therewasnobodyintheEnglishvillagetointerpretthesetwoworldsto
eachother。M。BabeauhaspointedoutthatinFrance，undertheancientré；gime，
thelawyersrepresentedanddefendedinsomedegreetherightsofthepeasants。
Thiswasoneconsequenceoftheconstantlitigationbetweenpeasantsand
seigneursovercommunalproperty。Thelawyerswhotookthesideofthepeasants
livedattheirexpenseitistrue，buttheyrenderedpublicservices，they
presentedthepeasants’casebeforepublicopinion，andtheyunderstoodtheir
ideasanddifficulties。ThisexplainsastrikingfeatureoftheFrenchRevolution，
thelargenumberoflocallawyerswhobecameprominentaschampionsofrevolutionary
ideas。OneofBurke’schiefcomplaintsoftheConstituentAssemblywasthat
itcontainedsomanycountryattorneysandnotaries，’thefomentersandconductors
ofthepettywarofvillagevexation。’(11*)InEnglandthelawyersnever
occupiedthisposition，anditisimpossibletoimaginesuchadevelopment
takingplacethere。Thelawyerswhointerestedthemselvesinthepoorwere
enlistednotinthedefenceoftherightsofthecommonersbutinthedefence
ofthepursesoftheparishes。Forthemtheall-importantquestionwasnot
whatrightsthepeasanthadagainsthislord，butonwhichparishhehad
aclaimformaintenance。
Thecausesoflitigationwereendless：ifamanrentedatenementofthe
annualvalueof£；10heacquiredasettlement。Buthisrentalmightnot
haverepresentedtheannualvalue，andsothefurtherquestionwouldcome
up，Wastheannualvalueactually£；10？’Ifitmaybereallynotfar
fromthatsum，andthefamilyofthepauperbenumerous，theinterestsof
thecontendingparishes，supportedbytheconflictingopinionsoftheirrespective
surveyors，leadstotheutmostexpenseandextremityoflitigation。’(12*)
Iftheannualvaluewerenotindisputetheremightbeniceandintricate
questionsaboutthekindoftenementandthenatureofthetenure：ifthe
settlementwasclaimedinvirtueofacontractofhiring，wasthecontract
’general，special，customary，retrospective，conditional，personal’orwhat
not？(13*)Ifthesettlementwasclaimedinvirtueofapprenticeship，(14*)
whatwasthenatureoftheindenturesandsoon。Ifclaimedforanestate
of£；30，wastheestatereallyworth£；30，andhowwasitacquired？
Theseareafewofthequestionsindispute，andtoaddtotheconfusion
’onnobranchofthelawhavethejudgmentsofthesuperiorcourtbeenso
contradictory。’(15*)
Thustheprincipaloccupationofthoselawyerswhosebusinessbrought
themintotheworldofthepoorwasofanaturetodrawtheirsympathies
andintereststothesideofthepossessingclasses，andwhereaspeasants’
ideaswereacclimatisedoutsidetheirownclassinFranceasaconsequence
ofthecharacterofrurallitigationandofrurallawyers，theEnglishvillager
camebeforethelawyer，notasaclient，butasadanger；notasaperson
whoserightsandinterestshadtobeexploredandstudied，butasaperson
whoseclaimsontheparishhadtobeparriedorevaded。Itisnotsurprising，
therefore，tofindthatbothFieldingandSmollettlaygreatstressonthe
reputationoflawyersforharshnessandextortionintheirtreatmentofthe
poor，regardingthem，likeCarlyle，as’attorneysandlawbeagleswhohunt
ravenousontheearth。’ReadersoftheadventuresofSirLauncelotGreaves
willrememberTomClarke’whosegoodnessofhearteventheexerciseofhis
professionhadnotbeenabletocorrupt。Beforestrangersheneverowned
himselfanattorneywithoutblushing，thoughhehadnoreasontoblushfor
hisownpractice，forheconstantlyrefusedtoengageinthecauseofany
clientwhosecharacterwasequivocal，andwasneverknowntoactwithsuch
industryaswhenconcernedforthewidowandorphanoranyotherobjectthat
suedinformapauperis。’Fieldingspeaksinafoot-notetoTomJonesofthe
oppressionofthepoorbyattorneys，asascandaltothelaw，thenation，
Christianity，andevenhumannatureitself。
