the country doctor-第32部分

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e　found　in　the　religious　institutions　of　a　country。　Religion　forms　the　only　adequate　safeguard　against　the　abuse　of　supreme　power。　When　a　nation　ceases　to　believe　in　religion；　it　becomes　ungovernable　in　consequence；　and　its　prince　perforce　becomes　a　tyrant。　The　Chambers　that　occupy　an　intermediate　place　between　rulers　and　their　subjects　are　powerless　to　prevent　these　results；　and　can　only　mitigate　them　to　a　very　slight　extent；　Assemblies；　as　I　have　said　before；　are　bound　to　become　the　accomplices　of　tyranny　on　the　one　hand；　or　of　insurrection　on　the　other。　My　own　leanings　are　towards　a　government　by　one　man；　but　though　it　is　good；　it　cannot　be　absolutely　good；　for　the　results　of　every　policy　will　always　depend　upon　the　condition　and　the　belief　of　the　nation。　If　a　nation　is　in　its　dotage；　if　it　has　been　corrupted　to　the　core　by　philosophism　and　the　spirit　of　discussion；　it　is　on　the　high…road　to　despotism；　from　which　no　form　of　free　government　will　save　it。　And；　at　the　same　time；　a　righteous　people　will　nearly　always　find　liberty　even　under　a　despotic　rule。　All　this　goes　to　show　the　necessity　for　restricting　the　right　of　election　within　very　narrow　limits；　the　necessity　for　a　strong　government；　the　necessity　for　a　powerful　religion　which　makes　the　rich　man　the　friend　of　the　poor；　and　enjoins　upon　the　poor　an　absolute　submission　to　their　lot。　It　is；　in　fact；　really　imperative　that　the　Assemblies　should　be　deprived　of　all　direct　legislative　power；　and　should　confine　themselves　to　the　registration　of　laws　and　to　questions　of　taxation。

〃I　know　that　different　ideas　from　these　exist　in　many　minds。　To…day；　as　in　past　ages；　there　ware　enthusiasts　who　seek　for　perfection；　and　who　would　like　to　have　society　better　ordered　than　it　is　at　present。　But　innovations　which　tend　to　bring　about　a　kind　of　social　topsy…　turvydom；　ought　only　to　be　undertaken　by　general　consent。　Let　the　innovators　have　patience。　When　I　remember　how　long　it　has　taken　Christianity　to　establish　itself；　how　many　centuries　it　has　taken　to　bring　about　a　purely　moral　revolution　which　surely　ought　to　have　been　accomplished　peacefully；　the　thought　of　the　horrors　of　a　revolution；　in　which　material　interests　are　concerned；　makes　me　shudder；　and　I　am　for　maintaining　existing　institutions。　'Each　shall　have　his　own　thought；'　is　the　dictum　of　Christianity；　'Each　man　shall　have　his　own　field；'　says　modern　law；　and　in　this；　modern　law　is　in　harmony　with　Christianity。　Each　shall　have　his　own　thought；　that　is　a　consecration　of　the　rights　of　intelligence；　and　each　shall　have　his　own　field；　is　a　consecration　of　the　right　to　property　that　has　been　acquired　by　toil。　Hence　our　society。　Nature　has　based　human　life　upon　the　instinct　of　self…preservation；　and　social　life　is　founded　upon　personal　interest。　Such　ideas　as　these　are；　to　my　thinking；　the　very　rudiments　of　politics。　Religion　keeps　these　two　selfish　sentiments　in　subordination　by　the　thought　of　a　future　life；　and　in　this　way　the　harshness　of　the　conflict　of　interests　has　been　somewhat　softened。　God　has　mitigated　the　sufferings　that　arise　from　social　friction　by　a　religious　sentiment　which　raises　self…forgetfulness　into　a　virtue；　just　as　He　has　moderated　the　friction　of　the　mechanism　of　the　universe　by　laws　which　we　do　not　know。　Christianity　bids　the　poor　bear　patiently　with　the　rich；　and　commands　the　rich　to　lighten　the　burdens　of　the　poor；　these　few　words；　to　my　mind；　contain　the　essence　of　all　laws；　human　and　divine！〃

