the origins of contemporary france-1-第85章

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franchard　（forty…two　pounds）　of　flour；　and　three　chickens；　to　another

three　franchards　of　oats；　one　chicken　and　one　sou；　to　which　must　be

added　the　taille　and　other　taxes。　　〃God　keep　us！〃　she　said；　〃for　the

tailles　and　the　dues　crush　us。〃　　…　　What　must　it　be　in　districts　where

the　soil　is　poor！　　　…



〃From　Ormes；　（near　Chatellerault）；　as　far　as　Poitiers；〃　writes　a

lady；＇41＇　〃there　is　a　good　deal　of　ground　which　brings　in　nothing；　and

from　Poitiers　to　my　residence　（in　Limousin）　25；000　arpents　of　ground

consist　wholly　of　heath　and　sea…grass。　　The　peasantry　live　on　rye；　of

which　they　do　not　remove　the　bran；　and　which　is　as　black　and　heavy　as

lead。　　…　　In　Poitou；　and　here；　they　plow　up　only　the　　skin　of　the

ground　with　a　miserable　little　plow　without　wheels。　　。　　。　　。　　From

Poitiers　to　Montmorillon　it　is　nine　leagues；　equal　to　sixteen　of

Paris；　and　I　assure　you　that　I　have　seen　but　four　men　on　the　road；

and；　between　Montmorillon　and　my　own　house；　which　is　four　leagues；　but

three；　and　then　only　at　a　distance；　not　having　met　one　on　the　road。

You　need　not　be　surprised　at　this　in　such　a　country。　　。　　。　　Marriage

takes　place　as　early　as　with　the　grand　seigniors；〃　doubtless　for　fear

of　the　militia。　　〃But　the　population　of　the　country　is　no　greater

because　almost　every　infant　dies。　　Mothers　having　scarcely　any　milk；

their　infants　eat　the　bread　of　which　I　spoke；　the　stomach　of　a　girl　of

four　years　being　as　big　as　that　of　a　pregnant　woman。　　。　　。　　。　　The　rye

crop　this　year　was　ruined　by　the　frost　on　Easter　day；　flour　is　scarce；

of　the　twelve　métairies　owned　by　my　mother；　four　of　them　may；　perhaps；

have　some　on　hand。　　There　has　been　no　rain　since　Easter；　no　hay；　no

pasture；　no　vegetables；　no　fruit。　　You　see　the　lot　of　the　poor　peasant。

There　is　no　manure；　and　there　are　no　cattle。　　。　　。　　。　　My　mother；　whose

granaries　used　to　be　always　full；　has　not　a　grain　of　wheat　in　them；

because；　for　two　years　past；　she　has　fed　all　her　métayers　and　the

poor。〃



　〃The　peasant　is　assisted；〃　says　a　seignior　of　the　same

province；＇42＇　〃protected；　and　rarely　maltreated；　but　he　is　looked　upon

with　disdain。　　If　kindly　and　pliable　he　is　made　subservient；　but　if

ill…disposed　he　becomes　soured　and　irritable。　　。　　。　　。　　He　is　kept　in

misery；　in　an　abject　state；　by　men　who　are　not　at　all　inhuman　but

whose　prejudices；　especially　among　the　nobles；　lead　them　to　regard　him

as　of　a　different　species　of　being。　　。　　。　　。　　The　proprietor　gets　all　he

can　out　of　him；　in　any　event；　looking　upon　him　and　his　oxen　as

domestic　animals；　he　puts　them　into　harness　and　employs　them　in　all

weathers　for　every　kind　of　journey；　and　for　every　species　of　carting

and　transport。　　On　the　other　hand；　this　métayer　thinks　of　living　with

as　little　labor　as　possible；　converting　as　much　ground　as　he　can　into

pasturage；　for　the　reason　that　the　product　arising　from　the　increase

of　stock　costs　him　no　labor。　　The　little　plowing　he　does　is　for　the

purpose　of　raising　low…priced　provisions　suitable　for　his　own

nourishment；　such　as　buckwheat；　radishes；　etc。　　His　enjoyment　consists

only　of　his　own　idleness　and　sluggishness；　hoping　for　a　good　chestnut

year　and　doing　nothing　voluntarily　but　procreate；〃　unable　to　hire

farming　hands　he　begets　children。　　　…



　The　rest；　ordinary　laborers；　have　a　few　savings；　〃living　on　the

herbage；　and　on　a　few　goats　which　devour　everything。〃　Often　again；

these；　by　order　of　Parliament；　are　killed　by　the　game…keepers。　　A

woman；　with　two　children　in　swaddling　clothes；　having　no　milk；　〃and

without　an　inch　of　ground；〃　whose　two　goats；　her　sole　resource；　had

