the origins of contemporary france-2-第20章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



itself；　it　misses　its　leaders　who　it　has　trodden　under　foot；　in

throwing　off　their　trammels　it　has　deprived　itself　of　their

protection。　　It　feels　lonely；　in　an　unknown　country；　exposed　to

dangers　of　which　it　is　ignorant；　and　against　which　it　is　unable　to

guard　itself。　　Now　that　the　shepherds　are　slain　or　disarmed；　suppose

the　wolves　should　unexpectedly　appear！　…　And　there　are　wolves　…　I

mean　vagabonds　and　criminals　…　who　have　but　just　issued　out　of　the

darkness。　　They　have　robbed　and　burned；　and　are　to　be　found　at　every

insurrection。　　Now　that　the　police　force　no　longer　puts　them　down；

they　show　themselves　instead　of　keeping　themselves　concealed。　　They

have　only　to　lie　in　wait　and　come　forth　in　a　band；　and　both　life　and

property　will　be　at　their　mercy。　　…　Deep　anxiety；　a　vague　feeling　of

dread；　spreads　through　both　town　and　country：　towards　the　end　of

July　the　panic；　like　a　blinding；　suffocating　whirl　of　dusts；

suddenly　sweeps　over　hundreds　of　leagues　of　territory。　　The　brigands

are　coming！　They　are　burning　the　crops！　They　are　only　six　leagues

off；　and　then　only　two　…　the　refugees　who　have　run　away　from　the

disorder　prove　it。



On　the　28th　of　July；　at　Angoulême；＇11＇　the　alarm　bell　is　heard　about

three　o'clock　in　the　afternoon；　the　drums　beat　to　arms；　and　cannon

are　mounted　on　the　ramparts。　　The　town　has　to　be　put　in　a　state　of

defense　against　15；000　bandits　who　are　approaching；　and　from　the

walls　a　cloud　of　dust　on　the　road　is　discovered　with　terror。　　It

proves　to　be　the　post…wagon　on　its　way　to　Bordeaux。　　After　this　the

number　of　brigands　is　reduced　to　1；500；　but　there　is　no　doubt　that

they　are　ravaging　the　country。　　At　nine　o'clock　in　the　evening

20；000　men　are　under　arms；　and　thus　they　pass　the　night；　always

listening　without　hearing　anything。　　Towards　three　o'clock　in　the

morning　there　is　another　alarm；　the　church　bells　ringing　and　the

people　forming　a　battle　array。　　They　are　convinced　that　the　brigands

have　burned　Ruffec；　Vernenil；　La　Rochefoucauld；　and　other　places。

The　next　day　countrymen　flock　in　to　give　their　aid　against　bandits

who　are　still　absent。　　〃At　nine　o'clock；〃　says　a　witness；　〃we　had

40；000　men　in　the　town；　to　whom　we　showed　our　gratitude。〃　As　the

bandits　do　not　show　themselves；　it　must　be　because　they　are

concealed；　a　hundred　horsemen；　a　large　number　of　men　on　foot；　start

out　to　search　the　forest　of　Bra？onne；　and　to　their　great　surprise

they　find　nothing。　　But　the　terror　is　not　allayed；　〃during　the

following　days　a　guard　is　kept　mounted；　and　companies　are　enrolled

among　the　townsmen；〃　while　Bordeaux；　duly　informed；　dispatches　a

courier　to　offer　the　support　of　20；000　men　and　even　30；000。　　〃What

is　surprising；〃　adds　the　narrator；　is　that　at　ten　leagues　off　in　the

neighborhood；　in　each　parish；　a　similar　disturbance　took　place；　and

at　about　the　same　hour。〃　　All　that　is　required　is　that　a　girl；

returning　to　the　village　at　night；　should　meet　two　men　who　do　not

belong　to　the　neighborhood。　　The　case　is　the　same　in　Auvergne。

Whole　parishes；　on　the　strength　of　this；　betake　themselves　at　night

to　the　woods；　abandoning　their　houses；　and　carrying　away　their

furniture；　〃the　fugitives　trod　down　and　destroyed　their　own　crops；

pregnant　women　were　injured　in　the　forests；　and　others　lost　their

wits。〃　Fear　lends　them　wings。　　Two　years　after　this；　Madame　Campan

was　shown　a　rocky　peak　on　which　a　woman　had　taken　refuge；　and　from

which　she　was　obliged　to　be　let　down　with　ropes。　　　The　people　at

last　return　to　their　homes；　and　resume　their　usual　routines。　　But

such　large　masses　are　not　unsettled　with　impunity；　a　tumult　like

this　is；　in　itself；　a　lively　source　of　alarm。　　As　the　country　did

rise；　it　must　have　been　on　account　of　threatened　danger　and　if　the

peril　was　not　due　to　brigands；　it　must　have　come　from　some　other

quarter。　　Arthur　Young；　at　Dijon　and　in　Alsace；＇12＇　hears　at　the

public　dinner　tables　that　the　Queen　had　formed　a　plot　to　undermine

