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sole support of this species of lethargy in which the minds of most of

the inhabitants are plunged。  Women; bigoted and pretentious; and much

given to play and to gallantry。〃'35'



In this impoverished and benumbed society; among these Messieurs

Thibaudeau; the counselor; and Harpin; the tax…collector; among these

vicomtes de Sotenville and Countesses d'Escarbagnas; lives the

Archbishop; Cardinal de Larochefoucauld; grand almoner to the king;

provided with four great abbeys; possessing five hundred thousand

livres income; a man of the world; generally an absentee; and when at

home; finding amusement in the embellishing of his gardens and palace;

in short; the golden pheasant of an aviary in a poultry yard of

geese。'36' Naturally there is an entire absence of political thought。

〃You cannot imagine;〃 says the manuscript; 〃a person more indifferent

to all public matters。〃 At a later period; in the very midst of events

of the gravest character; and which most nearly concern them; there is

the same apathy。  At Chateau…Thierry on the 4th of July; 1789;'37'

there is not a café in which a new paper can be found; there is but

one at Dijon; at Moulins; the 7th of August; 〃in the best café in the

town; where I found near twenty tables set for company; but as for a

newspaper I might as well have demanded an elephant。〃 Between

Strasbourg and Besan?on there is not a gazette。  At Besan?on there is

〃nothing but the Gazette de France; for which; this period; a man of

common sense would not give one sol; 。  。  。  and the Courier de l'Europe

a fortnight old; and well…dressed people are now talking of the news

of two or three weeks past; and plainly by their discourse know

nothing of what is passing。  At Clermont 〃I dined; or supped; five

times at the table d'h?te with from twenty to thirty merchants; trade

men; officers; etc。; and it is not easy for me to express the

insignificance; … the inanity of their conversation。  Scarcely any

politics are mentioned at a moment when every bosom ought to beat with

none but political sensations。  The ignorance or the stupidity of these

people must be absolutely incredible; not a week passes without their

country abounding with events'38' that are analyzed an debated by the

carpenters and blacksmiths of England。〃 The cause of this inertia is

manifest; interrogated on their opinions; all reply: 〃We are of the

provinces and we must wait to know what is going on in Paris。〃 Never

having acted; they do no know how to act。  But; thanks to this inertia;

they let themselves be driven。  The provinces form an immense stagnant

pond; which; by a terrible inundation; may be emptied exclusively on

one side; and suddenly; the fault lies with the engineers who failed

to provide it with either dikes or outlets。



Such is the languor or; rather; the prostration; into which local

life falls when the local chiefs deprive it of their presence; action

or sympathy。  I find only three or four grand seigniors taking a part

in it; practical philanthropists following the example of English

noblemen; the Duc d'Harcourt; who settles the lawsuits of his

peasants; the Duc de Larochefoucauld…Liancourt who establishes a model

farm on his domain; and a school of industrial pursuits for the

children of poor soldiers; and the Comte de Brienne; whose thirty

villages are to demand liberty of the Convention。'39' The rest; for

the most part liberals; content themselves with discussions on public

affairs and on political economy。  In fact; the difference in manners;

the separation of interests; the remoteness of ideas are so great that

contact between those most exempt from haughtiness and their immediate

tenantry is rare; and at long intervals。  Arthur Young; needing some

information at the house of the Duc de Larochefoucauld himself; the

steward is sent for。  〃At an English nobleman's; there would have been

three or four farmers asked to meet me; who would have dined with the

family amongst the ladies of the first rank。  I do not exaggerate when

I say that I have had this at least an hundred times in the first

houses of our islands。  It is; however; a thing that in the present

style of manners in France would not be met with from Calais to

Bayonne except; by chance; in the house of some great lord that had

been much in England; and then not unless it was asked for。  The

nobility in France have no more idea of practicing agriculture; and

making it a subject of conversation; except on the mere theory; as

they would speak of a loom or a bowsprit; than of any other object the

most remote from their habits and pursuits。〃 Through tradition;

fashion and deliberation; they are; and wish only to be; people of

society; their sole concern is to talk and to hunt。  Never have the

leaders of men so unlearned the art of leading men; the art which

consists of marching along the same pathway with them; but at the

head; and directing their labor by sharing in it。  … Our Englishman;

an eye…witness and competent; again writes: 〃Thus it is whenever you

stumble on a grand seignior; even one that was worth millions; you are

sure to find his property desert。  Those of the Duc de Bouillon and of

the Prince de Soubise are two of the greatest properties in France;

and all the signs I have yet seen of their greatness are heaths;

