the origins of contemporary france-1-第15部分

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of　this　forlorn　being？　They　are　too　remote　from　him　to　that；　too

ignorant　of　his　mode　of　life。　　The　portrait　they　conceive　of　him　is

imaginary；　never　was　there　a　falser　representation　of　the　peasant；

accordingly　the　awakening　is　to　be　terrible。　　They　view　him　as　the

amiable　swain；　gentle；　humble　and　grateful；　simple…hearted　and　right…

minded；　easily　led；　being　conceived　according　to　Rousseau　and　the

idylls　performed　at　this　very　epoch　in　all　private　drawing　rooms。＇41＇

Lacking　a　knowledge　him　they　overlook　him；　they　read　the　steward's

letter　and　immediately　the　whirl　of　high　life　again　seizes　them　and；

after　a　sigh　bestowed　on　the　distress　of　the　poor；　they　make　up　their

minds　that　their　income　for　the　year　will　be　short。　　A　disposition　of

this　kind　is　not　favorable　to　charity。　　Accordingly；　complaints　arise；

not　against　the　residents　but　against　the　absentees。＇42＇　〃The

possessions　of　the　Church；　says　a　letter；　serve　only　to　nourish　the

passions　of　their　holders。〃　〃According　to　the　canons；　says　another

memorandum；　every　beneficiary　must　give　a　quarter　of　his　income　to　the

poor；　nevertheless　in　our　parish　there　is　a　revenue　of　more　than

twelve　thousand　livres；　and　none　of　it　is　given　to　the　poor　unless　it

is　some　small　matter　at　the　hands　of　the　curate。〃　〃The　abbé　de　Conches

gets　one…half　of　the　tithes　and　contributes　nothing　to　the　relief　of

the　parish。〃　Elsewhere；　〃the　chapter　of　Ecouis；　which　owns　the

benefice　of　the　tithes　is　of　no　advantage　to　the　poor；　and　only　seeks

to　augment　its　income。〃　Nearby；　the　abbé　of　Croix…Leufroy；　〃a　heavy

tithe…owner；　and　the　abbé　de　Bernay；　who　gets　fifty…seven　thousand

livres　from　his　benefice；　and　who　is　a　non…resident；　keep　all　and

scarcely　give　enough　to　their　officiating　curates　to　keep　them　alive。〃

〃I　have　in　my　parish；　says　a　curate　of　Berry；＇43＇　six　simple　benefices

of　which　the　titularies　are　always　absent。　　They　enjoy　together　an

income　of　nine　thousand　livres；　I　sent　them　in　writing　the　most　urgent

entreaties　during　the　calamity　of　the　past　year；　I　received　from　one

them　two　louis　only；　and　most　of　them　did　not　even　answer　me。〃

Stronger　is　the　reason　for　a　conviction　that　in　ordinary　times　they

will　make　no　remission　of　their　dues。　　Moreover；　these　dues；　the

censives；　the　lods　et　ventes；　tithes；　and　the　like；　are　in　the　hands

of　a　steward；　and　he　is　a　good　steward　who　returns　a　large　amount　of

money。　　He　has　no　right　to　be　generous　at　his　master's　expense；　and　he

is　tempted　to　turn　the　subjects　of　his　master　to　his　own　profit。　　In

vain　might　the　soft　seignorial　hand　be　disposed　to　be　easy　or

paternal；　the　hard　hand　of　the　proxy　bears　down　on　the　peasants　with

all　its　weight；　and　the　caution　of　a　chief　gives　place　to　the

exactions　of　a　clerk。…　How　is　it　then　when；　instead　of　a　clerk　on　the

domain；　a　fermier　is　found；　an　adjudicator　who；　for　an　annual　sum；

purchases　of　seignior　the　management　and　product　of　his　dues？　In

election　of　Mayenne；＇44＇　and　certainly　also　in　many　others；　the

principal　domains　are　rented　in　this　way。　　Moreover　there　are　a　number

of　dues；　like　the　tolls；　the　market…place　tax；　that　on　the　flock

apart；　the　monopoly　of　the　oven　and　of　the　mill　which　can　scarcely　be

managed　otherwise；　the　seignior　must　necessarily　employ　an　adjudicator

