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'Thanks； sweetheart；' But the Revolution has given the lower class
bourgeoisie the courage to defend themselves tooth and nail so that； a
moment later； she addresses him； with one of her sweetest smiles；
'Will you take some chicken； my love？' （The French expression 'mon
coeur' means both sweetheart and my love。 SR。）
＇40＇ De Vaublanc； I。 153。
＇41＇ Beugnot； 〃Mémoires；〃 I。 77。
＇42＇ Champfort； 16。 〃Who would believe it！ Not taxation； nor
lettres…de…cachet； nor the abuses of power； nor the vexations of
intendants； and the ruinous delays of justice have provoked the ire of
the nation； but their prejudices against the nobility towards which it
has shown the greatest hatred。 This evidently proves that the
bourgeoisie； the men of letters； the financial class； in short all
who envy the nobles have excited against these the inferior class in
the towns and among the rural peasantry。〃 （Rivarol； 〃Mémoires。〃）
＇43＇ Champfort； 335。
＇44＇ Sieyès； 〃Qu'est ce que le Tiers？〃 17； 41； 139； 166。
＇45＇ Cartouche （Luis Dominique） （Paris； 1693 … id。 1721）。
Notorious French bandit； leader of a gang of thieves。 He died broken
alive on the wheel。 （SR。）
＇46＇ 〃The nobility； say the nobles； is an intermediary between the
king and the people。 Yes； as the hound is an intermediary between the
hunter and the hare。〃 （Champfort）。
＇47＇ Prud'homme； III。 2。 （〃The Third…Estate of Nivernais；〃
passim。） Cf； on the other hand； the registers of the nobility of Bugey
and of Alen？on。
＇48＇ Prud'homme； ibid。。； Cahiers of the Third…Estates of Dijon；
Dax； Bayonne； Saint…Sévère； Rennes； etc。
＇49＇ Marmontel； 〃Mémoires；〃 II。 247。
＇50＇ Arthur Young； I。 222。
＇51＇ Malouet； 〃Mémoires；〃 I。 279。
＇52＇ De Lavalette； I。 7。 〃Souvenirs〃； by PASQUIER （Etienne…
Dennis； duc）； chancelier de France。 in VI volumes； Librarie Plon；
Paris 1893。 。 Cf。 Brissot； Mémoires； I。
＇53＇ Prudhomme； 〃Résumé des cahiers；〃 the 〃preface；〃 by J。 J。
Rousseau。
＇54＇ Marmontel； II。 245。
BOOK FIFTH。 THE PEOPLE
CHAPTER I。 HARDSHIPS。
I。 Privations。
Under Louis XIV。 … Under Louis XV。 … Under Louis XVI。
La Bruyère wrote； just a century before 1789；＇1＇：
〃Certain savage…looking animals； male and female； are seen in the
country； black； livid and sunburned； and attached to the soil which
they dig and grub with invincible stubbornness。 They seem capable of
speech； and； when they stand erect； they display a human face。 They
are； in fact； men。 They retire at night into their dens where they
live on black bread； water and roots。 They spare other human beings
the trouble of sowing； plowing and harvesting； and thus should not be
in want of the bread they have planted。〃
They are； however； in want during the twenty…five years after this；
and die in droves。 I estimate that in 1715 more than one…third of the
population；＇2＇ six millions； perish with hunger and of destitution。
This description is； in respect of the first quarter of the century
preceding the Revolution； far from being too vivid； it is rather too
weak； we shall see that it； during more than half a century； up to the
death of Louis XV。 is exact； so that instead of weakening any of its
details； they should be strengthened。
〃In 1725；〃 says Saint…Simon； 〃with the profusion of Strasbourg and
Chantilly； the people； in Normandy； live on the grass of the fields。
The first king in Europe could not be a great king if it was not for
all the beggars and the poor…houses full of dying from whom all had
been taken even though it was peace…time。＇3＇
In the most prosperous days of Fleury and in the finest region in
France； the peasant hides 〃his wine on account of the excise and his
bread on account of the taille；〃 convinced 〃that he is a lost man if
any doubt exists of his dying of starvation。〃＇4＇ In 1739 d'Argenson
writes in his journal＇5＇：
〃The famine has just caused three insurrections in the provinces；
at Ruffec； at Caen； and at Chinon。 Women carrying their bread with
them have been assassinated on the highways。 。 。 M。 le Duc d'Orléans
brought to the Council the other day a piece of bread； and placed it
on the table before the king 'Sire；' said he； 'there is the bread on
which your subjects now feed themselves。'〃 〃In my own canton of
Touraine men have been eating herbage more than a year。〃 Misery finds
company on all sides。 〃It is talked about at Versailles more than
