the origins of contemporary france-4-第103章

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the　fields　too　weak　to　stand　up　to　their　work。〃　And　other　communes　in

the　district　〃are　about　in　the　same　condition。〃　The　same　spectacle　is

visible　throughout　the　Ile…de…France；　Normandy；　and　in　Picardy。

Around　Dieppe；　in　the　country；＇105＇　entire　communes　support　themselves

on　herbs　and　bran。　　〃Citizen　representatives；〃　write　the

administrators；　〃we　can　no　longer　maintain　ourselves。　　Our　fellow

citizens　reproach　us　with　having　despoiled　them　of　their　grain　in

favor　of　the　large　communes。〃　…　〃All　means　of　subsistence　are

exhausted；〃　writes　the　district　of　Louviers；＇106＇　〃we　are　reduced　here

for　a　month　past　to　eating　bran　bread　and　boiled　herbs；　and　even　this

rude　food　is　getting　scarce。　　Bear　in　mind　that　we　have　seventy…one

thousand　people　to　govern；　at　this　very　time　subject　to　all　the

horrors　of　famine；　a　large　number　of　them　having　already　perished；

some　with　hunger　and　others　with　diseases　engendered　by　the　poor　food

they　live　on。　　〃　…　In　the　Caen　district；＇107＇　〃the　unripe　peas；　horse

peas；　beans；　and　green　barley　and　rye　are　attacked；〃　mothers　and

children　go　after　these　in　the　fields　in　default　of　other　food；　〃other

vegetables　in　the　gardens　are　already　consumed；　furniture；　the

comforts　of　the　well　to　do　class；　have　become　the　prey　of　the　farming

egoist；　having　nothing　more　to　sell　they　consequently　have　nothing

with　which　to　obtain　a　morsel　of　bread。〃



　〃　It　is　impossible；〃　writes　the　representative　on　mission；　〃to　wait

for　the　crop　without　further　aid。　　As　long　as　bran　lasted　the　people

ate　that；　none　can　now　be　found　and　despair　is　at　its　height。　　I　have

not　seen　the　sun　since　I　came。　　The　harvest　will　be　a　month　behind。

What　shall　we　do？　What　will　become　of　us？〃　…　〃In　Picardy；〃　writes　the

Beauvais　district；　〃the　great　majority　of　people　in　the　rural　communes

search　the　woods〃　to　find　mushrooms；　berries　and　wild　fruits。＇108＇

〃They　think　themselves　lucky；〃　says　the　Bapaume　district；　〃if　they　can

get　a　share　of　the　food　of　animals。〃　〃In　many　communes；〃　the　district

of　Vervier　reports；　〃the　inhabitants　are　reduced　to　living　on

herbage。〃　〃Many　families；　entire　communes；〃　reports　the　Laon

commissary；　〃have　been　without　bread　two　or　three　months　and　live　on

bran　or　herbs。　　。　　。　　。　　Mothers　of　families；　children；　old　men；

pregnant　women；　come　to　the　（members　of　the）　Directory　for　bread　and

often　faint　in　their　arms。



And　yet；　great　as　the　famine　is　in　the　country　it　is　worse　in　the

towns；　and　the　proof　of　it　is　that　the　starving　people　flock　into　the

country　to　find　whatever　they　can　to　live　on；　no　matter　how；　and；

generally　speaking；　in　vain。　　…　〃Three　quarters　of　our　fellow

citizens；〃　writes　the　Rozoy　municipality；＇109＇　〃are　forced　to　quit

work　and　overrun　the　country　here　and　there；　among　the　farmers；　to

obtain　bread　for　specie；　and　with　more　entreaty　than　the　poorest

wretches；　for　the　most　part；　they　return　with　tears　in　their　eyes　at

not　being　able　to　find；　not　merely　a　bushel　of　wheat；　but　a　pound　of

bread。〃　　〃Yesterday；〃　writes　the　Montreuil…sur…Mer　municipality；＇110＇

〃more　than　two　hundred　of　our　citizens　set　out　to　beg　in　the　country；〃

and；　when　they　get　nothing；　they　steal。　　〃Bands　of　brigands＇111＇

spread　through　the　country　and　pillage　all　dwellings　anywise　remote。

。　　。　　。　　Grain；　flour；　bread；　cattle；　poultry；　stuffs；　etc。；　all　come

in　play。　　Our　terrified　shepherds　are　no　longer　willing　to　sleep　in

their　sheep　pens　and　are　leaving　us。〃　The　most　timid　dig　Carrots　at

night　or；　during　the　day；　gather　dandelions；　but　their　town　stomachs

cannot　digest　this　food。　　〃Lately；〃　writes　the　procureur…　syndic　of