〃I　am　no　statesman；〃　said　the　notary；　〃I　see　in　a　ruler　a　liquidator　of　society　which　should　always　remain　in　liquidation；　he　should　hand　over　to　his　successor　the　exact　value　of　the　assets　which　he　received。〃

〃I　am　no　statesman　either；〃　said　Benassis；　hastily　interrupting　the　notary。　〃It　takes　nothing　but　a　little　common　sense　to　better　the　lot　of　a　commune；　of　a　canton；　or　of　an　even　wider　district；　a　department　calls　for　some　administrative　talent；　but　all　these　four　spheres　of　action　are　comparatively　limited；　the　outlook　is　not　too　wide　for　ordinary　powers　of　vision；　and　there　is　a　visible　connection　between　their　interests　and　the　general　progress　made　by　the　State。

〃But　in　yet　higher　regions；　everything　is　on　a　larger　scale；　the　horizon　widens；　and　from　the　standpoint　where　he　is　placed；　the　statesman　ought　to　grasp　the　whole　situation。　It　is　only　necessary　to　consider　liabilities　due　ten　years　hence；　in　order　to　bring　about　a　great　deal　of　good　in　the　case　of　the　department；　the　district；　the　canton；　or　the　commune；　but　when　it　is　a　question　of　the　destinies　of　a　nation；　a　statesman　must　foresee　a　more　distant　future　and　the　course　that　events　are　likely　to　take　for　the　next　hundred　years。　The　genius　of　a　Colbert　or　of　a　Sully　avails　nothing；　unless　it　is　supported　by　the　energetic　will　that　makes　a　Napoleon　or　a　Cromwell。　A　great　minister；　gentlemen；　is　a　great　thought　written　at　large　over　all　the　years　of　a　century　of　prosperity　and　splendor　for　which　he　has　prepared　the　way。　Steadfast　perseverance　is　the　virtue　of　which　he　stands　most　in　need；　and　in　all　human　affairs　does　not　steadfast　perseverance　indicate　a　power　of　the　very　highest　order？　We　have　had　for　some　time　past　too　many　men　who　think　only　of　the　ministry　instead　of　the　nation；　so　that　we　cannot　but　admire　the　real　statesman　as　the　vastest　human　Poetry。　Ever　to　look　beyond　the　present　moment；　to　foresee　the　ways　of　Destiny；　to　care　so　little　for　power　that　he　only　retains　it　because　he　is　conscious　of　his　usefulness；　while　he　does　not　overestimate　his　strength；　ever　to　lay　aside　all　personal　feeling　and　low　ambitions；　so　that　he　may　always　be　master　of　his　faculties；　and　foresee；　will；　and　act　without　ceasing；　to　compel　himself　to　be　just　and　impartial；　to　keep　order　on　a　large　scale；　to　silence　his　heart　that　he　may　be　guided　by　his　intellect　alone；　to　be　neither　apprehensive　nor　sanguine；　neither　suspicious　nor　confiding；　neither　grateful　nor　ungrateful；　never　to　be　unprepared　for　an　event；　nor　taken　unawares　by　an　idea；　to　live；　in　fact；　with　the　requirements　of　the　masses　ever　in　his　mind；　to　spread　the　protecting　wings　of　his　thought　above　them；　to　sway　them　by　the　thunder　of　his　voice　and　the　keenness　of　his　glance；　seeing　all　the　while　not　the　details　of　affairs；　but　the　great　issues　at　stakeis　not　that　to　be　something　more　than　a　mere　man？　Therefore　the　names　of　the　great　and　noble　fathers　of　nations　cannot　but　be　household　words　for　ever。〃

There　was　silence　for　a　moment；　during　which　the　guests　looked　at　one　another。

〃Gentlemen；　you　have　not　said　a　word　about　the　army！〃　cried　Genestas。　〃A　military　organization　seems　to　me　to　be　the　real　type　on　which　all　good　civil　society　should　be　modeled；　the　Sword　is　the　guardian　of　a　nation。〃

The　justice　of　the　peace　laughed　softly。

〃Captain；〃　he　said；　〃an　old　lawyer　once　said　that　empires　began　with　the　sword　and　ended　with　the　desk；　we　have　reached　the　desk　stage　by　this　time。〃

〃And　now　that　we　have　settled　the　fate　of　the　world；　gentlemen；　let　us　change　the　subject。　Come；　captain；　a　glass　of　Hermitage；〃　cried　the　doctor；　laughing。

