《旧制度与大革命·卷一·第四章·全欧曾有相同制度又处处崩坏》第4节
Royalty no longer had anything in common with the royalty of the Middle Ages, it enjoyed other prerogatives, occupied a different place, was imbued with a different spirit, and inspired different sentiments; the administration of the State spread in all directions upon the ruins of local authorities; the organised array of public officers superseded more and more the government of the nobles. All these new powers employed methods and followed maxims which the men of the Middle Ages had either not known or had condemned; and, indeed, they belong to a state of society of which those men could have formed no idea. In England, where, at the first glance, the ancient constitution of Europe might still seem in full vigour, the case is the same. Setting aside the ancient names and the old forms, in England the feudal system was substantially abolished in the seventeenth century; all classes of society began to intermingle, the pretensions of birth were effaced, the aristocracy was thrown open, wealth was becoming power, equality was established before the law, public employments were open to all, the press became free, the debates of Parliament public; every one of them new principles, unknown to the society of the Middle Ages. It is precisely these new elements, gradually and skilfully incorporated with the ancient constitution of England, which have revived without endangering it, and filled it with new life and vigour without destroying the ancient forms. In the seventeenth century England was already quite a modern nation, which had still preserved, and, as it were, embalmed some of the relics of the Middle Ages. This rapid view of the state of things beyond the boundaries of France was essential to the comprehension of what is about to follow; for no one who has seen and studied France only, can ever--I venture to affirm--understand anything of the French Revolution.
注释摘要
托克维尔在这段论述中展开了一个至关重要的比较框架，把视线从法国移向全欧，最终又聚焦于英国这个特例。他要反驳一种常见的错觉：英国因为保留了君主制、贵族院、古老的地方自治形式，就好像还活在中世纪。托克维尔指出，这不过是表面。十七世纪以后，英格兰的封建制度已经实质上被废除，社会等级开始流动，出身不再垄断权力，财富取代血统成为社会力量的新来源，法律面前人人平等成为…