the origins of contemporary france-2-第61章

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arbitrary　verdicts；　but　also　the　riots　which　they　stir　up　by　their

instigation　and　which　they　sanction　by　their　toleration。＇80＇　　He　is

driven　out　of　his　parish；　consigned　to　the　county　town；　and　kept　in

a　safe　place。　　The　Directory　of　Aisne　denounces　him　as　a　disturber

of　the　public　peace；　and　forbids　him；　under　severe　penalties；　from

administering　the　sacraments。　　The　municipality　of　Cahors　shuts　up

particular　churches　and　orders　the　nonjuring　ecclesiastics　to　leave

the　town　in　twenty…four　hours。　　The　electoral　corps　of　Lot　denounces

them　publicly　as　〃ferocious　brutes；〃　incendiaries；　and　provokers　of

civil　war。　　The　Directory　of　the　Bas…Rhin　banishes　them　to

Strasbourg　or　to　fifteen　leagues　from　the　frontier。　　At　Saint…Leon

the　bishop　is　forced　to　fly。　　At　Auch　the　archbishop　is　imprisoned；

at　Lyons　M。　　de　Boisboissel；　grand　vicar；　is　confined　in　Pierre…

Encize；　for　having　preserved　an　archiepiscopal　mandate　in　his　house；

brutality　is　everywhere　the　minister　of　intolerance。　　A　certain　cure

of　Aisne　who；　in　1789；　had　fed　two　thousand　poor；　having　presumed　to

read　from　his　pulpit　a　pastoral　charge　concerning　the　observance　of

Lent；　the　mayor　seizes　him　by　the　collar　and　prevents　him　from　going

to　the　altar；　〃two　of　the　National　Yeomanry〃　draw　their　sabers　on

him；　and　forthwith　lead　him　away　bareheaded；　not　allowing　him　to

return　to　his　house；　and　drive　him　to　a　distance　of　two　leagues　by

beat　of　drum　and　under　escort。　　At　Paris；　in　the　church　of　Saint…

Eustache；　the　curé　is　greeted　with　outcries；　a　pistol　is　pointed　at

his　head；　he　is　seized　by　the　hair；　struck　with　fists；　and　only

reaches　the　sacristy　through　the　intervention　of　the　National　Guard。

In　the　church　of　the　Théatins；　rented　by　the　orthodox　with　all　legal

formality；　a　furious　band　disperses　the　priests　and　their

assistants；　upsets　the　altar　and　profanes　the　sacred　vessels。　　A

placard；　posted　up　by　the　department；　calls　upon　the　people　to

respect　the　law；　〃I　saw　it；〃　says　an　eye…witness；　〃torn　down　amidst

imprecations　against　the　department；　the　priests；　and　the　devout。

One　of　the　chief　haranguers；　standing　on　the　steps　terminated　his

speech　by　stating　that　schism　ought　to　be　stopped　at　any　cost；　that

no　worship　but　his　should　be　allowed；　that　women　should　be　whipped

and　priests　knocked　on　the　head。〃　And；　in　fact；　〃a　young　lady

accompanied　by　her　mother　is　whipped　on　the　steps　of　the　church。〃

Elsewhere　nuns　are　the　sufferers；　even　the　sisters　of　Saint…Vincent

de　Paul；　and；　from　April；　1793；　onward；　the　same　outrages　on　modesty

and　against　life　are　propagated　from　town　to　town。　　At　Dijon；　rods

are　nailed　fast　to　the　gates　of　all　the　convents；　at　Montpellier；

two　or　three　hundred　ruffians；　armed　with　large　ironbound　sticks；

murder　the　men　and　outrage　the　women。　　　　Nothing　remains　but　to

put　the　gangsters　under　the　shelter　of　an　amnesty；　which　is　done　by

the　Constituent　Assembly；　and　to　legally　sanction　the　animosity　of

local　administrations；　which　is　done　by　the　Legislative

Assembly。＇81＇　　Henceforth　the　nonjuring　ecclesiastics　are　deprived

of　their　sustenance；　they　are　declared　〃　suspected　of　revolt　against

the　law　and　of　evil　intentions　against　the　country。〃　…　Thus；　says　a

contemporary　Protestant；　〃on　the　strength　of　these　suspicions　and

these　intentions；　a　Directory；　to　which　the　law　interdicts　judicial

functions；　may　arbitrarily　drive　out　of　his　house　the　minister　of　a

God　of　peace　and　charity；　grown　gray　in　the　shadow　of　the　altar〃

Thus；　〃everywhere；　where　disturbances　occur　on　account　of　religious

opinions；　and　whether　these　troubles　are　due　to　the　frantic

scourgers　of　the　virtuous　sisters　of　charity　or　to　the　ruffians

armed　with　cow…hides　who；　at　N？mes　and　Montpellier；　outrage　all　the

laws　of　decorum　and　of　liberty　for　six　whole　months；　the　non…juring

priests　are　to　be　punished　with　banishment。　　Torn　from　their

families　whose　means　of　living　they　share；　they　are　sent　away　to

