the origins of contemporary france-2-第104章

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their　hands。　　They　salute　the　assembled　National　Guards　of　the　three

neighboring　parishes；　and　keep　outside　the　enclosure　so　as　not　to

give　offense。　　But　they　have　not　taken　into　account　the　prejudices

and　animosities　of　the　new　municipal　bodies。　　Perron；　the　former

syndic；　is　now　mayor。　　A　man　named　Bailly；　who　is　the　village

shoemaker；　is　another　of　the　municipal　officers；　their　councilor　is

an　old　dragoon；　one　of　those　soldiers　probably　who　have　deserted　or

been　discharged；　and　who　are　the　firebrands　of　almost　every　riot

that　takes　place。　　A　squad　of　a　dozen　or　fifteen　men　leave　the　ranks

and　march　up　to　the　four　gentlemen；　who　advance；　hat　in　hand；　to

meet　them。　Suddenly　the　men　aim　at　them；　and　Bailly；　with　a　furious

air；　demands：　〃What　the　devil　do　you　come　here　for？〃　M。　de　Bussy

replies　that；　having　been　informed　of　the　Federation；　he　had　come　to

take　the　oath　like　the　rest　of　the　people。　　Bailly　asks　why　he　had

come　armed。　　M。　de　Bussy　remarks　that　〃having　been　in　the　service；

the　sword　was　inseparable　from　the　uniform；〃　and　had　they　come　there

without　that　badge　they　would　have　been　at　fault；　besides；　they　must

have　observed　that　they　had　no　other　arms。　　Bailly；　still　in　a　rage；

and；　moreover；　exasperated　by　such　good　reasons；　turns　round　with

his　gun　in　his　hand　towards　the　leader　of　the　squad　and　asks　him

three　times　in　succession；　〃Commander；　must　I　fire？〃　The　commander

not　daring　to　take　the　responsibility　of　so　gratuitous　a　murder；

remains　silent；　and　finally　orders　M。　de　Bussy　to　〃clear　out；〃

〃which　I　did；〃　says　M。　de　Bussy。　　…　　Nevertheless；　on　reaching　home；

he　writes　to　the　municipal　authorities　clearly　setting　forth　the

motive　of　his　coming；　and　demands　an　explanation　of　the　treatment　he

had　received。　　Mayor　Perron　throws　aside　his　letter　without　reading

it；　and；　on　the　following　day；　on　leaving　the　mass；　the　National

Guards　come；　by　way　of　menace；　to　load　their　guns　in　sight　of　M。　de

Bussy；　round　his　garden。　…　A　few　days　after　this；　at　the　instigation

of　Bailly；　two　other　proprietors　in　the　neighborhood　are

assassinated　in　their　houses。　　Finally；　on　a　journey　to　Lyons；　M。　de

Bussy　learns　〃that　the　chateaux　in　Poitou　are　again　in　flames；　and

that　the　work　is　to　begin　again　everywhere。〃　　…　　Alarmed　at　all

these　indications；　〃he　resolves　to　form　a　company　of　volunteers；

which；　taking　up　their　quarters　in　his　chateau；　can　serve　the　whole

canton　on　a　legal　requisition。〃　He　thinks　that　about　fifteen　brave

men　will　be　sufficient。　　He　has　already　six　men　with　him　in　the

month　of　October；　1790；　green　coats　are　ordered　for　them；　and

buttons　are　bought　for　the　uniform。　Seven　or　eight　domestics　may　be

added　to　the　number。　　In　the　way　of　arms　and　munitions　the　chateau

contains　two　kegs　of　gunpowder　which　were　on　hand　before　1789；　seven

blunderbusses；　and　five　cavalry　sabers；　left　there　in　passing　by　M。

de　Bussy's　old　dragoons：　to　these　must　be　added　two　double…barreled

fowling…pieces；　three　soldiers'　muskets；　five　brace　of　pistols；　two

poor　common　guns；　two　old　swords；　and　a　hunting…knife。　　Such　is　the

garrison；　such　the　arsenal；　and　these　are　the　preparations；　so　well

justified　and　so　slight；　which　prejudice　conjointly　with　gossip　is

about　to　transform　into　a　great　conspiracy。



The　chateau；　in　effect；　was　an　object　of　suspicion　in　the　village

from　the　very　first　day。　　All　its　visitors；　whenever　they　went　out

or　came　in；　with　all　the　details　of　their　actions；　were　watched；

denounced；　exaggerated；　and　misinterpreted。　　If　through　the

awkwardness　or　carelessness　of　so　many　inexperienced　National

Guards；　a　stray　ball　reaches　a　farm…house　one　day　in　broad　daylight；

it　comes　from　the　chateau；　it　is　the　aristocrats　who　have　fired　upon

the　peasants。　　…　　There　is　the　same　state　of　suspicion　in　the

neighboring　towns。　　The　municipal　body　of　Valence；　hearing　that　two

youths　had　ordered　coats　made　〃of　a　color　which　seemed　suspicious；〃

