the origins of contemporary france-4-第91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！



with　everything　of　the　finest；　and；　in　this　state；　they　gathered　in

the　tribunal　and　condemned　the　accused　to　death。〃　…　Free　living　and

〃extravagant　expenditure〃　were　common　even　〃among　the　employees　of　the

government。〃　〃I　encountered；〃　says　Meissner；　〃government　carters

served　with　chickens；　pastry　and　game；　whilst　at　the　traveler's　table

there　was　simply　an　old　leg　of　mutton　and　a　few　poor　side…dishes。〃

（〃Voyage　en　France；〃　toward　the　end　of　1795；　p。371。）



＇109＇　Some　of　them；　nevertheless；　are　not　ugly；　but　merely　sots。　　The

following　is　a　specimen。　　A　certain　Velu；　a　born　vagabond；　formerly　in

the　alms…house　and　brought　up　there；　then　a　shoemaker　or　a　cobbler；

afterwards　teaching　school　in　the　faubourg　de　Vienne；　and　at　last　a

haranguer　and　proposer　of　tyrannicide　motions；　short；　stout　and　as

rubicund　as　his　cap；　is　made　President　of　the　Popular　club　at　Blois；

then　delegate　for　domiciliary　visits；　and；　throughout　the　reign　of

Terror；　he　is　a　principal　personage　in　the　town；　district　and

department。　　（Dufort　de　Cheverney；　〃Mémoires；〃　（MS。）　March　21；　1793

and　June；　1793。）　In　June；　1793；　this　Velu　is　ordered　to　visit　the

chateau　de　Cheverney；　to　verify　the　surrender　of　all　feudal　documents。

He　arrives　unexpectedly；　meets　the　steward；　Bambinet；　enters　the

mayor's　house；　who　keeps　an　inn；　and　drinks　copiously；　which　gives

Bambinet　time　to　warn　M。　Dufort　de　Cheverney　and　have　the　suspicious

registers　concealed。　　…　This　done；　〃Velu　is　obliged　to　leave　his

bottle　and　march　to　the　chateau。　　…　He　assumed　haughtiness　and　aimed

at　familiarity；　he　would　put　his　hand　on　his　breast　and；　taking　yours；

address　you：　〃Good　day；　brother。〃　…　He　came　there　at　nine　o'clock　in

the　morning；　advanced；　took　my　hand　and　said：　〃Good…day；　brother；　how

are　you？〃　〃Very　well；　citizen；　and　how　are　you？〃　〃You　do　not　tutoyer　…

you　are　not　up　to　the　Revolution？　〃We'll　see　…　will　you　step　in　the

parlor？〃　〃Yes；　brother；　I'll　follow　you。〃　…　We　enter；　he　sees　my　wife

who；　I　may　say；　has　an　imposing　air。　　He　boldly　embraces　her　and；

repeating　his　gesture　on　the　breast；　takes　her　hand　and　says：　〃Good…

day；　sister。〃　〃Come；〃　I　interpose；　〃let　us　take　breakfast；　and；　if　you

please；　you　shall　dine　with　me。〃　〃Yes；　but　on　one　condition；　that　tu

me　tutoie。〃　〃I　will　try；　but　I　am　not　in　the　habit　of　it。〃　After

warming　up　his　intellect　and　heart　with　a　bottle　of　wine；　we　get　rid

of　him　by　sending　him　to　inspect　the　archives…room；　along　with　my　son

and　Bambinet。　　It　is　amusing；　for　he　can　only　read　print。　　。　　。

Bambinet；　and　the　procureur；　read　the　titles　aloud；　and　pass　over　the

feudalisms。　　Velu　does　not　notice　this　and　always　tells　them　to　go　on。

…　After　an　hour；　tired　out；　he　comes　back：　〃All　right；〃　he　says；　〃now

let　me　see　your　chateau；　which　is　a　fine　one。〃　He　had　heard　about　a

room　where　there　were　fantocini；　in　the　attic。　　He　goes　up；　opens　some

play…books；　and；　seeing　on　the　lists　of　characters　the　name　of　King

