the origins of contemporary france-2-第21节

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impulse　to　break　the　law　becomes　irresistible。　　Every　man　who　can

procure　a　gun　begins　operations；＇29＇　the　crops　which　are　still

standing　are　trodden　under　foot；　the　lordly　residences　are　invaded

and　the　palings　are　scaled；　the　King　himself　at　Versailles　is

wakened　by　shots　fired　in　his　park。　　Stags；　fawns；　deer；　wild　boars；

hares；　and　rabbits；　are　slain　by　thousands；　cooked　with　stolen　wood；

and　eaten　up　on　the　spot。　　There　is　a　constant　discharge　of　musketry

throughout　France　for　more　than　two　months；　and；　as　on　an　American

prairie；　every　living　animal　belongs　to　him　who　kills　it。　　At

Choiseul；　in　Champagne；　not　only　are　all　the　hares　and　partridges　of

the　barony　exterminated；　but　the　ponds　are　exhausted　of　fish；　the

court　of　the　chateau　even　is　entered；　to　fire　on　the　pigeon…house

and　destroy　the　pigeons；　and　then　the　pigeons　and　fish；　of　which

they　have　too　many；　are　offered　to　the　proprietor　for　sale　　　It　is

〃the　patriots〃　of　the　village　with　〃smugglers　and　bad　characters〃

belonging　to　the　neighborhood　who　make　this　expedition；　they　are

seen　in　the　front　ranks　of　every　act　of　violence；　and　it　is　not

difficult　to　foresee　that；　under　their　leadership；　attacks　on　public

persons　and　public　property　will　be　followed　by　attacks　on　private

persons　and　private　property。



　VII。



Attack　upon　private　individuals　and　private　property。　　…　Aristocrats

denounced　to　the　people　as　their　enemies。　　…　Effect　of　news　from

Paris。…　Influence　of　the　village　attorneys。　　…　Isolated　acts　of

violence。　　…　A　general　rising　of　the　peasantry　in　the　east。　　…　War

against　the　castles；　feudal　estates；　and　property。　　…　Preparations

for　other　Jacqueries。



Indeed；　an　outlawed　class　already　exists；　they　are　called　〃

aristocrats。〃　This　deadly　term；　applied　at　first　to　the　nobles　and

prelates　in　the　States…General　who　declined　to　take　part　in　the

reunion　of　the　three　orders；　is　extended　so　as　to　embrace　all　whose

titles；　offices；　alliances；　and　manner　of　living　distinguish　them

from　the　multitude。　　That　which　entitled　them　to　respect　is　that

which　marks　them　out　as　objects　of　ill…will；　while　the　people；　who；

though　suffering　from　their　privileges；　did　not　regard　them

personally　with　hatred；　are　now　taught　to　consider　them　as　their

enemies。　　Each；　on　his　own　estate；　is　held　accountable　for　the　evil

designs　attributed　to　his　brethren　at　Versailles；　and；　on　the　false

report　of　a　plot　at　the　center；　the　peasants　classify　him　as　one　of

the　conspirators。＇30＇　　Thus　does　the　peasant　jacquerie　commence；　and

the　fanatics　who　have　fanned　the　flame　in　Paris　are　to　do　the　same

in　the　provinces。　　〃You　wish　to　know　the　authors　of　the　agitation；〃

writes　a　sensible　man　to　the　committee　of　investigation；　〃you　will

find　them　amongst　the　deputies　of　the　Third…Estate；〃　and　especially

among　the　attorneys　and　advocates。　　〃These　dispatch　incendiary

letters　to　their　constituents；　which　letters　are　received　by

municipal　bodies　alike　composed　of　attorneys　and　of　advocates。。。。

they　are　read　aloud　in　the　public　squares；　while　copies　of　them　are

distributed　among　all　the　villages。　　In　these　villages；　if　any　one

knows　how　to　read　besides　the　priest　and　the　lord　of　the　manor；　it

is　the　legal　practitioner；〃　the　born　enemy　of　the　lord　of　the　manor；

whose　place　he　covets；　vain　of　his　oratorical　powers；　embittered　by

his　power；　and　never　failing　to　blacken　everything。＇31＇　　It　is

highly　probable　that　he　is　the　one　who　composes　and　circulates　the

placards　calling　on　the　people；　in　the　King's　name；　to　resort　to

violence。　　　At　Secondigny；　in　Poitou；　on　the　23rd　of　July；＇32＇　the

laborers　in　the　forest　receive　a　letter　〃which　summons　them　to

attack　all　the　country　gentlemen　round　about；　and　to　massacre

without　mercy　all　those　who　refuse　to　renounce　their　privileges。。。。

promising　them　that　not　only　will　their　crimes　go　unpunished；　but

that　they　will　even　be　rewarded。〃　M。　Despretz…Montpezat；

correspondent　of　the　deputies　of　the　nobles；　is　seized；　and　dragged

with　his　son　to　the　dwelling　of　the　procurator…fiscal；　to　force　him

to　give　his　signature；　the　inhabitants　are　forbidden　to　render　him

assistance　〃on　pain　of　death　and　fire。〃　〃Sign；〃　they　exclaim；　〃or　we

will　tear　out　your　heart；　and　set　fire　to　this　house　！〃　At　this

moment　the　neighboring　notary；　who　is　doubtless　an　accomplice；

appears　with　a　stamped　paper；　and　says　to　him；　〃Monsieur；　I　have

just　come　from　Niort；　where　the　Third…Estate　has　done　the　same　thing