thus　been　slain；　and　another；　with　one　goat　slain　in　the　same　way；　and

who　begs　along　with　her　boy；　present　themselves　at　the　gate　of　the

chateau；　one　receives　twelve　livres；　while　the　other　is　admitted　as　a

domestic；　and　henceforth；　''　this　village　is　all　bows　and　smiling

faces。''　　…　　In　short；　they　are　not　accustomed　to　kindness；　the　lot　of

all　these　poor　people　is　to　endure。　　〃As　with　rain　and　hail；　they

regard　as　inevitable　the　necessity　of　being　oppressed　by　the

strongest；　the　richest；　the　most　skillful；　the　most　in　repute；〃　and

this　stamps　on　them；　〃if　one　may　be　allowed　to　say　so；　an　air　of

painful　suffering。〃



In　Auvergne；　a　feudal　country；　covered　with　extensive　ecclesiastic

and　seigniorial　domains；　the　misery　is　the　same。　　At　Clermont…

Ferrand；＇43＇　〃there　are　many　streets　that　can　for　blackness；　dirt　and

scents　only　be　represented　by　narrow　channels　cut　in　a　dunghill。〃　In

the　inns　of　the　largest　bourgs；　〃closeness；　misery；　dirtiness　and

darkness。〃　That　of　Pradelles　is　〃one　of　the　worst　in　France。〃　That　of

Aubenas；　says　Young；　〃would　be　a　purgatory　for　one　of　my　pigs。〃　The

senses；　in　short；　are　paralyzed。　　The　primitive　man　is　content　so　long

as　he　can　sleep　and　get　something　to　eat。　　He　gets　something　to　eat；

but　what　kind　of　food？　To　put　up　with　the　indigestible　mess　a　peasant

here　requires　a　still　tougher　stomach　than　in　Limousin；　in　certain

villages　where；　ten　years　later；　every　year　twenty　or　twenty…five　hogs

are　to　be　slaughtered；　they　now　slaughter　but　three＇44＇。　　…　On

contemplating　this　temperament；　rude　and　intact　since　Vercingetorix；

and；　moreover；　rendered　more　savage　by　suffering；　one　cannot　avoid

being　somewhat　alarmed。　　The　Marquis　de　Mirabeau　describes



〃the　votive　festival　of　Mont…Dore：　savages　descending　from　the

mountain　in　torrents；＇45＇　the　curate　with　stole　and　surplice；　the

justice　in　his　wig；　the　police　corps　with　sabers　drawn；　all　guarding

the　open　square　before　letting　the　bagpipers　play；　the　dance

interrupted　in　a　quarter　of　an　hour　by　a　fight；　the　hooting　and　cries

of　children；　of　the　feeble　and　other　spectators；　urging　them　on　as　the

rabble　urge　on　so　many　fighting　dogs；　frightful　looking　men；　or　rather

wild　beasts　covered　with　coats　of　coarse　wool；　wearing　wide　leather

belts　pierced　with　copper　nails；　gigantic　in　stature；　which　is

increased　by　high　wooden　shoes；　and　making　themselves　still　taller　by

standing　on　tiptoe　to　see　the　battle；　stamping　with　their　feet　as　it

progresses　and　rubbing　each　other's　flanks　with　their　elbows；　their

faces　haggard　and　covered　with　long　matted　hair；　the　upper　portion

pallid；　and　the　lower　distended；　indicative　of　cruel　delight　and　a

sort　of　ferocious　impatience。　　And　these　folks　pay　the　taille！　And　now

they　want　to　take　away　their　salt！　And　they　know　nothing　of　those　they

despoil；　of　those　whom　they　think　they　govern；　believing　that；　by　a

few　strokes　of　a　cowardly　and　careless　pen；　they　may　starve　them　with

impunity　up　to　the　final　catastrophe！　Poor　Jean…Jacques；　I　said　to

myself；　had　any　one　dispatched　you；　with　your　system；　to　copy　music

amongst　these　folks；　he　would　have　had　some　sharp　replies　to　make　to

your　discourses！〃



Prophetic　warning　and　admirable　foresight　in　one　whom　an　excess　of

evil　does　not　blind　to　the　evil　of　the　remedy！　Enlightened　by　his

feudal　and　rural　instincts；　the　old　man　at　once　judges　both　the

government　and　the　philosophers；　the　Ancient　Regime　and　the

Revolution。







IV。　　THE　PEASANT　BECOMES　LANDOWNER。



How　the　peasant　becomes　a　proprietor。　　…　He　is　no　better　off。　　…

Increase　of　taxes。　　…　He　is　the　〃mule〃　of　the　Ancient　Regime。



Misery　begets　bitterness　in　a　man；　but　ownership　coupled　with