the　National　Assembly　and　to　massacre　all　Paris。　　Later　on　he　is

arrested　in　a　village　near　Clermont；　and　examined　because　he　is

evidently　conspiring　with　the　Queen　and　the　Comte　d'Entraigues　to

blow　up　the　town　and　send　the　survivors　to　the　galleys。



No　argument；　no　experience　has　any　effect　against　the　multiplying

phantoms　of　an　over…excited　imagination。　　Henceforth　every　commune；

and　every　man；　provide　themselves　with　arms　and　keep　them　ready　for

use。　　The　peasant　searches　his　hoard；　and　〃finds　from　ten　to　twelve

francs　for　the　purchase　of　a　gun。〃　〃A　national　militia　is　found　in

the　poorest　village。〃　Burgess　guards　and　companies　of　volunteers

patrol　all　the　towns。　　Military　commanders　deliver　arms；　ammunition；

and　equipment；　on　the　requisition　of　municipal　bodies；　while；　in

case　of　refusal；　the　arsenals　are　pillaged；　and；　voluntarily　or　by

force；　four　hundred　thousand　guns　thus　pass　into　the　hands　of　the

people　in　six　months。＇13＇　Not　content　with　this　they　must　have

cannon。　　Brest　having　demanded　two；　every　town　in　Brittany　does　the

same　thing；　their　self…esteem　is　at　stake　as　well　as　a　need　of

feeling　themselves　strong。　　…　　They　lack　nothing　now　to　render

themselves　masters。　　All　authority；　all　force；　every　means　of

constraint　and　of　intimidation　is　in　their　hands；　and　in　theirs

alone；　and　these　sovereign　hands　have　nothing　to　guide　them　in　this

actual　interregnum　of　all　legal　powers；　but　the　wild　or　murderous

suggestions　of　hunger　or　distrust。



　V。



Attacks　on　public　individuals　and　public　property。　　…　At　Strasbourg。

…　At　Cherbourg。　　…　At　Mauberge。　　…　At　Rouen。　　…　At　Besan？on。　　…　At

Troyes。



It　would　take　too　much　space　to　recount　all　the　violent　acts　which

were　committed；　…　convoys　arrested；　grain　pillaged；　millers　and　corn

merchants　hung；　decapitated；　slaughtered；　farmers　called　upon　under

the　threats　of　death　to　give　up　even　the　seed　reserved　for　sowing；

proprietors　ransomed　and　houses　sacked。＇14＇　These　outrages；

unpunished；　tolerated　and　even　excused　or　badly　suppressed；　are

constantly　repeated；　and　are；　at　first；　directed　against　public　men

and　public　property。　　As　is　commonly　the　case；　the　rabble　head　the

march　and　stamp　the　character　of　the　whole　insurrection。



On　the　19th　of　July；　at　Strasbourg；　on　the　news　of　Necker's　return

to　office；　it　interprets　after　its　own　fashion　the　public　joy；　which

it　witnesses。　　Five　or　six　hundred　beggars；＇15＇　their　numbers　soon

increased　by　the　petty　tradesmen；　rush　to　the　town　hall；　the

magistrates　only　having　time　to　fly　through　a　back　door。　　The

soldiers；　on　their　part；　with　arms　in　their　hands；　allow　all　these

things　to　go　on；　while　several　of　them　spur　the　assailants　on。　　The

windows　are　dashed　to　pieces　under　a　hailstorm　of　stones；　the　doors

are　forced　with　iron　crowbars；　and　the　populace　enter　amid　a　burst

of　acclamations　from　the　spectators。　　Immediately；　through　every

opening　in　the　building；　which　has　a　facade　frontage　of　eighty　feet；

〃　there　is　a　shower　of　shutters；　sashes；　chairs；　tables；　sofas；

books　and　papers；　and　then　another　of　tiles；　boards；　balconies　and

fragments　of　wood…work。〃　The　public　archives　are　thrown　to　the　wind；

and　the　surrounding　streets　are　strewed　with　them；　the　letters　of

enfranchisement；　the　charters　of　privileges；　all　the　authentic　acts

which；　since　Louis　XIV；　have　guaranteed　the　liberties　of　the　town；

perish　in　the　flames。　　Some　of　the　rabble　in　the　cellars　stave　in

casks　of　precious　wine；　fifteen　thousand　measures　of　it　are　lost；

making　a　pool　five　feet　deep　in　which　several　are　drowned。　　Others；

loaded　with　booty；　go　away　under　the　eyes　of　the　soldiers　without

being　arrested。　　The　havoc　continues　for　three　days；　a　number　of

houses　belonging　to　some　of　the　magistrates　〃are　sacked　from　garret

to　cellar。〃　When　the　honest　citizens　at　last　obtain　arms　and　restore

order；　they　are　content　with　the　hanging　of　one　of　the　robbers；

although；　in　order　to　please　the　people；　the　magistrates　are　changed

and　the　price　of　bread　and　meat　is　reduced。　　…