What dose this quote means?

Question

'Prior to the revolution 'France was an old nation,'in that it had "apreesisting government, a preexisting king,, and preexisting prejudices."

Answer 1

A revolution usually refers to a dramatic change thus, when France went through a revolution there were changes made.... the way a government was organized, the role of the king, the way people viewed other people and things....

A change in the main social infrastructure of France.....

This quote basically outlines how France was affected by the revolution...

Answer 2

Mirabeau was a moderate who believed that if a new government were to be successful following the revolution that it still had to respect and preserve some of the older traditions of the nation.

I often find that when I see the entire, original quote, it is easier to understand than a word or two.

"We are not savages," said Mirabeau, "coming naked from the shores of the Orinoco to form a society. We are an old nation and undoubtedly too old for our for our epoch. We have a pre-existing government, a pre-existing king, pre-existing prejudices. As far as possible one must adapt the things to the Revolution and avoid abruptness of transition."

"Mirabeau and the French Revolution," by Charles F. Warwick, 2005, Kessinger Publishing, pg. 284.

Answer 3

~It means someone was being paid by the word and made a few extra pennies by stating the inane obvious.