the origins of contemporary france-1-第113章

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the　year；　even　lack　barley　and　oat　bread　which　is　their　sole　food；　and

which　they　are　compelled　to　take　out　of　their　own　and　their　children's

mouths　to　pay　the　taxes。　　It　pains　me　to　see　this　sad　spectacle　every

year　on　my　visits。　　The　Negroes　of　our　colonies　are；　in　this　respect；

infinitely　better　off；　for；　while　working；　they　are　fed　and　clothed

along　with　their　wives　and　children；　while　our　peasantry；　the　most

laborious　in　the　kingdom；　cannot；　with　the　hardest　and　most　devoted

labor；　earn　bread　for　themselves　and　their　families；　and　at　the　same

time　pay　their　charges。〃　In　1740＇7＇　at　Lille；　the　people　rebel　against

the　export　of　grain。　　〃An　intendant　informs　me　that　the　misery

increases　from　hour　to　hour；　the　slightest　danger　to　the　crops

resulting　in　this　for　three　years　past。　　。　　。　　。Flanders；　especially；　is

greatly　embarrassed；　there　is　nothing　to　live　on　until　the　harvesting；

which　will　not　take　place　for　two　months。　　The　provinces　the　best　off

are　not　able　to　help　the　others。　　Each　bourgeois　in　each　town　is

obliged　to　feed　one　or　two　poor　persons　and　provide　them　with　fourteen

pounds　of　bread　per　week。　　In　the　little　town　of　Chatellerault；　（of

4；000　inhabitants）；　1800　poor；　this　winter；　are　in　that　situation。　　。　　。

。　　The　poor　outnumber　those　able　to　live　without　begging　。　　。　　。　　while

prosecutions　for　unpaid　dues　are　carried　on　with　unexampled　rigor。　　The

clothes　of　the　poor；　their　last　measure　of　flour　and　the　latches　on

their　doors　are　seized；　etc。　　。。　　。　　The　abbess　of　Jouarre　told　me

yesterday　that；　in　her　canton；　in　Brie；　most　of　the　land　had　not　been

planted。〃　It　is　not　surprising　that　the　famine　spreads　even　to　Paris。

〃Fears　are　entertained　of　next　Wednesday。　　There　is　no　more　bread　in

Paris；　except　that　of　the　damaged　flour　which　is　brought　in　and　which

burns　（when　baking）。　　The　mills　are　working　day　and　night　at

Belleville；　regrinding　old　damaged　flour。　　The　people　are　ready　to

rebel；　bread　goes　up　a　sol　a　day；　no　merchant　dares；　or　is　disposed；

to　bring　in　his　wheat。　　The　market　on　Wednesday　was　almost　in　a　state

of　revolt；　there　being　no　bread　in　it　after　seven　o'clock　in　the

morning。　　。　　。　　。　　The　poor　creatures　at　Bicêtre　prison　were　put　on　short

rations；　three　quarterons　（twelve　ounces）；　being　reduced　to　only　half

a　pound。　　A　rebellion　broke　out　and　they　forced　the　guards。　　Numbers

escaped　and　they　have　inundated　Paris。　　The　watch；　with　the　police　of

the　neighborhood；　were　called　out；　and　an　attack　was　made　on　these

poor　wretches　with　bayonet　and　sword。　　About　fifty　of　them　were　left　on

the　ground；　the　revolt　was　not　suppressed　yesterday　morning。〃



Ten　years　later　the　evil　is　greater。＇8＇



〃In　the　country　around　me；　ten　leagues　from　Paris；　I　find　increased

privation　and　constant　complaints。　　What　must　it　be　in　our　wretched

provinces　in　the　interior　of　the　kingdom？　。　　。　　。　　My　curate　tells　me

that　eight　families；　supporting　themselves　on　their　labor　when　I　left；

are　now　begging　their　bread。　　There　is　no　work　to　be　had。　　The　wealthy

are　economizing　like　the　poor。　　And　with　all　this　the　taille　is　exacted

with　military　severity。　　The　collectors；　with　their　officers；

accompanied　by　locksmiths；　force　open　the　doors　and　carry　off　and　sell

furniture　for　one…quarter　of　its　value；　the　expenses　exceeding　the

amount　of　the　tax　。　　。　　。　　〃　　　…　　　〃I　am　at　this　moment　on　my　estates　in

Touraine。　　I　encounter　nothing　but　frightful　privations；　the　melancholy

sentiment　of　suffering　no　longer　prevails　with　the　poor　inhabitants；

but　rather　one　of　utter　despair；　they　desire　death　only；　and　avoid

increase。　　。　　。　　。　　It　is　estimated　that　one…quarter　of　the　working…days

of　the　year　go　to　the　corvées；　the　laborers　feeding　themselves；　and

with　what？　。　　。　　。　　I　see　poor　people　dying　of　destitution。　　They　are　paid

fifteen　sous　a　day；　equal　to　a　crown；　for　their　load。　　Whole　villages

are　either　ruined　or　broken　up；　and　none　of　the　households　recover。　　。

