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Alsace； September 8th ibid。 F7； 3227。 Letter of the intendant；
Caze de la Bove； June 16th ； ibid。 H。 1453。 Letter of Terray；
intendant of Lyons； July 4th； of the prévot des échevins； July 5th
and 7th。
＇27＇ （A tax on all goods entering a town。 SR。）
＇28＇ 〃Archives Nationales；〃 H。 1453。 Letter of the mayor and
councils of Agde； April 21st； of M。 de Perigord； April 19th； May
5th。
＇29＇ 〃Archives Nationales；〃 H。 1453。 Letters of M。 de Caraman；
March 23rd； 26th 27th 28th； of the seneschal Missiessy； March 24th；
of the mayor of Hyères； March 25th； etc。； ibid。 H。 1274； of M。 de
Montmayran； April 2nd； of M。 de Caraman； March 18th ； April 12th； of
the intendant； M。 de la Tour； April 2nd； of the procureur…géneral；
M。 d'Antheman； April 17th； and the report of June 15th； of the
municipal authorities of Toulon； April 11th； of the sub…delegate of
Manosque； March 14th； of M。 de Saint…Tropez； March 21st。 … Minutes
of the meeting； signed by 119 witnesses； of the insurrection at Aix；
March 5th； etc。
＇30＇ An uprising of the peasants。 The term is used to indicate a
country mob in contradistinction to a city or town mob。…Tr。
＇31＇ 〃Archives Nationales；〃 H。1274。 Letter of M。 de la Tour； April
2nd （with a detailed memorandum and depositions）。
＇32＇ 〃Archives Nationales；〃 H。 1274。 Letter of M。 de Caraman；
April 22nd： …〃One real benefit results from this misfortune。 。 。
The well…to…do class is brought to sustain that which exceeded the
strength of the poor daily laborers。 We see the nobles and people
in good circumstances a little more attentive to the poor peasants：
they are now habituated to speaking to them with more gentleness。〃
M。 de Caraman was wounded； as well as his Son； at Aix； and if the
Soldiery； who were stoned； at length fired on the crowd； he did not
give the order。 Ibid； letter of M。 d'Anthéman； April 17th； of M。
de Barentin； June 11th。
CHAPTER II。 PARIS UP TO THE 14TH OF JULY。
I。
Mob recruits in the vicinity。… Entry of vagabonds。 … The number of
paupers。
INDEED it is in the center that the convulsive shocks are strongest。
Nothing is lacking to aggravate the insurrection neither the
liveliest provocation to stimulate it； nor the most numerous bands
to carry it out。 The environs of Paris all furnish recruits for it；
nowhere are there so many miserable wretches； so many of the
famished； and so many rebellious beings。 Robberies of grain take
place everywhere at Orleans； at Cosne； at Rambouillet； at Jouy；
at Pont…Saint…Maxence； at Bray…sur…Seine； at Sens； at Nangis。＇1＇
Wheat flour is so scarce at Meudon； that every purchaser is ordered
to buy at the same time an equal quantity of barley。 At Viroflay；
thirty women； with a rear…guard of men； stop on the main road
vehicles； which they suppose to be loaded with grain。 At Montlhéry
stones and clubs disperse seven brigades of the police。 An immense
throng of eight thousand persons； women and men； provided with bags；
fall upon the grain exposed for sale。 They force the delivery to
them of wheat worth 40 francs at 24 francs； pillaging the half of it
and conveying it off without payment。 〃The constabulary is
disheartened；〃 writes the sub…delegate； 〃the determination of the
people is wonderful； I am frightened at what I have seen and heard。〃
After the 13th of July； 1788； the day of the hail…storm； despair
seized the peasantry； well disposed as the proprietors may have
been； it was impossible to assist them。 〃Not a workshop is
open；＇2＇ the noblemen and the bourgeois； obliged to grant delays in
the payment of their incomes； can give no work。〃 Accordingly； 〃the
famished people are on the point of risking life for life；〃 and；
publicly and boldly； they seek food wherever it can be found。 At
Conflans…Saint…Honorine； Eragny； Neuville； Chenevières； at Cergy；
Pontoise； Ile…Adam； Presle； and Beaumont； men； women； and children；
the hole parish； range the country； set snares； and destroy the
burrows。 〃The rumor is current that the Government； informed of the
damage done by the game to cultivators； allows its destruction 。 。
。 and really the hares ravaged about a fifth of the crop。 At first
an arrest is made of nine of these poachers； but they are released；
〃taking circumstances into account。〃 Consequently； for two months；
there is a slaughter on the property of the Prince de Conti and of
the Ambassador Mercy d'Argenteau； in default of bread they eat
rabbits。 Along with the abuse of property they are led； by a
natural impulse； to attack property itself。 Near Saint…Denis the
woods belonging to the abbey are devastated。 〃The farmers of the
neighborhood carry away loads of wood； drawn by four and five
horses；〃 the inhabitants of the villages of Ville…Parisis； Tremblay；
Vert…Galant； Villepinte； sell it publicly； and threaten the wood…
rangers with a beating。 On the 15th of June the damage is already
estimated at 60；000 livres。 It makes little difference whether
the proprietor has been benevolent； like M。 de Talaru；＇3＇ who had
supported the poor on his estate at Issy the preceding winter。 The
peasants destroy the dike which conducts water to his communal mill；
condemned by the parliament to restore it； they declare that not
only will they not obey。 Should M。 de Talaru try to rebuild it they
will return with three hundred armed men； and tear it away the
second time。
For those who are most compromised Paris is the nearest refuge。 For
the poorest and most exasperated； the door of nomadic life stands
wide open。 Bands rise up around the capital； just as in countries
where human society has not yet been formed； or has ceased to exist。
During the first two weeks of May＇4＇ near Villejuif a band of five
or six hundred vagabonds strive to force Bicêtre and approach Saint…
Cloud。 They arrive from thirty； forty； and sixty leagues off； from
Champagne； from Lorraine； from the whole circuit of country
devastated by the hailstorm。 All hover around Paris and are there
engulfed as in a sewer； the unfortunate along with criminals； some
to find work； others to beg and to rove about under the injurious
prompting of hunger and the rumors of the public thoroughfares。
During the last days of April；＇5＇ the clerks at the tollhouses note
the entrance of 〃a frightful number of poorly clad men of sinister
aspect。〃 During the first days of May a change in the appearance of
the crowd is remarked。 There mingle in it 〃a number of foreigners；
from all countries； most of them in rags； armed with big sticks； and
whose very aspect announces what is to be feared from them。〃
Already； before this final influx； the public sink is full to
overflowing。 Think of the extraordinary and rapid increase of
population in Paris； the multitude of artisans brought there by
recent demolition and constructions。 Think of all the craftsmen
whom the stagnation of manufactures； the augmentation of octrois；
the rigor of winter； and the dearnes