the origins of contemporary france-1-第93章

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newspapers；　roads；　railroads；　foreign　travel　and　every　other　species

of　communication。＇1＇　Try　to　imagine　the　peasant　of　the　eighteenth

century；　penned　and　shut　up　from　father　to　son　in　his　hamlet；　without

parish　highways；　deprived　of　news；　with　no　instruction　but　the　Sunday

sermon；　continuously　worrying　about　his　daily　bread　and　the　taxes；

〃with　his　wretched；　dried…up　aspect；〃＇2＇　not　daring　to　repair　his

house；　always　persecuted；　distrustful；　his　mind　contracted　and

stinted；　so　to　say；　by　misery。　　His　condition　is　almost　that　of　his　ox

or　his　ass；　while　his　ideas　are　those　of　his　condition。　　He　has　been　a

long　time　stolid；　〃he　lacks　even　instinct；〃＇3＇　mechanically　and

fixedly　regarding　the　ground　on　which　he　drags　along　his　hereditary

plow。　　In　1751；　d'Argenson　wrote　in　his　journal：



　〃nothing　in　the　news　from　the　court　affects　them；　the　reign　is

indifferent　to　them。　　。　　。　　。　　。　　the　distance　between　the　capital　and　the

province　daily　widens。　　。　　。　　。　　Here　they　are　ignorant　of　the　striking

occurrences　that　most　impressed　us　at　Paris。　　。　　。　　。The　inhabitants　of

the　country　side　are　merely　poverty…stricken　slaves；　draft　cattle

under　a　yoke；　moving　on　as　they　are　goaded；　caring　for　nothing　and

embarrassed　by　nothing；　provided　they　can　eat　and　sleep　at　regular

hours。〃



They　make　no　complaints；　〃they　do　not　even　dream　of

complaining；〃＇4＇　their　wretchedness　seems　to　them　natural　like　winter

or　hail。　　Their　minds；　like　their　agriculture；　still　belong　to　the

middle　ages。…In　the　environment　of　Toulouse；＇5＇　to　ascertain　who

committed　a　robbery；　to　cure　a　man　or　a　sick　animal；　they　resort　to　a

sorcerer；　who　divines　this　by　means　of　a　sieve。　　The　countryman　fully

believes　in　ghosts　and；　on　All　Saints'　eve；　he　lays　the　cloth　for　the

dead。…　In　Auvergne；　at　the　outbreak　the　Revolution；　on　a　contagious

fever　making　its　appearance；　M。　de　Montlosier；　declared　to　be　a

sorcerer；　is　the　cause　of　it；　and　two　hundred　men　assemble　together　to

demolish　his　dwelling。　　Their　religious　belief　is　on　the　same　level。＇6＇

〃Their　priests　drink　with　them　and　sell　them　absolution。　　On　Sundays；

at　the　sermon；　they　put　up　lieutenancies　and　sub…lieutenancies　（among

the　saints）　for　sale：　so　much　for　a　lieutenant's　place　under　St。

Peter！　…　　If　the　peasant　hesitates　in　his　bid；　an　eulogy　of　St。　　Peter

at　once　begins；　and　then　our　peasants　run　it　up　fast　enough。〃　…　To

intellects　in　a　primitive　state；　barren　of　ideas　and　crowded　with

images；　idols　on　earth　are　as　essential　as　idols　in　heaven。　　〃No　doubt

whatever　existed　in　my　mind；〃　says　Rétit　de　la　Bretonne；＇7＇　〃of　the

power　of　the　king　to　compel　any　man　to　bestow　his　wife　or　daughter　on

me；　and　my　village　（Sacy；　in　Burgundy）　thought　as　I　did。〃＇8＇　There　is

no　room　in　minds　of　this　description　for　abstract　conceptions；　for　any

idea　of　social　order；　they　are　submissive　to　it　and　that　is　all。　　〃The

mass　of　the　people；〃　writes　Governor　in　1789；　〃have　no　religion　but

that　of　their　priests；　no　law　but　that　of　those　above　them；　no

morality　but　that　of　self…interest；　these　are　the　beings　who；　led　on

by　drunken　curates；　are　now　on　the　high　road　to　liberty；　and　the　first

use　they　make　of　it　is　to　rebel　on　all　sides　because　there　is

dearth。〃＇9＇



How　could　things　be　otherwise？　Every　idea；　previous　to　taking　root

in　their　brain；　must　possess　a　legendary　form；　as　absurd　as　it　is

simple；　adapted　to　their　experiences；　their　faculties；　their　fears　and

their　aspirations。　　Once　planted　in　this　uncultivated　and　fertile　soil

it　vegetates　and　becomes　transformed；　developing　into　gross

