the origins of contemporary france-2-第2章

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Neither　public　measures　nor　private　charity　could　meet　the

overwhelming　need。　　In　Normandy；　where　the　last　commercial　treaty

had　ruined　the　manufacture　of　linen　and　of　lace　trimmings；　forty

thousand　workmen　were　out　of　work。　　In　many　parishes　one…fourth　of

the　population＇3＇　are　beggars。　　Here；　〃nearly　all　the　inhabitants；

not　excepting　the　farmers　and　landowners；　are　eating　barley　bread

and　drinking　water；〃　there；　〃many　poor　creatures　have　to　eat　oat

bread；　and　others　soaked　bran；　which　has　caused　the　death　of　several

children。〃　　〃Above　all；〃　writes　the　Rouen　Parliament；　〃let　help　be

sent　to　a　perishing　people　。　　。　　。。　　　Sire；　most　of　your　subjects

are　unable　to　pay　the　price　of　bread；　and　what　bread　is　given　to

those　who　do　buy　it　〃　　Arthur　Young；＇4＇　who　was　traveling　through

France　at　this　time；　heard　of　nothing　but　the　high　cost　of　bread　and

the　distress　of　the　people。　　At　Troyes　bread　costs　four　sous　a　pound

　that　is　to　say；　eight　sous　of　the　present　day；　and　unemployed

artisans　flock　to　the　relief　works；　where　they　can　earn　only　twelve

sous　a　day。　　In　Lorraine；　according　to　the　testimony　of　all

observers；　〃the　people　are　half　dead　with　hunger。〃　In　Paris　the

number　of　paupers　has　been　trebled；　there　are　thirty　thousand　in　the

Faubourg　Saint…Antoine　alone。　　Around　Paris　there　is　a　short　supply

of　grain；　or　it　is　spoilt＇5＇。　　In　the　beginning　of　July；　at

Montereau；　the　market　is　empty。　　〃The　bakers　could　not　have　baked〃

if　the　police　officers　had　not　increased　the　price　of　bread　to　five

sous　per　pound；　the　rye　and　barley　which　the　intendant　is　able　to

send　〃are　of　the　worst　possible　quality；　rotten　and　in　a　condition

to　produce　dangerous　diseases。　　Nevertheless；　most　of　the　small

consumers　are　reduced　to　the　hard　necessity　of　using　this　spoilt

grain。〃　At　Villeneuve…　le…Roi；　writes　the　mayor；　〃the　rye　of　the　two

lots　last　sent　is　so　black　and　poor　that　it　cannot　be　retailed

without　wheat。〃　At　Sens　the　barley　〃tastes　musty〃　to　such　an　extent

that　buyers　of　it　throw　the　detestable　bread；　which　it　makes　in　the

face　of　the　sub…delegate。　　At　Chevreuse　the　barley　has　sprouted　and

smells　bad；　the　〃　poor　wretches；〃　says　an　employee；　〃must　be　hard

pressed　with　hunger　to　put　up　with　it。〃　At　Fontainebleau　〃the

barley；　half　eaten　away；　produces　more　bran　than　flour；　and　to　make

bread　of　it；　one　is　obliged　to　work　it　over　several　times。〃　This

bread；　such　as　it　is；　is　an　object　of　savage　greed；　〃it　has　come　to

this；　that　it　is　impossible　to　distribute　it　except　through

wickets。〃　And　those　who　thus　obtain　their　ration；　〃are　often

attacked　on　the　road　and　robbed　of　it　by　the　more　vigorous　of　the

famished　people。〃　At　Nangis　〃the　magistrates　prohibit　the　same

person　from　buying　more　than　two　bushels　in　the　same　market。〃　In

short；　provisions　are　so　scarce　that　there　is　a　difficulty　in

feeding　the　soldiers；　the　minister　dispatches　two　letters　one　after

another　to　order　the　cutting　down　of　250；000　bushels　of　rye　before

the　harvest＇6＇。　　Paris　thus；　in　a　perfect　state　of　tranquility；

appears　like　a　famished　city　put　on　rations　at　the　end　of　a　long

siege；　and　the　dearth　will　not　be　greater　nor　the　food　worse　in

December　1870；　than　in　July　1789。



〃The　nearer　the　14th　of　July　approached；〃　says　an　eyewitness；＇7＇

〃the　more　did　the　dearth　increase。〃　Every　baker's　shop　was

surrounded　by　a　crowd；　to　which　bread　was　distributed　with　the　most

grudging　economy。　　This　bread　was　generally　blackish；　earthy；　and

bitter；　producing　inflammation　of　the　throat　and　pain　in　the　bowels。

I　have　seen　flour　of　detestable　quality　at　the　military　school　and

at　other　depots。　　I　have　seen　portions　of　it　yellow　in　color；　with

an　offensive　smell；　some　forming　blocks　so　hard　that　they　had　to　be

broken　into　fragments　by　repeated　blows　of　a　hatchet。　　For　my　own

part；　wearied　with　the　difficulty　of　procuring　this　poor　bread；　and

disgusted　with　that　offered　to　me　at　the　tables　d'h？te；　I　avoided

