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The French Revolution； Volume 1。
The Origins of Contemporary France； Volume 2
by Hippolyte A。 Taine
CONTENTS：
ANARCHY
PREFACE
BOOK FIRST。 Spontaneous Anarchy。
CHAPTER I。 The Beginnings of Anarchy
CHAPTER II。 Paris up to the 14th of July
CHAPTER III。 Anarchy from July 14th to October 6th； 1789
CHAPTER IV。 PARIS
BOOK SECOND。 The constituent Assembly； and the Result of its Labors
CHAPTER I。 The Constituent Assembly
CHAPTER II。 The Damage
CHAPTER III。 The Constructions … The Constitution of 1791。
BOOK THIRD。 The Application of the Constitution
CHAPTER I。 The Federations
CHAPTER II。 Sovereignty of Unrestrained Passions
CHAPTER III。 Development of the ruling Passion
PREFACE
This second part of 〃Les Origines de la France Contemporaine〃 will
consist of two volumes。 … Popular insurrections and the laws of the
Constituent Assembly end in destroying all government in France；
this forms the subject of the present volume。 … A party arises
around an extreme doctrine； grabs control of the government； and
rules in conformity with its doctrine。 This will form the subject
of the second volume。
A third volume would be required to criticize and evaluate the
source material。 I lack the necessary space： I merely state the
rule that I have observed。 The trustworthiest testimony will always
be that of an eyewitness； especially
* When this witness is an honorable； attentive； and intelligent man；
* When he is writing on the spot； at the moment； and under the
dictate of the facts themselves；
* When it is obvious that his sole object is to preserve or furnish
information；
* When his work instead of a piece of polemics planned for the needs
of a cause； or a passage of eloquence arranged for popular effect is
a legal deposition； a secret report； a confidential dispatch； a
private letter； or a personal memento。
The nearer a document approaches this type； the more it merits
confidence； and supplies superior material。 … I have found many of
this kind in the national archives； principally in the manuscript
correspondence of ministers； intendants； sub…delegates； magistrates；
and other functionaries； of military commanders； officers in the
army； and gendarmerie； of royal commissioners； and of the Assembly；
of administrators of departments； districts； and municipalities；
besides persons in private life who address the King； the National
Assembly； or the ministry。 Among these are men of every rank；
profession； education； and party。 They are distributed by hundreds
and thousands over the whole surface of the territory。 They write
apart； without being able to consult each other； and without even
knowing each other。 No one is so well placed for collecting and
transmitting accurate information。 None of them seek literary
effect； or even imagine that what they write will ever be published。
They draw up their statements at once； under the direct impression
of local events。 Testimony of this character； of the highest order；
and at first hand； provides the means by which all other testimony
ought to be verified。 … The footnotes at the bottom of the pages
indicate the condition； office； name； and address of those decisive
witnesses。 For greater certainty I have transcribed as often as
possible their own words。 In this way the reader； confronting the
texts； can interpret them for himself； and form his own opinions； he
will have the same documents as myself for arriving at his
conclusions； and； if he is pleased to do so； he may conclude
otherwise。 As for allusions； if he finds any； he himself will have
introduced them； and if he applies them he is alone responsible for
them。 To my mind； the past has features of its own； and the
portrait here presented resembles only the France of the past。 I
have drawn it without concerning myself with the discussions of the
day； I have written as if my subject were the revolutions of
Florence or Athens。 This is history； and nothing more； and； if I
may fully express myself； I esteem my vocation of historian too
highly to make a cloak of it for the concealment of another。
（December 1877）。
_________________________________________________________________
BOOK FIRST。 SPONTANEOUS ANARCHY。
CHAPTER I。 THE BEGINNINGS OF ANARCHY。
I。
Dearth the first cause。 … Bad crops。 The winter of 1788 and 1789。
… High price and poor quality of bread。 … In the provinces。 … At
Paris。
During the night of July 14…15； 1789； the Duc de la Rochefoucauld…
Liancourt caused Louis XVI to be aroused to inform him of the taking
of the Bastille。 〃It is a revolt； then？〃 exclaimed the King。
〃Sire！〃 replied the Duke； 〃it is a revolution！〃 The event was even
more serious。 Not only had power slipped from the hands of the
King； but also it had not fallen into those of the Assembly。 It now
lay on the ground； ready to the hands of the unchained populace； the
violent and over…excited crowd； the mobs； which picked it up like
some weapon that had been thrown away in the street。 In fact； there
was no longer any government； the artificial structure of human
society was giving way entirely； things were returning to a state of
nature。 This was not a revolution； but a dissolution。
Two causes excite and maintain the universal upheaval。 The first
one is food shortages and dearth； which being constant； lasting for
ten years； and aggravated by the very disturbances which it excites；
bids fair to inflame the popular passions to madness； and change the
whole course of the Revolution into a series of spasmodic stumbles。
When a stream is brimful； a slight rise suffices to cause an
overflow。 So was it with the extreme distress of the eighteenth
century。 A poor man； who finds it difficult to live when bread is
cheap； sees death staring him in the face when it is dear。 In this
state of suffering the animal instinct revolts； and the universal
obedience which constitutes public peace depends on a degree more or
less of dryness or damp； heat or cold。 In 1788； a year of severe
drought； the crops had been poor。 In addition to this； on the eve
of the harvest；＇1＇ a terrible hail…storm burst over the region
around Paris； from Normandy to Champagne； devastating sixty leagues
of the most fertile territory； and causing damage to the amount of
one hundred millions of francs。 Winter came on； the severest that
had been seen since 1709。 At the close of December the Seine was
frozen over from Paris to Havre； while the thermometer stood at 180
below zero。 A third of the olive…trees died in Provence； and the
rest suffered to such an extent that they were considered incapable
of bearing fruit for two years to come。 The same disaster befell
Languedoc。 In Vivarais； and in the Cevennes； w