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the origins of contemporary france-2-第86章

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his claims; they oblige him; moreover; to sign notes for the benefit

of the parish; or for that of various private individuals。  This is

considered by them to be compensation for damages; all feudal dues

being abolished; he must return what he received from them during

the past year; and as they have been put to inconvenience he must

indemnify them by 〃paying them for their time and journey。〃 Such are

the operations of two of the principal bands; one of them numbering

fifteen hundred men; around Dinan and St。  Malo; for greater

security they burn title…deeds in the chateaux of Saint…Tual; Besso;

Beaumanoir; La Rivière; La Bellière; Chateauneuf; Chenay;

Chausavoir; Tourdelon; and Chalonge; and as a climax they set fire

to Chateauneuf just before the arrival of the regular troops。  …  In

the beginning; a dim conception of legal and social order seems to

be floating in their brains; at Saint…Tual; before taking 2;000

livres from the steward; they oblige the mayor to give them his

consent in writing; at Yvignac; their chief; called upon to show the

authority under which he acted; declares that 〃he is authorized by

the general will of the populace of the nation。〃'70' … But when; at

the end of a month; they are beaten by the regular troops; made

furious by the blows given and taken; and excited by the weakness of

the municipal authorities who release their prisoners; they then

become bandits of the worst species。  During the night of the 22nd

of February; the chateau of Villefranche; three leagues from

Malestroit; is attacked。  Thirty…two rascals with their faces

masked; and led by a chief in the national uniform; break open the

door。  The domestics are strangled。  The proprietor; M。 de la

Bourdonnaie; an old man; with his wife aged sixty; are half killed

by blows and tied fast to their bed; and after this a fire is

applied to their feet and they are warmed (chauffé)。  In the

meantime the plate; linen; stuffs; jewelry; two thousand francs in

silver; and even watches; buckles; and rings;  …  everything is

pillaged; piled on the backs of the eleven horses in the stables;

and carried off。  …  ?When property is concerned; one sort of

outrage provokes another; the narrow cupidity of the lease…holder

being completed by the unlimited rapacity of the brigand。



Meanwhile; in the south…western provinces; the same causes have

produced the same results; and towards the end of autumn; when the

crops are gathered in and the proprietors demand their dues in money

or in produce; the peasant; immovably fixed in his idea; again

refuses。'71' In his eyes; any law that may be against him is not

that of the National Assembly; but of the so…called seigneurs; who

have extorted or manufactured it; and therefore it is null。  The

department and district administrators may promulgate it as much as

they please: it does not concern him; and if the opportunity occurs;

he knows how to make them smart for it。  The village National

Guards; who are lease…holders like himself; side with him; and

instead of repressing him give him their support。  As a

commencement; he replants the maypoles; as a sign of emancipation;

and erects the gibbet by way of a threat。  …  In the district of

Gourdon; the regulars and the police having been sent to put them

down; the tocsin is at once sounded: a crowd of peasants; amounting

to four or five thousand; arrives from every surrounding parish;

armed with scythes and guns; the soldiers; forming a body of one

hundred; retire into a church; where they capitulate after a siege

of twenty…four hours; being obliged to give the names of the

proprietors who demanded their intervention of the district; and who

are Messrs。  Hébray; de Fontange; and many others。  All their houses

are destroyed from top to bottom; and they effect their escape in

order not to be hung。  The chateaux of Repaire and Salviat are

burned。  At the expiration of eight days Quercy is in flames and

thirty chateaux are destroyed。  …  The leader of a band of rustic

National Guards; Joseph Linard; at the head of a village army;

penetrates into Gourdon; installs himself in the H?tel…de…Ville;

declares himself the people's protector against the directory of the

district; writes to the department in the name of his 〃companions in

arms;〃 and vaunts his patriotism。  Meanwhile he commands as a

conqueror; throws open the prisons; and promises that; if the

regular troops and police be sent off; he and his companions will

withdraw in good order。  …  This species of tumultuous authority;

