the origins of contemporary france-1-第7部分

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officials　in　the　jurisdiction　over　woods　and　forests。　　Thirty…two

bishops；　without　counting　the　chapters；　are　thus　temporal　seigniors；

in　whole　or　in　part；　of　their　episcopal　town；　sometimes　of　the

surrounding　district；　and　sometimes；　like　the　bishop　of　St。　　Claude；　of

the　entire　country。　　Here　the　feudal　tower　has　been　preserved。

Elsewhere　it　is　plastered　over　anew；　and　more　particularly　in　the

appanages。　　In　these　domains；　comprising　more　than　twelve　of　our

departments；　the　princes　of　the　blood　appoint　to　all　offices　in　the

judiciary　and　to　all　clerical　livings。　　Being　substitutes　of　the　king

they　enjoy　his　serviceable　and　honorary　rights。　　They　are　almost

delegated　kings；　and　for　life；　for　they　not　only　receive　all　that　the

king　would　receive　as　seignior；　but　again　a　portion　of　that　which　he

would　receive　as　monarch。　　For　example；　the　house　of　Orleans　collects

the　excises；＇22＇　that　is　to　say　the　duty　on　liquors；　on　works　in　gold

or　silver；　on　manufactures　of　iron；　on　steel；　on　cards；　on　paper　and

starch；　in　short；　on　the　entire　sum…total　of　one　of　the　most　onerous

indirect　taxes。　　It　is　not　surprising；　if；　having　a　nearly　sovereign

situation；　they　have　a　council；　a　chancellor；　an　organized　debt；　a

court；＇23＇　a　domestic　ceremonial　system；　and　that　the　feudal　edifice

in　their　hands　should　put　on　the　luxurious　and　formal　trappings　which

it　had　assumed　in　the　hands　of　the　king。



Let　us　turn　to　its　inferior　personages；　to　a　seignior　of　medium

rank；　on　his　square　league　of　ground；　amidst　the　thousand　inhabitants

who　were　formerly　his　villeins　or　his　serfs；　within　reach　of　the

monastery；　or　chapter；　or　bishop　whose　rights　intermingle　with　his

rights。　　Whatever　may　have　been　done　to　abase　him　his　position　is　still

very　high。　　He　is　yet；　as　the　intendants　say；　〃the　first　inhabitant；〃　a

prince　whom　they　have　half　despoiled　of　his　public　functions　and

consigned　to　his　honorary　and　available　rights；　but　who　nevertheless

remains　a　prince。＇24＇　　He　has　his　bench　in　the　church；　and　his　right

of　sepulture　in　the　choir；　the　tapestry　bears　his　coat　of　arms；　they

bestow　on　him　incense；　〃holy　water　by　distinction。〃　Often；　having

founded　the　church；　he　is　its　patron；　choosing　the　curate　and　claiming

to　control　him；　in　the　rural　districts　we　see　him　advancing　or

retarding　the　hour　of　the　parochial　mass　according　to　his　fancy。　　If　he

bears　a　title　he　is　supreme　judge；　and　there　are　entire　provinces；

Maine　and　Anjou；　for　example；　where　there　is　no　fief　without　the

judge。　　In　this　case　he　appoints　the　bailiff；　the　registrar；　and　other

legal　and　judicial　officers；　attorneys；　notaries；　seigniorial

sergeants；　constabulary　on　foot　or　mounted；　who　draw　up　documents　or

decide　in　his　name　in　civil　and　criminal　cases　on　the　first　trial。　　He

appoints；　moreover；　a　forest…warden；　or　decides　forest　offenses；　and

enforces　the　penalties；　which　this　officer　inflicts。　　He　has　his　prison

for　delinquents　of　various　kinds；　and　sometimes　his　forked　gibbets。　　On

the　other　hand；　as　compensation　for　his　judicial　costs；　he　obtains　the

property　of　the　man　condemned　to　death　and　the　confiscation　of　his

estate。　　He　succeeds　to　the　bastard　born　and　dying　in　his　seigniory

without　leaving　a　testament　or　legitimate　children。　　He　inherits　from

