the origins of contemporary france-2-第95章

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other　almost　without　interruption；　the　fever　encroaching　on　parts

which　were　supposed　to　be　cured；　and　to　such　an　extent　that　the

virulent　ulcers　finally　combine　and　form　one　over　the　whole　surface

of　the　social　body。



By　the　end　of　December；　1789；　the　chronic　fermentation　comes　to　a

head　in　Brittany。　　Imagination；　as　usual；　has　forged　a　plot；　and；　as

the　people　say；　if　they　make　an　attack　it　is　in　their　own　defense。

…　　A　report　spreads＇61＇　that　M。　de　Goyon；　near　Lamballe；　has

assembled　in　his　chateau　a　number　of　gentlemen　and　six　hundred

soldiers。　　The　mayor　and　National　Guard　of　Lamballe　immediately

depart　in　force；　they　find　everything　tranquil　there；　and　no　company

but　two　or　three　friends；　and　no　other　arms　than　a　few　fowling…

pieces。　　…　　The　impulse；　however；　is　given；　and；　on　the　15th　of

January；　the　great　federation　of　Pontivy　has　excited　the　wildest

enthusiasm。　　The　people　drink；　sing；　and　shout　in　honor　of　the　new

decrees　before　armed　peasants　who　do　not　comprehend　the　French

tongue；　still　less　legal　terms；　and　who；　on　their　return　home；

arguing　with　each　other　in　bas…breton；　interpret　the　law　in　a

peculiar　way。　　〃A　decree　of　the　Assembly；　in　their　eyes；　is　a　decree

of　arrest〃　and　as　the　principal　decrees　of　the　Assembly　are　issued

against　the　nobles；　they　are　so　many　decrees　of　arrest　against　them。

…　　Some　days　after　this；　about　the　end　of　January；　during　the　whole

of　February；　and　down　to　the　month　of　April；　the　execution　of　this

theory　is　tumultuously　carried　out　by　mobs　of　villagers　and

vagabonds　around　Nantes；　Auray；　Redon；　Dinan；　Plo？rmel；　Rennes；

Guingamp；　and　other　villages。　　Everywhere；　writes　the　Mayor　of

Nantes；＇62＇　〃the　country…people　believe　that　in　burning　deeds　and

contracts　they　get　rid　of　their　debts；　the　very　best　of　them　concur

in　this　belief；〃　or　let　things　take　their　course；　the　excesses　are

enormous；　because　many　gratify　〃special　animosities；　and　all　are

heated　with　wine。　　…　　At　Beuvres；　〃the　peasants　and　vassals　of　the

manor；　after　burning　title…deeds；　establish　themselves　in　the

chateau；　and　threaten　to　fire　it　if　other　papers；　which　they　allege

are　concealed　there；　are　not　surrendered。〃　Near　Redon　the　Abbey　of

Saint…Sauveur　is　reduced　to　ashes。　　Redon　is　menaced；　and　Plo？rmel

almost　besieged。　　At　the　end　of　a　month　thirty…seven　chateaux　are

enumerated　as　attacked：　twenty…five　in　which　the　title…deeds　are

burnt；　and　twelve　in　which　the　proprietors　are　obliged　to　sign　an

abandonment　of　their　rights。　　Two　chateaux　which　began　to　burn　are

saved　by　the　National　Guard。　　That　of　Bois…au…Voyer　is　entirely

consumed；　and　several　have　been　sacked。　　By　way　of　addition；　〃more

than　fifteen　procureurs…fiscaux；　clerks；　notaries；　and　officers　of

seignorial　courts　have　been　plundered　or　burnt；〃　while　proprietors

take　refuge　in　the　towns　because　the　country　is　now　uninhabitable

for　them。



A　second　tumor　makes　its　appearance　at　the　same　time　at　another

point。＇63＇　　It　showed　itself　in　Lower　Limousin　in　the　beginning　of

January。　　From　thence　the　purulent　inflammation　spreads　to　Quercy；

Upper　Languedoc；　Perigord；　and　Rouergue；　and　in　February　from　Tulle

to　Montauban；　and　from　Agen　to　Périgueux　and　Cahors；　extending　over

three　departments。　　…　　Then；　also；　expectancy　is　the　creator；

according　to　rule；　of　its　own　object。　　By　dint　of　longing　for　a　law

for　the　suppression　of　all　claims；　it　is　imagined　that　it　is　passed；

and　the　statement　is　current　that　〃the　King　and　the　National

Assembly　have　ordered　deputations　to　set　up　the　maypole＇64＇　and　to

'light　up'　the　chateaux。〃　　…　　Moreover；　and　always　in　accordance

with　current　practice；　bandits；　people　without　occupation；　take　the

lead　of　the　furious　crowd　and　manage　things　their　own　way。　　As　soon

as　a　band　is　formed　it　arrests　all　the　peaceable　people　it　can　find

on　the　roads；　in　the　fields；　and　in　isolated　farmhouses；　and　takes

good　care　to　put　them　in　front　in　case　of　blows。　　…　　These

