the origins of contemporary france-1-第20章

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twenty　villages　in　the　neighborhood　around　Oisy　where　he　hunts　it　is

on　horseback　and　across　the　crops。　　〃His　game…keepers；　always　armed；

have　killed　several　persons　under　the　pretense　of　watching　over　their

master's　rights。　　。　　。　　。　　The　game；　which　greatly　exceeds　that　of　the

royal　captaincies；　consumes　annually　all　prospects　of　a　crop；　twenty

thousand　razières　of　wheat　and　as　many　of　other　grains。〃　In　the

bailiwick　of　Evreux　〃the　game　has　just　destroyed　everything　up　to　the

very　houses。　　。　　。　　。　　On　account　of　the　game　the　citizen　is　not　free　to

pull　up　the　weeds　in　summer　which　clog　the　grain　and　injure　the　seed

sown。　　。　　。　　。　　How　many　women　are　there　without　husbands；　and　children

without　fathers；　on　account　of　a　poor　hare　or　rabbit！〃　The　game…

keepers　of　the　forest　of　Gouffray　in　Normandy　〃are　so　terrible　that

they　maltreat；　insult　and　kill　men。　　。　　。　　。　　I　know　of　farmers　who；

having　pleaded　against　the　lady　to　be　indemnified　for　the　loss　of

their　wheat；　not　only　lost　their　time　but　their　crops　and　the　expenses

of　the　trial。　　。　　。　　。　　Stags　and　deer　are　seen　roving　around　our　houses

in　open　daylight。〃　In　the　bailiwick　of　Domfront；　〃the　inhabitants　of

more　than　ten　parishes　are　obliged　to　watch　all　night　for　more　than

six　months　of　the　year　to　secure　their　crops。＇53＇　…This　is　the　effect

of　tile　right　of　the　chase　in　the　provinces。　　It　is；　however；　in　the

Ile…de…France；　where　captaincies　abound；　and　become　more　extensive；

that　the　spectacle　is　most　lamentable。　　A　procés…verba1　shows　that　in

the　single　parish　of　Vaux；　near　Meulan；　the　rabbits　of　warrens　in　the

vicinity　ravage　eight　hundred　cultivated　arpents　（acres）　of　ground　and

destroy　the　crops　of　two　thousand　four　hundred　setiers　（three　acres

each）；　that　is　to　say；　the　annual　supplies　of　eight　hundred　persons。

Near　that　place；　at　la　Rochette；　herds　of　deer　and　of　stags　devour

everything　in　the　fields　during　the　day；　and；　at　night；　they　even

invade　the　small　gardens　of　the　inhabitants　to　consume　vegetables　and

to　break　down　young　trees。　　It　is　found　impossible　in　a　territory

subjected　to　a　captaincy　to　retain　vegetables　safe　in　gardens；

enclosed　by　high　walls。　　At　Farcy；　of　five　hundred　peach　trees　planted

in　a　vineyard　and　browsed　on　by　stags；　only　twenty　remain　at　the　end

of　three　years。　　Over　the　whole　territory　of　Fontainebleau；　the

communities；　to　save　their　vines；　are　obliged　to　maintain；　with　the

assent　always　of　the　captaincy；　a　gang　of　watchmen　who；　with　licensed

dogs；　keep　watch　and　make　a　hubbub　all　night　from　the　first　of　May　to

the　middle　of　October。　　At　Chartrettes　the　deer　cross　the　Seine；

approach　the　doors　of　the　Comtesse　de　Larochefoucauld　and　destroy

entire　plantations　of　poplars。　　A　domain　rented　for　two　thousand　livres

brings　in　only　four　hundred　after　the　establishment　of　the　captaincy

of　Versailles。　　In　short；　eleven　regiments　of　an　enemy's　cavalry；

quartered　on　the　eleven　captaincies　near　the　capital；　and　starting　out

daily　to　forage；　could　not　do　more　mischief。　　…　We　need　not　be

surprised　if；　in　the　neighborhood　of　these　lairs；　the　people　become

weary　of　cultivating。＇54＇　Near　Fontainebleau　and　Melun；　at　Bois…le…

Roi；　three…quarters　of　the　ground　remains　waste。　　Almost　all　the　houses

in　Brolle　are　in　ruins；　only　half…crumbling　gables　being　visible；　at

Coutilles　and　at　Chapelle…Rablay；　five　farms　are　abandoned；　at

Arbonne；　numerous　fields　are　neglected。　　At　Villiers；　and　at　Dame…

Marie；　where　there　were　four　farming　companies　and　a　number　of　special

cultures；　eight　hundred　arpents　remain　untilled。　　…　Strange　to　say；　as

the　century　becomes　more　easygoing　the　enforcement　of　the　chase

becomes　increasingly　harsh。　　The　officers　of　the　captaincy　are　zealous

because　they　labor　under　the　eye　and　for　the　〃pleasures〃　of　their

master。　　In　1789；　eight　hundred　preserves　had　just　been　planted　in　one

single　canton　of　the　captaincy　of　Fontainebleau；　and　in　spite　of　the