excrescences；　somber　foliage　and　poisonous　fruit。　　The　more　monstrous

the　greater　its　vigor；　clinging　to　the　slightest　of　probabilities　and

tenacious　against　the　most　certain　of　demonstrations。　　Under　Louis　XV；

in　an　arrest　of　vagabonds；　a　few　children　having　been　carried　off

willfully　or　by　mistake；　the　rumor　spreads　that　the　king　takes　baths

in　blood　to　restore　his　exhausted　functions；　and；　so　true　does　this

seem　to　be；　the　women；　horrified　through　their　maternal　instincts；

join　in　the　riot；　a　policeman　is　seized　and　knocked　down；　and；　on　his

demanding　a　confessor；　a　woman　in　the　crowd；　picking　up　a　stone；　cries

out　that　he　must　not　have　time　to　go　to　heaven；　and　smashes　his　head

with　it；　believing　that　she　is　performing　an　act　of　justice＇10＇。　　Under

Louis　XVI　evidence　is　presented　to　the　people　that　there　is　no

scarcity：　in　1789；　　＇11＇　an　officer；　listening　to　the　conversation　of

his　soldiers；　hears　them　state　〃with　full　belief　that　the　princes　and

courtiers；　with　a　view　to　starve　Paris　out；　are　throwing　flour　into

the　Seine。〃　Turning　to　a　quarter…master　he　asks　him　how　he　can

possibly　believe　such　an　absurd　story。　　〃Lieutenant；〃　he　replies；　〃'tis

time　…　the　bags　were　tied　with　blue　strings　（cordons　bleus）。〃　To　them

this　is　a　sufficient　reason；　and　no　argument　could　convince　them　to

the　contrary。　　Thus；　among　the　dregs　of　society；　foul　and　horrible

romances　are　forged；　in　connection　the　famine　and　the　Bastille；　in

which　Louis　XVI。；　the　queen　Marie　Antoinette；　the　Comte　d'Artois；

Madame　de　Lamballe；　the　Polignacs；　the　revenue　farmers；　the　seigniors

and　ladies　of　high　rank　are　portrayed　as　vampires　and　ghouls。　　I　have

seen　many　editions　of　these　in　the　pamphlets　of　the　day；　in　the

engravings　not　exhibited；　and　among　popular　prints　and　illustrations；

the　latter　the　most　effective；　since　they　appeal　to　the　eye。　　They

surpass　the　stories　of　Mandrin＇12＇　and　Cartouche；　being　exactly

suitable　for　men　whose　literature　consists　of　the　popular　laments　of

Mandrin　and　Cartouche。







II。



Political　incapacity。　　…　Interpretation　of　political　rumors　and　of

government　action。



　　By　this　we　can　judge　of　their　political　intelligence。　　Every

object　appears　to　them　in　a　false　light；　they　are　like　children　who；

at　each　turn　of　the　road；　see　in　each　tree　or　bush　some　frightful

hobgoblin。　　Arthur　Young；　on　visiting　the　springs　near　Clermont；　is

arrested；＇13＇　and　the　people　want　to　imprison　a　woman；　his　guide；　some

of　the　bystanders　regarding　him　as　an　〃agent　of　the　Queen；　who

intended　to　blow　the　town　up　with　a　mine；　and　send　all　that　escaped　to

the　galleys。〃　Six　days　after　this；　beyond　Puy；　and　notwithstanding　his

passport；　the　village　guard　come　and　take　him　out　of　bed　at　eleven

o'clock　at　nights；　declaring　that　〃I　was　undoubtedly　a　conspirator

with　the　Queen；　the　Count　d'Artois　and　the　Count　d'Entragues　（who　has

property　here）；　who　had　employed　me　as　arpenteur　to　measure　their

fields　in　order　to　double　their　taxes。〃　We　here　take　the　unconscious；

apprehensive；　popular　imagination　in　the　act；　a　slight　indication；　a

word；　prompting　the　construction　of　either　air　castles　or　fantastic

dungeons；　and　seeing　these　as　plainly　as　if　they　were　so　many

substantial　realities。　　They　have　not　the　inward　resources　that　render

capable　of　separating　and　discerning；　their　conceptions　are　formed　in

a　lump；　both　object　and　fancy　appear　together　and　are　united　in　one

single　perception。　　At　the　moment　of　electing　deputies　the　report　is

current　in　Province＇14＇　that　〃the　best　of　kings　desires　perfect

equality；　that　there　are　to　be　no　more　bishops；　nor　seigniors；　nor

tithes；　nor　seigniorial　dues；　no　more　tithes　or　distinctions；　no　more

