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indeed； a tax becomes insupportable we see； by the local complaints；
that it is nearly always a fermier who enforces it。＇46＇ It is one of
these； acting for a body of canons； who claims Jeanne Mermet's
paternal inheritance on the pretense that she had passed her wedding
night at her husband's house。 One can barely find similar exactions in
the Ireland of 1830； on those estates where； the farmer…general
renting to sub…farmers and the latter to others still below them。 The
poor tenant at the foot of the ladder himself bore the full weight of
it； so much the more crushed because his creditor； crushed himself
measured the requirements he exacted by those he had to submit to。
Suppose that； seeing this abuse of his name； the seignior is
desirous of withdrawing the administration of his domains from these
mercenary hands。 In most cases he is unable to do it： he too deeply in
debt； having appropriated to his creditors a certain portion of his
land； a certain branch of his income。 For centuries； the nobles are
involved through their luxury； their prodigality； their carelessness；
and through that false sense of honor； which consists in looking upon
attention to accounts as the occupation of an accountant。 They take
pride in their negligence； regarding it； as they say； living
nobly。＇47＇ 〃Monsieur the archbishop；〃 said Louis XVI。 to M。 de Dillon；
。〃 they say that you are in debt； and even largely。〃 〃Sire；〃 replied
the prelate； with the irony of a grand seignior； 〃I will ask my
intendant and inform Your Majesty。〃 Marshal de Soubise has five
hundred thousand livres income； which is not sufficient for him。 We
know the debts of the Cardinal de Rohan and of the Comte Artois；＇48＇
their millions of income were vainly thrown into this gulf。 The Prince
de Guémenée happens to become bankrupt on thirty…five millions。 The
Duke of Orleans； the richest proprietor in the kingdom； owed at his
death seventy…four millions。 When became necessary to pay the
creditors of the emigrants out of the proceeds of their possessions；
it was proved that most of the large fortunes were eaten up with
mortgages。＇49＇ Readers of the various memoirs know that； for two
hundred years； the deficiencies bad to be supplied by marriages for
money and by the favors of the king。 … This explains why； following
the king's example； the nobles converted everything into money； and
especially the places at their disposition； and； in relaxing authority
for profit； why they alienated the last fragment of government
remaining in their hands。 Everywhere they thus laid aside the
venerated character of a chief to put on the odious character of a
trafficker。 〃Not only；〃 says a contemporary；＇50＇ 〃do they give no pay
to their officers of justice； or take them at a discount； but； what is
worse； the greater portion of them make a sale of these offices。〃 In
spite of the edict of 1693； the judges thus appointed take no steps to
be admitted into the royal courts and they take no oaths。 〃What is the
result？ Justice； too often administered by knaves； degenerates into
brigandage or into a frightful impunity。〃 … Ordinarily the seignior
who sells the office on a financial basis； deducts； in addition； the
hundredth； the fiftieth； the tenth of the price； when it passes into
other hands； and at other times he disposes of the survivorship。 He
creates these offices and survivorships purposely to sell them。 〃All
the seigniorial courts； say the registers； are infested with a crowd
of officials of every description； seigniorial sergeants； mounted and
unmounted officers； keepers of the provostship of the funds； guards of
the constabulary。 It is by no means rare to find as many as ten in an
arrondissement which could hardly maintain two if they confined
themselves within the limits of their duties。〃 Also 〃they are at the
same time judges； attorneys； fiscal…attorneys； registrars； notaries；〃
each in a different place； each practicing in several seigniories
under various titles； all perambulating； all in league like thieves at
a fair； and assembling together in the taverns to plan； prosecute and
decide。 Sometimes the seignior； to economize； confers the title on one
of his own dependents： 〃At Hautemont； in Hainaut； the fiscal…attorney
is a domestic。〃 More frequently he nominates some starveling advocate
of a petty village in the neighborhood on wages which would not
suffice to keep him alive a week。〃 He indemnifies himself out of the