Saint…Germain；＇112＇　〃the　corpse　of　a　father　of　a　family；　found　in　the

fields　with　his　mouth　still　filled　with　the　grass　he　had　striven　to

chew；　exasperates　and　arouses　the　spirit　of　the　poor　creatures

awaiting　a　similar　fate。〃



What　then；　do　people　in　the　towns　do　in　order　to　survive？　…　In　small

towns　or　scattered　villages；　each　municipality；　using　what　gendarmes

it　has；　makes　legal　requisitions　in　its　vicinity；　and　sometimes　the

commune　obtains　from　the　government　a　charitable　gift　of　wheat；　oats；

rice　or　assignats。　　But　the　quantity　of　grain　it　receives　is　so　small；

one　asks　how　it　is　that；　after　two　months；　six　months　or　a　year　of

such　a　system；　that　half　of　the　inhabitants　are　not　in　the　grave　yard。

I　suppose　that　many　of　them　live　on　what　they　raise　in　their　gardens；

or　on　their　small　farms；　others　are　helped　by　their　relations；

neighbors　and　companions；　in　any　event；　it　is　clear　that　the　human

body　is　very　resistant；　and　a　few　mouthfuls　suffice　to　keep　it　going　a

long　time。　　…　At　Ervy；＇113＇　in　Aube；　〃not　a　grain　of　wheat　has　been

brought　in　the　last　two　market　days。〃　〃To　morrow；＇114＇　Prairial　25；　in

Bapaume；　the　main　town　of　the　district；　there　will　be　only　two　bushels

of　flour　left　（for　food　of　any　sort）。〃　〃At　Boulogne…sur…Mer；　for　the

past　ten　days；　there　has　been　distributed　to　each　person　only　three

pounds　of　bad　barley；　or　maslin；　without　knowing　whether　we　can　again

distribute　this　miserable　ration　next　decade。〃　Out　of　sixteen　hundred

inhabitants　in　Brionne；　〃twelve　hundred　and　sixty＇115＇　are　reduced　to

the　small　portion　of　wheat　they　receive　at　the　market；　and　which；

unfortunately；　for　too　long　a　time；　has　been　reduced　from　eight　to

three　ounces　of　wheat　for　each　person；　every　eight　days。〃　For　three

months　past；　in　Seine　et　Marne；＇116＇　in　〃the　commune　of　Meaux；　that　of

Laferté；　Lagny；　Daumartin；　and　other　principal　towns　of　the　canton；

they　have　had　only　half　a　pound　per　head；　for　each　day；　of　bad　bread。〃

In　Seine　et　Oise；　〃citizens　of　the　neighborhood　of　Paris　and　even　of

Versailles＇117＇　state　that　they　are　reduced　to　four　ounces　of　bread。〃

At　Saint…Denis；＇118＇　with　a　population　of　six　thousand；　〃a　large　part

of　the　inhabitants；　worn　out　with　suffering；　betake　themselves　to　the

charity　depots。　　Workmen；　especially；　cannot　do　their　work　for　lack　of

food。　　A　good　many　women；　mothers　and　nurses；　have　been　found　in　their

houses　unconscious；　without　any　sign　of　life　in　them；　and　many　have

died　with　their　infants　at　their　breasts。〃　Even　in　a　larger　and　less

forsaken　town；　Saint…Germain；＇119＇　the　misery　surpasses　all　that　one

can　imagine。　　〃Half…a…pound　of　flour　for　each　inhabitant；〃　not　daily；

but　at　long　intervals；　〃bread　at　fifteen　and　sixteen　francs　the　pound

and　all　other　provisions　at　the　same　rate；　a　people　which　is　sinking；

losing　hope　and　perishing。　　Yesterday；　for　the　fête　of　the　9th　of

Thermidor；　not　a　sign　of　rejoicing；　on　the　contrary；　symptoms　of

general　and　profound　depression；　tottering　specters　in　the　streets；

mournful　shrieks　of　ravaging　hunger　or　shouts　of　rage；　almost　every

one；　driven　to　the　last　extremity　of　misery；　welcoming　death　as　a

boon。〃



Such　is　the　aspect　of　these　huge　artificial　agglomerations；　where　the

soil；　made　sterile　by　habitation；　bears　only　stones；　and　where　twenty；

thirty；　fifty　and　a　hundred　thousand　suffering　stomachs　have　to　obtain

from　ten；　twenty　and　thirty　leagues　off　their　first　and　last　mouthful

of　food。　　Within　these　close　pens　long　lines　of　human　sheep　huddle

together　every　day　bleating　and　trembling　around　almost　empty　troughs；

and　only　through　extraordinary　efforts　do　the　shepherds　daily　succeed

