《the origins of contemporary france-2》

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and; consequently; conquest; dispossession; and extermination;  …

in Gard; a swarm of National Guards copy the jacquerie: the dregs of

the Comtat come to the surface and cover Vaucluse with its scum; an

army of six thousand from Marseilles sweeps down on Arles。  …  In

the districts of N?mes; Sommières; Uzès; Alais; Jalais; and Saint…

Hippolyte; title…deeds are burnt; proprietors put to ransom; and

municipal officers threatened with death if they try to interpose;

twenty chateaux and forty country…houses are sacked; burnt; and

demolished。  …  The same month; Arles and Avignon;'72' given up to

the bands of Marseilles and of the Comtat; see confiscation and

massacres approaching。  …  Around the commandant; who has received

the order to evacuate Aries;'73' 〃the inhabitants of all parties〃

gather as suppliants; 〃clasping his hands; entreating him with tears

in their eyes not to abandon them; women and children cling to his

boots;〃 so that he does not know how to free himself without hurting

them; on his departure twelve hundred families emigrate。  After the

entrance of the Marseilles band we see eighteen hundred electors

proscribed; their country…houses on the two banks of the Rhone

pillaged; 〃as in the times of Saracen pirates;〃 a tax of 1;400;000

livres levied on all people in good circumstances; absent or

present; women and girls promenaded about half…naked on donkeys and

publicly whipped。〃 〃A saber committee〃 disposes of lives; proscribes

and executes: it is the reign of sailors; porters; and the dregs of

the populace。  …  At Avignon;'74' it is that of simple brigands;

incendiaries and assassins; who; six months previously; converted

the Glacière'75' into a charnel…house。  They return in triumph and

state that 〃this time the Glacière will be full。〃 Five hundred

families had already sought asylum in France before the first

massacre; now; the entire remainder of the honest bourgeoisie;

twelve hundred persons; take to flight; and the terror is so great

that the small neighboring towns dare not receive emigrants。  In

fact; from this time forth; both departments throughout Vaucluse and

Bouches…de…Rh?ne are a prey: Bands of two thousand armed men; with

women; children; and other volunteer followers; travel from commune

to commune to live as they please at the expense of 〃fanatics。〃 The

well…bred people are not the only ones they despoil。  Plain

cultivators; taxed at 10;000 livres; have sixty men billeted on

them; their cattle are slain and eaten before their eyes; and

everything in their houses is broken up; they are driven out of

their lodgings and wander as fugitives in the reed…swamps of the

Rhone; awaiting a moment of respite to cross the river and take

refuge in the neighboring department。'76'  Thus; from the spring of

1792; if any citizen is suspected of unfriendliness or even of

indifference towards the ruling faction; if; through but one opinion

conscientiously held; he risks the vague possibility of mistrust or

of suspicion; he undergoes popular hostility; pillage; exile; and

worse besides; no matter how loyal his conduct may be; nor how loyal

he may be at heart; no matter that he is disarmed and inoffensive;

it is all the same whether it be a noble; bourgeois; peasant; aged

priest; or woman; and this while public peril is yet neither great;

present; nor visible; since France is at peace with Europe; and the

government still subsists in its entirety。





IX。



General state of opinion。  …  The three convoys of non…juring

priests on the Seine。  …  Psychological aspects of the Revolution。



What will it be; then; now when the peril; already become palpable

and serious; is daily increasing; now when war has begun; when

Lafayette's army is falling back in confusion; when the Assembly

declares the country in danger; when the King is overthrown; when

Lafayette defects and goes abroad; when the soil of France is

invaded; when the frontier fortresses surrender without resistance;

when the Prussians are entering Champagne; when the insurrection in

La Vendée adds the lacerations of civil war to the threats of a

foreign war; and when the cry of treachery arises on all sides?  …

Already; on the 14th of May; at Metz;'77' M。 de Fiquelmont; a former

canon; seen chatting with a hussar on the Place Saint…Jacques; was

charged with tampering with people on behalf of the princes; carried

off in spite of a triple line of guards; and beaten; pierced; and

slashed with sticks; bayonets; and sabers; while the mad crowd

around the murderers uttered cries of rage: and from month to month;

