the origins of contemporary france-2-第4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！



throughout　the　whole　extent　of　the　kingdom　a　similar　state　of　things

is　seen。　　The　women；　as　is　natural；　are　generally　at　the　head　of

these　outbreaks。　　It　is　they　who；　at　Montlhéry；　rip　open　the　sacks

of　grain　with　their　scissors。　　On　learning　each　week；　on　market　day

that　the　price　of　a　loaf　of　bread　advances　three；　four；　or　seven

sous；　they　break　out　into　shrieks　of　rage：　at　this　rate　for　bread；

with　the　small　salaries　of　the　men；　and　when　work　fails；＇16＇　how　can

a　family　be　fed？　Crowds　gather　around　the　sacks　of　flour　and　the

doors　of　the　bakers。　　Amidst　outcries　and　reproaches　some　one　in　the

crowd　makes　a　push；　the　proprietor　or　dealer　is　hustled　and　knocked

down。　　The　shop　is　invaded；　the　commodity　is　in　the　hands　of　the

buyers　and　of　the　famished；　each　one　grabbing　for　himself；　pay　or　no

pay；　and　running　away　with　the　booty。　　　Sometimes　a　party　is　made

up　beforehand＇17＇　At　Bray…sur…Seine；　on　the　1st　of　May；　the

villagers　for　four　leagues　around；　armed　with　stones；　knives；　and

cudgels；　to　the　number　of　four　thousand；　compel　the　metayers　and

farmers；　who　have　brought　grain　with　them；　to　sell　it　at　3　livres；

instead　of　4　livres　10　sous　the　bushel。　　They　threaten　to　do　the

same　thing　on　the　following　market…day：　but　the　farmers　do　not

return；　the　storehouse　remains　empty。　　Now　soldiers　must　be　at　hand；

or　the　inhabitants　of　Bray　will　be　pillaged。　　At　Bagnols；　in

Languedoc；　on　the　1st　and　2nd　of　April；　the　peasants；　armed　with

cudgels　and　assembled　by　tap　of　drum；　〃traverse　the　town；

threatening　to　burn　and　destroy　everything　if　flour　and　money　are

not　given　to　them。〃　They　go　to　private　houses　for　grain；　divide　it

amongst　themselves　at　a　reduced　price；　〃promising　to　pay　when　the

next　crop　comes　round；〃　and　force　the　Consuls　to　put　bread　at　two

sous　the　pound；　and　to　increase　the　day's　wages　four　sous。　　

Indeed　this　is　now　the　regular　thing；　it　is　not　the　people　who　obey

the　authorities；　but　the　authorities　who　obey　the　people。　　Consuls；

sheriffs；　mayors；　municipal　officers；　town…clerks；　become　confused

and　hesitating　in　the　face　of　this　huge　clamor；　they　feel　that　they

are　likely　to　be　trodden　under　foot　or　thrown　out　of　the　windows。

Others；　with　more　firmness；　being　aware　that　a　riotous　crowd　is　mad；

and　having　scruples　to　spill　blood；　yield　for　the　time　being；　hoping

that　at　the　next　market…day　there　will　be　more　soldiers　and　better

precautions　taken。　　At　Amiens；　〃after　a　very　violent　outbreak；〃＇18＇

they　decide　to　take　the　wheat　belonging　to　the　Jacobin　monks；　and；

protected　by　the　troops；　to　sell　it　to　the　people　at　a　third　below

its　value。　　At　Nantes；　where　the　town　hall　is　attacked；　they　are

forced　to　lower　the　price　of　bread　one　sou　per　pound。　　At　Angoulême；

to　avoid　a　recourse　to　arms；　they　request　the　Comte　d'Artois　to

renounce　his　dues　on　flour　for　two　months；　reduce　the　price　of

bread；　and　compensate　the　bakers。　　At　Cette　they　are　so　maltreated

they　let　everything　take　its　course；　the　people　sack　their　dwellings

and　get　the　upper　hand；　they　announce　by　sound　of　trumpet　that　all

their　demands　are　granted。　　On　other　occasions；　the　mob　dispenses

with　their　services　and　acts　for　itself。　　If　there　happens　to　be　no

grain　on　the　market…place；　the　people　go　after　it　wherever　they　can

find　it　　to　proprietors　and　farmers　who　are　unable　to　bring　it　for

fear　of　pillage；　to　convents；　which　by　royal　edict　are　obliged

always　to　have　one　year's　crop　in　store；　to　granaries　where　the

Government　keeps　its　supplies；　and　to　convoys　which　are　dispatched

by　the　intendants　to　the　relief　of　famished　towns。　　Each　for　himself

　so　much　the　worse　for　his　neighbor。　　The　inhabitants　of　Fougères

beat　and　drive　out　those　who　come　from　Ernée　to　buy　in　their　market；

a　similar　violence　is　shown　at　Vitré　to　the　in…habitants　of

Maine。＇19＇　　At　Sainte…Léonard　the　people　stop　the　grain　started　for

Limoges；　at　Bost　that　intended　for　Aurillac；　at　Saint…Didier　that

