the origins of contemporary france-2-第91节

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people；　those　on　the　contrary　who　style　themselves　good　patriots；

republicans　or　anarchists；　were　not　conspicuous　on　this　occasion；

but　a　very　small　number　among　them　have　made　their　submission。　　The

rest　are　surprised　at　being　called　upon　for　money；　they　had　been

given　a　quite　different　hope。〃



In　short；　during　more　than　thirty　months；　and　under　a　steady　fire　of

threats；　outrages；　and　plunder；　the　nobles　who　remain　in　France

neither　commit　nor　undertake　any　hostile　act　against　the　Government

that　persecutes　them。　None　of　them；　not　even　M。　de　Bouillé；　attempts

to　carry　out　any　real　plan　of　civil　war；　I　find　but　one　resolute　man

in　their　ranks　at　this　date；　ready　for　action；　and　who　labors　to

form　one　militant　party　against　another　militant　party：　he　is　really

a　politician　and　conspirator；　he　has　an　understanding　with　the　Comte

d'Artois；　he　gets　petitions　signed　for　the　freedom　of　the　King　and

of　the　Church；　he　organizes　armed　companies；　he　recruits　the

peasants；　he　prepares　a　Vendée　for　Languedoc　and　Provence；　and　this

person　is　a　bourgeois；　Froment　of　N？mes。＇3＇　　But；　at　the　moment　of

action；　he　finds　only　three　out　of　eighteen　companies；　supposed　by

him　to　be　enlisted　in　his　cause；　that　are　willing　to　march　with　him。

Others　remain　in　their　quarters　until；　Froment　being　overcome；　they

are　found　there　and　slaughtered；　the　survivors；　who　escape　to　Jalès；

find；　not　a　stronghold；　but　a　temporary　asylum；　where　they　never

succeed　in　transforming　their　inclinations　into　determinations。＇4＇

…　　The　nobles　too；　like　other　Frenchmen；　have　been　subject　to　the

lasting　pressure　of　monarchical　centralization。　　They　no　longer　form

one　body。；　they　have　lost　the　instinct　of　association。　　They　no

longer　know　how　to　act　for　themselves；　they　are　the　puppets　of

administration　awaiting　an　impulse　from　the　center；　while　at　the

center　the　King；　their　hereditary　general；　a　captive　in　the　hands　of

the　people；　commands　them　to　be　resigned　and　to　do　nothing。＇5＇

Moreover；　like　other　Frenchmen；　they　have　been　brought　up　in　the

philosophy　of　the　eighteenth　century。　　〃Liberty　is　so　precious；〃

wrote　the　Duc　de　Brissac；＇6＇　〃that　it　may　well　be　purchased　with

some　suffering；　a　destroyed　feudalism　will　not　prevent　the　good　and

the　true　from　being　respected　and　loved。〃　　…　　They　persist　in　this

illusion　for　a　long　time　and　remain　optimists。　　As　they　feel　kindly

towards　the　people；　they　cannot　comprehend　that　the　people　should

entertain　other　sentiments　toward　them；　they　firmly　believe　that　the

troubles　are　transient。　　Immediately　on　the　proclamation　of　the

Constitution　they　return　in　crowds　from　Spain；　Belgium；　and　Germany；

at　Troyes　there　are　not　enough　post…horses　for　many　days　to　supply

the　emigrants　who　are　coming　back。＇7＇　　Thus　they　accept　not　only　the

abolition　of　feudalism　with　civil　equality；　but　also　political

equality　and　numerical　sovereignty。



Some　consideration　for　them；　some　outward　signs　of　respect；　a　few

bows；　would；　in　all　probability；　have　rallied　them　sincerely　to

democratic　institutions。　　They　would　soon　consent　to　be　confounded

with　the　crowd；　to　submit　to　the　common　level；　and　to　live　as

private　individuals。　　Had　they　been　treated　like　the　bourgeois　or

the　peasant；　their　neighbors；　had　their　property　and　persons　been

respected；　they　might　have　accepted　the　new　régime　without　any

bitterness　of　feeling。　　That　the　leading　emigrant　nobles　and　those

forming　a　part　of　the　old　court　carry　on　intrigues　at　Coblentz　or　at

Turin　is　natural；　since　they　have　lost　everything：　authority；

places；　pensions；　sinecures；　pleasures；　and　the　rest。　　But；　to　the

gentry　and　inferior　nobles　of　the　provinces；　chevaliers　of　Saint…

Louis；　subaltern　officers　and　resident　proprietors；　the　loss　is

insignificant。　　The　law　has　suppressed　one…half　of　their　seignorial

dues；　but　by　virtue　of　the　same　law　their　lands　are　no　longer

burdened　with　tithes。　　Popular　elections　will　not　provide　them　with

places；　but　they　did　not　enjoy　them　under　the　arbitrary　ministerial

rule。　　Little　does　it　matter　to　them　that　power；　whether　ministerial

or　popular；　has　changed　hands：　they　are　not　accustomed　to　its

favors；　and　will　pursue　their　ordinary　avocations　　…　　the　chase；

promenading；　reading；　visiting；　and　conversing　　…　　provided　they；

like　the　first…comer；　the　grocer　at　the　corner；　or　their　farm…

servant；　find　protection；　safety；　and　security　on　the　public　road

