第777章

Below the nobles and the clergy， a third class of notables， the bourgeoisie， almost entirely confined to the towns，[74] verged on the former classes through its upper circles， while its diverse groups， ranging from the parliamentarian to the rich merchant or manufacturer， comprised the remainder of those who were tolerably well educated， say 100 000 families， recruited on the same conditions as the bourgeoisie of the present day： they were "bourgeois living nobly，" meaning by this， living on their incomes， large manufacturers and traders， engaged in liberal pursuits-lawyers， notaries， procureurs， physicians， architects， engineers， artists， professors， and especially the government officials； the latter， however， very numerous， differed from ours in two essential points. On the one hand， their office， as nowadays with the notaries' étude， or a membership of the stock-board， was personal property. Their places， and many others， such as posts in the judiciary， in the finances， in bailiwicks， in the Présidial， in the Election，[75] in the salt-department， in the customs， in the Mint， in the department of forests and streams， in presidencies， in councils， as procureurs du roi in various civil， administrative and criminal courts， holding places in the treasury， auditors and collectors of the various branches of the revenue - all of which offices， and many others， had been alienated for more than a century by the State in return for specified sums of ready money； thenceforth， they fell into the hands of special purchasers； the title of each possessor was as good as that of a piece of real property， and he could legally sell his title， the same as he had bought it， at a given price， on due advertisement！[76] On the other hand， the different groups of local functionaries in each town formed their own associations， similar to our notarial chambers， or those of our stock-brokers； these small associations had their own by-laws， meetings and treasury， frequently a civil status and the right of pleading， often a political status and the right of electing to the municipal council；[77] consequently， besides his personal interests， each member cherished the professional interests of his guild. Thus was his situation different from what it now is， and， through a natural reaction， his character， manners and tastes were different. First， he was much more independent； he was not afraid of being discharged or transferred elsewhere， suddenly， unawares， on the strength of an intendant's report， for political reasons， to make room for a deputy's candidate or a minister's tool. This would have cost too much it would have required first of all a reimbursement of the sum paid for his office， and at a rate of purchase ten times， at least， the revenue of the office.[78] Besides， in defending himself， in protesting against and forestalling his disgrace， he would have been supported by his entire professional guild， oftentimes by other similar bodies， and frequently by the whole town， filled with his relations， clients and comrades. The entire hive protected the bee against the caprices of favoritism and the brutalities of despotism. At Paris， a certain procureur， supported by his colleagues， is known to have imposed on a noble who had insulted him， the most humiliating atonement.[79] In fact， under the ancient régime， it was almost impossible for a functionary to be removed； hence， he could fulfill his duties securely and with dignity， without being obliged to keep daily watch of the capital， of going to Paris to see how the official wind blew， to look after all the influences in his favor， to nurse his relations with the government and live like a bird on a branch. - In the second place， there was a limit to his ambition； he did not keep constantly thinking of mounting a step higher in the hierarchy； or how to pass from a small town to a large one and hold on to his title； this would have been a too troublesome and complicated matter； he would first have had to find a purchaser and then sell his place， and next find a seller and buy another at a higher price； a stock broker at Bordeaux， a notary at Lyons， is not an aspirant for the post of stock broker or notary at Paris. - Nothing then bore any resemblance to the itinerant groups of functionaries of the present day which， in obedience to orders from above， travels about governing each of our towns， strangers on the wing， with no personal standing， without local landed property， interests or means， encamped in some hired apartment， often in a furnished room， sometimes stopping at a hotel， eternal nomads awaiting a telegram， always prepared to pack up and leave for another place a hundred leagues off in consideration of a hundred crowns extra pay， and doing the same detached work over again. Their predecessor， belonging to the country， was a stable fixture and contented； he was not tormented by a craving for promotion； he had a career within the bounds of his corporation and town； cherishing no wish or idea of leaving it， he accommodated himself to it； he became proud of his office and professional brethren， and rose above the egoism of the individual； his self-love was bent on maintaining every prerogative and interest belonging to his guild. Established for life in his native town， in the midst of old colleagues， numerous relatives and youthful companions， he esteemed their good opinion. Exempt from vexatious or burdensome taxes， tolerably well off， owning at least his own office， he was above sordid preoccupations and common necessities.