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lapse to the first comer。 A small farmer of the neighborhood has
carried away wine and returns the following day in search of hay。
All the furniture of a chateau in Dauphin is removed； even to the
hinges of the doors； by a large reinforcement of carts。 〃 It is
the war of the poor against the rich；〃 says a deputy； 〃and； on the
3rd of August； the Committee on Reports declares to the National
Assembly 〃that no kind of property has been spared。〃 In Franche…
Comté； 〃nearly forty chateaux and seignorial mansions have been
pillaged or burnt。〃＇44＇ From Lancers to Gray about three out of
five chateaux are sacked。 In Dauphin twenty…seven are burned or
destroyed； five in the small district of Viennese； and； besides
these； all the monasteries nine at least in Auvergne； seventy…
two； it is said； in Maconnais and Beaujolais； without counting those
of Alsace。 On the 31st of July； Lally…Tollendal； on entering the
tribune； has his hands full of letters of distress； with a list of
thirty…six chateaux burnt； demolished； or pillaged； in one province；
and the details of still worse violence against persons：＇45＇
〃in Languedoc； M。 de Barras； cut to pieces in the presence of his
wife who is about to be confined； and who is dead in consequence； in
Normandy； a paralytic gentleman left on a burning pile and taken off
from it with his hands burnt； in Franche…Comté； Madame de Bathilly
compelled； with an ax over her head； to give up her title…deeds and
even her estate； Madame de Listenay forced to do the same； with a
pitchfork at her neck and her two daughters in a swoon at her feet；
Comte de Montjustin； with his wife； having a pistol at his throat
for three hours； and both dragged from their carriage to be thrown
into a pond； where they are saved by a passing regiment of soldiers；
Baron de Montjustin； one of the twenty…two popular noblemen；
suspended for an hour in a well； listening to a discussion whether
he shall be dropped down or whether he should die in some other way；
the Chevalier d'Ambly； torn from his chateau and dragged naked into
the village； placed on a dung…heap after having his eyebrows and all
his hair pulled out； while the crowd kept on dancing around him。〃
In the midst of a disintegrated society； under the semblance only of
a government； it is manifest that an invasion is under way； an
invasion of barbarians which will complete by terror that which it
has begun by violence； and which； like the invasions of the Normans
in the tenth and eleventh centuries； ends in the conquest and
dispossession of an entire class。 In vain the National Guard and
the other troops that remain loyal succeed in stemming the first
torrent； in vain does the Assembly hollow out a bed for it and
strive to bank it in by fixed boundaries。 The decrees of the 4th of
August and the regulations which follow are but so many spiders'
webs stretched across a torrent。 The peasants； moreover； putting
their own interpretation on the decrees； convert the new laws into
authority for continuing in their course or beginning over again。
No more rents； however legitimate； however legal！
〃Yesterday；〃＇46＇ writes a gentleman of Auvergne； we were notified
that the fruit…tithe （percières） would no longer be paid； and that
the example of other provinces was only being followed which no
longer； even by royal order； pay tithes。〃 In Franche…Comté 〃numerous
communities are satisfied that they no longer owe anything either to
the King or to their lords。 。 。 。 The villages divide amongst
themselves the fields and woods belonging to the nobles。〃
It must be noted that charter…holding and feudal titles are still
intact in three…fourths of France； that it is the interest of the
peasant to ensure their disappearance； and that he is always armed。
To secure a new outbreak of jacqueries； it is only necessary that
central control； already thrown into disorder； should be withdrawn。
This is the work of Versailles and of Paris； and there； at Paris as
well as at Versailles； some； through lack of foresight and
infatuation； and others； through blindness and indecision the
latter through weakness and the former through violence all are
laboring to accomplish it。
____________________________________________________________________
Notes：
＇1＇ Dusaulx； 374。 〃 I remarked that if there were a few among the
