首页 >出版文学> Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions>第2章
  ItwasafterthisrepulsethathevisitedItaly。Hismindbeingstilloccupiedwithschemesoffinance,heproposedtoVictorAmadeus,DukeofSavoy,toestablishhisland-bankinthatcountry。TheDukerepliedthathisdominionsweretoocircumscribedfortheexecutionofsogreataproject,andthathewasbyfartoopoorapotentatetoberuined。Headvisedhim,however,totrytheKingofFranceoncemore;
  forhewassure,ifheknewanythingoftheFrenchcharacter,thatthepeoplewouldbedelightedwithaplan,notonlysonew,butsoplausible。
  LouisXIVdiedin1715,andtheheirtothethronebeinganinfantonlysevenyearsofage,theDukeofOrleansassumedthereinsofgovernment,asRegent,duringhisminority。Lawnowfoundhimselfinamorefavourableposition。Thetideinhisaffairshadcome,which,takenattheflood,wastowafthimontofortune。TheRegentwashisfriend,alreadyacquaintedwithhistheoryandpretensions,andinclined,moreover,toaidhiminanyeffortstorestorethewoundedcreditofFrance,boweddowntotheearthbytheextravaganceofthelongreignofLouisXIV。
  Hardlywasthatmonarchlaidinhisgraveerethepopularhatred,suppressedsolong,burstforthagainsthismemory。Hewho,duringhislife,hadbeenflatteredwithanexcessofadulation,towhichhistoryscarcelyoffersaparallel,wasnowcursedasatyrant,abigot,andaplunderer。Hisstatueswerepeltedanddisfigured;hiseffigiestorndown,amidtheexecrationsofthepopulace,andhisnamerenderedsynonymouswithselfishnessandoppression。Thegloryofhisarmswasforgotten,andnothingwasrememberedbuthisreverses,hisextravagance,andhiscruelty。
  Thefinancesofthecountrywereinastateoftheutmostdisorder。Aprofuseandcorruptmonarch,whoseprofusenessandcorruptionwereimitatedbyalmosteveryfunctionary,fromthehighesttothelowestgrade,hadbroughtFrancetothevergeofruin。Thenationaldebtamountedto3000millionsoflivres,therevenueto145
  millions,andtheexpenditureto142millionsperannum;leavingonlythreemillionstopaytheinterestupon3000millions。ThefirstcareoftheRegentwastodiscoveraremedyforanevilofsuchmagnitude,andacouncilwasearlysummonedtotakethematterintoconsideration。TheDukedeSt。Simonwasofopinionthatnothingcouldsavethecountryfromrevolutionbutaremedyatonceboldanddangerous。HeadvisedtheRegenttoconvoketheStates-General,anddeclareanationalbankruptcy。TheDukedeNoailles,amanofaccommodatingprinciples,anaccomplishedcourtier,andtotallyaversefromgivinghimselfanytroubleorannoyancethatingenuitycouldescapefrom,opposedtheprojectofSt。Simonwithallhisinfluence。
  Herepresentedtheexpedientasalikedishonestandruinous。TheRegentwasofthesameopinion,andthisdesperateremedyfelltotheground。
  Themeasuresultimatelyadopted,thoughtheypromisedfair,onlyaggravatedtheevil。Thefirst,andmostdishonestmeasure,wasofnoadvantagetothestate。Arecoinagewasordered,bywhichthecurrencywasdepreciatedone-fifth;thosewhotookathousandpiecesofgoldorsilvertothemintreceivedbackanamountofcoinofthesamenominalvalue,butonlyfour-fifthsoftheweightofmetal。Bythiscontrivancethetreasurygainedseventy-twomillionsoflivres,andallthecommercialoperationsofthecountryweredisordered。A
  triflingdiminutionofthetaxessilencedtheclamoursofthepeople,andfortheslightpresentadvantagethegreatprospectiveevilwasforgotten。
  Achamberofjusticewasnextinstituted,toinquireintothemalversationsoftheloan-contractorsandthefarmersoftherevenues。
