按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
developed this point with admirable force and insight。
＇15＇。 De Tocqueville； ibid。 p。376。 Complaints of the provincial
assembly of Haute…Guyenne。 〃People complain daily that there is no
police in the rural districts。 How could there be one？ The nobles
takes no interest in anything； excepting a few just and benevolent
seigniors who take advantage of their influence with vassals to
prevent affrays。〃
＇16＇。 Records of the States…General of 1789。 Many of the registers
of the noblesse consist of the requests by nobles； men and women； of
some honorary distinctive mark； for instance a cross or a ribbon which
will make them recognizable。
＇17＇。 De Boullé； 〃Mémoires；〃 p。50。 … De Toqueville； ibid。。 pp。 118；
119。 … De Loménie； 〃Les Mirabeau； 〃 p。 132。 A letter of the bailiff of
Mirabeau； 1760。 … De Chateaubriand； Mémoires；〃 I。 14； 15； 29； 76； 80；
125。 … Lucas de Montigny； 〃Mémoires de Mirabeau；〃 I。 160。 … Reports of
the Société du Berry。 〃Bourges en 1753 et 1754；〃 according to a diary
（in the national archives）； written by one of the exiled
parliamentarians； p。 273。
＇18＇。 〃La vie de mon père；〃 by Rétif de la Bretonne； I。 146。
＇19＇。 The rule is analogous with the other coutumes （common…law
rules）； of other places and especially in Paris。 （Renauldon； ibid。。 p。
134。）
＇20＇。 A sort of dower right。 TR。
＇21＇。 Mme。 d'Oberkirk； 〃Mémoires；〃 I。 395。
＇22＇。 De Bouillé； 〃Mémoires；〃 p。 50。 According to him； 〃all the
noble old families； excepting two or three hundred； were ruined。 A
larger portion of the great titled estates had become the appanage of
financiers； merchants and their descendants。 The fiefs； for the most
part； were in the hands of the bourgeoisie of the towns。〃 … Léonce de
Lavergne； 〃Economie rurale en France；〃 p。 26。 〃The greatest number
vegetated in poverty in small country fiefs often not worth more than
2；000 or 3；000 francs a year。〃 … In the apportionment of the indemnity
in 1825； many received less than 1；000 francs。 The greater number of
indemnities do not exceed 50；000 francs。 … 〃The throne；〃 says
Mirabeau； 〃is surrounded only by ruined nobles。〃
＇23＇。 De Bouillé； 〃Memoires；〃 p。 50。 … Cherin； 〃Abrégé
chronologique des édits〃 （1788）。 〃Of this innumerable multitude
composing the privileged order scarcely a twentieth part of it can
really pretend to nobility of an immemorial and ancient date。〃 … 4；070
financial； administrative； and judicial offices conferred nobility。 …
Turgot； 〃Collection des Economistes；〃 II。 276。 〃Through the facilities
for acquiring nobility by means of money there is no rich man who does
not at once become noble。〃 … D'Argenson； 〃Mémoires；〃 III。 402。
＇24＇。 Necker； 〃De l'Administration des Finances；〃 II。 271。 Legrand；
〃L'Intendance de Hainaut；〃 pp。 104； 118； 152； 412。
＇25＇。 Even after the exchange of 1784； the prince retains for
himself 〃all personal impositions as well as subventions on the
inhabitants；〃 except a sum of 6；000 livres for roads。 Archives
Nationales； G； 192； a memorandum of April 14th； 1781； on the state of
things in the Clermontois。 … Report of the provincial assembly of the
Three Bishoprics （1787）； p。 380。
＇26＇。 The town of St。 Amand； alone； contains to day 10；210
inhabitants。
＇27＇。 See note 3 at the end of the volume。
＇28＇。 De Ferrières； 〃Mémoires；〃 II。 57： 〃All had 100；000 some 200；
300； and even 800；000。〃
＇29＇。 De Tocqueville； ibid。。 book 2； Chap。 2。 p。182。 … Letter of
the bailiff of Mirabau； August 23； 1770。 〃This feudal order was merely
vigorous； even though they have pronounced it barbarous； because
France； which once had the vices of strength； now has only those of
feebleness； and because the flock which was formerly devoured by
wolves is now eaten up with lice。 。 。 。 Three or four kicks or blows
with a stick were not half so injurious to a poor man's family； nor to
himself； as being devoured by six rolls of handwriting。〃 … 〃The
nobility；〃 says St。 Simon； in his day； 〃has become another people with
no choice left it but to crouch down in mortal and ruinous indolence；
which renders it a burden and contemptible； or to go and be killed in
warfare； subject to the insults of clerks； secretaries of the state
and the secretaries of intendants。〃 Such are the complaints of feudal
spirits。 … The details which follow are all derived from Saint Simon；