ever。 The king interrogated the bishop of Chartres on the condition of
his people； he replied that 'the famine and the morality were such
that men ate grass like sheep and died like so many flies。'〃
In 1740；＇6＇ Massillon； bishop of Clermont…Ferrand； writes to
Fleury：
〃The people of the rural districts are living in frightful
destitution； without beds； without furniture； the majority； for half
the year； even lack barley and oat bread which is their sole food； and
which they are compelled to take out of their own and their children's
mouths to pay the taxes。 It pains me to see this sad spectacle every
year on my visits。 The Negroes of our colonies are； in this respect；
infinitely better off； for； while working； they are fed and clothed
along with their wives and children； while our peasantry； the most
laborious in the kingdom； cannot； with the hardest and most devoted
labor； earn bread for themselves and their families； and at the same
time pay their charges。〃 In 1740＇7＇ at Lille； the people rebel against
the export of grain。 〃An intendant informs me that the misery
increases from hour to hour； the slightest danger to the crops
resulting in this for three years past。 。 。 。Flanders； especially； is
greatly embarrassed； there is nothing to live on until the harvesting；
which will not take place for two months。 The provinces the best off
are not able to help the others。 Each bourgeois in each town is
obliged to feed one or two poor persons and provide them with fourteen
pounds of bread per week。 In the little town of Chatellerault； （of
4；000 inhabitants）； 1800 poor； this winter； are in that situation。 。 。
。 The poor outnumber those able to live without begging 。 。 。 while
prosecutions for unpaid dues are carried on with unexampled rigor。 The
clothes of the poor； their last measure of flour and the latches on
their doors are seized； etc。 。。 。 The abbess of Jouarre told me
yesterday that； in her canton； in Brie； most of the land had not been
planted。〃 It is not surprising that the famine spreads even to Paris。
〃Fears are entertained of next Wednesday。 There is no more bread in
Paris； except that of the damaged flour which is brought in and which
burns （when baking）。 The mills are working day and night at
Belleville； regrinding old damaged flour。 The people are ready to
rebel； bread goes up a sol a day； no merchant dares； or is disposed；
to bring in his wheat。 The market on Wednesday was almost in a state
of revolt； there being no bread in it after seven o'clock in the
morning。 。 。 。 The poor creatures at Bicêtre prison were put on short
rations； three quarterons （twelve ounces）； being reduced to only half
a pound。 A rebellion broke out and they forced the guards。 Numbers
escaped and they have inundated Paris。 The watch； with the police of
the neighborhood； were called out； and an attack was made on these
poor wretches with bayonet and sword。 About fifty of them were left on
the ground； the revolt was not suppressed yesterday morning。〃
Ten years later the evil is greater。＇8＇
〃In the country around me； ten leagues from Paris； I find increased
privation and constant complaints。 What must it be in our wretched
provinces in the interior of the kingdom？ 。 。 。 My curate tells me
that eight families； supporting themselves on their labor when I left；
are now begging their bread。 There is no work to be had。 The wealthy
are economizing like the poor。 And with all this the taille is exacted
with military severity。 The collectors； with their officers；
accompanied by locksmiths； force open the doors and carry off and sell
furniture for one…quarter of its value； the expenses exceeding the
amount of the tax 。 。 。 〃 … 〃I am at this moment on my estates in
Touraine。 I encounter nothing but frightful privations； the melancholy
sentiment of suffering no longer prevails with the poor inhabitants；
but rather one of utter despair； they desire death only； and avoid
increase。 。 。 。 It is estimated that one…quarter of the working…days
of the year go to the corvées； the laborers feeding themselves； and
with what？ 。 。 。 I see poor people dying of destitution。 They are paid
fifteen sous a day； equal to a crown； for their load。 Whole villages
are either ruined or broken up； and none of the households recover。 。
。 。 Judging by what my neighbors tell me the inhabitants have
diminished one…third。 。 。 。 The d