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the origins of contemporary france-2-第105章

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



He would be nothing but a hostage there。  Alone against thousands;

sole survivor and representative of an abolished régime which all

detest; it is the noble against whom everybody turns whenever a

political shock seems to shake the new régime。  He is at least

disarmed; as he might be dangerous; and; in these popular

executions; brutal instincts and appetites break loose like a bull

that dashes through a door and rages through a dwelling…house。  In

the same department; some months later; on the news arriving of the

arrest of the King at Varennes; 〃all nonjuring'13' priests and ci…

devant nobles are exposed to the horrors of persecution。〃 Bands

forcibly enter houses to seize arms: Commarin; Grosbois; Montculot;

Chaudenay; Créancé; Toisy; Chatellenot; and other houses are thus

visited; and several are sacked。  During the night of June 26…27;

1791; at the chateau of Créancé 〃there is pillaging throughout; the

mirrors are broken; the pictures are torn up; and the doors are

broken down。〃 The master of the house; 〃M。 de Comeau…Créncé; Knight

of St。  Louis; horribly maltreated; is dragged to the foot of the

stairs; where he lies as if dead:〃 previous to this; 〃he was forced

to give a considerable contribution; and to refund all penalties

collected by him before the Revolution as the local lord of the

manor。  〃  …  Two other proprietors in the neighborhood; both

Knights of St。  Louis; are treated in the same way。  〃That is the

way in which three old and brave soldiers are rewarded for their

services!〃 A fourth; a peaceable man; escapes beforehand; leaving

his keys in the locks and his gardener in the house。

Notwithstanding this; the doors and the clothes…presses were broken

open; the pillaging lasting five hours and a half; with threats of

setting the house on fire if the seigneur did not make his

appearance。  Questions were asked 〃as to whether he attended the

mass of the new curé whether he had formerly exacted fines; and

finally; whether any of the inhabitants had any complaint to make

against him。〃 No complaint is made; on the contrary; he is rather

beloved。  …  But; in tumults of this sort; a hundred madmen and

fifty rogues prescribe the law to the timid and the indifferent。

These outlaws declared that 〃they were acting under orders; they

compelled the mayor and prosecuting attorney to take part in their

robberies; they likewise took the precaution to force a few honest

citizens; by using the severest threats; to march along with them。〃

These people come the next day to apologize to the pillaged

proprietor; while the municipal officers draw up a statement of the

violence practiced against them。 The violence nevertheless; is

accomplished; and; as it will go unpunished; it is soon to be

repeated。



A beginning and an end are already made in the two neighboring

departments。  There; especially in the south; nothing is more

instructive than to see how an outbreak stimulated by enthusiasm for

the public good immediately degenerates under the impulse of private

interest; and ends in crime。  …  Around Lyons;'14' under the same

pretext and at the same date; similar mobs perform similar

visitations; and; on all these occasions; 〃the rent…rolls are burnt;

and houses are pillaged and set on fire。  Municipal authority;

organized for the security of property; is in many hands but one

facility more for its violation。  The National Guard seems to be

armed merely for the protection of robbery and disorder。〃  …  For

more than thirty years; M。 de Chaponay; the father of six children

of whom three are in the service; expended his vast income on his

estate of Beaulieu; giving occupation to a number of persons; men;

women; and children。  After the hailstorm of 1761; which nearly

destroyed the village of Moranée; he rebuilt thirty…three houses;

furnished others with timber for the  framework; supplied the

commune with wheat; and; for several years; obtained for the

inhabitants a diminution of their taxation。  In 1790; he celebrated

the Federation Festival on a magnificent scale; giving two banquets;

one of a hundred and thirty seats; for the municipal bodies and

officers of the National Guards in the vicinity; and the other of a

thousand seats for the privates。  If any of the gentry had reason to

believe himself popular and safe it was certainly this man。  …  On

the 24th of June; 1791; the municipal authorities of Moranée;

Lucenay; and Chazelai; with their mayors and National Guards; in all

nearly two thousand men; arrive at the chateau with drums beating

and flags flying。  M。 de Chaponay goes out to meet them; and begs to

know to what he owes 〃the pleasure〃 of their visit。  They reply that

they do not come to offend him; but to carry out the orders of the

district; which oblige them to take possession of the chateau and to

place in it a guard of sixty men: on the following day the

〃district〃 and the National Guard of Villefranche are to come and

inspect it。  …  Be it noted that these orders are imaginary; for M。

de Chaponay asks in vain to see them; they cannot be produced。  The

cause of their setting out; probably; is the false rumor that the

National Guard of Villefranche is coming to deprive them of a booty

on which they had calculated。  …  Nevertheless M。 de Chaponay

submits; he merely requests the municipal officers to make the

search themselves and in an orderly manner。  Upon this the

commandant of the National Guard of Lucenay exclaims; with some

irritation; that 〃all are equal and all must go in;〃 and at the same

moment all rush forward。  〃M。 de Chaponay orders the apartments to

be opened; they immediately shut them up; purposely to let the

sappers break through the doors with their axes。〃  …  Everything is

pillaged; 〃plate; assignats; stocks of linen; laces and other

articles; the trees of the avenues are hacked and mutilated; the

cellars are emptied; the casks are rolled out on the terrace; the

wine is suffered to run out; and the chateau keep is demolished。  。

。  。  The officers urge on those that are laggard。〃 Towards nine

o'clock in the evening M。 de Chaponay is informed by his servants

that the municipal authorities have determined upon forcing him to

sign an abandonment of his feudal dues and afterwards beheading him。

He escapes with his wife through the only door which is left

unguarded; wanders about all night; exposed to the gun…shots of the

squads which are on his track; and reaches Lyons only on the

following day。  …  ?Meanwhile the pillagers send him notice that if

he does not abandon his rentals; they will cut down his forests and

burn up everything on his estate。  The chateau; indeed; is fired

three distinct times; while; in the interval; the band sack another

chateau at Bayère; and; on again passing by that of M。 de Chaponay;

demolish a dam which had cost 10;000 livres。  …  The public

prosecutor; for his part; remains quiet; notwithstanding the appeals

to him: he doubtless says to himself that a gentleman whose house

has been searched is lucky to have saved his life; and that others;

like M。 Guillin…Dumoutet; for example; have not been as fortunate。



The latter gentleman; formerly captain of a vessel belonging to the

India Company; afterwards Commandant at Senegal; now retired from

active life; occupied his chateau of Poleymieux with his young wife

and two infant children; his sisters; nieces; and sister…in…law  …

in all; ten women belonging to his family and domestic service  …

one Negro servant and himself; an old man of sixty years of age;

here is a haunt of militant conspirators which must be disarmed as

soon as possible。'15'  Unfortunately; a brother of M。 Guillin;

accused of treason to the nation; had been arrested ten months

previously; which was quite sufficient for the clubs in the

neighborhood。  In the month of December; 1790; the chateau had

already been ransacked by the people of the pa

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