the origins of contemporary france-1-第14章

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principal　domains　are　rented　in　this　way。　　Moreover　there　are　a　number

of　dues；　like　the　tolls；　the　market…place　tax；　that　on　the　flock

apart；　the　monopoly　of　the　oven　and　of　the　mill　which　can　scarcely　be

managed　otherwise；　the　seignior　must　necessarily　employ　an　adjudicator

who　spares　him　the　disputes　and　trouble　of　collecting。＇45＇　This

happens　often　and　the　demands　and　the　greed　of　the　contractor；　who　is

determined　to　gain　or；　at　least；　not　to　lose；　falls　on　the　peasantry：



　〃He　is　a　ravenous　wolf；〃　says　Renauldon；　〃let　loose　on　the　estate。

He　draws　upon　it　to　the　last　sou；　he　crushes　the　subjects；　reduces

them　to　beggary；　forces　the　cultivators　to　desert。　　The　owner；　thus

rendered　odious；　finds　himself　obliged　to　tolerate　his　exactions　to

able　to　profit　by　them。〃



　Imagine；　if　you　can；　the　evil　which　a　country　usurer　exercises；

armed　against　them　with　such　burdensome　rights；　it　is　the　feudal

seigniory　in　the　hands　of　Harpagon；　or　rather　of　old　Grandet。　　When；

indeed；　a　tax　becomes　insupportable　we　see；　by　the　local　complaints；

that　it　is　nearly　always　a　fermier　who　enforces　it。＇46＇　It　is　one　of

these；　acting　for　a　body　of　canons；　who　claims　Jeanne　Mermet's

paternal　inheritance　on　the　pretense　that　she　had　passed　her　wedding

night　at　her　husband's　house。　　One　can　barely　find　similar　exactions　in

the　Ireland　of　1830；　on　those　estates　where；　the　farmer…general

renting　to　sub…farmers　and　the　latter　to　others　still　below　them。　　The

poor　tenant　at　the　foot　of　the　ladder　himself　bore　the　full　weight　of

it；　so　much　the　more　crushed　because　his　creditor；　crushed　himself

measured　the　requirements　he　exacted　by　those　he　had　to　submit　to。



Suppose　that；　seeing　this　abuse　of　his　name；　the　seignior　is

desirous　of　withdrawing　the　administration　of　his　domains　from　these

mercenary　hands。　　In　most　cases　he　is　unable　to　do　it：　he　too　deeply　in

debt；　having　appropriated　to　his　creditors　a　certain　portion　of　his

land；　a　certain　branch　of　his　income。　　For　centuries；　the　nobles　are

involved　through　their　luxury；　their　prodigality；　their　carelessness；

and　through　that　false　sense　of　honor；　which　consists　in　looking　upon

attention　to　accounts　as　the　occupation　of　an　accountant。　　They　take

pride　in　their　negligence；　regarding　it；　as　they　say；　living

nobly。＇47＇　〃Monsieur　the　archbishop；〃　said　Louis　XVI。　　to　M。　de　Dillon；

。〃　they　say　that　you　are　in　debt；　and　even　largely。〃　〃Sire；〃　replied

the　prelate；　with　the　irony　of　a　grand　seignior；　〃I　will　ask　my

intendant　and　inform　Your　Majesty。〃　Marshal　de　Soubise　has　five

hundred　thousand　livres　income；　which　is　not　sufficient　for　him。　　We

know　the　debts　of　the　Cardinal　de　Rohan　and　of　the　Comte　Artois；＇48＇

their　millions　of　income　were　vainly　thrown　into　this　gulf。　　The　Prince

de　Guémenée　happens　to　become　bankrupt　on　thirty…five　millions。　　The

Duke　of　Orleans；　the　richest　proprietor　in　the　kingdom；　owed　at　his

death　seventy…four　millions。　　When　became　necessary　to　pay　the

creditors　of　the　emigrants　out　of　the　proceeds　of　their　possessions；

it　was　proved　that　most　of　the　large　fortunes　were　eaten　up　with

mortgages。＇49＇　Readers　of　the　various　memoirs　know　that；　for　two

hundred　years；　the　deficiencies　bad　to　be　supplied　by　marriages　for

money　and　by　the　favors　of　the　king。　　…　This　explains　why；　following

the　king's　example；　the　nobles　converted　everything　into　money；　and

especially　the　places　at　their　disposition；　and；　in　relaxing　authority

for　profit；　why　they　alienated　the　last　fragment　of　government

remaining　in　their　hands。　　Everywhere　they　thus　laid　aside　the

