the origins of contemporary france-4-第102章

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two　gendarmes　which　would　have　been　quite　sufficient　to　guard　me；　I

had　the　whole　brigade；　who　passed　that　night　and　the　next　day

drinking；　until；　in　wine　and　brandy　the　charge　against　me　in　the

tavern　amounted　to　sixty　francs。　　And　worse　still；　two　members　of　the

same　committee　passed　a　night　guarding　me　and　made　me　pay　for　it。　　Add

to　this；　they　said　openly　before　me　that　I　was　a　good　pigeon　to　pluck。

。　　。　　。　　They　gave　me　the　escort　of　a　state　criminal　of　the　highest

importance；　three　national　gendarmes；　mounted；　six　National　Guards；

and　even　to　the　Commandant　of　the　National　Guard；　citizen　Mièdan；

member　of　the　revolutionary　committee；　put　himself　at　the　head　of　the

cortege；　ten　men　to　conduct　one！　。　　。　　。　　。　　I　was　obliged　to　pay　my

torturers；　fifty　francs　to　the　commandant；　and　sixty　to　his　men。〃



＇103＇　Moniteur；　XXI。；　261。　　（Speech　by　an　inhabitant　of　Troyes　in　the

Jacobin　Club；　Paris；　Messidor　26；　year　II。）



＇104＇　Albert　Babeau；　II。；　164。　　（Depositions　of　the　tavern…keeper　and

of　the　commissioner；　Garnier。）



＇105＇　〃Frochot；〃　by　Louis　Passy；　170；　172。　　（Letter　by　Pajot　and

petition　of　the　Aignay　municipality；　March　10；　1795。）　…　Bibliotheque

Nationale；　L。；　41。　　No。1802。　　（Denunciation　by　six　sections　of　the

commune　of　Dijon　to　the　National　Convention。）



＇106＇　〃Recueil　de　Pièces　Authentiques　sur　la　Révolution　de

Strasbourg；〃　I。；　187；　and　letter　of　Burger；　Thermidor　25；　year　II。



＇107＇　Archives　Nationales；　D。；　§　I；　6　（file37）　…　Letter　of　the　members

of　the　Strasbourg　revolutionary　committee；　Vent？se　13；　year　III。；

indicating　to　the　mayor　and　municipal　officers　of　Chalons…sur…Marne

certain　Jacobins　of　the　town　as　suitable　members　of　the　Propaganda　at

Strasbourg。



＇108＇　〃Recueil　de　Pièces　Authentiques　concernant　la　Révolution　à

Strasbourg；〃　I。；71。　　Deposition　of　the　recorder　Weis　on　the　circuit　of

the　Revolutionary　Tribunal；　composed　of　Schneider；　Clavel　and　Taffin。

〃The　judges　never　left　the　table　without　having　become　intoxicated

with　everything　of　the　finest；　and；　in　this　state；　they　gathered　in

the　tribunal　and　condemned　the　accused　to　death。〃　…　Free　living　and

〃extravagant　expenditure〃　were　common　even　〃among　the　employees　of　the

government。〃　〃I　encountered；〃　says　Meissner；　〃government　carters

served　with　chickens；　pastry　and　game；　whilst　at　the　traveler's　table

there　was　simply　an　old　leg　of　mutton　and　a　few　poor　side…dishes。〃

（〃Voyage　en　France；〃　toward　the　end　of　1795；　p。371。）



＇109＇　Some　of　them；　nevertheless；　are　not　ugly；　but　merely　sots。　　The

following　is　a　specimen。　　A　certain　Velu；　a　born　vagabond；　formerly　in

the　alms…house　and　brought　up　there；　then　a　shoemaker　or　a　cobbler；

afterwards　teaching　school　in　the　faubourg　de　Vienne；　and　at　last　a

haranguer　and　proposer　of　tyrannicide　motions；　short；　stout　and　as

rubicund　as　his　cap；　is　made　President　of　the　Popular　club　at　Blois；

then　delegate　for　domiciliary　visits；　and；　throughout　the　reign　of

Terror；　he　is　a　principal　personage　in　the　town；　district　and

department。　　（Dufort　de　Cheverney；　〃Mémoires；〃　（MS。）　March　21；　1793

and　June；　1793。）　In　June；　1793；　this　Velu　is　ordered　to　visit　the

chateau　de　Cheverney；　to　verify　the　surrender　of　all　feudal　documents。

He　arrives　unexpectedly；　meets　the　steward；　Bambinet；　enters　the

mayor's　house；　who　keeps　an　inn；　and　drinks　copiously；　which　gives

Bambinet　time　to　warn　M。　Dufort　de　Cheverney　and　have　the　suspicious

registers　concealed。　　…　This　done；　〃Velu　is　obliged　to　leave　his

bottle　and　march　to　the　chateau。　　…　He　assumed　haughtiness　and　aimed

at　familiarity；　he　would　put　his　hand　on　his　breast　and；　taking　yours；

address　you：　〃Good　day；　brother。〃　…　He　came　there　at　nine　o'clock　in

the　morning；　advanced；　took　my　hand　and　said：　〃Good…day；　brother；　how

are　you？〃　〃Very　well；　citizen；　and　how　are　you？〃　〃You　do　not　tutoyer　…

you　are　not　up　to　the　Revolution？　〃We'll　see　…　will　you　step　in　the

parlor？〃　〃Yes；　brother；　I'll　follow　you。〃　…　We　enter；　he　sees　my　wife

