the origins of contemporary france-2-第49节

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portion　of　possessions　which　had　escheated　were　usefully　applied；

and　the　congregations　of　men　lacked　novices　and　complained　that　they

could　not　fill　up　their　ranks。　　If　the　monks　were　still　found　to　be

too　numerous；　too　wealthy；　and　too　indolent；　it　was　merely　necessary

to　keep　on　in　this　way；　before　the　end　of　the　century；　merely　by　the

application　of　the　edict；　the　institution　would　be　brought　back；

without　brutality　or　injustice；　within　the　scope　of　the　development；

the　limitations　of　fortune；　and　the　class　of　functions　acceptable　to

a　modern　State。



But；　because　these　ecclesiastical　bodies　stood　in　need　of　reform　it

does　not　follow　that　it　was　necessary　to　destroy　them；　nor；　in

general；　that　independent　institutions　are　detrimental　to　a　nation。

Organized　purposely　for　a　public　service；　and　possessing；　nearly　or

remotely　under　the　supervision　of　the　State；　the　faculty　of　self…

administration；　these　bodies　are　valuable　organs　and　not　malign

tumors。



In　the　first　place；　through　their　institution；　a　great　public

benefit　is　secured　without　any　cost　to　the　government　…　worship；

scientific　research；　primary　or　higher　education；　help　for　the　poor；

care　of　the　sick　…　all　set　apart　and　sheltered　from　the　cuts　which

public　financial　difficulties　might　make　necessary；　and　supported　by

the　private　generosity　which；　finding　a　ready　receptacle　at　hand；

gathers　together；　century　after　century；　its　thousands　of　scattered

springs：　as　an　example；　note　the　wealth；　stability；　and　usefulness

of　the　English　and　German　universities。



In　the　second　place；　their　institution　furnishes　an　obstacle　to　the

omnipotence　of　the　State；　their　walls　provide　a　protection　against

the　leveling　standardization　of　absolute　monarchy　or　of　pure

democracy。　　A　man　can　here　freely　develop　himself　without　donning

the　livery　of　either　courtier　or　demagogue；　he　can　acquire　wealth；

consideration　and　authority；　without　being　indebted　to　the　caprices

of　either　royal　or　popular　favor；　he　can　stand　firm　against

established　or　prevailing　opinions　sheltered　by　associates　bound　by

their　esprit　de　corps。　　Such；　at　the　present　day　（1885）；　is　the

situation　of　a　professor　at　Oxford；　G？ttingen；　and　Harvard　Such；

under　the　Ancient　Régime；　were　a　bishop；　a　member　of　the　French

Parliaments；　and　even　a　plain　attorney。　　What　can　be　worse　than

universal　bureaucracy；　producing　a　mechanical　and　servile

uniformity！　Those　who　serve　the　public　need　not　all　be　Government

clerks；　in　countries　where　an　aristocracy　has　perished；　bodies　of

this　kind　are　their　last　place　of　refuge。



In　the　third　place；　through　such　institutions；　distinct　original

societies　may　come　to　be　inside　the　great　commonplace　world。　　Here

special　personalities　may　find　the　only　existence　that　suits　them。

If　devout　or　laborious；　not　only　do　these　afford　an　outlet　for　the

deeper　needs　of　conscience；　of　the　imagination；　of　activity；　and　of

discipline；　but　also　they　serve　as　dikes　which　restrain　and　direct

them　in　a　channel　which　will　lead　to　the　creation　of　a　masterpiece

of　infinite　value。　In　this　way　thousands　of　men　and　women　fulfill

at　small　cost；　voluntarily　and　gratis；　and　with　great　effect；　the

least　attractive　and　more　repulsive　social　needs；　thus　performing　in

human　society　the　role　which；　inside　the　ant…hill；　we　see　assigned

to　the　sexless　worker…ant。＇42＇



Thus；　at　bottom；　the　institution　was　really　good；　and　if　it　had　to

be　cauterized　it　was　merely　essential　to　remove　the　inert　or

corrupted　parts　and　preserve　the　healthy　and　sound　parts。　　　　Now；

if　we　take　only　the　monastic　bodies；　there　were　more　than　one…half

of　these　entitled　to　respect。　　I　omit　those　monks；　one…third　of　whom

remained　zealous　and　exemplary…the　Benedictines；　who　continue　the

〃Gallia　Christiana；〃　with　others　who；　at　sixty　years　of　age；　labor

in　rooms　without　a　fire；　the　Trappists；　who　cultivate　the　ground

with　their　own　hands；　and　the　innumerable　monasteries　which　serve　as

educational　seminaries；　bureaus　of　charity；　hospices　for　shelter；

and　of　which　all　the　villages　in　their　neighborhood　demand　the

conservation　by　the　National　Assembly。＇43＇　　I　have　to　mention　the

nuns；　thirty…seven　thousand　in　fifteen　hundred　convents。　　Here；

except　in　the　twenty…five　chapters　of　canonesses；　which　are　a　semi…

worldly　rendezvous　for　poor　young　girls　of　noble　birth；　fervor；

frugality；　and　usefulness　are　almost　everywhere　incontestable。　　One

