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same soil； the aqueducts； amphitheatres； and triumphal arches； the
Coliseum； the baths of Diocletian and of Caracalla。
The medieval man； using their intact foundations and their shattered
fragments； built here and there； haphazard； according to the
necessities of the moment； planting his Gothic towers between
Corinthian columns against the panels of walls still standing。＇37＇
But； under his incoherent masonry； he observed the beautiful forms；
the precious marbles； the architectural combinations； the symmetrical
taste of an anterior and superior art； he felt that his own work was
rude。 The new world； to all thinking minds； was miserable compared
with the old one； its languages seemed a patois （crude dialect）； its
literature mere stammering or driveling； its law a mass of abuses or a
mere routine； its feudality anarchy； and its social arrangements；
disorder。 … In vain had the medieval man striven to escape through all
issues； by the temporal road and by the spiritual road； by the
universal and absolute monarchy of the German Cesars； and by the
universal and absolute monarchy of the Roman pontiffs。 At the end of
the fifteenth century the Emperor still possessed the golden globe；
the golden crown； the scepter of Charlemagne and of Otho the Great；
but； after the death of Frederick II。； he was nothing more than a
majesty for show； the Pope still wore the tiara； still held the
pastoral staff and the keys of Gregory VII。 and of Innocent III。； but；
after the death of Boniface VIII。； he was nothing more than a majesty
of the Church。 Both abortive restorations had merely added ruins to
ruins； while the phantom of the ancient empire alone remained erect
amid so many fragments。 Grand in its outlines and decorations； it
stood there； august； dazzling； in a halo； the unique masterpiece of
art and of reason； as the ideal form of human society。 For ten
centuries this specter haunted the medieval epoch； and nowhere to such
an extent as in Italy。＇38＇
It reappears the last time in 1800； starting up in and taking firm
hold of the magnificent； benighted imagination of the great
Italian；＇39＇ to whom the opportunity afforded the means for executing
the grand Italian dream of the Middle Ages； it is according to this
retrospective vision that the Diocletian of Ajaccio； the Constantine
of the Concordat； the Justinian of the Civil Code； the Theodosius of
the Tuileries and of St。 Cloud reconstructed France。
This does not mean that he copies … he restores； his conception is not
plagiarism； but a case of atavism； it comes to him through the nature
of his intellect and through racial traditions。 In the way of social
and political conceptions； as in literature and in art； his
spontaneous taste is ultra…classic。 We detect this in his mode of
comprehending the history of France； State historians； 〃encouraged by
the police；〃 must make it to order； they must trace it 〃from the end
of Louis XIV。 to the year VIII；〃 and their object must be to show how
superior the new architecture is to the old one。＇40＇ 〃The constant
disturbance of the finances must be noted； the chaos of the provincial
assemblies； 。 。 。 the pretensions of the parliaments； the lack of
energy and order in the administration； that parti…colored France with
no unity of laws or of administration； being rather a union of twenty
kingdoms than one single State； so that one breathes on reaching the
epoch in which people enjoy the benefits of the unity of the laws； of
the administration； and of the territory。〃 In effect； he breathes ； in
thus passing from the former to the latter spectacle； he finds real
intellectual pleasure； his eyes； offended with Gothic disorder； turn
with relief and satisfaction to majestic simplicity and classic
regularity； his eyes are those of a Latin architect brought up in the
〃école de Rome。〃
This is so true that； outside of this style； he admits of no other。
Societies of a different type seem to him absurd。 He misconceives
their local propriety and the historical reasons for their existence。
He takes no account of their solidity。 He is going to dash himself
against Spain and against Russia； and he has no comprehension whatever
of England。＇41＇ …This is so true that； wherever he places his hand he
applies his own social system； he imposes on annexed territories and
on vassal＇42＇ countries the same uniform arrangements； his own
administrative hierarchy； his own territorial divisions and sub…
divisions； his own conscription； his civil code； his constitutional
and ecclesiastical system； his university； his system of equality and
promotion； the entire French system； and； as far as possible； the
language； literature； drama； and even the spirit of his France； … in
brief； civilization as he conceives it； so that conquest becomes
propaganda； and； as with his predecessors； the Cesars of Rome； he
sometimes really fancies that the establishment of his universal
monarchy is a great benefit to Europe。
_____________________________________________________________________
Notes：
＇1＇ De Tocqueville； 〃L'Ancien régime et la Revolution。〃 p。 64 and
following pages； also p。354 and following pages。 … 〃The Ancient
Régime；〃 p。 368。
＇2＇ 〃The Revolution；〃 I。； book I。； especially pp。 16； 17； 55； 61； 62…
65。 （Laffont I。； 326； 354； 357 to 360。）
＇3＇ 〃The Ancient Regime；〃 pp。… 36…59。 （Laff。 I。 pp。 33…48。）
＇4＇ Ibid。； pp。 72…77。 （Laff。 I。 pp。 59 to 61。）
＇5＇ Ibid。； pp。 78…82。 （Laff。 I。 pp。 50…52）
＇6＇ Cf。 Frédéric Masson； 〃Le Marquis de Grignan；〃 vol。 I。
＇7＇ The Revolution；〃 I。； p。 161 and following pages； II。； book VI。；
ch。 I。； especially p。 80 and following pages。 （Laffont I。 428 to 444；
632 and II 67 to 69。）
＇8＇ Ibid。； I。； P。193 and following pages； and p。226 and following
pages。（Ed。 Laffont。 I。 449 to 452； 473 to 481。）
＇9＇ 〃Souvenirs〃； by PASQUIER （Etienne…Dennis； duc）； chancelier de
France。 in VI volumes； Librarie Plon； Paris 1893。 I。； 148 （in
relation to the institution prefects and sub…prefects）： 〃The
perceptible good resulting from this change was the satisfaction
arising from being delivered in one day from a herd of insignificant
men； mostly without any merit or shadow of capacity and to who the
administration of department and arrondissement had been surrendered
for the past ten years。 As nearly all of them sprung from the lowest
ranks in society； they were only the more disposed to make the weight
of their authority felt。〃
＇10＇ Guyot； 〃Répertoire de jurisprudence〃 （1785）； article King： 〃It is
a maxim of feudal law that the veritable ownership of lands； the
domain； directum dominium； is vested in the dominant seignior or
suzerain。 The domain in use； belonging to the vassal or tenant；
affords him really no right except to its produce。〃
＇11＇ Luchaire；〃 Histoire des institutions monarchiques de la France
sous les premiers Capétiens；〃 I。； 28； 46。 （Texts of Henry I。； Philip
I。； Louis VI。； and Louis VII。） 〃A divine mini