this　kind　of　food　altogether。　　In　the　evening　I　went　to　the　Café　du

Caveau；　where；　fortunately；　they　were　kind　enough　to　reserve　for　me

two　of　those　rolls　which　are　called　flutes；　and　this　is　the　only

bread　I　have　eaten　for　a　week　at　a　time。〃



　But　this　resource　is　only　for　the　rich。　　As　for　the　people；　to　get

bread　fit　for　dogs；　they　must　stand　in　a　line　for　hours。　　And　here

they　fight　for　it；　〃they　snatch　food　from　one　another。〃　There　is　no

more　work　to　be　had；　〃the　work…rooms　are　deserted；〃　often；　after

waiting　a　whole　day；　the　workman　returns　home　empty…handed。　　When　he

does　bring　back　a　four…pound　loaf　it　costs　him　3　francs　12　sous；

that　is；　12　sous　for　the　bread；　and　3　francs　for　the　lost　day。　　In

this　long　line　of　unemployed；　excited　men；　swaying　to　and　fro　before

the　shop…door；　dark　thoughts　are　fermenting：　〃if　the　bakers　find　no

flour　to…night　to　bake　with；　we　shall　have　nothing　to　eat　to…

morrow。〃　An　appalling　idea；　　in　presence　of　which　the　whole　power

of　the　Government　is　not　too　strong；　for　to　keep　order　in　the　midst

of　famine　nothing　avails　but　the　sight　of　an　armed　force；　palpable

and　threatening。　　Under　Louis　XIV　and　Louis　XV　there　had　been　even

greater　hunger　and　misery；　but　the　outbreaks；　which　were　roughly　and

promptly　put　down；　were　only　partial　and　passing　disorders。　　Some

rioters　were　at　once　hung；　and　others　were　sent　to　the　galleys。　　The

peasant　or　the　workman；　convinced　of　his　impotence；　at　once　returned

to　his　stall　or　his　plow。　　When　a　wall　is　too　high　one　does　not　even

think　of　scaling　it。　　　But　now　the　wall　is　cracking　　all　its

custodians；　the　clergy；　the　nobles；　the　Third…Estate；　men　of

letters；　the　politicians；　and　even　the　Government　itself；　making　the

breach　wider。　　The　wretched；　for　the　first　time；　discover　an　issue：

they　dash　through　it；　at　first　in　driblets；　then　in　a　mass；　and

rebellion　becomes　as　universal　as　resignation　was　in　the　past。





II。



Expectations　the　second　cause。　　…　Separation　and　laxity　of　the

administrative　forces。　　…　Investigations　of　local　assemblies。　　…　The

people　become　aware　of　their　condition。　　…　Convocation　of　the

States…General。　　…　Hope　is　born。　　The　coincidence　of　early

Assemblies　with　early　difficulties。



It　is　just　through　this　breach　that　hope　steals　like　a　beam　of

light；　and　gradually　finds　its　way　down　to　the　depths　below。　　For

the　last　fifty　years　it　has　been　rising；　and　its　rays；　which　first

illuminated　the　upper　class　in　their　splendid　apartments　in　the

first　story；　and　next　the　middle　class　in　their　entresol　and　on　the

ground　floor。　　They　have　now　for　two　years　penetrated　to　the　cellars

where　the　people　toil；　and　even　to　the　deep　sinks　and　obscure

corners　where　rogues　and　vagabonds　and　malefactors；　a　foul　and

swarming　herd；　crowd　and　hide　themselves　from　the　persecution　of　the

law。　　　To　the　first　two　provincial　assemblies　instituted　by　Necker

in　1778　and　1779；　Loménie　de　Brienne　has　in　1787　just　added　nineteen

others；　under　each　of　these　are　assemblies　of　the　arrondissement；

under　each　assembly　of　the　arrondissement　are　parish　assemblies＇8＇。

Thus　the　whole　machinery　of　administration　has　been　changed。　　It　is

the　new　assemblies　which　assess　the　taxes　and　superintend　their

collection；　which　determine　upon　and　direct　all　public　works；　and

which　form　the　court　of　final　appeal　in　regard　to　matters　in

dispute。　　The　intendant；　the　sub…delegate；　the　elected

representative＇9＇；　thus　lose　three…quarters　of　their　authority。

Conflicts　arise；　consequently；　between　rival　powers　whose　frontiers

are　not　clearly　defined；　command　shifts　about；　and　obedience　is

diminished。　　The　subject　no　longer　feels　on　his　shoulders　the

commanding　weight　of　the　one　hand　which；　without　possibility　of

interference　or　resistance；　held　him　in；　urged　him　forward；　and　made

him　move　on。　　Meanwhile；　in　each　assembly　of　the　parish

arrondissement；　and　even　of　the　province；　plebeians；　〃husband…

men；〃＇10＇　and　often　common　farmers；　sit　by　the　side　of　lords　and

prelates。　　They　listen　to　and　remember　t