  Taxcollectorsareneververypopularinanycountry,butthoseofFranceatthisperioddeservedalltheodiumwithwhichtheywereloaded。Assoonasthesefarmers-general,withalltheirhostsofsubordinateagents,calledmaltotiers[Frommaltote,anoppressivetax。],werecalledtoaccountfortheirmisdeeds,themostextravagantjoytookpossessionofthenation。TheChamberofJustice,institutedchieflyforthispurpose,wasendowedwithveryextensivepowers。Itwascomposedofthepresidentsandcouncilsoftheparliament,thejudgesoftheCourtsofAidandofRequests,andtheofficersoftheChamberofAccount,underthegeneralpresidenceoftheministeroffinance。Informerswereencouragedtogiveevidenceagainsttheoffendersbythepromiseofone-fifthpartofthefinesandconfiscations。Atenthofallconcealedeffectsbelongingtotheguiltywaspromisedtosuchasshouldfurnishthemeansofdiscoveringthem。
  Thepromulgationoftheedictconstitutingthiscourtcausedadegreeofconsternationamongthoseprincipallyconcernedwhichcanonlybeaccountedforonthesuppositionthattheirpeculationhadbeenenormous。Buttheymetwithnosympathy。Theproceedingsagainstthemjustifiedtheirterror。TheBastilewassoonunabletocontaintheprisonersthatweresenttoit,andthegaolsalloverthecountryteemedwithguiltyorsuspectedpersons。Anorderwasissuedtoallinnkeepersandpostmasterstorefusehorsestosuchasendeavouredtoseeksafetyinflight;andallpersonswereforbidden,underheavyfines,toharbourthemorfavourtheirevasion。Somewerecondemnedtothepillory,otherstothegallies,andtheleastguiltytofineandimprisonment。Oneonly,SamuelBernard,arichbanker,andfarmer-generalofaprovinceremotefromthecapital,wassentencedtodeath。Sogreathadbeentheillegalprofitsofthisman,——lookeduponasthetyrantandoppressorofhisdistrict,——thatheofferedsixmillionsoflivres,or250,000poundssterling,tobeallowedtoescape。
  Hisbribewasrefused,andhesufferedthepenaltyofdeath。
  Others,perhapsmoreguilty,weremorefortunate。Confiscation,owingtotheconcealmentoftheirtreasuresbythedelinquents,oftenproducedlessmoneythanafine。Theseverityofthegovernmentrelaxed,andfines,underthedenominationoftaxes,wereindiscriminatelylevieduponalloffenders。Butsocorruptwaseverydepartmentoftheadministration,thatthecountrybenefitedbutlittlebythesumswhichthusflowedintothetreasury。Courtiers,andcourtiers’wivesandmistresses,cameinforthechiefshareofthespoils。Onecontractorhadbeentaxedinproportiontohiswealthandguilt,atthesumoftwelvemillionsoflivres。TheCount***,amanofsomeweightinthegovernment,calleduponhim,andofferedtoprocurearemissionofthefine,ifhewouldgivehimahundredthousandcrowns。“Vousetestroptard,monami,“repliedthefinancier;“Ihavealreadymadeabargainwithyourwifeforfiftythousand。“[ThisanecdoteisrelatedbyM。delaHode,inhisLifeofPhilippeofOrleans。Itwouldhavelookedmoreauthenticifhehadgiventhenamesofthedishonestcontractorandthestillmoredishonestminister。ButM。delaHode’sbookisliabletothesameobjectionasmostoftheFrenchmemoirsofthatandofsubsequentperiods。Itissufficientwithmostofthemthatananecdotebebentrovato;thevetoisbutmatterofsecondaryconsideration。]
  Aboutahundredandeightymillionsoflivreswereleviedinthismanner,ofwhicheightywereappliedinpaymentofthedebtscontractedbythegovernment。Theremainderfounditswayintothepocketsofthecourtiers。MadamedeMaintenon,writingonthissubject,says,“WeheareverydayofsomenewgrantoftheRegent;thepeoplemurmurverymuchatthismodeofemployingthemoneytakenfromthepeculators。“Thepeople,who,afterthefirstburstoftheirresentmentisover,generallyexpressasympathyfortheweak,wereindignantthatsomuchseverityshouldbeusedtosolittlepurpose。