misery　renders　him　still　more　bitter。　　He　may　have　submitted　to

indigence　but　not　to　spoliation　　…　　　which　is　the　situation　of　the

peasant　in　1789；　for；　during　the　eighteenth　century；　he　had　become　the

possessor　of　land。　　But　how　could　he　maintain　himself　in　such

destitution？　The　fact　is　almost　incredible；　but　it　is　nevertheless

true。　　We　can　only　explain　it　by　the　character　of　the　French　peasant；

by　his　sobriety；　his　tenacity；　his　rigor　with　himself；　his

dissimulation；　his　hereditary　passion　for　property　and　especially　for

that　of　the　soil。　　He　had　lived　on　privations；　and　economized　sou　after

sou。　　Every　year　a　few　pieces　of　silver　are　added　to　his　little　store

of　crowns　buried　in　the　most　secret　recess　of　his　cellar；　Rousseau's

peasant；　concealing　his　wine　and　bread　in　a　pit；　assuredly　had　a　yet

more　secret　hiding…place；　a　little　money　in　a　woollen　stocking　or　in　a

jug　escapes；　more　readily　than　elsewhere；　the　search　of　the　clerks。

Dressed　in　rags；　going　barefoot；　eating　nothing　but　coarse　black

bread；　but　cherishing　the　little　treasure　in　his　breast　on　which　he

builds　so　many　hopes；　he　watches　for　the　opportunity　which　never　fails

to　come。　　〃In　spite　of　privileges；〃　writes　a　gentleman　in　1755；＇46＇

〃the　nobles　are　daily　being　ruined　and　reduced；　the　Third…Estate

making　all　the　fortunes。〃　A　number　of　domains；　through　forced　or

voluntary　sales；　thus　pass　into　the　hands　of　financiers；　of　men　of　the

quill；　of　merchants；　and　of　the　well…to…do　bourgeois。　　Before

undergoing　this　total　dispossession；　however；　the　seignior；　involved

in　debt；　is　evidently　resigned　to　partial　alienation　of　his　property。

The　peasant　who　has　bribed　the　steward　is　at　hand　with　his　hoard。　　〃It

is　poor　property；　my　lord；　and　it　costs　you　more　than　you　get　from

it。〃　This　may　refer　to　an　isolated　patch；　one　end　of　a　field　or

meadow；　sometimes　a　farm　whose　farmer　pays　nothing；　and　generally

worked　by　a　métayer　whose　wants　and　indolence　make　him　an　annual

expense　to　his　master。　　The　latter　may　say　to　himself　that　the

alienated　parcel　is　not　lost；　since；　some　day　or　other；　through　his

right　of　repurchase；　he　may　take　it　back；　while；　in　the　meantime；　he

enjoys　a　cens；　drawbacks；　and　the　lord's　dues。　　Moreover；　there　is　on

his　domain　and　around　him；　extensive　open　spaces　which　the　decline　of

cultivation　and　depopulation　have　left　a　desert。　　To　restore　the　value

of　this　he　must　surrender　its　proprietorship。　　There　is　no　other　way　by

which　to　attach　man　permanently　to　the　soil。　　And　the　government　helps

him　along　in　this　matter。　　Obtaining　no　revenue　from　the　abandoned

soil；　it　assents　to　a　provisional　withdrawal　of　its　too　weighty　hand。

By　the　edict　of　1766；　a　piece　of　cleared　waste　land　remains　free　of

the　taille　for　fifteen　years；　and；　thereupon；　in　twenty…eight

provinces　400；000　arpents　are　cleared　in　three　years＇47＇。



This　is　the　mode　by　which　the　seigniorial　domain　gradually　crumbles

away　and　decreases。　　Towards　the　last；　in　many　places；　with　the

exception　of　the　chateau　and　the　small　adjoining　farm　which　brings　in

2　or　3000　francs　a　year；　nothing　is　left　to　the　seignior　but　his

feudal　dues；＇48＇　the　rest　of　the　soil　belongs　to　the　peasantry。

Forbonnais　already　remarks；　towards　1750；　that　many　of　the　nobles　and

of　the　ennobled　〃reduced　to　extreme　poverty　but　with　titles　to　immense

possessions；〃　have　sold　off　portions　to　small　cultivators　at　low

prices；　and　often　for　the　amount　of　the　taille。　　Towards　1760；　one…

quarter　of　the　soil　is　said　to　have　already　passed　into　the　hands　of

farmers。　　In　1772；　in　relation　to　the　vingtième；　which　is　levied　on　the

net　revenue　of　real　property；　the　intend