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menace to those who passed it。 Could a more horrible emblem of
slavery and of despotism be imagined！〃 〃The orator himself
imitates the roar of the lion。 The listeners were all excited by it
and I； who passed the barrier Saint…Victor so often； was surprised
that this horrible image had not struck me。 That very day I examined
it closely and； on the pilaster； I found only a small buckler
suspended as an ornament by a little chain attached by the sculptor to
a little lion's mouth； like those we see serving as door…knockers or
as water…cocks。〃 Perverted sensations and delirious conceptions
of this kind would be regarded by physicians as the symptoms of mental
derangement； and we are only in the early months of the year 1789！
In such excitable and over…excited brains the powerful fascination of
words is about to create phantoms； some of them hideous； the
aristocrat and the tyrant； and others adorable； the friend of the
people and the incorruptible patriot； so many disproportionate；
imaginary figures； but which will replace actual living persons； and
which the maniac is to overwhelm with his praise or pursue with his
fury。
VI。 SUMMARY
Thus does the philosophy of the eighteenth century descend
among the people and propagate itself。 Ideas； on the first story of
the house； in handsome gilded rooms； serve only as an evening
illumination； as drawing room explosives and pleasing Bengal lights；
with which people amuse themselves； and then laughingly throw from the
windows into the street。 Collected together in the story below and on
the ground floor； transported to shops； to warehouses and into
business cabinets； they find combustible material； piles of wood a
long time accumulated； and here do the flames enkindle。 The
conflagration seems to have already begun； for the chimneys roar and a
ruddy light gleams through the windows； but 〃No；〃 say the people
above； 〃those below would take care not to set the house on fire； for
they live in it as we do。 It is only a straw bonfire and a burning
chimney； and a little water will extinguish it； and； besides； these
little accidents clear the chimney and burn out the soot。〃
Take care！ Under the vast deep arches supporting it； in the
cellars of the house； there is a magazine of powder。
___________________________________________________________________
Notes：
＇1＇ I have verified these sentiments myself； in the narration of
aged people deceased twenty years ago。 Cf。 manuscript memoirs of
Hardy the bookseller （analyzed by Aubertin）； and the 〃Travels of
Arthur Young。〃
＇2＇ Aubertin； ibid。； 180； 362。
＇3＇ Voltaire； 〃Siècle de Louis XV；〃 ch。 XXXI； 〃Siècle de Louis
XIV；〃 ch。 XXX。 〃Industry increases every day。 To see the private
display； the prodigious number of pleasant dwellings erected in Paris
and in the provinces； the numerous equipages； the conveniences； the
acquisitions comprehended in the term luxe； one might suppose that
opulence was twenty times greater than it formerly was。 All this is
the result of ingenuity； much more than of wealth。 。 。 The middle
class has become wealthy by industry。 。 。 。 Commercial gains have
augmented。 The opulence of the great is less than it was formerly and
much larger among the middle class； the distance between men even
being lessened by it。 Formerly the inferior class had no resource but
to serve their superiors； nowadays industry has opened up a thousand
roads unknown a hundred years ago。〃
＇4＇ John Law （Edinbourgh 1672… dead in Venice 1729） Scotch
financier； who founded a bank in Paris issuing paper money whose value
depended upon confidence and credit。 He had to flee France when his
system collapsed and died in misery。 （SR。）
＇5＇ Arthur Young； II。 360； 373。
＇6＇ De Tocqueville； 255。
＇7＇ Aubertin； 482。
＇8＇ Roux and Buchez； 〃Histoire parlementaire。〃 Extracted from the
accounts made up by the comptrollers…general； I。 175； 205。 … The
report by Necker； I。 376。 To the 206；000；000 must be added
15；800；000 for expenses and interest on advances。
＇9＇ Compare this to the situation in year 1999 where irresponsible
democratic governments sell enormous fortunes in the form of bonds to
the popular pension funds； fortunes which they expect that the next
generation shall repay。 （SR。）
＇10＇ Roux and Buchez； I。 190。 〃Rapport；〃 M。 de Calonne。
＇11＇ Champfort； p。 105。
＇12＇ De Tocqueville； 261。
＇13＇ D'Argenson； April 12； 1752； February 11； 1752； July 24； 1753；
December 7； 1753。 … Archives nationales； O1； 738。
＇14＇ Characters in Molière's comedies。 … TR。
＇15＇ De Ségur。 I。 17。
＇16＇ Lucas de Montigny； Letter of the Marquis de Mirabeau； March
23； 1783。
＇17＇ Mme。 Vigée…Lebrun； I。 269； 231。 （The domestic establishment
of two farmers…general； M。 de Verdun； at Colombes； and M。 de St。
James； at Neuilly）。 … A superior type of the bourgeois and of the
merchant has already been put on the stage by Sedaine in 〃Le
Philosophe sans le Savoir。〃
＇18＇ John Andrews； 〃A comparative view；〃 etc。 p。 58。
＇19＇ De Tilly； 〃Mémoires；〃 I。 31。
＇20＇ Goffroy； 〃Gustave III；〃 letter of Mme。 Sta？l （August； 1786）。
＇21＇ Mme。 de Genlis； 〃Adele et Théodore〃 （1782）； I。 312。
Already in 1762； Bachaumont mentions several pieces written by grand
seigniors； such as 〃Clytemnestre；〃 by the Comte de Lauraguais；
〃Alexandre；〃 by the Chevalier de Fénélon； 〃Don Carlos；〃 by the Marquis
de Ximènès。
＇22＇ Champfort； 119。
＇23＇ De Vaublanc； I。 117。 … Beugnot； 〃Mémoires；〃 （the first and
second passages relating to society at the domiciles of M。 de Brienne；
and the Duc de Penthièvre。）
＇24＇ Barbier； II； 16； III。 255 （May； 1751）。 〃The king is robbed
by all the seigniors around him； especially on his journeys to his
different chateaux； which are frequent。〃 And September； 1750。 …
… Cf。 Aubertin； 291； 415 （〃Mémoires；〃 manuscript by Hardy）。
＇25＇ Treaties of Paris and Hubersbourg； 1763。 … The trial of La
Chalotais； 1765。 … Bankruptcy of Terray； 1770。 … Destruction of the
Parliament； 1771。 … The first partition of Poland； 1772。 … Rousseau；
〃Discours sur l'inégalité；〃 1753。 … 〃Héloise；〃 1759。 … 〃Emile〃 and
〃Contrat Social；〃 1762。
＇26＇ De Barante； 〃Tableau de la littérature fran？aise au dix…
huitième siècle；〃 312。
＇27＇ 〃Mercure britannique；〃 vol。 II； 360。
＇28＇ Lacretelle； 〃Dix ans d'épreuves；〃 p。 21。
＇29＇ 〃Memoires；〃 by PASQUIER （Etienne…Dennis； duc）； chancelier de
France。 in VI volumes； Librarie Plon； Paris 1893。
＇30＇ 〃Le Compère Mathieu；〃 by Dulaurens （1766）。 〃Our sufferings
are due to the way in which we are brought up； namely； the state of
society in which we are born。 Now that state being the source of all
our ills its dissolution must become that of all our good。〃
＇31＇ The 〃Tableau de Paris；〃 by Mercier （12 vols。）； is the
completest and most exact portrayal