the　possessor；　legitimately　born；　dying　in　testate　in　his　house

without　apparent　heirs。　　He　appropriates　to　himself　movable　objects；

animate　or　inanimate；　which　are　found　astray　and　of　which　the　owner　is

unknown；　he　claims　one…half　or　one…third　of　treasure…trove；　and；　on

the　coast；　he　takes　for　himself　the　waif　of　wrecks。　　And　finally；　what

is　more　fruitful；　in　these　times　of　misery；　he　becomes　the　possessor

of　abandoned　lands　that　have　remained　untilled　for　ten　years。…Other

advantages　demonstrate　still　more　clearly　that　he　formerly　possessed

the　government　of　the　canton。　　Such　are；　in　Auvergne；　in　Flanders；　in

Hainaut；　in　Artois；　in　Picardy；　Alsace；　and　Lorraine；　the　dues　de

poursoin　ou　de　sauvement　（care　or　safety　within　the　walls　of　a　town）；

paid　to　him　for　providing　general　protection。　　The　dues　of　de　guet　et

de　garde　（watch　and　guard）；　claimed　by　him　for　military　protection；　of

afforage；　are　exacted　of　those　who　sell　beer；　wine　and　other

beverages；　whole…sale　or　retail。　　The　dues　of　fouage；　dues　on　fires；　in

money　or　grain；　which；　according　to　many　common…law　systems；　he　levies

on　each　fireside；　house　or　family。　　The　dues　of　pulvérage；　quite　common

in　Dauphiny…and　Provence；　are　levied　on　passing　flocks　of　sheep。　　Those

of　the　lods　et　ventes　（lord's　due）；　an　almost　universal　tax；　consist

of　the　deduction　of　a　sixth；　often　of　a　fifth　or　even　a　fourth；　of　the

price　of　every　piece　of　ground　sold；　and　of　every　lease　exceeding　nine

years。　　The　dues　for　redemption　or　relief　are　equivalent　to　one　year's

income；　aid　that　he　receives　from　collateral　heirs；　and　often　from

direct　heirs。　　Finally；　a　rarer　due；　but　the　most　burdensome　of　all；　is

that　of　acapte　ou　de　plaid…a…merci；　which　is　a　double　rent；　or　a

year's　yield　of　fruits；　payable　as　well　on　the　death　of　the　seignior

as　on　that　of　the　copyholder。　　These　are　veritable　taxes；　on　land；　on

movables；　personal；　for　licenses；　for　traffic；　for　mutations；　for

successions；　established　formerly　on　the　condition　of　performing　a

public　service　which　he　is　no　longer　obliged　to　perform。



Other　dues　are　also　ancient　taxes；　but　he　still　performs　the

service　for　which　they　are　a　quittance。　　The　king；　in　fact；　suppresses

many　of　the　tolls；　twelve　hundred　in　1724；　and　the　suppression　is　kept

up。　　A　good　many　still　remain　to　the　profit　of　the　seignior；　…　on

bridges；　on　highways；　on　fords；　on　boats　ascending　　　or　descending；

several　being　very　lucrative；　one　of　them　producing　90；000　livres＇25＇。

He　pays　for　the　expense　of　keeping　up　bridge；　road；　ford　and　towpath。

In　like　manner；　on　condition　of　maintaining　the　market…place　and　of

providing　scales　and　weights　gratis；　he　levies　a　tax　on　provisions　and

on　merchandise　brought　to　his　fair　or　to　his　market。　　…　At　Angoulême　a

forty…eighth　of　the　grain　sold；　at　Combourg　near　Saint…Malo；　so　much

per　head　of　cattle；　elsewhere　so　much　on　wine；　eatables　and　fish＇26＇

Having　formerly　built　the　oven；　the　winepress；　the　mill　and　the

slaughterhouse；　he　obliges　the　inhabitants　to　use　these　or　pay　for

their　support；　and　he　demolishes　all　constructions；　which　might　enter

into　competition　with　him＇27＇。　　These；　again；　are　evidently　monopolies

and　octrois　going　back　to　the　time　when　he　was　in　possession　of　public

authority。



Not　only　did　he　then　possess　the　public　authority　but　also