venerated　character　of　a　chief　to　put　on　the　odious　character　of　a

trafficker。　　〃Not　only；〃　says　a　contemporary；＇50＇　〃do　they　give　no　pay

to　their　officers　of　justice；　or　take　them　at　a　discount；　but；　what　is

worse；　the　greater　portion　of　them　make　a　sale　of　these　offices。〃　In

spite　of　the　edict　of　1693；　the　judges　thus　appointed　take　no　steps　to

be　admitted　into　the　royal　courts　and　they　take　no　oaths。　　〃What　is　the

result？　Justice；　too　often　administered　by　knaves；　degenerates　into

brigandage　or　into　a　frightful　impunity。〃　　…　Ordinarily　the　seignior

who　sells　the　office　on　a　financial　basis；　deducts；　in　addition；　the

hundredth；　the　fiftieth；　the　tenth　of　the　price；　when　it　passes　into

other　hands；　and　at　other　times　he　disposes　of　the　survivorship。　　He

creates　these　offices　and　survivorships　purposely　to　sell　them。　　〃All

the　seigniorial　courts；　say　the　registers；　are　infested　with　a　crowd

of　officials　of　every　description；　seigniorial　sergeants；　mounted　and

unmounted　officers；　keepers　of　the　provostship　of　the　funds；　guards　of

the　constabulary。　　It　is　by　no　means　rare　to　find　as　many　as　ten　in　an

arrondissement　which　could　hardly　maintain　two　if　they　confined

themselves　within　the　limits　of　their　duties。〃　Also　〃they　are　at　the

same　time　judges；　attorneys；　fiscal…attorneys；　registrars；　notaries；〃

each　in　a　different　place；　each　practicing　in　several　seigniories

under　various　titles；　all　perambulating；　all　in　league　like　thieves　at

a　fair；　and　assembling　together　in　the　taverns　to　plan；　prosecute　and

decide。　　Sometimes　the　seignior；　to　economize；　confers　the　title　on　one

of　his　own　dependents：　〃At　Hautemont；　in　Hainaut；　the　fiscal…attorney

is　a　domestic。〃　More　frequently　he　nominates　some　starveling　advocate

of　a　petty　village　in　the　neighborhood　on　wages　which　would　not

suffice　to　keep　him　alive　a　week。〃　He　indemnifies　himself　out　of　the

peasants。　　Processes　of　chicanery；　delays　and　willful　complications　in

the　proceedings；　sittings　at　three　livres　the　hour　for　the　advocate

and　three　livres　the　hour　for　the　bailiff。　　The　black　brood　of　judicial

leeches　suck　so　much　the　more　eagerly；　because　the　more　numerous；　a

still　more　scrawny　prey；　having　paid　for　the　privilege　of　sucking

it。＇51＇　The　arbitrariness；　the　corruption；　the　laxity　of　such　a　régime

can　be　divined。　　〃Impunity；〃　says　Renauldon；　〃is　nowhere　greater　than

in　the　seigniorial　tribunals　。　　。　　。　　。　　The　foulest　crimes　obtain　no

consideration　there；〃　for　the　seignior　dreads　supplying　the　means　for

a　criminal　trial；　while　his　judges　or　prosecuting　attorneys　fear　that

they　will　not　be　paid　for　their　proceedings。　　Moreover；　his　jail　is

often　a　cellar　under　the　chateau；　〃there　is　not　one　tribunal　out　of　a

hundred　in　conformity　with　the　law　in　respect　of　prisons；〃　their

keepers　shut　their　eyes　or　stretch　out　their　hands。　　Hence　it　is　that

〃his　estates　become　the　refuge　of　all　the　scoundrels　in　the　canton。〃

The　effect　of　his　indifference　is　terrible　and　it　is　to　react　against

him：　to…morrow；　at　the　club；　the　attorneys　whom　he　has　multiplied　will

demand　his　head；　and　the　bandits　whom　he　has　tolerated　will　place　it

on　the　end　of　a　pike。



One…point　remains；　the　chase；　wherein　the　noble's　jurisdiction　is

still　active　and　severe；　and　it　is　just　the　point　which　is　found　the

most　offensive。　　Formerly；　when　one…half　of　the　canton　consisted　of

forest；　or　waste　land；　while　the　other　half　was　being　ravaged　by　wild

beasts；　he　was　justified　in　reserving　the　right　to　hunt　them；　it

entered　into　his　function　as　local　captain。　　He　was　the　hereditary

gendarme；　always　armed；　always　on　horseback；　as　well　against　wild

boars　and　wolves　as　against　rovers　and　brigands。　　Now　that　nothing　is

