the origins of contemporary france-2-第6章

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　VI。



The　first　jacquerie　in　Province。　　…　Feebleness　or　ineffectiveness　of

repressive　measures。



Here；　again；　political　novelties　are　the　spark　that　ignites　the　mass

of　gunpowder。　　Everywhere；　the　uprising　of　the　people　takes　place　on

the　very　day　on　which　the　electoral　assembly　meets。　　From　forty　to

fifty　riots　occur　in　the　provinces　in　less　than　a　fortnight。

Popular　imagination；　like　that　of　a　child；　goes　straight　to　its

mark。　　The　reforms　having　been　announced；　people　think　them

accomplished　and；　to　make　sure　of　them；　steps　are　at　once　taken　to

carry　them　out。　　Now　that　we　are　to　have　relief；　let　us　relieve

ourselves。　　〃This　is　not　an　isolated　riot　as　usual；〃　writes　the

commander　of　the　troops；＇29＇　〃here　the　faction　is　united　and

governed　by　uniform　principles；　the　same　errors　are　diffused　through

all　minds。　　。　　。　　。　　。　　The　principles　impressed　on　the　people　are

that　the　King　desires　equality。　　No　more　bishops　or　lords；　no　more

distinctions　of　rank；　no　tithes；　and　no　seignorial　privileges。

Thus；　these　misguided　people　fancy　that　they　are　exercising　their

rights；　and　obeying　the　will　of　the　King。〃　　　The　effect　of

sonorous　phrases　is　apparent。　　The　people　have　been　told　that　the

States…General　were　to　bring　about　the　〃regeneration　of　the　kingdom〃

The　inference　is　〃that　the　date　of　their　assembly　was　to　be　one　of

an　entire　and　absolute　change　of　conditions　and　fortunes。〃　Hence；

〃the　insurrection　against　the　nobles　and　the　clergy　is　as　active　as

it　is　widespread。〃　〃In　many　places　it　was　distinctly　announced　that

there　was　a　sort　of　war　declared　against　landowners　and　property；〃

and　〃in　the　towns　as　well　as　in　the　rural　districts　the　people

persist　in　declaring　that　they　will　pay　nothing；　neither　taxes；

duties；　nor　debts。〃　　　Naturally；　the　first　assault　is　against　the

piquèt；　or　flour…tax。　　At　Aix；　Marseilles；　Toulon；　and　in　more　than

forty　towns　and　market…villages；　this　is　summarily　abolished；　at

Aupt　and　at　Luc　nothing　remains　of　the　weighing…house　but　the　four

walls。　　At　Marseilles　the　home　of　the　slaughter…house　contractor　and

at　Brignolles　that　of　the　director　of　the　leather　excise；　are

sacked。　　The　determination　is　〃to　purge　the　land　of　excise…men。　　〃　…

…　This　is　only　a　beginning；　bread　and　other　provisions　must　become

cheap；　and　that　without　delay。　　At　Arles；　the　Corporation　of

sailors；　presided　over　by　M。　de　Barras；　consul；　had　just　elected　its

representatives。　　By　way　of　conclusion　to　the　meeting；　they　pass　a

resolution　insisting　that　M。　de　Barras　should　reduce　the　price　of

all　comestibles。　　On　his　refusal；　they　〃open　the　window；　exclaiming；

'We　hold　him；　and　we　have　only　to　throw　him　into　the　street　for　the

rest　to　pick　him　up。'〃　Compliance　is　inevitable。　　The　resolution　is

proclaimed　by　the　town…criers；　and　at　each　article　which　is　reduced

in　price　the　crowd　shout；　〃Vive　le　Roi；　vive　M。　Barras　！〃　　One

must　yield　to　brute　force。　　But　the　inconvenience　is　great　for；

through　the　suppression　of　the　flour…tax；　the　towns　have　no　longer　a

revenue。　　On　the　other　hand；　as　they　are　obliged　to　indemnify　the

butchers　and　bakers；　Toulon；　for　instance；　incurs　a　debt　of　2；500

livres　a　day。



In　this　state　of　disorder；　woe　to　those　who　are　under　suspicion　of

having　contributed；　directly　or　indirectly；　to　the　evils；　which　the

people　endure！　At　Toulon　a　demand　is　made　for　the　head　of　the　mayor；

who　signs　the　tax…list；　and　of　the　keeper　of　the　records。　　They　are

trodden　under　foot；　and　their　houses　are　ransacked。　　At　Manosque；

the　Bishop　of　Sisteron；　who　is　visiting　the　seminary；　is　accused　of

favoring　a　monopolist。　　On　his　way　to　his　carriage；　on　foot；　he　is

hooted　and　menaced。　　He　is　first　pelted　with　mud；　and　then　with

stones。　　The　consuls　in　attendance；　and　the　sub…delegate；　who　come

to　his　assistance；　are　mauled　and　repulsed。　　Meanwhile；　some　of　the

most　furious　begin；　before　his　eyes；　〃to　dig　a　ditch　to　bury　him

