the origins of contemporary france-3-第75部分

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they　finish　him　with　clubs　and　sabers；　while　the　municipal　council

〃have　barely　time　to　drive　off　the　carriage　containing　the　ladies。〃　

Accordingly；　national　justice；　in　the　hands　of　the　volunteers；　has　its

sudden　outbursts；　its　excesses；　its　reactions；　the　effect　of　which　it

is　not　advisable　to　wait　for。　　For　example；　at　Cambray；＇69＇　a　division

of　foot…gendarmerie　had　just　left　the　town；　and　it　occurs　to　them　that

they　had　forgotten　〃to　purge　the　prison〃。　It　returns；　seizes　the

keeper；　takes　him　to　the　H？tel…de…ville；　examines　the　prison　register；

sets　at　liberty　those　whose　crimes　seem　to　it　excusable；　and　provides

them　with　passports。　On　the　other　hand；　it　kills　a　former　royal

procureur；　on　whom　addresses　are　found　tainted　with　〃aristocratic

principles；〃　an　unpopular　lieutenant…colonel；　and　a　suspected　captain。

　However　slight　or　ill…founded　a　suspicion；　so　much　the　worse　for

the　officer　on　whom　it　falls！　At　Charleville；＇70＇　two　loads　of　arms

having　passed　through　one　gate　instead　of　another；　to　avoid　a　bad

road；　M。　Juchereau；　inspector　of　the　manufacture　of　arms　and　commander

of　the　place；　is　declared　a　traitor　by　the　volunteers　and　the　crowd；

torn　from　the　hands　of　the　municipal　officers；　clubbed　to　the　ground；

stamped　on；　and　stabbed。　His　head；　fixed　to　a　pike；　is　paraded　through

Charleville；　then　into　Mézières；　where　it　is　thrown　into　the　river

running　between　the　two　towns。　　The　body　remains；　and　this　the

municipality　orders　to　be　interred；　but　it　is　not　worthy　of　burial；

the　murderers　get　hold　of　it；　and　cast　it　into　the　water　that　it　may

join　the　head。　　In　the　meantime　the　lives　of　the　municipal　officers

hang　by　a　single　thread。　　One　is　seized　by　the　throat；　another　is

knocked　out　of　his　chair　and　threatened　with　hanging；　a　gun　is　aimed

at　him　and　he　is　beaten　and　kicked；　subsequently　a　plot　is　devised　〃to

cut　off　their　heads　and　plunder　their　houses。〃



He　who　disposes　of　lives；　indeed；　also　disposes　of　property。　Roland

has　only　to　flick　through　two　or　three　reports　to　see　how　patriotism

furnishes　a　cloak　for　brutal　license　and　greed。　　At　Coucy；　in　the

department　of　Aisne；＇71＇　the　peasantry　of　seventeen　parishes；

assembled　for　the　purpose　of　furnishing　their　military　quota；　rush

with　a　loud　clamor　to　two　houses；　the　property　of　M。　des　Fossés；　a

former　deputy　to　the　Constituent　Assembly；　and　the　two　finest　in　the

town；　one　of　them　had　been　occupied　by　Henry　IV。　　Some　of　the

municipal　officers　who　try　to　interfere　are　nearly　cut　to　pieces；　and

the　entire　municipal　body　takes　to　flight。　　M。　des　Fossés；　with　his

two　daughters；　succeed　in　hiding　themselves　in　an　obscure　corner　in

the　vicinity；　and　afterwards　in　a　small　tenement　offered　to　them　by　a

humane　gardener；　and　finally；　after　great　difficulty；　they　reach

Soissons。　Of　his　two　houses；　〃nothing　remains　but　the　walls。　Windows；

casings；　doors；　and　wainscoting；　all　are　shattered〃；　twenty　thousand

francs　of　assignats　in　a　portfolio　are　destroyed　or　carried　off；　the

title…deeds　of　the　property　are　not　to　be　found；　and　the　damage　is

estimated　at　200；000　francs。　The　pillage　lasted　from　seven　o'clock　in

the　morning　to　seven　o'clock　in　the　evening；　and；　as　is　always　the

case；　ended　in　a　fête。　The　plunderers；　entering　the　cellars；　drank

