the origins of contemporary france-2-第7章

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among　the　ignorant　and　brutal　masses；　and　the　new　ideas　are

producing　their　effect。　　They　have　for　a　long　time　imperceptibly

been　filtering　downwards　from　layer　to　layer　After　having　gained

over　the　aristocracy；　the　whole　of　the　lettered　portion　of　the

Third…Estate；　the　lawyers；　the　schools；　all　the　young；　they　have

insinuated　themselves　drop　by　drop　and　by　a　thousand　fissures　into

the　class　which　supports　itself　by　the　labor　of　its　own　hands。

Noblemen；　at　their　toilettes；　have　scoffed　at　Christianity；　and

affirmed　the　rights　of　man　before　their　valets；　hairdressers；

purveyors；　and　all　those　that　are　in　attendance　upon　them。　　Men　of

letters；　lawyers；　and　attorneys　have　repeated；　in　the　bitterest

tone；　the　same　diatribes　and　the　same　theories　in　the　coffee…houses

and　in　the　restaurants；　on　the　promenades　and　in　all　public　places。

They　have　spoken　out　before　the　lower　class　as　if　it　were　not

present；　and；　from　all　this　eloquence　poured　out　without　precaution；

some　bubbles　besprinkle　the　brain　of　the　artisan；　the　publican；　the

messenger；　the　shopkeeper；　and　the　soldier。



Hence　it　is　that　a　year　suffices　to　convert　mute　discontent　into

political　passion。　　From　the　5th　of　July　1787；　on　the　invitation　of

the　King；　who　convokes　the　States…General　and　demands　advice　from

everybody；　both　speech　and　the　press　alter　in　tone。＇7＇　　Instead　of

general　conversation　of　a　speculative　turn　there　is　preaching；　with

a　view　to　practical　effect；　sudden；　radical；　and　close　at　hand；

preaching　as　shrill　and　thrilling　as　the　blast　of　a　trumpet。

Revolutionary　pamphlets　appear　in　quick　succession：　〃Qu'est…ce　que

le　Tiers？〃　by　Sieyès；　〃Mémoire　pour　le　Peuple　Fran？ais；〃　by　Cerutti；

〃Considerations　sur　les　Intérêts　des　Tiers…Etat；〃　by　Rabtau　Saint…

Etienne；　〃Ma　Pétition；〃　by　Target；　〃Les　Droits　des　Etats…généraux；〃

by　M。　d'Entraigues；　and；　a　little　later；　〃La　France　libre；〃　par

Camille　Desmoulins；　and　others　by　hundreds　and　thousands。＇8＇　　All　of

which　are　repeated　and　amplified　in　the　electoral　assemblies；　where

new…made　citizens　come　to　declaim　and　increase　their　own

excitement。＇9＇　　The　unanimous；　universal　and　daily　shout　rolls　along

from　echo　to　echo；　into　barracks　and　into　faubourgs；　into　markets；

workshops；　and　garrets。　　In　the　month　of　February；　1789；　Necker

avows　〃that　obedience　is　not　to　be　found　anywhere；　and　that　even　the

troops　are　not　to　be　relied　on。〃　In　the　month　of　May；　the

fisherwomen；　and　next　the　greengrocers；　of　the　town　market　halls

come　to　recommend　the　interests　of　the　people　to　the　bodies　of

electors；　and　to　sing　rhymes　in　honor　of　the　Third…Estate。　　In　the

month　of　June　pamphlets　are　in　all　hands；　〃even　lackeys　are　poring

over　them　at　the　gates　of　hotels。〃　In　the　month　of　July；　as　the　King

is　signing　an　order；　a　patriotic　valet　becomes　alarmed　and　reads　it

over　his　shoulder。　　　There　is　no　illusion　here；　it　is　not　merely

the　bourgeoisie　which　ranges　itself　against　the　legal　authorities

and　against　the　established　regime。　　It　is　the　entire　people　as

well。　　The　craftsmen；　the　shopkeepers　and　the　domestics；　workmen　of

every　kind　and　degree；　the　mob　underneath　the　people；　the　vagabonds；

street　rovers；　and　beggars；　the　whole　multitude；　which；　bound　down

by　anxiety　for　its　daily　bread；　had　never　lifted　its　eyes　to　look　at

the　great　social　order　of　which　it　is　the　lowest　stratum；　and　the

whole　weight　of　which　it　bears。



　III。



The　Réveillon　affair。



Suddenly　the　people　stirs；　and　the　superposed　scaffolding　totters。

It　is　the　movement　of　a　brute　nature　exasperated　by　want　and

