the origins of contemporary france-1-第13章

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farms；＇5＇　talks　with　them　about　their　affairs；　about　taking　care　of

their　cattle；　sharing　in　the　accidents　and　mishaps　which　likewise

seriously　affect　him。　　He　attends　their　children's　weddings　and　drinks

with　the　guests。　　On　Sunday　there　are　dances　in　the　chateau　court；　and

the　ladies　take　part　in　them。〃　When　he　is　about　to　hunt　wolves　or

boars　the　curate　gives　notice　of　it　in　the　sermon；　the　peasants；　with

their　guns　gaily　assemble　at　the　rendezvous；　finding　the　seignior　who

assigns　them　their　posts；　and　strictly　observing　the　directions　he

gives　them。　　Here　are　soldiers　and　a　captain　ready　made。　　A　little

later；　and　of　their　own　accord；　they　will　choose　him　for　commandant　in

the　national　guard；　mayor　of　the　commune；　chief　of　the　insurrection；

and；　in　1792；　the　marksmen　of　the　parish　are　to　march　under　him

against　〃　the　blues〃　as；　at　this　epoch　against　the　wolves。　　Such　are

the　remnants　of　the　good　feudal　spirit；　like　the　scattered　remnants　of

a　submerged　continent。　　Before　Louis　XIV。；　the　spectacle　was　similar

throughout　France。　　〃The　rural　nobility　of　former　days；〃　says　the

Marquis　de　Mirabeau；　〃spent　too　much　time　over　their　cups；　slept　on

old　chairs　or　pallets；　mounted　and　started　off　to　hunt　before

daybreak；　met　together　on　St。　　Hubert's；　and　did　not　part　until　after

the　octave　of　St。　　Martin's。　　。　　。　　。　　These　nobles　led　a　gay　and　hard

life；　voluntarily；　costing　the　State　very　little；　and　producing　more

through　its　residence　and　manure　than　we　of　today　with　our　tastes；　our

researches；　our　cholics　and　our　vapors　。　　。　　The　custom；　and　it　may　be

said；　the　obsession　of　making　presents　to　the　seigniors；　is　well

known。　　I　have；　in　my　lifetime；　seen　this　custom　everywhere　disappear；

and　rightly　so　。　　。　　。　　。　　The　seigniors　are　no　longer　of　any　consequence

to　them；　is　quite　natural　that　they　should　be　forgotten　by　them　as

they　forget　。　　。　　。　　。　　The　seignior　being　no　longer　known　on　his　estates

everybody　pillages　him；　which　is　right。〃＇6＇　Everywhere；　except　in　remote

comers；　the　affection　and　unity　of　the　two　classes　has　disappeared；

the　shepherd　is　separated　from　his　flock；　and　pastors　of　the　people

end　in　being　considered　its　parasites。



Let　us　first　follow　them　into　the　provinces。　　We　here　find　only　the

minor　class　of　nobles　and　a　portion　of　those　of　medium　rank；　the　rest

are　in　Paris。＇7＇　There　is　the　same　line　of　separation　in　the　church：

abbés…commendatory；　bishops　and　archbishops　very　seldom　live　at　home。

The　grand…vicars　and　canons　live　in　　the　large　towns；　only　priors　and

curates　dwell　in　the　rural　districts。　　Ordinarily　the　entire

ecclesiastic　or　lay　staff　is　absent；　residents　are　furnished　only　by

the　secondary　or　inferior　grades。　　What　are　their　relations　with　the

peasant？　One　point　is　certain；　and　that　is　that　they　are　not　usually

hard；　nor　even　indifferent；　to　him。　　Separated　by　rank　they　are　not　so

by　distance；　neighborhood　is　of　itself　a　bond　among　men。　　I　have　read

in　vain；　but　I　have　not　found　them　the　rural　tyrants；　which　the

declaimers　of　the　Revolution　portray　them。　　Haughty　with　the　bourgeois

they　are　generally　kind　to　the　villager。　　〃Let　any　one　travel　through

the　provinces；〃　says　a　contemporary　advocate；　〃over　the　estates

occupied　by　the　seigniors。　　Out　of　one　hundred　one　may　be　found

tyrannizing　his　dependents；　all　the　others；　patiently　share　the　misery

of　those　subject　to　their　jurisdiction　。　　。　　。　　They　give　their　debtors

time；　remit　sums　due；　and　afford　them　every　facility　for　settlement。

They　mollify　and　temper　the　sometimes　over…rigorous　proceedings　of　the

fermiers；　stewards　and　other　men　of　business。〃＇8＇　An　Englishwoman；　who

observes　them　in　Provence　just　after　the　Revolution；　says　that；

detested　at　Aix；　they　are　much　beloved　on　their　estates。　　〃Whilst　they

pass　the　first　citizens　with　their　heads　erect　and　an　air　of　disdain；

they　salute　peasants　with　extreme　courtesy　and　affability。〃　One　of

