the origins of contemporary france-2-第96章

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set　free。　　For　repressive　purposes；　it　dispatches　a　sentimental

exhortation　to　the　French　people；　consisting　of　twelve　pages　of

literary　insipidity；　which　Florian　might　have　composed　for　his

Estilles　and　his　Nemorins。＇67＇　　…　　New　conflagrations；　as　an

inevitable　consequence；　kindle　around　live　coals　which　have　been

imperfectly　extinguished。　　In　the　district　of　Saintes；＇68＇　M。

Dupaty；　counselor　of　the　parliament　of　Bordeaux；　after　having

exhausted　mild　resources；　and　having　concluded　by　issuing　writs

against　those　of　his　tenantry　who　would　not　pay　their　rents；　the

parish　of　Saint…Thomas　de　Cosnac；　combined　with　five　or　six　others；

puts　itself　in　motion　and　assails　his　two　chateaux　of　Bois…Roche　and

Saint…George…des…Agouts；　these　are　plundered　and　then　set　on　fire；

his　son　escaping　through　a　volley　of　musket…balls。　　They　visit

Martin；　the　notary　and　steward；　in　the　same　fashion；　his　furniture

is　pillaged　and　his　money　is　taken；　and　〃his　daughter　undergoes　the

most　frightful　outrages。〃　Another　detachment　pushes　on　to　the　house

of…the　Marquis　de　Cumont；　and　forces　him；　under　the　penalty　of

having　his　house　burnt　down；　to　give　a　discharge　for　all　the　claims

he　has　upon　them。　　At　the　head　of　these　incendiaries　are　the

municipal　officers　of　Saint…Thomas；　except　the　mayor；　who　has　taken

to　flight。



The　electoral　system　organized　by　the　Constituent　Assembly　is

beginning　to　take　effect。　　〃Almost　everywhere；〃　writes　the　royal

commissioner；　〃the　large　proprietors　have　been　eliminated；　and　the

offices　have　been　filled　by　men　who　strictly　fulfill　the　conditions

of　eligibility。　　The　result　is　a　sort　of　rage　of　the　petty　rich　to

annoy　those　who　enjoy　large　heritages。〃　　…　　Six　months　later；　the

National　Guards　and　village　authorities　in　this　same　department　at

Aujean；　Migron；　and　Varaise；　decide　that　no　more　tithes；　agriers　or

champarts；　nor　any　of　the　dues　which　are　retained；　shall　be　paid。

In　vain　does　the　department　annul　the　decision；　and　send　its

commissioners；　gendarmes；　and　law…officers。　　The　commissioners　are

driven　away；　and　the　officers　and　gendarmes　are　fired　upon；　the

vice…president　of　the　district；　who　was　on　his　way　to　make　his

report　to　the　department；　is　seized　on　the　road　and　forced　to　give

in　his　resignation。　　Seven　parishes　have　coalesced　with　Aujean　and

ten　with　Migron；　Varaise　has　sounded　the　tocsin；　and　the　villages

for　four　leagues　round　have　risen；　fifteen　hundred　men；　armed　with

guns；　scythes；　hatchets　and　pitchforks；　lend　their　aid。　　The　object

is　to　set　free　the　principal　leader　at　Varaise；　one　Planche；　who　was

arrested；　and　to　punish　the　mayor　of　Varaise；　Latierce；　who　is

suspected　of　having　denounced　Planche。　　Latierce　is　unmercifully

beaten；　and　〃forced　to　undergo　a　thousand　torments　during　thirty

hours；〃　then　they　set　out　with　him　to　Saint…Jean…d'Angely；　and

demand　the　release　of　Planche。　　The　municipality　at　first　refuses；

but　finally　consents　on　the　condition　that　Latierce　be　given　up　in

exchange　for　him。　　Planche；　consequently；　is　set　at　liberty　and

welcomed　with　shouts　of　triumph。　　Latierce；　however；　is　not　given

up；　on　the　contrary；　he　is　tormented　for　an　hour　and　then　massacred；

while　the　directory　of　the　district；　which　is　less　submissive　than

the　municipal　body；　is　forced　to　fly。　　…　　Symptoms　of　this　kind　are

not　to　be　mistaken；　and　similar　ones　exist　in　Brittany。　　It　is

evident　that　the　minds　of　the　people　are　permanently　in　revolt。

Instead　of　the　social　abscess　being　relieved　by　the　discharge；　it　is

always　filling　up　and　getting　more　inflamed。　　It　will　burst　a　second

time　in　the　same　places；　in　1791　as　in　1790；　the　jacquerie　spreads

throughout　Brittany　as　it　has　spread　over　Limousin。



This　is　because　the　determination　of　the　peasant　is　of　another

nature　than　ours；　his　will　being　more　firm　and　tenacious。　　When　an

idea　obtains　a　hold　on　him　it　takes　root　in　an　obscure　and　profound

conviction　upon　which　neither　discussion　nor　argument　have　any