in。〃　Protected　by　five　or　six　brave　fellows；　amidst　a　volley　of

stones；　and　wounded　on　the　head　and　on　many　parts　of　his　body；　he

succeeds　in　reaching　his　carriage。　　He　is　finally　only　saved　because

the　horses；　which　are　likewise　stoned；　run　away。　　Foreigners；

Italians；　bandits；　are　mingled　with　the　peasants　and　artisans；　and

expressions　are　heard　and　acts　are　seen　which　indicate　a

jacquerie。＇30＇　〃The　most　excited　said　to　the　bishop；　'we　are　poor

and　you　are　rich；　and　we　mean　to　have　all　your　property。'〃＇31＇

Elsewhere；　〃the　seditious　mob　exacts　contributions　from　all　people

in　good　circumstances。　　At　Brignolles；　thirteen　houses　are　pillaged

from　top　to　bottom；　and　thirty　others　partly　half。　　　At　Aupt；　M。

de　Montferrat；　in　defending　himself；　is　killed　and　〃hacked　to

pieces。〃　　At　La　Seyne；　the　mob；　led　by　a　peasant；　assembles　by

beat　of　drum。　　Some　women　fetch　a　bier；　and　set　it　down　before　the

house　of　a　leading　bourgeois；　telling　him　to　prepare　for　death；　and

that　〃they　will　have　the　honor　of　burying　him。〃　He　escapes；　his

house　is　pillaged；　as　well　as　the　bureau　of　the　flour…tax。　　The

following　day；　the　chief　of　the　band　〃obliges　the　principal

inhabitants　to　give　him　a　sum　of　money　to　indemnify；　as　he　states

it；　the　peasants　who　have　abandoned　their　work；〃　and　devoted　the　day

to　serving　the　public。　　　At　Peinier；　the　Président　de　Peinier；　an

octogenarian；　is　〃besieged　in　his　chateau　by　a　band　of　a　hundred　and

fifty　artisans　and　peasants；〃　who　bring　with　them　a　consul　and　a

notary。　　Aided　by　these　two　functionaries；　they　force　the　president

〃to　pass　an　act　by　which　he　renounces　his　seignorial　rights　of　every

description　〃　　　At　Sollier　they　destroy　the　mills　belonging　to　M。

de　Forbin…Janson。　　They　sack　the　house　of　his　business　agent；

pillage　the　chateau；　and　demolish　the　roof；　chapel；　altar；　railings；

and　escutcheons。　　They　enter　the　cellars；　stave　in　the　casks；　and

carry　away　everything　that　can　be　carried；　〃the　transportation

taking　two　days；〃　all　of　which　cause　damages　of　a　hundred　thousand

crowns　to　the　marquis。　　　At　Riez　they　surround　the　episcopal

palace　with　fagots；　threatening　to　burn　it；　〃and　compromise　with　the

bishop　on　a　promise　of　fifty　thousand　livres；〃　and　want　him　to　burn

his　archives。　　　In　short；　the　sedition　is　social　for　it　singles

out　for　attack　all　that　profit　by；　or　stand　at　the　head　of；　the

established　order　of　things。



Seeing　them　act　in　this　way；　one　would　say　that　the　theory　of　the

Contrat…Social　had　been　instilled　into　them。　　They　treat　magistrates

as　domestics；　promulgate　laws；　and　conduct　themselves　like

sovereigns。　　They　exercise　public　power；　and　establish；　summarily；

arbitrarily；　and　brutally；　whatever　they　think　to　be　in　conformity

with　natural　right。　　　At　Peinier　they　exact　a　second　electoral

assembly；　and；　for　themselves；　the　right　of　suffrage。　　　At　Saint…

Maximin　they　themselves　elect　new　consuls　and　officers　of　justice。

　At　Solliez　they　oblige　the　judge's　lieutenant　to　give　in　his

resignation；　and　they　break　his　staff　of　office。　　　At　Barjols

〃they　use　consuls　and　judges　as　their　town　servants；　announcing　that

they　are　masters　and　that　they　will　themselves　administer　justice。〃

　In　fact；　they　do　administer　it；　as　they　understand　it　　that　is

to　say；　through　many　exactions　and　robberies！　One　man　has　wheat；　he

must　share　it　with　him　who　has　none。　　Another　has　money；　he　must

give　it　to　him　who　has　not　enough　to　buy　bread　with。　　On　this

principle；　at　Barjols；　they　tax　the　Ursulin　nuns　1；800　livres；　carry

off　fifty　loads　of　wheat　from　the　Chapter；　eighteen　from　one　poor

artisan；　and　forty　from　another；　and　constrain　canons　and

beneficiaries　to　give　acquittances　to　their　farmers。　　Then；　from

house　to　house；　with　club　in　hand；　they　oblige　some　to　hand　over

money；　others　to　abandon　their　claims　on　their　debtors；　〃one　to

desist　from　criminal　proceedings；　another　to　nullify　a　decree

obtained；　a　third　to　reimburse　the　expenses　of　a　lawsuit　gained

years　before；　a　father　to　give　his　consent　to　the　marriage　of　his

son。〃　　All　their