the origins of contemporary france-2-第103章
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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
body of guards to protect themselves against incendiaries and
brigands; along with the well…disposed men of the place 〃he
patrolled every evening to restore tranquillity to the parish。〃 On a
rumor spreading that 〃the wells were poisoned;〃 he placed sentinels
alongside of all the wells except his own; 〃to prove that he was
acting for the parish and not for himself。〃 In short; he did all he
could to conciliate the villagers; and to interest them in the
common safety。 … But; by virtue of being a noble and an officer he
is distrusted; and it is Perron; the syndic of the commune; to whom
the commune now listens。 Perron announces that the King 〃having
abjured his sworn word;〃 no more confidence is to be placed in him;
and; consequently; neither in his officers nor in the gentry。 On M。
de Bussy proposing to the National Guards that they should go to the
assistance of the chateau of Thil; which is in flames; Perron
prevents them; declaring that 〃these fires are kindled by the nobles
and the clergy。〃 M。 de Bussy insists; and entreats them to go;
offering to abandon 〃his terrier;〃 that is to say all his seignorial
dues; if they will only accompany him and arrest this destruction。
They refuse to do so。 He perseveres; and; on being informed that
the chateau of Juillenas is in peril; he collects; after great
efforts; a body of one hundred and fifty men of his parish; and;
marching with them; arrives in time to save the chateau; which a mob
was about to set on fire。 But the popular excitement; which he had
just succeeded in calming at Juillenas; has gained the upper hand
amongst his own troop: the brigands have seduced his men; 〃which
obliges him to lead them back; while; along the road; they seem
inclined to fire at him。〃 … Having returned; he is followed with
threats even to his own house: a band comes to attack his chateau;
finding it on the defensive; they insist on being led to that of
Courcelles。 … ?In the midst of all this violence M。 de Bussy; with
about fifteen friends and tenants; succeeds in protecting himself
and; by dint of patience; energy; and cool blood; without killing or
wounding a single man; ends in bringing back security throughout the
whole canton。 The jacquerie subsides; and it seems as if the newly
restored order would be maintained。 He sends for Madame de Bussy to
return; and some months pass away。 … The popular imagination;
however; is poisoned; and whatever a gentleman may do; he is no
longer tolerated on his estate。 A few leagues from there; on April
29; 1790; M。 de Bois…d'Aisy; deputy to the National Assembly; had
returned to his parish to vote at the new elections。'12' 〃Scarcely
has he arrived;〃 when the commune of Bois…d'Aisy gives him notice
through its mayor 〃that it will not regard him as eligible。〃 He
attends the electoral meeting which is held in the church there; a
municipal officer in the pulpit inveighs against nobles and priests;
and declares that they must not take part in the elections。 All
eyes turn upon M。 de Boisd'Aisy; who is the only noble present。
Nevertheless; he takes the civic oath; which nearly costs him dear;
for murmurs arise around him; and the peasants say that he ought to
have been hanged like the lord of Sainte…Colombe; to prevent his
taking the oath。 In fact; the evening before; the latter; M。 de
Vitteaux; an old man of seventy…four years of age; was expelled from
the primary assembly; then torn out of the house in which he had
sought refuge; half killed with blows; and dragged through the
streets to the open square; his mouth was stuffed with manure; a
stick was thrust into his ears; and 〃he expired after a martyrdom of
three hours。〃 The same day; in the church of the Capuchins; at
Sémur; the rural parishes which met together excluded their priests
and gentry in the same fashion。 M。 de Damas and M。 de Sainte…Maure
were beaten with clubs and stones; the curé of Massigny died after
six stabs with a knife; and M。 de Virieu saved himself as he best
could。 … With such examples before them it is probable that many
of the nobles will no longer exercise their right of suffrage。 M。
de Bussy does not pretend to do it。 He merely tries to prove that
he is loyal to the nation; and that he meditates no wrong to the
National Guard or to the people。 He proposed; at the out…set; to
the volunteers of Ma?on to join them; along with his little troop;
they refused to have him and thus the fault is not on his side。 On
the 14th of July; 1790; the day of the Federation on his domain; he
sends all his people off to Villiers; furnished with the tricolour
cockade。 He himself; with three of his friends; attends the
ceremony to take the oath; all four in uniform; with the cockade on
their hats; without any weapons but their swords and a light cane in
their hands。 They salute the assembled National Guards of the three
neighboring parishes; and keep outside the enclosure so