possessed　the　soil　and　the　men　on　it。　　Proprietor　of　men；　he　is　so

still；　at　least　in　many　respects　and　in　many　provinces。　　〃In　Champagne

proper；　in　the　Sénonais；　in　la　Marche；　in　the　Bourbonnais；　in　the

Nivernais；　in　Burgundy；　in　Franche…Comté；　there　are　none；　or　very　few

domains；　no　signs　remaining　of　ancient　servitude　。　　。　　。　　。　　A　good　many

personal　serfs；　or　so　constituted　through　their　own　gratitude；　or　that

of　their　progenitors；　are　still　found。〃＇28＇　　There；　man　is　a　serf；

sometimes　by　virtue　of　his　birth；　and　again　through　a　territorial

condition。　　Whether　in　servitude；　or　as　mortmains；　or　as　cotters；　one

way　or　another；　1；500；000　individuals；　it　is　said；　wore　about　their

necks　a　remnant　of　the　feudal　collar；　this　is　not　surprising　since；　on

the　other　side　of　the　Rhine；　almost　all　the　peasantry　still　wear　it。

The　seignior；　formerly　master　and　proprietor　of　all　their　goods　and

chattels　and　of　all　their　labor；　can　still　exact　of　them　from　ten　to

twelve　corvées　per　annum　and　a　fixed　annual　tax。　　In　the　barony　of

Choiseul　near　Chaumont　in　Champagne；　〃the　inhabitants　are　required　to

plow　his　lands；　to　sow　and　reap　them　for　his　account　and　to　put　the

products　into　his　barns。　　Each　plot　of　ground；　each　house；　every　head

of　cattle　pays　a　quit…claim；　children　may　inherit　from　their　parents

only　on　condition　of　remaining　with　them；　if　absent　at　the　time　of

their　decease　he　is　the　inheritor。〃　This　is　what　was　styled　in　the

language　of　the　day　an　estate　〃with　excellent　dues。〃　…Elsewhere　the

seignior　inherits　from　collaterals；　brothers　or　nephews；　if　they　were

not　in　community　with　the　defunct　at　the　moment　of　his　death；　which

community　is　only　valid　through　his　consent。　　In　the　Jura　and　the

Nivernais；　he　may　pursue　fugitive　serfs；　and　demand；　at　their　death；

not　only　the　property　left　by　them　on　his　domain；　but；　again；　the

pittance　acquired　by　them　elsewhere。　　At　Saint…Claude　he　acquires　this

right　over　any　person　that　passes　a　year　and　a　day　in　a　house

belonging　to　the　seigniory。　　As　to　ownership　of　the　soil　we　see　still

more　clearly　that　he　once　had　entire　possession　of　it。　　In　the　district

subject　to　his　jurisdiction　the　public　domain　remains　his　private

domain；　roads；　streets　and　open　squares　form　a　part　of　it；　he　has　the

right　to　plant　trees　in　them　and　to　take　trees　up。　　In　many　provinces；

through　a　pasturage　rent；　he　obliges　the　inhabitants　to　pay　for

permits　to　pasture　their　cattle　in　the　fields　after　the　crop；　and　in

the　open　common　lands；　（les　terres　vaines　et　vagues）。　　Unnavigable

streams　belong　to　him；　as　well　as　islets　and　accumulations　formed　in

them　and　the　fish　that　are　found　in　them。　　He　has　the　right　of　the

chase　over　the　whole　extent　of　his　jurisdiction；　this　or　that　commoner

being　sometimes　compelled　to　throw　open　to　him　his　park　enclosed　by

walls。



One　more　trait　serves　to　complete　the　picture。　　This　head　of　the

State；　a　proprietor　of　man　and　of　the　soil；　was　once　a　resident

cultivator　on　his　own　small　farm　amidst　others　of　the　same　class；　and；

by　this　title；　he　reserved　to　himself　certain　working　privileges　which

he　always　retained。　　Such　is　the　right　of　banvin；　still　widely

diffused；　consisting　of　the　privilege　of　selling　his　own　wine；　to　the

exclusion　of　all　others；　during　thirty　or　forty　days　after　gathering

the　crop。　　Such　is；　in　Touraine；　the　right　of