the origins of contemporary france-3-第94章

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Early　in　1789；　M。　de　Gouy　d'Arcy＇73＇　was　the　first　to　put　his　pen　to

paper　in　behalf　of　popular　rights。　A　deputy　of　the　noblesse　to　the

Constituent　Assembly；　he　is　the　first　to　rally　to　the　Third…Estate；

when　the　liberal　minority　of　the　noblesse　came　and　took　their　seats　in

the　hall　of　the　Communes；　he　had　already　been　there　eight　days；　and；

for　thirty　months；　he　〃invariably　seated　himself　on　the　side　of　the

'Left。'〃　　Senior　major…general；　and　ordered　by　the　Legislative

Assembly　to　suppress　the　outbreak　of　the　6；000　insurgents　at　Noyon；

〃he　kept　his　rigorous　orders　in　his　pocket　for　ten　days〃；　he　endured

their　insults；　he　risked　his　life　〃to　save　those　of　his　misguided

fellow…citizens；　and　he　had　the　good　fortune　not　to　spill　a　drop　of

blood。〃　　Exhausted　by　so　much　labor　and　effort；　almost　dying；　ordered

into　the　country　by　his　physicians；　〃he　devoted　his　income　to　the

relief　of　poverty〃；　he　planted　on　his　own　domain　the　first　liberty

tree　that　was　erected；　he　furnished　the　volunteers　with　clothes　and

arms；　〃instead　of　a　fifth；　he　yielded　up　a　third　of　his　revenue　under

the　forced　system　of　taxation。〃　　His　children　live　with　him　on　the

property；　which　has　been　in　the　family　four　hundred　years；　and　the

peasantry　call　him　〃their　father。〃　　No　one　could　lead　a　more　tranquil

or；　indeed；　a　more　meritorious　existence。　　But；　being　a　noble；　he　is

suspected；　and　a　delegate　from　the　Paris　Commune　denounces　him　at

Compiègne　as　having　in　his　house　two　cannon　and　five　hundred　and　fifty

muskets。　There　is　at　once　a　domiciliary　visit。　　Eight　hundred　men；

infantry　and　cavalry；　appear　before　the　chateau　d'Arcy　in　battle

array。　　He　meets　them　at　the　door　and　tenders　them　the　keys。　After　a

search　of　six　hours；　they　find　twelve　fowling　pieces　and　thirteen

rusty　pistols；　which　he　has　already　declared。　　His　disappointed

visitors　grumble；　break；　eat　and　drink　to　the　extent　of　2；000　crowns

damage。＇74＇　　Nevertheless；　urged　by　their　leaders　they　finally　retire。

But　M。　de　Gouy　has　60；000　francs　in　rentals　which　would　be　so　much

gain　to　the　nation　if　he　would　emigrate；　this　must　be　effected；　by

expelling　him；　and；　moreover　during　his　expulsion；　they　may　fill　their

pockets。　　For　eight　days　this　matter　is　discussed　in　the　Compiègne

club；　in　the　bars；　in　the　barracks；　and；　on　the　ninth　day；　150

volunteers　issue　from　the　town；　declaring　that　they　are　going　to　kill

M。　de　Gouy　and　all　who　belong　to　him。　　Informed　of　this；　he　departs

with　his　family；　leaving　the　doors　of　his　house　wide　open。　There　is　a

general　pillage　for　five　hours；　the　mob　drink　the　costly　wines；　steal

the　plate；　demand　horses　to　carry　their　booty　away；　and　promise　to

return　soon　and　take　the　owner's　head。　　In　effect；　on　the　following

morning　at　four　o'clock；　there　is　a　new　invasion；　a　new　pillage；　and；

this　time；　the　last　one；　the　servants　escape　under　a　fire　of　musketry；

and　M。　de　Gouy；　at　the　request　of　the　villagers；　whose　vineyards　are

devastated；　is　obliged　to　quit　that　part　of　the　country。＇75＇　　There

is　no　need　to　go　through　the　whole　file。　At　Houdainville；　at　the　house

of　M。　de　Saint…Maurice；　at　Nointel；　on　the　estate　of　the　Duc　de

Bourbon；　at　Chantilly；　on　the　estate　of　the　Prince　de　Condé；　at　the

house　of　M。　de　Fitz…James；　and　elsewhere；　a　certain　Gauthier；

〃commandant　of　the　Paris　detachment　of　Searchers；　and　charged　with　the

powers　of　the　Committee　of　Supervision；〃　makes　his　patriotic　circuit；

and　Roland　knows　beforehand　of　what　that　consists；　namely；　a

dragonnade＇76＇　in　regular　form　on　the　domains　of　all　nobles；　absent　or

present。＇77＇



Favorite　game　is　still　found　in　the　clergy；　more　vigorously　hunted

than　the　nobles；　Roland；　charged　with　the　duty　of　maintaining　public

order；　asks　himself　how　the　lives　of　inoffensive　priests；　which　the

law　recommends　to　him；　can　be　protected。　　At　Troyes；　at　the　house　of

M。　Fardeau；　an　old　non…conformist　curé；　an　altar　decked　with　its

