the origins of contemporary france-4-第91章

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〃that　he　is　in　danger　if　he　does　not　come　forward　and　meet　the

indispensable　requirements　of　the　Revolution　in　its　secret

expenditures。〃　An　important　figure；　Lemoal；　member　of　the

revolutionary　committee　and　administrator　of　the　district；　had　spoken

of　these　requirements　and　thought　that　M。　Davilliers　should

contribute　the　sum　of　one　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　livres。　　Upon

this；　a　knock　at　the　door　is　heard；　Lemoal　enters　and　all　present　slip

out　of　the　room；　and　Lemoal　pronounces　these　words　only：　〃Do　you

consent？〃　…　〃But　I　cannot　thus　dispose　of　my　partners'　property。〃　…

〃Then　you　will　go　to　prison。〃　At　this　threat　the　poor　man　yields　and

gives　his　note　to　Lemoal　at　twenty　days；　payable　to　bearer；　for　one

hundred　and　fifty　thousand　livres；　and；　at　the　end　of　a　fortnight；　by

dint　of　pushing　his　claims；　obtains　his　freedom。　　Thereupon；　Lemoal

thinks　the　matter　over；　and　deems　it　prudent　to　cover　up　his　private

extortion　by　a　public　one。　　Accordingly；　he　sends　for　M。　Davilliers　：

〃It　is　now　essential　for　you　to　openly　contribute　one　hundred　and

fifty　thousand　livres　more　for　the　necessities　of　the　Republic。　　I

will　introduce　you　to　the　representatives　to　whom　you　should　make　the

offer。〃　The　chicken　being　officially　plucked　in　this　way；　nobody　would

suppose　that　it　had　been　first　privately　plucked；　and；　moreover；　the

inquisitive；　if　there　were　any；　would　be　thrown　off　the　scent　by　the

confusion　arising　from　two　sums　of　equal　amount。　　M。　Davilliers　begs

to　be　allowed　to　consult　his　partners；　and；　as　they　are　not　in　prison；

they　refuse。　　Lemoal；　on　his　side；　is　anxious　to　receive　the　money　for

his　note；　while　poor　Davilliers；　〃struck　with　terror　by　nocturnal

arrests；〃　and　seeing　that　Lemoal　is　always　on　the　top　of　the　ladder；

concludes　to　pay；　at　first；　he　gives　him　thirty　thousand　livres；　and

next；　the　charges；　amounting　in　all　to　forty…one　thousand　livres；

when；　being　at　the　end　of　his　resources；　he　begs　and　entreats　to　have

his　note　returned　to　him。　　Lemoal；　on　this；　considering　the　chicken　as

entirely　stripped；　becomes　mollified；　and　tears　off　in　presence　of　his

debtor　〃the　signature　in　full　of　the　note；〃　and；　along　with　this；　his

own　receipts　for　partial　payments　underneath。　　But　he　carefully

preserves　the　note　itself；　for；　thus　mutilated；　it　will　show；　if

necessary；　that　he　had　not　received　anything；　and　that；　through

patriotism；　he　had　undoubtedly　wished　to　force　a　contribution　from　a

merchant；　but；　finding　him　insolvent；　had　humanely　canceled　the

written　obligation。＇116＇　…　Such　are　the　precautions　taken　in　this

business。　　Others；　less　shrewd；　rob　more　openly；　among　others　the

mayor；　the　seven　members　of　the　military　commission　surnamed　〃the

seven　mortal　sins；〃　and　especially　their　president；　Lacombe；　who；　by

promising　releases；　extracts　from　eight　or　nine　captives　three　hundred

and　fifty…nine　thousand　six　hundred　livres。＇117＇　　〃Through　such

schemes；〃　writes　a　rigid　Jacobin；＇118＇　〃many　of　those　who　had　been

declared　outlaws　returned　to　Bordeaux　by　paying；　of　the　number　who

thus　redeemed　their　lives；　some　did　not　deserve　to　lose　it；　but；

nevertheless；　they　were　threatened　with　execution　if　they　did　not

consent　to　everything。　　But　material　proofs　of　this　are　hard　to

obtain。　　These　men　now　keep　silent；　for　fear；　through　open

denunciation；　of　sharing　in　the　penalty　of　the　traffickers　in　justice；

and　being　unwilling　to　expose　（anew）　the　life　they　have　preserved。〃　In

short；　the　plucked　pigeon　is　mute；　so　as　not　to　attract　attention；　as

well　as　to　avoid　the　knife；　and　all　the　more；　because　those　who　pluck

him　hold　on　to　the　knife　and　might；　should　he　cry　out；　dispatch　him

with　the　more　celerity。　　Even　if　he　makes　no　noise；　they　sometimes

dispatch　him　so　as　to　stifle　in　advance　any　possible　outcry；　which

happened　to　the　Duc　du　Chatelet　and　others。　　There　is　but　one　mode　of

self…preservation＇119＇　and　that　is；　〃to　settle　with　such　masters　by

