the origins of contemporary france-1-第83章

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　〃A　person　from　Languedoc　tells　me　of　vast　numbers　of　peasants

deserting　that　province　and　taking　refuge　in　Piedmont；　Savoy；　and

Spain；　tormented　and　frightened　by　the　measures　resorted　to　in

collecting　tithes。　　。　　。　　。　　The　extortioners　sell　everything　and　imprison

everybody　as　if　prisoners　of　war；　and　even　with　more　avidity　and

malice；　in　order　to　gain　something　themselves。〃　　…　　〃I　met　an

intendant　of　one　of　the　finest　provinces　in　the　kingdom；　who　told　me

that　no　more　farmers　could　be　found　there；　that　parents　preferred　to

send　their　children　to　the　towns；　that　living　in　the　surrounding

country　was　daily　becoming　more　horrible　to　the　inhabitants。　　。　　。　　。　　A

man；　well…informed　in　financial　matters；　told　me　that　over　two　hundred

families　in　Normandy　had　left　this　year；　fearing　the　collections　in

their　villages。〃　　…　　At　Paris；　〃the　streets　swarm　with　beggars。　　One

cannot　stop　before　a　door　without　a　dozen　mendicants　besetting　him

with　their　importunities。　　They　are　said　to　be　people　from　the　country

who；　unable　to　endure　the　persecutions　they　have　to　undergo；　take

refuge　in　the　cities　。　　。　　。　　preferring　begging　to　labor。〃　　…　　And　yet

the　people　of　the　cities　are　not　much　better　off。　　〃An　officer　of　a

company　in　garrison　at　Mezieres　tells　me　that　the　poverty　of　that

place　is　so　great　that；　after　the　officers　had　dined　in　the　inns；　the

people　rush　in　and　pillage　the　remnants。〃　　…　　〃There　are　more　than

12；000　begging　workmen　in　Rouen；　quite　as　many　in　Tours；　etc。　　More

than　20；000　of　these　workmen　are　estimated　as　having　left　the　kingdom

in　three　months　for　Spain；　Germany；　etc。　　At　Lyons　20；000　workers　in

silk　are　watched　and　kept　in　sight　for　fear　of　their　going　abroad。〃　At

Rouen；＇10＇　and　in　Normandy；　〃those　in　easy　circumstances　find　it

difficult　to　get　bread；　the　bulk　of　the　people　being　entirely　without

it；　and；　to　ward　off　starvation；　providing　themselves　with　food

otherwise　repulsive　to　human　beings。〃　　…　　〃Even　at　Paris；〃　writes

d'Argenson；＇11＇　〃I　learn　that　on　the　day　M。　le　Dauphin　and　Mme。　　la

Dauphine　went　to　Notre　Dame；　on　passing　the　bridge　of　the　Tournelle；

more　than　2；000　women　assembled　in　that　quarter　crying　out；　'Give　us

bread；　or　we　shall　die　of　hunger。'　。　　。　　。　　A　vicar　of　the　parish　of

Saint…Marguerite　affirms　that　over　eight　hundred　persons　died　in　the

Faubourg　St。　　Antoine　between　January　20th　and　February　20th；　that　the

poor　expire　with　cold　and　hunger　in　their　garrets；　and　that　the

priests；　arriving　too　late；　see　them　expire　without　any　possible

relief。〃



Were　I　to　enumerate　the　riots；　the　sedition　of　the　famished；　and

the　pillaging　of　storehouses；　I　should　never　end；　these　are　the

convulsive　twitching　of　exhaustion；　the　people　have　fasted　as　long　as

possible；　and　instinct；　at　last；　rebels。　　In　1747；＇12＇　〃extensive

bread…riots　occur　in　Toulouse；　and　in　Guyenne　they　take　place　on　every

market…day。〃　In　1750；　from　6　to　7；000　men　gather　in　Bearn　behind　a

river　to　resist　the　clerks；　two　companies　of　the　Artois　regiment　fire

on　the　rebels　and　kill　a　dozen　of　them。　　In　1752；　a　sedition　at　Rouen

and　in　its　neighborhood　lasts　three　days；　in　Dauphiny　and　in　Auvergne

riotous　villagers　force　open　the　grain　warehouses　and　take　away　wheat

at　their　own　price；　the　same　year；　at　Arles；　2；000　armed　peasants

demand　bread　at　the　town…hall　and　are　dispersed　by　the　soldiers。　　In

one　province　alone；　that　of　Normandy；　I　find　insurrections　in　1725；　in

1737；　in　1739；　in　1752；　in　1764；　1765；　1766；　1767　and　I768；＇13＇　and

always　on　account　of　bread。



〃Entire　hamlets；〃　writes　the　Parliament；　〃being　without　the

