the origins of contemporary france-1-第116章

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be　sure　of　keeping　themselves　alive。　　…　　In　Limousin　and　in　Angoumois

their　poverty　is　so　great＇36＇　〃that；　deducting　the　taxes　to　which　they

are　subject；　they　have　no　more　than　from　twenty…five　to　thirty　livres

each　person　per　annum　to　spend；　and　not　in　money；　it　must　be　stated；

but　counting　whatever　they　consume　in　kind　out　of　the　crops　they

produce。　　Frequently　they　have　less；　and　when　they　cannot　possibly　make

a　living　the　master　is　obliged　to　support　them。　　。　　。　　。　　The　métayer　is

always　reduced　to　just　what　is　absolutely　necessary　to　keep　him　from

starving。〃　As　to　the　small　proprietor；　the　villager　who　plows　his　land

himself；　his　condition　is　but　little　better。　　〃Agriculture；＇37＇　as　our

peasants　practice　it；　is　a　veritable　drudgery；　they　die　by　thousands

in　childhood；　and　in　maturity　they　seek　places　everywhere　but　where

they　should　be。〃



　In　1783；　throughout　the　plain　of　the　Toulousain　they　eat　only

maize；　a　mixture　of　flour；　common　seeds　and　very　little　wheat；　those

on　the　mountains　feed；　a　part　of　the　year；　on　chestnuts；　the　potato　is

hardly　known；　and；　according　to　Arthur　Young；　ninety…nine　out　of　a

hundred　peasants　would　refuse　to　eat　it。　　According　to　the　reports　of

intendants；　the　basis　of　food；　in　Normandy；　is　oats；　in　the　election…

district　of　Troyes；　buck…wheat；　in　the　Marche　and　in　Limousin；

buckwheat　with　chestnuts　and　radishes；　in　Auvergne；　buckwheat；

chestnuts；　milk…curds　and　a　little　salted　goat's　meat；　in　Beauce；　a

mixture　of　barley　and　rye；　in　Berry；　a　mixture　of　barley　and　oats。

There　is　no　wheat　bread；　the　peasant　consumes　inferior　flour　only

because　he　is　unable　to　pay　two　sous　a　pound　for　his　bread。　　There　is

no　butcher's　meat；　at　best　he　kills　one　pig　a　year。　　His　dwelling　is

built　of　clay　（pise）；　roofed　with　thatch；　without　windows；　and　the

floor　is　the　beaten　ground。　　Even　when　the　soil　furnishes　good　building

materials；　stone；　slate　and　tile；　the　windows　have　no　sashes。　　In　a

parish　in　Normandy；＇38＇　in　1789；　〃most　of　the　dwellings　consist　of

four　posts。〃　They　are　often　mere　stables　or　barns　〃to　which　a　chimney

has　been　added　made　of　four　poles　and　some　mud。〃　Their　clothes　are

rags；　and　often　in　winter　these　are　muslin　rags。　　In　Quercy　and

elsewhere；　they　have　no　stockings；　or　wooden　shoes。　　〃It　is　not　in　the

power　of　an　English　imagination；〃　says　Arthur　Young；　〃to　imagine　the

animals　that　waited　on　us　here　at　the　Chapeau　Rouge；　　…　　creatures

that　were　called　by　courtesy　Souillac　women；　but　in　reality　walking

dung…hills。　　But　a　neatly　dressed；　clean　waiting…girl　at　an　inn；　will

be　looked　for　in　vain　in　France。〃　On　reading　descriptions　made　on　the

spot　we　see　in　France　a　similar　aspect　of　country　and　of　peasantry　as

in　Ireland；　at　least　in　its　broad　outlines。







III。　　THE　COUNTRYSIDE。



Aspects　of　the　country　and　of　the　peasantry。



In　the　most　fertile　regions；　for　instance；　in　Limagne；　both

cottages　and　faces　denote　〃misery　and　privation。〃＇39＇　〃The　peasants

are　generally　feeble；　emaciated　and　of　slight　stature。〃　Nearly　all

derive　wheat　and　wine　from　their　homesteads；　but　they　are　forced　to

sell　this　to　pay　their　rents　and　taxes；　they　eat　black　bread；　made　of

rye　and　barley；　and　their　sole　beverage　is　water　poured　on　the　lees

and　the　husks。　　〃An　Englishman＇40＇　who　has　not　traveled　can　not　imagine

the　figure　made　by　infinitely　the　greater　part　of　the　countrywomen　in

France。〃　Arthur　Young；　who　stops　to　talk　with　one　of　these　in

Champagne；　says　that　〃this　woman；　at　no　great　distance；　might　have

been　taken　for　sixty　or　seventy；　her　figure　was　so　bent　and　her　face

so　hardened　and　furrowed　by　labor；　　…　　but　she　said　she　was　only

twenty…eight。〃　This　woman；　her　husband　and　her　household；　afford　a

sufficiently　accurate　example　of　the　condition　of　the　small

proprietary　husbandmen。　　Their　property　consists　simply　of　a　patch　of

ground；　with　a　cow　and　a　poor　little　horse；　their　seven　children

