the origins of contemporary france-2-第94节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



place　in　it　a　guard　of　sixty　men：　on　the　following　day　the

〃district〃　and　the　National　Guard　of　Villefranche　are　to　come　and

inspect　it。　　…　　Be　it　noted　that　these　orders　are　imaginary；　for　M。

de　Chaponay　asks　in　vain　to　see　them；　they　cannot　be　produced。　　The

cause　of　their　setting　out；　probably；　is　the　false　rumor　that　the

National　Guard　of　Villefranche　is　coming　to　deprive　them　of　a　booty

on　which　they　had　calculated。　　…　　Nevertheless　M。　de　Chaponay

submits；　he　merely　requests　the　municipal　officers　to　make　the

search　themselves　and　in　an　orderly　manner。　　Upon　this　the

commandant　of　the　National　Guard　of　Lucenay　exclaims；　with　some

irritation；　that　〃all　are　equal　and　all　must　go　in；〃　and　at　the　same

moment　all　rush　forward。　　〃M。　de　Chaponay　orders　the　apartments　to

be　opened；　they　immediately　shut　them　up；　purposely　to　let　the

sappers　break　through　the　doors　with　their　axes。〃　　…　　Everything　is

pillaged；　〃plate；　assignats；　stocks　of　linen；　laces　and　other

articles；　the　trees　of　the　avenues　are　hacked　and　mutilated；　the

cellars　are　emptied；　the　casks　are　rolled　out　on　the　terrace；　the

wine　is　suffered　to　run　out；　and　the　chateau　keep　is　demolished。　　。

。　　。　　The　officers　urge　on　those　that　are　laggard。〃　Towards　nine

o'clock　in　the　evening　M。　de　Chaponay　is　informed　by　his　servants

that　the　municipal　authorities　have　determined　upon　forcing　him　to

sign　an　abandonment　of　his　feudal　dues　and　afterwards　beheading　him。

He　escapes　with　his　wife　through　the　only　door　which　is　left

unguarded；　wanders　about　all　night；　exposed　to　the　gun…shots　of　the

squads　which　are　on　his　track；　and　reaches　Lyons　only　on　the

following　day。　　…　　？Meanwhile　the　pillagers　send　him　notice　that　if

he　does　not　abandon　his　rentals；　they　will　cut　down　his　forests　and

burn　up　everything　on　his　estate。　　The　chateau；　indeed；　is　fired

three　distinct　times；　while；　in　the　interval；　the　band　sack　another

chateau　at　Bayère；　and；　on　again　passing　by　that　of　M。　de　Chaponay；

demolish　a　dam　which　had　cost　10；000　livres。　　…　　The　public

prosecutor；　for　his　part；　remains　quiet；　notwithstanding　the　appeals

to　him：　he　doubtless　says　to　himself　that　a　gentleman　whose　house

has　been　searched　is　lucky　to　have　saved　his　life；　and　that　others；

like　M。　Guillin…Dumoutet；　for　example；　have　not　been　as　fortunate。



The　latter　gentleman；　formerly　captain　of　a　vessel　belonging　to　the

India　Company；　afterwards　Commandant　at　Senegal；　now　retired　from

active　life；　occupied　his　chateau　of　Poleymieux　with　his　young　wife

and　two　infant　children；　his　sisters；　nieces；　and　sister…in…law　　…

in　all；　ten　women　belonging　to　his　family　and　domestic　service　　…

one　Negro　servant　and　himself；　an　old　man　of　sixty　years　of　age；

here　is　a　haunt　of　militant　conspirators　which　must　be　disarmed　as

soon　as　possible。＇15＇　　Unfortunately；　a　brother　of　M。　Guillin；

accused　of　treason　to　the　nation；　had　been　arrested　ten　months

previously；　which　was　quite　sufficient　for　the　clubs　in　the

neighborhood。　　In　the　month　of　December；　1790；　the　chateau　had

already　been　ransacked　by　the　people　of　the　parishes　in　the

vicinity：　nothing　was　found；　and　the　Department　first　censured　and

afterwards　interdicted　these　arbitrary　searches。　　On　this　occasion

they　will　manage　things　better。　　…　　On　the　26th　of　June；　1791；　at

ten　o'clock　in　the　morning；　the　municipal　body　of　Poleymicux；　along

with　two　other　bodies　in　their　scarves；　and　three　hundred　National

Guards；　are　seen　approaching；　under　the　usual　pretext　of　searching

for　arms。　　Madame　Guillin　presents　herself；　reminds　them　of　the

interdict　of　the　Department；　and　demands　the　legal　order　under　which


they　act。　　They　refuse　to　give　it。　　M。　Guillin　descends　in　his　turn

and　offers　to　open　his　doors　to　them　if　they　will　produce　the　order。

They　have　no　order　to　show　him。　During　the　colloquy　a　certain　man

named　Rosier；　a　former　soldier　who　had　deserted　twice；　and　who　is

now　in　command　of　the　National　Guard；　seizes　M。　Guillin　by　the

throat；　the　old　captain　defends　himself；　presents　a　pistol　at　the

man；　which　misses　fire；　and　then；　throwing　the　fellow　off；　withdraws

into　the　house；　closing　the　door　behind　him。　…　　Soon　after　this；　the

tocsin　sounds　in　the　neighborhood；　thirty　parishes　start　up；　and　two

thousand　men　arrive。　　Madame　Guillin；　by　entreaties；　succeeds　in

having　delegates　appointed；　chosen　by　the　crowd；　to　inspect　the

chateau。　　These　delegates　examine　the　apartments；　and　declare　that

