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the origins of contemporary france-2-第22章

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refuse to pay the entrance duties; the octroi having been suppressed

at Paris; it ought also to be suppressed at Troyes。  The populace;

excited by this first disorderly act; gather into a mob for the

purpose of dividing the grain and arms amongst themselves; and the

next day the town…hall is invested by seven or eight thousand men;

armed with clubs and stones。  The day after; a band; recruited in

the surrounding villages; armed with flails; shovels; and pitch…

forks; enters under the leadership of a joiner who marches at the

head of it with a drawn saber; fortunately; 〃all the honest folks

among the burgesses 〃immediately form themselves into a National

Guard; and this first attempt at a Jacquerie is put down。  But the

agitation continues; and false rumors constantly keep it up。  …  On

the 29th of July; on the report being circulated that five hundred

〃brigands〃 had left Paris and were coming to ravage the country; the

alarm bell sounds in the villages; and the peasants go forth armed。

Henceforth; a vague idea of some impending danger fills all minds;

the necessity of defense and of guarding against enemies is

maintained。  The new demagogues avail themselves of this to keep

their hold on the people; and when the time comes; to use it against

their chiefs。  …  It is of no use to assure the people that the

latter are patriots; that the recently welcomed Necker with

enthusiastic shouts; that the priests; the monks; and canons were

the first to adopt the national cockade; that the nobles of the city

and its environs are the most liberal in France; that; on the 20th

of July; the burgess guard saved the town; that all the wealthy give

to the national workshops; that Mayor Huez; 〃a venerable and honest

magistrate;〃 is a benefactor to the poor and to the public。  All the

old leaders are objects of distrust。   On the 8th of August; a mob

demands the dismissal of the dragoons; arms for all volunteers;

bread at two sous the pound; and the freedom of all prisoners。  On

the 19th of August the National Guard rejects its old officers as

aristocrats; and elects new ones。  On the 27th of August; the crowd

invade the town…hall and distribute the arms amongst themselves。  On

the 5th of September; two hundred men; led by Truelle; president of

the new committee; force the salt depot and have salt delivered to

them at six sous per pound。   Meanwhile; in the lowest quarters of

the city; a story is concocted to the effect that if wheat is scarce

it is because Huez; the mayor; and M。 de St。  Georges; the old

commandant; are monopolists; and now they say of Huez what they said

five weeks before of Foulon; that 〃he wants to make the people eat

hay。〃 The many…headed brute growls fiercely and is about to spring。

As usual; instead of restraining him; they try to manage him。



 〃You must put your authority aside for a moment;〃 writes the deputy

of Troyes to the sheriffs;〃 and act towards the people as to a

friend; be as gentle with them as you would be with your equals; and

rest assured that they are capable of responding to it。〃



 Thus does Huez act; and he even does more; paying no attention to

their menaces; refusing to provide for his own safety and almost

offering himself as a sacrifice。



 〃I have wronged no one;〃 he exclaimed; 〃why should any one bear me

ill…will?〃



His sole precaution is to provide something for the unfortunate poor

when he is gone: he bequeaths in his will 18;000 livres to the poor;

and; on the eve of his death; sends 100 crowns to the bureau of

charity。  But what avail self…abnegation and beneficence against

blind; insane rage! On the 9th of September; three loads of flour

proving to be unsound; the people collect and shout out;



 〃Down with the flour…dealers! Down with machinery! Down with the

mayor! Death to the mayor; and let Truelle be put in his place! 〃



Huez; on leaving his court…room; is knocked down; murdered by kicks

and blows; throttled; dragged to the reception hall; struck on his

head with a wooden…shoe and pitched down the grand staircase。  The

municipal officers strive in vain to protect him; a rope is put

around his neck and they begin to drag him along。  A priest; who

begs to be allowed at least to save his soul; is repulsed and

beaten。  A woman jumps on the prostrate old man; stamps on his face

and repeatedly thrusts her scissors in his eyes。  He is dragged

along with the rope around his neck up to the Pont de la Selle; and

thrown into the neighboring ford; and then drawn out; again dragged

through the streets and in the gutters; with a bunch of hay crammed

in his mouth。'23'



In the meantime; his house as well as that of the lieutenant of

police; that of the notary Guyot; and that of M。 de Saint…Georges;

are sacked; the pillaging and destruction lasts four hours; at the

notary's house; six hundred bottles of wine are consumed or carried

off; objects of value are divided; and the rest; even down to the

iron balcony; is demolished or broken; the rioters cry out; on

leaving; that they have still to burn twenty…seven houses; and to

take twenty…seven heads。  〃No one at Troyes went to bed that fatal

night。〃… During the succeeding days; for nearly two weeks; society

seems to be dissolved。  Placards posted about the streets proscribe

municipal officers; canons; divines; privileged persons; prominent

merchants; and even ladies of charity; the latter are so frightened

that they throw up their office; while a number of persons move off

into the country; others barricade themselves in their dwellings and

only open their doors with saber in hand。  Not until the 26th does

the orderly class rally sufficiently to resume the ascendancy and

arrest the miscreants。   Such is public life in France after the

14th of July: the magistrates in each town feel that they are at the

mercy of a band of savages and sometimes of cannibals。  Those of

Troyes had just tortured Huez after the fashion of Hurons; while

those of Caen did worse; Major de Belzance; not less innocent; and

under sworn protection;'24' was cut to pieces like Laperouse in the

Fiji Islands; and a woman ate his heart。



 VI。





Taxes are no longer paid。  … Devastation of the Forests。  … The new

game laws。



It is; under such circumstances; possible to foretell whether taxes

come in; and whether municipalities that sway about in every popular

breeze will have the authority to collect the odious revenues。  

Towards the end of September;'25' I find a list of thirty…six

committees or municipal bodies which; within a radius of fifty

leagues around Paris; refuse to ensure the collection of taxes。  One

of them tolerates the sale of contraband salt; in order not to

excite a riot。  Another takes the precaution to disarm the employees

in the excise department。  In a third the municipal officers were

the first to provide themselves with contraband salt and contraband

tobacco。



At Peronne and at Ham; the order having come to restore the toll…

houses; the people destroy the soldiers' quarters; conduct all the

employees to their homes; and order them to leave within twenty…four

hours; under penalty of death。  After twenty months' resistance

Paris will end the matter by forcing the National Assembly to give

in and by obtaining the final suppression of its octroi。'26'   Of

all the creditors whose hand each one felt on his shoulders; that of

the exchequer was the heaviest; and now it is the weakest; hence

this is the first whose grasp is to be shaken off; there is none

which is more heartily detested or which receives harsher treatment。

Especially against collectors of the salt…tax; custom…house

officers; and excisemen the fury is universal。  These;

everywhere;'27' are in danger of their lives and are obliged to fly。

At Falaise; in Normandy; the people threaten to 〃cut to pieces the

director of the excise。〃 At Baignes; in Saintonge; his house is

devastated and his papers and effects are burned; they put a k

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