the origins of contemporary france-2-第75章

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places；　but　they　did　not　enjoy　them　under　the　arbitrary　ministerial

rule。　　Little　does　it　matter　to　them　that　power；　whether　ministerial

or　popular；　has　changed　hands：　they　are　not　accustomed　to　its

favors；　and　will　pursue　their　ordinary　avocations　　…　　the　chase；

promenading；　reading；　visiting；　and　conversing　　…　　provided　they；

like　the　first…comer；　the　grocer　at　the　corner；　or　their　farm…

servant；　find　protection；　safety；　and　security　on　the　public　road

and　in　their　dwellings。＇8＇



II。



Workings　of　the　popular　imagination　with　respect　to　them。　…　　The

monomania　of　suspicion。　　…　　The　nobles　distrusted　and　treated　as

enemies。　　…　　Situation　of　a　gentleman　on　his　domain。　　…　　M。　de。

Bussy



Popular　passion；　unfortunately；　is　a　blind　power；　and；　for　lack　of

enlightenment；　suffers　itself　to　be　guided　by　spectral　illusions。

Imaginary　conceptions　work；　and　work　in　conformity　with　the

structure　of　the　excited　brain　which　has　given　birth　to　them：



What　if　the　Ancient　Regime　should　return！



What　if　we　were　obliged　to　restore　the　property　of　the　clergy！



What　if　we　should　be　again　forced　to　pay　the　salt　tax；　the　excise；

the　taille；　and　other　dues　which；　thanks　to　the　law；　we　no　longer

pay；　besides　other　taxes　and　dues　that　we　do　not　pay　in　spite　of　the

law！



What　if　all　the　nobles　whose　chateaux　are　burnt；　and　who　have　given

rent　acquittances　at　the　point　of　the　sword；　should　find　some　way　to

avenge　themselves　and　recover　their　former　privileges！



Undoubtedly　they　brood　over　these　things；　make　agreements　amongst

each　other；　and　plot　with　the　strangers；　at　the　first　opportunity

they　will　fall　upon　us：　we　must　watch　them；　repress　them；　and；　if

needs　be；　destroy　them。　…　　This　instinctive　process　of　reasoning

prevailed　from　the　outset；　and；　in　proportion　as　excesses　increase；

prevails　to　a　much　greater　extent。　　The　noble　is　ever　the　past；

present；　and　future　creditor；　or；　at　the　very　least；　a　possible　one；

which　means　that　he　is　the　worst　and　most　odious　of　enemies。　　All

his　ways　are　suspicious；　even　when　he　is　doing　nothing；　whatever　he

may　do　it　is　with　a　view　of　arming　himself。



M。　de　Gilliers；　who　lives　with　his　wife　and　sister　one　league　out　of

Romans　in　Dauphiny；＇9＇　amuses　himself　by　planting　trees　and　flowers；

a　few　steps　from　his　house；　on　another　domain；　M。　de　Montchorel；　an

old　soldier；　and　M。　Osmond；　an　old　lawyer　from　Paris；　with　their

wives　and　children；　occupy　their　leisure　hours　in　somewhat　the　same

manner。　　M。　de　Gilliers　having　ordered　and　received　wooden　water…

pipes；　the　report　spreads　that　they　are　cannon。　　His　guest；　M。

Servan；　receives　an　English　traveling…trunk；　which　is　said　to　be

full　of　pistols。　　When　M。　Osmond　and　M。　Servan　stroll　about　the

country　with　pencils　and　drawing…paper；　it　is　averred　that　they　are

preparing　topographical　plans　for　the　Spaniards　and　Savoyards。　　The

four　carriages　belonging　to　the　two　families　go　to　Romans　to　fetch

some　guests：　instead　of　four　there　are　nineteen；　and　they　are　sent

for　aristocrats　who　are　coming　to　hide　away　in　underground　passages。

M。　de　Senneville；　decorated　with　a　cordon　rouge　（red　ribbon）；　pays　a

visit　on　his　return　from　Algiers：　the　decoration　becomes　a　blue　one；

and　the　wearer　is　the　Comte　d'Artois＇10＇　in　person。　　There　is

certainly　a　plot　brewing；　and　at　five　o'clock　in　the　morning

eighteen　communes　（two　thousand　armed　men）　arrive　before　the　doors

of　the　two　houses；　shouts　and　threats　of　death　last　for　eight　hours；

a　gun　fired　a　few　paces　off　at　the　suspects　misfires；　a　peasant　who

is　aiming　at　them　says　to　his　neighbor；　〃Give　me　a　decent　gun　and　I