send　for　the　tailor；　he　confesses　the　fact；　and　adds　that　〃they

intended　to　put　the　buttons　on　themselves。〃　Such　a　detail　is

alarming。　　An　inquiry　is　set　on　foot　and　the　alarm　increases；　people

in　a　strange　uniform　have　been　seen　passing　on　their　way　to　the

chateau　of　Villiers；　from　thence；　on　reaching　the　number　of　two

hundred；　they　will　go　and　join　the　garrison　of　Besan？on；　they　will

travel　four　at　a　time　in　order　to　avoid　detection。　　At　Besan？on　they

are　to　meet　a　corps　of　forty　thousand　men；　commanded　by　M。

Autichamp；　which　corps　is　to　march　on　to　Paris　to　carry　off　the

King；　and　break　up　the　National　Assembly。　　The　National　Guards　along

the　whole　route　are　to　be　forced　into　the　lines。　　At　a　certain

distance　each　man　is　to　receive　1；200　francs；　and；　at　the　end　of　the

expedition；　is　to　be　enrolled　in　the　Artois　Guard；　or　sent　home　with

a　recompense　of　12；000　francs。　　…　　？Meanwhile；　the　Prince　de　Condé；

with　forty　thousand　men；　will　come　by　the　way　of　Pont　Saint…Esprit

in　Languedoc；　rally　the　disaffected　of　Carpentras　and　of　the　Jalès

camp　to　his　standard；　and　occupy　Cette　and　the　other　seaports；　and

finally；　the　Comte　d'Artois；　on　his　side；　will　enter　by　Pont…

Beauvoisin　with　thirty　thousand　men。　　…　　A　horrible　discovery！　The

municipal　authorities　of　Valence　immediately　inform　those　of　Lyons；

Besan？on；　Chalons；　Ma？on；　and　others　beside。　　On　the　strength　of

this　the　municipal　body　of　Ma？on；　〃considering　that　the　enemies　of

the　Revolution　are　ever　making　the　most　strenuous　efforts　to

annihilate　the　Constitution　which　secures　the　happiness　of　this

empire；〃　and　〃that　it　is　highly　important　to　frustrate　their

designs；〃　sends　two　hundred　men　of　its　National　Guard　to　the　chateau

of　Villiers；〃　empowered　to　employ　armed　force　in　case　of

resistance。〃　For　greater　security；　this　troop　is　joined　by　the

National　Guards　of　the　three　neighboring　parishes。　　M。　de　Bussy；　on

being　told　that　they　were　climbing　over　the　wall　into　his　garden；

seizes　a　gun　and　takes　aim；　but　does　not　fire；　and　then；　the

requisition　being　legal；　throws　all　open　to　them。　There　are　found　in

the　house　six　green　coats；　seven　dozens　of　large　buttons；　and

fifteen　dozens　of　small　ones。　　The　proof　is　manifest。　　He　explains

what　his　project　was　and　states　his　motive　　…　　it　is　a　mere　pretext。

He　makes　a　sign；　as　an　order；　to　his　valet　　…　　there　is　a　positive

complicity。　　M。　de　Bussy；　his　six　guests；　and　the　valet；　are

arrested　and　transported　to　Ma？on。　　A　trial　takes　place；　with

depositions　and　interrogatories；　in　which　the　truth　is　elicited　in

spite　of　the　most　adverse　testimony；　it　is　clear　that　M。　de　Bussy

never　intended　to　do　more　than　defend　himself。　　…　　But　prejudice　is

a　blindfold　to　hostile　eyes。　　It　cannot　be　admitted　that；　under　a

constitution　which　is　perfect；　an　innocent　man　could　incur　danger；

the　objection　is　made　to　him　that　〃it　is　not　natural　for　an　armed

company　to　be　formed　to　resist　a　massacre　by　which　it　is　not　menaced

；〃　they　are　convinced　beforehand　that　he　is　guilty。　　On　a　decree　of

the　National　Assembly　the　minister　had　ordered　all　accused　persons

to　be　brought　to　Paris　by　the　constabulary　and　hussars；　the　National

Guard　of　Ma？on；　〃in　the　greatest　state　of　agitation；〃　declares　that；

〃as　it　had　arrested　M。　de　Bussy；　it　would　not　consent　to　his

transport　by　any　other　body。　　。　　。　　Undoubtedly；　the　object　is　to

allow　him　to　escape　on　the　way；〃　but　it　will　know　how　to　keep　its

captive　secure。　　The　guard；　in　fine；　of　its　own　authority；　escorts

M。　de　Bussy　to　Paris；　into　the　Abbaye　prison；　where　he　is　kept

confined　for　several　months　　…　　so　long；　indeed；　that；　after　a　new

trial　and　investigation；　the　absurdity　of　the　accusation　being　too

palpable；　they　are　obliged　to　set　him　at　liberty。　　…　　Such　is　the

situation　of　most　of　the　gentry　on　their　own　estates；　and　M。　de

Bussy；　even　acquitted　and　vindicated；　will　act　wisely　in　not

returning　home。



III。



Domiciliary　visits。　　…　　The　fifth　jacquerie。　　…　　Burgundy　and

Lyonnais　in　1791。　　…　　M。　de　Chaponay　and　M。　Guillin…Dumoutet