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＇128＇ Ibid。 （Petition of the commune of La Rochelle； Fructidor 25；
that of Painb？uf； Fructidor 9； that of the municipality of Nantes；
Thermidor 14； that of Rouen； Fructidor 1。） … Ibid。； AF。；II； 72。
（Letter of the commune of Bayonne； Fructidor 1。） 〃Penury of provisions
for more than two years。 。 。 。 The municipality； the past six
months； is under the cruel necessity of reducing its subjects to half…
a…pound of corn…bread per day。 。 。 。 at the rate of twenty…five
sous the pound； although the pound costs over five francs。〃 After the
suppression of the 〃maximum 〃 it loses about twenty…five thousand
francs per day。
＇129＇ Ibid。 （Letter of Representative Porcher； Caen； Prairial 24；
Messidor 3 and 26。 Letter of the municipality of Caen； Messidor 3。）
＇130＇ Ibid。 AF。；II。； 71。 （Letter of the municipality of Auxerre；
Messidor 19。） 〃We have kept alive thus far through all sorts of
expedients as if by miracle。 It has required incalculable efforts；
great expenditure； and really supernatural means to accomplish it。
But there is still one month between this and the end of Thermidor。
How are we going to live！ Our people； the majority of whom are farmers
and artisans； are rationed at half…a…pound a day for each person and
this will last but ten or twelve days at most。〃
＇131＇ Meissner； 〃Voyage à Paris；〃 339。 〃There was not a morsel of
bread in our inn。 I went myself to five or six bakeries and pastry
shops and found them all stripped。〃 He finds in the last one about a
dozen of small Savoy biscuits for which he pays fifteen francs。 …
See； for the military proceedings of the government in relation to
bread； the orders of the Committee of Public Safety； most of them by
the hand of Lindet； AF。； II。； 68…74。
＇132＇ Schmidt； 〃Tableaux de Paris；〃 vols。 II。 and III 。；passim。
＇133＇ Archives Nationales； AF。；II。； 68。 （Orders of Vent？se 20； year
III。 ； Germinal 19 and 20； Messidor 8； etc。）
＇134＇ ibid。 Orders of Niv？se 5 and 22。
＇135＇ Ibid。 Orders of Pluvi？se 19； Vent？se 5； Floréal 4 and 24。 （The
fourteen brewers which the Republic keeps agoing for itself at Dunkirk
are excepted。） … The proceedings are the same in relation to other
necessary articles； … returns demanded of nuts； rape…seed； and other
seeds or fruits producing oil； also the hoofs of cattle and sheep；
with requisitions for every other article entering into the
manufacture of oil； and orders to keep oil…mills agoing。 〃All
administrative bodies will see that the butchers remove the fat from
their meat before offering it for sale； that they do not themselves
make candles out of it； and that they do not sell it to soap…
factories； etc。 〃 … （Orders of Veridémiaire 28； year III。） The
executive committee will collect eight hundred yoke of oxen and
distribute them among the dealers in hay in order to transport wood
and coal from the woods and collieries to the yards。 They will
distribute proportionately eight hundred sets of wheels and harness。
The wagoners will be paid and guarded the same as military convoys；
and drafted as required。 To feed the oxen； the district
administrators will take by pre…emption the necessary fields and
pasturages； etc。〃 （Orders of Pluvi？se 10； year III。）
＇136＇ Moniteur； XXIV。； 397。 … Schmidt； 〃Tableaux de Paris。〃 （Reports
of Frimaire 16； year IV。） 〃Citizens in the departments wonder how it
is that Paris costs them five hundred and forty six millions per month
merely for bread when they are starving。 This isolation of Paris； for
which all the benefits of the Revolution are exclusively reserved。
has the worst effect on the public mind。〃 … Meissner； 345。
＇137＇ Mercier； 〃Paris Pendant la Révolution；〃 I。； 355…357。 … Schmidt；
〃Pariser Zustande；〃 I。； 224。 （The Seine is frozen over on November 23
and January 23； the thermometer standing at sixteen degrees
（Centigrade） below zero。） … Schmidt； 〃Tableaux de Paris。〃 （Reports of
the Police； Pluvi？se 2； 3 and 4。）
＇138＇ Schmidt； 〃Pariser Zustande；〃 I。； 228； and following pages。
（February 25； the distribution of bread is reduced to one and one…half
pounds per person； March 17； to one and onehalf pounds for workmen and
one pound for others。 Final reduction to one…quarter of a pound；
