the origins of contemporary france-2-第115章

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

who　do　not　attend　the　mass　of　the　constitutional　priest；〃　and　even

poor　people；　artisans　and　tillers　of　the　ground；　whom　they　tax　five；

ten；　twenty；　and　forty　francs；　and　whose　cellars　and　bread…bins　they

empty。　　Eighteen　chateaux　are　pillaged；　burnt；　or　demolished；　and

among　others；　those　of　several　gentlemen　and　ladies　who　have　not

left　the　country。　　One　of　these；　M。　d'Humières；　is　an　old　officer　of

eighty　years；　Madame　de　Peyronenc　saves　her　son　only　by　disguising

him　as　a　peasant；　Madame　de　Beauclerc；　who　flies　across　the

mountain；　sees　her　sick　child　die　in　her　arms。　　At　Aurillac；　gibbets

are　set　up　before　the　principal　houses；　M。　de　Niossel；　a　former

lieutenant　of　a　criminal　court；　put　in　prison　for　his　safety；　is

dragged　out；　and　his　severed　head　is　thrown　on　a　dunghill；　M。

Collinet；　just　arrived　from　Malta；　and　suspected　of　being　an

aristocrat；　is　ripped　open；　cut　to　pieces；　and　his　head　is　carried

about　on　the　end　of　a　pike。　　Finally；　when　the　municipal　officers；

judges；　and　royal　commissioner　commence　proceedings　against　the

assassins；　they　find　themselves　in　such　great　danger　that　they　are

obliged　to　resign　or　to　run　away。　　In　like　manner；　in　Haute…

Garonne；＇67＇　it　is　also　〃against　non…jurors　and　their　followers〃

that　the　insurrection　has　begun。　　This　is　promoted　by　the　fact　that

in　various　parishes　the　constitutional　curé　belongs　to　the　club；　and

demands　the　riddance　of　his　adversaries。　　One　of　them　at　Saint…Jean…

Lorne；　〃mounted　on　a　cart；　preaches　pillage　to　a　mob　of　eight

hundred　persons。〃　Each　band；　consequently；　begins　by　expelling

refractory　priests；　and　by　forcing　their　supporters　to　attend　the

mass　of　the　sworn　priest。　　…　　？But　such　success；　wholly　abstract　and

barren；　is　of　little　advantage；　and　peasants　in　a　state　of　revolt

are　not　satisfied　so　easily。　　When　parishes　march　forth　by　the　dozen

and　devote　their　day　to　the　service　of　the　public；　they　must　have

some　compensation　in　wood；　wheat；　wine；　or　money；＇68＇　and　the

expense　of　the　expedition　may　be　defrayed　by　the　aristocrats。　　Not

merely　the　upholders　of　non…jurors　are　aristocrats；　as；　for　example；

an　old　lady　here　and　there；　〃very　fanatical；　and　who　for　forty　years

has　devoted　all　her　income　to　acts　of　philanthropy；〃　〃but　well…to…do

persons；　peasants　or　gentlemen；〃　for；　〃by　keeping　their　wine　and

grain　unsold　in　their　cellars　and　barns；　and　by　not　undertaking　more

work　than　they　need；　so　as　to　deprive　workmen　in　the　country　of

their　means　of　subsistence；〃　they　design　〃to　starve　out〃　the　poor

folk。　　Thus；　the　greater　the　pillage；　the　greater　the　service　to　the

public。　　According　to　the　insurgents；　it　is　important　〃to　diminish

revenues　enjoyed　by　the　enemies　of　the　nation；　in　order　that　they

may　not　send　their　revenues　to　Coblentz　and　other　places　out　of　the

kingdom。〃　Consequently；　bands　of　six　or　eight　hundred　or　a　thousand

men　overrun　the　districts　of　Toulouse　and　Castelsarrasin。　　All

proprietors；　aristocrats；　and　patriots　are　put　under　contribution。

Here；　in　the　house　of　〃the　philanthropic　but　fanatical　old　maid；

they　break　open　everything；　destroy　the　furniture；　taking　away

eighty…two　bushels　of　wheat　and　sixteen　hogsheads　of　wine。〃

Elsewhere；　at　Roqueferrière；　feudal　title…deeds　are　burnt；　and　a

chateau　is　pillaged。　　Farther　on；　at　Lasserre；　thirty　thousand

francs　are　exacted　and　the　ready　money　is　all　carried　off。　　Almost

everywhere　the　municipal　officers；　willingly　or　unwillingly；

authorize　pillaging。　　Moreover；　〃they　cut　down　provisions　to　a　price

in　assignats　very　much　less　than　their　current　rate　in　silver；〃　and

they　double　the　price　of　a　day's　work。　　In　the　meantime；　other　bands

devastate　the　national　forests；　and　the　gendarmes；　in　order　not　to

be　called　aristocrats；　have　no　idea　but　of　paying　court　to　the

pillagers。



After　all　this；　it　is　manifest　that　property　no　longer　exists　for

anybody　except　for　paupers　and　robbers。　　…　　In　effect；　in

