"Rafael Sabatini. Scaramouche" - читать интересную книгу автора

a state and build upon its ruins a new one in which they shall be the
masters. And to accomplish this they inflame the people. Already in Dauphiny
we have seen blood run like water - the blood of the populace, always the
blood of the populace. Now in Brittany we may see the like. And if in the
end the new ideas prevail? if the seigneurial rule is overthrown, what then?
You will have exchanged an aristocracy for a plutocracy. Is that worth
while? Do you 'think that under money-changers and slave-traders and men who
have waxed rich in other ways by the ignoble arts of buying and selling, the
lot of the people will be any better than under their priests and nobles?
Has it ever occurred to you, Philippe, what it is that makes the rule of the
nobles so intolerable? Acquisitiveness. Acquisitiveness is the curse of
mankind. And shall you expect less acquisitiveness in men who have built
themselves up by acquisitiveness? Oh, I am ready to admit that the present
government is execrable, unjust, tyrannical - what you will; but I beg you
to look ahead, and to see that the government for which it is aimed at
exchanging it may be infinitely worse."
Philippe sat thoughtful a moment. Then he returned to the attack.
"You do not speak of the abuses, the horrible, intolerable abuses of
power under which we labour at present."
"Where there is power there will always be the abuse of it."
"Not if the tenure of power is dependent upon its equitable
administration."
"The tenure of power is power. We cannot dictate to those who hold it."
"The people can - the people in its might."
"Again I ask you, when you say the people do you mean the populace? You
do. What power can the populace wield? It can run wild. It can burn and slay
for a time. But enduring power it cannot wield, because power demands
qualities which the populace does not possess, or it would not be populace.
The inevitable, tragic corollary of civilization is populace. For the rest,
abuses can be corrected by equity; and equity, if it is not found in the
enlightened, is not to be found at all. M. Necker is to set about correcting
abuses, and limiting privileges. That is decided. To that end the States
General are to assemble."
"And a promising beginning we have made in Brittany, as Heaven hears
me!" cried Philippe.
"Pooh! That is nothing. Naturally the nobles will not yield without a
struggle. It is a futile and ridiculous struggle - but then... it is human
nature, I suppose, to be futile and ridiculous."
M. de Vilmorin became witheringly sarcastic. "Probably you will also
qualify the shooting of Mabey as futile and ridiculous. I should even be
prepared to hear you argue in defence of the Marquis de La Tour d' Azyr that
his gamekeeper was merciful in shooting Mabey, since the alternative would
have been a life-sentence to the galleys."
Andre-Louis drank the remainder of his chocolate; set down his cup, and
pushed back his chair, his breakfast done.
"I confess that I have not your big charity, my dear Philippe. I am
touched by Mabey's fate. But, having conquered the shock of this news to my
emotions, I do not forget that, after all, Mabey was thieving when he met
his death."
M. de Vilmorin heaved himself up in his indignation.