they　can　find　nothing　but　the　arms　ordinarily　kept　on　hand。　　This

declaration　is　of　no　effect：　the　multitude；　whose　excitement　is

increased　by　waiting；　feel　their　strength；　and　have　no　idea　of

returning　empty…handed。　　A　volley　is　fired；　and　the　chateau　windows

are　riddled　with　balls。　　As　a　last　effort　Madame　Guillin；　with　her

two　children　in　her　arms；　comes　out；　and　going　to　the　municipal

officers；　calls　upon　them　to　do　their　duty。　　Far　from　doing　this

they　retain　her　as　a　hostage；　and　place　her　in　such　a　position　that；

if　there　is　firing　from　the　chateau；　she　may　receive　the　bullets。

Meanwhile；　the　doors　are　forced；　the　house　is　pillaged　from　top　to

bottom；　and　then　set　on　fire；　M。　Guillin；　who　seeks　refuge　in　the

keep；　is　almost　reached　by　the　flames。　　At　this　moment；　some　of　the

assailants；　less　ferocious　than　the　rest；　prevail　upon　him　to

descend；　and　they　answer　for　his　life。　　Scarcely　has　he　shown

himself　when　others　fall　on　him；　they　cry　that　he　must　be　killed；

that　he　has　a　life…rent　of　36；000　francs　from　the　State；　and　〃this

will　be　so　much　saved　for　the　nation。〃　〃He　is　hacked　to　pieces

alive；〃　his　head　is　cut　off　and　borne　upon　a　pike；　his　body　is　cut

up；　and　sent　piece　by　piece　to　each　parish；　several　wash　their　hands

in　his　blood；　and　besmear　their　faces　with　it。　　It　seems　as　if

tumult；　clamor；　incendiarism；　robbery；　and　murder　had　aroused　in

them　not　only　the　cruel　instincts　of　the　savage；　but　the　carnivorous

appetites　of　the　brute；　some　of　them；　seized　by　the　gendarmerie　at

Chasselay；　had　roasted　the　dead　man's　arm　and　dined　upon　it。＇16＇　　…

Madame　Guillin；　who　is　saved　through　the　compassion　of　two　of　the

inhabitants　of　the　place；　succeeds；　after　encountering　many　dangers；

in　reaching　Lyons；　she　and　her　children　lost　everything；　〃the

chateau；　its　dependencies；　the　crop　of　the　preceding　year；　wine；

grain；　furniture；　plate；　ready　money；　assignats；　notes；　and

contracts。〃　Ten　days　later；　the　department　gives　notice　to　the

National　Assembly　that　〃similar　projects　are　still　being　plotted　and

arranged；　and　that　there　are　（always）　threats　of　burning　chateaux

and　rent…rolls；〃　that　no　doubt　of　this　can　possibly　exist：　〃the

inhabitants　of　the　country　only　await　the　opportunity；　to　renew

these　scenes　of　horror。〃＇17＇



IV。



The　nobles　obliged　to　leave　the　rural　districts。　　…　　　They　take

refuge　in　towns。　　…　　The　dangers　they　incur。　　…　　The　eighty…two

gentlemen　of　Caen



Amidst　these　multiplied　and　reviving　Jacqueries　there　is　nothing

left　but　flight；　and　the　nobles；　driven　out　of　the　rural　districts；

seek　refuge　in　the　towns。　　But　here　also　a　jacquerie　awaits　them。　As

the　effects　of　the　Constitution　are　developed；　successive

administrations　become　feebler　and　more　partial；　the　unbridled

populace　has　become　more　excitable　and　more　violent；　the　enthroned

club　has　become　more　suspicious　and　more　despotic。　　Henceforth　the

club；　through　or　in　opposition　to　the　administrative　bodies；　leads

the　populace；　and　the　nobles　will　find　it　as　hostile　as　the

peasants。　　All　their　reunions；　even　when　liberal；　are　closed　like

that　in　Paris；　through　the　illegal　interference　of　mobs；　or　through

the　iniquitous　action　of　the　popular　magistrates。　　All　their

associations；　even　when　legal　and　salutary；　are　broken　up　by　brute

force　or　by　municipal　intolerance；　They　are　punished　for　having

thought　of　defending　themselves；　and　slaughtered　because　they　try　to

avoid　assassination。　　…　　Three　or　four　hundred　gentlemen；　who　were

threatened　on　their　estates；　sought　refuge　with　their　families　in

Caen；＇18＇　and　they　trusted　to　find　one　there；　for；　by　three

different　resolutions；　the　municipal　body　promised　them　aid　and

protection。　　Unfortunately；　the　club　thinks　otherwise；　and；　on

August　23；　1791；　prints　and　posts　up　a　list　of　their　names　and

residences；　declaring　that　since　〃their　suspected　opinions　have

compelled　them　to　abandon　the　rural　districts；〃　they　are　emigrants

in　the　interior；〃　from　which　it　follows　that　〃their　conduct　must　be

scrupulously　watched；〃　because　〃it　may　be　the　effect　of　some

dangerous　plot　against　the　country。〃　Fifteen　are　especially

designated；　among　others　〃the　former　curé　of　Saint…Loup；　the　great

bloodhound　of　the　aristocrats；　and　all　of　them　very　suspicious

persons；　harboring　the　worst　intentions。〃　　…　　Thus　denounced　and

singled　out；　it　is　evident　that　they　can　no　longer　sleep　peacefully：

moreover；　now　that　their　addresses　are　published；　they　are　openly

threatened　with　domiciliary　visits　and　violence。　　As　to