the origins of contemporary france-2-第101节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



hair；　strike　them　with　the　but…ends　of　their　muskets；　and　lead　them

back　to　Caen　fastened　to　the　breach　of　the　cannon；　and　all　this

because　a　nonjuring　priest　still　officiated　at　Verson；　and　many

pious　persons　from　Caen　attended　his　mass：　Verson；　consequently；　is

a　focal　center　of　counter…revolutionary　gatherings。　　Moreover；　in

the　houses　which　were　broken　into；　the　furniture　was　smashed；　casks

stove　in；　and　the　linen；　money；　and　plate　stolen；　the　rabble　of　Caen

having　joined　the　expedition。　　…　　Here；　and　everywhere；　there　is

nothing　to　do　but　to　let　this　rabble　have　its　own　way；　and　as　it

operates　against　the　possessions；　the　liberty；　the　life；　and　the

sense　of　propriety　of　dangerous　persons；　the　National　Militia　is

careful　not　to　interfere　with　it。　　Consequently；　the　orthodox；　both

priests　and　believers；　men　and　women；　are　now　at　its　mercy；　and；

thanks　to　the　connivance　of　the　armed　force；　which　refuses　to

interpose；　the　rabble　satisfy　on　the　proscribed　class　its　customary

instincts　of　cruelty；　pillage；　wantonness；　and　destructiveness。



Whether　public　or　private；　the　order　of　the　day　is　always　to　hinder

worship；　while　the　means　employed　are　worthy　of　those　who　carry　them

out。　　…　　Here；　a　nonjuring　priest　having　had　the　boldness　to

minister　to　a　sick　person；　the　house　which　he　has　just　entered　is

taken　by　assault；　and　the　door　and　windows　of　a　house　occupied　by

another　priest　are　smashed。＇57＇　　There；　the　lodgings　of　two　workmen；

who　are　accused　of　having　had　their　infants　baptized　by　a　refractory

priest；　are　sacked　and　nearly　demolished。　　Elsewhere；　a　mob　refuses

to　allow　the　body　of　an　old　curé；　who　had　died　without　taking　the

oath；　to　enter　the　cemetery。　　Farther　on；　a　church　is　assaulted

during　vespers；　and　everything　is　broken　to　pieces：　on　the　following

day　it　is　the　turn　of　a　neighboring　church；　and；　in　addition；　a

convent　of　Ursuline　nuns　is　devastated。　　…　　At　Lyons；　on　Easter…day；

1791；　as　the　people　are　leaving　the　six　o'clock　mass；　a　troop；　armed

with　whips；　falls　upon　the　women。＇58＇　Stripped；　bruised；　prostrated；

with　their　heads　in　the　dirt；　they　are　not　left　until　they　are

bleeding　and　half…dead；　one　young　girl　is　actually　at　the　point　of

death；　and　this　sort　of　outrage　occurs　so　frequently　that　even

ladies　attending　the　orthodox　mass　in　Paris　dare　not　go　out　without

sewing　up　their　garments　around　them　in　the　shape　of　drawers。　　…

Naturally；　to　make　the　most　of　the　prey　offered　to　them；　hunting

associations　are　formed。　　These　exist　in　Montpellier；　Arles；　Uzès；

Alais；　N？mes；　Carpentras；　and　in　most　of　the　towns　or　burgs　of　Gard；

Vaucluse；　and　l'Hérault；　in　greater　or　less　number　according　to　the

population　of　the　city：　some　counting　from　ten　to　twelve；　and　others

from　two　to　three　hundred　determined　men；　of　every　description：

among　them　are　found　〃strike…hards〃　（tape…dur）；　former　brigands；　and

escaped　convicts　with　the　brand　still　on　their　backs。　　Some　of　them

oblige　their　members　to　wear　a　medal　as　a　visible　mark　of

recognition；　all　assume　the　title　of　executive　power；　and　declare

that　they　act　of　their　own　authority；　and　that　it　is　necessary　to

〃quicken　the　law。〃＇59＇　　Their　pretext　is　the　protection　of　sworn

priests；　and　for　twenty　months；　beginning　with　April；　1791；　they

operate　to　this　effect　with　heavy　knotted　dubs　garnished　with　iron

points；〃　without　counting　sabers　and　bayonets。　　Generally；　their

expeditions　are　nocturnal。　　Suddenly；　the　houses　of　〃citizens

suspected　of　a　want　of　patriotism；〃　of　nonjuring　ecclesiastics；　of

the　monks　of　the　Christian　school；　are　invaded；　everything　is　broken

or　stolen；　and　the　owner　is　ordered　to　leave　the　place　in　twenty…

four　hours：　sometimes；　doubtless　through　an　excess　of　precaution；　he

is　beaten　to　death　on　the　spot。　　Besides　this；　the　band　also　works

by　day　in　the　streets；　lashes　the　women；　enters　the　churches　saber

in　hand；　and　drives　the　nonjuring　priest　from　the　altar。　　All　of

this　is　done　with　the　connivance　and　in　the　sight　of　the　paralyzed

or　complaisant　authorities；　by　a　sort　of　occult　and　complementary

government；　which　not　only　supplies　what　is　missing　in　the

ecclesiastical　law；　but　also　searches　the　pockets　of　private

individuals。　　…　　At　N？mes；　under　the　leadership　of　a　patriotic

dancing…master；　not　content　with　〃decreeing　proscriptions；　killing；

scourging；　and　often　murdering；〃　these　new　champions　of　the　Gallican

Church　undertake　to　reanimate　the　zeal　of　those　liable　to

