Let us first consider the most prominent personages. - It is certain， that， among the aristocracy， the wealthiest and most conspicuous families had ceased to render services proportionate to the cost of their maintenance. Most of the seigniors and ladies of the Court， the worldly bishops， abbés， and parliamentarians of the drawing-room， knew but little more than how to solicit with address， make a graceful parade of themselves and spend lavishly. An ill-understood system of culture had diverted them from their natural avocations， and converted them into showy and agreeable specimens of vegetation， often hollow， blighted， sapless and over-pruned， besides being very costly， over-manured and too freely watered； and the skillful gardening which shaped， grouped and arranged them in artificial forms and bouquets， rendered their fruit abortive that flowers might be multiplied. - But the flowers were exquisite， and even in a moralist's eyes， such flowering counts for something. On the side of civility， good-breeding and deportment， the manners and customs of high life had reached a degree of perfection， which never， in France or elsewhere， had been attained before， and which has never since been revived；[49] and of all the arts through which men have emancipated themselves from primitive coarseness， that which teaches them mutual consideration is， perhaps， the most precious. The observance of this， not alone in the drawing-room， but in the family， in business， in the street， with regard to relatives， inferiors， servants and strangers， gives dignity， as well as a charm， to human intercourse. Delicate regard for what is proper becomes a habit， an instinct， a second nature， which nature， superimposed on the original nature， is the best， inasmuch as the internal code which governs each detail of action and speech， prescribes the standard of behavior and respect for oneself， as well as respect and refined behavior towards others. - To this merit， add mental culture. Never was there an aristocracy so interested in general ideas and refinement of expression； it was even too much so； literary and philosophical preoccupation excluded all others of the positive and practical order；they talked， instead of acting. But， in this limited circle of speculative reason and of pure literary forms， it excelled； writings and how to write furnished the ordinary entertainment of polite society； every idea uttered by a thinker caused excitement in the drawing-room： the talent and style of authors were shaped by its taste；[50] it was in the drawing-rooms that Montesquieu， Voltaire， Rousseau， d'Alembert， the Encyclopedists， great and little， Beaumarchais， Bernardin de Saint-Pierre， Champfort， and Rivarol， involuntarily sought listeners and found them， not merely admirers and entertainers， but friends， protectors， patrons， benefactors and followers. - Under the instruction of the masters， the disciples had become philanthropists； moreover， the amenities of manners developed in all souls compassion and benevolence： "Nothing was more dreaded by opulent men than to be regarded as insensitive."[51] They concerned themselves with children， with the poor， with the peasantry， setting their wits to work to afford them relief； their zeal was aroused against oppression， their pity was excited for every misfortune. Even those whose duties compelled them to be rigid tempered their rigidity with explanations or concessions.
"Ten years before the Revolution，" says R？derer，[52] "the criminal courts of France were no longer like before. . . . Their attitude had changed. . . All the young magistrates， and this I can bear witness to， for I was one myself， pronounced judgments more in accordance with the principles of Beccaria，[53] than according to law." -As to the men in authority， military administrators and commandants， it was impossible to be more patient， more mindful of human blood.
Their qualities turned also here into defects， for， through excess of humanity， they were unable to maintain order， as is evident when facing the insurrections that took place between 1789 and 1792. Even with the force in their own hands， amidst gross insults and extreme dangers， they dreaded to make use of it； they could not bring themselves to repressing brutes， rascals and maniacs： following the example of Louis XVI.， they considered themselves as shepherds of the people， and let themselves be trampled upon rather than fire upon their flock. - In reality， they had noble， and even generous and big hearts： in the bailiwick assemblies， in March， 1789， long before the night of August 4， they voluntarily surrendered every pecuniary privilege； under severe trials， their courage， heightened by polished manners， adds even to their heroism， elegance， tact and gaiety. The most corrupt， a Duke of Orleans， the most frivolous and the most blasé， a Duc de Biron， meet death with stoical coolness and disdain.[54] Delicate women who complain of a draught in their drawing-rooms， make no complaint of a straw mattress in a damp， gloomy dungeon， where they sleep in their clothes so that they may not wake up stiffened， and they come down into the court of the Conciergerie with their accustomed cheerfulness. Men and women， in prison， dress themselves as formerly， with the same care， that they may meet and talk together with the same grace and spirit， in a corridor with an iron grating within a step of the revolutionary Tribunal， and on the eve of the scaffold.[55] -- This moral temper is evidently of the rarest； if it errs on either side it is on that of being too refined， bad for use， good for ornament.
And yet， in the upper class there were associated with two or three thousand idlers amongst a frivolous aristocracy， as many serious men， who， to their drawing-room experience， added experience in business.