the origins of contemporary france-1-第7章

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providing　scales　and　weights　gratis；　he　levies　a　tax　on　provisions　and

on　merchandise　brought　to　his　fair　or　to　his　market。　　…　At　Angoulême　a

forty…eighth　of　the　grain　sold；　at　Combourg　near　Saint…Malo；　so　much

per　head　of　cattle；　elsewhere　so　much　on　wine；　eatables　and　fish＇26＇

Having　formerly　built　the　oven；　the　winepress；　the　mill　and　the

slaughterhouse；　he　obliges　the　inhabitants　to　use　these　or　pay　for

their　support；　and　he　demolishes　all　constructions；　which　might　enter

into　competition　with　him＇27＇。　　These；　again；　are　evidently　monopolies

and　octrois　going　back　to　the　time　when　he　was　in　possession　of　public

authority。



Not　only　did　he　then　possess　the　public　authority　but　also

possessed　the　soil　and　the　men　on　it。　　Proprietor　of　men；　he　is　so

still；　at　least　in　many　respects　and　in　many　provinces。　　〃In　Champagne

proper；　in　the　Sénonais；　in　la　Marche；　in　the　Bourbonnais；　in　the

Nivernais；　in　Burgundy；　in　Franche…Comté；　there　are　none；　or　very　few

domains；　no　signs　remaining　of　ancient　servitude　。　　。　　。　　。　　A　good　many

personal　serfs；　or　so　constituted　through　their　own　gratitude；　or　that

of　their　progenitors；　are　still　found。〃＇28＇　　There；　man　is　a　serf；

sometimes　by　virtue　of　his　birth；　and　again　through　a　territorial

condition。　　Whether　in　servitude；　or　as　mortmains；　or　as　cotters；　one

way　or　another；　1；500；000　individuals；　it　is　said；　wore　about　their

necks　a　remnant　of　the　feudal　collar；　this　is　not　surprising　since；　on

the　other　side　of　the　Rhine；　almost　all　the　peasantry　still　wear　it。

The　seignior；　formerly　master　and　proprietor　of　all　their　goods　and

chattels　and　of　all　their　labor；　can　still　exact　of　them　from　ten　to

twelve　corvées　per　annum　and　a　fixed　annual　tax。　　In　the　barony　of

Choiseul　near　Chaumont　in　Champagne；　〃the　inhabitants　are　required　to

plow　his　lands；　to　sow　and　reap　them　for　his　account　and　to　put　the

products　into　his　barns。　　Each　plot　of　ground；　each　house；　every　head

of　cattle　pays　a　quit…claim；　children　may　inherit　from　their　parents

only　on　condition　of　remaining　with　them；　if　absent　at　the　time　of

their　decease　he　is　the　inheritor。〃　This　is　what　was　styled　in　the

language　of　the　day　an　estate　〃with　excellent　dues。〃　…Elsewhere　the

seignior　inherits　from　collaterals；　brothers　or　nephews；　if　they　were

not　in　community　with　the　defunct　at　the　moment　of　his　death；　which

community　is　only　valid　through　his　consent。　　In　the　Jura　and　the

Nivernais；　he　may　pursue　fugitive　serfs；　and　demand；　at　their　death；

not　only　the　property　left　by　them　on　his　domain；　but；　again；　the

pittance　acquired　by　them　elsewhere。　　At　Saint…Claude　he　acquires　this

right　over　any　person　that　passes　a　year　and　a　day　in　a　house

belonging　to　the　seigniory。　　As　to　ownership　of　the　soil　we　see　still

more　clearly　that　he　once　had　entire　possession　of　it。　　In　the　district

subject　to　his　jurisdiction　the　public　domain　remains　his　private

domain；　roads；　streets　and　open　squares　form　a　part　of　it；　he　has　the

right　to　plant　trees　in　them　and　to　take　trees　up。　　In　many　provinces；

through　a　pasturage　rent；　he　obliges　the　inhabitants　to　pay　for

permits　to　pasture　their　cattle　in　the　fields　after　the　crop；　and　in

the　open　common　lands；　（les　terres　vaines　et　vagues）。　　Unnavigable

streams　belong　to　him；　as　well　as　islets　and　accumulations　formed　in

them　and　the　fish　that　are　found　in　them。　　He　has　the　right　of　the

chase　over　the　whole　extent　of　his　jurisdiction；　this　or　that　commoner

being　sometimes　compelled　to　throw　open　to　him　his　park　enclosed　by

walls。



One　more　trait　serves　to　complete　the　picture。　　This　head　of　the

