the origins of contemporary france-2- 第7部分

the　hole　parish；　range　the　country；　set　snares；　and　destroy　the

burrows。　　〃The　rumor　is　current　that　the　Government；　informed　of　the

damage　done　by　the　game　to　cultivators；　allows　its　destruction　。　　。

。　　and　really　the　hares　ravaged　about　a　fifth　of　the　crop。　　At　first

an　arrest　is　made　of　nine　of　these　poachers；　but　they　are　released；

〃taking　circumstances　into　account。〃　Consequently；　for　two　months；

there　is　a　slaughter　on　the　property　of　the　Prince　de　Conti　and　of

the　Ambassador　Mercy　d'Argenteau；　in　default　of　bread　they　eat

rabbits。　　　Along　with　the　abuse　of　property　they　are　led；　by　a

natural　impulse；　to　attack　property　itself。　　Near　Saint…Denis　the

woods　belonging　to　the　abbey　are　devastated。　　〃The　farmers　of　the

neighborhood　carry　away　loads　of　wood；　drawn　by　four　and　five

horses；〃　the　inhabitants　of　the　villages　of　Ville…Parisis；　Tremblay；

Vert…Galant；　Villepinte；　sell　it　publicly；　and　threaten　the　wood…

rangers　with　a　beating。　　On　the　15th　of　June　the　damage　is　already

estimated　at　60；000　livres。　　　It　makes　little　difference　whether

the　proprietor　has　been　benevolent；　like　M。　de　Talaru；＇3＇　who　had

supported　the　poor　on　his　estate　at　Issy　the　preceding　winter。　　The

peasants　destroy　the　dike　which　conducts　water　to　his　communal　mill；

condemned　by　the　parliament　to　restore　it；　they　declare　that　not

only　will　they　not　obey。　　Should　M。　de　Talaru　try　to　rebuild　it　they

will　return　with　three　hundred　armed　men；　and　tear　it　away　the

second　time。



For　those　who　are　most　compromised　Paris　is　the　nearest　refuge。　　For

the　poorest　and　most　exasperated；　the　door　of　nomadic　life　stands

wide　open。　　Bands　rise　up　around　the　capital；　just　as　in　countries

where　human　society　has　not　yet　been　formed；　or　has　ceased　to　exist。

During　the　first　two　weeks　of　May＇4＇　near　Villejuif　a　band　of　five

or　six　hundred　vagabonds　strive　to　force　Bicêtre　and　approach　Saint…

Cloud。　　They　arrive　from　thirty；　forty；　and　sixty　leagues　off；　from

Champagne；　from　Lorraine；　from　the　whole　circuit　of　country

devastated　by　the　hailstorm。　　All　hover　around　Paris　and　are　there

engulfed　as　in　a　sewer；　the　unfortunate　along　with　criminals；　some

to　find　work；　others　to　beg　and　to　rove　about　under　the　injurious

prompting　of　hunger　and　the　rumors　of　the　public　thoroughfares。

During　the　last　days　of　April；＇5＇　the　clerks　at　the　tollhouses　note

the　entrance　of　〃a　frightful　number　of　poorly　clad　men　of　sinister

aspect。〃　During　the　first　days　of　May　a　change　in　the　appearance　of

the　crowd　is　remarked。　　There　mingle　in　it　〃a　number　of　foreigners；

from　all　countries；　most　of　them　in　rags；　armed　with　big　sticks；　and

whose　very　aspect　announces　what　is　to　be　feared　from　them。〃

Already；　before　this　final　influx；　the　public　sink　is　full　to

overflowing。　　Think　of　the　extraordinary　and　rapid　increase　of

population　in　Paris；　the　multitude　of　artisans　brought　there　by

recent　demolition　and　constructions。　　Think　of　all　the　craftsmen

whom　the　stagnation　of　manufactures；　the　augmentation　of　octrois；

the　rigor　of　winter；　and　the　dearness　of　bread　have　reduced　to

extreme　distress。　　Remember　that　in　1786　〃two　hundred　thousand

persons　are　counted　whose　property；　all　told；　has　not　the　intrinsic

worth　of　fifty　crowns。〃　Remember　that；　from　time　immemorial；　these