in proportion as popular fears increase; popular imagination becomes

more heated and its delirium grows。  …  You can see this yourself by

one example。  On the 31st of August; 1792;'78' eight thousand non…

juring priests; driven out of their parishes; are at Rouen; a town

less intolerant than the others; and; in conformity with the decree

which banishes them; are preparing to leave France。  Two vessels

have just carried away about a hundred of them; one hundred and

twenty others are embarking for Ostend in a larger vessel。  They

take nothing with them except a little money; some clothes; and one

or at most two portions of their breviary; because they intend to

return soon。  Each has a regular passport; and; just at the moment

of leaving; the National Guard have made a thorough inspection so as

not to let a suspected person escape。  It makes no difference。  On

reaching Quilleboeuf the first two convoys are stopped。  A report

has spread; indeed; that the priests are going to join the enemy and

enlist; and the people living round about jump into their boats and

surround the vessels。  The priests are obliged to disembark amidst a

tempests of 〃yells; blasphemies; insults; and abuse:〃 one of them; a

white…headed old man; having fallen into the mud; the cries and

shouts redouble; if he is drowned so much the better; there will be

one less! On landing all are put in prison; on bare stones; without

straw or bread; and word is sent to Paris to know what must be done

with so many cassocks。  In the meantime the third vessel; short of

provisions; has sent two priests to Quilleboeuf and to Pont…Audemer

to have twelve hundred pounds of bread baked: pointed out by the

village militia; they are chased out like wild beasts; pass the

night in a wood; and find their way back with difficulty empty…

handed。  The vessel itself being signaled; is besieged。  〃In all the

municipalities on the banks of the river drums beat incessantly to

warn the population to be on their guard。  The appearance of an

Algerian or Tripolitan corsair on the shores of the Adriatic would

cause less excitement。  One of the seamen of the vessel published a

statement that the trunks of the priests transported were full of

every kind of arms。〃 and the country people constantly imagine that

they are going to fall upon them sword and pistol in hand。  For

several long days the famished convoy remains moored in the stream;

are carefully watched。  Boats filled with volunteers and peasants

row around it uttering insults and threats: in the neighboring

meadows the National Guards form themselves in line of battle。

Finally; a decision is arrived at。  The bravest; well armed get into

skiffs; approach the vessel cautiously; choose the most favorable

time and spot; rush on board; and take possession; and are perfectly

astonished to find neither enemies nor arms。  …  Nevertheless; the

priests are confined on board; and their deputies; must make their

appearance before the mayor。  The latter; a former usher and good

Jacobin; being the most frightened; is the most violent。  He refuses

to stamp the passports; and; seeing two priests approach; one

provided with a sword…cane and the other with an iron…pointed stick;

thinks that there is to be a sudden attack。  〃Here are two more of

them;〃 he exclaims with terror; 〃they are all going to land。  My

friends; the town is in danger! 〃  …  On hearing this the crowd

becomes alarmed; and threatens the deputies; the cry of 〃To the lamp

post!〃 is heard; and; to save them; National Guards are obliged to

conduct them to prison in the center of a circle of bayonets。   …

It must be noted that these madmen are 〃at bottom the kindest people

in the world。〃 After the boarding of the ship; one of the most

ferocious; by profession a barber; seeing the long beards of these

poor priests; instantly cools down; draws forth his tools; and good…

naturedly sets to work; spending several hours in shaving them。 In

ordinary times ecclesiastics received nothing but salutations; three

years previously they were 〃respected as fathers and guides。〃 But at

the present moment the rustic; the man of the lower class; is out of

his bearings。  Forcibly and against nature; he has been made a

theologian; a politician; a police captain; a local independent

sovereign; and in such a position his head is turned。  Among these

people who seem to have lost their senses; only one; an officer of

the National Guard; remains cool; he is; besides; very polite; well…

behaved; and an agreeable talker; he comes in the evening to comfort

the prisoners and to take tea with them in prison; in fact; he is

accustomed to tragedies and; thanks to his profession; his nerves

are in repose  …  this person is the executioner。  The others; 〃whom

one would take for tigers;〃 are bewildered sheep; but they are not

the less dangerous; for; carried away by their delirium; they bear

down with their mass on whatever gives them umbrage。   …   On the

road from Paris to Lyons'79' Roland's commissioners witness this

terrible fright。  〃The people are constantly asking what our

generals and armies are doing; they have vengeful expressions

frequently on their lips。  Yes; they say; we will set out; but we

must (at first) purge the interior。〃



Something appalling is in preparation。  The seventh jacquerie is

drawing near; this on
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