maddened　by　suspicion。　　　Have　paid　hands；　which　are　invisible

goaded　it　on　from　beneath？　Contemporaries　are　convinced　of　this；　and

it　is　probably　the　case。＇10＇　　But　the　uproar　made　around　the

suffering　brute　would　alone　suffice　to　make　it　shy；　and　explain　its

arousal。　　…　　On　the　21st　of　April　the　Electoral　Assemblies　have

begun　in　Paris；　there　is　one　in　each　quarter；　one　for　the　clergy；

one　for　the　nobles；　and　one　for　the　Third…Estate。　　Every　day；　for

almost　a　month；　files　of　electors　are　seen　passing　along　the

streets。　　Those　of　the　first　degree　continue　to　meet　after　having

nominated　those　of　the　second：　the　nation　must　needs　watch　its

mandatories　and　maintain　its　imprescriptible　rights。　　If　this

exercise　of　their　rights　has　been　delegated　to　them；　they　still

belong　to　the　nation；　and　it　reserves　to　itself　the　privilege　of

interposing　when　it　pleases。　　A　pretension　of　this　kind　travels

fast；　immediately　after　the　Third…Estate　of　the　Assemblies　it

reaches　the　Third…Estate　of　the　streets。　　Nothing　is　more　natural

than　the　desire　to　lead　one's　leaders：　the　first　time　any

dissatisfaction　occurs；　they　lay　hands　on　those　who　halt　and　make

them　march　on　as　directed。　　On　a　Saturday；　April　25th；＇11＇　a　rumor

is　current　that　Réveillon；　an　elector　and　manufacturer　of　wall…

paper；　Rue　Saint…Antoine；　and　Lerat；　a　commissioner；　have　〃spoken

badly〃　at　the　Electoral　Assembly　of　Sainte…Marguerite。　　To　speak

badly　means　to　speak　badly　of　the　people。　　What　has　Réveillon　said？

Nobody　knows；　but　popular　imagination　with　its　terrible　powers　of

invention　and　precision；　readily　fabricates　or　welcomes　a　murderous

phrase。　　He　said　that　〃a　working…man　with　a　wife　and　children　could

live　on　fifteen　sous　a　day。〃　Such　a　man　is　a　traitor；　and　must　be

disposed　of　at　once；　〃all　his　belongings　must　be　put　to　fire　and

sword。〃　The　rumor；　it　must　be　noted；　is　false。＇12＇　　Réveillon　pays

his　poorest　workman　twenty…five　sous　a　day；　he　provides　work　for

three　hundred　and　fifty；　and；　in　spite　of　a　dull　season　the　previous

winter；　he　kept　all　on　at　the　same　rate　of　wages。　　He　himself　was

once　a　workman；　and　obtained　a　medal　for　his　inventions；　and　is

benevolent　and　respected　by　all　respectable　persons。　　　All　this

avails　nothing；　bands　of　vagabonds　and　foreigners；　who　have　just

passed　through　the　barriers；　do　not　look　so　closely　into　matters；

while　the　Journeymen；　the　carters；　the　cobblers；　the　masons；　the

braziers；　and　the　stone…cutters　whom　they　go　to　solicit　in　their

lodgings　are　just　as　ignorant　as　they　are。　　When　irritation　has

accumulated；　it　breaks　out　haphazardly。



Just　at　this　time　the　clergy　of　Paris　renounce　their　privileges　in

way　of　imposts；＇13＇　and　the　people；　taking　friends　for　adversaries；

add　in　their　invectives　the　name　of　the　clergy　to　that　of　Réveillon。

During　the　whole　of　the　day；　and　also　during　the　leisure　of　Sunday；

the　fermentation　increases；　on　Monday　the　27th；　another　day　of

idleness　and　drunkenness；　the　bands　begin　to　move。　　Certain

witnesses　encounter　one　of　these　in　the　Rue　Saint…Sévérin；　〃armed

with　clubs；〃　and　so　numerous　as　to　bar　the　passage。　　〃Shops　and

doors　are　closed　on　all　sides；　and　the　people　cry　out；　'There's　the

revolt！'〃　The　seditious　crowd　belch　out　curses　and　invectives

against　the　clergy；　〃and；　catching　sight　of　an　abbé；　shout

'Priest！'〃　Another　band　parades　an　effigy　of　Réveillon　decorated

with　the　ribbon　of　the　order　of　St。　　Michael；　which　undergoes　the

parody　of　a　sentence　and　is　burnt　on　the　Place　de　Grève；　after　which

they　threaten　his　house。　　Driven　back　by　the　guard；　they　invade　that

of　a　manufacturer　of　saltpeter；　who　is　his　friend；　and　burn　and

smash　his　effects　and　furniture。＇14＇　　It　is　only　towards　midnight