Therewasanotherclassthatmight，underdifferentcircumstances，have
helpedtosootheandsoftentheisolationofthepoor，butthepositionand
thesympathiesoftheEnglishChurchmadethisimpossible。Thiswasseen
veryclearlybyAdamSmith，whowastroubledbythefearthat’enthusiasm，’
thereligiousforcesodreadedbythemenofscienceandreason，wouldspread
amongthepoor，becausetheclergywhoshouldhavecontrolledandcounteracted
itweresolittleintouchwiththemassofthepeople。Underthegovernment
oftheAnglicanChurch，assetupbytheReformation，hepointedout，’the
clergynaturallyendeavourtorecommendthemselvestothesovereign，tothe
court，andtothenobilityandgentryofthecountry，bywhoseinfluence
theychieflyexpecttoobtainpreferment。’(16*)Headdedthatsuchaclergy
areveryapttoneglectaltogetherthemeansofmaintainingtheirinfluence
andauthoritywiththelowerranksoflife。TheassociationoftheAnglican
Churchwiththegoverningclasshasneverbeenmoreintimateandbinding
thanitwasduringtheeighteenthcentury。Thiswastruealikeofbishops
andofclergy。TheEnglishbishopwasnotagayVoltaireanliketheFrench，
buthewasjustaszealousamemberoftheprivilegedorders，andthesystem
overwhichhepresidedandwhichhedefendedwasafaintcopyofthegloriously
colouredscandalsoftheFrenchChurch。Theprelateswholiveduponthose
scandalsweredescribedbyRobespierre，withahumourthathedidnotoften
indulge，astreatingthedeityinthesamewayasthemayorofthepalace
usedtotreattheFrenchkings。’Ilsl’onttraité；commeiadisles
mairesdupalaistraitè；rentlesdescendantsdeClovispour，regner
soussonnometsemettreà；saplace。Ilsl’ontrelé；gué；
danslecielcommedansunpalais，etnel’ontappelé；surlaterre
quepourdemanderaleurprofitdesdî；mes，desrichesses，deshonneurs，
desplaisirsetdelapuissance。’WhenArchbishopDillondeclaredagainst
thecivilconstitutionhesaidthatheandhiscolleaguesactedasgentlemen
andnotastheologians。TheArchbishopofAixspokeoftithesasavoluntary
offeringfromthepietyofthefaithful。’Astothat，’saidtheDukedela
Rochefoucault，’therearenowfortythousandcasesintheCourts。’Boththese
archbishopswouldhavefoundthemselvesquiteathomeamongthespiritual
peersintheHouseofLords，wherethesamedecoroushypocrisiesmingled
withthesameclassatmosphere。FortheEnglishbishops，thoughtheywere
notlibertinesliketheFrench，neverlearntsotobeChristiansastoforget
tobearistocrats，andtheirreligiousdutieswereneverallowedtointerfere
withthedemandsofscholarshiporofpleasure。Perhapsthemostdistinguished
productofthisré；gimewasBishopWatsonofLlandaff，whoinvented
animprovedgunpowderanddefendedChristianityagainstPaineandGibbon。
Thesewerehisdiversions；hismainbusinesswascarriedonathismagnificent
countryscatonthebanksofWindermere。Hewasbishopforthirty-fouryears，
andduringthewholeofthattimeheneverlivedwithinhisdiocese，preferring
toplaythepartofthegrandseigneurplantingtreesinWestmorland。He
hasleftasympatheticandcharmingaccountofwhathemodestlycallshis
retirementfrompubliclife，aneventnottobeconfusedwithabdication
ofhissee，andofhowhebuiltthepalacewherehespenttheemoluments
ofLlandaffandthelongautumnofhislife。
Itwasnaturaltomenwholivedinthisatmospheretoseepoliticsthrough
thespectaclesofthearistocracy。Tounderstandhowstronglytheviewthat
theChurchexistedtoservethearistocracy，andtherestoftheStatethrough
thearistocracy，wasfixedinthemindsofthehigherclergy，wehaveonly
tolookatthecaseofareformerlikeBishopHorsley。Thebishopischiefly
knownasapreacher，acontroversialist，andtheauthorofthecelebrated
dictumthatthepoorhadnothingtodowiththelawsexcepttoobeythem。
HisbattlewithPriestleyhasbeencomparedtotheencounterofBentleyand
