the origins of contemporary france-2-第103节

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remains　unpunished。〃　In　the　canton　of　Cabrerets；　the　restitution　of

rents　formerly　collected　is　exacted；　and　the　reimbursement　of

charges　paid　during　twenty　years　past。　　The　small　town　of　Lauzerte

is　invaded　by　surrounding　bodies　of　militia；　and　its　disarmed

inhabitants　are　at　the　mercy　of　the　Jacobin　suburbs。　　For　three

months；　in　the　district　of　Figeac；　〃all　the　mansions　of　former

nobles　are　sacked　and　burnt；〃　next　the　pigeon…cots　are　attacked；

〃and　all　country…houses　which　have　a　good　appearance。〃　Barefooted

gangs　〃enter　the　houses　of　well…to…do　people；　physicians；　lawyers；

merchants；　burst　open　the　doors　of　cellars；　drink　the　wine；〃　and

riot　like　drunken　victors。　　In　several　communes　these　expeditions

have　become　a　custom；　〃a　large　number　of　individuals　are　found　in

them　who　live　on　rapine　alone；〃　and　the　club　sets　them　the　example。

For　six　months；　in　the　principal　town；　a　coterie　of　the　National

Guard；　called　the　Black　Band；　expel　all　persons　who　are　displeasing

to　them；　〃pillaging　houses　at　will；　beating　to　death；　wounding　or

mutilating　by　saber…strokes；　all　who　have　been　proscribed　in　their

assemblies；〃　and　no　official　or　advocate　dares　lodge　a　complaint。

Brigandage；　borrowing　the　mask　of　patriotism；　and　patriotism

borrowing　the　methods　of　brigandage；　have　combined　against　property

at　the　same　time　as　against　the　ancient　régime；　and；　to　free

themselves　from　all　that　inspires　them　with　fear；　they　seize　all

which　can　provide　them　with　booty。



And　yet　this　is　merely　the　outskirts　of　the　storm；　the　center　is

elsewhere；　around　N？mes；　Avignon；　Arles；　and　Marseilles；　in　a

country　where；　for　a　long　time；　the　conflict　between　cities　and　the

conflict　between　religions　have　kindled　and　accumulated　malignant

passions。＇71＇　　Looking　at　the　three　departments　of　Gard；　Bouches…de…

Rh？ne　and　Vaucluse；　one　would　imagine　one's　self　in　the　midst　of　a

war　with　savages。　　In　fact；　it　is　a　Jacobin　and　plebeian　invasion；

and；　consequently；　conquest；　dispossession；　and　extermination；　　…

in　Gard；　a　swarm　of　National　Guards　copy　the　jacquerie：　the　dregs　of

the　Comtat　come　to　the　surface　and　cover　Vaucluse　with　its　scum；　an

army　of　six　thousand　from　Marseilles　sweeps　down　on　Arles。　　…　　In

the　districts　of　N？mes；　Sommières；　Uzès；　Alais；　Jalais；　and　Saint…

Hippolyte；　title…deeds　are　burnt；　proprietors　put　to　ransom；　and

municipal　officers　threatened　with　death　if　they　try　to　interpose；

twenty　chateaux　and　forty　country…houses　are　sacked；　burnt；　and

demolished。　　…　　The　same　month；　Arles　and　Avignon；＇72＇　given　up　to

the　bands　of　Marseilles　and　of　the　Comtat；　see　confiscation　and

massacres　approaching。　　…　　Around　the　commandant；　who　has　received

the　order　to　evacuate　Aries；＇73＇　〃the　inhabitants　of　all　parties〃

gather　as　suppliants；　〃clasping　his　hands；　entreating　him　with　tears

in　their　eyes　not　to　abandon　them；　women　and　children　cling　to　his

boots；〃　so　that　he　does　not　know　how　to　free　himself　without　hurting

them；　on　his　departure　twelve　hundred　families　emigrate。　　After　the

entrance　of　the　Marseilles　band　we　see　eighteen　hundred　electors

proscribed；　their　country…houses　on　the　two　banks　of　the　Rhone

pillaged；　〃as　in　the　times　of　Saracen　pirates；〃　a　tax　of　1；400；000

livres　levied　on　all　people　in　good　circumstances；　absent　or

present；　women　and　girls　promenaded　about　half…naked　on　donkeys　and

publicly　whipped。〃　〃A　saber　committee〃　disposes　of　lives；　proscribes

and　executes：　it　is　the　reign　of　sailors；　porters；　and　the　dregs　of

the　populace。　　…　　At　Avignon；＇74＇　it　is　that　of　simple　brigands；

incendiaries　and　assassins；　who；　six　months　previously；　converted

the　Glacière＇75＇　into　a　charnel…house。　　They　return　in　triumph　and

state　that　〃this　time　the　Glacière　will　be　full。〃　Five　hundred

families　had　already　sought　asylum　in　France　before　the　first

massacre；　now；　the　entire　remainder　of　the　honest　bourgeoisie；

twelve　hundred　persons；　take　to　flight；　and　the　terror　is　so　great

that　the　small　neighboring　towns　dare　not　receive　emigrants。　　In

fact；　from　this　time　forth；　both　departments　throughout　Vaucluse　and

Bouches…de…Rh？ne　are　a　prey：　Bands　of　two　thousand　armed　men；　with

women；　children；　and　other　volunteer　followers；　travel　from　commune

to　commune　to　live　as　they　please　at　the　expense　of　〃fanatics。〃　The

well…bred　people　are　not　the　only　ones　they　despoil。　　Plain

cultivators；　taxed　at　10；000　livres；　have　sixty　men　billeted　on