miscreants　add　terror　to　compulsion。　　They　erect　gibbets　for　any　one

that　pays　casual　duties　or　annual　dues；　while　the　parishes　of　Quercy

threaten　their　neighbors　of　Perigord　with　fire　and　sword　in　a　week's

time　if　they　do　not　do　in　Perigord　as　they　have　done　in　Quercy。　　…

The　tocsin　rings；　the　drums　beat；　and　〃the　ceremony　〃　is　performed

from　commune　to　commune。　　The　keys　of　the　church　are　forcibly　taken

from　the　curé　the　seats　are　burned；　and；　frequently；　the　woodwork

marked　with　the　seigneur's　arms。　　They　march　to　the　seigneur's

mansion；　tear　down　his　weathercocks；　and　compel　him　to　furnish　his

finest　tree；　together　with　feathers　and　ribbons　with　which　to　deck

it；　without　omitting　the　three　measures　which　he　uses　in　the

collection　of　his　dues　in　grain　or　flour。　　The　maypole　is　planted　in

the　village　square；　and　the　weathercocks；　ribbons；　and　feathers　are

attached　to　its　top；　together　with　the　three　measures　and　this

inscription；　〃By　order　of　the　King　and　National　Assembly；　the　final

quittance　for　all　rentals。〃　When　this　is　done　it　is　evident　that　the

seigneur；　who　no　longer　possesses　weathercocks；　or　a　seat　in　the

church；　or　measures　to　rate　his　dues　by；　is　no　longer　a　seigneur；

and　can　no　longer　put　forth　claims　of　any　kind。　　Huzzahs　and

acclamations　accordingly　burst　forth；　and　there　is　a　revel　and　an

orgy　on　the　public　square。　　All　who　can　pay　　…　　the　seigneur；　the

curé；　and　the　rich　　…　　are　put　under　contribution　for　the　festival；

while　the　people　eat　and　drink　〃without　any　interval　of　sobriety。〃

…　　In　this　condition；　being　armed；　they　strike；　and　when　resistance

is　offered；　they　burn。　　In　Agénois；　a　chateau　belonging　to　M。　de

Lameth；　and　another　of　M。　d'Aiguillon；　in　Upper　Languedoc；　that　of

M。　de　Bournazel；　and　in　Perigord　that　of　M。　de　Bar；　are　burnt　down：



M。　de　Bar　is　almost　beaten　to　death；　while　six　others　are　killed　in

Quercy。　　A　number　of　chateaux　in　the　environs　of　Montauban　and　in

Limousin　are　assaulted　with　firearms；　and　several　are　pillaged。　　…

Bands　of　twelve　hundred　men　swarm　the　country；　〃they　have　a　spite

against　every　estate；〃　they　redress　wrongs；　〃they　try　over　again

cases　disposed　of　thirty　years　ago；　and　give　judgments　which　they

put　into　execution。〃　　…　　If　anybody　fails　to　conform　to　the　new　code

he　is　punished；　and　to　the　advantage　of　the　new　sovereigns。　　In

Agénois；　a　gentleman　having　paid　the　rent　which　was　associated　with

his　fief　the　people　take　his　receipt　from　him；　mulct　him　in　a　sum

equal　to　that　which　he　paid；　and　come　under　his　windows　to　spend　the

money　on　good　cheer；　in　triumph　and　with　derision。



Many　of　the　National　Guards　who　still　possess　some　degree　of　energy；

several　of　the　municipalities　which　still　preserve　some　love　of

order；　and　a　number　of　the　resident　gentry；　employ　their　arms

against　these　excited　swarms　of　brutal　usurpers。　　Some　of　the

ruffians；　taken　in　the　act；　are　judged　somewhat　after　the　fashion　of

a　drum…head　court…martial；　and　immediately　executed　as　examples。

Everybody　in　the　country　sees　that　the　peril　to　society　is　great　and

urgent；　and　that　if　such　acts　go　unpunished；　there　will　be　no　such

thing　as　law　and　property　in　France。　　The　Bordeaux　parliament；

moreover；　insists　upon　prosecutions。　　Eighty…three　boroughs　and

cities　sign　addresses；　and　send　a　special　deputation　to　the　National

Assembly　to　urge　on　prosecutions　already　commenced；　the　punishment

of　criminals　under　arrest；　and；　above　all；　the　maintenance　of　the

prév？tés。＇65＇　In　reply　to　this；　the　Assembly　inflicts　upon　the

parliament　of　Bordeaux　its　disapprobation　in　the　rudest　manner；　and

enters　upon　the　demolition　of　every　judicial　corporation。＇66＇　　After

this；　the　execution　of　all　prévotal　decisions　is　adjourned。　　A　few

months　later　the　Assembly　will　oblige　the　King　to　declare　that　the

proceedings　begun　against　the　jacquerie　of　Brittany　shall　be

regarded　as　null　and　void；　and　that　the　arrested　insurgents　shall　be

set　free。　　For　repressive　purposes；　it　dispatches　a　sentimental

exhortation　to　the　French　p