have　been　at　war　with　the　city　watchmen。　　Remember　that　in　1789

there　are　twenty　thousand　poachers　in　the　capital　and　that；　to

provide　them　with　work；　it　is　found　necessary　to　establish　national

workshops。　　Remember　〃that　twelve　thousand　are　kept　uselessly

occupied　digging　on　the　hill　of　Montmartre；　and　paid　twenty　sous　per

day。　　Remember　that　the　wharves　and　quays　are　covered　with　them；

that　the　H？tel…de…Ville　is　invested　by　them；　and　that；　around　the

palace；　they　seem　to　be　a　reproach　to　the　inactivity　of　disarmed

justice。〃　Daily　they　grow　bitter　and　excited　around　the　doors　of　the

bakeries；　where；　kept　waiting　a　long　time；　they　are　not　sure　of

obtaining　bread。　　You　can　imagine　the　fury　and　the　force　with　which

they　will　storm　any　obstacle　to　which　their　attention　may　be

directed。





II。　　The　Press。



Excitement　of　the　press　and　of　opinion。　　…　The　people　make　their

choice。



Such　an　obstacle　has　been　pointed　out　to　them　during　the　last　two

years；　it　is　the　Ministry；　the　Court；　the　Government；　in　short　the

entire　ancient　régime。　　Whoever　protests　against　it　in　favor　of　the

people　is　sure　to　be　followed　as　far；　and　perhaps　even　farther；　than

he　chooses　to　lead。　　　The　moment　the　Parliament　of　a　large　city

refuses　to　register　fiscal　edicts　it　finds　a　riot　at　its　service。

On　the　7th　of　June　1788；　at　Grenoble；　tiles　rain　down　on　the　heads

of　the　soldiery；　and　the　military　force　is　powerless。　　At　Rennes；　to

put　down　the　rebellious　city；　an　army　and　after　this　a　permanent

camp　of　four　regiments　of　infantry　and　two　of　cavalry；　under　the

command　of　a　Marshal　of　France；　is　required。＇6＇　　…　　The　following

year；　when　the　Parliaments　now　side　with　the　privileged　class；　the

disturbances　again　begin；　but　this　time　against　the　Parliaments。　　In

February　1789；　at　Besan？on　and　at　Aix；　the　magistrates　are　hooted

at；　chased　in　the　streets；　besieged　in　the　town　hall；　and　obliged　to

conceal　themselves　or　take　to　flight。　　　If　such　is　the　disposition

in　the　provincial　capitals；　what　must　it　be　in　the　capital　of　the

kingdom？　For　a　start；　in　the　month　of　August；　1788；　after　the

dismissal　of　Brienne　and　Lamoignon；　the　mob；　collected　on　the　Place

Dauphine；　constitutes　itself　judge；　burns　both　ministers　in　effigy；

disperses　the　watch；　and　resists　the　troops：　no　sedition；　as　bloody

as　this；　had　been　seen　for　a　century。　　Two　days　later；　the　riot

bursts　out　a　second　time；　the　people　are　seized　with　a　resolve　to　go

and　burn　the　residences　of　the　two　ministers　and　that　of　Dubois；　the

lieutenant　of　police。　　　Clearly　a　new　ferment　has　been　infused

among　the　ignorant　and　brutal　masses；　and　the　new　ideas　are

producing　their　effect。　　They　have　for　a　long　time　imperceptibly

been　filtering　downwards　from　layer　to　layer　After　having　gained

over　the　aristocracy；　the　whole　of　the　lettered　portion　of　the

Third…Estate；　the　lawyers；　the　schools；　all　the　young；　they　have

insinuated　themselves　drop　by　drop　and　by　a　thousand　fissures　into

the　class　which　supports　itself　by　the　labor　of　its　own　hands。

Noblemen；　at　their　toilettes；　have　scoffed　at　Christianity；　and

affirmed　the　rights　of　man　before　their　valets；　hairdressers；

purveyors；　and　all　those　that　are　in　attendance　upon　them。　　Men　of

letters；　lawyers；　and　attorneys　have　repeated；　in　the　bitterest