moors; deserts; and brackens。  Go to their residence; wherever it may

be; and you would probably find them in the midst of a forest very

well peopled with deer; wild boars and wolves。〃 〃The great

proprietors;〃 says another contemporary;'40' 〃attracted to and kept in

our cities by luxurious enjoyments know nothing of their estates;〃

save 〃of their agents whom they harass for the support of a ruinous

ostentation。  How can ameliorations be looked for from those who even

refuse to keep things up and make indispensable repairs?〃 A sure proof

that their absence is the cause of the evil is found in the visible

difference between the domain worked under absent abbé…commendatory

and a domain superintended by monks living on the spot 〃The

intelligent traveler recognizes it〃 at first sight by the state of

cultivation。  〃If he finds fields well enclosed by ditches; carefully

planted; and covered with rich crops; these fields; he says to

himself; belong to the monks。  Almost always; alongside of these

fertile plains; is an area of ground badly tilled and almost barren;

presenting a painful contrast; and yet the soil is the same; being two

portions of the same domain; he sees that the latter is the portion of

the abbé…commendatory。〃 〃The abbatial manse。〃 said Lefranc de

Pompignan; 〃frequently looks like the property of a spendthrift; the

monastic manse is like a patrimony whereon nothing is neglected for

its amelioration;〃 to such an extent that 〃 the two…thirds 〃 which the

abbé enjoys bring him less than the third reserved by his monks。  … The

ruin or impoverishment of agriculture is; again; one of the effects of

absenteeism。  There was; perhaps; one…third of the soil in France;

which; deserted as in Ireland; was as badly tilled; as little

productive as in Ireland in the hands of the rich absentees; the

English bishops; deans and nobles。



Doing nothing for the soil; how could they do anything for men? Now

and then; undoubtedly; especially with farms that pay no rent; the

steward writes a letter; alleging the misery of the farmer。  There is

no doubt; also; that; especially for thirty years back; they desire to

be humane; they descant among themselves about the rights of man; the

sight of the pale face of a hungry peasant would give them pain。  But

they never see him; does it ever occur to them to fancy what it is

like under the awkward and complimentary phrases of their agent?

Moreover; do they know what hunger is? Who amongst them has had any

rural experiences? And how could they picture to themselves the misery

of this forlorn being? They are too remote from him to that; too

ignorant of his mode of life。  The portrait they conceive of him is

imaginary; never was there a falser representation of the peasant;

accordingly the awakening is to be terrible。  They view him as the

amiable swain; gentle; humble and grateful; simple…hearted and right…

minded; easily led; being conceived according to Rousseau and the

idylls performed at this very epoch in all private drawing rooms。'41'

Lacking a knowledge him they overlook him; they read the steward's

letter and immediately the whirl of high life again seizes them and;

after a sigh bestowed on the distress of the poor; they make up their

minds that their income for the year will be short。  A disposition of

this kind is not favorable to charity。  Accordingly; complaints arise;

not against the residents but against the absentees。'42' 〃The

possessions of the Church; says a letter; serve only to nourish the

passions of their holders。〃 〃According to the canons; says another

memorandum; every beneficiary must give a quarter of his income to the

poor; nevertheless in our parish there is a revenue of more than

twelve thousand livres; and none of it is given to the poor unless it

is some small matter at the hands of the curate。〃 〃The abbé de Conches

gets one…half of the tithes and contributes nothing to the relief of

the parish。〃 Elsewhere; 〃the chapter of Ecouis; which owns the

benefice of the tithes is of no advantage to the poor; and only seeks

to augment its income。〃 Nearby; the abbé of Croix…Leufroy; 〃a heavy

tithe…owner; and the abbé de Bernay; who gets fifty…seven thousand

livres from his benefice; and who is a non…resident; keep all and

scarcely give enough to their officiating curates to keep them alive。〃

〃I have in my parish; says a curate of Berry;'43' six simple benefices

of which the titularies are always absent。  They enjoy together an

income of nine thousand livres; I sent them in writing the most urgent

entreaties during the calamity of the past year; I received from one

them two louis only; and most of them did not even answer me。〃

Stronger is the reason for a conviction that in ordinary times they

will make no remission of their dues。  Moreover; these dues; the

censives; the lods et ventes; tithes; and the like; are in the hands

of a steward; and he is a good steward who returns a large amount of

money。  He has no right to be generous at his master's expense; and he

is tempted to turn the subjects of his master to his own profit。  In

vain might the soft seignorial hand be disposed to be easy or

paternal; the hard hand of the proxy bears down on the peasants with

all its weight; and the caution of a chief gives place to the

exactions of a clerk。… How is it then when; instead of a clerk on the

domain; a fermier is found; an adjudicator who; for an annual sum;

purchases of seignior the management and product of his dues? In

election of Mayenne;'44' and certainly also in many others; the

principal domains are rented in this way。  Moreover there are a

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