to　all　the　gentlemen　of　the　town；　one；　who　refused；　was　cut　to

pieces　before　our　eyes。〃　　〃We　are　compelled　to　sign　renunciations

of　our　privileges；　and　give　our　assent　to　one　and　the　same　taxation；

as　if　the　nobles　had　not　already　done　so。〃　The　band　gives　notice

that　it　will　proceed　in　the　same　fashion　with　all　the　chateaux　in

the　vicinity；　and　terror　precedes　or　follows　them。　　〃Nobody　dares

write；〃　M。　Despretz　sends　word；　〃　I　attempt　it　at　the　risk　of　my

life。〃　　Nobles　and　prelates　become　objects　of　suspicion

everywhere；　village　committees　open　their　letters；　and　they　have　to

suffer　their　houses　to　be　searched。＇33＇　　They　are　forced　to　adopt

the　new　cockade：　to　be　a　gentleman；　and　not　wear　it；　is　to　deserve

hanging。　　At　Mamers；　in　Maine；　M。　de　Beauvoir　refuses　to　wear　it；

and　is　at　the　point　of　being　put　into　the　pillory　and　felled。　　Near

La　F1èche；　M。　de　Brissac　is　arrested；　and　a　message　is　sent　to　Paris

to　know　if　he　shall　be　taken　there；　〃or　be　beheaded　in　the

meantime。〃　Two　deputies　of　the　nobles；　MM。　de　Montesson　and　de　Vassé

who　had　come　to　ask　the　consent　of　their　constituents　to　their

joining　the　Third…Estate；　are　recognized　near　Mans；　their　honorable

scruples　and　their　pledges　to　the　constituents　are　considered　of　no

importance；　nor　even　the　step　that　they　are　now　taking　to　fulfill

them；　it　suffices　that　they　voted　against　the　Third…Estate　at

Versailles；　the　populace　pursues　them　and　breaks　up　their　carriages；

and　pillages　their　trunks。　　　Woe　to　the　nobles；　especially　if　they

have　taken　any　part　in　local　rule；　and　if　they　are　opposed　to

popular　panics！　M。　Cureau；　deputy…mayor　of　Mans；＇34＇　had　issued

orders　during　the　famine；　and；　having　retired　to　his　chateau　of

Nouay；　had　told　the　peasants　that　the　announcement　of　the　coming　of

brigands　was　a　false　alarm；　he　thought　that　it　was　not　necessary　to

sound　the　alarm　bell；　and　all　that　was　necessary　was　that　they

should　remain　quiet。　　Accordingly　he　is　set　down　as　being　in　league

with　the　brigands；　and　besides　this　he　is　a　monopolist；　and　a　buyer

of　standing　crops。　　The　peasants　lead　him　off；　along　with　his　son…

in…law；　M。　de　Montesson；　to　the　neighboring　village；　where　there

are　judges。　　On　the　way　〃they　dragged　their　victims　on　the　ground；

pummeled　them；　trampled　on　them；　spit　in　their　faces；　and　besmeared

them　with　filth。〃　M。　de　Montesson　is　shot；　while　M。　Cureau　is　killed

by　degrees；　a　carpenter　cuts　off　the　two　heads　with　a　double…edged

ax；　and　children　bear　them　along　to　the　sound　of　drums　and　violins。

Meanwhile；　the　judges　of　the　place；　brought　by　force；　draw　up　an

official　report　stating　the　finding　of　thirty　louis　and　several

bills　of　the　Banque　d'Escompte　in　the　pockets　of　M。　de　Cureau；　on

the　discovery　of　which　a　shout　of　triumph　is　set　up：　this　evidence

proves　that　they　were　going　to　buy　up　the　standing　wheat　！　　Such

is　the　course　of　popular　justice。　　Now　that　the　Third…Estate　has

become　the　nation；　every　mob　thinks　that　it　has　the　right　to

pronounce　sentences；　which　it　carries　out；　on　lives　and　on

possessions。



These　explosions　are　isolated　in　the　western；　central　and　southern

provinces；　the　conflagration；　however；　is　universal　in　the　east。　　On

a　strip　of　ground　from　thirty　to　fifty　leagues　broad；　extending　from

the　extreme　north　down　to　Provence。　　Alsace；　Franche…Comté；

Burgundy；　Maconnais；　Beaujolais；　Auvergne；　Viennois；　Dauphiny；　the

whole　of　this　territory　resembles　a　continuous　mine　which　explodes

at　the　same　time。　　The　first　column　of　flame　which　shoots　up　is　on

the　frontiers　of　Alsace　and　Franche…Comté；　in　the　vicinity　of

Belfort　and　Vésoul；　a　feudal　district；　in　which　the　peasant；　over…

burdened　with　taxes；　bears　the　heavier　yoke　with　greater　impatience。

An　instinctive　argument　is　going　on　in　his　mind　without　his　knowing

it。　　〃The　good　Assembly　and　the　good　King　want　us　to　be　happy；

suppose　we　help　them！　They　say　that　the　King　has　already　relieved　us

of　the　taxes；　suppose　we　relieve　ourselves　of　paying　rents！　Down

with　the　nobles！　They　are　no　better　than　the　tax…collectors！　〃　　On

the　16th　of　July；　the　chateau　of　Sancy；　belonging　to　the　Princesses

de　Beaufremont；　is　sacked；　and　on　the　18th　those　of　Lure；　Bithaine；

and　Molans。＇35＇　　On　the　29th；　an　accident　which　occurs　with　some

fire…works　at　a　popular　festival　at　the　house　of　M。　de　Mesmay；　leads

the　lower　class　to　believe　that　the　invitation　extended　to　them　was

a　trap；　and　that　there　was　a　desire　to　get　rid　of　them　by

treachery。＇36＇　　Seized　with　rage　they　set　fi