the origins of contemporary france-2-第29章

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are　at　the　mercy　of　the　throng　who　clamor　at　their　doors。　　In　the

district　of　St。　　Roch；＇7＇　after　many　useless　refusals；　the　General

Assembly；　notwithstanding　all　the　reproaches　of　its　conscience　and

the　resistance　of　its　reason；　is　obliged　to　open　letters　addressed

to　Monsieur；　to　the　Duke　of　Orleans；　and　to　the　Ministers　of　War；　of

Foreign　Affairs；　and　of　the　Marine。　　In　the　committee　on

subsistence；　M。　Serreau；　who　is　indispensable　and　who　is　confirmed

by　a　public　proclamation；　is　denounced；　threatened；　and　constrained

to　leave　Paris。　　M。　de　la　Salle；　one　of　the　strongest　patriots　among

the　nobles；　is　on　the　point　of　being　murdered　for　having　signed　an

order　for　the　transport　of　gunpowder；＇8＇　the　multitude；　in　pursuit

of　him；　attach　a　rope　to　the　nearest　street…lamp；　ransack　the　H？tel…

de…Ville；　force　every　door；　mount　into　the　belfry；　and　seek　for　the

traitor　even　under　the　carpet　of　the　bureau　and　between　the　legs　of

the　electors；　and　are　only　stayed　in　their　course　by　the　arrival　of

the　National　Guard。



The　people　not　only　sentence　but　they　execute；　and；　as　is　always　the

case；　blindly。　　At　Saint…Denis；　Chatel；　the　mayor's　lieutenant；

whose　duty　it　is　to　distribute　flour；　had　reduced　the　price　of　bread

at　his　own　expense：　on　the　3rd　of　August　his　house　is　forced　open　at

two　o'clock　in　the　morning；　and　he　takes　refuge　in　a　steeple；　the

mob　follow　him；　cut　his　throat　and　drag　his　head　along　the　streets。

　Not　only　do　the　people　execute；　but　they　pardon　　and　with　equal

discernment。　　On　the　11th　of　August；　at　Versailles；　as　a　parricide

is　about　to　be　broken　on　the　wheel；　the　crowd　demand　his　release；

fly　at　the　executioner；　and　set　the　man　free。＇9＇　　Veritably　this　is

sovereign　power　like　that　of　the　oriental　sovereign　who　arbitrarily

awards　life　or　death！　A　woman　who　protests　against　this　scandalous

pardon　is　seized　and　comes　near　being　hung；　for　the　new　monarch

considers　as　a　crime　whatever　is　offensive　to　his　new　majesty。

Again；　he　receives　public　and　humble　homage。　　The　Prime　Minister；　on

imploring　the　pardon　of　M。　de　Bezenval　at　the　H？tel…de…Ville；　in　the

presence　of　the　electors　and　of　the　public；　has　put　it　in

appropriate　words：



　〃It　is　before　the　most　unknown；　the　obscurest　citizen　of　Paris　that

I　prostrate　myself；　at　whose　feet　I　kneel。〃



A　few　days　before　this；　at　Saint…Germain…en…Laye；　and　at　Poissy；　the

deputies　of　the　National　Assembly　not　only　kneel　down　in　words；　but

actually；　and　for　a　long　time；　on　the　pavement　in　the　street；　and

stretch　forth　their　hands；　weeping；　to　save　two　lives　of　which　only

one　is　granted　to　them。　　…　　Behold　the　monarch　by　these　brilliant

signs！　Already　do　the　young；　who　are　eager　imitators　of　all　actions

that　are　in　fashion；　ape　them　in　miniature；　during　the　month　which

follows　the　murder　of　Berthier　and　Foulon；　Bailly　is　informed　that

the　gamins　in　the　streets　are　parading　about　with　the　heads　of　two

cats　stuck　on　the　ends　of　two　poles。＇10＇



　II。　　。



The　distress　of　the　people。　　…　The　dearth　and　the　lack　of　work。　　…

How　men　of　executive　ability　are　recruited。



A　pitiable　monarch；　whose　recognized　sovereignty　leaves　him　more

miserable　than　he　was　before！　Bread　is　always　scarce；　and　before　the

baker's　doors　the　row　of　waiting　people　does　not　diminish。　　In　vain

Bailly　passes　his　nights　with　the　committee　on　supplies；　they　are

always　in　a　state　of　terrible　anxiety。　　Every　morning　for　two　months

there　is　only　one　or　two　days'　supply　of　flour；　and　often；　in　the

evening；　there　is　not　enough　for　the　following　morning。＇11＇　　The

life　of　the　capital　depends　on　a　convoy　which　is　ten；　fifteen；

twenty　leagues　off；　and　which　may　never　arrive：　one　convoy　of　twenty

carts　is　pillaged　on　the　18th　of　July；　on　the　Rouen　road；　another；

on　the　4th　of　August；　in　the　vicinity　of　Louviers。　　Were　it　not　for

Salis'　Swiss　regiment；　which；　from　the　14th　of　July　to　the　end　of

September；　marches　day　and　night　as　an　escort；　not　a　boat…load　of

