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第7章

the origins of contemporary france-2-第7章

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

son。〃  All their grievances are brought to mind; and we all know

the tenacity of a peasant's memory。  Having become the master; he

redresses wrongs; and especially those of which he thinks himself

the object。  There must be a general restitution; and first; of the

feudal dues which have been collected。  They take of M。 de

Montmeyan's business agent all the money he has as compensation for

that received by him during fifteen years as a notary。  A former

consul of Brignolles had; in 1775; inflicted penalties to the amount

of 1;500 or 1;800 francs; which had been given to the poor; this sum

is taken from his strong box。  Moreover; if consuls and law officers

are wrongdoers; the title deeds; rent…rolls; and other documents by

which they do their business are still worse。  To the fire with all

old writings  not only office registers; but also; at Hyères; all

the papers in the town hall and those of the principal notary。  

In the matter of papers none are good but new ones  those which

convey some discharge; quittance; or obligation to the advantage of

the people。  At Brignolles the owners of the gristmills are

constrained to execute a contract of sale by which they convey their

mills to the commune in consideration of 5;000 francs per annum;

payable in ten years without interest  an arrangement which ruins

them。  On seeing the contract signed the peasants shout and cheer;

and so great is their faith in this piece of stamped paper that they

at once cause a mass of thanksgiving to be celebrated in the

Cordeliers。  Formidable omens these! Which mark the inward purpose;

the determined will; and the coming deeds of this rising power。  If

it prevails; its first work will be to destroy all ancient

documents; all title deeds; rent…rolls; contracts; and claims to

which force compels it to submit。  By force likewise it will draw up

others to its own advantage; and the scribes who do it will be its

own deputies and administrators whom it holds in its rude grasp。



Those who are in high places are not alarmed; they even find that

there is some good in the revolt; inasmuch as it compels the towns

to suppress unjust taxation。'32'  The new Marseilles guard; formed

of young men; is allowed to march to Aubagne; 〃to insist that M。 le

lieutenant criminel and M。 l'avocat du Roi release the prisoners。〃

The disobedience of Marseilles; which refuses to receive the

magistrates sent under letters patent to take testimony; is

tolerated。  And better still; in spite of the remonstrances of the

parliament of Aix; a general amnesty is proclaimed; 〃no one is

excepted but a few of the leaders; to whom is allowed the liberty of

leaving the kingdom。〃 The mildness of the King and of the military

authorities is admirable。  It is admitted that the people are

children; that they err only through ignorance; that faith must be

had in their repentance; and; as soon as they return to order; they

must be received with paternal effusions。    The truth is; that

the child is a blind Colossus; exasperated by sufferings。  hence

whatever it takes hold of is shattered   not only the local wheels

of the provinces; which; if temporarily deranged; may be repaired;

but even the incentive at the center which puts the rest in motion;

and the destruction of which will throw the whole machinery into

confusion。



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Notes:



 '1' Marmontel; 〃Mémoires;〃 II。  221。   Albert Babeau; 〃Histoire

de la Révolution Fran?aise;〃 I。  91; 187。  (Letter by Huez Mayor of

Troyes; July 30; 1788。)…   Archives Nationales; H。  1274。  (Letter

by M。 de Caraman; April 22; 1789。) H。  942 (Cahier des demandes des

Etats de Languedoc)。  …  Buchez et Roux; 〃Histoire Parlementaire;〃

I。  283。



'2' See 〃 The Ancient Régime;〃 p。34。  Albert Babeau; I。  91。  (The

Bishop of Troyes gives 12;000 francs; and the chapter 6;000; for the

relief workshops。)



'3' 〃The Ancient Regime;〃 350; 387。Floquet; 〃Histoire du Parlement

de Normandie;〃 VII。  505…518。  (Reports of the Parliament of

Normandy; May 3;1788。  Letter from the Parliament to the King; July

15; 1789。)



