the origins of contemporary france-1-第115节

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cavalry　on　the　wings。　　。　　。　　。　　They　live　in　the　forests　where　they　have

created　a　fortified　and　guarded　area　and　paying　exactly　for　what　they

take　to　live　on。〃　In　1777＇22＇；　at　Sens　in　Burgundy；　the　public

attorney；　M。　Terray；　hunting　on　his　own　property　with　two　officers；

meets　a　gang　of　poachers　who　fire　on　the　game　under　their　eyes；　and

soon　afterwards　fire　on　them。　　Terray　is　wounded　and　one　of　the

officers　has　his　coat　pierced；　guards　arrive；　but　the　poachers　stand

firm　and　repel　them；　dragoons　are　sent　for　and　the　poachers　kill　of

these；　along　with　three　horses；　and　are　attacked　with　sabers；　four　of

them　are　brought　to　the　ground　and　seven　are　captured。…Reports　of　the

States…General　show　that　every　year；　in　each　extensive　forest；　murders

occur；　sometimes　at　the　hands　of　a　poacher；　and　again；　and　the　most

frequently；　by　the　shot　of　a　gamekeeper。　　…　It　is　a　continuous　warfare

at　home；　every　vast　domain　thus　harbors　its　rebels；　provided　with

powder　and　ball　and　knowing　how　to　use　them。



　　　Other　recruits　for　rioting　are　found　among　smugglers　and　in

dealers　in　contraband　salt＇23＇。　　A　tax；　as　soon　as　it　becomes

exorbitant；　invites　fraud；　and　raises　up　a　population　of　delinquents

against　its　army　of　clerks。　　The　number　of　such　defrauders　may　be　seen

when　we　consider　the　number　of　custom　officers：　twelve　hundred　leagues

of　interior　custom　districts　are　guarded　by　50；000　men；　of　which

23；000　are　soldiers　in　civilian　dress＇24＇。　　〃In　the　principal　provinces

of　the　salt…tax　and　in　the　provinces　of　the　five　great　tax　leasing

administrations　（fermes）；　for　four　leagues　（ten　miles）　on　either　side

of　the　prohibited　line；〃　cultivation　is　abandoned；　everybody　is　either

a　customs　official　or　a　smuggler＇25＇。　　The　more　excessive　the　tax　the

higher　the　premium　offered　to　the　violators　of　the　law；　at　every　place

on　the　boundaries　of　Brittany　with　Normandy；　Maine　and　Anjou；　four

pence　per　pound　added　to　the　salt…tax　multiplies　beyond　any　conception

the　already　enormous　number　of　contraband　dealers。　　〃Numerous　bands　of

men；＇26＇　armed　with　frettes；　or　long　sticks　pointed　with　iron；　and

often　with　pistols　or　guns；　attempt　to　force　a　passage。　　〃A　multitude

of　women　and　of　children；　quite　young；　cross　the　brigades　boundaries

or；　on　the　other　side；　troops　of　dogs　are　brought　there；　kept　closed

up　for　a　certain　time　without　food　or　drink；　then　loaded　with　salt　and

now　turned　loose　so　that　they；　driven　by　hunger；　immediately　bring

their　cargo　back　to　their　masters。〃…Vagabonds；　outlaws；　the　famished；

sniff　this　lucrative　occupation　from　afar　and　run　to　it　like　so　many

packs　of　hounds。　　〃The　outskirts　of　Brittany　are　filled　with　a

population　of　emigrants；　mostly　outcast　from　their　own　districts；　who；

after　a　year's　registered　stay；　may　enjoy　the　privileges　of　the

Bretons：　their　occupation　is　limited　to　collecting　piles　of　salt　to

re…sell　to　the　contraband　dealers。〃　　We　might　imagine　them；　as　in　a

flash　of　lightening；　as　a　long　line　of　restless　nomads；　nocturnal　and

pursued；　an　entire　tribe；　male　and　female；　of　unsociable　prowlers；

familiar　with　to　underhand　tricks；　toughened　by　hard　weather；　ragged；

〃nearly　all　infected　by　persistent　scabies；〃　and　I　find　similar　bodies

in　the　vicinity　of　Morlaix；　Lorient；　and　other　ports　on　the　frontiers

of　other　provinces　and　on　the　frontiers　of　the　kingdom。　　From　1783　to

1787；　in　Quercy；　two　allied　bands　of　smugglers；　sixty　and　eighty　each；

defraud　the　revenue　of　40；000　of　tobacco；　kill　two　customs　officers；

and；　with　their　guns；　defend　their　stores　in　the　mountains；　to

suppress　them　soldiers　are　needed；　which　their　military　commander　will

not　furnish。　　In　1789；＇27＇　a　large　troop　of　smugglers　carry　on

operations　permanently　on　the　frontiers　of　Maine　and　Anjou；　the

military　commander　writes　that　〃their　chief　is　an　intelligent　and

formidable　bandit；　who　already　has　under　him　fifty…five　men；　he　will；

due　to　misery　and　rebellion　soon　have　a　corps；〃　it　would；　as　we　are

unable　to　take　him　by　force；　be　best；　if　some　of　his　men　could　be

turned　and　made　to　hand　him　over　to　us。　　These　are　the　means　resorted

to　in　regions　where　brigandage　is　endemic。　　…　　Here；　indeed；　as　in

Calabria；　the　people　are　on　the　side　of　the　brigands　against　the

gendarmes。　　The　exploits　of　Mandrin　in　1754；＇28＇　may　be　remembered：　his

company　of　sixty　men　who　bring　in　contraband　goods　and　ransom　only　the

clerks；　his　expedition；　lasting　nearly　a　year；　across　Franche…Comté；