that　the　crowd　is　dispersed　and　the　insurrection　is　supposed　to　have

ended。　　On　the　following　day　it　begins　again　with　greater　violence；

for；　besides　the　ordinary　stimulants　of　misery＇15＇　and　the　craving

for　license；　they　have　a　new　stimulant　in　the　idea　of　a　cause　to

defend；　the　conviction　that　they　are　fighting　〃for　the　Third…

Estate。〃　In　a　cause　like　this　each　one　should　help　himself；　and　all

should　help　each　other。　　〃We　should　be　lost；〃　one　of　them　exclaimed；

〃if　we　did　not　sustain　each　other。〃　Strong　in　this　belief；　they　sent

deputations　three　times　into　the　Faubourg　Saint…Marceau　to　obtain

recruits；　and　on　their　way；　with　uplifted　clubs　they　enrol；

willingly　or　unwillingly；　all　they　encounter。　　Others；　at　the　gate

of　Saint…Antoine；　arrest　people　who　are　returning　from　the　races；

demanding　of　them　if　they　are　for　the　nobles　or　for　the　Third…

Estate；　and　force　women　to　descend　from　their　vehicles　and　to　cry

〃Vive　le　Tiers…Etat　〃＇16＇。　　　Meanwhile　the　crowd　has　increased

before　Réveillon's　dwelling；　the　thirty　men　on　guard　are　unable　to

resist；　the　house　is　invaded　and　sacked　from　top　to　bottom；　the

furniture；　provisions；　clothing；　registers；　wagons；　even　the　poultry

in　the　back…yard；　all　is　cast　into　blazing　bonfires　lighted　in　three

different　places；　five　hundred　louis　d'or；　the　ready　money；　and　the

silver　plate　are　stolen。　　Several　roam　through　the　cellars；　drink

liquor　or　varnish　at　haphazard　until　they　fall　down　dead　drunk　or

expire　in　convulsions。　　Against　this　howling　horde；　a　corps　of　the

watch；　mounted　and　on　foot；　is　seen　approaching；＇17＇　also　a　hundred

cavalry　of　the　〃Royal　Croats；〃　the　French　Guards；　and　later　on　the

Swiss　Guards。　　〃Tiles　and　chimneys　are　rained　down　on　the　soldiers；〃

who　fire　back　four　files　at　a　time。　　The　rioters；　drunk　with　brandy

and　rage；　defend　themselves　desperately　for　several　hours；　more　than

two　hundred　are　killed；　and　nearly　three　hundred　are　wounded；　they

are　only　put　down　by　cannon；　while　the　mob　keeps　active　until　far

into　the　night。　　…　　Towards　eight　in　the　evening；　in　the　rue

Vieille…du…Temple；　the　Paris　Guard　continue　to　make　charges　in　order

to　protect　the　doors　which　the　miscreants　try　to　force。　　Two　doors

are　forced　at　half…past　eleven　o'clock　in　the　Rue　Saintonge　and　in

the　Rue　de　Bretagne；　that　of　a　pork…dealer　and　that　of　a　baker。

Even　to　this　last　wave　of　the　outbreak　which　is　subsiding　we　can

distinguish　the　elements　which　have　produced　the　insurrection；　and

which　are　about　to　produce　the　Revolution。　　　Starvation　is　one　of

these：　in　the　Rue　de　Bretagne　the　band　robbing　the　baker's　shop

carries　bread　off　to　the　women　staying　at　the　corner　of　the　Rue

Saintonge。　　　　Brigandage　is　another：　in　the　middle　of　the　night　M。

du　Chatelet's　spies；　gliding　alongside　of　a　ditch；　〃see　a　group　of

ruffians〃　assembled　beyond　the　Barrière　du　Tr？ne；　their　leader；

mounted　on　a　little　knoll；　urging　them　to　begin　again；　and　the

following　days；　on　the　highways；　vagabonds　are　saying　to　each　other；

〃We　can　do　no　more　at　Paris；　because　they　are　too　sharp　on　the　look…

out；　let　us　go　to　Lyons！〃　There　are；　finally；　the　patriots：　on　the

evening　of　the　insurrection；　between　the　Pont…au…Change　and　the

Pont…Marie；　the　half…naked　ragamuffins；　besmeared　with　dirt；　bearing

along　their　hand…barrows；　are　fully　alive　to　their　cause；　they　beg

alms　in　a　loud　tone　of　voice；　and　stretch　out　their　hats　to　the

passers；　saying；　〃Take　pity　on　this　poor　Third…Estate！〃　　The

starving；　the　ruffians；　and　the　patriots；　all　form　one　body；　and

henceforth　misery；　crime；　and　public　spirit　unite　to　provide　an

ever…ready　insurrection　for　the　agitators