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