the origins of contemporary france-2-第86节

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his　claims；　they　oblige　him；　moreover；　to　sign　notes　for　the　benefit

of　the　parish；　or　for　that　of　various　private　individuals。　　This　is

considered　by　them　to　be　compensation　for　damages；　all　feudal　dues

being　abolished；　he　must　return　what　he　received　from　them　during

the　past　year；　and　as　they　have　been　put　to　inconvenience　he　must

indemnify　them　by　〃paying　them　for　their　time　and　journey。〃　Such　are

the　operations　of　two　of　the　principal　bands；　one　of　them　numbering

fifteen　hundred　men；　around　Dinan　and　St。　　Malo；　for　greater

security　they　burn　title…deeds　in　the　chateaux　of　Saint…Tual；　Besso；

Beaumanoir；　La　Rivière；　La　Bellière；　Chateauneuf；　Chenay；

Chausavoir；　Tourdelon；　and　Chalonge；　and　as　a　climax　they　set　fire

to　Chateauneuf　just　before　the　arrival　of　the　regular　troops。　　…　　In

the　beginning；　a　dim　conception　of　legal　and　social　order　seems　to

be　floating　in　their　brains；　at　Saint…Tual；　before　taking　2；000

livres　from　the　steward；　they　oblige　the　mayor　to　give　them　his

consent　in　writing；　at　Yvignac；　their　chief；　called　upon　to　show　the

authority　under　which　he　acted；　declares　that　〃he　is　authorized　by

the　general　will　of　the　populace　of　the　nation。〃＇70＇　…　But　when；　at

the　end　of　a　month；　they　are　beaten　by　the　regular　troops；　made

furious　by　the　blows　given　and　taken；　and　excited　by　the　weakness　of

the　municipal　authorities　who　release　their　prisoners；　they　then

become　bandits　of　the　worst　species。　　During　the　night　of　the　22nd

of　February；　the　chateau　of　Villefranche；　three　leagues　from

Malestroit；　is　attacked。　　Thirty…two　rascals　with　their　faces

masked；　and　led　by　a　chief　in　the　national　uniform；　break　open　the

door。　　The　domestics　are　strangled。　　The　proprietor；　M。　de　la

Bourdonnaie；　an　old　man；　with　his　wife　aged　sixty；　are　half　killed

by　blows　and　tied　fast　to　their　bed；　and　after　this　a　fire　is

applied　to　their　feet　and　they　are　warmed　（chauffé）。　　In　the

meantime　the　plate；　linen；　stuffs；　jewelry；　two　thousand　francs　in

silver；　and　even　watches；　buckles；　and　rings；　　…　　everything　is

pillaged；　piled　on　the　backs　of　the　eleven　horses　in　the　stables；

and　carried　off。　　…　　？When　property　is　concerned；　one　sort　of

outrage　provokes　another；　the　narrow　cupidity　of　the　lease…holder

being　completed　by　the　unlimited　rapacity　of　the　brigand。



Meanwhile；　in　the　south…western　provinces；　the　same　causes　have

produced　the　same　results；　and　towards　the　end　of　autumn；　when　the

crops　are　gathered　in　and　the　proprietors　demand　their　dues　in　money

or　in　produce；　the　peasant；　immovably　fixed　in　his　idea；　again

refuses。＇71＇　In　his　eyes；　any　law　that　may　be　against　him　is　not

that　of　the　National　Assembly；　but　of　the　so…called　seigneurs；　who

have　extorted　or　manufactured　it；　and　therefore　it　is　null。　　The

department　and　district　administrators　may　promulgate　it　as　much　as

they　please：　it　does　not　concern　him；　and　if　the　opportunity　occurs；

he　knows　how　to　make　them　smart　for　it。　　The　village　National

Guards；　who　are　lease…holders　like　himself；　side　with　him；　and

instead　of　repressing　him　give　him　their　support。　　As　a

commencement；　he　replants　the　maypoles；　as　a　sign　of　emancipation；

and　erects　the　gibbet　by　way　of　a　threat。　　…　　In　the　district　of

Gourdon；　the　regulars　and　the　police　having　been　sent　to　put　them

down；　the　tocsin　is　at　once　sounded：　a　crowd　of　peasants；　amounting

to　four　or　five　thousand；　arrives　from　every　surrounding　parish；

armed　with　scythes　and　guns；　the　soldiers；　forming　a　body　of　one

hundred；　retire　into　a　church；　where　they　capitulate　after　a　siege

of　twenty…four　hours；　being　obliged　to　give　the　names　of　the

proprietors　who　demanded　their　intervention　of　the　district；　and　who

are　Messrs。　　Hébray；　de　Fontange；　and　many　others。　　All　their　houses

are　destroyed　from　top　to　bottom；　and　they　effect　their　escape　in

order　not　to　be　hung。　　The　chateaux　of　Repaire　and　Salviat　are

burned。　　At　the　expiration　of　eight　days　Quercy　is　in　flames　and

thirty　chateaux　are　destroyed。　　…　　The　leader　of　a　band　of　rustic

National　Guards；　Joseph　Linard；　at　the　head　of　a　village　army；

penetrates　into　Gourdon；　installs　himself　in　the　H？tel…de…Ville；

declares　himself　the　people's　protector　against　the　directory　of　the

district；　writes　to　the　department　in　the　name　of　his　〃companions　in

arms；〃　and　vaunts　his　patriotism。　　Meanwhile　he　commands　as　a

conqueror；　throws　open　the　prisons；　and　promises　that；　if　the