necessities　of　life；　hunger　compels　them　to　resort　to　the　food　of

brutes。　　。　　。　　。　　Two　days　more　and　Rouen　will　be　without　provisions；

without　grain；　without　bread。〃



Accordingly；　the　last　riot　is　terrible；　on　this　occasion；　the

populace；　again　masters　of　the　town　for　three　days；　pillage　the　public

granaries　and　the　stores　of　all　the　communities。　　…　　Up　to　the　last

and　even　later；　in　1770　at　Rheims；　in　1775　at　Dijon；　at　Versailles；　at

St。　　Germain；　at　Pontoise　and　at　Paris；　in　1772　at　Poitiers；　in　1785　at

Aix　in　Provence；　in　1788　and　1789　in　Paris　and　throughout　France；

similar　eruptions　are　visible。＇14＇　　　…　　Undoubtedly　the　government

under　Louis　XVI　is　milder；　the　intendants　are　more　humane；　the

administration　is　less　rigid；　the　taille　becomes　less　unequal；　and　the

corvée　is　less　onerous　through　its　transformation；　in　short；　misery

has　diminished；　and　yet　this　is　greater　than　human　nature　can　bear。



Examine　administrative　correspondence　for　the　last　thirty　years

preceding　the　Revolution。　　Countless　statements　reveal　excessive

suffering；　even　when　not　terminating　in　fury。　　Life　to　a　man　of　the

lower　class；　to　an　artisan；　or　workman；　subsisting　on　the　labor　of　his

own　hands；　is　evidently　precarious；　he　obtains　simply　enough　to　keep

him　from　starvation　and　he　does　not　always　get　that＇15＇。　　Here；　in　four

districts；　〃the　inhabitants　live　only　on　buckwheat；〃　and　for　five

years；　the　apple　crop　having　failed；　they　drink　only　water。　　There；　in

a　country　of　vine…yards；＇16＇　〃the　wine…growers　each　year　are　reduced；

for　the　most　part；　to　begging　their　bread　during　the　dull　season。〃

Elsewhere；　several　of　the　day…laborers　and　mechanics；　obliged　to　sell

their　effects　and　household　goods；　die　of　the　cold；　insufficient　and

unhealthy　food　generates　sickness；　while；　in　two　districts；　35；000

persons　are　stated　to　be　living　on　alms＇17＇。　　In　a　remote　canton　the

peasants　cut　the　grain　still　green　and　dry　it　in　the　oven；　because

they　are　too　hungry　to　wait。　　The　intendant　of　Poitiers　writes　that　〃as

soon　as　the　workhouses　open；　a　prodigious　number　of　the　poor　rush　to

them；　in　spite　of　the　reduction　of　wages　and　of　the　restrictions

imposed　on　them　in　behalf　of　the　most　needy。〃　The　intendant　of　Bourges

notices　that　a　great　many　tenant　farmers　have　sold　off　their

furniture；　and　that　〃entire　families　pass　two　days　without　eating；〃

and　that　in　many　parishes　the　famished　stay　in　bed　most　of　the　day

because　they　suffer　less。　　The　intendant　of　Orleans　reports　that　〃in

Sologne；　poor　widows　have　burned　up　their　wooden　bedsteads　and　others

have　consumed　their　fruit　trees；〃　to　preserve　themselves　from　the

cold；　and　he　adds；　〃nothing　is　exaggerated　in　this　statement；　the

cries　of　want　cannot　be　expressed；　the　misery　of　the　rural　districts

must　be　seen　with　one's　own　eyes　to　obtain　an　idea　of　it。〃　From　Rioni；

from　La　Rochelle；　from　Limoges；　from　Lyons；　from　Montauban；　from　Caen；

from　Alen？on；　from　Flanders；　from　Moulins　come　similar　statements　by

other　intendants。　　One　might　call　it　the　interruptions　and　repetitions

of　a　funeral　knell；　even　in　years　not　disastrous　it　is　heard　on　all

sides。　　In　Burgundy；　near　Chatillon…sur…Seine；



〃taxes；　seigniorial　dues；　the　tithes；　and　the　expenses　of

cultivation；　split　up　the　productions　of　the　soil　into　thirds；　leaving

nothing　for　the　unfortunate　cultivators；　who　would　have　abandoned

their　fields；　had　not　two　Swiss　manufacturers　of　calicoes　settled

there　and　distributed　about　the　country　40；000　francs　a　year　in

cash。〃＇18＇



　In　Auvergne；　the　country　is　depopulated　daily；　many　of　the

villages　have　lost；　since　the　beginning　of　the　century；　more　than　one…