will　plant　both　my　balls　in　their　bodies！〃　Finally；　M。　de　Gilliers；

who　was　absent；　attending　a　baptism；　returns　with　the　Royal

Chasseurs　of　Dauphiny　and　the　National　Guard　of　Romans；　and　with

their　assistance　delivers　his　family。　　…　　It　is　only　in　the　towns；

that　is；　in　a　few　towns；　and　for　a　very　short　time；　that　an

inoffensive　noble　who　is　attacked　obtains　any　aid；　the　phantoms

which　people　create　for　themselves　there　are　less　gross；　a　certain

degree　of　enlightenment；　and　a　remnant　of　common　sense；　prevent　the

hatching　of　too　absurd　stories。　　…　　But　in　the　dark　recesses　of

rustic　brains　nothing　can　arrest　the　monomania　of　suspicion。

Fancies　multiply　there　like　weeds　in　a　dark　hole：　they　take　root　and

vegetate　until　they　become　belief；　conviction；　and　certainty；　they

produce　the　fruit　of　hostility　and　hatred；　homicidal　and　incendiary

ideas。　　With　eyes　constantly　fixed　on　the　chateau；　the　village

regards　it　as　a　Bastille　which　must　be　captured；　and；　instead　of

saluting　the　lord　of　the　manor；　it　thinks　only　of　firing　at　him。



Let　us　take　up　one　of　these　local　histories　in　detail。＇11＇　In　the

month　of　July；　1789；　during　the　jacquerie　in　Ma？onnais；　the　parish

of　Villiers　appealed　for　assistance　to　its　lord；　M。　de　Bussy；　a

former　colonel　of　dragoons。　　He　had　returned　home；　treated　the

people　of　his　village　to　a　dinner；　and　attempted　to　form　them　into　a

body　of　guards　to　protect　themselves　against　incendiaries　and

brigands；　along　with　the　well…disposed　men　of　the　place　〃he

patrolled　every　evening　to　restore　tranquillity　to　the　parish。〃　On　a

rumor　spreading　that　〃the　wells　were　poisoned；〃　he　placed　sentinels

alongside　of　all　the　wells　except　his　own；　〃to　prove　that　he　was

acting　for　the　parish　and　not　for　himself。〃　In　short；　he　did　all　he

could　to　conciliate　the　villagers；　and　to　interest　them　in　the

common　safety。　　…　　But；　by　virtue　of　being　a　noble　and　an　officer　he

is　distrusted；　and　it　is　Perron；　the　syndic　of　the　commune；　to　whom

the　commune　now　listens。　　Perron　announces　that　the　King　〃having

abjured　his　sworn　word；〃　no　more　confidence　is　to　be　placed　in　him；

and；　consequently；　neither　in　his　officers　nor　in　the　gentry。　　On　M。

de　Bussy　proposing　to　the　National　Guards　that　they　should　go　to　the

assistance　of　the　chateau　of　Thil；　which　is　in　flames；　Perron

prevents　them；　declaring　that　〃these　fires　are　kindled　by　the　nobles

and　the　clergy。〃　M。　de　Bussy　insists；　and　entreats　them　to　go；

offering　to　abandon　〃his　terrier；〃　that　is　to　say　all　his　seignorial

dues；　if　they　will　only　accompany　him　and　arrest　this　destruction。

They　refuse　to　do　so。　　He　perseveres；　and；　on　being　informed　that

the　chateau　of　Juillenas　is　in　peril；　he　collects；　after　great

efforts；　a　body　of　one　hundred　and　fifty　men　of　his　parish；　and；

marching　with　them；　arrives　in　time　to　save　the　chateau；　which　a　mob

was　about　to　set　on　fire。　　But　the　popular　excitement；　which　he　had

just　succeeded　in　calming　at　Juillenas；　has　gained　the　upper　hand

amongst　his　own　troop：　the　brigands　have　seduced　his　men；　〃which

obliges　him　to　lead　them　back；　while；　along　the　road；　they　seem

inclined　to　fire　at　him。〃　　…　　Having　returned；　he　is　followed　with

threats　even　to　his　own　house：　a　band　comes　to　attack　his　chateau；

finding　it　on　the　defensive；　they　insist　on　being　led　to　that　of

Courcelles。　　…　　？In　the　midst　of　all　this　violence　M。　de　Bussy；　with

about　fifteen　friends　and　tenants；　succeeds　in　protecting　himself

and；　by　dint　of　patience；　energy；　and　cool　blood；　without　killing　or

wounding　a　single　man；　ends　in　bringing　back　security　throughout　the

whole　canton。　　The　jacquerie　subsides；　and　it　seems　as　if　the　newly

