the origins of contemporary france-2-第24章

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correspondent　of　the　deputies　of　the　nobles；　is　seized；　and　dragged

with　his　son　to　the　dwelling　of　the　procurator…fiscal；　to　force　him

to　give　his　signature；　the　inhabitants　are　forbidden　to　render　him

assistance　〃on　pain　of　death　and　fire。〃　〃Sign；〃　they　exclaim；　〃or　we

will　tear　out　your　heart；　and　set　fire　to　this　house　！〃　At　this

moment　the　neighboring　notary；　who　is　doubtless　an　accomplice；

appears　with　a　stamped　paper；　and　says　to　him；　〃Monsieur；　I　have

just　come　from　Niort；　where　the　Third…Estate　has　done　the　same　thing

to　all　the　gentlemen　of　the　town；　one；　who　refused；　was　cut　to

pieces　before　our　eyes。〃　　〃We　are　compelled　to　sign　renunciations

of　our　privileges；　and　give　our　assent　to　one　and　the　same　taxation；

as　if　the　nobles　had　not　already　done　so。〃　The　band　gives　notice

that　it　will　proceed　in　the　same　fashion　with　all　the　chateaux　in

the　vicinity；　and　terror　precedes　or　follows　them。　　〃Nobody　dares

write；〃　M。　Despretz　sends　word；　〃　I　attempt　it　at　the　risk　of　my

life。〃　　Nobles　and　prelates　become　objects　of　suspicion

everywhere；　village　committees　open　their　letters；　and　they　have　to

suffer　their　houses　to　be　searched。＇33＇　　They　are　forced　to　adopt

the　new　cockade：　to　be　a　gentleman；　and　not　wear　it；　is　to　deserve

hanging。　　At　Mamers；　in　Maine；　M。　de　Beauvoir　refuses　to　wear　it；

and　is　at　the　point　of　being　put　into　the　pillory　and　felled。　　Near

La　F1èche；　M。　de　Brissac　is　arrested；　and　a　message　is　sent　to　Paris

to　know　if　he　shall　be　taken　there；　〃or　be　beheaded　in　the

meantime。〃　Two　deputies　of　the　nobles；　MM。　de　Montesson　and　de　Vassé

who　had　come　to　ask　the　consent　of　their　constituents　to　their

joining　the　Third…Estate；　are　recognized　near　Mans；　their　honorable

scruples　and　their　pledges　to　the　constituents　are　considered　of　no

importance；　nor　even　the　step　that　they　are　now　taking　to　fulfill

them；　it　suffices　that　they　voted　against　the　Third…Estate　at

Versailles；　the　populace　pursues　them　and　breaks　up　their　carriages；

and　pillages　their　trunks。　　　Woe　to　the　nobles；　especially　if　they

have　taken　any　part　in　local　rule；　and　if　they　are　opposed　to

popular　panics！　M。　Cureau；　deputy…mayor　of　Mans；＇34＇　had　issued

orders　during　the　famine；　and；　having　retired　to　his　chateau　of

Nouay；　had　told　the　peasants　that　the　announcement　of　the　coming　of

brigands　was　a　false　alarm；　he　thought　that　it　was　not　necessary　to

sound　the　alarm　bell；　and　all　that　was　necessary　was　that　they

should　remain　quiet。　　Accordingly　he　is　set　down　as　being　in　league

with　the　brigands；　and　besides　this　he　is　a　monopolist；　and　a　buyer

of　standing　crops。　　The　peasants　lead　him　off；　along　with　his　son…

in…law；　M。　de　Montesson；　to　the　neighboring　village；　where　there

are　judges。　　On　the　way　〃they　dragged　their　victims　on　the　ground；

pummeled　them；　trampled　on　them；　spit　in　their　faces；　and　besmeared

them　with　filth。〃　M。　de　Montesson　is　shot；　while　M。　Cureau　is　killed

by　degrees；　a　carpenter　cuts　off　the　two　heads　with　a　double…edged

ax；　and　children　bear　them　along　to　the　sound　of　drums　and　violins。

Meanwhile；　the　judges　of　the　place；　brought　by　force；　draw　up　an

official　report　stating　the　finding　of　thirty　louis　and　several

bills　of　the　Banque　d'Escompte　in　the　pockets　of　M。　de　Cureau；　on

the　discovery　of　which　a　shout　of　triumph　is　set　up：　this　evidence

proves　that　they　were　going　to　buy　up　the　standing　wheat　！　　Such

is　the　course　of　popular　justice。　　Now　that　the　Third…Estate　has

become　the　nation；　every　mob　thinks　that　it　has　the　right　to

pronounce　sentences；　which　it　carries　out；　on　lives　and　on

possessions。



These　explosions　are　isolated　in　the　western；　central　and　southern

provinces；　the　conflagration；　however；　is　universal　in　the　east。　　On

a　strip　of　ground　from　thirty　to　fifty　leagues　broad；　extending　from

the　extreme　north　down　to　Provence。　　Alsace；　Franche…Comté；

Burgundy；　Maconnais；　Beaujolais；　Auvergne；　Viennois；　Dauphiny；　the