left　to　him　of　the　gendarme　but　the　title　and　the　epaulettes　he

maintains　his　privilege　through　tradition；　thus　converting　a　service

into　an　annoyance。　　Hunt　he　must；　and　he　alone　must　hunt；　it　is　a

physical　necessity　and；　it　the　same　time；　a　sign　of　his　blood。　　A

Rohan；　a　Dillon；　chases　the　stag　although　belonging　to　the　church；　in

spite　of　edicts　and　in　spite　of　the　canons。　　〃You　hunt　too　much；〃　said

Louis　XV。＇52＇　to　the　latter；　〃I　know　something　about　it。　　How　can　you

prohibit　your　curates　from　hunting　if　you　pass　your　life　in　setting

them　such　an　example？　…　Sire；　for　my　curates　the　chase　is　a　fault；　for

myself　it　is　the　fault　of　my　ancestors。〃　When　the　vanity　and　arrogance

of　caste　thus　mounts　guard　over　a　right　it　is　with　obstinate

vigilance。　　Accordingly；　their　captains　of　the　chase；　their　game…

keepers；　their　wood…rangers；　their　forest…wardens　protect　brutes　as　if

they　were　men；　and　hunt　men　as　if　they　were　brutes。　　In　the　bailiwick

of　Pont…l'Evèque　in　1789　four　instances　are　cited　〃of　recent

assassinations　committed　by　the　game…keepers　of　Mme。　　d'A；　…Mme。　　N…

…；　a　prelate　and　a　marshal　of　France；　on　commoners　caught　breaking

the　game　laws　or　carrying　guns。　　All　four　publicly　escape　punishment。〃

In　Artois；　a　parish　makes　declaration　that　〃on　the　lands　of　the

Chattellany　the　game　devours　all　the　avêtis　（pine　saplings）　and　that

the　growers　of　them　will　be　obliged　to　abandon　their　business。〃　Not

far　off；　at　Rumancourt；　at　Bellone；　〃the　hares；　rabbits　and　partridges

entirely　devour　them；　Count　d'Oisy　never　hunting　nor　having　hunts。〃　In

twenty　villages　in　the　neighborhood　around　Oisy　where　he　hunts　it　is

on　horseback　and　across　the　crops。　　〃His　game…keepers；　always　armed；

have　killed　several　persons　under　the　pretense　of　watching　over　their

master's　rights。　　。　　。　　。　　The　game；　which　greatly　exceeds　that　of　the

royal　captaincies；　consumes　annually　all　prospects　of　a　crop；　twenty

thousand　razières　of　wheat　and　as　many　of　other　grains。〃　In　the

bailiwick　of　Evreux　〃the　game　has　just　destroyed　everything　up　to　the

very　houses。　　。　　。　　。　　On　account　of　the　game　the　citizen　is　not　free　to

pull　up　the　weeds　in　summer　which　clog　the　grain　and　injure　the　seed

sown。　　。　　。　　。　　How　many　women　are　there　without　husbands；　and　children

without　fathers；　on　account　of　a　poor　hare　or　rabbit！〃　The　game…

keepers　of　the　forest　of　Gouffray　in　Normandy　〃are　so　terrible　that

they　maltreat；　insult　and　kill　men。　　。　　。　　。　　I　know　of　farmers　who；

having　pleaded　against　the　lady　to　be　indemnified　for　the　loss　of

their　wheat；　not　only　lost　their　time　but　their　crops　and　the　expenses

of　the　trial。　　。　　。　　。　　Stags　and　deer　are　seen　roving　around　our　houses

in　open　daylight。〃　In　the　bailiwick　of　Domfront；　〃the　inhabitants　of

more　than　ten　parishes　are　obliged　to　watch　all　night　for　more　than

six　months　of　the　year　to　secure　their　crops。＇53＇　…This　is　the　effect

of　tile　right　of　the　chase　in　the　provinces。　　It　is；　however；　in　the

Ile…de…France；　where　captaincies　abound；　and　become　more　extensive；

that　the　spectacle　is　most　lamentable。　　A　procés…verba1　shows　that　in

the　single　parish　of　Vaux；　near　Meulan；　the　rabbits　of　warrens　in　the

vicinity　ravage　eight　hundred　cultivated　arpents　（acres）　of　ground　and

destroy　the　crops　of　two　thousand　four　hundred　setiers　（three　acres

each）；　that　is　to　say；　the　annual　supplies　of　eight　hundred　persons。

Near　that　place；　at　la　Rochette；　herds　of　deer　and　of　stags　devour

everything　in　the　fields　during　the　day；　and；　at　night；　they　even

invade　the　small　gardens　of　the　inhabitants　to　consume　vegetables　and

to　break　down　young　trees。　　It　is　found　impossible　in　a　territory