Collins，acomparisonthatmaynotgiveHorsleymore，butcertainlygives
Priestleylessthanhisdue。WhenhepreachedbeforetheHouseofLordson
thedeathofLouisXVIhisaudienceroseandstoodinsilentreverenceduring
hisperoration。Thecynicalmayfeelthatitwasnotdifficulttoinspire
emotionandaweinsuchacongregationonsuchasubjectatsuchatime，
butweknowfromDeQuinceythatHorsley’sreputationasapreacherstood
remarkablyhigh。HewasoneoftheleadersoftheChurchinpolitics；for
ourpurposesitismoreimportanttonotethathewasoneofthereforming
bishops。Amongotherscandalsheattackedthescandalofnon-residence，and
hemaybetakenassettinginthisregardthestricteststandardofhistime；
yethedidnotscrupletogoandliveinOxfordforsomeyearsastutorto
LordGuernsey，duringthetimethathewasRectorofNewington，asplain
aconfessionaswecouldwantthatintheestimationofthemostpublic-spirited
oftheclergythenobilityhadthefirstclaimsontheChurch。Thesesocial
sympathieswereconfirmedbycommonpoliticalinterests。Theprivilegesof
thearistocracyandofthebishopswereinfactbounduptogether，andboth
bishopsandaristocracyhadgoodreasontoshrinkfrombreakingathread
anywhere。Perhapsthemaliciouswouldfindthemostcompleteandpiquant
illustrationoftherelationsoftheChurchandthegoverningclassinthe
letterwrittenbyDr。GoodenoughtoAddington，whohadjustmadehimdean
ofRochester，whentheclerkshipofthePells，worth£；3000ayear，was
abouttobecomevacant。’IunderstandthatColonelBarré；isinavery
precariousstate。IhopeyouwillhavethefortitudetonominateHarryto
behissuccessor。’Harry，Addington’sson，wasaboyatWinchester。Thefather’s
fortituderosetotheemergency：thedeanblossomedalittlelaterintoa
bishop。
ButiftheFrenchandtheEnglishbishopsbothbelongedtothearistocracy
infeelingsandinhabits，agreatdifferencedistinguishestherankand
fileoftheclergyinthetwocountries。TheFrenchpriestbelongedbycircumstances
andbysympathytothepeasantclass。Thebishopregardedthecountrycuré；
asunvilainsentantlefumier，andtreatedhimwithaboutasmuchconsideration
astheseigneurshowedtohisdependants。Thepriest’squarrelwiththebishop
waslikethepeasant’squarrelwiththeseigneur：forbothpriestandpeasant
smartedunderthearrogantairsoftheirrespectivesuperiors，andthebishop
swallowedupthetithesastheseigneurswallowedupthefeudaldues。Sometimes
thecuré；puthimselfattheheadofalocalrebellion。Inthereign
ofLouisXVthepriestsroundSaint-Germainledouttheirflockstodestroy
thegamewhichdevouredtheircrops，thecampaignbeingannouncedandsanctified
fromthepulpit。IntheRevolutionthecommonclergywerelargelyonthe
sideofthepeasants。SuchadevelopmentwasinconceivableinEngland。As。the
curé；’swindowslookedtothevillage，theparson’swindowslooked
tothehall。Whentheparson’scircumstancesenabledhimtolivelikethe
squire，herodetohounds，forthough，asBlackstonetellsus，RomanCanon
Law，undertheinfluenceofthetraditionthatSt。Jeromehadonceobserved
thatthesaintshadeschewedsuchdiversions，hadinterdictedvenationes
etsylvaticasvagationescumcanibusetaccipitribustoallclergymen，this
earlyseverityoflifehadvanishedlongbeforetheeighteenthcentury。He
treatedthecallsofhisprofessionastriflingaccidentsinterruptinghis
normallifeofvigorouspleasure。OnbecomingBishopofChester，Dr。Blomfield
astonishedthediocesebyrefusingtolicenseacurateuntilhehadpromised
toabstainfromhunting，andbythepainandsurprisewithwhichhesawone
ofhisclergycarriedawaydrunkfromavisitationdinner。Onerector，whom
herebukedfordrunkenness，repliedwithaninjuredmannerthathewasnever
drunkonduty。
Therewere，itistrue，clergymenofgreatpublicspiritanddevotedlives，
andsuchmenfigureinthesepages，buttheChurch，asawhole，wasaneasy-going