installments；　to　pay　them　monthly；　like　wet　nurses；　on　a　scale

proportionate　to　the　activity　of　the　guillotine。〃　…　In　any　event；　the

pirates　are　not　disturbed；　for　the　trade　in　lives　and　liberties　leaves

no　trace　behind　it；　and　is　carried　on　with　impunity　for　two　years；

from　one　end　of　France　to　the　other；　according　to　a　tacit

understanding　between　sellers　and　buyers。



There　is　a　third　windfall；　not　less　large；　but　carried　on　in　more　open

sunshine　and　therefore　still　more　enticing。　　…　Once　the　〃suspect　is

incarcerated；　whatever　he　brings　to　prison　along　with　him；　whatever　he

leaves　behind　him　at　home；　becomes　plunder；　for；　with　the

incompleteness；　haste　and　irregularity　of　papers；＇120＇　with　the　lack

of　surveillance　and　known　connivance；　the　vultures；　great　and　small；

could　freely　use　their　beaks　and　talons。　　…　At　Toulouse；　as　in　Paris

and　elsewhere；　commissioners　take　from　prisoners　every　object　of　value

and；　accordingly；　in　many　cases；　all　gold；　silver；　assignats；　and

jewelry；　which；　confiscated　for　the　Treasury；　stop　half…way　in　the

hands　of　those　who　make　the　seizure。＇121＇　　At　Poitiers；　the　seven

scoundrels　who　form　the　ruling　oligarchy；　admit；　after　Thermidor；　that

they　stole　the　effects　of　arrested　parties。＇122＇　At　Orange；　〃Citoyenne

Riot；〃　wife　of　the　public　prosecutor；　and　〃citoyennes　Fernex　and

Ragot；〃　wives　of　two　judges；　come　in　person　to　the　record…office　to

make　selections　from　the　spoils　of　the　accused；　taking　for　their

wardrobe　silver　shoe…buckles；　laces　and　fine　linen。＇123＇　…　But　all

that　the　accused；　the　imprisoned　and　fugitives　can　take　with　them；

amounts　to　but　little　in　comparison　with　what　they　leave　at　home；　that

is　to　say；　under　sequestration。　　All　the　religious　or　seignorial

chateaux　and　mansions　in　France　are　in　this　plight；　along　with　their

furniture；　and　likewise　most　of　the　fine　bourgeois　mansions；　together

with　a　large　number　of　minor　residences；　well…furnished　and　supplied

through　provincial　economy；　besides　these；　nearly　every　warehouse　and

store　belonging　to　large　manufacturers　and　leading　commercial　houses；

all　this　forms　colossal　spoil；　such　as　was　never　seen　before；

consisting　of　objects　one　likes　to　possess；　gathered　in　vast　lots；

which　lots　are　distributed　by　hundreds　of　thousands　over　the　twenty…

six　thousand　square　miles　of　territory。　　There　are　no　owners　for　this

property　but　the　nation；　an　indeterminate；　invisible　personage；　no

barrier　other　than　so　many　seals　exists　between　the　spoils　and　the

despoilers；　that　is　to　say；　so　many　strips　of　paper　held　fast　by　two

ill…applied　and　indistinct　stamps。　　Bear　in　mind；　too；　that　the

guardians　of　the　spoil　are　the　sans…culottes　who　have　made　a　conquest

of　it；　that　they　are　poor；　that　such　a　profusion　of　useful　or　precious

objects　makes　them　feel　the　bareness　of　their　homes　all　the　more；　that

their　wives　would　like　to　lay　in　a　stock　of　furniture；　moreover；　has

it　not　held　out　to　them　from　the　beginning　of　the　Revolution；　that

〃forty…thousand　mansions；　palaces　and　chateaux；　two…thirds　of　the

property　of　France；　would　be　the　reward　of　their　valor？〃＇124＇　　At　this

very　moment；　does　not　the　representative　on　mission　authorize　their

greed？　Are　not　Albitte　and　Collot　d'Herbois　at　Lyons；　Fouché　at

Nevers；　Javogues　at　Montbrison；　proclaiming　that　the　possessions　of

anti…revolutionaries　and　a　surplus　of　riches　form　〃the　patrimony　of

the　sans…culottes？〃＇125＇　　Do　they　not　read　in　the　proclamations　of

Monestier；＇126＇　that　the　peasants　〃before　leaving　home　may　survey　and

measure　off　the　immense　estates　of　their　seigneurs；　choose；　for

example；　on　their　return；　whatever　they　want　to　add　to　their　farm　。　　。

。　　。　　tacking　on　a　bit　of　field　or　rabbit…warren　belonging　to　the

former　count　or　marquis？〃　Why　not　take　a　portion　of　his　furniture；　any

of　his　beds　or　clothes…presses　…　…　It　is　not　surprising　that；　after

this；　the　slip　of　paper　which　protects　sequestrated　furniture　and

confiscated　merchandise　should　be　ripped　off　by　gross　and　greedy

hands！　When；　after　Thermidor；　the　master　returns　to　his