《旧制度与大革命·卷三·第三章·法国高等法院如何循着旧例反而倾覆了王权》第16节
In presence of so general and so novel an opposition, the Government showed signs at first of surprise and of annoyance rather than of defeat. It employed all its old weapons--proclamations, lettres de cachet, exile--but it employed them in vain. Force was resorted to, enough to irritate, not enough to terrify; moreover, a whole people cannot be terrified. An attempt was made to excite the passions of the multitude against the rich, the citizens against the aristocracy, the lower magistrates against the courts of justice. It was the old game; but this too was played in vain. New judges were appointed, but most of the new magistrates refused to sit. Favours, money were proffered; venality itself had given way to passion. An effort was made to divert the public attention; but it remained concentrated. Unable to stop or even to check the liberty of writing, the Government sought to use it by opposing one press to another press. A number of little pamphlets were published on its side, at no small cost. Nobody read the defence, but the myriad pamphlets that attacked it were devoured. All these pamphlets were evolved from the abstract principles of Rousseau’s Contrat Social. The Sovereign was to be a citizen king; every infraction of the law was treason against the nation. Nothing in the whole fabric of society was sound; the Court was a hateful den in which famished courtiers devoured the spoils of the people.
注释摘要
托克维尔在这里描绘的是一幅政权在全面对抗中步步失效的图景。他关注的不是反对派如何强大，而是王权如何在自己熟悉的战场上节节败退。政府起初的反应并非惊恐，而是一种带有困惑的不耐烦——它以为面对的仍是旧式的、可以逐个击破的违抗，于是动用了那套在百年集权进程中打磨出来的管制工具：公告用来宣示意志，密札用来绕过司法程序直接拘禁，流放用来清除碍事者。这些手段在路易十四…