regular　troops　and　police　be　sent　off；　he　and　his　companions　will

withdraw　in　good　order。　　…　　This　species　of　tumultuous　authority；

however；　instituted　by　acclamation　for　attack；　is　powerless　for

resistance。　　Scarcely　has　Linard　retired　when　savagery　is　let　loose。

〃A　price　is　set　upon　the　heads　of　the　administrators；　their　houses

are　the　first　devastated；　all　the　houses　of　wealthy　citizens　are

pillaged；　and　the　same　is　the　case　with　all　chateaux　and　country

habitations　which　display　any　signs　of　luxury。〃　　…　　Fifteen

gentlemen；　assembled　together　at　the　house　of　M。　d'Escayrac；　in

Castel；　appeal　to　all　good　citizens　to　march　to　the　assistance　of

the　proprietors　who　may　be　attacked　in　this　jacquerie；　which　is

spreading　everywhere；＇72＇　but　there　are　too　few　proprietors　in　the

country；　and　none　of　the　towns　have　too　many　of　them　for　their　own

protection。　　M。　d'Escayrac；　after　a　few　skirmishes；　abandoned　by　the

municipal　officers　of　his　village；　and　wounded；　withdraws　to　the

house　of　the　Comte　de　Clarac；　a　major…general；　in　Languedoc。　　Here；

too；　the　chateau；　is　surrounded；＇73＇　blockaded；　and　besieged　by　the

local　National　Guard。　　M。　de　Clarac　descends　and　tries　to　hold　a

parley　with　the　attacking　party；　and　is　fired　upon。　　He　goes　back

inside　and　throws　money　out　of　the　window；　the　money　is　gathered　up；

and　he　is　again　fired　upon。　　The　chateau　is　set　on　fire；　and　M。

d'Escayrac　receives　five　shots；　and　is　killed。　　M。　de　Clarac；　with

another　person；　having　taken　refuge　in　a　subterranean　vault；　are

taken　out　almost　stifled　the　next　morning　but　one　by　the　National

Guard　of　the　vicinity；　who　conduct　them　to　Toulouse；　where　they　are

kept　in　prison　and　where　the　public　prosecutor　takes　proceedings

against　them。　　The　chateau　of　Bagat；　near　Montcuq；　is　demolished　at

the　same　time。　　The　abbey　of　Espagnac；　near　Figeac；　is　assaulted

with　fire…arms；　the　abbess　is　forced　to　refund　all　rents　she　has

collected；　and　to　restore　four　thousand　livres　for　the　expenses　of　a

trial　which　the　convent　had　gained　twenty　years　before。



After　such　successes；　the　extension　of　the　revolt　is　inevitable；　and

at　the　end　of　some　weeks　and　months　it　becomes　permanent　in　the

three　neighboring　departments。　　…　　In　Creuse；＇74＇　the　judges　are

threatened　with　death　if　they　order　the　payment　of　seignorial　dues；

and　the　same　fate　awaits　all　proprietors　who　claim　their　rents。　　In

many　places；　and　especially　in　the　mountains；　the　peasants；

〃considering　that　they　form　the　nation；　and　that　clerical

possessions　are　national；〃　want　to　have　these　divided　amongst

themselves；　instead　of　their　being　sold。　　Fifty　parishes　around　La

Souterraine　receive　incendiary　letters　inviting　them　to　come　in　arms

to　the　town；　in　order　to　secure　by　force；　and　by　staking　their

lives；　the　production　of　all　titles　to　rentals。　　The　peasants；　in　a

circle　of　eight　leagues；　are　all　stirred　up　by　the　sound　of　the

tocsin；　and　preceded　by　the　municipal　officers　in　their　scarves；

there　are　four　thousand　of　them；　and　they　drag　with　them　a　wagon

full　of　arms：　this　is　for　the　revision　and　re…constitution　of　the

ownership　of　the　soil。　　…　　In　Dordogne；＇75＇　self…appointed

arbitrators　interpose　imperiously　between　the　proprietor　and　the

small　farmer；　at　the　time　of　harvest；　to　prevent　the　proprietor　from

claiming；　and　the　farmer　from　paying；　the　tithes　or　the　réve；＇76＇

any　agreement　to　this　end　is　forbidden；　whoever　shall　transgress　the

new　order　of　things；　proprietor　or　farmer；　shall　be　hung。

Accordingly；　the　rural　militia　in　the　districts　of　Bergerac；

Excideuil；　Ribérac；　Mucidan；　Montignac；　and　Perigueux；　led　by　the

municipal　officers；　go　from　commune　to　commune　in　order　to　force　the

proprietors　to　sign　an　act　of　withdrawal；　and　these　visits　〃are

always　accompanied　with　robberies；　outrages；　and　ill…treatment　from

which　there　is　no　escape　but　in　absolute　submission。〃　Moreover；

〃they　demand　the　abolition　of　every　species　of　tax　and　the　partition

of　the　soil。　　〃　　…　　It　is　impossible　for　〃proprietors　moderately

rich　〃　to　remain　in　the　country；　on　all　sides　they　take　refuge　in

Perigueux；　and　there；　organizing　in　companies；　along　with　the

gendarmerie　and　the　National　Guard　of　the　town；　overrun　the　cantons

to　restore　order。　　But　there　is　no　way　of　persuading　the　peasantry

that　it　is　order　which　they　wish　to　restore。　　With　that　stubbornness

of　the　imagination　which　no　obstacle　arrests；　and　which；　like　a

vigorous　spring；　always　finds　some　outlet；　the　people　declare　that

〃the　gendarmes　and　National　Guard〃　who　come　to　restrain　them　〃are