。　　。　　Judging　by　what　my　neighbors　tell　me　the　inhabitants　have

diminished　one…third。　　。　　。　　。　　The　daily　laborers　are　all　leaving　and

taking　refuge　in　the　small　towns。　　In　many　villages　everybody　leaves。　　I

have　several　parishes　in　which　the　taille　for　three　years　is　due；　the

proceedings　for　its　collection　always　going　on。　　。　　。　　。　　The　receivers　of

the　taille　and　of　the　taxes　add　one…half　each　year　in　expenses　above

the　tax。　　。　　。　　。　　An　assessor；　on　coming　to　the　village　where　I　have　my

country…house；　states　that　the　taille　this　year　will　be　much

increased；　he　noticed　that　the　peasants　here　were　fatter　than

elsewhere；　that　they　had　chicken　feathers　before　their　doors；　and　that

the　living　here　must　be　good；　everybody　doing　well；　etc。　　　…　　This　is

the　cause　of　the　peasant's　discouragement；　and　likewise　the　cause　of

misfortune　throughout　the　kingdom。〃　　…　　〃In　the　country　where　I　am

staying　I　hear　that　marriage　is　declining　and　that　the　population　is

decreasing　on　all　sides。　　In　my　parish；　with　a　few　fire…sides；　there

are　more　than　thirty　single　persons；　male　and　female；　old　enough　to

marry　and　none　of　them　considering　it。　　On　being　urged　to　marry　they

all　reply　alike　that　it　is　not　worth　while　to　bring　unfortunate　beings

like　themselves　into　the　world。　　I　have　myself　tried　to　induce　some　of

the　women　to　marry　by　offering　them　assistance；　but　they　all　reason　in

this　way　as　if　they　had　consulted　together。〃＇9＇　　…　　〃One　of　my　curates

sends　me　word　that；　although　he　is　the　oldest　in　the　province　of

Touraine；　and　has　seen　many　things；　including　excessively　high　prices

for　wheat；　he　remembers　no　misery　so　great　as　that　of　this　year；　even

in　1709。　　。　　。　　。　　Some　of　the　seigniors　of　Touraine　inform　me　that；　being

desirous　of　setting　the　inhabitants　to　work　by　the　day；　they　found

very　few　of　them；　and　these　so　weak　that　they　were　unable　to　use　their

hands。〃



Those　who　are　able　to　leave；　go。



　〃A　person　from　Languedoc　tells　me　of　vast　numbers　of　peasants

deserting　that　province　and　taking　refuge　in　Piedmont；　Savoy；　and

Spain；　tormented　and　frightened　by　the　measures　resorted　to　in

collecting　tithes。　　。　　。　　。　　The　extortioners　sell　everything　and　imprison

everybody　as　if　prisoners　of　war；　and　even　with　more　avidity　and

malice；　in　order　to　gain　something　themselves。〃　　…　　〃I　met　an

intendant　of　one　of　the　finest　provinces　in　the　kingdom；　who　told　me

that　no　more　farmers　could　be　found　there；　that　parents　preferred　to

send　their　children　to　the　towns；　that　living　in　the　surrounding

country　was　daily　becoming　more　horrible　to　the　inhabitants。　　。　　。　　。　　A

man；　well…informed　in　financial　matters；　told　me　that　over　two　hundred

families　in　Normandy　had　left　this　year；　fearing　the　collections　in

their　villages。〃　　…　　At　Paris；　〃the　streets　swarm　with　beggars。　　One

cannot　stop　before　a　door　without　a　dozen　mendicants　besetting　him

with　their　importunities。　　They　are　said　to　be　people　from　the　country

who；　unable　to　endure　the　persecutions　they　have　to　undergo；　take

refuge　in　the　cities　。　　。　　。　　preferring　begging　to　labor。〃　　…　　And　yet

the　people　of　the　cities　are　not　much　better　off。　　〃An　officer　of　a

company　in　garrison　at　Mezieres　tells　me　that　the　poverty　of　that

place　is　so　great　that；　after　the　officers　had　dined　in　the　inns；　the

people　rush　in　and　pillage　the　remnants。〃　　…　　〃There　are　more　than

12；000　begging　workmen　in　Rouen；　quite　as　many　in　Tours；　etc。　　More

than　20；000　of　these　workmen　are　estimated　as　having　left　the　kingdom

in　three　months　for　Spain；　Germany；　etc。　　At　Lyons　20；000　workers　in

silk　are　watched　and　kept　in　sight　for　fear　of　their　going　abroad。〃　At

Rouen；＇10＇　and　in　Normandy；　〃those　in　easy　circumstances　find　it

difficult　to　get　bread；　the　bulk　of　the　people　being　entirely　without

it；　and；　to　ward　off　starvation；　providing　themselves　with　food

otherwise　repulsive　to　human　beings。〃　　…　　〃Even　at　Paris；〃　writes

d'Argenson；＇11＇　〃I　learn　that　on　the　day　M。　le　Dauphin　and　Mme。　　la

Dauphine　went　to　Notre　Dame；　on　passing　the　bridge　of　the　Tou