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elections； Messieurs the post…masters； Messieurs the presidents and
other attachés of the salt…warehouse； every individual possessing
extensive property pays but a third or a half of the taxes they ought
to pay。〃
＇62＇ De Tocqueville； 385。 … 〃Procès…verbaux de l'ass。 prov。 de
Lyonnais；〃 p。 56
＇63＇ Archives nationales； H； 1422。 （Letters of M。 d'Aine；
intendant； also of the receiver for the election of Tulle； February
23； 1783）。
＇64＇ De Tocqueville； 64； 363。
＇65＇ Archives nationales； H； 612； 614。 （Letters of M。 de la Bove；
September 11； and Dec。 2； 1774； June 28； 1777）。
＇66＇ Mercier； II。 62。
＇67＇ 〃Grievances〃 of the parish of Aubervilliers。
＇68＇ Archives nationales； G； 300； G； 322 （〃Mémoires〃 on the excise
duties）。
＇69＇ 〃Procès…verbaux de l'ass。 prov。 des Trois…Evêchés p。 442。
＇70＇ Archives nationales； H； 1422 （Letter of the intendant of
Moulins； April 1779）。
＇71＇ Archives nationales； H。 1312 （Letters of M。 D'Antheman
procureur…général of the excise court （May 19； 1783）； and of the
Archbishop of Aix （June 15； 1783）。） … Provence produced wheat only
sufficient for seven and a half months' consumption。
＇72＇ Abbreviation for the 〃cahier des doléances〃； in English
'register of grieviances'； brought with them by the representatives of
the people to the great gathering in Paris of the 〃States…Généraux〃 in
1789。 （SR。）
＇73＇ The feudal dues may be estimated at a seventh of the net
income and the dime also at a seventh。 These are the figures given by
the ass。 prov。 of Haute…Guyenne （Procès…verbaux； p。 47）。 … Isolated
instances； in other provinces； indicate similar results。 The dime
ranges from a tenth to the thirteenth of the gross product； and
commonly the tenth。 I regard the average as about the fourteenth； and
as one…half of the gross product must he deducted for expenses of
cultivation； it amounts to one…seventh。 Letrosne says a fifth and even
a quarter。
＇74＇ Boivin…Champeaux； 72。
＇75＇ Grievances of the community of Culmon （Election de Langres。）
＇76＇ Boivin…Champeaux； 34； 36； 41； 48。 … Périn （〃Doléances des
paroisses rurales de l'Artuis；〃 301； 308）。 … Archives nationales；
procès…verbaux and cahiers of the States…Géneraux； vol。 XVII。 P。 12
（Letter of the inhabitants of Dracy…le Viteux）。
＇77＇ Motte： a mound indicative of Seigniorial dominion； quevaise；
the right of forcing a resident to remain on his property under
penalty of forfeiture； domaine congéable； property held subject to
capricious ejection。 （TR）
＇78＇ Prud'homme； 〃Résumé des cahiers；〃 III。 passim； and especially
from 317 to 340。
CHAPTER III。 INTELLECTUAL STATE OF THE PEOPLE。
I。
Intellectual incapacity。 … How ideas are transformed into marvelous
stories。
To comprehend their actions we ought now to look into the
condition of their minds； to know the current train of their ideas；
their mode of thinking。 But is it really essential to draw this
portrait； and are not the details of their mental condition we have
just presented sufficient？ We shall obtain a knowledge of them later；
and through their actions； when； in Touraine； they knock a mayor and
his assistant； chosen by themselves； senseless with kicks from their
wooden shoes； because； in obeying the national Assembly； these two
unfortunate men prepared a table of taxes； or when at Troyes； they
drag through the streets and tear to pieces the venerable magistrate
who was nourishing them at that very moment； and who had just dictated
his testament in their favor。…Take the still rude brain of a
contemporary peasant and deprive it of the ideas which； for eighty
years past； have entered it by so many channels； through the primary
school of each village； through the return home of the conscript after
seven years' service； through the prodigious multiplication of books；
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 XV