of　the　members　of　the　Ecclesiastical　Committee　admits　in　the

Assembly　tribunal　that；　in　all　their　letters　and　addresses；　the　nuns

ask　to　be　allowed　to　remain　in　their　cloisters；　their　entreaties；　in

fact；　are　as　earnest　as　they　are　affecting。＇44＇　　One　Community

writes；



　〃We　should　prefer　the　sacrifice　of　our　lives　to　that　of　our

calling。　　。　　。　　。　　This　is　not　the　voice　of　some　among　our　sisters；

but　of　all。　　The　National　Assembly　has　established　the　claims　of

liberty…would　it　prevent　the　exercise　of　these　by　the　only

disinterested　beings　who　ardently　desire　to　be　useful；　and　have

renounced　society　solely　to　be　of　greater　service　to　it？〃



　〃The　little　contact　we　have　with　the　world；〃　writes　another　〃is　the

reason　why　our　contentment　is　so　little　known。　　But　it　is　not　the

less　real　and　substantial。　　We　know　of　no　distinctions；　no

privileges　amongst　ourselves；　our　misfortunes　and　our　property　are

in　common。　　One　in　heart　and　one　in　soul　。　　。　　。　　we　protest　before

the　nation；　in　the　face　of　heaven　and　of　earth；　that　it　is　not　in

the　power　of　any　being　to　shake　our　fidelity　to　our　vows；　which　vows

we　renew　with　still　more　ardor　than　when　we　first　pronounced

them。〃＇45＇



Many　of　the　communities　have　no　means　of　subsistence　other　than　the

work　of　their　own　hands　and　the　small　dowries　the　nuns　have　brought

with　them　on　entering　the　convent。　　So　great；　however　is　their

frugality　and　economy；　that　the　total　expenditure　of　each　nun　does

not　surpass　250　livres　a　year。　　The　Annonciades　of　Saint…Amour　say；



　〃We；　thirty…three　nuns；　both　choristers　and　those　of　the　white

veil；　live　on　4；400　livres　net　income；　without　being　a　charge　to　our

families　or　to　the　public。　　。　　。　　If　we　were　living　in　society；　our

expenses　would　be　three　times　as　much；〃



and；　not　content　with　providing　for　themselves；　they　give　in

charity。



Among　these　communities　several　hundreds　are　educational

establishments；　a　very　great　number　give　gratuitous　primary

instruction。　　　　Now；　in　1789；　there　are　no　other　schools　for

girls；　and　were　these　to　be　suppressed；　every　avenue　of　instruction

and　culture　would　be　closed　to　one　of　the　two　sexes；　forming　one…

half　of　the　French　population。　　Fourteen　thousand　sisters　of

charity；　distributed　among　four　hundred　and　twenty　convents；　look

after　the　hospitals；　attend　upon　the　sick；　serve　the　infirm；　bring

up　foundlings；　provide　for　orphans；　lying…in　women；　and　repentant

prostitutes。　　The　〃Visitation〃　is　an　asylum　for　〃those　who　are　not

favored　by　nature；〃　　　　and；　in　those　days；　there　were　many　more　of

the　disfigured　than　at　present；　since　out　of　every　eight　deaths　one

was　caused　by　the　smallpox。　　Widows　are　received　here；　as　well　as

girls　without　means　and　without　protection；　persons　〃worn　out。　　with

the　agitation　of　the　world；〃　those　who　are　too　feeble　to　support　the

battle　of　life；　those　who　withdraw　from　it　wounded　or　invalid；　and

〃the　rules　of　the　order；　not　very　strict；　are　not　beyond　the　health

or　strength　of　the　most　frail　and　delicate。〃　Some　ingenious　device

of　charity　thus　applies　to　each　moral　or　social　sore；　with　skill　and

care；　the　proper　and　proportionate　dressing。　　And　finally；　far　from

falling　off；　nearly　all　these　communities　are　in　a　flourishing

state；　and　whilst　among　the　establishments　for　men　there　are　only

nine；　on　the　average；　to　each；　in　those　for　women　there　is　an

average　of　twenty…four。　　Here；　at　Saint…Flour；　is　one　which　is

bringing　up　fifty　boarders；　another；　at　Beaulieu；　instructs　one

hundred；　another；　in　Franche…Comté；　has　charge　of　eight　hundred

abandoned　children。＇46＇　　　Evidently；　in　the　presence　of　such

institutions　one　must　pause；　however。　　little　one　may　care　for

justice　and　the　public　interest；　and；　moreover；　because　it　is

useless　to　act　rigorously　against　them　the　legislator　crushes　them

in　vain；　for　they　spring　up　again　of　their　own　accord；　they　are　in

the　blood　of　every　Catholic　nation。　　In　France；　instead　of　thirty…

seven　thousand　nuns；　at　the　present　day　（1866）　there　are　eighty…six

thousand…that　is　to　say；　forty…five　in　every　ten　thousand　women

instead　of　twenty…eight。＇47＇



In　any　case；　if　the　State　deprives　them　of　their　property；　along

with　that　of　other　ecclesiastical　bodies；　it　is　not　the　State　that

ought　to　claim　the　spoil。　　　　The　State　is　not　their　heir；　and

their　land；　furniture；　and　rentals　are　in　their　very　nature　devoted

to　a　special　purpose；　although　they　have　no　designated　proprietor。

This　treasure；　which　consists　of　the　accumulations　of　fourteen

c