〃Two；　rather　than　one；〃　said　Genestas；　holding　out　his　glass。　〃I　mean　to　drink　them　both　to　your　healthto　a　man　who　does　honor　to　the　species。〃

〃And　who　is　dear　to　all　of　us；〃　said　the　cure　in　gentle　tones。

〃Do　you　mean　to　force　me　into　the　sin　of　pride；　M。　Janvier？〃

〃M。　le　Cure　has　only　said　in　a　low　voice　what　all　the　canton　says　aloud；〃　said　Cambon。

〃Gentlemen；　I　propose　that　we　take　a　walk　to　the　parsonage　by　moonlight；　and　see　M。　Janvier　home。〃

〃Let　us　start；〃　said　the　guests；　and　they　prepared　to　accompany　the　cure。

〃Shall　we　go　to　the　barn？〃　said　the　doctor；　laying　a　hand　on　Genestas'　arm。　They　had　taken　leave　of　the　cure　and　the　other　guests。　〃You　will　hear　them　talking　about　Napoleon；　Captain　Bluteau。　Goguelat；　the　postman；　is　there；　and　there　are　several　of　his　cronies　who　are　sure　to　draw　him　out　on　the　subject　of　the　idol　of　the　people。　Nicolle；　my　stableman；　has　set　a　ladder　so　that　we　can　climb　up　on　to　the　hay；　there　is　a　place　from　which　we　can　look　down　on　the　whole　scene。　Come　along；　an　up…sitting　is　something　worth　seeing；　believe　me。　It　will　not　be　the　first　time　that　I　have　hidden　in　the　hay　to　overhear　a　soldier's　tales　or　the　stories　that　peasants　tell　among　themselves。　We　must　be　careful　to　keep　out　of　sight　though；　as　these　folk　turn　shy　and　put　on　company　manners　as　soon　as　they　see　a　stranger。〃

〃Eh！　my　dear　sir；〃　said　Genestas；　〃have　I　not　often　pretended　to　be　asleep　so　as　to　hear　my　troopers　talking　out　on　bivouac？　My　word；　I　once　heard　a　droll　yarn　reeled　off　by　an　old　quartermaster　for　some　conscripts　who　were　afraid　of　war；　I　never　laughed　so　heartily　in　any　theatre　in　Paris。　He　was　telling　them　about　the　Retreat　from　Moscow。　He　told　them　that　the　army　had　nothing　but　the　clothes　they　stood　up　in；　that　their　wine　was　iced；　that　the　dead　stood　stock…still　in　the　road　just　where　they　were；　that　they　had　seen　White　Russia；　and　that　they　currycombed　the　horses　there　with　their　teeth；　that　those　who　were　fond　of　skating　had　fine　times　of　it；　and　people　who　had　a　fancy　for　savory　ices　had　as　much　as　they　could　put　away；　that　the　women　were　generally　poor　company；　but　that　the　only　thing　they　could　really　complain　of　was　the　want　of　hot　water　for　shaving。　In　fact；　he　told　them　such　a　pack　of　absurdities；　that　even　an　old　quartermaster　who　had　lost　his　nose　with　a　frost…bite；　so　that　they　had　dubbed　him　Nezrestant；　was　fain　to　laugh。〃

〃Hush！〃　said　Benassis；　〃here　we　are。　I　will　go　first；　follow　after　me。〃

Both　of　them　scaled　the　ladder　and　hid　themselves　in　the　hay；　in　a　place　from　whence　they　could　have　a　good　view　of　the　party　below；　who　had　not　heard　a　sound　overhead。　Little　groups　of　women　were　clustered　about　three　or　four　candles。　Some　of　them　sewed；　others　were　spinning；　a　good　few　of　them　were　doing　nothing；　and　sat　with　their　heads　strained　forward；　and　their　eyes　fixed　on　an　old　peasant　who　was　telling　a　story。　The　men　were　standing　about　for　the　most　part；　or　lying　at　full　length　on　the　trusses　of　hay。　Every　group　was　absolutely　silent。　Their　faces　were　barely　visible　by　the　flickering　gleams　of　the　candles　by　which　the　women　were　working；　although　each　candle　was　surrounded　by　a　glass　globe　fi