them　distributes　among　the　women；　children　and　the　aged　on　his　domain

wool　and　flax　to　spin　during　the　bad　season；　and；　at　the　end　of　the

year；　he　offers　a　prize　of　one　hundred　livres　for　the　two　best　pieces

of　cloth。　　In　numerous　instances　the　peasant…purchasers　of　their　land

voluntarily　restore　it　for　the　purchase　money。　　Around　Paris；　near

Romainville；　after　the　terrible　storm　of　1788　there　is　prodigal　alms…

giving；　〃a　very　wealthy　man　immediately　distributes　forty　thousand

francs　among　the　surrounding　unfortunates。〃　During　the　winter；　in

Alsace　and　in　Paris；　everybody　is　giving；　〃in　front　of　each　hotel

belonging　to　a　well…known　family　a　big　log　is　burning　to　which；　night

and　day；　the　poor　can　come　and　warm　themselves。〃　In　the　way　of

charity；　the　monks　who　remain　on　their　premises　and　witness　the　public

misery　continue　faithful　to　the　spirit　of　their　institution。　　On　the

birth　of　the　Dauphin　the　Augustins　of　Montmorillon　in　Poitou　pay　out

of　their　own　resources　the　tailles　and　corvées　of　nineteen　poor

families。　　In　1781；　in　Provence；　the　Dominicans　of　Saint　Maximin

support　the　population　of　their　district　in　which　the　tempest　had

destroyed　the　vines　and　the　olive　trees。　　〃The　Carthusians　of　Paris

furnish　the　poor　with　eighteen　hundred　pounds　of　bread　per　week。

During　the　winter　of　1784　there　is　an　increase　of　alms…giving　in　all

the　religious　establishments；　their　farmers　distribute　aid　among　the

poor　people　of　the　country；　and；　to　provide　for　these　extra

necessities；　many　of　the　communities　increase　the　rigor　of　their

abstinences。〃　When　at　the　end　of　1789；　their　suppression　is　in

question；　I　find　a　number　of　protests　in　their　favor；　written　by

municipal　officers；　by　prominent　individuals；　by　a　crowd　of

inhabitants；　workmen　and　peasants；　and　these　columns　of　rustic

signatures　are　eloquent。　　Seven　hundred　families　of　Cateau…Cambrésis＇9＇

send　in　a　petition　to　retain　〃the　worthy　abbés　and　monks　of　the　Abbey

of　St。　　Andrew；　their　common　fathers　and　benefactors；　who　fed　them

during　the　tempest。〃　The　inhabitants　of　St。　　Savin；　in　the　Pyrénées；

〃portray　with　tears　of　grief　their　consternation〃　at　the　prospect　of

suppressing　their　abbey　of　Benedictines；　the　sole　charitable

organization　in　this　poor　country。　　At　Sierk；　Thionville；　〃the

Chartreuse；〃　say　the　leading　citizens；　〃is；　for　us；　in　every　respect；

the　Ark　of　the　Lord；　it　is　the　main　support　of　from　more　than　twelve

to　fifteen　hundred　persons　who　come　it　every　day　in　the　week。　　This

year　the　monks　have　distributed　amongst　them　their　own　store　of　grain

at　sixteen　livres　less　than　the　current　price。〃　The　regular　canons　of

Domiévre；　in　Lorrraine；　feed　sixty　poor　persons　twice　a　week；　it　is

essential　to　retain　them；　says　the　petition；　〃out　of　pity　and

compassion　for　poor　beings　whose　misery　cannot　be　imagined；　where

there　no　regular　convents　and　canons　in　their　dependency；　the　poor　cry

with　misery。〃＇10＇　At　Moutiers…Saint…John；　near　Sémur　in　Burgundy；　the

Benedictines　of　Saint…Maur　support　the　entire　village　　and　supply　it

this　year　with　food　during　the　famine。　　Near　Morley　in　Barrois；　the

abbey　of　Auvey；　of　the　Cistercian　order；　〃was　always；　for　every

village　in　the　neighborhood；　a　bureau　of　charity。〃　At　Airvault；　in

Poitou；　the　municipal　officers；　the　colonel　of　the　national　guard；　and

numbers　of　〃peasants　and　inhabitants〃　demand　the　conservation　of　the

regular　canons　of　St。　　Augustin。　　〃Their　existence；〃　says　the　petition；

〃is　absolutely　essential；　as　well　for　our　town　as　for　the　country；　and

we　should　suffer　an　irreparable　loss　in　their　suppression。〃　The

municipality　and　permanent　council　of　Soissons　writes　that　the

establishment　of　Saint…Jean　des　Vignes　〃has　always　earnestly　claimed

its　share　of　the　public　charges。　　This　is　the　institution　which；　in

times　of　calamity；　welcomes　homeless　citizens　and　provides　them　with

subsistence。　　It　alone　bears　the　expenses　of　the　assembly　of　the

bailiwick　at　the　time　of　the　election　of　deputies　to　the　National

Assembly。　　A　company　of　the　regiment　of　Armagnac　is　actually　lodged