Lyonnais；　Bourbonnais；　Auvergne　and　Burgundy；　the　twenty…seven　towns

he　enters　making　no　resistance；　delivering　prisoners　and　making　sale

of　his　merchandise。　　To　overcome　him　a　camp　had　to　be　formed　at　Valance

and　2；000　men　sent　against　him；　he　was　taken　through　treachery；　and

still　at　the　present　day　certain　families　are　proud　of　their

relationship　to　him；　declaring　him　a　liberator。　　…　No　symptom　is　more

alarming：　on　the　enemies　of　the　law　being　preferred　by　the　people　to

its　defenders；　society　disintegrates　and　the　worms　begin　to　work。　　…

Add　to　these　the　veritable　brigands；　assassins　and　robbers。　　〃In

1782；＇29＇　the　provost's　court　of　Montargis　is　engaged　on　the　trial　of

Hulin　and　two　hundred　of　his　accomplices　who；　for　ten　years；　by　means

of　joint　enterprises；　have　desolated　a　portion　of　the　kingdom。〃　…

Mercier　enumerates　in　France　〃an　army　of　more　than　10；000　brigands　and

vagabonds〃　against　which　the　police；　composed　of　3；756　men；　is　always

on　the　march。　　〃Complaints　are　daily　made；〃　says　the　provincial

assembly　of　Haute…Guyenne；　〃that　there　is　no　police　in　the　country。〃

The　absentee　seignior　pays　no　attention　to　this　matter；　his　judges　and

officials　take　good　care　not　to　operate　gratuitously　against　an

insolvent　criminal；　the　result　is　that　〃his　estates　become　the　refuge

of　all　the　rascals　of　the　area。〃＇30＇　　…　　Every　abuse　thus　carries　with

it　a　risk；　both　due　to　misplaced　carelessness　as　well　as　excessive

rigor；　to　relaxed　feudalism　as　well　as　to　harsh　monarchy。　　All　the

institutions　appear　to　work　together　to　breed　and　or　tolerate　the

troublemakers；　preparing；　outside　the　social　defenses；　the　men　of

action　who　will　carry　it　by　storm。



But　the　total　effect　of　all　this　is　yet　more　damaging；　for；　out　of

the　vast　numbers　of　workers　it　ruins　it　forms　beggars　unwilling　to

work；　dangerous　sluggards　going　about　begging　and　extorting　bread　from

peasants　who　have　not　too　much　for　themselves。　　〃The　vagabonds　about

the　country；〃　says　Letrosne；＇31＇　〃are　a　terrible　pest；　they　are　like

an　enemy's　force　which；　distributed　over　the　territory；　obtains　a

living　as　it　pleases；　levying　veritable　contributions。　　。　　。　　。　　They　are

constantly　roving　around　the　country；　examining　the　approaches　to

houses；　and　informing　themselves　about　their　inmates　and　of　their

habits。…　Woe　to　those　supposed　to　have　money！　。　　。　　。　　What　numbers　of

highway　robberies　and　what　burglaries！　What　numbers　of　travelers

assassinated；　and　houses　and　doors　broken　into！　What　assassinations　of

curates；　farmers　and　widows；　tormented　to　discover　money　and

afterwards　killed！　Twenty…five　years　anterior　（page　384/284）　to　the

Revolution　it　was　not　infrequent　to　see　fifteen　or　twenty　of　these

〃invade　a　farm…house　to　sleep　there；　intimidating　the　farmers　and

exacting　whatever　they　pleased。〃　In　1764；　the　government　takes

measures　against　them　which　indicate　the　magnitude　of　the　evil＇32＇。



〃Are　held　to　be　vagabonds　and　vagrants；　and　condemned　as　such；

those　who；　for　a　preceding　term　of　six　months；　shall　have　exercised　no

trade　or　profession；　and　who；　having　no　occupation　or　means　of

subsistence；　can　procure　no　persons　worthy　of　confidence　to　attest　and

verify　their　habits　and　mode　of　life。　　。　　。　　。　　The　intent　of　His　Majesty

is　not　merely　to　arrest　vagabonds　traversing　the　country　but；　again；

all　mendicants　whatsoever　who；　without　occupations；　may　be　regarded　as

suspected　of　vagabondage。〃



The　penalty　for　able…bodied　men　is　three　years　in　the　galleys；　in

case　of　a　second　conviction；　nine　years；　and　for　a　third；　imprisonment

for　life。　　Under　the　age　of　sixteen；　they　are　put　in　an　institution。　　〃A

mendicant　who　has　made　himself　liable　to　arrest　by　the　police；〃　says

the　circular；　〃is　not　to　be　released　except　under　the　most　positive

assurance　that　he　will　no　longer　beg；　this　course　will　be　followed

only　in　case　of　persons　worthy　of　confidence　and　solvent　guaranteeing

the　mendicant；　and　engaging　to　provide　him　with　employment　or　to

support　him；　and　they　shall　indicate　the　means　by　which　they　are　to

prevent　him　from　begging。〃　This　being　furnished；　the　special

authorization　of　the　intendant　must　be　obtained　in　addition。　　By　virtue

of　this　law；　50；000　beggars　are　said　to　have　been　arrested　at　once；

and；　as　the　ordinary　hospitals　and　prisons　were　not　large　enough　to

contain　them；　jails　had　to　be　constructed。　　Up　to　the　end　of　the

ancient　régime　this　measure　is　carried　out　with　occasional

intermissions：　in　Languedoc；　in　1768；　arrests　were　still　made　of　433

in　s