restored　order　would　be　maintained。　　He　sends　for　Madame　de　Bussy　to

return；　and　some　months　pass　away。　　…　　The　popular　imagination；

however；　is　poisoned；　and　whatever　a　gentleman　may　do；　he　is　no

longer　tolerated　on　his　estate。　　A　few　leagues　from　there；　on　April

29；　1790；　M。　de　Bois…d'Aisy；　deputy　to　the　National　Assembly；　had

returned　to　his　parish　to　vote　at　the　new　elections。＇12＇　　〃Scarcely

has　he　arrived；〃　when　the　commune　of　Bois…d'Aisy　gives　him　notice

through　its　mayor　〃that　it　will　not　regard　him　as　eligible。〃　He

attends　the　electoral　meeting　which　is　held　in　the　church　there；　a

municipal　officer　in　the　pulpit　inveighs　against　nobles　and　priests；

and　declares　that　they　must　not　take　part　in　the　elections。　　All

eyes　turn　upon　M。　de　Boisd'Aisy；　who　is　the　only　noble　present。

Nevertheless；　he　takes　the　civic　oath；　which　nearly　costs　him　dear；

for　murmurs　arise　around　him；　and　the　peasants　say　that　he　ought　to

have　been　hanged　like　the　lord　of　Sainte…Colombe；　to　prevent　his

taking　the　oath。　　In　fact；　the　evening　before；　the　latter；　M。　de

Vitteaux；　an　old　man　of　seventy…four　years　of　age；　was　expelled　from

the　primary　assembly；　then　torn　out　of　the　house　in　which　he　had

sought　refuge；　half　killed　with　blows；　and　dragged　through　the

streets　to　the　open　square；　his　mouth　was　stuffed　with　manure；　a

stick　was　thrust　into　his　ears；　and　〃he　expired　after　a　martyrdom　of

three　hours。〃　The　same　day；　in　the　church　of　the　Capuchins；　at

Sémur；　the　rural　parishes　which　met　together　excluded　their　priests

and　gentry　in　the　same　fashion。　　M。　de　Damas　and　M。　de　Sainte…Maure

were　beaten　with　clubs　and　stones；　the　curé　of　Massigny　died　after

six　stabs　with　a　knife；　and　M。　de　Virieu　saved　himself　as　he　best

could。　　…　　With　such　examples　before　them　it　is　probable　that　many

of　the　nobles　will　no　longer　exercise　their　right　of　suffrage。　　M。

de　Bussy　does　not　pretend　to　do　it。　　He　merely　tries　to　prove　that

he　is　loyal　to　the　nation；　and　that　he　meditates　no　wrong　to　the

National　Guard　or　to　the　people。　　He　proposed；　at　the　out…set；　to

the　volunteers　of　Ma？on　to　join　them；　along　with　his　little　troop；

they　refused　to　have　him　and　thus　the　fault　is　not　on　his　side。　　On

the　14th　of　July；　1790；　the　day　of　the　Federation　on　his　domain；　he

sends　all　his　people　off　to　Villiers；　furnished　with　the　tricolour

cockade。　　He　himself；　with　three　of　his　friends；　attends　the

ceremony　to　take　the　oath；　all　four　in　uniform；　with　the　cockade　on

their　hats；　without　any　weapons　but　their　swords　and　a　light　cane　in

their　hands。　　They　salute　the　assembled　National　Guards　of　the　three

neighboring　parishes；　and　keep　outside　the　enclosure　so　as　not　to

give　offense。　　But　they　have　not　taken　into　account　the　prejudices

and　animosities　of　the　new　municipal　bodies。　　Perron；　the　former

syndic；　is　now　mayor。　　A　man　named　Bailly；　who　is　the　village

shoemaker；　is　another　of　the　municipal　officers；　their　councilor　is

an　old　dragoon；　one　of　those　soldiers　probably　who　have　deserted　or

been　discharged；　and　who　are　the　firebrands　of　almost　every　riot

that　takes　place。　　A　squad　of　a　dozen　or　fifteen　men　leave　the　ranks

and　march　up　to　the　four　gentlemen；　who　advance；　hat　in　hand；　to

meet　them。　Suddenly　the　men　aim　at　them；　and　Bailly；　with　a　furious

air；　demands：　〃What　the　devil　do　you　come　here　for？〃　M。　de　Bussy

replies　that；　having　been　informed　of　the　Federation；　he　had　come　to

take　the　oath　like　the　rest　of　the　people。　　Bailly　asks　why　he　had

come　armed。　　M。　de　Bussy　remarks　that　〃having　been　in　the　service；

the　sword　was　inseparable　from　the　uniform；〃　and　had　they　come　there

without　that　badge　they　would　have　bee