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！
not being able to find； not merely a bushel of wheat； but a pound of
bread。〃 〃Yesterday；〃 writes the Montreuil…sur…Mer municipality；＇110＇
〃more than two hundred of our citizens set out to beg in the country；〃
and； when they get nothing； they steal。 〃Bands of brigands＇111＇
spread through the country and pillage all dwellings anywise remote。
。 。 。 Grain； flour； bread； cattle； poultry； stuffs； etc。； all come
in play。 Our terrified shepherds are no longer willing to sleep in
their sheep pens and are leaving us。〃 The most timid dig Carrots at
night or； during the day； gather dandelions； but their town stomachs
cannot digest this food。 〃Lately；〃 writes the procureur… syndic of
Saint…Germain；＇112＇ 〃the corpse of a father of a family； found in the
fields with his mouth still filled with the grass he had striven to
chew； exasperates and arouses the spirit of the poor creatures
awaiting a similar fate。〃
What then； do people in the towns do in order to survive？ … In small
towns or scattered villages； each municipality； using what gendarmes
it has； makes legal requisitions in its vicinity； and sometimes the
commune obtains from the government a charitable gift of wheat； oats；
rice or assignats。 But the quantity of grain it receives is so small；
one asks how it is that； after two months； six months or a year of
such a system； that half of the inhabitants are not in the grave yard。
I suppose that many of them live on what they raise in their gardens；
or on their small farms； others are helped by their relations；
neighbors and companions； in any event； it is clear that the human
body is very resistant； and a few mouthfuls suffice to keep it going a
long time。 … At Ervy；＇113＇ in Aube； 〃not a grain of wheat has been
brought in the last two market days。〃 〃To morrow；＇114＇ Prairial 25； in
Bapaume； the main town of the district； there will be only two bushels
of flour left （for food of any sort）。〃 〃At Boulogne…sur…Mer； for the
past ten days； there has been distributed to each person only three
pounds of bad barley； or maslin； without knowing whether we can again
distribute this miserable ration next decade。〃 Out of sixteen hundred
inhabitants in Brionne； 〃twelve hundred and sixty＇115＇ are reduced to
the small portion of wheat they receive at the market； and which；
unfortunately； for too long a time； has been reduced from eight to
three ounces of wheat for each person； every eight days。〃 For three
months past； in Seine et Marne；＇116＇ in 〃the commune of Meaux； that of
Laferté； Lagny； Daumartin； and other principal towns of the canton；
they have had only half a pound per head； for each day； of bad bread。〃
In Seine et Oise； 〃citizens of the neighborhood of Paris and even of
Versailles＇117＇ state that they are reduced to four ounces of bread。〃
At Saint…Denis；＇118＇ with a population of six thousand； 〃a large part
of the inhabitants； worn out with suffering； betake themselves to the
charity depots。 Workmen； especially； cannot do their work for lack of
food。 A good many women； mothers and nurses； have been found in their
houses unconscious； without any sign of life in them； and many have
died with their infants at their breasts。〃 Even in a larger and less
forsaken town； Saint…Germain；＇119＇ the misery surpasses all that one
can imagine。 〃Half…a…pound of flour for each inhabitant；〃 not daily；
but at long intervals； 〃bread at fifteen and sixteen francs the pound
and all other provisions at the same rate； a people which is sinking；
losing hope and perishing。 Yesterday； for the fête of the 9th of
Thermidor； not a sign of rejoicing； on the contrary； symptoms of
general and profound depression； tottering specters in the streets；
mournful shrieks of ravaging hunger or shouts of rage； almost every
one； driven to the last extremity of misery； welcoming death as a
boon。〃
Such is the aspect of these huge artificial agglomerations； where the
soil； made sterile by habitation； bears only stones； and where twenty；
thirty； fifty and a hundred thousand suffering stomachs have to obtain
from ten； twenty and thirty leagues off their first and last mouthful
of food。 Within these close pens long lines of human sheep huddle
together every day bleating and trembling around almost empty troughs；
and only through extraordinary efforts do the shepherds daily succeed
in providing them with a little nourishment。 The central government；
strenuously appealed to； enlarges or defines the circle of their
