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nowadays would require from 20;000 to 25;000。  … It has become much

more expensive; especially due to the rail…ways; to live in the

provinces。  〃According to my friends du Rouergue;〃 he says again; 〃I

could live at Milhau with my family in the greatest abundance on 100

louis (2;000 francs); there are noble families supporting themselves

on revenues of fifty and even twenty…five louis。〃 At Milhau; to day;

prices are triple and even quadruple。  … In Paris; a house in the Rue

St。  Honore which was rented for 6;000 francs in 1787 is now rented for

16;000 francs。



'12'。   〃Rapports de l'Agence du clergé de 1780 à 1785。〃 In

relation to the feudal rights the abolition of which is demanded in

Boncerf's work; the chancellor Séguier said in 1775: 〃Our Kings have

themselves declared that they are; fortunately; impotent to make any

attack on property。〃



'13'。  Léonce de Lavergne; 〃Les Assemblées provinciales;〃 p。296。

Report of M。 Schwendt on Alsace in 1787。  …  Warroquier; 〃Etat de la

France en 1789;〃 I。541。  …  Necker; 〃De l'Administration des Finances;〃

I。  19; 102。  … Turgot; (collection of economists); 〃Réponse aux

observations du garde des sceaux sur la suppression des corvées;〃 I。

559。



'14'。  This term embraces various taxes originating in feudal times;

and rendered particularly burdensome to the peasantry through the

management of the privileged classes。  …TR。



'15'。  The arpent measures between one and one and a half acres。  …TR



'16'。  De Tocqueville; 〃L'Ancien Régime et la Révolution;〃 p。  406。

〃The inhabitants of Montbazon had subjected to taxation the stewards

of the duchy which belonged to the Prince de Rohan。  This prince caused

this abuse to be stopped and succeeded in recovering the sum of 5;344

livres which he had been made to pay unlawfully under this right〃



'17'。  Necker; 〃Administration des Finances:〃 ordinary taxation (la

taille) produced 91 millions; les vingtièmes 76;500;000; the

capitation tax 41;500;000。



'18'。  Raudot; 〃La France avant la Révolution;〃 p。  51。  … De Bouillé;

〃Mémoires;〃 p。  44。  …   Necker; 〃De 1'Administration des Finances;〃 II;

p。  181。  The above relates to what was called the clergy of France;

(116 dioceses)。  The clergy called foreign; consisted of that of the

three bishoprics and of the regions conquered since Louis XIV; it had

a separate régime and paid somewhat like the nobles。  … The décimes

which the clergy of France levied on its property amounted to a sum of

10;500;000 livres。



'19'。  De Toqueville; ib。  104; 381; 407。  … Necker; ib。  I。  102。  …

Boiteau; ib。  362。  … De Bouillé; ib。  26; 41; and the following pages。

Turgot; ib。  passim。  … Cf。  passim。  … Cf。  Book V; ch。  2; on the

taillage。



'20'。  See 〃La France ecclésiastique; 1788;〃 for these details。



'21'。  Official statements and manuscript reports of the States…

General of 1789。  〃Archives nationales;〃 vol。  LXXXVIII pp。  23; 85; 121;

122'; 152。  Procès…verbal of January 12; 1789。



'22'。  Necker; 〃De l'Administration des Finances;〃 V。  II。  pp。  271;

272。  〃The house Orleans; he says; is in possession of the excises。〃 He

estimates this tax at 51;000;000 for the entire kingdom。



'23'。  Beugnot; 〃Mémoires;〃 V。  I。  p。  77。  Observe the ceremonial

system with the Duc de Penthièvre; chapters I。; III。  The Duc d'Orléans

organizes a chapter and bands of canonesses。  The post of chancellor to

the Duc d'Orléans is worth 100;000 livres per annum; (〃Gustave III。  et

la cour de France;〃 by Geffroy; I。  410。)



'24'。  De Tocqueville; ibid。  p。40。  … Renauldon; advocate in the

bailiwick of Issoudun; 〃Traité historique et pratique des droits

seigneuriaux; 1765;〃 pp。  8; 10; 81 and passim。  … Statement of

grievance of a magistrate of the Chatelet on seigniorial judgments;

1789。  … Duvergier; 〃Collection des Lois;〃 Decrees of the 15…28 March;

1790; on the abolition of the feudal régime; Merlin of Douai;

reporter; I。  114 Decrees of 19…23 July; 1790; I。  293。  Decrees of the

13…20 April; 1791; (I。  295。)