  Theydidnotseethejusticeofrobbingonesetofroguestofattenanother。Inafewmonthsallthemoreguiltyhadbeenbroughttopunishment,andthechamberofjusticelookedforvictimsinhumblerwalksoflife。Chargesoffraudandextortionwerebroughtagainsttradesmenofgoodcharacter,inconsequenceofthegreatinducementsheldouttocommoninformers。Theywerecompelledtolayopentheiraffairsbeforethistribunalinordertoestablishtheirinnocence。
  Thevoiceofcomplaintresoundedfromeveryside,andattheexpirationofayearthegovernmentfounditadvisabletodiscontinuefurtherproceedings。Thechamberofjusticewassuppressed,andageneralamnestygrantedtoallagainstwhomnochargeshadyetbeenpreferred。
  InthemidstofthisfinancialconfusionLawappeareduponthescene。NomanfeltmoredeeplythantheRegentthedeplorablestateofthecountry,butnomancouldbemoreaversefromputtinghisshouldersmanfullytothewheel。Hedislikedbusiness;hesignedofficialdocumentswithoutproperexamination,andtrustedtootherswhatheshouldhaveundertakenhimself。Thecaresinseparablefromhishighofficewereburdensometohim;hesawthatsomethingwasnecessarytobedone,buthelackedtheenergytodoit,andhadnotvirtueenoughtosacrificehiscaseandhispleasuresintheattempt。
  Nowonderthat,withthischaracter,helistenedfavourablytothemightyprojects,soeasyofexecution,ofthecleveradventurerwhomhehadformerlyknown,andwhosetalentsheappreciated。
  WhenLawpresentedhimselfatcourt,hewasmostcordiallyreceived。HeofferedtwomemorialstotheRegent,inwhichhesetforththeevilsthathadbefallenFrance,owingtoaninsufficientcurrency,atdifferenttimesdepreciated。Heassertedthatametalliccurrency,unaidedbyapapermoney,waswhollyinadequatetothewantsofacommercialcountry,andparticularlycitedtheexamplesofGreatBritainandHollandtoshowtheadvantagesofpaper。Heusedmanysoundargumentsonthesubjectofcredit,andproposed,asameansofrestoringthatofFrance,thenatsolowanebbamongthenations,thatheshouldbeallowedtosetupabank,whichshouldhavethemanagementoftheroyalrevenues,andissuenotes,bothonthatandonlandedsecurity。HefurtherproposedthatthisbankshouldbeadministeredintheKing’sname,butsubjecttothecontrolofcommissioners,tobenamedbytheStates-General。
  Whilethesememorialswereunderconsideration,LawtranslatedintoFrenchhisessayonmoneyandtrade,andusedeverymeanstoextendthroughthenationhisrenownasafinancier。Hesoonbecametalkedof。TheconfidantsoftheRegentspreadabroadhispraise,andeveryoneexpectedgreatthingsofMonsieurLass。[TheFrenchpronouncedhisnameinthismannertoavoidtheungallicsound,aw。
  Afterthefailureofhisscheme,thewagssaidthenationwaslassedelui,andproposedthatheshouldinfuturebeknownbythenameofMonsieurHelas!]
  Onthe5thofMay,1716,aroyaledictwaspublished,bywhichLawwasauthorised,inconjunctionwithhisbrother,toestablishabank,underthenameofLawandCompany,thenotesofwhichshouldbereceivedinpaymentofthetaxes。Thecapitalwasfixedatsixmillionsoflivres,intwelvethousandsharesoffivehundredlivreseach,purchasableone-fourthinspecieandtheremainderinbilletsd’etat。Itwasnotthoughtexpedienttogranthimthewholeoftheprivilegesprayedforinhismemorialsuntilexperienceshouldhaveshowntheirsafetyandadvantage。