third　of　their　inhabitants＇19＇。



　〃Had　not　steps　been　promptly　taken　to　lighten　the　burden　of　a

down…trodden　people；〃　says　the　provincial　assembly　in　1787；　〃Auvergne

would　have　forever　lost　its　population　and　its　cultivation。〃



In　Comminges；　at　the　outbreak　of　the　Revolution；　certain

communities　threaten　to　abandon　their　possessions；　should　they　obtain

no　relief＇20＇。



　〃It　is　a　well…known　fact；〃　says　the　assembly　of　Haute…Guyenne；　in

1784；〃　that　the　lot　of　the　most　severely　taxed　communities　is　so

rigorous　as　to　have　led　their　proprietors　frequently　to　abandon　their

property＇21＇。　　Who　is　not　aware　of　the　inhabitants　of　Saint…Servin

having　abandoned　their　property　ten　times；　and　of　their　threats　to

resort　again　to　this　painful　proceeding　in　their　recourse　to　the

administration？　Only　a　few　years　ago　an　abandonment　of　the　community

of　Boisse　took　place　through　the　combined　action　of　the　inhabitants；

the　seignior　and　the　décimateur　of　that　community；〃　and　the　desertion

would　be　still　greater　if　the　law　did　not　forbid　persons　liable　to　the

taille　abandoning　over…taxed　property；　except　by　renouncing　whatever

they　possessed　in　the　community。　　In　the　Soissonais；　according　to　the

report　of　the　provincial　assembly；＇22＇　〃misery　is　excessive。〃　In

Gascony　the　spectacle　is　〃heartrending。〃　In　the　environs　of　Toul；　the

cultivator；　after　paying　his　taxes；　tithes　and　other　dues；　remains

empty…handed。



　〃Agriculture　is　an　occupation　of　steady　anxiety　and　privation；　in

which　thousands　of　men　are　obliged　to　painfully　vegetate。〃＇23＇　In　a

village　in　Normandy；　〃nearly　all　the　inhabitants；　not　excepting　the

farmers　and　proprietors；　eat　barley　bread　and　drink　water；　living　like

the　most　wretched　of　men；　so　as　to　provide　for　the　payment　of　the

taxes　with　which　they　are　overburdened。〃　In　the　same　province；　at

Forges；　〃many　poor　creatures　eat　oat　bread；　and　others　bread　of　soaked

bran；　this　nourishment　causing　many　deaths　among　infants。〃＇24＇　People

evidently　live　from　day　to　day；　whenever　the　crop　proves　poor　they

lack　bread。　　Let　a　frost　come；　a　hailstorm；　an　inundation；　and　an

entire　province　is　incapable　of　supporting　itself　until　the　coming

year；　in　many　places　even　an　ordinary　winter　suffices　to　bring　on

distress。　　On　all　sides　hands　are　seen　outstretched　to　the　king；　who　is

the　universal　almoner。　　The　people　may　be　said　to　resemble　a　man

attempting　to　wade　through　a　pool　with　the　water　up　to　his　chin；　and

who；　losing　his　footing　at　the　slightest　depression；　sinks　down　and

drowns。　　Existent　charity　and　the　fresh　spirit　of　humanity　vainly

strive　to　rescue　them；　the　water　has　risen　too　high。　　It　must　subside

to　a　lower　level；　and　the　pool　be　drawn　off　through　some　adequate

outlet。　　Thus　far　the　poor　man　catches　breath　only　at　intervals；

running　the　risk　of　drowning　at　every　moment。





II。　　THE　PEASANTS。



The　condition　of　the　peasant　during　the　last　thirty　years　of　the

Ancient　Regime。　　…　His　precarious　subsistence。　　…　State　of　agriculture。

…　Uncultivated　farms。　　…　Poor　cultivation。　　…　Inadequate　wages。　　…　Lack

of　comforts。



Between　1750　and　1760；＇25＇　the　idlers　who　eat　suppers　begin　to

regard　with　compassion　and　alarm　the　laborers　who　go　without　dinners。

Why　are　the　latter　so　impoverished；　and　by　what　misfortune；　on　a　soil

as　rich　as　that　of　France；　do　those　lack　bread　who　grow　the　grain？　In

the　first　place　many　farms　remain　uncultivated；　and；　what　is　worse；

many　are　deserted。　　According　to　the　best　observers　〃one…quarter　of　the

soil　is　absolutely　lying　waste。　　。　　。　　。　　Hundreds　and　hundreds　of　arpents

of　heath　and　moor　form　extensive　deserts。〃＇26＇　　Let　a　person　traverse

Anjou；　Maine；　Brittany；