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the origins of contemporary france-3-第44章

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in the neighborhood; lays his hand on everything that is fit to be

taken; and; a few days after this; 30;000 francs are found in his

carpet…bag。…Taught by the example others follow and the commotion

spreads。  In every borough or petty town the club profits by these

acts to satiate its ambition its greed; and its hatred。 That of Apt

appeals to its neighbors; whereupon 1;500 National Guards of Gordes;

St。 Saturnin; Gouls and Lacoste; with a thousand women and children

armed with clubs and scythes; arrive one morning before the town。  On

being asked by whose orders they come in this fashion; they reply; 〃by

the orders which their patriotism has given them。〃   〃The fanatics;〃

or partisans of the sworn priests; 〃are the cause of their journey〃:

they therefore 〃want lodgings at the expense of the fanatics only。〃

The three day's occupation results for the latter and for the town in

a cost of 20;000 livres。'33'  They begin by breaking everything in the

church of the Récollets; and wall up its doors。 They then expel

unsworn ecclesiastics from the town; and disarm their partisans。 The

club of Apt; which is the sole authority; remains in session three

days: 〃the municipal bodies in the vicinity appear before it;

apologize for themselves; protest their civism; and ask as a favor

that no detachment be sent to their places。  Individuals are sent for

to be interrogated〃; several are proscribed; among whom are

administrators; members of the court; and the syndic…attorney。 A

number of citizens have fled;  the town is purged; while the same

purging is pursued in numbers of places in and out of the

district。'34' It is; indeed; attractive business。  It empties the

purses of the ill…disposed; and fills the stomachs of patriots; it is

agreeable to be well entertained; and especially at the expense of

one's adversaries; the Jacobin is quite content to save the country

through a round of feastings。  Moreover; he has the satisfaction of

playing king among his neighbors; and not only do they feed him for

doing them this service; but; again; they pay him for it。'35' … All

this is enlivening; and the expedition; which is a 〃sabbath;〃 ends in

a carnival。  Of the two Marseilles divisions; one; led back to Aix;

sets down to 〃a grand patriotic feast;〃 and then dances fandangoes; of

which 〃the principal one is led off by the mayor and commandant〃;'36'

the other makes its entry into Avignon the same day; with still

greater pomp and jollity。







IV。



The Jacobins of Avignon。 How they obtain recruits。 … …Their

robberies in the Comtat。  The Avignon municipality in flight or in

prison。  Murder of Lécuyer and the Glacière massacre。   Entry of

the murderers; supported by their Marseilles allies。   Jacobin

dictatorship in Vaucluse and the Buches…du…Rh?ne。



Nowhere else in France was there another nest of brigands like it: not

that a great misery might have produced a more savage uprising; on the

contrary; the Comtat; before the Revolution; was a land of plenty。

There was no taxation by the Pope; the taxes were very light; and were

expended on the spot。 〃For one or two pennies; one here could have

meat; bread; and wine。〃'37'  But; under the mild and corrupt

administration of the Italian legates; the country had become 〃the

safe asylum of all the rogues in France; Italy; and Genoa; who by

means of a trifling sum paid to the Pope's agents; obtained protection

and immunity。〃  Smugglers and receivers of stolen goods abounded here

in order to break through the lines of the French customs。  〃Bands of

robbers and assassins were formed; which the vigorous measures of the

parliaments of Aix and Grenoble could not wholly extirpate。  Idlers;

libertines; professional gamblers;〃'38' kept…cicisbeos; schemers;

parasites; and adventurers; mingle with men with branded shoulders;

the veterans 〃of vice and crime; 〃the scapegraces of the Toulon and

Marseilles galleys。〃 Ferocity here is hidden in debauchery; like a

serpent hidden in its own slime; here all that is required is some

chance event and this bad place will be transformed into a death trap。



The Jacobin leaders; Tournal; Rovère; the two Duprats; the two

Mainvielles; and Lécuyer; readily obtain recruits in this sink。 … They

begin; aided by the rabble of the town and of its suburbs; peasants

enemies of the octroi; vagabonds opposed to order of any kind; porters

and watermen armed with scythes; turnspits and clubs; by exciting

seven or eight riots。 Then they drive off the legate; force the

Councils to resign; hang the chiefs of the National Guard and of the

conservative party;'39' and take possession of the municipal offices。

After this their band increases to the dimensions of an army; which;

with license for its countersign and pillage for its pay; is the same

as that of Tilly and Wallenstein; 〃a veritable roving Sodom; at which

the ancient city would have stood aghast。〃 Out of 3;000 men; only 200

belong in Avignon; the rest are composed of French deserters;

smugglers; fugitives from justice; vagrant foreigners; marauders and

criminals; who; scenting a prey; come from afar; and even from

Paris;'40' along with them march the women belonging to them; still

more base and bloodthirsty。  In order to make it perfectly plain that

with them murder and robbery are the order of the day; they massacred

their first general; Patrix; guilty of having released a prisoner; and

elected in his place an old highway tramp named Jourdan; condemned to

death by the court at Valence; but who had escaped on the eve of his

execution; and who bore the nickname of Coupe…tête; because he is said

to have cut off the heads at Versailles of two of the King's

guards。'41'  Under such a commander the troop increases until it

forms a body of five or six thousand men; which stops people in the

streets and forcibly enrolls them; they are called Mandrins; which is

severe for Mandrin;'42' because their war is not merely on public

persons and property; as his was; but on the possessions; the

proprieties; and the lives of private individuals。  One detachment

alone; at one time; extorts in Cavaillon 25;000 francs; in Baume

12;000; in Aubignon 15;000; in Pioline 4;800; while Caumont is taxed

2;000 francs a week。 At Sarrians; where the mayor gives them the keys;

they pillage houses from top to bottom; carry off their plunder in

carts; set fire; violate and slay with all the refinements of torture

of so many Hurons。 An old lady of eighty; and a paralytic; is shot at

arms length; and left weltering in her blood in the midst of the

flames。 A child five years of age is cut in two; its mother

decapitated; and its sister mutilated; they cut off the ears of the

curé; set them on his brow like a cockade; and then cut his throat;

along with that of a pig; and tear out the two hearts and dance around

them。'43'  After this; for fifty days around Carpentras; to which they

lay siege in vain; the unprovoked; cruel instincts of the chauffeurs

manifested at a later date; the ancient cannibalistic desires which

sometimes reappear in convicts; and the perverted and over…strained

sensuality found in maniacs; have full play。



On beholding the monster it has nourished; Avignon; in alarm; utters

cries of distress。'44'  But the brute; which feels its strength; turns

against its former abettors; shows its teeth; and exacts its daily

food。  Ruined or not; Avignon must furnish its quota。 〃In the

electoral assembly; Mainvielle the younger; elected elector; although

he is only twenty…two; draws two pistols from his belt and struts

around with a threatening air。〃'45'  Duprat; the president; the better

to master his colleagues; proposes to them to leave Avignon and go to

Sorgues; which they refuse to do; upon this he orders cannon to be

brought; promises to pay those who will accompany him; drags along the

timid; and denounces the rest before an upper national court; of which

he himself has designated the members。 Twenty of the elector
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