and　Prince；　he；　says　to　me：　〃You　must　scratch　those　out；　and　play　only

republican　pieces。〃　The　descent　is　by　a　back…stairs。　　On　the　way　down

he　encounters　a　maid　of　my　wife's；　who　is　very　pretty；　he　stops　and；

regarding　my　son；　says：　〃You　must　as　a　good　Republican；　sleep　with

that　girl　and　marry　her。〃　I　look　at　him　and　reply：　〃　Monsieur　Velu；

listen；　we　are　well　behaved　here；　and　such　language　cannot　be　allowed。

You　must　respect　the　young　people　in　my　house。〃　A　little　disconcerted；

he　tames　down　and　is　quite　deferential　to　Madame　de　Cheverney。　　…　〃You

have　pen　and　ink　on　your　table；〃　he　says；　〃bring　them　here。〃　〃What

for；〃　I　ask；　〃to　take　my　inventory？〃　〃No；　but　I　must　make　a　procès…

verbal。　　You　help　me；　it　will　be　better　for　you；　as　you　can　fix　it　to

suit　you〃　This　was　not　badly　done；　to　conceal　his　want　of　knowledge。

…　We　go　in　to　dinner。　　My　servants　waited　on　the　table；　I　had　not

yielded　to　the　system　of　a　general　table　for　all　of　us；　which　would

not　have　pleased　my　servants　any　more　than　myself。　　Curiosity　led　them

all　to　come　in　and　see　us　dining　together。　　…　〃Brother；〃　says　Velu　to

me；　〃don't　these　people　eat　with　you？〃　（He　saw　the　table　set　for　only

four　persons。）　I　reply：　〃　Brother；　that　would　not　be　any　more

agreeable　to　them　than　to　myself。　　Ask　them。〃　…　He　ate　little；　drank

like　an　ogre；　and　was　talkative　about　his　amours；　getting　carried　away

he　got　so　close　to　being　naughty　that　he　upset　my　wife；　without

actually　going　to　far。　　Apropos　of　the　Revolution；　and　the　danger　we

incurred；　he　said　innocently：　〃Don't　I　run　as　much　risk　as　anybody？　It

is　my　opinion　that；　in　three　months；　I　shall　have　my　head　off！　But　we

must　all　take　our　chance！〃　…　Now　and　then；　he　indulged　in　sans…

culottisms。　　He　seized　the　servant's　hand；　who　changed　his　plate　：

〃Brother；　I　beg　you　to　take　my　place；　and　let　me　wait　on　you　in　my

turn　〃　…　He　drank　the　cordials；　and　finally　left；　pleased　with　his

reception。　　…　Returning　to　the　inn；　he　stays　until　nine　o'clock　at

night　and　stuffs　himself；　but　is　not　intoxicated。　　One　bottle　had　no

effect　on　him；　he　could　empty　a　cask　and　show　no　signs　of　it。



＇110＇　Moniteur；　XXII。；　425。　　（Session　of　Brumaire　13；　year　III。）

Cambon；　in　relation　to　the　revolutionary　committees；　says：　〃I　would

observe　to　the　Assembly　that　they　were　never　paid。〃　A　member　replies：

〃They　took　their　pay　themselves。〃　（〃Yes；　yes。〃　…　Applause。）



＇111＇　Moniteu；　XXII。；　711。　　（Report　by　Cambon；　Frimaire　6；　year　III。）

…　Cambon　stated；　indeed；　Frimaire　26；　year　II。；　（Moniteur；　XVIII。；

680）；　concerning　these　taxes　　〃Not　one　word；　not　one　sou　has　yet

reached　the　Treasury；　they　want　to　override　the　Convention　which　made

the　Revolution。〃



＇112＇　Ibid。；　720。　　〃The　balances　reported；　of　which　the　largest

portion　is　already　paid　into　the　vaults　of　the　National　Treasury；

amount　to　twenty　millions　one　hundred　and　sixty…six　thousand　three

hundred　and　thirty　livres。〃　…　At　Paris；　Marseilles；　and　Bordeaux；　in

