Abstract
Each French is defined less by his individual identity as the body to which he belongs. The body, or orders, or communities, community groups are recognized by custom and by law, arranged in a hierarchy dictated by the prestige and service to society. These status distinctions are compounded by inequalities of wealth and distinction between the town and countryside. Catholicism is the state religion, two basic rules there-under. The king is the lieutenant of God on Earth. His subjects must conform to moral precepts dictated by the Church. Protestants and Jews have no recognized existence as parish registers are held in status. The parish is the fundamental unit of public life. Religious ceremonies punctuate the stages of life, the daily schedule and the succession of seasons.