ordered　for　Moulins；　and　at　Tournus　that　dispatched　to　Macon。　　In

vain　are　escorts　added　to　the　convoys；　troops　of　men　and　women；

armed　with　hatchets　and　guns；　put　themselves　in　ambush　in　the　woods

along　the　road；　and　seize　the　horses　by　their　bridles；　the　saber　has

to　be　used　to　secure　any　advance。　　In　vain　are　arguments　and　kind

words　offered；　〃and　in　vain　even　is　wheat　offered　for　money；　they

refuse；　shouting　out　that　the　convoy　shall　not　go　on。〃　They　have

taken　a　stubborn　stand；　their　resolution　being　that　of　a　bull

planted　in　the　middle　of　the　road　and　lowering　his　horns。　　Since　the

wheat　is　in　the　district；　it　is　theirs；　whoever　carries　it　off　or

withholds　it　is　a　robber。　　This　fixed　idea　cannot　be　driven　out　of

their　minds。　　At　Chant…nay；　near　Mans；＇20＇　they　prevent　a　miller

from　carrying　that　which　he　had　just　bought　to　his　mill。　　At

Montdragon；　in　Languedoc；　they　stone　a　dealer　in　the　act　of　sending

his　last　wagon　load　elsewhere。　　At　Thiers；　workmen　go　in　force　to

gather　wheat　in　the　fields；　a　proprietor　with　whom　some　is　found　is

nearly　killed；　they　drink　wine　in　the　cellars；　and　leave　the　taps

running。　　At　Nevers；　the　bakers　not　having　put　bread　on　their

counters　for　four　days；　the　mob　force　the　granaries　of　private

persons；　of　dealers　and　religious　communities。　　〃The　frightened

corn…dealers　part　with　their　grain　at　any　price；　most　of　it　is

stolen　in　the　face　of　the　guards；〃　and；　in　the　tumult　of　these

searches　of　homes；　a　number　of　houses　are　sacked。　　　In　these　days

woe　to　all　who　are　concerned　in　the　acquisition；　commerce；　and

manipulation　of　grain！　Popular　imagination　requires　living　beings　to

who　it　may　impute　its　misfortunes；　and　on　whom　it　may　gratify　its

resentments。　　To　it；　all　such　persons　are　monopolists；　and；　at　any

rate；　public　enemies。　　Near　Angers　the　Benedictine　establishment　is

invaded；　and　its　fields　and　woods　are　devastated。＇21＇　At　Amiens　〃the

people　are　arranging　to　pillage　and　perhaps　burn　the　houses　of　two

merchants；　who　have　built　labor…saving　mills。〃　Restrained　by　the

soldiers；　they　confine　themselves　to　breaking　windows；　but　other

〃groups　come　to　destroy　or　plunder　the　houses　of　two　or　three

persons　whom　they　suspect　of　being　monopolists。〃　At　Nantes；　a　sieur

Geslin；　being　deputized　by　the　people　to　inspect　a　house；　and

finding　no　wheat；　a　shout　is　set　up　that　he　is　a　receiver；　an

accomplice！　The　crowd　rush　at　him；　and　he　is　wounded　and　almost　cut

in　pieces。　　　It　is　very　evident　that　there　is　no　more　security　in

France；　property；　even　life；　is　in　danger。　　The　primary　possession；

food；　is　violated　in　hundreds　of　places；　and　is　everywhere　menaced

and　precarious。　　The　local　officials　everywhere　call　for　aid；

declare　the　constabulary　incompetent；　and　demand　regular　troops。

And　mark　how　public　authority；　everywhere　inadequate；　disorganized；

and　tottering；　finds　stirred　up　against　it　not　only　the　blind

madness　of　hunger；　but；　in　addition；　the　evil　instincts　which　profit

by　every　disorder　and　the　inveterate　lusts　which　every　political

commotion　frees　from　restraint。





IV。



Intervention　of　ruffians　and　vagabonds。



We　have　seen　how　numerous　the　smugglers；　dealers　in　contraband　salt；

poachers；　vagabonds；　beggars；　and　escaped　convicts＇22＇　have　become；

and　how　a　year　of　famine　increases　the　number。　　All　are　so　many

recruits　for　the　mobs；　and　whether　in　a　disturbance　or　by　means　of　a

disturbance　each　one　of　them　fills　his　pouch。　　Around　Caux；＇23＇　even

up　to　the　environs　of　Rouen；　at　Roncherolles；　Quévrevilly；　Préaux；

Saint…Jacques；　and　in　the　entire　surrounding　neighborhood　bands　of

armed　bandits　force　their　way　into　the　houses；　particularly　the

parsonages；　and　lay　their　hands　on　whatever　they　please。　　To　the

south　of　Chartres　〃three　or　four　hundred　woodcutters；　from　the

forests　of　Bellème；　chop　away　everything　that　opposes　them；　and

force　grain　to　be　given　up　to　them　at　their　own　price。〃　In　the

vicinity　of　étampes；　fifteen　bandits　enter　the　farmhouses　at　night

and　put　the　farmer　to　ransom；　threatening　hi