requisitions； it authorizes them to borrow； to tax themselves； it
lends or gives to them millions of assignats；＇120＇ frequently； in
cases of extreme want； it allows them to take so much grain or rice
from its storehouses； for a week's supply。 … But； in truth； this sort
of life is not living； it is only not dying。 For one half； and more
than one half of the inhabitants simply subsist on rations of bread
obtained by long waiting for it at the end of a string of people and
delivered at a reduced price。 What rations and what bread！ 〃It
seems；〃 says the municipality of Troyes； 〃that＇121＇ the country has
anathematized the towns。 Formerly； the finest grain was brought to
market； the farmer kept the inferior quality and consumed it at home。
Now it is the reverse； and this is carried still further； for； not
only do we receive no wheat whatever； but the farmers give us sprouted
barley and rye； which they reserve for our commune； the farmer who has
none arranges with those who have； so as to buy it and deliver it in
town； and sell his good wheat elsewhere。 Half a pound per day and per
head； in Pluvi？se ； to the thirteen thousand or fourteen thousand
indigent in Troyes； then a quarter of a pound； and； finally； two
ounces with a little rice and some dried vegetables； 〃which feeble
resource is going to fail us。〃＇122＇ Half a pound in Pluvi？se ； to the
twenty thousand needy in Amiens； which ration is only nominal； for 〃it
often happens that each individual gets only four ounces； while the
distribution has repeatedly failed three days in succession；'' and
this continues。 Six months later； Fructidor 7； Amiens has but sixty
nine quintals of flour in its market storehouse； 〃an insufficient
quantity for distribution this very day； to morrow； it will be
impossible to make any distribution at all； and the day after to
morrow the needy population of this commune will be brought down to
absolute famine。〃 … 〃Complete desperation！ There are already 〃many
suicides。〃＇123＇ At other times； rage predominates and there are riots。
At Evreux；＇124＇ Germinal 21； a riot breaks out； owing to the delivery
of only two pounds of flour per head and per week； and because three
days before； only a pound and a half was delivered。 There is a riot
at Dieppe；＇125＇ Prairial 14 and 15； because 〃the people are reduced
here to three or four ounces of bread。〃 There is another at Vervins；
Prairial 9； because the municipality which obtains bread at a cost of
seven and eight francs a pound； raises the price from twenty…five to
fifty sous。 At Lille； an insurrection breaks out Messidor 4； because
the municipality； paying nine francs for bread； can give it to the
poor only for about twenty and thirty sous。 … Lyons； during the month
of Niv？se； remains without bread 〃for five full days。〃＇126＇ At
Chartres； Thermidor 15；＇127＇ the distribution of bread for a month is
only eight ounces a day； and there is not enough to keep this up until
the 20th of Thermidor。 On the fifteenth of Fructidor； La Rochelle
writes that 〃its public distributions； reduced to seven or eight
ounces of bread； are on the point of failing entirely。〃 For four
months； at Painb？uf； the ration is but the quarter of a pound of
bread。＇128＇ And the same at Nantes； which has eighty…two thousand
inhabitants and swarms with the wretched； 〃the distribution never
exceeded four ounces a day；〃 and that only for the past year。 The
same at Rouen； which contains sixty thousand inhabitants； and； in
addition； within the past fortnight the distribution has failed three
times。 In other reports； those who are well…off suffer more than the
indigent because they take no part in the communal distribution； 〃all
resources for obtaining food being； so to say； interdicted to them。〃 …
Five ounces of bread per diem for four months is the allowance to the
forty thousand inhabitants of Caen and its district。＇129＇ A great
many in the town； as well as in the country； live on bran and wild
herbs。〃 At the end of Prairial； 〃there is not a bushel of grain in the
town storehouses； while the requisitions； enforced in the most
rigorous and imposing style； produce nothing or next to nothing。〃
Misery augments from week to week： 〃it is impossible to form any idea
of it； the people of Caen live on brown bread and the blood of cattle。
。 。 。 Every countenance bears traces of the famine。 。 。 Faces
are of livid hue。 。 。 。 It is impossible to await the new crop；
until the end of Fructidor。〃 … Such are the e