'25'。  National archives; G; 300; (1787)。  〃M。 de Boullongne;

seignior of Montereau; here possesses a toll…right consisting of 2

deniers (farthings) per ox; cow; calf or pig; 1 per sheep; 2 for a

laden animal; 1 sou and 8 deniers for each four…wheeled vehicle; 5

deniers for a two… wheeled vehicle; and 10 deniers for a vehicle drawn

by three; four; or five horses; besides a tax of 10 deniers for each

barge; boat or skiff ascending the river; the same tax for each team

of horses dragging the boats up; 1 denier for each empty cask going

up。〃 Analogous taxes are enforced at Varennes for the benefit of the

Duc de Chatelet; seignior of Varennes。



'26'。  National archives; K; 1453; No。1448: A letter by M。 de

Meulan; dated June 12; 1789。  This tax on grain belonged at that time

to the Comte d'Artois。  … Chateaubriand; 〃Mémoires;〃 I。73。



'27'。  Renauldon; ibid。。  249; 258。  〃There are few seignioral towns

which have a communal slaughter…house。  The butcher must obtain special

permission from the seignior。〃 … The tax on grinding was an average of

a sixteenth。  In many provinces; Anjou; Berry; Maine; Brittany; there

was a lord's mill for cloths and barks。



'28'。  Renauldon; ibid。。  pp。  181; 200; 203; observe that he wrote

this in 1765。  Louis XVI。  suppressed serfdom on the royal domains in

1778; and many of the seigniors; especially in Franche…Comté; followed

his example。  Beugnot; 〃Mémoires;〃 V。  I。  p。142。  … Voltaire; 〃Mémoire

au roi sur les serfs du Jura。〃 … 〃Mémoires de Bailly;〃 II。  214;

according to an official report of the Nat。  Ass。; August 7; 1789。  I

rely on this report and on the book of M。 Clerget; curate of Onans in

Franche…Comté who is mentioned in it。  M。 Clerget says that there are

still at this time (1789) 1;500;000 subjects of the king in a state of

servitude but he brings forward no proofs to support these figures。

Nevertheless it is certain that the number of serfs and mortmains is

still very great。  National archives; H; 723; registers on mortmains in

Franche…Comté in 1788; H。  200; registers by Amelot on Burgundy in

1785。  〃In the sub…delegation of Charolles the inhabitants seem a

century behind the age; being subject to feudal tenures; such as mort…

main; neither mind nor body have any play。  The redemption of mortmain;

of which the king himself has set the example; has been put at such an

exorbitant price by laymen; that the unfortunate sufferers cannot; and

will not be able to secure it。



'29'。  Boiteau; ibid。。  p。  25; (April; 1790); … Beugnot; 〃Mémoires;〃

I。  142。



'30'。  See END…NOTE 2 at the end of the volume











CHAPTER III。  LOCAL SERVICES DUE BY THE PRIVILEGED CLASSES。



I。  Examples in Germany and England。  … These services are not

rendered by the privileged classes in France。



LET us consider the first one; local government。  There are

countries at the gates of France in which feudal subjection; more

burdensome than in France; seems lighter because; in the other scale;

the benefits counterbalance disadvantages。  At Munster; in 1809;

Beugnot finds a sovereign bishop; a town of convents and a large

seigniorial mansion; a few merchants for indispensable trade; a small

bourgeoisie; and; all around; a peasantry composed of either colons or

serfs。  The seignior deducts a portion of all their crops in provisions

or in cattle; and; at their deaths; a portion of their inheritances。

If they go away their property revert to him。  His servants are

chastised like Russian moujiks; and in each outhouse is a trestle for

this purpose 〃without prejudice to graver penalties;〃 probably the

bastinado and the like。  But 〃never did the culprit entertain the

slightest idea of complaint or appeal。〃 For if the seignior whips them

as the father of family he protects them 〃as the father of a family;

ever coming to their assistance when misfortune befalls them; and

taking care of them in their illness。〃 He provides an asylum for them

in old age; he looks after their widows; and rejoices when they have

plenty of children。  He is bound to them by common sympathies they are

neither miserable nor uneasy; they know that; in every extreme or

unforeseen necessity; he will be their refuge。'1' In the Prussian states

and according to the code of Frederick the Great; a still more

rigorous servitude is atoned for by similar obligations。  The

peasantry; without their seignior's permission; cannot alienate a

field; mortgage it; cultivate it differently; change their occupation

or marry。  If they leave the seigniory he can pursue them in every

direction and bring them back by force。  He has the right of

surveillance over their private life; and he chastises them if drunk

or lazy。  When young they serve for years as servants in his mansion;

as cultivators they owe him corvees and; in certain places; three

times a week。  But; according to both law and custom

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