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1、THEANCIENREGIMETHEANCIENREGIMEbyCharlesKingsley1THEANCIENREGIMEPREFACETherulesoftheRoyalInstitutionforbid(andwisely)religiousorpoliticalcontroversy.ItwasthereforeimpossibleformeintheseLectures,tosaymuchwhichhadtobesaid,indrawingajustandcompletepicture
2、oftheAncienRegimeinFrance.Thepassagesinsertedbetweenbrackets,whichbearonreligiousmatters,wereaccordinglynotspokenattheRoyalInstitution.Butmore.ItwasimpossibleformeintheseLectures,tobringforwardasfullyasIcouldhavewished,thecontrastbetweenthecontinental
3、nationsandEngland,whethernow,orduringtheeighteenthcentury.Butthatcontrastcannotbetoocarefullystudiedatthepresentmoment.Inproportionasitisseenandunderstood,willthefearofrevolution(ifsuchexists)dieoutamongthewealthierclasses;andthewishforit(ifsuchexists
4、)amongthepoorer;andalargeextensionofthesuffragewillbelookedonas--whatitactuallyis--asafeandharmlessconcessiontothewishes--and,asIhold,tothejustrights--oflargeportionoftheBritishnation.ThereexistsinBritainnow,asfarasIcansee,nooneofthoseevilswhichbrough
5、tabouttheFrenchRevolution.Thereisnowidespreadmisery,andthereforenowidespreaddiscontent,amongtheclasseswholivebyhand-labour.Thelegislationofthelastgenerationhasbeensteadilyinfavourofthepoor,asagainsttherich;anditisevenmoretruenowthanitwasin1789,that--a
6、sArthurYoungtoldtheFrenchmobwhichstoppedhiscarriage--therichpaymanytaxes(overandabovethepoor-rates,adirecttaxonthecapitalistinfavourofthelabourer)morethanarepaidbythepoor."InEngland"(saysM.deTocquevilleofeventheeighteenthcentury)"thepoormanenjoyedthep
7、rivilegeofexemptionfromtaxation;inFrance,therich."Equalitybeforethelawisaswell-nighcompleteasitcanbe,wheresomearerichandotherspoor;andtheonlyprivilegedclass,itsometimesseemstome,isthepauper,whohasneithertheresponsibilityofself-government,northetoilofs
8、elf-support.2THEANCIENREGIMEAminorityofmalcontents,somejustly,someunjustly,angrywiththepresentstateofthings,willalwaysexistinthisworld.Butamajorityofmalcontentsweshallneverhave,aslongastheworkmenareallowedtokeepuntouchedandunthreatenedtheirrig