and　in　their　dwellings。＇8＇



II。



Workings　of　the　popular　imagination　with　respect　to　them。　…　　The

monomania　of　suspicion。　　…　　The　nobles　distrusted　and　treated　as

enemies。　　…　　Situation　of　a　gentleman　on　his　domain。　　…　　M。　de。

Bussy



Popular　passion；　unfortunately；　is　a　blind　power；　and；　for　lack　of

enlightenment；　suffers　itself　to　be　guided　by　spectral　illusions。

Imaginary　conceptions　work；　and　work　in　conformity　with　the

structure　of　the　excited　brain　which　has　given　birth　to　them：



What　if　the　Ancient　Regime　should　return！



What　if　we　were　obliged　to　restore　the　property　of　the　clergy！



What　if　we　should　be　again　forced　to　pay　the　salt　tax；　the　excise；

the　taille；　and　other　dues　which；　thanks　to　the　law；　we　no　longer

pay；　besides　other　taxes　and　dues　that　we　do　not　pay　in　spite　of　the

law！



What　if　all　the　nobles　whose　chateaux　are　burnt；　and　who　have　given

rent　acquittances　at　the　point　of　the　sword；　should　find　some　way　to

avenge　themselves　and　recover　their　former　privileges！



Undoubtedly　they　brood　over　these　things；　make　agreements　amongst

each　other；　and　plot　with　the　strangers；　at　the　first　opportunity

they　will　fall　upon　us：　we　must　watch　them；　repress　them；　and；　if

needs　be；　destroy　them。　…　　This　instinctive　process　of　reasoning

prevailed　from　the　outset；　and；　in　proportion　as　excesses　increase；

prevails　to　a　much　greater　extent。　　The　noble　is　ever　the　past；

present；　and　future　creditor；　or；　at　the　very　least；　a　possible　one；

which　means　that　he　is　the　worst　and　most　odious　of　enemies。　　All

his　ways　are　suspicious；　even　when　he　is　doing　nothing；　whatever　he

may　do　it　is　with　a　view　of　arming　himself。



M。　de　Gilliers；　who　lives　with　his　wife　and　sister　one　league　out　of

Romans　in　Dauphiny；＇9＇　amuses　himself　by　planting　trees　and　flowers；

a　few　steps　from　his　house；　on　another　domain；　M。　de　Montchorel；　an

old　soldier；　and　M。　Osmond；　an　old　lawyer　from　Paris；　with　their

wives　and　children；　occupy　their　leisure　hours　in　somewhat　the　same

manner。　　M。　de　Gilliers　having　ordered　and　received　wooden　water…

pipes；　the　report　spreads　that　they　are　cannon。　　His　guest；　M。

Servan；　receives　an　English　traveling…trunk；　which　is　said　to　be

full　of　pistols。　　When　M。　Osmond　and　M。　Servan　stroll　about　the

country　with　pencils　and　drawing…paper；　it　is　averred　that　they　are

preparing　topographical　plans　for　the　Spaniards　and　Savoyards。　　The

four　carriages　belonging　to　the　two　families　go　to　Romans　to　fetch

some　guests：　instead　of　four　there　are　nineteen；　and　they　are　sent

for　aristocrats　who　are　coming　to　hide　away　in　underground　passages。

M。　de　Senneville；　decorated　with　a　cordon　rouge　（red　ribbon）；　pays　a

visit　on　his　return　from　Algiers：　the　decoration　becomes　a　blue　one；

and　the　wearer　is　the　Comte　d'Artois＇10＇　in　person。　　There　is

certainly　a　plot　brewing；　and　at　five　o'clock　in　the　morning

eighteen　communes　（two　thousand　armed　men）　arrive　before　the　doors

of　the　two　houses；　shouts　and　threats　of　death　last　for　eight　hours；

a　gun　fired　a　few　paces　off　at　the　suspects　misfires；　a　peasant　who

is　aiming　at　them　says　to　his　neighbor；　〃Give　me　a　decent　gun　and　I

will　plant　both　my　balls　in　their　bodies！〃　Finally；　M。　de　Gilliers；

who　was　absent；　attending　a　baptism；　returns　with　the　Royal

Chasseurs　of　Dauphiny　and　the　National　Guard　of　Romans；　and　with

their　assistance　delivers　his　family。　　…　　It　is　only　in　the　towns；

that　is；　in　a　few　towns；　and　for　a　very　short　time；　that　an

inoffensive　noble　who　is　attacked　obtains　any　aid；　the　phantoms

which　people　create　for　themselves　there　are　less　gross；　a　certain

degree　of　enlightenment；　and　a　remnant　of　common　sense；　prevent　the

hatching　of　too　absurd　stories。　　…　　But　in　the　dark　recesses　of

rustic　brains　nothing　can　arrest　the　monomania　of　suspicion。

Fancies　multiply　there　like　weeds　in　a　dark　hole：　they　take　root　and

vegetate　until　they　become　belief；　conviction；　and　certainty；　they

produce　the　fruit　of　hostility　and　hatred；　homicidal　and　incendiary

ideas。　　With　eyes　constantly　fixed　on　the　chateau；　the　village

regards　it　as　a　Bastille　which　must　be　captured；　and；　instead　of

saluting　the　lord　of　the　manor；　it　thinks　only　of　firing　at　him。



Let　us　take　up　one　of　these　local　histories　in　detail。＇11＇　In　the

month　of　July；　1789；　during　the　jacquerie　in　Ma？onnais；　the　parish

of　Villiers　appealed　for　assistance　to　its　lord；　M。　de　Bussy；　a

former　colonel　of　dragoons。　　He　had　returned　home；　treated　the

people　of　his　village　to　a　dinner；　and　attempted　to　form　them　into　a

bo