wander　on　the　highways；　abandoned　to　public　pity　or　ferocity　the

moment　any　scoundrel　chooses　to　excite　a　disturbance　that　he　can

impute　to　them。〃　…　Thus　we　see　approaching　the　revolt　of　the

peasantry；　the　insurrections　of　N？mes；　Franche…Comté；　la　Vendée　and

Brittany；　emigration；　transportation；　imprisonment；　the　guillotine

or　drowning　for　two　thirds　of　the　clergy　of　France；　and　likewise　for

myriads　of　the　loyal；　for　husbandmen；　artisans；　day…laborers；

seamstresses；　and　servants；　and　the　humblest　among　the　lower　class

of　the　people。　　This　is　what　the　laws　of　the　Constituent　Assembly

are　leading　to。　　　In　the　institution　of　the　clergy；　as　in　that　of

the　nobles　and　the　King；　it　demolished　a　solid　wall　in　order　to　dig

through　it　an　open　door；　and　it　is　nothing　strange　if　the　whole

structure　tumbles　down　on　the　heads　of　its　inmates。　　The　true　course

was　to　respect；　to　reform；　to　utilize　rank　and　corporations：　all

that　the　Assembly　thought　of　was　the　abolition　of　these　in　the　name

of　abstract　equality　and　of　national　sovereignty。　　In　order　to

abolish　these　it　executed；　tolerated；　or　initiated　all　the　attacks

on　persons　and　on　property。　　Those　it　is　about　to　commit　are　the

inevitable　result　of　those　which　it　has　already　committed；　for；

through　its　Constitution；　bad　is　changed　to　worse；　and　the　social

edifice；　already　half　in　ruins　through　the　clumsy　havoc　that　is

effected　in　it；　will　fall　in　completely　under　the　weight　of　the

incongruous　or　extravagant　constructions　which　it　proceeds　to

extemporize。



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Notes：



＇1＇　Cf。　　〃The　Ancient　Régime；〃　books　I。　　and　V。



＇2＇　Perhaps　we　are　here　at　the　core　of　why　all　regimes　end　up

becoming　corrupt；　inefficient　and　sick；　their　leaders　take　their

privileges　for　granted　and　become　more　and　more　inattentive　to　the

work　which　must　be　done　if　the　people　are　to　be　kept　at　work　and

possible　adversaries　kept　under　control。　　（SR。）



＇3＇　A　special　tax　paid　the　king　by　a　plebeian　owning　a　fief。　　（TR）



＇4＇　The　right　to　an　income　from　trust　funds。　　（SR。）



＇5＇　Arthur　Young；　I。　　209；　223。　　〃If　the　communes　steadily　refuse

what　is　now　offered　to　them；　they　put　immense　and　certain　benefits

to　the　chance　of　fortune；　to　that　hazard　which　may　make　posterity

curse　instead　of　bless　their　memories　as　real　patriots　who　had

nothing　in　view　but　the　happiness　of　their　country。



＇6＇　According　to　valuations　by　the　Constituent　Assembly；　the　tax　on

real　estate　ought　to　bring　240；000；000　francs；　and　provide　one…fifth

of　the　net　revenue　of　France；　estimated　at　1；200；000；000。

Additionally；　the　personal　tax　on　movable　property；　which　replaced

the　capitation；　ought　to　bring　60；000；000。　　Total　for　direct

taxation；　300；000；000；　or　one…fourth　　　that　is　to　say；　twenty…five

per　cent；　of　the　net　revenue。　If　the　direct　taxation　had　been

maintained　up　to　the　rate　of　the　ancient　régime　（190；000；000；

according　to　Necker's　report　in　May；　1689）；　this　impost　would　only

have　provided　one…sixth　of　the　net　revenue；　or　sixteen　percent。



＇7＇　Dumont；　267。　　（The　words　of　Mirabeau　three　months　before　his

death：）　〃Ah；　my　friend；　how　right　we　were　at　the　start　when　we

wanted　to　prevent　the　commons　from　declaring　themselves　the　National

Assembly！　That　was　the　source　of　the　evil。　　They　wanted　to　rule　the

King；　instead　of　ruling　through　him。〃



＇8＇　Gouverneur　Morris；　April　29；　1789　（on　the　principles　of　the

future　constitution）；　〃One　generation　at　least　will　be　required　to

render　the　public　familiar　with　them。〃



＇9＇　Cf。　　〃The　Ancient　Régime；〃　book　II；　ch。　　III。



＇10＇　French　women　did　not　obtain　the　right　to　vote　until　1946。　（SR。）



＇11＇　According　to　Voltaire　（〃L'Homme　aux　Quarante　écus〃）；　the

average　duration　of　human　life　was　only　twenty…three　years。



＇12＇　Mercure；　July　6；　1790。　　According　to　the　report　of　Camus

（sitting　of　July　2nd）；　the　official　total　of　pensions　amounted　to

thirty…two　millions；　but　if　we　add　the　gratuities　and　allowances　out

of　the　va