who　spares　him　the　disputes　and　trouble　of　collecting。＇45＇　This

happens　often　and　the　demands　and　the　greed　of　the　contractor；　who　is

determined　to　gain　or；　at　least；　not　to　lose；　falls　on　the　peasantry：



　〃He　is　a　ravenous　wolf；〃　says　Renauldon；　〃let　loose　on　the　estate。

He　draws　upon　it　to　the　last　sou；　he　crushes　the　subjects；　reduces

them　to　beggary；　forces　the　cultivators　to　desert。　　The　owner；　thus

rendered　odious；　finds　himself　obliged　to　tolerate　his　exactions　to

able　to　profit　by　them。〃



　Imagine；　if　you　can；　the　evil　which　a　country　usurer　exercises；

armed　against　them　with　such　burdensome　rights；　it　is　the　feudal

seigniory　in　the　hands　of　Harpagon；　or　rather　of　old　Grandet。　　When；

indeed；　a　tax　becomes　insupportable　we　see；　by　the　local　complaints；

that　it　is　nearly　always　a　fermier　who　enforces　it。＇46＇　It　is　one　of

these；　acting　for　a　body　of　canons；　who　claims　Jeanne　Mermet's

paternal　inheritance　on　the　pretense　that　she　had　passed　her　wedding

night　at　her　husband's　house。　　One　can　barely　find　similar　exactions　in

the　Ireland　of　1830；　on　those　estates　where；　the　farmer…general

renting　to　sub…farmers　and　the　latter　to　others　still　below　them。　　The

poor　tenant　at　the　foot　of　the　ladder　himself　bore　the　full　weight　of

it；　so　much　the　more　crushed　because　his　creditor；　crushed　himself

measured　the　requirements　he　exacted　by　those　he　had　to　submit　to。



Suppose　that；　seeing　this　abuse　of　his　name；　the　seignior　is

desirous　of　withdrawing　the　administration　of　his　domains　from　these

mercenary　hands。　　In　most　cases　he　is　unable　to　do　it：　he　too　deeply　in

debt；　having　appropriated　to　his　creditors　a　certain　portion　of　his

land；　a　certain　branch　of　his　income。　　For　centuries；　the　nobles　are

involved　through　their　luxury；　their　prodigality；　their　carelessness；

and　through　that　false　sense　of　honor；　which　consists　in　looking　upon

attention　to　accounts　as　the　occupation　of　an　accountant。　　They　take

pride　in　their　negligence；　regarding　it；　as　they　say；　living

nobly。＇47＇　〃Monsieur　the　archbishop；〃　said　Louis　XVI。　　to　M。　de　Dillon；

。〃　they　say　that　you　are　in　debt；　and　even　largely。〃　〃Sire；〃　replied

the　prelate；　with　the　irony　of　a　grand　seignior；　〃I　will　ask　my

intendant　and　inform　Your　Majesty。〃　Marshal　de　Soubise　has　five

hundred　thousand　livres　income；　which　is　not　sufficient　for　him。　　We

know　the　debts　of　the　Cardinal　de　Rohan　and　of　the　Comte　Artois；＇48＇

their　millions　of　income　were　vainly　thrown　into　this　gulf。　　The　Prince

de　Guémenée　happens　to　become　bankrupt　on　thirty…five　millions。　　The

Duke　of　Orleans；　the　richest　proprietor　in　the　kingdom；　owed　at　his

death　seventy…four　millions。　　When　became　necessary　to　pay　the

creditors　of　the　emigrants　out　of　the　proceeds　of　their　possessions；

it　was　proved　that　most　of　the　large　fortunes　were　eaten　up　with

mortgages。＇49＇　Readers　of　the　various　memoirs　know　that；　for　two

hundred　years；　the　deficiencies　bad　to　be　supplied　by　marriages　for

money　and　by　the　favors　of　the　king。　　…　This　explains　why；　following

the　king's　example；　the　nobles　converted　everything　into　money；　and

especially　the　places　at　their　disposition；　and；　in　relaxing　authority

for　profit；　why　they　alienated　the　last　fragment　of　government

remaining　in　their　hands。　　Everywhere　they　thus　laid　aside　the