Dangeau； de Luynes； d'Argenson and other court historians。
＇30＇。 Works of Louis XIV。 and his own words。 … Mme Vigée…Lebrun；
〃Souvenirs；〃 I。71： 〃I have seen the queen （Marie Antoinette）； obliging
Madame to dine； then six years of age； with a little peasant girl whom
she was taking care of； and insisting that this little one should he
served first； saying to her daughter： 'You must do the honors。' 〃
（Madame is the title given to the king's oldest daughter。 SR。）
＇31＇。 Molière； 〃Misanthrope。〃 This is the 〃desert〃 in which
Célimène refuses to he buried with Alceste。 See also in 〃Tartuffe〃 the
picture which Dorine draws of a small town。… Arthur Young；〃 Voyages en
France；〃 I。 78。
＇32＇。 'Traité de la Population；〃 p。 108； （1756）。
＇33＇。 I have this from old people who witnessed it before 1789。
＇34＇。 〃Mémoires〃 de M。 de Montlosier；〃 I。 p。 161；。
＇35＇。 Reports of the Société de Berry； 〃Bourges en 1753 et 1754；〃
p。 273。
＇36＇。 Ibid。。 p。 271。 One day the cardinal； showing his guests over
his palace just completed； led them to the bottom of a corridor where
he had placed water closets； at that time a novelty。 M。 Boutin de la
Coulommière； the son of a receiver…general of the finances； made an
exclamation at the sight of the ingenious mechanism which it pleased
him to see moving； and； turning towards the abbé de Canillac； he says：
〃That is really admirable； but what seems to me still more admirable
is that His Eminence； being above all human weakness； should
condescend to make use of it。〃 This anecdote is valuable； as it serves
to illustrate the rank and position of a grand…seignior prelate in the
provinces。
＇37＇。 Arthur Young； V。II。 P。230 and the following pages。
＇38＇。 Abolition of the tithe； the feudal rights； the permission to
kill the game； etc。
＇39＇。 De Loménie； 〃Les Mirabeau；〃 p。134。 A letter of the bailiff；
September 25； 1760： 〃I am at Harcourt； where I admire the master's
honest； benevolent greatness。 You cannot imagine my pleasure on fête
days at seeing the people everywhere around the chateau； and the good
little peasant boys and girls looking right in the face of their good
landlord and almost pulling his watch off to examine the trinkets on
the chain； and all with a fraternal air； without familiarity。 The good
duke does not make his vassals to go to court； he listens to them and
decides for them； humoring them with admirable patience。〃 Lacretelle；
〃Dix ans d'épreuve；〃 p。 58。
＇40＇。 〃De l'état religieux；〃 by the abbés de Bonnefoi et Bernard；
1784； I。 pp。 287； 291。
＇41＇。 See on this subject 〃La partie de chasse de Henri IV〃 by
Collé。 Cf。 Berquin； Florian； Marmontel； etc； and likewise the
engravings of that day。
＇42＇。 Boivin…Champeaux； 〃Notice historique sue la Révolution dans
le département de l'Eure；〃 p。 63； 61。
＇43＇。 Archives nationales； Reports of the States…General of 1789；
T； XXXIX。； p。 111。 Letter of the 6th March； 1789； from the curate of
St。 Pierre de Ponsigny； in Berry。 D'Argenson； 6th July； 1756。 〃The
late cardinal de Soubise had three millions in cash and he gave
nothing to the poor。〃
＇44＇。 De Tocqueville； ibid。。 405。 … Renauldon； ibid。。 628。
＇45＇。 The example is set by the king who sells to the farmer…
generals； for an annual sum； the management and product of the
principal indirect taxes。
＇46＇。 Voltaire； 〃Politique et Législation； La voix du Curé；〃 （in
relation to the serfs of St。 Claude）。 … A speech of the Duke
d'Aiguillon； August 4th； 1789； in the National Assembly： 〃The
proprietors of fiefs； of seigniorial estates； are rarely guilty of the
excesses of which their vassals complain； but their agents are often
pitiless。〃
＇47＇。 Beugnot。 〃Mémoires；〃 V。 I。 p。136。 … Duc de Lévis； 〃Souvenirs
et portraits；〃 p。 156。 … 〃Moniteur；〃 the session of November 22；
1872； M。 Bocher says： 〃According to the statement drawn up by order of
the Convention the Duke of Orleans's fortune consisted of 74；000；000
of indebtedness and 140；000；000 of assets。〃 On the 8th January； 1792；
he had assigned to his creditors 38；000；000 to obtain his discharge。
＇48＇。 King Louis the XVI's brother。 （SR。）
＇49＇。 In 1785； the Duke de Choiseul In his testament estimated his
property at fourteen millions and his debts at ten millions。 （Comte de
Tilly； 〃Mémoires；〃 II。 215。）
＇50＇。 Renauldon； ibid。。 45； 52； 628。 … Duvergier； 〃Collection des
Lois；〃 II。 391； law of August 3