　other。　An　immense　hierarchy　of　transferable

functionaries　was　kept　at　work　from　above　on　one　hundred　and　eighty

square　leagues　of　territory；　thirty　populations　of　different　race　and

language…Syrians；　Egyptians；　Numidians；　Spaniards；　Gauls；　Britons；

Germans；　Greeks；　Italians　…　subject　to　the　same　uniform　Régime。　The

territory　was　divided　like　a　checker…board；　on　arithmetical　and

geometrical　principles；　into　one　hundred　or　one　hundred　and　twenty

small　provinces；　old　nations　or　States　dismembered　and　purposely　cut

up　so　as　to　put　an　end　forever　to　natural；　spontaneous；　and　viable

groups。　A　minute　and　verified　census　taking　place　every　fifteen　years

to　correctly　assign　land　taxes。　An　official　and　universal　language；　a

State　system　of　worship；　and；　very　soon；　a　Church　and　State　orthodoxy。

A　systematic　code　of　laws；　full　and　precise；　admirable　for　the　rule　of

private　life；　a　sort　of　moral　geometry　in　which　the　theorems；

rigorously　linked　together；　are　attached　to　the　definitions　and　axioms

of　abstract　justice。　A　scale　of　grades；　one　above　the　other；　which

everybody　may　ascend　from　the　first　to　the　last；　titles　of　nobility

more　and　more　advanced；　suited　to　more　and　more　advanced　functions；

spectabiles；　illustres；　clarissimi；　perfectissimi；　analogous　to

Napoleon's　Barons；　Counts；　Dukes；　and　Princes。　A　programme　of

promotion　once　exhibiting；　and　on　which　are　still　seen；　common

soldiers；　peasants；　a　shepherd；　a　barbarian；　the　son　of　a　cultivator

（colon）；　the　grandson　of　a　slave；　mounting　gradually　upward　to　the

highest　dignities；　becoming　patrician；　Count；　Duke；　commander　of　the

cavalry；　C？sar；　Augustus；　and　donning　the　imperial　purple；　enthroned

amid　the　most　sumptuous　magnificence　and　the　most　elaborate　ceremonial

prostrations；　a　being　called　God　during　his　lifetime；　and　after　death

adored　as　a　divinity；　and　dead　or　alive；　a　complete　divinity　on

earth。＇36＇



So　colossal　an　edifice；　so　admirably　adjusted；　so　mathematical；　could

not　wholly　perish；　its　hewn　stones　were　too　massive；　too　nicely

squared；　too　exactly　fitted；　and　the　demolisher's　hammer　could　not

reach　down　to　its　deepest　foundations。　…　This　one；　through　its　shaping

and　its　structure；　through　its　history　and　its　duration；　resembles　the

stone　edifices　which　the　same　people　at　the　same　epoch　elevated　on　the

same　soil；　the　aqueducts；　amphitheatres；　and　triumphal　arches；　the

Colis