Dordogne；＇69＇　under　the　pretext　of　driving　away　nonjuring　priests；

frequently　mobs　gather　to　pillage　and　rob　whatever　comes　in　their

way。　　。　　。　　。　　All　the　grain　that　is　found　in　houses　with

weathercocks　is　sequestrated。〃　The　rustics　exploit；　as　communal

property；　all　the　forests；　all　the　possessions　of　the　emigrants；　and

this　operation　is　radical；　for　example；　a　band；　on　finding　a　new

barn　of　which　the　materials　strike　them　as　good；　demolish　it　so　as

to　share　with　each　other　the　tiles　and　timber。　　…　　In　Corrèze；

fifteen　thousand　armed　peasants；　who　have　come　to　Tulle　to　disarm

and　drive　off　the　supporters　of　the　non…jurors；　break　everything　in

suspected　houses；　and　a　good　deal　of　difficulty　is　found　in　sending

them　off　empty…handed。　　As　soon　as　they　get　back　home；　they　sack　the

chateaux　of　Saint…Gal；　Seilhac；　Gourdon；　Saint…Basile；　and　La

Rochette；　besides　a　number　of　country…houses；　even　of　absent

plebeians。　　They　have　found　a　quarry；　and　never　was　the　removal　of

property　more　complete。　　They　carefully　carry　off；　says　an　official

statement；　all　that　can　be　carried　　…　　furniture；　curtains；　mirrors；

clothes…presses；　pictures；　wines；　provisions；　even　floors　and　wooden

panels；　〃down　to　the　smallest　fragments　of　iron　and　wood…work；〃

smashing　the　rest；　so　that　nothing　〃remains　of　the　house　but　its

four　walls；　the　roof　and　the　staircase。〃　In　Lot；　where　for　two　years

the　insurrection　is　permanent；　the　damage　is　much　greater。　　During

the　night　between　the　30th　and　31st　of　January；　〃all　the　best　houses

in　Souillac〃　are　broken　open；　〃sacked　and　pillaged　from　top　to

bottom；〃＇70＇　their　owners　being　obliged　to　fly；　and　so　many

outbreaks　occur　in　the　department；　that　the　directory　has　no　time　to

render　an　account　of　them　to　the　minister。　　Entire　districts　are　in

revolt；　as；　〃in　each　commune　all　the　inhabitants　are　accomplices；

witnesses　cannot　be　had　to　support　a　criminal　prosecution；　and　crime

remains　unpunished。〃　In　the　canton　of　Cabrerets；　the　restitution　of

rents　formerly　collected　is　exacted；　and　the　reimbursement　of

charges　paid　during　twenty　years　past。　　The　small　town　of　Lauzerte

is　invaded　by　surrounding　bodies　of　militia；　and　its　disarmed

inhabitants　are　at　the　mercy　of　the　Jacobin　suburbs。　　For　three

months；　in　the　district　of　Figeac；　〃all　the　mansions　of　former

nobles　are　sacked　and　burnt；〃　next　the　pigeon…cots　are　attacked；

〃and　all　country…houses　which　have　a　good　appearance。〃　Barefooted

gangs　〃enter　the　houses　of　well…to…do　people；　physicians；　lawyers；

merchants；　burst　open　the　doors　of　cellars；　drink　the　wine；〃　and

riot　like　drunken　victors。　　In　several　communes　these　expeditions

have　become　a　custom；　〃a　large　number　of　individuals　are　found　in

them　who　live　on　rapine　alone；〃　and　the　club　sets　them　the　example。

For　six　months；　in　the　principal　town；　a　coterie　of　the　National

Guard；　called　the　Black　Band；　expel　all　persons　who　are　displeasing

to　them；　〃pillaging　houses　at　will；　beating　to　death；　wounding　or

mutilating　by　saber…strokes；　all　who　have　been　proscribed　in　their

assemblies；〃　and　no　official　or　advocate　dares　lodge　a　complaint。

Brigandage；　borrowing　the　mask　of　patriotism；　and　patriotism

borrowing　the　methods　of　brigandage；　have　combined　against　property

at　the　same　time　as　against　the　ancient　régime；　and；　to　free

themselves　from　all　that　inspires　them　with　fear；　they　seize　all

which　can　provide　them　with　booty。



And　yet　this　is　merely　the　outskirts　of　the　storm；　the　center　is

elsewhere；　around　N？mes；　Avignon；　Arles；　and　Marseilles；　in　a

country　where；　for　a　long　time；　the　conflict　between　cities　and　the

conflict　between　religions　have　kindled　and　accumulated　malignant

passions。＇71＇　　Looking　at　the　three　departments　of　Gard；　Bouches…de…

Rh？ne　and　Vaucluse；　one　would　imagine　one's　self　in　the　midst　of　a

war　with　savages。　　In　fact；　it　is　a　Jacobin　and　plebeian　invasion；

and；　consequently；　conquest；　dispossession；　and　extermination；　　…

in　Gard；　a　swarm　of　National　Guards　co