tone；　the　same　diatribes　and　the　same　theories　in　the　coffee…houses

and　in　the　restaurants；　on　the　promenades　and　in　all　public　places。

They　have　spoken　out　before　the　lower　class　as　if　it　were　not

present；　and；　from　all　this　eloquence　poured　out　without　precaution；

some　bubbles　besprinkle　the　brain　of　the　artisan；　the　publican；　the

messenger；　the　shopkeeper；　and　the　soldier。



Hence　it　is　that　a　year　suffices　to　convert　mute　discontent　into

political　passion。　　From　the　5th　of　July　1787；　on　the　invitation　of

the　King；　who　convokes　the　States…General　and　demands　advice　from

everybody；　both　speech　and　the　press　alter　in　tone。＇7＇　　Instead　of

general　conversation　of　a　speculative　turn　there　is　preaching；　with

a　view　to　practical　effect；　sudden；　radical；　and　close　at　hand；

preaching　as　shrill　and　thrilling　as　the　blast　of　a　trumpet。

Revolutionary　pamphlets　appear　in　quick　succession：　〃Qu'est…ce　que

le　Tiers？〃　by　Sieyès；　〃Mémoire　pour　le　Peuple　Fran？ais；〃　by　Cerutti；

〃Considerations　sur　les　Intérêts　des　Tiers…Etat；〃　by　Rabtau　Saint…

Etienne；　〃Ma　Pétition；〃　by　Target；　〃Les　Droits　des　Etats…généraux；〃

by　M。　d'Entraigues；　and；　a　little　later；　〃La　France　libre；〃　par

Camille　Desmoulins；　and　others　by　hundreds　and　thousands。＇8＇　　All　of

which　are　repeated　and　amplified　in　the　electoral　assemblies；　where

new…made　citizens　come　to　declaim　and　increase　their　own

excitement。＇9＇　　The　unanimous；　universal　and　daily　shout　rolls　along

from　echo　to　echo；　into　barracks　and　into　faubourgs；　into　markets；

workshops；　and　garrets。　　In　the　month　of　February；　1789；　Necker

avows　〃that　obedience　is　not　to　be　found　anywhere；　and　that　even　the

troops　are　not　to　be　relied　on。〃　In　the　month　of　May；　the

fisherwomen；　and　next　the　greengrocers；　of　the　town　market　halls

come　to　recommend　the　interests　of　the　people　to　the　bodies　of

electors；　and　to　sing　rhymes　in　honor　of　the　Third…Estate。　　In　the

month　of　June　pamphlets　are　in　all　hands；　〃even　lackeys　are　poring

over　them　at　the　gates　of　hotels。〃　In　the　month　of　July；　as　the　King

is　signing　an　order；　a　patriotic　valet　becomes　alarmed　and　reads　it

over　his　shoulder。　　　There　is　no　illusion　here；　it　is　not　merely

the　bourgeoisie　which　ranges　itself　against　the　legal　authorities

and　against　the　established　regime。　　It　is　the　entire　people　as

well。　　The　craftsmen；　the　shopkeepers　and　the　domestics；　workmen　of

every　kind　and　degree；　the　mob　underneath　the　people；　the　vagabonds；

street　rovers；　and　beggars；　the　whole　multitude；　which；　bound　down

by　anxiety　for　its　daily　bread；　had　never　lifted　its　eyes　to　look　at

the　great　social　order　of　which　it　is　the　lowest　stratum；　and　the

whole　weight　of　which　it　bears。



　III。



The　Réveillon　affair。



Suddenly　the　people　stirs；　and　the　superposed　scaffolding　totters。

It　is　the　movement　of　a　brute　nature　exasperated　by　want　and

maddened　by　suspicion。　　　Have　paid　hands；　which　are　invisible

goaded　it　on　from　beneath？　Contemporaries　are　convinced　of　this；　and

it　is　probably　the　case。＇10＇　　But　the　uproar　made　around　the

suffering　brute　would　alone　suffice　to　make　it　shy；　and　explain　its

arousal。　　…　　On　the　21st　of　April　the　Electoral　Assemblies　have

begun　in　Paris；　there　is　one　in　each　quarter；　one　for　the　clergy；

one　for　the　nobles；　and　one　for　the　Third…Estate。　　Every　day；　for

almost　a　month；　files　of　electors　are　seen　passing