the origins of contemporary france-2-第84节

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save　public　edifices　and　woods；　is　to　be　cut　up　into　as　many　equal

lots　as　there　are　heads；　the　lots　to　be　drawn　for；　and　each

individual　to　take　possession　of　his　or　her　portion。＇58＇　The

Operation　is　carried　out；　for　〃those　who　are　least　well　off　are

infinitely　flattered　by　it。〃　In　the　district　of　Arcis…sur…Aube；

there　are　not　a　dozen　communes　out　of　ninety　in　which　more　than　two…

thirds　of　the　voters　had　the　good　sense　to　pronounce　against　it。

》From　this　time　forth　the　commune　ceases　to　be　an　independent

proprietor；　it　has　nothing　to　fall　back　upon。　　In　case　of　distress

it　is　obliged　to　lay　on　extra　taxes　and　obtain；　if　it　can；　a　few

additional　sous。　　Its　future　revenue　is　at　present　in　the　tightly

buttoned　pockets　of　the　new　proprietors。　　…　　The　prevalence　of

short…sighted　views　is　once　more　due　to　the　covetousness　of

individuals。　　Whether　national　or　communal；　it　is　always　public

interest　which　succumbs；　and　it　succumbs　always　under　the

usurpations　of　indigent　minorities；　at　one　time　through　the

feebleness　of　public　authority；　which　dares　not　oppose　their

violence；　and　at　another　through　the　complicity　of　public　authority；

which　has　conferred　upon　them　the　rights　of　the　majority。





IV。



Cupidity　of　tenants。　　…　　The　third　and　fourth　jacquerie。　　…

Brittany　and　other　provinces　in　1790　and　1791。　　…　　The　burning　of

chateaux。　　…　　Title…deeds　destroyed。　　…　　Refusal　of　claims。　　…

Destruction　of　reservoirs。　　…　　Principal　characteristics；　prime

motive　and　ruling　passion　of　the　revolution



When　there　is　a　lack　of　public　force　for　the　protection　of　public

property；　there　is　also　a　lack　of　it　for　the　protection　of　private

property；　for　the　same　greed　and　the　same　needs　attack　both。　　Let　a

man　owe　anything　either　to　the　State　or　to　an　individual；　and　the

temptation　not　to　pay　is　equally　the　same。　　In　both　cases　it

suffices　to　find　a　pretext　for　denying　the　debt；　in　finding　this

pretext　the　cupidity　of　the　tenant　is　as　good　as　the　selfishness　of

the　tax…payer。　　Now　that　the　feudal　system　is　abolished　let　nothing

remain　of　it：　let　there　be　no　more　seignorial　claims。　　〃If　the

Assembly　has　maintained　some　of　them；　yonder　in　Paris；　it　did　so

inadvertently　or　through　corruption：　we　shall　soon　hear　of　all　being

suppressed。　　In　the　meantime　we　will　relieve　ourselves；　and　burn　the

agreements　in　the　places　where　they　are　kept。〃



Such　being　the　argument；　the　jacquerie　breaks　out　afresh：　in　truth；

it　is　permanent　and　universal。　　Just　as　in　a　body　in　which　some　of

the　elements　of　its　vital　substance　are　affected　by　an　organic

disease；　the　evil　is　apparent　in　the　parts　which　seem　to　be　sound：

even　where　as　yet　no　outbreak　has　occurred；　one　is　imminent；

constant　anxiety；　a　profound　restlessness；　a　low　fever；　denote　its

presence。　　Here；　the　debtor　does　not　pay；　and　the　creditor　is　afraid

to　prosecute　him。　　In　other　places　isolated　eruptions　occur。　　At

Auxon；＇59＇　on　an　estate　spared　by　the　great　jacquerie　of　July；　1789；

the　woods　are　ravaged；　and　the　peasants；　enraged　at　being　denounced

by　the　keepers；　march　to　the　chateau；　which　is　occupied　by　an　old

man　and　a　child；　everybody　belonging　to　the　village　is　there；　men

and　women；　they　hew　down　the　barricaded　door　with　their　axes；　and

fire　on　the　neighbors　who　come　to　the　assistance　of　its　inmates。　　…

In　other　places；　in　the　districts　of　Saint…étienne　and　Montbrison；

〃the　trees　belonging　to　the　proprietors　are　carried　away　with

impunity；　and　the　walls　of　their　grounds　and　terraces　are

demolished；　the　complainants　being　threatened　with　death　or　with　the

sight　of　the　destruction　of　their　dwellings。〃　Near　Paris；　around

Montargis；　Nemours；　and　Fontainebleau；　a　number　of　parishes　refuse

to　pay　the　tithes　and　ground…rent　（champart）　which　the　Assembly　has

a　second　time　sanctioned；　gibbets　are　erected　and　the　collectors　are

threatened　with　hanging；　while；　in　the　neighborhood　of　Tonnerre；　a

mob　of　debtors　fire　upon　the　body　of　police　which　comes　to　enforce

the　claims。　　…　　Near　Amiens；　the　Comtesse　de　la　Mire；＇60＇　on　her

estate　of　Davencourt；　is　visited　by　the　municipal　authorities　of　the

village；　who　request　her　to　renounce　her　right　to　ground…rent

（champart）　and　thirds　（tiers）。　　She　refuses　and　they　insist；　and　she

refuses　again；　when　they　inform　her　that　〃　some　misfortune　will

happen　to　her。〃　In　effect；　two　of　the　municipal　officers　cause　the

tocsin　to　be　rung；　and　the　whole　village　rushes　to　arms。　　One　of　the

