the origins of contemporary france-2-第25章

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Remiremont　and　at　Luxeuil　they　produce　an　edict；　stating　that　〃all

this　brigandage；　pillage；　and　destruction〃　is　permitted。　　In

Dauphiny；　the　leaders　of　the　bands　say　that　they　possess　the　King's

orders。　　In　Auvergne；　〃they　follow　imperative　orders；　being　advised

that　such　is　his　Majesty's　will。〃　Nowhere　do　we　see　that　an

insurgent　village　exercises　personal　vengeance　against　its　lord。　　If

the　people　fire　on　the　nobles　they　encounter；　it　is　not　through

personal　hatred。　　They　are　destroying　the　class；　and　do　not　pursue

individuals。　　They　detest　feudal　privileges；　holders　of　charters；

the　cursed　parchments　by　virtue　of　which　they　are　made　to　pay；　but

not　the　nobleman　who；　when　he　resides　at　home；　is　of　humane

intentions；　compassionate；　and　even　often　beneficent。　　At　Luxeuil；

the　abbot；　who　is　forced　with　uplifted　ax　to　sign　a　relinquishment

of　his　seignorial　rights　over　twenty…three　estates；　has　dwelt　among

them　for　forty…six　years；　and　has　been　wholly　devoted　to　them。＇41＇

In　the　canton　of　Crémieu；　〃where　the　havoc　is　immense；〃　all　the

nobles；　write　the　municipal　officers；　are　〃patriots　and　benevolent。〃

In　Dauphiny；　the　engineers；　magistrates；　and　prelates；　whose

chateaux　are　sacked；　were　the　first　to　espouse　the　cause　of　the

people　and　of　public　liberties　against　the　ministers。　　In　Auvergne；

the　peasants　themselves　〃manifest　a　good　deal　of　repugnance　to　act

in　this　way　against　such　kind　masters。〃　But　it　must　be　done；　the

only　concession　which　can　be　made　in　consideration　of　the　kindness

which　had　been　extended　to　them　is；　not　to　burn　the　chateau　of　the

ladies　of　Vanes；　who　had　been　so　charitable；　but　they　burn　all　their

title…deeds；　and　torture　the　business　agent　at　three　different　times

by　fire；　to　force　him　to　deliver　a　document　which　he　does　not

possess；　they　then　only　withdraw　him　from　the　fire　half…broiled；

because　the　ladies；　on　their　knees；　implore　mercy　for　him。　　They　are

like　the　soldiers　on　a　campaign　who　execute　orders　with　docility；

for　which　necessity　is　the　only　plea；　and　who；　without　regarding

themselves　as　brigands；　commit　acts　of　brigandage。



But　here　the　situation　is　more　tragic；　for　it　is　war　in　the　midst　of

peace；　a　war　of　the　brutal　and　barbaric　multitude　against　the　highly

cultivated；　well…disposed　and　confiding；　who　had　not　anticipated

anything　of　the　kind；　who　had　not　even　dreamt　of　defending

themselves；　and　who　had　no　protection。　　The　Comte　de　Courtivron；

with　his　family；　was　staying　at　the　watering…place　of　Luxeuil　with

his　uncle；　the　Abbé　of　Clermont…Tonnerre；　an　old　man　of　seventy

years。　　On　the　19th　of　July；　fifty　peasants　from　Fougerolle　break

into　and　demolish　everything　in　the　houses　of　an　usher　and　a

collector　of　the　excise。　　Thereupon　the　mayor　of　the　place　intimates

to　the　nobles　and　magistrates　who　are　taking　the　waters；　that　they

had　better　leave　the　house　in　twenty…four　hours；　as　〃he　had　been

advised　of　an　intention　to　burn　the　houses　in　which　they　were

staying；〃　and　he　did　not　wish　to　have　Luxeuil　exposed　to　this　danger

on　account　of　their　presence　there。　　The　following　day；　the　guard；

as　obliging　as　the　mayor；　allows　the　band　to　enter　the　town　and　to

force　the　abbey：　the　usual　events　follow；　renunciations　are

extorted；　records　and　cellars　are　ransacked；　plate　and　other　effects

are　stolen。　　M。　de　Courtivron　escaping　with　his　uncle　during　the

night；　the　alarm　bell　is　sounded　and　they　are　pursued；　and　with

difficulty　obtain　refuge　in　Plombières。　　The　bourgeoisie　of

Plombières；　however；　for　fear　of　compromising　themselves；　oblige

them　to　depart。　　On　the　road　two　hundred　insurgents　threaten　to　kill

their　horses　and　to　smash　their　carriage；　and　they　only　find　safety

at　last　at　Porentruy；　outside　of　France。　　On　his　return；　M。　de

Courtivron　is　shot　at　by　the　band　which　has　just　pillaged　the　abbey

of　Lure；　and　they　shout　out　at　him　as　he　passes；　〃Let's　massacre　the

nobles！〃　Meanwhile；　the　chateau　of　Vauvilliers；　to　which　his　sick