people at that time who dared commit crime； there were several who
wished it； and that every one endured it。〃 〃 Archives
Nationales；〃 DXXIX； 3。 （Letter of the municipal authorities of
Crémieu； Dauphiny； November 3； 1789。） 〃The care taken to lead them
first to the cellars and to intoxicate them； can alone give a
conception of the incredible excesses of rage to which they gave
themselves up in the sacking and burning of the chateaux。〃
＇2＇ Mercure de France； January 4； 1792。 （〃Revue politique de
l'année 1791；〃 by Mallet du Pan。）
＇3＇ Albert Babeau； I。 206。 （Letter of the deputy Camuzet de
Belombre； August 22； 1789。） The executive power is absolutely gone
to…day。〃 Gouverneur Morris； letter of July 31； 1789： 〃This
country is now as near in a state of anarchy as it is possible for a
community to be without breaking up。〃
＇4＇ 〃Archives Nationales；〃 H。 1453。 Letter of M。 Amelot； July
24th； H。 784； of M。 de Langeron； October 16th and 18th 。 KK。
1105。 correspondence of M。 de Thiard； October 7th and 30th；
September 4th。 Floquet； VII。 527； 555。 … Guadet； 〃Histoire
des Girondins〃 （July 29； 1789）。
＇5＇ M。 de Rochambeau； 〃Mémoires；〃 I。 353 （July 18th）。 … Sauzay；
〃Histoire de la Persécution Révolutionnaire dans le Département de
Doubs；〃 I。 128 （July 19th。） 〃Archives Nationales；〃 F7； 3253。
（Letter of the deputies of the provincial commission of Alsace；
September 8th。） D。 XXIX。 I。 note of M。 de Latour…du…Pin； October
28； 1789。 … Letter of M。 de Langeron； September 3rd； of Breitman；
garde…marteau； Val Saint…Amarin （Upper Alsace）； July 26th。
＇6＇ Léonce de Lavergne； 197。 （Letter of the intermediate commission
of Poitou； the last month in 1789。） Cf。 Brissot （Le patriote
fran？ais； August； 1789）。 〃General insubordination prevails in the
provinces because the restraints of executive power are no longer
felt。 What were but lately the guarantees of that power？ The
intendants； tribunals； and the army。 The intendants are gone； the
tribunals are silent； and the army is against the executive power
and on the side of the people。 Liberty is not a nourishment for
unprepared stomachs。〃
＇7＇ 〃Archives Nationales；〃 D。 XXIX。 I。 （Letter of the clergy；
consuls； présidial…councillors and principal merchants of Puy…en…
Velay； September 16； 1789。） H。 1453。 （letter of the Intendant
or Alen？on； July 18th）。 〃I must not leave you in ignorance of the
multiplied outbreaks we have in all parts of my jurisdiction。 The
impunity with which they flatter themselves； because the judges are
afraid of irritating the people by examples of severity； only
emboldens them。 Mischief…makers； confounded with honest folks；
spread false reports about particular persons whom they accuse of
concealing grain； or of not belonging to the Third…Estate； and；
under this pretext； they pillage their houses； taking whatever they
can find； the owners only avoiding death by flight。〃
＇8＇ A body of magistrates forming one of the lower tribunals。…＇Tr。＇
＇9＇ 〃Archives Nationales；〃 H。 942。 （Observations of M。 de
Ballainvilliers； October 30； 1789。）
＇10＇ 〃Archives Nationales；〃 D； XXIX。 1。 Letter of the municipal
assembly of Louviers； the end of August； 1789。 … Letter of the
communal assembly of Saint…Bris （bailiwick of Auxerre）； September
25th。 … Letter of the municipal officers of Ricey…Haut； near Bar…
sur…Seine； August 25th； of the Chevalier d'Allouville； September
8th。
＇11＇ 〃Archives Nationales；〃 D； XXIX。 I。 Letter of M。 Briand…
Delessart （Angoulême； August 1st）。 Of M。 Bret； Lieutenant…
General of the provostship of Mardogne； September 5th。 Of the
Chevalier de Castellas （Auvergue）； September 15th （relating to the
night between the 2nd and 3rd of August）。 … Madame Campan； II。
65。
＇12＇ Arthur Young； 〃Voyages in France；〃 July 24th and 31st； August
13th and 19th。
＇13＇ De Bouillé； 108。 … 〃 Archives Nationales；〃 KK。 1105。
Correspondence of M。 deThiard； September 20； 1789 （apropos of one
hundred guns given to the town of Saint…Brieuc）。 〃They are not of
the slightest use； but this passion for arms is a temporary epidemic
which must be allowed to subside of itself。 People are determined
to believe in brigands and in enemies； whereas neither exist。〃
September 25th； 〃Vanity alone impels them； and the pride of having
cannon is their sole motive。〃
＇14＇ 〃Archives Nationales；〃 H。 1453。 Letters of M。 Amelot； July
17th and 24th。 〃Several wealthy private persons of the town
（Auxonne） have been put to ransom by this band； of which