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thousand ways creep into all social institutions。〃 Can it be admitted
that so many good intentions thus operating together are to end in
destruction？ … All take courage； government as well as the higher
class； in the thought of the good accomplished； or which they desire
to accomplish。 The king remembers that he has restored civil rights
to the Protestants； abolished preliminary torture； suppressed the
corvée in kind； established the free circulation of grains； instituted
provincial assemblies； built up the marine； assisted the Americans；
emancipated his own serfs； diminished the expenses of his household；
employed Malesherbes； Turgot and Necker； given full play to the press；
and listened to public opinion＇63＇。 No government displayed greater
mildness； on the 14th of July； 1789； only seven prisoners were
confined in the Bastille； of whom one was an idiot； another kept there
by his family； and four under the charge of counterfeiting＇64＇。 No
sovereign was more humane； more charitable； more preoccupied with the
unfortunate。 In 1784； the year of inundations and epidemics； he
renders assistance to the amount of three millions。 Appeals are made
to him direct； even for personal accidents。 On the 8th of June；
1785； he sends two hundred livres to the wife of a Breton laboring…man
who； already having two children； brings three at once into the
world＇65＇。 During a severe winter he allows the poor daily to invade
his kitchen。 It is quite probable that； next to Turgot； he is the
man of his day who loved the people most。 His delegates under
him conform to his views； I have read countless letters by intendants
who try to appear as little Turgots。 〃One builds a hospital； another
admits artisans at his table；〃＇66＇ a certain individual undertakes the
draining of a marsh。 M。 de la Tour； in Provence； is so beneficent
during a period of forty years that the Tiers…Etat vote him a gold
medal in spite of himself＇67＇。 A governor delivers a course of
lectures on economical bread…making。 … What possible danger is
there for shepherds of this kind amidst their flocks？ On the king
convoking the States…General nobody had 〃any suspicion；〃 nor fear of
the future。 〃A new State constitution is spoken of as an easy
performance； and as a matter of course。〃＇68＇ … 〃The best and most
virtuous men see in this the beginning of a new era of happiness for
France and for the whole civilized world。 The ambitious rejoice in
the broad field open to their desires。 But it would have been
impossible to find the most morose； the most timid； the most
enthusiastic of men anticipating any one of the extraordinary events
towards which the assembled states were drifting。〃
____________________________________________________________
Notes：
＇1＇ Macaulay。
＇2＇ Stendhal； 〃Rome； Naples et Florence；〃 371。
＇3＇ Morellet； 〃Mémoires；〃 I。 139 （on the writings and
conversations of Diderot； d；Holbach and the atheists）。 〃At that
time； in this philosophy； all seemed innocent enough； it being
confined to the limits of speculation； and never seeking； even in its
boldest flights； anything beyond a calm intellectual exercise。
＇4＇ 〃L'Homme aux quarante écus。〃 Cf。 Voltaire； 〃Mémoires；〃 the
suppers given by Frederick II。 〃Never in any place in the world was
there greater freedom of conversation concerning the superstitions of
mankind。
＇5＇ Morellet； Mémoires；〃 I。 133。
＇6＇ Galiani； 〃Correspondance； passim。
＇7＇ Bachaumont； III。 93 （1766）； II。 202 （1765）。
＇8＇ Geffroy； 〃Gustave III。；〃 I。 114。
＇9＇ Villemain； 〃Tableau de la Litterature au dix…huitième siècle；〃
IV。 409。
＇10＇ Grimm； 〃corresp。 littéraire；〃 IV。 176。 De Ségur；
〃Mémoires；〃 I。 113。
＇11＇ 〃Princesse de Babylone。〃 … Cf。 〃le Mondain。〃
＇12＇ Here we may have an important motive for the socialist attitudes
towards sexual morality as it was during the activie nineteen
seventies until the unexpected appearance of AIDS put an abrupt end to
the proceedings。 （SR。）
＇13＇ Mme。 d'Epinay； ed。 Boiteau； I。 216： at a supper given by
Mlle。 Quinault； the comedian； at which are present Saint…Lambert；
the Prince de 。 。 。 。 ； Duclos and Mme。 d'Epinay。
＇14＇ For example； the father of Marmant； a military gentleman； who；
having won the cross of St。 Louis at twenty…eight； abandons the
service because he finds that promotion is only for people of the
court。 In retirement on his estates he is a liberal； teaching his
son to read the reports made by Necker。 （Marshal Marmont；
〃Mémoires；〃 I。 9）。
＇15＇ Aubertin； 〃L'Esprit public；〃 in the 18th century； p。 7。
＇16＇ Montesquieu； 〃Lettres Persanes；〃 （Letter 61）。 … Cf。
Voltaire； （〃D？ner du Comte de Boulainvilliers〃）。
＇17＇ Aubertin； pp。 281； 282； 285； 289。
＇18＇ Horace Walpole； 〃Letters and Correspondence；〃 Sept。 27th；
1765； October 18th； 28th； and November 19th； 1766。
＇19＇ 〃Journal et Mémoires de Collé；〃 published by H。 Bonhomme；
II。 24 （October； 1755）； and III。165 （October 1767）。
＇20＇ 〃Corresp。 littéraire；〃 by Grimm （September； October； 1770）。
＇21＇ Mme。 De Genlis； 〃Adèle et Théodore；〃 I； 312。
＇22＇ De Goncourt； 〃La femme au dix…huitième siècle；〃 371…373。 …
Bachaumont； I。 224 （April 13； 1763）。
＇23＇ Mme。 de Genlis； 〃Adèle et Théodore；〃 II。 326。
＇24＇ 〃Tableau de Paris；〃 III。44。
＇25＇ Métra。 〃Correspondance secrète；〃 XVII。 387 （March 7；
1785）。
＇26＇ De Goncourt； ibid。 456。 … Vicomtesse de Noailles； 〃Vie de
la Princesse de Poix；〃 formerly de Beauvau。
＇27＇ The Abbé de Latteignaut； canon of Rheims； the author of some
light poetry and convivial songs； 〃has just composed for Nicolet's
theater a parade in which the intrigue is supported by a good many
broad jests； very much in the fashion at this time。 The courtiers
who give the tone to this theater think the canon of Rheims superb。〃
（Bachaumont； IV。 174； November； 1768）。
＇28＇ Bachaumont； III。 253。 … Chateaubriand； 〃Mémoires；〃 I。
246。
＇29＇ Champfort； 279。
＇30＇ Merlin de Thionville； 〃Vie et correspondance；〃 by Jean
Raynaud。 （〃La Chartreuse du Val Saint…Pierre。〃 Read the entire
passage）。 … 〃Souvenirs Manuscrits；〃 by M … 。。
＇31＇ Rivarol； 〃Mémoires；〃 I。 344。
＇32＇ Mercier； IV。 142。 〃In Auvergne； says M。 de Montlosier； I
formed for myself a society of priests； men of wit； some of whom were
deists and others open atheists； with whom I carried on a contest with
my brother。〃 （〃Mémoires；〃 I。37）。
＇33＇ Lafayette。 〃Mémoires；〃 III。 58。
＇34＇ 〃Dict。 Phil。〃 article 〃Wheat。〃 … The most important work of
Quesnay is of the year 1758； 〃Tableau économique。〃
＇35＇ D'Argenson； 〃Mémoires；〃 IV。 141； VI。 320； 465； VII。 23；
VIII。 153； （1752； 1753； 1754）。 … Rousseau's discourse on
Inequality belongs also to 1753。 On this steady march of opinion
consult the ex