the origins of contemporary france-2-第113章

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unskillful；　gratuitous；　compulsory　fusion；　and；　consequently；　from

those　who　effected　it。



But　never　will　a　victorious　party　admit　that　it　has　made　a　mistake。

In　its　eyes　the　nonjuring　priests　are　alone　culpable；　it　is

irritated　against　their　factious　conscience；　and；　to　crush　the

rebellion　even　in　the　inaccessible　sanctuary　of　personal　conviction；

there　is　no　legal　or　brutal　act　of　violence　which　it　will　not　allow

itself　to　commit。



Behold；　accordingly；　a　new　sport　thrown　open；　and　the　game　is

immensely　plentiful。　　For　it　comprises　not　only　the　black　or　gray

robes；　more　than　forty　thousand　priests；　over　thirty　thousand　nuns；

and　several　thousand　monks；　but　also　the　devoted　orthodox；　that　is

to　say　the　women　of　the　low　or　middle　class；　and；　without　counting

provincial　nobles；　a　majority　of　the　serious；　steady　bourgeoisie；　a

majority　of　the　peasantry…almost　the　whole　population　of　several

provinces；　east；　west；　and　in　the　south。　　A　name　is　bestowed　on

them；　as　lately　on　the　nobles；　it　is　that　of　fanatic；　which　is

equivalent　to　aristocrat；　for　it　also　designates　public　enemies

likewise　placed　by　it　beyond　the　pale　of　the　law。



Little　does　it　matter　whether　the　law　favors　them；　for　it　is

interpreted　against　them；　arbitrarily　construed　and　openly　violated

by　the　partial　or　intimidated　administrative　bodies　which　the

Constitution　has　withdrawn　from　the　control　of　the　central　authority

and　subjected　to　the　authority　of　popular　gatherings。　　From　the

first　months　of　1791；　the　hounding　begins；　the　municipalities；

districts；　and　departments　themselves　often　take　the　lead　in　beating

up　the　game。　　Six　months　later；　the　Legislative　Assembly；　by　its

decree　of　November　29；＇54＇　sounds　the　tally…ho；　and；　in　spite　of　the

King's　veto；　the　hounds　on　all　sides　dash　forward。　　During　the　month

of　April；　1792；　forty…two　departments　pass　against　nonjuring　priests

〃acts　which　are　neither　prescribed　nor　authorized　by　the

Constitution；〃　and；　before　the　end　of　the　Legislative　Assembly；

forty…three　others　will　have　followed　in　their　train。　　…　　Through

this　series　of　illegal　acts；　without　offense；　without　trial；　non…

jurors　are　everywhere　in　France　expelled　from　their　parishes；

relegated　to　the　principal　town　of　the　department　or　district；　in

some　places　imprisoned；　put　on　the　same　footing　with　the　emigrants；

and　despoiled　of　their　property；　real　and　personal。＇55＇　　Nothing

more　is　wanting　against　them　but　the　general　decree　of　deportation

which　is　to　come　as　soon　as　the　Assembly　can　get　rid　of　the　King。



In　the　meantime；　the　National　Guards；　who　have　extorted　the　laws；

endeavor　to　aggravate　them　in　their　application；　and　there　is

nothing　strange　in　their　animosity。　　Commerce　is　at　a　standstill；

industry　languishes；　the　artisan　and　shopkeeper　suffer；　and；　in

order　to　account　for　the　universal　discontent；　it　is　attributed　to

the　insubordination　of　the　priest。　　Were　it　not　for　his　stubbornness

all　would　go　well；　since　the　Constitution　is　perfect；　and　he　is　the

only　one　who　does　not　accept　it。　　But；　in　not　accepting　it；　he

attacks　it。　　He；　therefore；　is　the　last　obstacle　in　the　way　of

public　happiness；　he　is　the　scapegoat；　let　us　drive　the　obnoxious

creature　away！　And　the　urban　militia；　sometimes　on　its　own

authority；　sometimes　instigated　by　the　municipal　body　its

accomplice；　is　seen　disturbing　public　worship；　dispersing

congregations；　seizing　priests　by　the　collar；　pushing　them　by　the

shoulders　out　of　the　town；　and　threatening　them　with　hanging　if　they

dare　to　return。　　At　Douay；＇56＇　with　guns　in　hand；　they　force　the

directory　of　the　department　to　order　the　closing　of　all　the

oratories　and　chapels　in　hospitals　and　convents。　　At　Caen；　with

loaded　guns　and　with　a　cannon；　they　march　forth　against　the

neighboring　parish　of　Verson；　break　into　houses；　gather　up　fifteen

persons　suspected　of　orthodoxy　　…　　canons；　merchants；　artisans；

workmen；　women；　girls；　old　men；　and　the　infirm　　…　　cut　off　their