consume　the　whole　of　the　cow's　milk。　　They　owe　to　one　seignior　a

franchard　（forty…two　pounds）　of　flour；　and　three　chickens；　to　another

three　franchards　of　oats；　one　chicken　and　one　sou；　to　which　must　be

added　the　taille　and　other　taxes。　　〃God　keep　us！〃　she　said；　〃for　the

tailles　and　the　dues　crush　us。〃　　…　　What　must　it　be　in　districts　where

the　soil　is　poor！　　　…



〃From　Ormes；　（near　Chatellerault）；　as　far　as　Poitiers；〃　writes　a

lady；＇41＇　〃there　is　a　good　deal　of　ground　which　brings　in　nothing；　and

from　Poitiers　to　my　residence　（in　Limousin）　25；000　arpents　of　ground

consist　wholly　of　heath　and　sea…grass。　　The　peasantry　live　on　rye；　of

which　they　do　not　remove　the　bran；　and　which　is　as　black　and　heavy　as

lead。　　…　　In　Poitou；　and　here；　they　plow　up　only　the　　skin　of　the

ground　with　a　miserable　little　plow　without　wheels。　　。　　。　　。　　From

Poitiers　to　Montmorillon　it　is　nine　leagues；　equal　to　sixteen　of

Paris；　and　I　assure　you　that　I　have　seen　but　four　men　on　the　road；

and；　between　Montmorillon　and　my　own　house；　which　is　four　leagues；　but

three；　and　then　only　at　a　distance；　not　having　met　one　on　the　road。

You　need　not　be　surprised　at　this　in　such　a　country。　　。　　。　　Marriage

takes　place　as　early　as　with　the　grand　seigniors；〃　doubtless　for　fear

of　the　militia。　　〃But　the　population　of　the　country　is　no　greater

because　almost　every　infant　dies。　　Mothers　having　scarcely　any　milk；

their　infants　eat　the　bread　of　which　I　spoke；　the　stomach　of　a　girl　of

four　years　being　as　big　as　that　of　a　pregnant　woman。　　。　　。　　。　　The　rye

crop　this　year　was　ruined　by　the　frost　on　Easter　day；　flour　is　scarce；

of　the　twelve　métairies　owned　by　my　mother；　four　of　them　may；　perhaps；

have　some　on　hand。　　There　has　been　no　rain　since　Easter；　no　hay；　no

pasture；　no　vegetables；　no　fruit。　　You　see　the　lot　of　the　poor　peasant。

There　is　no　manure；　and　there　are　no　cattle。　　。　　。　　。　　My　mother；　whose

granaries　used　to　be　always　full；　has　not　a　grain　of　wheat　in　them；

because；　for　two　years　past；　she　has　fed　all　her　métayers　and　the

poor。〃



　〃The　peasant　is　assisted；〃　says　a　seignior　of　the　same

province；＇42＇　〃protected；　and　rarely　maltreated；　but　he　is　looked　upon

with　disdain。　　If　kindly　and　pliable　he　is　made　subservient；　but　if

ill…disposed　he　becomes　soured　and　irritable。　　。　　。　　。　　He　is　kept　in

misery；　in　an　abject　state；　by　men　who　are　not　at　all　inhuman　but

whose　prejudices；　especially　among　the　nobles；　lead　them　to　regard　him

as　of　a　different　species　of　being。　　。　　。　　。　　The　proprietor　gets　all　he

can　out　of　him；　in　any　event；　looking　upon　him　and　his　oxen　as

domestic　animals；　he　puts　them　into　harness　and　employs　them　in　all

weathers　for　every　kind　of　journey；　and　for　every　species　of　carting

and　transport。　　On　the　other　hand；　this　métayer　thinks　of　living　with

as　little　labor　as　possible；　converting　as　much　ground　as　he　can　into

pasturage；　for　the　reason　that　the　product　arising　from　the　increase

of　stock　costs　him　no　labor。　　The　little　plowing　he　does　is　for　the

purpose　of　raising　low…priced　provisions　suitable　for　his　own

nourishment；　such　as　buckwheat；　radishes；　etc。　　His　enjoyment　consists

only　of　his　own　idleness　and　sluggishness；　hoping　for　a　good　chestnut

year　and　doing　nothing　voluntarily　but　procreate；〃　unable　to　hire

farming　hands　he　begets　children。　　　…



　The　rest；　ordinary　laborers；　have　a　few　savings；　〃living　on　the

herbage；　and　on　a　few　goats　which　devour　everything。〃　Often　again；

these；　by　order　of　Parliament；　are　killed　by　the　game…keepers。　　A

woman；　with　two　children　in　swaddling　clothes；　having　no　milk；　〃and

without　an　inch　of　ground；〃　whose　two　goats；　her　sole　resource；　had

thus　been　slain；　and　another；　with　one　goat　slain　in　the　same　way；　and

who　begs　along　with　her　boy；　present　themselves　at　the　gate　of　the

chateau；　one　receives　twelve　livres；　while　the　other　is　admitted　as　a

domestic；　and　henceforth；　''　this　village　is　all　bows　and　smiling

faces。''　　…　　In　short；　they　are　not　accustomed　to　kindness；　the　lot　of

all　these　poor　people　is　to　endure。　　〃As　with　rain　and　hail