grain　would　reach　Paris　from　Rouen。＇12＇　　The　commissaries　charged

with　making　purchases　or　with　supervising　the　expeditions　are　in

danger　of　their　lives。　　Those　who　are　sent　to　provinces　are　seized；

and　a　column　of　four　hundred　men　with　cannon　has　to　be　dispatched　to

deliver　them。　　The　one　who　is　sent　to　Rouen　learns　that　he　will　be

hung　if　he　dares　to　enter　the　place。　　At　Mantes　a　mob　surrounds　his

cabriolet；　the　people　regarding　whoever　comes　there　for　the　purpose

of　carrying　away　grain　as　a　public　pest；　he　escapes　with　difficulty

out　of　a　back　door　and　returns　on　foot　to　Paris。　　　From　the　very

beginning；　according　to　a　universal　rule；　the　fear　of　a　short　supply

helps　to　augment　the　famine。　　Every　one　lays　in　a　stock　for　several

days；　on　one　occasion　sixteen　loaves　of　four　pounds　each　are　found

in　an　old　woman's　garret。　　The　bakings；　consequently；　which　are

estimated　according　to　the　quantity　needed　for　a　single　day；　become

inadequate；　and　the　last　of　those　who　wait　at　the　bakers'　shops　for

bread　return　home　empty…handed。　　　On　the　other　hand　the

appropriations　made　by　the　city　and　the　State　to　diminish　the　price

of　bread　simply　serve　to　lengthen　the　rows　of　those　who　wait　for　it；

the　countrymen　flock　in　thither；　and　return　home　loaded　to　their

villages。　　At　Saint…Denis；　bread　having　been　reduced　to　two　sous　the

pound；　none　is　left　for　the　inhabitants。　　To　this　constant　anxiety

add　that　of　unemployment。　　Not　only　is　there　no　certainty　of　there

being　bread　at　the　bakers'　during　the　coming　week；　but　many　know

that　they　will　not　have　money　in　the　coming　week　with　which　to　buy

bread。　　Now　that　security　has　disappeared　and　the　rights　of　property

are　shaken；　work　is　wanting。　　The　rich；　deprived　of　their　feudal

dues；　and；　in　addition　thereto　of　their　rents；　have　reduced　their

expenditure；　many　of　them；　threatened　by　the　committee　of

investigation；　exposed　to　domiciliary　visits；　and　liable　to　be

informed　against　by　their　servants；　have　emigrated。　　In　the　month　of

September　M。　Necker　laments　the　delivery　of　six　thousand　passports

in　fifteen　days　to　the　wealthiest　inhabitants。　　In　the　month　of

October　ladies　of　high　rank；　refugees　in　Rome；　send　word　that　their

domestics　should　be　discharged　and　their　daughters　placed　in

convents。　　Before　the　end　of　1789　there　are　so　many　fugitives　in

Switzerland　that　a　house；　it　is　said；　brings　in　more　rent　than　it　is

worth　as　capital。　　With　this　first　emigration；　which　is　that　of　the

chief　spendthrifts；　the　Count　d'Artois；　Prince　de　Conti；　Duc　de

Bourbon；　and　so　many　others；　the　opulent　foreigners　have　left；　and；

at　the　head　of　them；　the　Duchesse　de　l'Infantado；　who　spent　800；000

livres　a　year。　　There　are　only　three　Englishmen　in　Paris。



It　used　to　be　a　city　of　luxury；　it　was　the　European　hot…house　of

costly　and　refined　pleasures；　but　once　the　glass　was　broken　then　the

delicate　plants　perish；　their　lovers　leave；　and　there　is　no

employment　now　for　the　innumerable　hands　which　cultivated　them。

Fortunate　are　they　who　at　the　relief　works　obtain　a　miserable　sum　by

handling　a　pick…axe！　〃I　saw；〃　says　Bailly；　〃mercers；　jewellers；　and

merchants　implore　the　favor　of　being　employed　at　twenty　sous　the

day。〃　Enumerate；　if　you　can；　in　one　or　two　recognized　callings；　the

hands　which　are　doing　nothing：＇13＇　　1；200　hair…dressers　keep　about

6；000　journeymen；　2；000　others　follow　the　same　calling　in　private…

houses；　6；000　lackeys　do　but　little　else　than　this　work。　　The　body

of　tailors　is　composed　of　2；800　masters；　who　have　under　them　5；000

workmen。　　〃Add　to　these　the　number　privately　employed　　the

refugees　in　privileged　places　like　the　abbeys　of　Saint…Germain　and

Saint…Marcel；　the　vast　enclosure　of　the　Temple；　that　of　Saint…John

the　Lateran；　and　the　Faubourg　Saint…Antoine；　and　you　will　find　at

least　12；000　persons　cutting；　fitting；　and　sewing。〃　How　many　in

these　two　groups　are　now　idle！　How　many　others　are　walking　the

streets；　such　as　upholsterers；　lace…makers；　embroiderers；　fan…

makers；　gilders；　carna