and　deplores。　　But　what　was　the　cause　of　the　curse？　　Their　moral
  degradation。　　What　drew　them　up　to　Paris　save　vanity　and　profligacy？
  What　kept　them　from　intermarrying　with　the　middle　class　save　pride？
  What　made　them　give　up　the　office　of　governors　save　idleness？　　And
  if　vanity；　profligacy；　pride；　and　idleness　be　not　injustices　and
  moral　vices；　what　are？
  The　race　of　heroic　knights　and　nobles　who　fought　under　the　walls　of
  Jerusalemwho　wrestled；　and　not　in　vain；　for　centuries　with　the
  equally　heroic　English；　in　defence　of　their　native　soilwho　had　set
  to　all　Europe　the　example　of　all　knightly　virtues；　had　rotted　down
  to　this；　their　only　virtue　left；　as　Mr。　Carlyle　says；　beinga
  perfect　readiness　to　fight　duels。
  Every　Intendant；　chosen　by　the　Comptroller…General　out　of　the　lower…
  born　members　of　the　Council　of　State；　a　needy　young　plebeian　with
  his　fortune　to　make；　and　a　stranger　to　the　province；　was；　in　spite
  of　his　greed；　ambition；　chicane；　arbitrary　tyranny；　a　better　man
  abler；　more　energetic；　and　often；　to　judge　from　the　pages　of　De
  Tocqueville；　with　far　more　sympathy　and　mercy　for　the　wretched
  peasantrythan　was　the　count　or　marquis　in　the　chateau　above；　who
  looked　down　on　him　as　a　roturier；　and　let　him　nevertheless　become
  first　his　deputy；　and　then　his　master。
  Understand　meI　am　not　speaking　against　the　hereditary　principle　of
  the　Ancien　Regime；　but　against　its　caste　principletwo　widely
  different　elements；　continually　confounded　nowadays。
  The　hereditary　principle　is　good；　because　it　is　founded　on　fact　and
  nature。　　If　men's　minds　come　into　the　world　blank　sheets　of　paper
  which　I　much　doubtevery　other　part　and　faculty　of　them　comes　in
  stamped　with　hereditary　tendencies　and　peculiarities。　　There　are
  such　things　as　transmitted　capabilities　for　good　and　for　evil；　and
  as　surely　as　the　offspring　of　a　good　horse　or　dog　is　likely　to　be
  good；　so　is　the　offspring　of　a　good　man；　and　still　more　of　a　good
  woman。　　If　the　parents　have　any　special　ability；　their　children　will
  probably　inherit　it；　at　least　in　part；　and　over　and　above；　will　have
  it　developed　in　them　by　an　education　worthy　of　their　parents　and
  themselves。　　If　man　werewhat　he　is　nota　healthy　and　normal
  species；　a　permanent　hereditary　caste　might　go　on　intermarrying；　and
  so　perpetuate　itself。　　But　the　same　moral　reason　which　would　make
  such　a　caste　dangerousindeed；　fatal　to　the　liberty　and　development
  of　mankind；　makes　it　happily　impossible。　　Crimes　and　follies　are
  certain；　after　a　few　generations；　to　weaken　the　powers　of　any　human
  caste；　and　unless　it　supplements　its　own　weakness　by　mingling　again
  with　the　common　stock　of　humanity；　it　must　sink　under　that　weakness；
  as　the　ancient　noblesse　sank　by　its　own　vice。　　Of　course　there　were
  exceptions。　　The　French　Revolution　brought　those　exceptions　out　into
  strong　light；　and　like　every　day　of　judgment；　divided　between　the
  good　and　the　evil。　　But　it　lies　not　in　exceptions　to　save　a　caste；
  or　an　institution；　and　a　few　Richelieus；　Liancourts；　Rochefoucaulds；
  Noailles；　Lafayettes　were　but　the　storks　among　the　cranes　involved
  in　the　wholesale　doom　due　not　to　each　individual；　but　to　a　system
  and　a　class。
  Profligacy；　pride；　idlenessthese　are　the　vices　which　we　have　to
  lay　to　the　charge　of　the　Teutonic　Nobility　of　the　Ancien　Regime　in
  France　especially；　and　（though　in　a　less　degree　perhaps）　over　the
  whole　continent　of　Europe。　　But　below　them；　and　perhaps　the　cause　of
  them　all；　lay　another　and　deeper　vicegodlessnessatheism。
  I　do　not　mean　merely　want　of　religion；　doctrinal　unbelief。　　I　mean
  want　of　belief　in　duty；　in　responsibility。　　Want　of　belief　that
  there　was　a　living　God　governing　the　universe；　who　had　set　them
  their　work；　and　would　judge　them　according　to　their　work。　　And
  therefore；　want　of　belief；　yea；　utter　unconsciousness；　that　they
  were　set　in　their　places　to　make　the　masses　below　them　better　men；
  to　impart　to　them　their　own　civilisation；　to　raise　them　to　their　own
  level。　　They　would　have　shrunk　from　that　which　I　just　now　defined　as
  the　true　duty　of　an　aristocracy；　just　because　it　would　have　seemed
  to　them　madness　to　abolish　themselves。　　But　the　process　of　abolition
  went　on；　nevertheless；　only　now　from　without　instead　of　from　within。
  So　it　must　always　be；　in　such　a　case。　　If　a　ruling　class　will　not
  try　to　raise　the　masses　to　their　own　level；　the　masses　will　try　to
  drag　them　down　to　theirs。　　That　sense　of　justice　which　allowed