hair；　strike　them　with　the　but…ends　of　their　muskets；　and　lead　them

back　to　Caen　fastened　to　the　breach　of　the　cannon；　and　all　this

because　a　nonjuring　priest　still　officiated　at　Verson；　and　many

pious　persons　from　Caen　attended　his　mass：　Verson；　consequently；　is

a　focal　center　of　counter…revolutionary　gatherings。　　Moreover；　in

the　houses　which　were　broken　into；　the　furniture　was　smashed；　casks

stove　in；　and　the　linen；　money；　and　plate　stolen；　the　rabble　of　Caen

having　joined　the　expedition。　　…　　Here；　and　everywhere；　there　is

nothing　to　do　but　to　let　this　rabble　have　its　own　way；　and　as　it

operates　against　the　possessions；　the　liberty；　the　life；　and　the

sense　of　propriety　of　dangerous　persons；　the　National　Militia　is

careful　not　to　interfere　with　it。　　Consequently；　the　orthodox；　both

priests　and　believers；　men　and　women；　are　now　at　its　mercy；　and；

thanks　to　the　connivance　of　the　armed　force；　which　refuses　to

interpose；　the　rabble　satisfy　on　the　proscribed　class　its　customary

instincts　of　cruelty；　pillage；　wantonness；　and　destructiveness。



Whether　public　or　private；　the　order　of　the　day　is　always　to　hinder

worship；　while　the　means　employed　are　worthy　of　those　who　carry　them

out。　　…　　Here；　a　nonjuring　priest　having　had　the　boldness　to

minister　to　a　sick　person；　the　house　which　he　has　just　entered　is

taken　by　assault；　and　the　door　and　windows　of　a　house　occupied　by

another　priest　are　smashed。＇57＇　　There；　the　lodgings　of　two　workmen；

who　are　accused　of　having　had　their　infants　baptized　by　a　refractory

priest；　are　sacked　and　nearly　demolished。　　Elsewhere；　a　mob　refuses

to　allow　the　body　of　an　old　curé；　who　had　died　without　taking　the

oath；　to　enter　the　cemetery。　　Farther　on；　a　church　is　assaulted

during　vespers；　and　everything　is　broken　to　pieces：　on　the　following

day　it　is　the　turn　of　a　neighboring　church；　and；　in　addition；　a

convent　of　Ursuline　nuns　is　devastated。　　…　　At　Lyons；　on　Easter…day；

1791；　as　the　people　are　leaving　the　six　o'clock　mass；　a　troop；　armed

with　whips；　falls　upon　the　women。＇58＇　Stripped；　bruised；　prostrated；

with　their　heads　in　the　dirt；　they　are　not　left　until　they　are

bleeding　and　half…dead；　one　young　girl　is　actually　at　the　point　of

death；　and　this　sort　of　outrage　occurs　so　frequently　that　even

ladies　attending　the　orthodox　mass　in　Paris　dare　not　go　out　without

sewing　up　their　garments　around　them　in　the　shape　of　drawers。　　…

Naturally；　to　make　the　most　of　the　prey　offered　to　them；　hunting

associations　are　formed。　　These　exist　in　Montpellier；　Arles；　Uzès；

Alais；　N？mes；　Carpentras；　and　in　most　of　the　towns　or　burgs　of　Gard；

Vaucluse；　and　l'Hérault；　in　greater　or　less　number　according　to　the

population　of　the　city：　some　counting　from　ten　to　twelve；　and　others

from　two　to　three　hundred　determined　men；　of　every　description：

among　them　are　found　〃strike…hards〃　（tape…dur）；　former　brigands；　and

escaped　convicts　with　the　brand　still　on　their　backs。　　Some　of　them

oblige　their　members　to　wear　a　medal　as　a　visible　mark　of

recognition；　all　assume　the　title　of　executive　power；　and　declare

that　they　act　of　their　own　authority；　and　that　it　is　necessary　to

〃quicken　the　law。〃＇59＇　　Their　pretext　is　the　protection　of　sworn

priests；　and　for　twenty　months；　beginning　with　April；　1791；　they

operate　to　this　effect　with　heavy　knotted　dubs　garnished　with　iron

points；〃　without　counting　sabers　and　bayonets。　　Generally；　their

expeditions　are　nocturnal。　　Suddenly；　the　houses　of　〃citizens

suspected　of　a　want　of　patriotism；〃　of　nonjuring　ecclesiastics；　of

the　monks　of　the　Christian　school；　are　invaded；　everything　is　broken

or　stolen；　and　the　owner　is　ordered　to　leave　the　place　in　twenty…

four　hours：　sometimes；　doubtless　through　an　excess　of　precaution；　he

is　beaten　to　death　on　the　spot。　　Besides　this；　the　band　also　works

by　day　in　the　streets；　lashes　the　women；　enters　the　churches　saber

in　hand；　and　drives　the　nonjuring　priest　from　the　altar。　　All　of

this　is　done　with　the　connivance　and　in　the　sight　of　the　paralyzed

o