who；　I　may　say；　has　an　imposing　air。　　He　boldly　embraces　her　and；

repeating　his　gesture　on　the　breast；　takes　her　hand　and　says：　〃Good…

day；　sister。〃　〃Come；〃　I　interpose；　〃let　us　take　breakfast；　and；　if　you

please；　you　shall　dine　with　me。〃　〃Yes；　but　on　one　condition；　that　tu

me　tutoie。〃　〃I　will　try；　but　I　am　not　in　the　habit　of　it。〃　After

warming　up　his　intellect　and　heart　with　a　bottle　of　wine；　we　get　rid

of　him　by　sending　him　to　inspect　the　archives…room；　along　with　my　son

and　Bambinet。　　It　is　amusing；　for　he　can　only　read　print。　　。　　。

Bambinet；　and　the　procureur；　read　the　titles　aloud；　and　pass　over　the

feudalisms。　　Velu　does　not　notice　this　and　always　tells　them　to　go　on。

…　After　an　hour；　tired　out；　he　comes　back：　〃All　right；〃　he　says；　〃now

let　me　see　your　chateau；　which　is　a　fine　one。〃　He　had　heard　about　a

room　where　there　were　fantocini；　in　the　attic。　　He　goes　up；　opens　some

play…books；　and；　seeing　on　the　lists　of　characters　the　name　of　King

and　Prince；　he；　says　to　me：　〃You　must　scratch　those　out；　and　play　only

republican　pieces。〃　The　descent　is　by　a　back…stairs。　　On　the　way　down

he　encounters　a　maid　of　my　wife's；　who　is　very　pretty；　he　stops　and；

regarding　my　son；　says：　〃You　must　as　a　good　Republican；　sleep　with

that　girl　and　marry　her。〃　I　look　at　him　and　reply：　〃　Monsieur　Velu；

listen；　we　are　well　behaved　here；　and　such　language　cannot　be　allowed。

You　must　respect　the　young　people　in　my　house。〃　A　little　disconcerted；

he　tames　down　and　is　quite　deferential　to　Madame　de　Cheverney。　　…　〃You

have　pen　and　ink　on　your　table；〃　he　says；　〃bring　them　here。〃　〃What

for；〃　I　ask；　〃to　take　my　inventory？〃　〃No；　but　I　must　make　a　procès…

verbal。　　You　help　me；　it　will　be　better　for　you；　as　you　can　fix　it　to

suit　you〃　This　was　not　badly　done；　to　conceal　his　want　of　knowledge。

…　We　go　in　to　dinner。　　My　servants　waited　on　the　table；　I　had　not

yielded　to　the　system　of　a　general　table　for　all　of　us；　which　would

not　have　pleased　my　servants　any　more　than　myself。　　Curiosity　led　them

all　to　come　in　and　see　us　dining　together。　　…　〃Brother；〃　says　Velu　to

me；　〃don't　these　people　eat　with　you？〃　（He　saw　the　table　set　for　only

four　persons。）　I　reply：　〃　Brother；　that　would　not　be　any　more

agreeable　to　them　than　to　myself。　　Ask　them。〃　…　He　ate　little；　drank

like　an　ogre；　and　was　talkative　about　his　amours；　getting　carried　away

he　got　so　close　to　being　naughty　that　he　upset　my　wife；　without

actually　going　to　far。　　Apropos　of　the　Revolution；　and　the　danger　we

incurred；　he　said　innocently：　〃Don't　I　run　as　much　risk　as　anybody？　It

is　my　opinion　that；　in　three　months；　I　shall　have　my　head　off！　But　we

must　all　take　our　chance！〃　…　Now　and　then；　he　indulged　in　sans…

culottisms。　　He　seized　the　servant's　hand；　who　changed　his　plate　：

〃Brother；　I　beg　you　to　take　my　place；　and　let　me　wait　on　you　in　my

turn　〃　…　He　drank　the　cordials；　and　finally　left；　pleased　with　his

reception。　　…　Returning　to　the　inn；　he　stays　until　nine　o'clock　at

night　and　stuffs　himself；　but　is　not　intoxicated。　　One　bottle　had　no

effect　on　him；　he　could　empty　a　cask　and　show　no　signs　of　it。



＇110＇　Moniteur；　XXII。；　425。　　（Session　of　Brumaire　13；　year　III。）

Cambon；　in　relation　to　the　revolutionary　committees；　says：　〃I　would

observe　to　the　Assembly　that　they　were　never　paid。〃　A　member　replies：

〃They　took　their　pay　themselves。〃　（〃Yes；　yes。〃　…　Applause。）



＇111＇　Moniteu；　XXII。；　711。　　（Report　by　Cambon；　Frimaire　6；　year　III。）

…　Cambon　stated；　indeed；　Frimaire　26；　year　II。；　（Moniteur；　XVIII。；

680）；　concerning　these　taxes　　〃Not　one　word；　not　one　sou　has　yet

reached　the　Treasury；　they　want　to　override　the　Convention　which　made

the　Revolution。〃



＇112＇　Ibid。；　720。　　〃The　balances　reported；　of　which　the　largest

portion　is　already　paid　into　the　vaults　of　the　National　Treasury；

amount　to　twenty　millions　one　hundred　and　sixty…six　thousand　three

hundred　and　thirty　livres。〃　…　At　Paris；　Marseilles；　and　Bordeaux；　in

the3　large　towns　where　tens　of　millions　were　raised　in　three…quarte