effect；　once　planted；　it　vegetates　according　to　his　notions；　not

according　to　ours；　and　no　legislative　text；　no　judicial　verdict；　no

administrative　remonstrance　can　change　in　any　respect　the　fruit　it

produces。　　This　fruit；　developed　during　centuries；　is　the　feeling　of

an　excessive　plunder；　and；　consequently；　the　need　of　an　absolute

release。　　Too　much　having　been　paid　to　everybody；　the　peasant　now　is

not　disposed　to　pay　anything　to　anybody；　and　this　idea；　vainly

repressed；　always　rises　up　in　the　manner　of　an　instinct。　　…　　In　the

month　of　January；　1791；＇69＇　bands　again　form　in　Brittany；　owing　to

the　proprietors　of　the　ancient　fiefs　having　insisted　on　the　payment

of　their　rents。　　At　first　the　coalesced　parishes　refuse　to　pay　the

stewards；　and　after　this　the　rustic　National　Guards　enter　the

chateaux　to　constrain　the　proprietors。　　Generally；　it　is　the

commander　of　the　National　Guard；　and　sometimes　the　communal

attorney；　who　dictates　to　the　lord　of　the　manor　the　renunciation　of

his　claims；　they　oblige　him；　moreover；　to　sign　notes　for　the　benefit

of　the　parish；　or　for　that　of　various　private　individuals。　　This　is

considered　by　them　to　be　compensation　for　damages；　all　feudal　dues

being　abolished；　he　must　return　what　he　received　from　them　during

the　past　year；　and　as　they　have　been　put　to　inconvenience　he　must

indemnify　them　by　〃paying　them　for　their　time　and　journey。〃　Such　are

the　operations　of　two　of　the　principal　bands；　one　of　them　numbering

fifteen　hundred　men；　around　Dinan　and　St。　　Malo；　for　greater

security　they　burn　title…deeds　in　the　chateaux　of　Saint…Tual；　Besso；

Beaumanoir；　La　Rivière；　La　Bellière；　Chateauneuf；　Chenay；

Chausavoir；　Tourdelon；　and　Chalonge；　and　as　a　climax　they　set　fire

to　Chateauneuf　just　before　the　arrival　of　the　regular　troops。　　…　　In

the　beginning；　a　dim　conception　of　legal　and　social　order　seems　to

be　floating　in　their　brains；　at　Saint…Tual；　before　taking　2；000

livres　from　the　steward；　they　oblige　the　mayor　to　give　them　his

consent　in　writing；　at　Yvignac；　their　chief；　called　upon　to　show　the

authority　under　which　he　acted；　declares　that　〃he　is　authorized　by

the　general　will　of　the　populace　of　the　nation。〃＇70＇　…　But　when；　at

the　end　of　a　month；　they　are　beaten　by　the　regular　troops；　made

furious　by　the　blows　given　and　taken；　and　excited　by　the　weakness　of

the　municipal　authorities　who　release　their　prisoners；　they　then

become　bandits　of　the　worst　species。　　During　the　night　of　the　22nd

of　February；　the　chateau　of　Villefranche；　three　leagues　from

Malestroit；　is　attacked。　　Thirty…two　rascals　with　their　faces

masked；　and　led　by　a　chief　in　the　national　uniform；　break　open　the

door。　　The　domestics　are　strangled。　　The　proprietor；　M。　de　la

Bourdonnaie；　an　old　man；　with　his　wife　aged　sixty；　are　half　killed

by　blows　and　tied　fast　to　their　bed；　and　after　this　a　fire　is

applied　to　their　feet　and　they　are　warmed　（chauffé）。　　In　the

meantime　the　plate；　linen；　stuffs；　jewelry；　two　thousand　francs　in

silver；　and　even　watches；　buckles；　and　rings；　　…　　everything　is

pillaged；　piled　on　the　backs　of　the　eleven　horses　in　the　stables；

and　carried　off。　　…　　？When　property　is　concerned；　one　sort　of

outrage　provokes　another；　the　narrow　cupidity　of　the　lease…holder

being　completed　by　the　unlimited　rapacity　of　the　brigand。



Meanwhile；　in　the　south…western　provinces；　the　same　causes　have

produced　the　same　results；　and　towards　the　end　of　autumn；　when　the

crops　are　gathered　in　and　the　proprietors　demand　their　dues　in　money

or　in　produce；　the　peasant；　immovably　fixed　in　his　idea；　again

refuses。＇71＇　In　his　eyes；　any　law　that　may　be　against　him　is　not

that　of　the　National　Assembly；　but　of　the　so…called　seigneurs；　who

have　extorted　or　manufactured　it；　and　therefore　it　is　null。　　The

department　and　district　administrators　may　promulgate　it　as　much　as

they　please：　it　does　not　concern　him；　and　if　the　opportunity　occurs；

he　knows　how　to　make　them　smart　for　it。　　The　village　National

Guards；　who　are　lease…holders　like　himself；　s