venerated　character　of　a　chief　to　put　on　the　odious　character　of　a

trafficker。　　〃Not　only；〃　says　a　contemporary；＇50＇　〃do　they　give　no　pay

to　their　officers　of　justice；　or　take　them　at　a　discount；　but；　what　is

worse；　the　greater　portion　of　them　make　a　sale　of　these　offices。〃　In

spite　of　the　edict　of　1693；　the　judges　thus　appointed　take　no　steps　to

be　admitted　into　the　royal　courts　and　they　take　no　oaths。　　〃What　is　the

result？　Justice；　too　often　administered　by　knaves；　degenerates　into

brigandage　or　into　a　frightful　impunity。〃　　…　Ordinarily　the　seignior

who　sells　the　office　on　a　financial　basis；　deducts；　in　addition；　the

hundredth；　the　fiftieth；　the　tenth　of　the　price；　when　it　passes　into

other　hands；　and　at　other　times　he　disposes　of　the　survivorship。　　He

creates　these　offices　and　survivorships　purposely　to　sell　them。　　〃All

the　seigniorial　courts；　say　the　registers；　are　infested　with　a　crowd

of　officials　of　every　description；　seigniorial　sergeants；　mounted　and

unmounted　officers；　keepers　of　the　provostship　of　the　funds；　guards　of

the　constabulary。　　It　is　by　no　means　rare　to　find　as　many　as　ten　in　an

arrondissement　which　could　hardly　maintain　two　if　they　confined

themselves　within　the　limits　of　their　duties。〃　Also　〃they　are　at　the

same　time　judges；　attorneys；　fiscal…attorneys；　registrars；　notaries；〃

each　in　a　different　place；　each　practicing　in　several　seigniories

under　various　titles；　all　perambulating；　all　in　league　like　thieves　at

a　fair；　and　assembling　together　in　the　taverns　to　plan；　prosecute　and

decide。　　Sometimes　the　seignior；　to　economize；　confers　the　title　on　one

of　his　own　dependents：　〃At　Hautemont；　in　Hainaut；　the　fiscal…attorney

is　a　domestic。〃　More　frequently　he　nominates　some　starveling　advocate

of　a　petty　village　in　the　neighborhood　on　wages　which　would　not

suffice　to　keep　him　alive　a　week。〃　He　indemnifies　himself　out　of　the

peasants。　　Processes　of　chicanery；　delays　and　willful　complications　in

the　proceedings；　sittings　at　three　livres　the　hour　for　the　advocate

and　three　livres　the　hour　for　the　bailiff。　　The　black　brood　of　judicial

leeches　suck　so　much　the　more　eagerly；　because　the　more　numerous；　a

still　more　scrawny　prey；　having　paid　for　the　privilege　of　sucking

it。＇51＇　The　arbitrariness；　the　corruption；　the　laxity　of　such　a　régime

can　be　divined。　　〃Impunity；〃　says　Renauldon；　〃is　nowhere　greater　than

in　the　seigniorial　tribunals　。　　。　　。　　。　　The　foulest　crimes　obtain　no

consideration　there；〃　for　the　seignior　dreads　supplying　the　means　for

a　criminal　trial；　while　his　judges　or　prosecuting　attorneys　fear　that

they　will　not　be　paid　for　their　proceedings。　　Moreover；　his　jail　is

often　a　cellar　under　the　chateau；　〃there　is　not　one　tribunal　out　of　a

hundred　in　conformity　with　the　law　in　respect　of　prisons；〃　their

keepers　shut　their　eyes　or　stretch　out　their　hands。　　Hence　it　is　that

〃his　estates　become　the　refuge　of　all　the　scoundrels　in　the　canton。〃

The　effect　of　his　indifference　is　terrible　and　it　is　to　react　against

him：　to…morrow；　at　the　club；　the　attorneys　whom　he　has　multiplied　will

demand　his　head；　and　the　bandits　whom　he　has　tolerated　will　place　it

on　the　end　of　a　pike。



One…point　remains；　the　chase；　wherein　the　noble's　jurisdiction　is

still　active　and　severe；　and　it　is　just　the　point　which　is　found　the

most　offensive。　　Formerly；　when　one…half　of　the　canton　consisted　of

forest；　o