contribution。　　A　subscription　having　been　proposed　for　the　support

of　the　families　of　the　volunteers　about　to　depart；　the　executive

power　takes　upon　itself　to　revise　the　list　of　offerings：　it

arbitrarily　taxes　those　who　have　not　given；　or　who；　in　its　opinion；

have　given　too　little　some　〃poor　workmen　fifty　livres；　others　two

hundred；　three　hundred；　nine　hundred；　and　a　thousand；　under　penalty

of　wrecked　houses　and　severe　treatment。〃　Elsewhere；　the　volunteers

of　Baux　and　other　communes　near　Tarascon　help　themselves　freely；

and；　〃under　the　pretext　that　they　are　to　march　for　the　defense　of

the　country；　levy　enormous　contributions　on　proprietors；〃　on　one

four　thousand；　and　on　another　five　thousand　livres。　　In　default　of

payment；　they　carry　away　all　the　grain　on　one　farm；　even　to　the

reserve　seed；　threatening　to　make　havoc　with　everything；　and　even　to

burn；　in　case　of　complaint；　so　that　the　owners　dare　not　say　a　word；

while　the　attorney…general　of　the　neighboring　department；　afraid　on

his　own　account；　begs　that　his　denunciation　may　be　kept　secret。　　…

》From　the　slums　of　the　towns　the　jacquerie　has　spread　into　the　rural

districts。　　This　is　the　sixth　and　the　most　extensive　seen　for　three

years。＇60＇



Two　spurs　impel　the　peasant　on。　　…　　On　the　one　hand　he　is　frightened

by　the　clash　of　arms；　and　the　repeated　announcements　of　an

approaching　invasion。　　The　clubs　and　the　newspapers　since　the

declaration　of　Pilnitz；　and　the　Orators　in　the　Legislative　Assembly

for　four　months　past；　have　kept　him　alarmed　with　their　trumpet…

blasts；　and　he　urges　on　his　oxen　in　the　furrow　with　cries　of　〃Woa；

Prussia！〃　to　one；　and　to　the　other；　〃Gee　up；　Austria！〃　Austria　and

Prussia；　foreign　kings　and　nobles　in　league　with　the　emigrant

nobles；　are　going　to　return　in　force　to　re…establish　the　salt…tax；

the　excise；　feudal…dues；　tithes；　and　to　retake　national　property

already　sold　and　re…sold；　with　the　aid　of　the　gentry　who　have　not

left；　or　who　have　returned；　and　the　connivance　of　non…juring　priests

who　declare　the　sale　sacrilegious　and　refuse　to　absolve　the

purchasers。　　…　　On　the　other　hand；　Holy　Week　is　drawing　near；　and

for　the　past　year　qualms　of　conscience　have　disturbed　the

purchasers。　　Up　to　March　24；　1791；　the　sales　of　national　property

had　amounted　to　only　180　millions；　but；　the　Assembly　having

prolonged　the　date　of　payment　and　facilitated　further　sales　in

detail；　the　temptation　proves　too　strong　for　the　peasant；　stockings

and　buried　pots　are　all　emptied　of　their　savings。　　In　seven　months

the　peasant　has　bought　to　the　amount　of　1；346　millions；＇61＇　and

finally　possesses　in　full　and　complete　ownership　the　morsel　of　land

which　he　has　coveted　for　so　many　years；　and　sometimes　an　unexpected

plot；　a　wood；　a　mill；　or　a　meadow。　　At　the　present　time　he　has　to

settle　accounts　with　the　church；　and；　if　the　pecuniary　settlement　is

postponed；　the　Catholic　settlement　comes　on　the　appointed　day。

According　to　immemorial　tradition　he　is　obliged　to　take　the

communion　at　Easter；＇62＇　his　wife　also；　and　likewise　his　mother；　and

if　he；　exceptionally；　does　not　think　this　of　consequence；　they　do。

Moreover；　he　requires　the　sacraments　for　his　old　sick　father；　his

new…born　child；　and　for　his　other　child　of　an　age　to　be　confirmed。

Now；　communion；　baptism；　confession；　all　the　sacraments；　to　be　of

good　quality；　must　proceed　from　a　safe　source；　just　as　is　the　case

with　flour　and　coin；　there　is　only　too　much　counterfeit　money　now　in

the　world；　and　the　sworn　priests　are　daily　losing　credit；　like　the

assignats。　　There　is　no　other　course　to　pursue；　consequently；　but　to

resort　to　the　non…juror；　who　is　the　only　one　able　to　give　valid

absolutions。　　And　it　so　happens　that　he　not　only　refuses　this；　but

be　is　said　to　be　inimical　to　the　whole　new　order　of　things。　　…　　In

this　dilemma　the　peasant　falls　back　upon　his　usual　resource；　the

strength　of　his　arms；　he　seizes　the　priest　by　the　throat；　as

formerly　his　lord；　and　extorts　an　acquittance　for　his　sins　as

formerly　for　his　feudal　dues。　　At　the　very　least　he　strives　to

constrain　the　non…jurors　to　swear；　to　close　their　separatist

churches；　and　bring　the　entire　canton　to　the　same　uniform　faith。　　…

Occasionally　also　he　avenges　himself　against　the　partisans　of　the

non…jurors；　against　chateaux　and　houses　of　the　opulent；　against　the

nobles　and　the　rich；　against　proprietors　of　every　class。

Occasionally；　likewise；　as；　since　the　amnesty　of　September；　1791；

the　prisons　have　been　emptied；　as　one…half　of　the　courts　are　not　yet

insta