'4' Arthur Young; 〃Voyages in France;〃 June 29th; July 2nd and 18th

 〃 Journal de Paris;〃 January 2; 1789。  Letter of the curé of

Sainte…Marguerite。



'5' Buchez and Roux; IV。  79…82。  (Letter from the intermediary

bureau of Montereau; July 9; 1789; from the maire of Villeneuve…le…

Roi; July 10th; from M。 Baudry; July 10th; from M。 Prioreau; July

11th; etc。)   Montjoie; 〃Histoire de la Révolution de France;〃 2nd

part; ch。  XXI; p。  5。



'6' Roux et Buchez; ibid。  〃It is very unfortunate;〃 writes the

Marquis d'Autichamp; 〃to be obliged to cut down the standing crops

ready to be gathered in; but it is dangerous to let the troops die

of hunger。〃



'7' Montjoie; 〃Histoire de la Révolution de France;〃 ch。  XXXIX; V;

37。   De Goncourt; 〃La Société Fran?aise pendant la Révolution;〃

p。  5l3。   Deposition of Maillard (Criminal Inquiry of the

Chatelet concerning the events of October 5th and 6th)。



'8' De Tocqueville; 〃L'Ancien Régime et la Révolution;〃 272…290。  De

Lavergne; 〃Les Assemblées provinciales;〃 109。  Procès…verbaux des

assemblées provinciales; passim。



'9' A magistrate who gives judgment in a lower court in cases

relative to taxation。  These terms are retained because there are no

equivalents in English。  (Tr。)



'10' 〃Laboureurs;〃  this term; at this epoch; is applied to those

who till their own land。  (Tr。)



'11' Duvergier。  〃Collection des lois et décrets;〃 I。  1 to 23; and

particularly p。  15。



'12' Parish priests。  (SR。)



'13' Arthur Young; July 12th ; 1789 (in Champagne)。



'14' Montjoie; 1st part; 102。



'15' Floquet; 〃Histoire du Parlement de Normandie;〃 VII。  508。   〃

Archives Nationales;〃 H。  1453。



'16' Arthur Young; June 29th (at Nangis)。



'17' 〃Archives Nationales;〃 H。1453。  Letter of the Duc de Mortemart;

Seigneur of Bray; May 4th; of M。 de Ballainvilliers; intendant of

Languedoc; April 15th。



'18' 〃Archives Nationales;〃 H。1453。  Letter of the intendant; M。

d'Agay; April 30th; of the municipal officers of Nantes; January

9th; of the intendant; M。 Meulan d'Ablois; June 22nd; of M。 de

Ballainvilliers; April 15th。



'19' 〃Archives Nationales;〃 H。  1453。  Letter of the Count de

Langeron; July 4th; of M。 de Meulan d'Ablois; June 5th; 〃Minutes of

the meeting of la Maréchaussée de Bost;〃 April 29th。  Letters of M。

de Chazerat; May 29th; of M。 de Bezenval; June 2nd; of the

intendant; M。 Amelot; April 25th。



'20' '〃Archives Nationales;〃 H。1453。  Letter of M。 de Bezenval; May

27th; of M。 de Ballainvilliers; April 25th; of M。 de Foullonde;

April 19th。



'21' 〃Archives Nationales;〃 H。1453。  Letter of the intendant; M。

d'Aine; March 12th; of M。 d'Agay; April 30th; of M。 Amelot; April

25th; of the municipal authorities of Nantes; January 9th; etc。



'22' 〃The Ancient Régime;〃 pp。  380…389。



'23' Floquet; VII。  508; (Report of February 27th)。  …  Hippeau; 〃La

Gouvernement de Normandie;〃 IV。  377。  (Letter of M。 Perrot; June

23rd。)   〃 Archives Nationales;〃 H。  1453。  Letter of M。 de

Sainte…Suzanne; April 29th。  Ibid。  F7; 3250。  Letter of M。 de

Rochambeau; May 16th Ibid。  F7; 3250。  Letter of the Abbé Duplaquet;

Deputy of the Third Estate of Saint…Quentin; May 17th。  Letter of

three husbandmen in the environs of Saint…Quentin; May 14th。



'24' 〃Archives Nationales;〃 H。  1453。  Letter of the Count de

Perigord; military commandant of Languedoc; April 22nd。



'25' Floquet; VII。  511 (from the 11th to the 14th July)。



'26' 〃Archives Nationales;〃 H。  1453。  Letter of the municipal

authorities of Nantes; January 9th; of the sub…delegate of Plo?rmel;

July 4th; ibid。  F7; 2353。  Letter of the intermediary commission of

Alsace; September 8th ibid。  F7; 3227。  Letter of the intendant

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