March 31。） … Ibid。； 251； for ulterior rates。 … Dufort de Cheverney；
（MS。 Mémoires； August； 1795。） M。 de Cheverney takes up his quarters
at the old Louvre with his friend Sedaine。 〃I had assisted them with
food all I could： they owned to me that； without this； they would have
died of starvation notwithstanding their means。〃
＇139＇ Schmidt； 〃Tableaux de Paris。〃 （Reports of Germinal 15 and 27；
and Messidor 28； year III。； Brumaire 14 and Frimaire 23； year IV。） …
Ibid。 （Germinal 15； year III。） Butter is at eight francs the pound；
eggs seven francs for four ounces。 … Ibid。； （Messidor 19） bread is at
sixteen francs the pound； （Messidor 28） butter at fourteen francs the
pound； （Brumaire 29） flour at 14；000 francs the bag of 325 pounds。
＇140＇ Ibid。 （Report of Germinal 12； year III。） 〃The eating houses and
pastry…cooks are better supplied than ever。〃 ？〃Memoires （manuscript）
of M。 de Cheverney。〃 〃My sister…in…law； with more than forty thousand
livres income； registered in the 'Grand Ledger；' was reduced to
cultivating her garden； assisted by her two chambermaids。 M。 de
Richebourg； formerly intendant…general of the Post…Office； had to sell
at one time a clock and at another time a wardrobe to live on。 'My
friends；' he said to us one day； 'I have been obliged to put my clock
in the pot。' 〃 … Schmidt。 （Report of Frimaire 17； year IV。） 〃A
frequenter of the Stock…Exchange sells a louis at five thousand
francs。 He dines for one thousand francs and loudly exclaims： 'I have
dined at four francs ten sous。 They are really superb； these
assignats！ I couldn't have dined so well formerly at twelve francs。'〃
＇141＇ Schmidt。 （Reports of Frimaire 9； year IV。） 〃The reports
describe the sad condition of those who； with small incomes and having
sold their clothes； are selling their furniture； being； so to say； at
their last piece； and； soon without anything； are reduced to the last
extremity by committing suicide。〃 … Ibid。； Frimaire 2； 〃The rentier is
ruined； not being able to buy food。 Employees are all in the same
situation。〃 … Naturally； the condition of employees and rentiters
grows worse with the depreciation of assignats。 Here are house…
keeping accounts at the end of 1795。 （Letter of Beaumarchais' sister
Julie to his wife； December； 1794。 〃Beaumarchais et son temps；〃 by De
Lomenie； p。486。） 〃When you gave me those four thousand francs
（assignats）； my dear friend； my heart went pit…a…pat。 I thought that
I should go crazy with such a fortune。 I put them in my pocket at
once and talked about other things so as to get the idea out of my
mind。 On returning to the house； get some wood and provisions as
quick as possible before prices go higher！ Dupont （the old domestic）
started off and did his best。 But the scales fell from my eyes on
seeing； not counting food for a month； the result of those 4；275
francs：
1 load of wood 1460 francs
9 pounds of candles； from 8 to 100 francs per pound 900
4 pounds of sugar； at 100 francs per pound 400
3 measures of grain； at 40 francs 120
7 pounds oil； at 100 francs 700
12 wicks； at 5 francs 60
1 1/2 bushels potatoes； at 200 francs per bushel 300
1 month's washing 215
1 pound ground powder 70
2 ounces pomatum （formerly 3 sous； now 25 francs） 50
Sub…total 4；275 francs
There remains the month's supply of butter and eggs；
as you know； 200 francs； meat 25 or 30 francs； and
other articles in proportion 507
There was no bread for two days。 。 。 I have bought only
four pounds the last two days； at 45 francs 180
Total 5；022 francs。
〃When I think of this royal outlay； as you call it； which makes me
spend from18；000 to 20；000 francs for nothing； I wish the devil had
the system。。。 。 10；000 francs which I have scattered about the past
fortnight； alarm and trouble me so much that I do not know how to
calculate my income in this way。 In three days the difference （in the
value of assignats） has sent wood up from 4；200 to 6；500 francs； and
extras in proportion so that； as I wrote you； a load piled up and put
away costs me 7；100 francs。 Every week now； the pot…au…feu and other
meats for ragouts； without any butter； eggs and other details； cost
from seven to eight hundred francs。 Washing also goes up so fast that
eight thousand francs do not suffice。 All this