domestics　has　an　arm　broken　by　a　ball；　and　for　three　hours　the

countess　and　her　two　children　are　subject　to　the　grossest　insults

and　to　blows：　she　is　forced　to　sign　a　paper　which　she　is　not　allowed

to　read；　and；　in　warding　off　the　stroke　of　a　saber；　her　arm　is　cleft

from　the　elbow　to　the　wrist；　the　chateau　is　pillaged；　and　she　owes

her　escape　to　the　zeal　of　some　of　her　servants。　　…　　Large　eruptions

take　place　at　the　same　time　over　entire　provinces；　one　succeeds　the

other　almost　without　interruption；　the　fever　encroaching　on　parts

which　were　supposed　to　be　cured；　and　to　such　an　extent　that　the

virulent　ulcers　finally　combine　and　form　one　over　the　whole　surface

of　the　social　body。



By　the　end　of　December；　1789；　the　chronic　fermentation　comes　to　a

head　in　Brittany。　　Imagination；　as　usual；　has　forged　a　plot；　and；　as

the　people　say；　if　they　make　an　attack　it　is　in　their　own　defense。

…　　A　report　spreads＇61＇　that　M。　de　Goyon；　near　Lamballe；　has

assembled　in　his　chateau　a　number　of　gentlemen　and　six　hundred

soldiers。　　The　mayor　and　National　Guard　of　Lamballe　immediately

depart　in　force；　they　find　everything　tranquil　there；　and　no　company

but　two　or　three　friends；　and　no　other　arms　than　a　few　fowling…

pieces。　　…　　The　impulse；　however；　is　given；　and；　on　the　15th　of

January；　the　great　federation　of　Pontivy　has　excited　the　wildest

enthusiasm。　　The　people　drink；　sing；　and　shout　in　honor　of　the　new

decrees　before　armed　peasants　who　do　not　comprehend　the　French

tongue；　still　less　legal　terms；　and　who；　on　their　return　home；

arguing　with　each　other　in　bas…breton；　interpret　the　law　in　a

peculiar　way。　　〃A　decree　of　the　Assembly；　in　their　eyes；　is　a　decree

of　arrest〃　and　as　the　principal　decrees　of　the　Assembly　are　issued

against　the　nobles；　they　are　so　many　decrees　of　arrest　against　them。

…　　Some　days　after　this；　about　the　end　of　January；　during　the　whole

of　February；　and　down　to　the　month　of　April；　the　execution　of　this

theory　is　tumultuously　carried　out　by　mobs　of　villagers　and

vagabonds　around　Nantes；　Auray；　Redon；　Dinan；　Plo？rmel；　Rennes；

Guingamp；　and　other　villages。　　Everywhere；　writes　the　Mayor　of

Nantes；＇62＇　〃the　country…people　believe　that　in　burning　deeds　and

contracts　they　get　rid　of　their　debts；　the　very　best　of　them　concur

in　this　belief；〃　or　let　things　take　their　course；　the　excesses　are

enormous；　because　many　gratify　〃special　animosities；　and　all　are

heated　with　wine。　　…　　At　Beuvres；　〃the　peasants　and　vassals　of　the

manor；　after　burning　title…deeds；　establish　themselves　in　the

chateau；　and　threaten　to　fire　it　if　other　papers；　which　they　allege

are　concealed　there；　are　not　surrendered。〃　Near　Redon　the　Abbey　of

Saint…Sauveur　is　reduced　to　ashes。　　Redon　is　menaced；　and　Plo？rmel

almost　besieged。　　At　the　end　of　a　month　thirty…seven　chateaux　are

enumerated　as　attacked：　twenty…five　in　which　the　title…deeds　are

burnt；　and　twelve　in　which　the　proprietors　are　obliged　to　sign　an

abandonment　of　their　rights。　　Two　chateaux　which　began　to　burn　are

saved　by　the　National　Guard。　　That　of　Bois…au…Voyer　is　entirely

consumed；　and　several　have　been　sacked。　　By　way　of　addition；　〃more

than　fifteen　procureurs…fiscaux；　clerks；　notaries；　and　officers　of

seignorial　courts　have　been　plundered　or　burnt；〃　while　proprietors

take　refuge　in　the　towns　because　the　country　is　now　uninhabitable

for　them。



A　second　tumor　makes　its　appearance　at　the　same　time　at　another

point。＇63＇　　It　showed　itself　in　Lower　Limousin　in　the　beginning　of

January。　　From　thence　the　purulent　inflammation　spreads　to　Quercy；

Upper　Languedoc；　Perigord；　and　Rouergue；　and　in　February　from　Tulle

to　Montauban；　and　from　Agen　to　Périgueux　and　Cahors；　extending　over

three　departments。　　…　　Then；　also；　expectancy　is　the　creator；

according　to　rule；　of　its　own　object。　　By　dint　of　longing　for　a　law

for　the　suppression　of　all　claims；　it　is　imagined　that　it　is　passed；

and　the　statement　is　current　that　〃the　King　and　the　National

Assembly　have　ordered　deputations　to　set　up　the　maypole＇64＇　and　to

'light　up'　the　chateaux。〃　　…　　Moreover；　and　always　in　accordance

with　current　practice；　bandits；　people　without　occupation；　take　the

lead　of　the　furious　crowd　and　manage　things　their　own　way。　　As　soon

as　a　band　is　formed　it　arrests　all　the　peaceable　people　it　can　find

on　the　roads；　in　the　fields；　and　in　isolated　farmhouses；　and　takes

good　care　to　put　them　in　front　in　case　of　blows。　　…　　These

miscreants　add　terror　to　compulsion。　　They　erect　gibbets　for　any　one

that　pays　casual　duti