State；　a　proprietor　of　man　and　of　the　soil；　was　once　a　resident

cultivator　on　his　own　small　farm　amidst　others　of　the　same　class；　and；

by　this　title；　he　reserved　to　himself　certain　working　privileges　which

he　always　retained。　　Such　is　the　right　of　banvin；　still　widely

diffused；　consisting　of　the　privilege　of　selling　his　own　wine；　to　the

exclusion　of　all　others；　during　thirty　or　forty　days　after　gathering

the　crop。　　Such　is；　in　Touraine；　the　right　of　préage；　which　is　the

right　to　send　his　horses；　cows　and　oxen　〃to　browse　under　guard　in　his

subjects'　meadows。〃　Such　is；　finally；　the　monopoly　of　the　great　dove…

cot；　from　which　thousands　of　pigeons　issue　to　feed　at　all　times　and

seasons　and　on　all　grounds；　without　any　one　daring　to　kill　or　take

them。　　Through　another　effect　of　the　same　qualification　he　imposes

quit…claims　on　property　on　which　he　has　formerly　given　perpetual

leases；　and；　under　the　terms　cens；　censives　（quit…rents）；　carpot

（share　in　wine）；　champart　（share　in　grain）；　agrier　（a　cash　commission

on　general　produce）；　terrage　parciere　（share　of　fruits）。　　All　these

collections；　in　money　or　in　kind；　are　as　various　as　the　local

situations；　accidents　and　transactions　could　possibly　be。　　In　the

Bourbonnais　he　has　one…quarter　of　the　crop；　in　Berry　twelve　sheaves

out　of　a　hundred。　　Occasionally　his　debtor　or　tenant　is　a　community：

one　deputy　in　the　National　Assembly　owned　a　fief　of　two　hundred　casks

of　wine　on　three　thousand　pieces　of　private　property。＇29＇　Besides；

through　the　retrait　censuel　（a　species　of　right　of　redemption）；　he　can

〃retain　for　his　own　account　all　property　sold　on　the　condition　of

remunerating　the　purchaser；　but　previously　deducting　for　his　benefit

the　lord's　dues　（lods　and　ventes）。〃　The　reader；　finally；　must　take

note　that　all　these　restrictions　on　property　constitute；　for　the

seignior；　a　privileged　credit　as　well　on　the　product　as　on　the　price

of　the　ground；　and；　for　the　copyholders；　an　unprescriptive；

indivisible　and　irredeemable　debt。…Such　are　the　feudal。　　To　form　an

idea　of　them　in　their　totality　we　must　always　imagine　the　count；

bishop　or　abbot　of　the　tenth　century　as　sovereign　and　proprietor　in

his　own　canton。　　The　form　which　human　society　then　takes　grows　out　of

the　exigencies　of　near　and　constant　danger　with　a　view　to　local

defense。　　By　subordinating　all　interests　to　the　necessities　of　living；

in　such　a　way　as　to　protect　the　soil　by　fixing　on　the　soil；　through

property　and　its　enjoyment；　a　troop　of　brave　men　under　the　leadership

of　a　brave　chieftain。　　The　danger　having　passed　away　the　structure

became　dilapidated。　　For　a　pecuniary　compensation　the　seigniors　allowed

the　economical　and　tenacious　peasant　to　pick　off　it　a　good　many

stones。　　Through　constraint　they　suffered　the　king　to　appropriate　to

himself　the　public　portion。　　The　primitive　foundation　remains；　property

as　organized　in　ancient　times；　the　fettered　or　exhausted　land

supporting　a　social　conformation　that　has　melted　away；　in　short；　an

order　of　privileges　and　of　thralldom　of　which　the　cause　and　the

purpose　have　disappeared。　　＇30＇



V。　　They　may　be　justified　by　local　and　general　services。



All　this　does　not　suffice　to　render　this　order　detrimental　or　even

useless。　　In　reality；　the　local　chief　who　no　longer　performs　his

ancient　service　may　perform　a　new　one　in　exchange　for　it。　　Instituted

for　war　when　life　was　militant；　he　may　serve　in　quiet　times　when　the

régime　is　pacific；　while　the　advantage　to　the　nation　is　great　in　which

this　transformation　is　accomplished；　for；　retaining　its　chiefs；　it　is

relieved　of　the　uncertain　and　perilous　operation　which　consists　in