in　providing　them　with　a　little　nourishment。　　The　central　government；

strenuously　appealed　to；　enlarges　or　defines　the　circle　of　their

requisitions；　it　authorizes　them　to　borrow；　to　tax　themselves；　it

lends　or　gives　to　them　millions　of　assignats；＇120＇　frequently；　in

cases　of　extreme　want；　it　allows　them　to　take　so　much　grain　or　rice

from　its　storehouses；　for　a　week's　supply。　　…　But；　in　truth；　this　sort

of　life　is　not　living；　it　is　only　not　dying。　　For　one　half；　and　more

than　one　half　of　the　inhabitants　simply　subsist　on　rations　of　bread

obtained　by　long　waiting　for　it　at　the　end　of　a　string　of　people　and

delivered　at　a　reduced　price。　　What　rations　and　what　bread！　〃It

seems；〃　says　the　municipality　of　Troyes；　〃that＇121＇　the　country　has

anathematized　the　towns。　　Formerly；　the　finest　grain　was　brought　to

market；　the　farmer　kept　the　inferior　quality　and　consumed　it　at　home。

Now　it　is　the　reverse；　and　this　is　carried　still　further；　for；　not

only　do　we　receive　no　wheat　whatever；　but　the　farmers　give　us　sprouted

barley　and　rye；　which　they　reserve　for　our　commune；　the　farmer　who　has

none　arranges　with　those　who　have；　so　as　to　buy　it　and　deliver　it　in

town；　and　sell　his　good　wheat　elsewhere。　　Half　a　pound　per　day　and　per

head；　in　Pluvi？se　；　to　the　thirteen　thousand　or　fourteen　thousand

indigent　in　Troyes；　then　a　quarter　of　a　pound；　and；　finally；　two

ounces　with　a　little　rice　and　some　dried　vegetables；　〃which　feeble

resource　is　going　to　fail　us。〃＇122＇　　Half　a　pound　in　Pluvi？se　；　to　the

twenty　thousand　needy　in　Amiens；　which　ration　is　only　nominal；　for　〃it

often　happens　that　each　individual　gets　only　four　ounces；　while　the

distribution　has　repeatedly　failed　three　days　in　succession；''　and

this　continues。　　Six　months　later；　Fructidor　7；　Amiens　has　but　sixty

nine　quintals　of　flour　in　its　market　storehouse；　〃an　insufficient

quantity　for　distribution　this　very　day；　to　morrow；　it　will　be

impossible　to　make　any　distribution　at　all；　and　the　day　after　to

morrow　the　needy　population　of　this　commune　will　be　brought　down　to

absolute　famine。〃　…　〃Complete　desperation！　There　are　already　〃many

suicides。〃＇123＇　At　other　times；　rage　predominates　and　there　are　riots。

At　Evreux；＇124＇　Germinal　21；　a　riot　breaks　out；　owing　to　the　delivery

of　only　two　pounds　of　flour　per　head　and　per　week；　and　because　three

days　before；　only　a　pound　and　a　half　was　delivered。　　There　is　a　riot

at　Dieppe；＇125＇　Prairial　14　and　15；　because　〃the　people　are　reduced

here　to　three　or　four　ounces　of　bread。〃　There　is　another　at　Vervins；

Prairial　9；　because　the　municipality　which　obtains　bread　at　a　cost　of

seven　and　eight　francs　a　pound；　raises　the　price　from　twenty…five　to

fifty　sous。　　At　Lille；　an　insurrection　breaks　out　Messidor　4；　because

the　municipality；　paying　nine　francs　for　bread；　can　give　it　to　the

poor　only　for　about　twenty　and　thirty　sous。　　…　Lyons；　during　the　month

of　Niv？se；　remains　without　bread　〃for　five　full　days。〃＇126＇　　At

Chartres；　Thermidor　15；＇127＇　the　distribution　of　bread　for　a　month　is

only　eight　ounces　a　day；　and　there　is　not　enough　to　keep　this　up　until

the　20th　of　Thermidor。　　On　the　fifteenth　of　Fructidor；　La　Rochelle

writes　that　〃its　public　distributions；　reduced　to　seven　or　eight

ounces　of　bread；　are　on　the　point　of　failing　entirely。〃　For　four

months；　at　Painb？uf；　the　ration　is　but　the　quarter　of　a　pound　of

bread。＇128＇　And　the　same　at　Nantes；　which　has　eighty…two　thousand

inhabitants　and　swarms　with　the　wretched；　〃the　distribution　never

exceeded　four　ounces　a　day；〃　and　that　only　for　the　past　year。　　The

same　at　Rouen；　which　contains　sixty　thousand　inhabitants；　and；　in

addition；　within　the　past　fortnight　the　distribution　has　failed