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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

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