proprietors　of　the　soil。　　According　to　the　regulations　of　1762　every

private　individual　domiciled　on　the　reservation　of　a　captaincy　is

forbidden　from　enclosing　his　homestead　or　any　ground　whatever　with

hedges　or　ditches；　or　walls　without　a　special　permit。＇55＇　In　case　of　a

permit　being　given　he　must　leave　a　wide；　open　and　continuous　space　in

order　to　let　the　huntsmen　easily　pass　through。　　He　is　not　allowed　to

keep　any　ferret；　any　fire…arm；　any　instrument　adapted　to　the　chase；

nor　to　be　followed　by　any　dog　even　if　not　adapted　to　it；　except　the

dog　be　held　by　a　leash　or　clog　fastened　around　its　neck。　　And　better

still。　　He　is　forbidden　to　reap　his　meadow　or　his　Lucerne　before　St。

John's　day；　to　enter　his　own　field　between　the　first　of　May　and　the

twenty…fourth　of　June；　to　visit　any　island　in　the　Seine；　to　cut　grass

on　it　or　osiers；　even　if　the　grass　and　osiers　belong　to　him。　　The

reason　is；　that　now　the　partridge　is　hatching　and　the　legislator

protects　it；　he　would　take　less　pains　for　a　woman　in　confinement；　the

old　chroniclers　would　say　of　him；　as　with　William　Rufus；　that　his

bowels　are　paternal　only　for　animals。　　Now；　in　France；　four　hundred

square　leagues　of　territory　are　subject　to　the　control　of　the

captaincies；＇56＇　and；　over　all　France；　game；　large　or　small；　is　the

tyrant　of　the　peasant。　　We　may　conclude；　or　rather　listen　to　the

people's　conclusion。　　〃Every　time；〃　says　M。　Montlosier；　in　1789；＇57＇

〃that　I　chanced　to　encounter　herds　of　deer　or　does　on　my　road　my

guides　immediately　shouted：　'Make　room　for　the　gentry！'　in　this　way

alluding　to　the　ravages　committed　by　them　on　their　land。〃　Accordingly；

in　the　eyes　of　their　subjects；　they　are　wild　animals。　　…　　This　shows　to

what　privileges　can　lead　when　divorced　from　duties。　　In　this　manner　an

obligation　to　protect　degenerates　into　a　right　of　devastation。　　Thus　do

humane　and　rational　beings　act；　unconsciously；　like　irrational　and

inhuman　beings。　　Divorced　from　the　people　they　misuse　them；　nominal

chiefs；　they　have　unlearned　the　function　of　an　effective　chief；　having

lost　all　public　character　they　abate　nothing　of　their　private

advantages。　　So　much　the　worse　for　the　canton；　and　so　much　worse　for

themselves。　　The　thirty　or　forty　poachers　whom　they　prosecute　to　day　on

their　estates　will　march　to…morrow　to　attack　their　chateaux　at　the

head　of　an　insurrection。　　The　absence　of　the　masters；　the　apathy　of　the

provinces；　the　bad　state　of　cultivation；　the　exactions　of　agents；　the

corruption　of　the　tribunals；　the　vexations　of　the　captaincies；

indolence；　the　indebtedness　and　exigencies　of　the　seignior；　desertion；

misery；　the　brutality　and　hostility　of　vassals；　all　proceeds　from　the

same　cause　and　terminates　in　the　same　effect。



When　sovereignty　becomes　transformed　into　a　sinecure　it　becomes

burdensome　without　being　useful；　and　on　becoming　burdensome　without

being　useful　it　is　overthrown。



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Notes：

＇1＇。　　Beugnot；　〃Mémoires；〃　V。　　I。　　p。292。　　…　De　Tocqueville；　〃L'Ancien

Régime　et　la　Révolution。〃



＇2＇。　　Arthur　Young；　〃Travels　in　France；〃　II。　　456。　　In　France；　he

says；　it　is　from　the　eleventh　to　the　thirty…second。　　〃But　nothing　is

known　like　the　enormities　committed　in　England　where　the　tenth　is

really　taken。〃



＇3＇。　　Saint…Simon；　〃Mémoires；〃　ed。　　Chéruel；　vol。　　I。　　…　Lucas　de

Montigny；　〃Mémoires　de　Mirabeau；〃　I。　　53…182。　　…　Marshal　Marmont；

〃Mémoires；〃　I。　　9；　11。　　…　Chateaubriand；　〃Mémoires；〃　I。　　17。　　De

Montlosier；　〃Mémoires；〃　2　vol。　　passim。　　…　Mme。　　de　Larochejacquelein；

〃Souvenirs；〃　passim。　　Many　details　concerning　the　types　of　the　old

nobility　will　be　found　in　these　passages。　　They　are　truly　and　forcibly

depicted　in　two　novels　by　Balzac　in　〃Beatrix；〃　（the　Baron　de　Guénic）

and　in　the　〃Cabinet　des　Antiques；〃　（the　Marquis　d'　Esgrignon）。



＇4＇。　　A　letter　of　the　bailiff　of　Mirabeau；　1760；　published　by　M。　de

Loménie　in　the　〃Correspondant；〃　V。　　49；　p。132。



＇5＇。　　Mme。　　de　Larochejacquelein；　ibid。　　I。　　84。　　〃As　M。　de　Marigny　had

s