hunting　or　fishing　rights；　。　　。　　。　　that　the　people　are　to　be　wholly

relieved　of　taxation；　and　that　the　first　two　orders　alone　are　to

provide　the　expenses　of　the　government。〃　Whereupon　forty　or　fifty

riots　take　place　in　one　day。　　〃Several　communities　refuse　to　make　any

payments　to　their　treasurer　outside　of　royal　requisitions。〃　Others　do

better：　〃on　pillaging　the　strong…box　of　the　receiver　of　the　tax　on

leather　at　Brignolles；　they　shout　out　Vive　le　Roi！〃　〃The　peasant

constantly　asserts　his　pillage　and　destruction　to　be　in　conformity

with　the　king's　will。〃　A　little　later；　in　Auvergne；　the　peasants　who

burn　castles　are　to　display　〃much　repugnance〃　in　thus　maltreating

〃such　kind　seigniors；〃　but　they　allege　〃imperative　orders；　having　been

advised　that　the　king　wished　it。〃＇15＇　At　Lyons；　when　the　tapsters　of

the　town　and　the　peasants　of　the　neighborhood　trample　the　customs

officials　underfoot　they　believe　that　the　king　has　suspended　all

customs　dues　for　three　days。＇16＇　The　scope　of　their　imagination　is

proportionate　to　their　shortsightedness。　　〃Bread；　no　more　rents；　no

more　taxes！〃　is　the　sole　cry；　the　cry　of　want；　while　exasperated　want

plunges　ahead　like　a　famished　bull。　　Down　with　the　monopolist　！　…

storehouses　are　forced　open；　convoys　of　grain　are　stopped；　markets　are

pillaged；　bakers　are　hung；　and　the　price　of　bread　is　fixed　so　that

none　is　to　be　had　or　is　concealed。　　Down　with　the　octroi　！　　　…

barriers　are　demolished；　clerks　are　beaten；　money　is　wanting　in　the

towns　for　urgent　expenses。　　Burn　tax　registries；　account…books；

municipal　archives；　seigniors'　charter…safes；　convent　parchments；

every　detestable　document　creative　of　debtors　and　sufferers　！　The

village　itself　is　no　longer　able　to　preserve　its　parish　property。　　The

rage　against　any　written　document；　against　public　officers；　against

any　man　more　or　less　connected　with　grain；　is　blind　and　determined。

The　furious　animal　destroys　all；　although　wounding　himself；　driving

and　roaring　against　the　obstacle　that　ought　to　be　outflanked。





III。



Destructive　impulses。　　…　The　object　of　blind　rage。　　…　Distrust　of

natural　leaders。　　…　Suspicion　of　them　changed　into　hatred。　　…

Disposition　of　the　people　in　1789。



　　This　owing　to　the　absence　of　leaders　and　in　the　absence　of

organization；　a　mob　is　simply　a　herd。　　Its　mistrust　of　its　natural

leaders；　of　the　great；　of　the　wealthy；　of　persons　in　office　and

clothed　with　authority；　is　inveterate　and　incurable。　　Vainly　do　these

wish　it　well　and　do　it　good；　it　has　no　faith　in　their　humanity　or

disinterestedness。　　It　has　been　too　down…trodden；　it　entertains

prejudices　against　every　measure　proceeding　from　them；　even　the　most

liberal　and　the　most　beneficial。　　〃At　the　mere　mention　of　the　new

assemblies；〃　says　a　provincial　commission　in　1787；＇17＇　〃we　heard　a

workman　exclaim；　'What；　more　new　extortioners！'　〃　Superiors　of　every

kind　are　suspected；　and　from　suspicion　to　hostility　the　road　is　not

long。　　In　1788＇18＇　Mercier　declares　that　〃insubordination　has　been

manifest　for　some　years；　especially　among　the　trades。　　。　　。　　。　　Formerly；

on　entering　a　printing…office　the　men　took　off　their　hats。　　Now　they

content　themselves　with　staring　and　leering　at　you；　scarcely　have　you

crossed　threshold　when　you　yourself　more　lightly　spoken　of　than　if　you

were　one　of　them。〃　The　same　attitude　is　taken　by　the　peasants　in　the

environment　of　Paris；　Madame　Vigée…Lebrun；＇19＇　on　going　to　Romainville

to　visit　Marshal　de　Ségur；　remarks：　〃Not　only　do　they　not　remove　their

hats　but　they　regard　us　insolently；　some　of　them　even　threatened　us

with　clubs。〃　In　March　and　April　following　this；　her　guests　arrive　at

her　concert