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hair; strike them with the but…ends of their muskets; and lead them

back to Caen fastened to the breach of the cannon; and all this

because a nonjuring priest still officiated at Verson; and many

pious persons from Caen attended his mass: Verson; consequently; is

a focal center of counter…revolutionary gatherings。  Moreover; in

the houses which were broken into; the furniture was smashed; casks

stove in; and the linen; money; and plate stolen; the rabble of Caen

having joined the expedition。  …  Here; and everywhere; there is

nothing to do but to let this rabble have its own way; and as it

operates against the possessions; the liberty; the life; and the

sense of propriety of dangerous persons; the National Militia is

careful not to interfere with it。  Consequently; the orthodox; both

priests and believers; men and women; are now at its mercy; and;

thanks to the connivance of the armed force; which refuses to

interpose; the rabble satisfy on the proscribed class its customary

instincts of cruelty; pillage; wantonness; and destructiveness。



Whether public or private; the order of the day is always to hinder

worship; while the means employed are worthy of those who carry them

out。  …  Here; a nonjuring priest having had the boldness to

minister to a sick person; the house which he has just entered is

taken by assault; and the door and windows of a house occupied by

another priest are smashed。'57'  There; the lodgings of two workmen;

who are accused of having had their infants baptized by a refractory

priest; are sacked and nearly demolished。  Elsewhere; a mob refuses

to allow the body of an old curé; who had died without taking the

oath; to enter the cemetery。  Farther on; a church is assaulted

during vespers; and everything is broken to pieces: on the following

day it is the turn of a neighboring church; and; in addition; a

convent of Ursuline nuns is devastated。  …  At Lyons; on Easter…day;

1791; as the people are leaving the six o'clock mass; a troop; armed

with whips; falls upon the women。'58' Stripped; bruised; prostrated;

with their heads in the dirt; they are not left until they are

bleeding and half…dead; one young girl is actually at the point of

death; and this sort of outrage occurs so frequently that even

ladies attending the orthodox mass in Paris dare not go out without

sewing up their garments around them in the shape of drawers。  …

Naturally; to make the most of the prey offered to them; hunting

associations are formed。  These exist in Montpellier; Arles; Uzès;

Alais; N?mes; Carpentras; and in most of the towns or burgs of Gard;

Vaucluse; and l'Hérault; in greater or less number according to the

population of the city: some counting from ten to twelve; and others

from two to three hundred determined men; of every description:

among them are found 〃strike…hards〃 (tape…dur); former brigands; and

escaped convicts with the brand still on their backs。  Some of them

oblige their members to wear a medal as a visible mark of

recognition; all assume the title of executive power; and declare

that they act of their own authority; and that it is necessary to

〃quicken the law。〃'59'  Their pretext is the protection of sworn

priests; and for twenty months; beginning with April; 1791; they

operate to this effect with heavy knotted dubs garnished with iron

points;〃 without counting sabers and bayonets。  Generally; their

expeditions are nocturnal。  Suddenly; the houses of 〃citizens

suspected of a want of patriotism;〃 of nonjuring ecclesiastics; of

the monks of the Christian school; are invaded; everything is broken

or stolen; and the owner is ordered to leave the place in twenty…

four hours: sometimes; doubtless through an excess of precaution; he

is beaten to death on the spot。  Besides this; the band also works

by day in the streets; lashes the women; enters the churches saber

in hand; and drives the nonjuring priest from the altar。  All of

this is done with the connivance and in the sight of the paralyzed

or complaisant authorities; by a sort of occult and complementary

government; which not only supplies what is missing in the

ecclesiastical law; but also searches the pockets of private

individuals。  …  At N?mes; under the leadership of a patriotic

dancing…master; not content with 〃decreeing proscriptions; killing;

scourging; and often murdering;〃 these new champions of the Gallican

Church undertake to reanimate the zeal of those liable to

contribution。  A subscription having been proposed for the support

of the families of the volunteers about to depart; the executive

power takes upon itself to revise the list of offerings: it

arbitrarily taxes those who have not given; or who; in its opinion;

have given too little some 〃poor workmen fifty livres; others two

hundred; three hundred; nine hundred; and a thousand; under penalty

of wrecked houses and severe treatment。〃 Elsewhere; the volunteers

of Baux and other communes near Tarascon help themselves freely;

and; 〃under the pretext that they are to march for the defense of

the country; levy enormous contributions on proprietors;〃 on one

four thousand; and on another five thousand livres。  In default of

payment; they carry away all the grain on one farm; even to the

reserve seed; threatening to make havoc with everything; and even to

burn; in case of complaint; so that the owners dare not say a word;

while the attorney…general of the neighboring department; afraid on

his own account; begs that his denunciation may be kept secret。  …

》From the slums of the towns the jacquerie has spread into the rural

districts。  This is the sixth and the most extensive seen for three

years。'60'



Two spurs impel the peasant on。  …  On the one hand he is frightened

by the clash of arms; and the repeated announcements of an

approaching invasion。  The clubs and the newspapers since the

declaration of Pilnitz; and the Orators in the Legislative Assembly

for four months past; have kept him alarmed with their trumpet…

blasts; and he urges on his oxen in the furrow with cries of 〃Woa;

Prussia!〃 to one; and to the other; 〃Gee up; Austria!〃 Austria and

Prussia; foreign kings and nobles in league with the emigrant

nobles; are going to return in force to re…establish the salt…tax;

the excise; feudal…dues; tithes; and to retake national property

already sold and re…sold; with the aid of the gentry who have not

left; or who have returned; and the connivance of non…juring priests

who declare the sale sacrilegious and refuse to absolve the

purchasers。  …  On the other hand; Holy Week is drawing near; and

for the past year qualms of conscience have disturbed the

purchasers。  Up to March 24; 1791; the sales of national property

had amounted to only 180 millions; but; the Assembly having

prolonged the date of payment and facilitated further sales in

detail; the temptation proves too strong for the peasant; stockings

and buried pots are all emptied of their savings。  In seven months

the peasant has bought to the amount of 1;346 millions;'61' and

finally possesses in full and complete ownership the morsel of land

which he has coveted for so many years; and sometimes an unexpected

plot; a wood; a mill; or a meadow。  At the present time he has to

settle accounts with the church; and; if the pecuniary settlement is

postponed; the Catholic settlement comes on the appointed day。

According to immemorial tradition he is obliged to take the

communion at Easter;'62' his wife also; and likewise his mother; and

if he; exceptionally; does not think this of consequence; they do。

Moreover; he requires the sacraments for his old sick father; his

new…born child; and for his other child of an age to be confirmed。

Now; communion; baptism; confession; all the sacraments; to be of

good quality; must proceed from a safe source; just as is the case

with flour and coin; there is only too much counterfeit money now in

the world; and the sworn priests are daily losing credit; like the

assignats。  There is no other course to pursue; consequently; but to

resort to the non…juror; who is the only one able to give valid

absolutions。  And it so happens that he not only refuses this; but

be is said to be inimical to the whole new order of things。  …  In

this dilemma the peasant falls back upon his usual resource; the

strength of his arms; he seizes the priest by the throat; as

formerly his lord; and extorts an acquittance for his sins as

formerly for his feudal dues。  At the very least he strives to

constrain the non…jurors to swear; to close their separatist

churches; and bring the entire canton to the same uniform faith。  …

Occasionally also he avenges himself against the partisans of the

non…jurors; against chateaux and houses of the opulent; against the

nobles and the rich; against proprietors of every class。

Occasionally; likewise; as; since the amnesty of September; 1791;

the prisons have been emptied; as one…half of the courts are not yet

insta

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