the origins of contemporary france-2-第114章

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

or　complaisant　authorities；　by　a　sort　of　occult　and　complementary

government；　which　not　only　supplies　what　is　missing　in　the

ecclesiastical　law；　but　also　searches　the　pockets　of　private

individuals。　　…　　At　N？mes；　under　the　leadership　of　a　patriotic

dancing…master；　not　content　with　〃decreeing　proscriptions；　killing；

scourging；　and　often　murdering；〃　these　new　champions　of　the　Gallican

Church　undertake　to　reanimate　the　zeal　of　those　liable　to

contribution。　　A　subscription　having　been　proposed　for　the　support

of　the　families　of　the　volunteers　about　to　depart；　the　executive

power　takes　upon　itself　to　revise　the　list　of　offerings：　it

arbitrarily　taxes　those　who　have　not　given；　or　who；　in　its　opinion；

have　given　too　little　some　〃poor　workmen　fifty　livres；　others　two

hundred；　three　hundred；　nine　hundred；　and　a　thousand；　under　penalty

of　wrecked　houses　and　severe　treatment。〃　Elsewhere；　the　volunteers

of　Baux　and　other　communes　near　Tarascon　help　themselves　freely；

and；　〃under　the　pretext　that　they　are　to　march　for　the　defense　of

the　country；　levy　enormous　contributions　on　proprietors；〃　on　one

four　thousand；　and　on　another　five　thousand　livres。　　In　default　of

payment；　they　carry　away　all　the　grain　on　one　farm；　even　to　the

reserve　seed；　threatening　to　make　havoc　with　everything；　and　even　to

burn；　in　case　of　complaint；　so　that　the　owners　dare　not　say　a　word；

while　the　attorney…general　of　the　neighboring　department；　afraid　on

his　own　account；　begs　that　his　denunciation　may　be　kept　secret。　　…

》From　the　slums　of　the　towns　the　jacquerie　has　spread　into　the　rural

districts。　　This　is　the　sixth　and　the　most　extensive　seen　for　three

years。＇60＇



Two　spurs　impel　the　peasant　on。　　…　　On　the　one　hand　he　is　frightened

by　the　clash　of　arms；　and　the　repeated　announcements　of　an

approaching　invasion。　　The　clubs　and　the　newspapers　since　the

declaration　of　Pilnitz；　and　the　Orators　in　the　Legislative　Assembly

for　four　months　past；　have　kept　him　alarmed　with　their　trumpet…

blasts；　and　he　urges　on　his　oxen　in　the　furrow　with　cries　of　〃Woa；

Prussia！〃　to　one；　and　to　the　other；　〃Gee　up；　Austria！〃　Austria　and

Prussia；　foreign　kings　and　nobles　in　league　with　the　emigrant

nobles；　are　going　to　return　in　force　to　re…establish　the　salt…tax；

the　excise；　feudal…dues；　tithes；　and　to　retake　national　property

already　sold　and　re…sold；　with　the　aid　of　the　gentry　who　have　not

left；　or　who　have　returned；　and　the　connivance　of　non…juring　priests

who　declare　the　sale　sacrilegious　and　refuse　to　absolve　the

purchasers。　　…　　On　the　other　hand；　Holy　Week　is　drawing　near；　and

for　the　past　year　qualms　of　conscience　have　disturbed　the

purchasers。　　Up　to　March　24；　1791；　the　sales　of　national　property

had　amounted　to　only　180　millions；　but；　the　Assembly　having

prolonged　the　date　of　payment　and　facilitated　further　sales　in

detail；　the　temptation　proves　too　strong　for　the　peasant；　stockings

and　buried　pots　are　all　emptied　of　their　savings。　　In　seven　months

the　peasant　has　bought　to　the　amount　of　1；346　millions；＇61＇　and

finally　possesses　in　full　and　complete　ownership　the　morsel　of　land

which　he　has　coveted　for　so　many　years；　and　sometimes　an　unexpected

plot；　a　wood；　a　mill；　or　a　meadow。　　At　the　present　time　he　has　to

settle　accounts　with　the　church；　and；　if　the　pecuniary　settlement　is

postponed；　the　Catholic　settlement　comes　on　the　appointed　day。

According　to　immemorial　tradition　he　is　obliged　to　take　the

communion　at　Easter；＇62＇　his　wife　also；　and　likewise　his　mother；　and

if　he；　exceptionally；　does　not　think　this　of　consequence；　they　do。

Moreover；　he　requires　the　sacraments　for　his　old　sick　father；　his

new…born　child；　and　for　his　other　child　of　an　age　to　be　confirmed。

Now；　communion；　baptism；　confession；　all　the　sacraments；　to　be　of

good　quality；　must　proceed　from　a　safe　source；　just　as　is　the　case

with　flour　and　coin；　there　is　only　too　much　counterfeit　money　now　in