sacred　vessels　is　discovered；　and　M。　Fardeau；　arrested；　refuses　to

take　the　civic　oath。　Torn　from　his　prison；　and　ordered　to　shout　〃Vive

la　Nation！〃　he　again　refuses。　On　this；　a　volunteer；　borrowing　an　ax

from　a　baker；　chops　off　his　head；　and　this　head；　washed　in　the　river；

is　borne　to　the　H？tel…de…ville。＇78＇　　At　Meaux；　a　brigade　of　Parisian

gendarmerie　murders　seven　priests；　and；　as　an　extra；　six　ordinary

malefactors　in　confinement。＇79＇　At　Rheims；　the　Parisian　volunteers

first　make　way　with　the　post…master　and　his　clerk；　both　under

suspicion　because　the　smell　of　burnt　paper　had　issued　from　their

chimney；　and；　next；　M。　de　Montrosier；　an　old　retired　officer；　which　is

the　opening　of　the　hunt。　Afterwards　they　fall　upon　two　ecclesiastics

with　pikes　and　sabers；　whom　their　game…beaters　have　brought　in　from

the　country；　then　on　the　former　curé　of　Saint…Jean；　and　on　that　of

Rilly；　their　corpses　are　cut　up；　paraded　through　the　streets　in

portions；　and　burnt　in　a　bonfire；　one　of　the　wounded　priests；　the　abbé

Alexandre；　is　thrown　in　still　alive。＇80＇　　Roland　recognizes　the　men

of　September；　who；　exposing　their　still　bloody　pikes；　came　to　his

domicile　to　demand　their　wages；　wherever　the　band　passes　it　announces；

〃in　the　name　of　the　people；〃　its　〃plenary　power　to　spread　the　example

of　the　capital。〃　　Now；　as　40；000　unsworn　priests　are　condemned　by　the

decree　of　August　26　to　leave　their　departments　in　a　week　and　France　in

a　fortnight；　shall　they　be　allowed　to　depart？　　Eight　thousand　of　them

at　Rouen；　in　obedience　to　the　decree；　charter　transports；　which　the

riotous　population　of　both　sides　of　the　Seine　prevent　from　leaving。

Roland　sees　in　his　dispatches　that　in　Rouen；　as　elsewhere；　they　crowd

the　municipalities　for　their　passports；＇81＇　but　that　these　are　often

refused。　Better　still；　at　Troyes；　at　Meaux；　at　Lyons；　at　D？le；　and　in

many　other　towns；　the　same　thing　is　done　as　at　Paris；　they　are

confined　in　particular　houses　or　in　prisons；　at　least；　provisionally；

〃for　fear　that　they　may　congregate　under　the　German　eagle〃；　so　that；

made　rebellious　and　declared　traitors　in　spite　of　themselves；　they　may

still　remain　in　their　pens　subject　to　the　knife。　　As　the　exportation

of　specie　is　prohibited；　those　who　have　procured　the　necessary　coin

are　robbed　of　it　on　the　frontier；　while　others；　who　fly　at　all

hazards；　tracked　like　wild　boars；　or　run　down　like　hares；　escape　like

the　bishop　of　Barral；　athwart　bayonets；　or　like　the　abbé　Guillon；

athwart　sabers；　when　they　are　not　struck　down；　like　the　abbé　Pescheur；

by　the　blows　of　a　gun…stock。＇82＇



It　is　soon　dawn。　The　files　are　too　numerous　and　too　large；　Roland

finds　that；　out　of　eighty…three；　he　can　examine　but　fifty；　he　must

hasten　on；　leaving　the　East；　his　eyes　again　turn　to　the　South。　　On

this　side；　too；　there　are　strange　sights。　　On　the　2nd　　of　September；

at　Chalons…sur…Marne＇83＇；　M。　Chanlaire；　an　octogenarian　and　deaf；　is

returning；　with　his　prayer…book　under　his　arm；　from　the　Mall；　to　which

he　resorted　daily　to　read　his　prayers。　　A　number　of　Parisian

volunteers　who　meet　him；　seeing　that　he　looks　like　a　devotee；　order

him　to　shout；　〃Vive　la　Liberté〃　　Unable　to　understand　them；　he　makes

no　reply。　They　then　seize　him　by　the　ears；　and；　not　marching　fast

enough；　they　drag　him　along；　his　old　ears　give　way；　and；　excited　by

seeing　blood；　they　cut　off　his　ears　and　nose；　and　thus；　the　poor　old

man　dripping　with　blood；　they　reach　the　H？tel…de…Ville。　　At　this　sight

a　notary；　posted　there　as　sentinel；　and　who　is　a　man　of　feeling；　is

horror…stricken　and　escapes；　while　the　other　National　Guards　hasten　to

shut　the　iron　gates。　　The　Parisians；　still　dragging　along　their

captive；　go　to　the　district　and　then　to　the　department　bureau　〃to

denounce　aristocrats〃；　on　the　way　they　continue　to　strike　the

tottering　old　man；　who　falls　down；　they　then　decapitate　him；　place

pieces　of　his　body　on　pikes；　and　parade　these　about。　　Meanwhile；　in

this　same　town；　twenty…two　gentlemen；　at　Beaune；　forty　priests　and

nobles；　at　Dijon；　eighty…three　heads　of　families；　locked　up　as

s