第969章

Naturally， it takes the opportunity to bring them under its strict and permanent dependence， in adding other claims to those with which the old monarchy had already burdened the corporations that administered collective fortunes. Napoleon increases the weight of these chains and screws them tighter. Not only does he take it upon himself to impose order， probity， and economy on the administrators， but， again， he appoints them， dismisses them， and prescribes or authorizes each of their acts. He puts words in their mouths； he wants to be the great bishop， the universal genius， the sole tutor and professor， in short， the dictator of opinion， the creator and director of every political， social and moral idea throughout his empire. - With what rigidity and pertinacious intent， with what variety and convergence of means， with what plenitude and certainty of execution， with what detriment and with what danger， present and to come， for corporations， for the public， for the State， for himself， we shall see presently； he himself， living and reigning， is to realize this. For his interference， pushed to extremes， is to end in encountering resistance in a body which he considers as his own creature， the Church： here， forgetting that she has roots of her own， deep down and out of his reach， he carries off the Pope， holds him captive， sends cardinals into the interior， (Page 198/504)imprisons bishops， banishes priests， and incorporates seminarians in his regiments.[138] He decrees the closing of all small seminaries，[139] alienates forever the Catholic clergy like the royalist nobility， precisely at the same moment and through the same absolutism， through the same abuse of power， through the same recurrence to revolutionary tradition， to Jacobin infatuation and brutality， even to the frustration of his Concordat of 1802 as with his amnesty of 1802， even to compromising his capital work of the attempted reconciliation and reunion of old France with the new France. His work， nevertheless， although incomplete， even interrupted and marred by himself， remains substantial and salutary. The three grand machines which the Revolution had demolished with so little foresight， and which he had reconstructed at so little cost， are in working order， and， with deviations or shortcomings in result， they render to the public the required services， each its own， worship， charity and instruction. Full toleration and legal protection to the three leading Christian cults， and even to Judaism， would of itself already satisfy the most sensitive of religious demands； owing to the donation furnished by the State and communes and by private individuals， the necessary complement is not wanting.

The Catholic community， in particular， the most numerous of all， exercises and celebrates its system of worship in conformity with its faith， according to ecclesiastical canons under its own orthodox hierarchy； in each parish， or within reach of each parish， dwells one authorized priest who administers valid sacraments； in his stole he says mass publicly in a consecrated edifice， plainly decorated at first but gradually beautified； not less publicly， various congregations of monks and nuns， the former in black robes and the "sisters in wimples and white caps， serve in the schools and asylums.

On the other hand， in these well-equipped and well-governed asylums and hospitals， in the bureaux of charity， their resources are no longer inferior to their needs， while Christian charity and philanthropic generosity are constantly operating in all directions to fill the empty drawers； legacies and private donations， after 1802， authorized by the Council of State， multiply； we see them swelling the pages of the "Bulletin des Lois."[140] From 1800 to 1845， the hospitals and asylums are thus to receive more than 72 millions， and the charity bureaux over 49 millions； from 1800 to 1878， all together will thus receive more than 415 millions.[141] The old patrimony of the poor is again reconstituted piece by piece； and on January 1st， 1833， asylums and hospitals， with their 51 millions of revenue， are able to support 154，000 elderly and the sickly.[142]

Like public charity， public education again becomes effective；Fourcroy， after 1806，[143] lists 29 organized and full lycées； besides these， 370 communal secondary schools and 377 private secondary schools are open and receive 50，200； there are 25，000 children in the 4500 schools. Finally， in 1815，[144] we find in France， restored to its ancient boundaries， 12 faculties of Law or Medicine with 6，329students， 36 lycées with 9000 pupils， 368 colleges with 28，000 pupils， 41 small seminaries with 5233 pupils， 1255 boarding-schools and private institutions with 39，623 pupils， and 22，348 primary schools with 737，369 scholars； as far as can be gathered， the proportion of men and women able to read and to sign their name is raised under the empire up to and beyond the figures[145] it had reached previous to 1789.

In this manner are the worst damages repaired. The three new administrative services， with a different set-up， do the job of the old ones and， at the expiration of twenty-five years， give an almost equal return. - In sum， the new proprietor of the great structure sacked by the Revolution has again set up the indispensable apparatus for warming， lighting and ventilation； as he knows his own interests perfectly， and is poorly off in ready money， he contributes only a minimum of the expense； in other respects， he has grouped together his tenants into syndicates， into barracks， in apartments， and， voluntarily or involuntarily， he has put upon them the burden of cost.