creating　others。　　There　is　nothing　more　difficult　to　establish　than　a

government；　that　is　to　say；　a　stable　government：　this　involves　the

command　of　some　and　the　obedience　of　all；　which　is　against　nature。

That　a　man　in　his　study；　often　a　feeble　old　person；　should　dispose　of

the　lives　and　property　of　twenty　or　thirty　million　men；　most　of　whom

he　has　never　seen；　that　he　should　order　them　to　pay　away　a　tenth　or　a

fifth　of　their　income　and　they　should　do　it；　that　he　should　order　them

to　go　and　slaughter　or　be　slaughtered　and　that　they　should　go；　that

they　should　thus　continue　for　ten　years；　twenty　years；　through　every

kind　of　trial；　defeat；　misery　and　invasion；　as　with　the　French　under

Louis　XIV；　the　English　under　Pitt；　the　Prussians　under　Frederick　II。；

without　either　sedition　or　internal　disturbances；　is　certainly　a

marvelous　thing。　　And；　for　a　people　to　remain　free　it　is　essential　that

they　should　be　ready　to　do　this　always。　　Neither　this　fidelity　nor　this

concord　is　due　to　sober　reflection　（la　raison　raisonnante）；　reason　is

too　vacillating　and　too　feeble　to　bring　about　such　a　universal　and

energetic　result。　　Abandoned　to　itself　and　suddenly　restored　to　a

natural　condition；　the　human　flock　is　capable　only　of　agitation；　of

mutual　strife　until　pure　force　at　length　predominates；　as　in　barbarous

times；　and　until；　amidst　the　dust　and　outcry；　some　military　leader

rises　up　who　is；　generally；　a　butcher。　　Historically　considered　it　is

better　to　continue　so　than　to　begin　over　again。　　Hence；　especially　when

the　majority　is　uncultivated；　it　is　beneficial　to　have　chiefs

designated　beforehand　through　the　hereditary　custom　by　which　people

follow　them；　and　through　the　special　education　by　which　they　are

qualified。　　In　this　case　the　public　has　no　need　to　seek　for　them　to

obtain　them。　　They　are　already　at　hand；　in　each　canton；　visible；

accepted　beforehand；　they　are　known　by　their　names；　their　title；　their

fortune；　their　way　of　living；　deference　to　their　authority　is

established。　　They　are　almost　always　deserving　of　this　authority；　born

and　brought　up　to　exercise　it　they　find　in　tradition；　in　family

example　and　in　family　pride；　powerful　ties　that　nourish　public　spirit

in　them；　there　is　some　probability　of　their　comprehending　the　duties

with　which　their　prerogative　endows　them。



Such　is　the　renovation；　which　the　feudal　régime　admits　of。　　The

ancient　chieftain　can　still　guarantee　his　pre…eminence　by　his

services；　and　remain　popular　without　ceasing　to　be　privileged。　　Once　a

captain　in　his　district　and　a　permanent　gendarme；　he　is　to　become　the

resident　and　beneficent　proprietor；　the　voluntary　promoter　of　useful

undertakings；　obligatory　guardian　of　the　poor；　the　gratuitous

administrator　and　judge　of　the　canton；　the　unsalaried　deputy　of　the

king；　that　is　to　say；　a　leader　and　protector　as　previously；　through　a

new　system　of　patronage　accommodated　to　new　circumstances。　　Local

magistrate　and　central　representative；　these　are　his　two　principal

functions；　and；　if　we　extend　our　observation　beyond　France　we　find

that　he　exercises　either　one　or　the　other；　or　both　together。



Notes：



＇1＇。　　See　note　1　at　the　end　of　the　volume



＇2＇。　　One　league　（lieu）　ca。　　4　km。　　（SR。）



＇3＇。　　Suger　〃Vie　de　Louis　VI。；〃　chap。　　VIII。　　…　Philippe　I。　　became

master　of　the　Chateau　de　Montlhéry　only　by　marrying　one　of　his　sons　to

the　heiress　of　the　fief。　　He　thus　addressed　his　successor：　〃My　child；

take　good　care　to　keep　this　tower　of　which　the　annoyances　have　made　me

grow　old；　and　whose　frauds　and　treasons　have　given　me　no　peace　nor

rest'。



＇4＇。　　Léonce　de　Lavergne；　〃Les　Assemblées　Povinciales；〃　p。　　19。　　…

Consult　the　official　statement　of　the