书城公版The Origins of Contemporary France
19097600000176

第176章

James, at Neuilly). - A superior type of the bourgeois and of the merchant has already been put on the stage by Sedaine in "Le Philosophe sans le Savoir."[18] John Andrews, "A comparative view," etc. p. 58.

[19] De Tilly, "Mémoires," I. 31.

[20] Goffroy, "Gustave III," letter of Mme. Sta?l (August, 1786).

[21] Mme. de Genlis, "Adele et Théodore" (1782), I. 312. --Already in 1762, Bachaumont mentions several pieces written by grand seigniors, such as "Clytemnestre," by the Comte de Lauraguais;"Alexandre," by the Chevalier de Fénélon; "Don Carlos," by the Marquis de Ximènès.

[22] Champfort, 119.

[23] De Vaublanc, I. 117. - Beugnot, "Mémoires," (the first and second passages relating to society at the domiciles of M. de Brienne, and the Duc de Penthièvre.)[24] Barbier, II, 16; III. 255 (May, 1751). "The king is robbed by all the seigniors around him, especially on his journeys to his different chateaux, which are frequent." -- And September, 1750. -- Cf. Aubertin, 291, 415 ("Mémoires," manuscript by Hardy).

[25] Treaties of Paris and Hubersbourg, 1763. - The trial of La Chalotais, 1765. - Bankruptcy of Terray, 1770. - Destruction of the Parliament, 1771. - The first partition of Poland, 1772. - Rousseau, "Discours sur l'inégalité," 1753. - "Héloise," 1759. - "Emile" and "Contrat Social," 1762.

[26] De Barante, "Tableau de la littérature fran?aise au dix-huitième siècle," 312.

[27] "Mercure britannique," vol. II, 360.

[28] Lacretelle, "Dix ans d'épreuves," p. 21.

[29] "Memoires," by PASQUIER (Etienne-Dennis, duc), chancelier de France. in VI volumes, Librarie Plon, Paris 1893.

[30] "Le Compère Mathieu," by Dulaurens (1766). "Our sufferings are due to the way in which we are brought up, namely, the state of society in which we are born. Now that state being the source of all our ills its dissolution must become that of all our good."[31] The "Tableau de Paris," by Mercier (12 vols.), is the completest and most exact portrayal of the ideas and aspirations of the middle class from 1781 to 1788.

[32] "Correspondence," by Métra, XVII, 87 (August 20, 1784).

[33] "Belisarious," is from 1780, and the "Oath of the Horatii,"from 1783.

[34] Geffroy, "Gustave II et la cour de France." "Paris, with its republican spirit, generally applauds whatever fails at Fontainebleau." (A letter by Madame de Sta?l, Sept. 17, 1786).

[35] Taine uses the French term "passe-droit", meaning both passing over, slight, unjust promotion over the heads of others, a special favour, or privilege. (SR.)[36] Sainte-Beuve, "Causeries du Lundi," II. 24, in the article on Barnave.

[37] Dr Tilly, "Mémoires," I. 243.

[38] The words of Fontanes, who knew her and admired her. (Sainte-Beuve, "Nouveaux Lundis," VIII. 221).

[39] "Mémoires de Madame Roland," passim. At fourteen years of age, on being introduced to Mme. de Boismorel, she is hurt at hearing her grandmother addressed "Mademoiselle." -- Shortly after this, she says: "I could not concoal from myself that I was of more consequence than Mlle. d'Hannaches, whose sixty years and her genealogy did not enable her to write a common-sense letter or one that was legible." -- About the same epoch she passes a week at Versailles with a servant of the Dauphine, and tells her mother, "Afew days more and I shall so detest these people that I shall not know how to suppress my hatred of them." -- "What injury have they done you?" she inquired. "It is the feeling of injustice and the constant contemplation of absurdity!" -- At the chateau of Fontenay where she is invited to dine, she and her mother are made to dine in the servants' room, etc. -- In 1818, in a small town in the north, the Comte de -- dining with a bourgeois sub-prefect and placed by the side of the mistress of the house, says to her, on accepting the soup, 'Thanks, sweetheart,' But the Revolution has given the lower class bourgeoisie the courage to defend themselves tooth and nail so that, a moment later, she addresses him, with one of her sweetest smiles, 'Will you take some chicken, my love?' (The French expression 'mon coeur' means both sweetheart and my love. SR.)[40] De Vaublanc, I. 153.

[41] Beugnot, "Mémoires," I. 77.

[42] Champfort, 16. -- "Who would believe it! Not taxation, nor lettres-de-cachet, nor the abuses of power, nor the vexations of intendants, and the ruinous delays of justice have provoked the ire of the nation, but their prejudices against the nobility towards which it has shown the greatest hatred. This evidently proves that the bourgeoisie, the men of letters, the financial class, in short all who envy the nobles have excited against these the inferior class in the towns and among the rural peasantry." (Rivarol, "Mémoires.")[43] Champfort, 335.

[44] Sieyès, "Qu'est ce que le Tiers?" 17, 41, 139, 166.

[45] Cartouche (Luis Dominique) (Paris, 1693 - id. 1721).

Notorious French bandit, leader of a gang of thieves. He died broken alive on the wheel. (SR.)[46] "The nobility, say the nobles, is an intermediary between the king and the people. Yes, as the hound is an intermediary between the hunter and the hare." (Champfort).

[47] Prud'homme, III. 2. ("The Third-Estate of Nivernais,"passim.) Cf, on the other hand, the registers of the nobility of Bugey and of Alen?on.

[48] Prud'homme, ibid.., Cahiers of the Third-Estates of Dijon, Dax, Bayonne, Saint-Sévère, Rennes, etc.

[49] Marmontel, "Mémoires," II. 247.

[50] Arthur Young, I. 222.

[51] Malouet, "Mémoires," I. 279.

[52] De Lavalette, I. 7. -- "Souvenirs", by PASQUIER (Etienne-Dennis, duc), chancelier de France. in VI volumes, Librarie Plon, Paris 1893.-- . Cf. Brissot, Mémoires, I.

[53] Prudhomme, "Résumé des cahiers," the "preface," by J. J.

Rousseau.

[54] Marmontel, II. 245.