whole　of　this　territory　resembles　a　continuous　mine　which　explodes

at　the　same　time。　　The　first　column　of　flame　which　shoots　up　is　on

the　frontiers　of　Alsace　and　Franche…Comté；　in　the　vicinity　of

Belfort　and　Vésoul；　a　feudal　district；　in　which　the　peasant；　over…

burdened　with　taxes；　bears　the　heavier　yoke　with　greater　impatience。

An　instinctive　argument　is　going　on　in　his　mind　without　his　knowing

it。　　〃The　good　Assembly　and　the　good　King　want　us　to　be　happy；

suppose　we　help　them！　They　say　that　the　King　has　already　relieved　us

of　the　taxes；　suppose　we　relieve　ourselves　of　paying　rents！　Down

with　the　nobles！　They　are　no　better　than　the　tax…collectors！　〃　　On

the　16th　of　July；　the　chateau　of　Sancy；　belonging　to　the　Princesses

de　Beaufremont；　is　sacked；　and　on　the　18th　those　of　Lure；　Bithaine；

and　Molans。＇35＇　　On　the　29th；　an　accident　which　occurs　with　some

fire…works　at　a　popular　festival　at　the　house　of　M。　de　Mesmay；　leads

the　lower　class　to　believe　that　the　invitation　extended　to　them　was

a　trap；　and　that　there　was　a　desire　to　get　rid　of　them　by

treachery。＇36＇　　Seized　with　rage　they　set　fire　to　the　chateau；　and

during　the　following　week＇37＇　destroy　three　abbeys；　ruin　eleven

chateaux　and　pillage　others。　　〃　All　records　are　destroyed；　the

registers　and　court…rolls　are　carried　off；　and　the　deposits

violated。〃　　Starting　from　this　spot；　〃the　hurricane　of

insurrection〃　stretches　over　the　whole　of　Alsace　from　Huningue　to

Landau。＇38＇　　The　insurgents　display　placards；　signed　Louis；　stating

that　for　a　certain　lapse　of　time　they　shall　be　permitted　to　exercise

justice　themselves；　and；　in　Sundgau；　a　well…dressed　weaver；

decorated　with　a　blue　belt；　passes　for　a　prince；　the　King's　second

son。　　They　begin　by　falling　on　the　Jews；　their　hereditary　leeches；

they　sack　their　dwellings；　divide　their　money　among　themselves；　and

hunt　them　down　like　so　many　fallow…deer。　　At　Bale　alone；　it　is　said

that　twelve　hundred　of　these　unfortunate　fugitives　arrived　with

their　families。　　　The　distance　between　the　Jew　creditor　and　the

Christian　proprietor　is　not　great；　and　this　is　soon　cleared。

Remiremont　is　only　saved　by　a　detachment　of　dragoons。　　Eight　hundred

men　attack　the　chateau　of　Uberbrünn。　　The　abbey　of　Neubourg　is　taken

by　storm。　　At　Guebwiller；　on　the　31st　of　July；　five　hundred

peasants；　subjects　of　the　abbey　of　Murbach；　make　a　descent　on　the

abbot's　palace　and　on　the　house　of　the　canons。　　Cupboards；　chests；

beds；　windows；　mirrors；　frames；　even　the　tiles　of　the　roof　and　the

hinges　of　the　casements　are　hacked　to　pieces：　〃They　kindle　fires　on

the　beautiful　inlaid　floors　of　the　apartments；　and　there　burn　up　the

library　and　the　title…deeds。〃　The　abbot's　superb　carriage　is　so

broken　up　that　not　a　wheel　remains　entire。　　〃Wine　streams　through

the　cellars。　　One　cask　of　sixteen　hundred　measures　is　half　lost；　the

plate　and　the　linen　are　carried　off。〃　　　Society　is　evidently　being

overthrown；　while　with　the　power；　property　is　changing　hands。



These　are　their　very　words。　　In　Franche…Comte＇39＇　the　inhabitants　of

eight　communes　come　and　declare　to　the　Bernardins　of　Grace…Dieu　and

of　Lieu…Croissant　〃that；　being　of　the　Third…Estate；　it　is　time　now

for　the　people　to　rule　over　abbots　and　monks；　considering　that　the

domination　of　the　latter　has　lasted　too　long；〃　and　thereupon　they

carry　off　all　the　titles　to　property　and　to　rentals　belonging　to　the

abbey　in　their　commune。　　In　Upper　Dauphiny；　during　the　destruction

of　M。　de　Murat's　chateau；　a　man　named　Ferréol　struck　the　furniture

with　a　big　stick；　exclaiming；　〃Hey；　so　much　for　you；　Murat；　you　have

been　master　a　good　while；　now　it's　our　turn！〃＇40＇　　Those　who　rifle

houses；　and　steal　like　highway　robbers；　think　that　they　are

defending　a　cause；　and　reply　to　the　challenge；　〃Who　goes　there？〃　〃We

are　for　the　brigand　Third…Estate！〃　　Everywhere　the　belief　prevails

that　they　are　clothed　with　authority；　and　they　conduct　themselves

like　a　conquering　horde　under　the　orders　of　an　absent　general。　　At

Remiremont　and　at　Luxeuil　they　produce　an　edict；　stating　th