the3　large　towns　where　tens　of　millions　were　raised　in　three…quarters

of　the　districts；　Cambon；　three　months　after　Thermidor；　could　not　yet

obtain；　I　will　not　say　the　returns；　but　a　statement　of　the　sums

raised。　　The　national　agents　either　did　not　reply　to　him；　or　did　it

vaguely；　or　stated　that　in　their　districts　there　was　neither　civic

donation　nor　revolutionary　tax；　and　particularly　at　Marseilles；　where

a　forced　loan　had　been　made　of　four　millions。　　…　Cf。　　De　Martel；　〃

Fouché；〃　P。245。　　（Memorial　of　the　central　administration　of　Nièvre；

Prairial　19；　year　III。）　〃The　account　returned　by　the　city　of　Nevers

amounts　to　eighty　thousand　francs；　the　use　of　which　has　never　been

verified。　　。　　。　　。　　This　tax；　in　part　payment　of　the　war　subsidy；　was

simply　a　trap　laid　by　the　political　actors　in　order　to　levy　a

contribution　on　honest；　credulous　citizens。〃　…　Ibid。；　217。　　On

voluntary　gifts　and　forced　taxation　cf。　　at　Nantes；　the　use　made　of

revolutionary　taxes；　brought　out　on　the　trial　of　the　revolutionary

committee。



＇113＇　Ludovic　Sciout；　IV。；　19。　　Report　of　Representative　Becker。

（Journal　des　Débats　et　Décrets；　p。743；　Prairial；　year　III。）　He　returns

from　a　mission　to　Landau　and　renders　an　account　of　the　executions

committed　by　the　Jacobin　agents　in　the　Rhenish　provinces。　　They　levied

taxes；　sword　in　hand；　and　threatened　the　refractory　with　the

guillotine　at　Strasbourg。　　The　receipts　which　passed　under　the

reporter's　eyes　〃presented　the　sum　of　three　millions　three　hundred　and

forty…five　thousand　seven　hundred　and　eighty…five　livres；　two　deniers；

whilst　our　colleague；　Cambon；　reports　only　one　hundred　and　thirty…

eight　thousand　paid　in。〃



＇114＇　Moniteur；　XXII。；　754。　　（Report　of　Grégoire；　Frimaire　24；　year

III。）　〃Rascallery　…　this　word　recalls　the　old　revolutionary

committees；　most　of　which　formed　the　scum　of　society　and　which　showed

so　many　aptitudes　for　the　double　function　of　robber　and　persecutor。〃



＇115＇　Archives　Nationales；　AF。；　II。；　107。　　（Orders　of　Representatives

Ysabeau　and　Tallien；　Bordeaux；　Brumaire　11　and　17；　year　II。）　…　Third

order；　promulgated　by　the　same　parties；　Frimaire　2；　year　II。；

replacing　this　committee　by　another　of　twelve　members　and　six

deputies；　each　at　two　hundred　francs　a　month。　　Fourth　order；　Pluvi？se

16；　year　II。；　dismissing　the　members　of　the　foregoing　committee；　as

exagérés　and　disobedient。　　It　is　because　they　regard　their　local

royalty　in　quite　a　serious　light。…Ibid。；　AF。；　II。；　46。　　（〃Extracts

from　the　minutes　of　the　meetings　of　the　revolutionary　committee　of

Bordeaux；〃　Prairial；　year　II。）　This　extract；　consisting　of　eighteen

pages；　shows　in　detail　the　inside　workings　of　a　revolutionary

committee　the　number　of　arrested　goes　on　increasing；　on　the　27th　of

Prairial　there　are　1524。　　The　committee　is　essentially　a　police

office；　it　delivers　certificates　of　civism；　issues　warrants　of　arrest；

corresponds　with　other　committees；　even　very　remote；　at　Limoges；　and

Clermont…Ferrand；　delegates　any　of　its　members　to　make　investigations

or　domicialiary　searches；　to　a