wife　had　been　carried；　is　devastated　from　top　to　bottom；　the　mob

search　for　her　everywhere；　and　she　only　escapes　by　hiding　herself　in

a　hay…loft。　　Both　are　anxious　to　fly　into　Burgundy；　but　word　is　sent

them　that　at　Dijon　〃the　nobles　are　blockaded　by　the　people；〃　and

that；　in　the　country；　they　threaten　to　set　their　houses　on　fire。　　

There　is　no　asylum　to　be　had；　either　in　their　own　homes　nor　in　the

homes　of　others；　nor　in　places　along　the　roads；　fugitives　being

stopped　in　all　the　small　villages　and　market…towns。　　In　Dauphiny＇42＇

〃the　Abbess　of　St。　　Pierre　de　Lyon；　one　of　the　nuns；　M。　de　Perrotin；

M。　de　Bellegarde；　the　Marquis　de　la　Tour…du…Pin；　and　the　Chevalier

de　Moidieu；　are　arrested　at　Champier　by　the　armed　population；　led　to

the　C？te　Saint…André；　confined　in　the　town…hall；　whence　they　send　to

Grenoble　for　assistance；〃　and；　to　have　them　released；　the　Grenoble

Committee　is　obliged　to　send　commissioners。　　Their　only　refuge　is　in

the　large　cities；　where　some　semblance　of　a　precarious　order　exists；

and　in　the　ranks　of　the　City　Guards；　which　march　from　Lyons；　Dijon；

and　Grenoble；　to　keep　the　inundation　down。　　Throughout　the　country

scattered　chateaux　are　swallowed　up　by　the　popular　tide；　and；　as　the

feudal　rights　are　often　in　plebeian　hands；　it　insensibly　rises

beyond　its　first　overflow。　　　There　is　no　limit　to　an　insurrection

against　property。　　This　one　extends　from　abbeys　and　chateaux　to　the

〃houses　of　the　bourgeoisie。〃＇43＇　　The　grudge　at　first　was　confined

to　the　holders　of　charters；　now　it　is　extended　to　all　who　possess

anything。　　Well…to…do　farmers　and　priests　abandon　their　parishes　and

fly　to　the　towns。　　Travelers　are　put　to　ransom。　　Thieves；　robbers；

and　returned　convicts；　at　the　head　of　armed　bands；　seize　whatever

they　can　lay　their　hands　on。　　Cupidity　becomes　inflamed　by　such

examples；　on　domains　which　are　deserted　and　in　a　state　of　confusion；

where　there　is　nothing　to　indicate　a　master's　presence；　all　seems　to

lapse　to　the　first　comer。　　A　small　farmer　of　the　neighborhood　has

carried　away　wine　and　returns　the　following　day　in　search　of　hay。

All　the　furniture　of　a　chateau　in　Dauphin　is　removed；　even　to　the

hinges　of　the　doors；　by　a　large　reinforcement　of　carts。　　　〃　It　is

the　war　of　the　poor　against　the　rich；〃　says　a　deputy；　〃and；　on　the

3rd　of　August；　the　Committee　on　Reports　declares　to　the　National

Assembly　〃that　no　kind　of　property　has　been　spared。〃　In　Franche…

Comté；　〃nearly　forty　chateaux　and　seignorial　mansions　have　been

pillaged　or　burnt。〃＇44＇　　From　Lancers　to　Gray　about　three　out　of

five　chateaux　are　sacked。　　In　Dauphin　twenty…seven　are　burned　or

destroyed；　five　in　the　small　district　of　Viennese；　and；　besides

these；　all　the　monasteries　　nine　at　least　in　Auvergne；　seventy…

two；　it　is　said；　in　Maconnais　and　Beaujolais；　without　counting　those

of　Alsace。　　On　the　31st　of　July；　Lally…Tollendal；　on　entering　the

tribune；　has　his　hands　full　of　letters　of　distress；　with　a　list　of

thirty…six　chateaux　burnt；　demolished；　or　pillaged；　in　one　province；

and　the　details　of　still　worse　violence　against　persons：＇45＇



　〃in　Languedoc；　M。　de　Barras；　cut　to　pieces　in　the　presence　of　his

wife　who　is　about　to　be　confined；　and　who　is　dead　in　consequence；　in

Normandy；　a　paralytic　gentleman　left　on　a　burning　pile　and　taken　off

from　it　with　his　hands　burnt；　in　Franche…Comté；　Madame　de　Bathilly

compelled；　with　an　ax　over　her　head；　to　give　up　her　title…deeds　and

even　her　estate；　Madame　de　Listenay　forced　to　do　the　same；　with　a

pitchfork　at　her　neck　and　her　two　daughters　in　a　swoon　at　her　feet；

Comte　de　Montjustin；　with　his　wife；　having　a　pistol　at　his　throat

for　three　hours；　and　both　dragged　from　their　carriage　to　be　thrown

into　a　pond；　where　they　are　saved　by　a　passing　regiment　of　soldiers；

Baron　de　Montjustin；　one　of　the　twenty…two　popular　noblemen；

suspended　for　an　hour　in　a　well；　listening　to　a　discussion　whether

he　shall　be　dropped　down　or　whether　he　should　die　in　some　other　way；

the　Chevalier　d'Ambly；　torn　from　his　chateau　an