  privileges；　when　they　were　as　strictly　official　privileges　as　the
  salary　of　a　judge；　or　the　immunity　of　a　member　of　the　House　of
  Commons；　when　they　were　earned；　as　in　the　Middle　Age；　by　severe
  education；　earnest　labour；　and　life　and　death　responsibility　in
  peace　and　war；　will　demand　the　abolition　of　those　privileges；　when
  no　work　is　done　in　return　for　them；　with　a　voice　which　must　be
  heard；　for　it　is　the　voice　of　truth　and　justice。
  But　with　that　righteous　voice　will　mingle　another；　most　wicked；　and
  yet；　alas！　most　flattering　to　poor　humanitythe　voice　of　envy；
  simple　and　undisguised；　of　envy；　which　moralists　hold　to　be　one　of
  the　basest　of　human　passions；　which　can　never　be　justified；　however
  hateful　or　unworthy　be　the　envied　man。　　And　when　a　whole　people；　or
  even　a　majority　thereof；　shall　be　possessed　by　that；　what　is　there
  that　they　will　not　do？
  Some　are　surprised　and　puzzled　when　they　find；　in　the　French
  Revolution　of　1793；　the　noblest　and　the　foulest　characters　labouring
  in　concert；　and　side　by　sideoften；　too；　paradoxical　as　it　may
  seem；　united　in　the　same　personage。　　The　explanation　is　simple。
  Justice　inspired　the　one；　the　other　was　the　child　of　simple　envy。
  But　this　passion　of　envy；　if　it　becomes　permanent　and　popular；　may
  avenge　itself；　like　all　other　sins。　　A　nation　may　say　to　itself；
  〃Provided　we　have　no　superiors　to　fall　our　pride；　we　are　content。
  Liberty　is　a　slight　matter；　provided　we　have　equality。　　Let　us　be
  slaves；　provided　we　are　all　slaves　alike。〃　　It　may　destroy　every
  standard　of　humanity　above　its　own　mean　average；　it　may　forget　that
  the　old　ruling　class；　in　spite　of　all　its　defects　and　crimes；　did　at
  least　pretend　to　represent　something　higher　than　man's　necessary
  wants；　plus　the　greed　of　amassing　money；　never　meeting　（at　least　in
  the　country　districts）　any　one　wiser　or　more　refined　than　an
  official　or　a　priest　drawn　from　the　peasant　class；　it　may　lose　the
  belief　that　any　standard　higher　than　that　is　needed；　and；　all　but
  forgetting　the　very　existence　of　civilisation；　sink　contented　into　a
  dead　level　of　intellectual　mediocrity　and　moral　barbarism；　crying；
  〃Let　us　eat　and　drink；　for　to…morrow　we　die。〃
  A　nation　in　such　a　temper　will　surely　be　taken　at　its　word。　　Where
  the　carcase　is；　there　the　eagles　will　be　gathered　together；　and
  there　will　not　be　wanting　to　such　nationsas　there　were　not　wanting
  in　old　Greece　and　Romedespots　who　will　give　them　all　they　want；
  and　more；　and　say　to　them：　　〃Yes；　you　shall　eat　and　drink；　and　yet
  you　shall　not　die。　　For　I；　while　I　take　care　of　your　mortal　bodies；
  will　see　that　care　is　taken　of　your　immortal　souls。〃
  For　there　are　those　who　have　discovered；　with　the　kings　of　the　Holy
  Alliance；　that　infidelity　and　scepticism　are　political　mistakes；　not
  so　much　because　they　promote　vice；　as　because　they　promote　（or　are
  supposed　to　promote）　free　thought；　who　see　that　religion　（no　matter
  of　what　quality）　is　a　most　valuable　assistant　to　the　duties　of　a
  minister　of　police。　　They　will　quote　in　their　own　behalf
  Montesquieu's　opinion　that　religion　is　a　column　necessary　to　sustain
  the　social　edifice；　they　will　quote；　too；　that　sound　and　true　saying
  of　De　Tocqueville's：　　｛1｝　〃If　the　first　American　who　might　be　met；
  either　in　his　own　country；　or　abroad；　were　to　be　stopped　and　asked
  whether　he　considered　religion　useful　to　the　stability　of　the　laws
  and　the　good　order　of　society；　he　would　answer；　without　hesitation；
  that　no　civilised　society；　but　more　especially　none　in　a　state　of
  freedom；　can　exist　without　religion。　　Respect　for　religion　is；　in
  his　eyes；　the　greatest　guarantee　of　the　stability　of　the　State；　and
  of　the　safety　of　the　community。　　Those　who　are　ignorant　of　the
  science　of　government；　know　that　fact　at　least。〃
  M。　de　Tocqueville；　when　he　wrote　these　words；　was　lamenting　that　in
  France；　〃freedom　was　forsaken；〃　〃a　thing　for　which　it　is　said　that
  no　one　any　longer　cares　in　France。〃　　He　did　not；　it　seems　to　me；
  perceive　that；　as　in　America　the　best　guarantee　of　freedom　is　the
  reverence　for　a　religion　or　religions；　which　are　free　themselves；
  and　which　teach　men　to　be　free；　so　in　other　countries　the　best
  guarantee　of　slavery　is；　reverence　for　religions　which　are　not　free；
  and　which　teach　men　to　be　slaves。
  But　what　M。　de　Tocqueville　did　not　see；　there　are　others　who　will
  see；　who　will　say：　　〃If　religion　be　the　pillar　of　political　and
  social　order；　there　is　an　order　which　is　best　supported　by　a
  religion　which　is　adverse　to　free　thought；　free　s