〃two　hogsheads　of　wine　and　two　casks　of　brandy；　thirty　or　forty

remained　dead　drunk；　and　were　taken　away　with　considerable

difficulty。〃　There　is　no　prosecution；　no　investigation；　the　new　mayor；

who；　one　month　after；　makes　up　his　mind　to　denounce　the　act；　begs　the

Minister　not　to　give　his　name；　for；　he　says；　〃the　agitators　in　the

council…general　of　the　Commune　threaten；　with　fearful　consequences；

whoever　is　discovered　to　have　written　to　you。〃＇72＇　　　Such　is　the

ever…present　menace　under　which　the　gentry　live；　even　when　veterans　in

the　service　of　freedom；　Roland；　foremost　in　his　files；　finds

heartrending　letters　addressed　directly　to　him；　as　a　last　recourse。

Early　in　1789；　M。　de　Gouy　d'Arcy＇73＇　was　the　first　to　put　his　pen　to

paper　in　behalf　of　popular　rights。　A　deputy　of　the　noblesse　to　the

Constituent　Assembly；　he　is　the　first　to　rally　to　the　Third…Estate；

when　the　liberal　minority　of　the　noblesse　came　and　took　their　seats　in

the　hall　of　the　Communes；　he　had　already　been　there　eight　days；　and；

for　thirty　months；　he　〃invariably　seated　himself　on　the　side　of　the

'Left。'〃　　Senior　major…general；　and　ordered　by　the　Legislative

Assembly　to　suppress　the　outbreak　of　the　6；000　insurgents　at　Noyon；

〃he　kept　his　rigorous　orders　in　his　pocket　for　ten　days〃；　he　endured

their　insults；　he　risked　his　life　〃to　save　those　of　his　misguided

fellow…citizens；　and　he　had　the　good　fortune　not　to　spill　a　drop　of

blood。〃　　Exhausted　by　so　much　labor　and　effort；　almost　dying；　ordered

into　the　country　by　his　physicians；　〃he　devoted　his　income　to　the

relief　of　poverty〃；　he　planted　on　his　own　domain　the　first　liberty

tree　that　was　erected；　he　furnished　the　volunteers　with　clothes　and

arms；　〃instead　of　a　fifth；　he　yielded　up　a　third　of　his　revenue　under

the　forced　system　of　taxation。〃　　His　children　live　with　him　on　the

property；　which　has　been　in　the　family　four　hundred　years；　and　the

peasantry　call　him　〃their　father。〃　　No　one　could　lead　a　more　tranquil

or；　indeed；　a　more　meritorious　existence。　　But；　being　a　noble；　he　is

suspected；　and　a　delegate　from　the　Paris　Commune　denounces　him　at

Compiègne　as　having　in　his　house　two　cannon　and　five　hundred　and　fifty

muskets。　There　is　at　once　a　domiciliary　visit。　　Eight　hundred　men；

infantry　and　cavalry；　appear　before　the　chateau　d'Arcy　in　battle

array。　　He　meets　them　at　the　door　and　tenders　them　the　keys。　After　a

search　of　six　hours；　they　find　twelve　fowling　pieces　and　thirteen

rusty　pistols；　which　he　has　already　declared。　　His　disappointed

visitors　grumble；　break；　eat　and　drink　to　the　extent　of　2；000　crowns

damage。＇74＇　　Nevertheless；　urged　by　their　leaders　they　finally　retire。

But　M。　de　Gouy　has　60；000　francs　in　rentals　which　would　be　so　much

gain　to　the　nation　if　he　would　emigrate；　this　must　be　effected；　by

expelling　him；　and；　moreover　during　his　expulsion；　they　may　fill　their

pockets。　　For　eight　days　this　matter　is　discussed　in　the　Compiègne

club；　in　the　bars；　in　the　barracks；　and；　on　the　ninth　day；　150

volunteers　issue　from　the　town；　declaring　that　they　are　going　to　kill

M。　de　Gouy　and　all　who　belong　to　him。　　Informed　of　this；　he　departs

with　his　family；　leaving　the　doors　of　his　house　wide　open。　There　is　a

general　pillage　for　five　hours；　the　mob　drink　the　costly　wines；　steal

the　plate；　demand　horses　to　carry　their　booty　away；　and　promise　to