however; instituted by acclamation for attack; is powerless for

resistance。  Scarcely has Linard retired when savagery is let loose。

〃A price is set upon the heads of the administrators; their houses

are the first devastated; all the houses of wealthy citizens are

pillaged; and the same is the case with all chateaux and country

habitations which display any signs of luxury。〃  …  Fifteen

gentlemen; assembled together at the house of M。 d'Escayrac; in

Castel; appeal to all good citizens to march to the assistance of

the proprietors who may be attacked in this jacquerie; which is

spreading everywhere;'72' but there are too few proprietors in the

country; and none of the towns have too many of them for their own

protection。  M。 d'Escayrac; after a few skirmishes; abandoned by the

municipal officers of his village; and wounded; withdraws to the

house of the Comte de Clarac; a major…general; in Languedoc。  Here;

too; the chateau; is surrounded;'73' blockaded; and besieged by the

local National Guard。  M。 de Clarac descends and tries to hold a

parley with the attacking party; and is fired upon。  He goes back

inside and throws money out of the window; the money is gathered up;

and he is again fired upon。  The chateau is set on fire; and M。

d'Escayrac receives five shots; and is killed。  M。 de Clarac; with

another person; having taken refuge in a subterranean vault; are

taken out almost stifled the next morning but one by the National

Guard of the vicinity; who conduct them to Toulouse; where they are

kept in prison and where the public prosecutor takes proceedings

against them。  The chateau of Bagat; near Montcuq; is demolished at

the same time。  The abbey of Espagnac; near Figeac; is assaulted

with fire…arms; the abbess is forced to refund all rents she has

collected; and to restore four thousand livres for the expenses of a

trial which the convent had gained twenty years before。



After such successes; the extension of the revolt is inevitable; and

at the end of some weeks and months it becomes permanent in the

three neighboring departments。  …  In Creuse;'74' the judges are

threatened with death if they order the payment of seignorial dues;

and the same fate awaits all proprietors who claim their rents。  In

many places; and especially in the mountains; the peasants;

〃considering that they form the nation; and that clerical

possessions are national;〃 want to have these divided amongst

themselves; instead of their being sold。  Fifty parishes around La

Souterraine receive incendiary letters inviting them to come in arms

to the town; in order to secure by force; and by staking their

lives; the production of all titles to rentals。  The peasants; in a

circle of eight leagues; are all stirred up by the sound of the

tocsin; and preceded by the municipal officers in their scarves;

there are four thousand of them; and they drag with them a wagon

full of arms: this is for the revision and re…constitution of the

ownership of the soil。  …  In Dordogne;'75' self…appointed

arbitrators interpose imperiously between the proprietor and the

small farmer; at the time of harvest; to prevent the proprietor from

claiming; and the farmer from paying; the tithes or the réve;'76'

any agreement to this end is forbidden; whoever shall transgress the

new order of things; proprietor or farmer; shall be hung。

Accordingly; the rural militia in the districts of Bergerac;

Excideuil; Ribérac; Mucidan; Montignac; and Perigueux; led by the

municipal officers; go from commune to commune in order to force the

proprietors to sign an act of withdrawal; and these visits 〃are

always accompanied with robberies; outrages; and ill…treatment from

which there is no escape but in absolute submission。〃 Moreover;

〃they demand the abolition of every species of tax and the partition

of the soil。  〃  …  It is impossible for 〃proprietors moderately

rich 〃 to remain in the country; on all sides they take refuge in

Perigueux; and there; organizing in companies; along with the

gendarmerie and the National Guard of the town; overrun the cantons

to restore order。  But there is no way of persuading the peasantry

that it is order which they wish to restore。  With that stubbornness

of the imagination which no obstacle arrests; and which; like a

vigorous spring; always finds some outlet; the people declare that

〃the gendarmes and National Guard〃 who come to restrain them 〃are
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