them；　their　cattle　are　slain　and　eaten　before　their　eyes；　and

everything　in　their　houses　is　broken　up；　they　are　driven　out　of

their　lodgings　and　wander　as　fugitives　in　the　reed…swamps　of　the

Rhone；　awaiting　a　moment　of　respite　to　cross　the　river　and　take

refuge　in　the　neighboring　department。＇76＇　　Thus；　from　the　spring　of

1792；　if　any　citizen　is　suspected　of　unfriendliness　or　even　of

indifference　towards　the　ruling　faction；　if；　through　but　one　opinion

conscientiously　held；　he　risks　the　vague　possibility　of　mistrust　or

of　suspicion；　he　undergoes　popular　hostility；　pillage；　exile；　and

worse　besides；　no　matter　how　loyal　his　conduct　may　be；　nor　how　loyal

he　may　be　at　heart；　no　matter　that　he　is　disarmed　and　inoffensive；

it　is　all　the　same　whether　it　be　a　noble；　bourgeois；　peasant；　aged

priest；　or　woman；　and　this　while　public　peril　is　yet　neither　great；

present；　nor　visible；　since　France　is　at　peace　with　Europe；　and　the

government　still　subsists　in　its　entirety。





IX。



General　state　of　opinion。　　…　　The　three　convoys　of　non…juring

priests　on　the　Seine。　　…　　Psychological　aspects　of　the　Revolution。



What　will　it　be；　then；　now　when　the　peril；　already　become　palpable

and　serious；　is　daily　increasing；　now　when　war　has　begun；　when

Lafayette's　army　is　falling　back　in　confusion；　when　the　Assembly

declares　the　country　in　danger；　when　the　King　is　overthrown；　when

Lafayette　defects　and　goes　abroad；　when　the　soil　of　France　is

invaded；　when　the　frontier　fortresses　surrender　without　resistance；

when　the　Prussians　are　entering　Champagne；　when　the　insurrection　in

La　Vendée　adds　the　lacerations　of　civil　war　to　the　threats　of　a

foreign　war；　and　when　the　cry　of　treachery　arises　on　all　sides？　　…

Already；　on　the　14th　of　May；　at　Metz；＇77＇　M。　de　Fiquelmont；　a　former

canon；　seen　chatting　with　a　hussar　on　the　Place　Saint…Jacques；　was

charged　with　tampering　with　people　on　behalf　of　the　princes；　carried

off　in　spite　of　a　triple　line　of　guards；　and　beaten；　pierced；　and

slashed　with　sticks；　bayonets；　and　sabers；　while　the　mad　crowd

around　the　murderers　uttered　cries　of　rage：　and　from　month　to　month；

in　proportion　as　popular　fears　increase；　popular　imagination　becomes

more　heated　and　its　delirium　grows。　　…　　You　can　see　this　yourself　by

one　example。　　On　the　31st　of　August；　1792；＇78＇　eight　thousand　non…

juring　priests；　driven　out　of　their　parishes；　are　at　Rouen；　a　town

less　intolerant　than　the　others；　and；　in　conformity　with　the　decree

which　banishes　them；　are　preparing　to　leave　France。　　Two　vessels

have　just　carried　away　about　a　hundred　of　them；　one　hundred　and

twenty　others　are　embarking　for　Ostend　in　a　larger　vessel。　　They

take　nothing　with　them　except　a　little　money；　some　clothes；　and　one

or　at　most　two　portions　of　their　breviary；　because　they　intend　to

return　soon。　　Each　has　a　regular　passport；　and；　just　at　the　moment

of　leaving；　the　National　Guard　have　made　a　thorough　inspection　so　as

not　to　let　a　suspected　person　escape。　　It　makes　no　difference。　　On

reaching　Quilleboeuf　the　first　two　convoys　are　stopped。　　A　report

has　spread；　indeed；　that　the　priests　are　going　to　join　the　enemy　and

enlist；　and　the　people　living　round　about　jump　into　their　boats　and

surround　the　vessels。　　The　priests　are　obliged　to　disembark　amidst　a

tempests　of　〃yells；　blasphemies；　insults；　and　abuse：〃　one　of　them；　a

white…headed　old　man；　having　fallen　into　the　mud；　the　cries　and

shouts　redouble；　if　he　is　drowned　so　much　the　better；　there　will　be

one　less！　On　landing　all　are　put　in　prison；　on　bare　stones；　without

straw　or　bread；　and　word　is　sent　to　Paris　to　know　what　must　be　done

with　so　many　cassocks。　　In　the　meantime　the　third　vessel；　short　of

provisions；　has　sent　two　priests　to　Quilleboeuf　and　to　Pont…Audemer

to　have　twelve　hundred　pounds　of　bread　baked：　pointed　out　by　the

village　militia；　they　are　chased　out　like　wild　beasts；　pass　the

night　in　a　wood；　and　find　their　way　back　with　difficulty　empty…

handed。　　The　vessel　itself　being　signaled；　is　besieged。　　〃In　all　the

municipalities　on　the　banks　of　the　river　drums　beat　incessantly　to

warn　the　population　to　be　on　their　guard。　　The　appearance　of　an

Algerian　or　Tripolitan　corsair　on　the　shores　of　the　Adriatic　would

cause　less　excitement。　　One　of　the　seamen　of　the　vessel　published　a

statement　that　the　trunks　of　the　priests　transported　were　full　of

every　kind　of　arms。〃　and　the　country　people　constantly　imagine　that

they　are　going　to　fall　upon　them　sword　and　pistol　in　hand。　　For

several　long　days　the　famished　convoy　remains　moored　in　the　stream