return　soon　and　take　the　owner's　head。　　In　effect；　on　the　following

morning　at　four　o'clock；　there　is　a　new　invasion；　a　new　pillage；　and；

this　time；　the　last　one；　the　servants　escape　under　a　fire　of　musketry；

and　M。　de　Gouy；　at　the　request　of　the　villagers；　whose　vineyards　are

devastated；　is　obliged　to　quit　that　part　of　the　country。＇75＇　　There

is　no　need　to　go　through　the　whole　file。　At　Houdainville；　at　the　house

of　M。　de　Saint…Maurice；　at　Nointel；　on　the　estate　of　the　Duc　de

Bourbon；　at　Chantilly；　on　the　estate　of　the　Prince　de　Condé；　at　the

house　of　M。　de　Fitz…James；　and　elsewhere；　a　certain　Gauthier；

〃commandant　of　the　Paris　detachment　of　Searchers；　and　charged　with　the

powers　of　the　Committee　of　Supervision；〃　makes　his　patriotic　circuit；

and　Roland　knows　beforehand　of　what　that　consists；　namely；　a

dragonnade＇76＇　in　regular　form　on　the　domains　of　all　nobles；　absent　or

present。＇77＇



Favorite　game　is　still　found　in　the　clergy；　more　vigorously　hunted

than　the　nobles；　Roland；　charged　with　the　duty　of　maintaining　public

order；　asks　himself　how　the　lives　of　inoffensive　priests；　which　the

law　recommends　to　him；　can　be　protected。　　At　Troyes；　at　the　house　of

M。　Fardeau；　an　old　non…conformist　curé；　an　altar　decked　with　its

sacred　vessels　is　discovered；　and　M。　Fardeau；　arrested；　refuses　to

take　the　civic　oath。　Torn　from　his　prison；　and　ordered　to　shout　〃Vive

la　Nation！〃　he　again　refuses。　On　this；　a　volunteer；　borrowing　an　ax

from　a　baker；　chops　off　his　head；　and　this　head；　washed　in　the　river；

is　borne　to　the　H？tel…de…ville。＇78＇　　At　Meaux；　a　brigade　of　Parisian

gendarmerie　murders　seven　priests；　and；　as　an　extra；　six　ordinary

malefactors　in　confinement。＇79＇　At　Rheims；　the　Parisian　volunteers

first　make　way　with　the　post…master　and　his　clerk；　both　under

suspicion　because　the　smell　of　burnt　paper　had　issued　from　their

chimney；　and；　next；　M。　de　Montrosier；　an　old　retired　officer；　which　is

the　opening　of　the　hunt。　Afterwards　they　fall　upon　two　ecclesiastics

with　pikes　and　sabers；　whom　their　game…beaters　have　brought　in　from

the　country；　then　on　the　former　curé　of　Saint…Jean；　and　on　that　of

Rilly；　their　corpses　are　cut　up；　paraded　through　the　streets　in

portions；　and　burnt　in　a　bonfire；　one　of　the　wounded　priests；　the　abbé

Alexandre；　is　thrown　in　still　alive。＇80＇　　Roland　recognizes　the　men

of　September；　who；　exposing　their　still　bloody　pikes；　came　to　his

domicile　to　demand　their　wages；　wherever　the　band　passes　it　announces；

〃in　the　name　of　the　people；〃　its　〃plenary　power　to　spread　the　example

of　the　capital。〃　　Now；　as　40；000　unsworn　priests　are　condemned　by　the

decree　of　August　26　to　leave　their　departments　in　a　week　and　France　in

a　fortnight；　shall　they　be　allowed　to　depart？　　Eight　thousand　of　them

at　Rouen；　in　obedience　to　the　decree；　charter　transports；　which　the

riotous　population　of　both　sides　of　the　Seine　prevent　from　leaving。

Roland　sees　in　his　dispatches　that　in　Rouen；　as　elsewhere；　they　crowd

the　municipalities　for　their　passports；＇81＇　but　that　these　are　often

refused。　Better　still；　at　Troyes；　at　Meaux；　at　Lyons；　at　D？le；　and　in

many　other　towns；　the　same　thing　is　done　as　at　Paris；　they　are

confined　in　particular　houses　or　in　prisons；　at　least；　provisionally；

〃for　fear　that　they　may　congregate　under　the　German　eagle〃；　so　that；

made　rebellious　and　declared　traitors　in　s