the　world；　and　the　sworn　priests　are　daily　losing　credit；　like　the

assignats。　　There　is　no　other　course　to　pursue；　consequently；　but　to

resort　to　the　non…juror；　who　is　the　only　one　able　to　give　valid

absolutions。　　And　it　so　happens　that　he　not　only　refuses　this；　but

be　is　said　to　be　inimical　to　the　whole　new　order　of　things。　　…　　In

this　dilemma　the　peasant　falls　back　upon　his　usual　resource；　the

strength　of　his　arms；　he　seizes　the　priest　by　the　throat；　as

formerly　his　lord；　and　extorts　an　acquittance　for　his　sins　as

formerly　for　his　feudal　dues。　　At　the　very　least　he　strives　to

constrain　the　non…jurors　to　swear；　to　close　their　separatist

churches；　and　bring　the　entire　canton　to　the　same　uniform　faith。　　…

Occasionally　also　he　avenges　himself　against　the　partisans　of　the

non…jurors；　against　chateaux　and　houses　of　the　opulent；　against　the

nobles　and　the　rich；　against　proprietors　of　every　class。

Occasionally；　likewise；　as；　since　the　amnesty　of　September；　1791；

the　prisons　have　been　emptied；　as　one…half　of　the　courts　are　not　yet

installed；＇63＇　as　there　has　been　no　police　for　thirty　months；　the

common　robbers；　bandits；　and　vagrants；　who　swarm　about　without

repression　or　surveillance；　join　the　mob　and　fill　their　pockets。



Here；　in　Pas…de…Calais；＇64＇　three　hundred　villagers；　headed　by　a

drummer；　burst　open　the　doors　of　a　Carthusian　convent；　steal

everything；　eatables；　beverages；　linen；　furniture；　and　effects；

whilst；　in　the　neighboring　parish；　another　band　operates　in　the　same

fashion　in　the　houses　of　the　mayor　and　of　the　old　curé；　threatening

〃to　kill　and　burn　all；〃　and　promising　to　return　on　the　following

Sunday。　　…　　There；　in　Bas…Rhin；　near　Fort　Louis；　twenty　houses　of

the　aristocrats　are　pillaged。　　…　　Elsewhere　in　Ile…et…Vilaine；

bodies　of　rural　militia；　combined；　go　from　parish　to　parish；　and；

increasing　in　numbers　in　consequence　of　their　very　violence　until

they　form　bands　of　two　thousand　men。　　They　close　churches；　drive

away　nonjuring　priests；　remove　clappers　from　the　bells；　eat　and

drink　what　they　please　at　the　expense　of　the　inhabitants；　and　often；

in　the　houses　of　the　mayor　or　tax…registrar；　indulge　in　the　pleasure

of　breaking　everything　to　pieces。　　Should　any　public　officer

remonstrate　with　them　they　shout；　〃At　the　aristocrat！〃　One　of　these

unlucky　counselors　is　struck　on　the　back　with　the　but…end　of　a

musket；　and　two　others　have　guns　aimed　at　them；　the　chiefs　of　the

expedition　are　in　no　better　predicament；　and；　according　to　their　own

admission；　if　they　are　at　the　head　of　the　mob　it　is　to　make　sure

they　themselves　will　not　be　pillaged　or　hung。　　The　same　spectacle

presents　itself　in　Mayenne；　in　Orne；　in　Moselle；　and　in　the

Landes。＇65＇　　…　　These；　however；　are　but　isolated　irruptions；　and

very　mild；　in　the　south　and　in　the　center；　the　plague　is　apparent　in

an　immense　leprous　spot；　which　extending　from　Avignon　to　Perigueux；

and　from　Aurillac　to　Toulouse；　suddenly　covers；　nearly　without　with

any　discontinuity；　ten　departments；　Vaucluse；　Ardèche；　Gard；　Cantal；

Corrèze；　Lot；　Dordogne；　Gers；　Haute…Garonne；　and　Hérault。　　Vast

rural　masses　are　set　in　motion　at　the　same　time；　on　all　sides　and

owing　to　the　same　causes：　the　approach　of　war　and　the　coming　of

Easter。　　…　　In　Cantal；　at　the　assembly　of　the　canton　held　at

Aurillac　for　the　recruitment　of　the　army；＇66＇　the　commander　of　a

village　National　Guard　demands　vengeance　〃against　those　who　are　not

patriots；〃　and　the　report　is　spread　that　an　order　has　come　from

Paris　to　destroy　the　chateaux。　　Moreover；　the　insurgents　allege　that

the　priests；　through　their　refusal　to　take　the　oath；　are　bringing

the　nation　into　civil　war：　〃we　are　tired　of　not　having　peace　on

their　account；　let　them　become　good　citizens；　so　that　everybody　may

go　to　mass。〃　On　the　strength　of　this；　the　insurgents　enter　houses；

put　the　inhabitants　to　ransom；　not　only　priests　and　former　nobles；

〃but　also　those　who　are　suspected　of　being　their　partisans；　those

who　do　not　attend　the　mass　of　the　constituti