peasants。 Processes of chicanery； delays and willful complications in
the proceedings； sittings at three livres the hour for the advocate
and three livres the hour for the bailiff。 The black brood of judicial
leeches suck so much the more eagerly； because the more numerous； a
still more scrawny prey； having paid for the privilege of sucking
it。＇51＇ The arbitrariness； the corruption； the laxity of such a régime
can be divined。 〃Impunity；〃 says Renauldon； 〃is nowhere greater than
in the seigniorial tribunals 。 。 。 。 The foulest crimes obtain no
consideration there；〃 for the seignior dreads supplying the means for
a criminal trial； while his judges or prosecuting attorneys fear that
they will not be paid for their proceedings。 Moreover； his jail is
often a cellar under the chateau； 〃there is not one tribunal out of a
hundred in conformity with the law in respect of prisons；〃 their
keepers shut their eyes or stretch out their hands。 Hence it is that
〃his estates become the refuge of all the scoundrels in the canton。〃
The effect of his indifference is terrible and it is to react against
him： to…morrow； at the club； the attorneys whom he has multiplied will
demand his head； and the bandits whom he has tolerated will place it
on the end of a pike。
One…point remains； the chase； wherein the noble's jurisdiction is
still active and severe； and it is just the point which is found the
most offensive。 Formerly； when one…half of the canton consisted of
forest； or waste land； while the other half was being ravaged by wild
beasts； he was justified in reserving the right to hunt them； it
entered into his function as local captain。 He was the hereditary
gendarme； always armed； always on horseback； as well against wild
boars and wolves as against rovers and brigands。 Now that nothing is
left to him of the gendarme but the title and the epaulettes he
maintains his privilege through tradition； thus converting a service
into an annoyance。 Hunt he must； and he alone must hunt； it is a
physical necessity and； it the same time； a sign of his blood。 A
Rohan； a Dillon； chases the stag although belonging to the church； in
spite of edicts and in spite of the canons。 〃You hunt too much；〃 said
Louis XV。＇52＇ to the latter； 〃I know something about it。 How can you
prohibit your curates from hunting if you pass your life in setting
them such an example？ … Sire； for my curates the chase is a fault； for
myself it is the fault of my ancestors。〃 When the vanity and arrogance
of caste thus mounts guard over a right it is with obstinate
vigilance。 Accordingly； their captains of the chase； their game…
keepers； their wood…rangers； their forest…wardens protect brutes as if
they were men； and hunt men as if they were brutes。 In the bailiwick
of Pont…l'Evèque in 1789 four instances are cited 〃of recent
assassinations committed by the game…keepers of Mme。 d'A； …Mme。 N…
…； a prelate and a marshal of France； on commoners caught breaking
the game laws or carrying guns。 All four publicly escape punishment。〃
In Artois； a parish makes declaration that 〃on the lands of the
Chattellany the game devours all the avêtis （pine saplings） and that
the growers of them will be obliged to abandon their business。〃 Not
far off； at Rumancourt； at Bellone； 〃the hares； rabbits and partridges
entirely devour them； Count d'Oisy never hunting nor having hunts。〃 In
twenty villages in the neighborhood around Oisy where he hunts it is
on horseback and across the crops。 〃His game…keepers； always armed；
have killed several persons under the pretense of watching over their
master's rights。 。 。 。 The game； which greatly exceeds that of the
royal captaincies； consumes annually all prospects of a crop； twenty
thousand razières of wheat and as many of other grains。〃 In the
bailiwick of Evreux 〃the game has just destroyed everything up to the
very houses。 。 。 。 On account of the game the citizen is not free to
pull up the weeds in summer which clog the grain and injure the seed
sown。 。 。 。 How many women are there without husbands； and children
without fathers； on account of a poor hare or rabbit！〃 The game…
keepers of the forest of Gouffray in Normandy 〃are so terrible that
they maltreat； insult and kill men。 。 。 。 I know of farmers who；
having pleaded against the lady to be indemnified for the loss of
their wheat； not only lost their time but their crops and the expenses
of the trial。 。 。 。 Stags and deer are seen roving aro