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In the matter of papers none are good but new ones those which
convey some discharge; quittance; or obligation to the advantage of
the people。 At Brignolles the owners of the gristmills are
constrained to execute a contract of sale by which they convey their
mills to the commune in consideration of 5;000 francs per annum;
payable in ten years without interest an arrangement which ruins
them。 On seeing the contract signed the peasants shout and cheer;
and so great is their faith in this piece of stamped paper that they
at once cause a mass of thanksgiving to be celebrated in the
Cordeliers。 Formidable omens these! Which mark the inward purpose;
the determined will; and the coming deeds of this rising power。 If
it prevails; its first work will be to destroy all ancient
documents; all title deeds; rent…rolls; contracts; and claims to
which force compels it to submit。 By force likewise it will draw up
others to its own advantage; and the scribes who do it will be its
own deputies and administrators whom it holds in its rude grasp。
Those who are in high places are not alarmed; they even find that
there is some good in the revolt; inasmuch as it compels the towns
to suppress unjust taxation。'32' The new Marseilles guard; formed
of young men; is allowed to march to Aubagne; 〃to insist that M。 le
lieutenant criminel and M。 l'avocat du Roi release the prisoners。〃
The disobedience of Marseilles; which refuses to receive the
magistrates sent under letters patent to take testimony; is
tolerated。 And better still; in spite of the remonstrances of the
parliament of Aix; a general amnesty is proclaimed; 〃no one is
excepted but a few of the leaders; to whom is allowed the liberty of
leaving the kingdom。〃 The mildness of the King and of the military
authorities is admirable。 It is admitted that the people are
children; that they err only through ignorance; that faith must be
had in their repentance; and; as soon as they return to order; they
must be received with paternal effusions。 The truth is; that
the child is a blind Colossus; exasperated by sufferings。 hence
whatever it takes hold of is shattered not only the local wheels
of the provinces; which; if temporarily deranged; may be repaired;
but even the incentive at the center which puts the rest in motion;
and the destruction of which will throw the whole machinery into
confusion。
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Notes:
'1' Marmontel; 〃Mémoires;〃 II。 221。 Albert Babeau; 〃Histoire
de la Révolution Fran?aise;〃 I。 91; 187。 (Letter by Huez Mayor of
Troyes; July 30; 1788。)… Archives Nationales; H。 1274。 (Letter
by M。 de Caraman; April 22; 1789。) H。 942 (Cahier des demandes des
Etats de Languedoc)。 … Buchez et Roux; 〃Histoire Parlementaire;〃
I。 283。
'2' See 〃 The Ancient Régime;〃 p。34。 Albert Babeau; I。 91。 (The
Bishop of Troyes gives 12;000 francs; and the chapter 6;000; for the
relief workshops。)
'3' 〃The Ancient Regime;〃 350; 387。Floquet; 〃Histoire du Parlement
de Normandie;〃 VII。 505…518。 (Reports of the Parliament of
Normandy; May 3;1788。 Letter from the Parliament to the King; July
15; 1789。)
'4' Arthur Young; 〃Voyages in France;〃 June 29th; July 2nd and 18th
〃 Journal de Paris;〃 January 2; 1789。 Letter of the curé of
Sainte…Marguerite。
'5' Buchez and Roux; IV。 79…82。 (Letter from the intermediary
bureau of Montereau; July 9; 1789; from the maire of Villeneuve…le…
Roi; July 10th; from M。 Baudry; July 10th; from M。 Prioreau; July
11th; etc。) Montjoie; 〃Histoire de la Révolution de France;〃 2nd
part; ch。 XXI; p。 5。
'6' Roux et Buchez; ibid。 〃It is very unfortunate;〃 writes the
Marquis d'Autichamp; 〃to be obliged to cut down the standing crops
ready to be gathered in; but it is dangerous to let the troops die
of hunger。〃
'7' Montjoie; 〃Histoire de la Révolution de France;〃 ch。 XXXIX; V;
37。 De Goncourt; 〃La Société Fran?aise pendant la Révolution;〃
p。 5l3。 Deposition of Maillard (Criminal Inquiry of the
Chatelet concerning the events of October 5th and 6th)。
'8' De Tocqueville; 〃L'Ancien Régime et la Révolution;〃 272…290。 De
Lavergne; 〃Les Assemblées provinciales;〃 109。 Procès…verbaux des
assemblées provinciales; passim。
'9' A magistrate who gives judgment in a lower court in cases
relative to taxation。 These terms are retained because there are no
equivalents in English。 (Tr。)
'10' 〃Laboureurs;〃 this term; at this epoch; is applied to those
who till their own land。 (Tr。)
'11' Duvergier。 〃Collection des lois et décrets;〃 I。 1 to 23; and
particularly p。 15。
'12' Parish priests。 (SR。)
'13' Arthur Young; July 12th ; 1789 (in Champagne)。
'14' Montjoie; 1st part; 102。
'15' Floquet; 〃Histoire du Parlement de Normandie;〃 VII。 508。 〃
Archives Nationales;〃 H。 1453。
'16' Arthur Young; June 29th (at Nangis)。
'17' 〃Archives Nationales;〃 H。1453。 Letter of the Duc de Mortemart;
Seigneur of Bray; May 4th; of M。 de Ballainvilliers; intendant of
Languedoc; April 15th。
'18' 〃Archives Nationales;〃 H。1453。 Letter of the intendant; M。
d'Agay; April 30th; of the municipal officers of Nantes; January
9th; of the intendant; M。 Meulan d'Ablois; June 22nd; of M。 de
Ballainvilliers; April 15th。
'19' 〃Archives Nationales;〃 H。 1453。 Letter of the Count de
Langeron; July 4th; of M。 de Meulan d'Ablois; June 5th; 〃Minutes of
the meeting of la Maréchaussée de Bost;〃 April 29th。 Letters of M。
de Chazerat; May 29th; of M。 de Bezenval; June 2nd; of the
intendant; M。 Amelot; April 25th。
'20' '〃Archives Nationales;〃 H。1453。 Letter of M。 de Bezenval; May
27th; of M。 de Ballainvilliers; April 25th; of M。 de Foullonde;
April 19th。
'21' 〃Archives Nationales;〃 H。1453。 Letter of the intendant; M。
d'Aine; March 12th; of M。 d'Agay; April 30th; of M。 Amelot; April
25th; of the municipal authorities of Nantes; January 9th; etc。
'22' 〃The Ancient Régime;〃 pp。 380…389。
'23' Floquet; VII。 508; (Report of February 27th)。 … Hippeau; 〃La
Gouvernement de Normandie;〃 IV。 377。 (Letter of M。 Perrot; June
23rd。) 〃 Archives Nationales;〃 H。 1453。 Letter of M。 de
Sainte…Suzanne; April 29th。 Ibid。 F7; 3250。 Letter of M。 de
Rochambeau; May 16th Ibid。 F7; 3250。 Letter of the Abbé Duplaquet;
Deputy of the Third Estate of Saint…Quentin; May 17th。 Letter of
three husbandmen in the environs of Saint…Quentin; May 14th。
'24' 〃Archives Nationales;〃 H。 1453。 Letter of the Count de
Perigord; military commandant of Languedoc; April 22nd。
'25' Floquet; VII。 511 (from the 11th to the 14th July)。
'26' 〃Archives Nationales;〃 H。 1453。 Letter of the municipal
authorities of Nantes; January 9th; of the sub…delegate of Plo?rmel;
July 4th; ibid。 F7; 2353。 Letter of the intermediary commission of
Alsace; September 8th ibid。 F7; 3227。 Letter of the intendant;
Caze de la Bov