The French Revolution (Vol.1-3). Taine Hippolyte
and principal merchants of Puy-en-Velay, September 16, 1789.)—H. 1453. (letter of the Intendant or Alençon, July 18th). "I must not leave you in ignorance of the multiplied outbreaks we have in all parts of my jurisdiction. The impunity with which they flatter themselves, because the judges are afraid of irritating the people by examples of severity, only emboldens them. Mischief-makers, confounded with honest folks, spread false reports about particular persons whom they accuse of concealing grain, or of not belonging to the Third-Estate, and, under this pretext, they pillage their houses, taking whatever they can find, the owners only avoiding death by flight."]
1308 (return) [ A body of magistrates forming one of the lower tribunals.]
1309 (return) [ "Archives Nationales," H. 942. (Observations of M. de Ballainvilliers, October 30, 1789.)]
1310 (return) [ "Archives Nationales," D, XXIX. 1. Letter of the municipal assembly of Louviers, the end of August, 1789.—Letter of the communal assembly of Saint-Bris (bailiwick of Auxerre), September 25th.—Letter of the municipal officers of Ricey-Haut, near Bar-sur-Seine, August 25th; of the Chevalier d'Allouville, September 8th.]
1311 (return) [ "Archives Nationales," D, XXIX. I. Letter of M. Briand-Delessart (Angoulême, August 1st).—Of M. Bret, Lieutenant-General of the provostship of Mardogne, September 5th.—Of the Chevalier de Castellas (Auvergue), September 15th (relating to the night between the 2nd and 3rd of August).—Madame Campan, II. 65.]
1312 (return) [ Arthur Young, "Voyages in France," July 24th and 31st, August 13th and 19th.]
1313 (return) [ De Bouillé, 108.—"Archives Nationales," KK. 1105. Correspondence of M. deThiard, September 20, 1789 (apropos of one hundred guns given to the town of Saint-Brieuc). "They are not of the slightest use, but this passion for arms is a temporary epidemic which must be allowed to subside of itself. People are determined to believe in brigands and in enemies, whereas neither exist."—September 25th, "Vanity alone impels them, and the pride of having cannon is their sole motive."]
1314 (return) [ "Archives Nationales," H. 1453. Letters of M. Amelot, July 17th and 24th. "Several wealthy private persons of the town (Auxonne) have been put to ransom by this band, of which the largest portion consists of ruffians."—Letter of nine cultivators of Breteuil (Picardy) July 23rd (their granaries were pillaged up to the last grain the previous evening). "They threaten to pillage our crops and set our barns on fire as soon as they are full. M. Tassard, the notary, has been visited in his house by the populace, and his life has been threatened." Letter of Moreau, Procureur du Roi at the Senechal's Court at Bar-le-Duc, September 15, 1789, D, XXIX, 1. "On the 27th of July the people rose and most cruelly assassinated a merchant trading in wheat. On the 27th and 28th his house and that of another were sacked," etc.]
1315 (return) [ Chronicle of Dominick Schmutz ("Revue d'Alsace," V. III. 3rd series). These are his own expressions: Gesindel, Lumpen-gesindel.—De Rochambeau, "Mémoires," I. 353.—Arthur Young (an eye-witness), July 21st.—Of Dampmartin (eye-witness), I. 105. M. de Rochambeau shows the usual indecision and want of vigor: whilst the mob are pillaging houses and throwing things out of the windows, he passes in front of his regiments (8,000 men) drawn up for action, and says, "My friends, my good friends, you see what is going on. How horrible! Alas! these are your papers, your titles and those of your parents." The soldiers smile at this sentimental prattle.]
1316 (return) [ Dumouriez (an eye-witness), book III. ch. 3.—The trial was begun and judgment given by twelve lawyers and an assessor, whom the people, in arms, had themselves appointed.—Hippeau, IV. 382.]
1317 (return) [ "Archives Nationales," F7 3248. (Letter of the mayor, M. Poussiaude de Thierri, September 11th.)]
1318 (return) [ Floquet, VII. 551.]
1319 (return) [ De Goncourt, "La Société française pendant la Révolution," 37.]
1320 (return) [ "Archives Nationales," D. XXIX. 1. Letter of the officers of the bailiwick of Dôle, August 24th.—Sauzay I. 128.]
1321 (return) [ There is a similar occurrence at Strasbourg, a few days after the sacking of the town-hall. The municipality having given each man of the garrison twenty sous, the soldiers abandon their post, set the prisoners free at the Pont-Couvert, feast publicly in the streets with the women taken out of the penitentiary, and force innkeepers and the keepers of drinking-places to give up their provisions. The shops are all closed, and, for twenty-four hours, the officers are not obeyed. (De Dampmartin, I. 105.)]
1322 (return) [ Albert Babeau, I. 187–273.—Moniteur, II. 379. (Extract from the provost's verdict of November 27, 1789.)]
1323 (return) [ Moniteur, ibid. Picard, the principal murderer, confessed "that he had made him suffer a great deal; that the said sieur Huez did not die until they came near the Chaudron Inn; that he nevertheless intended to make him suffer more by stabbing him in the neck at the corner of each street, (and) by contriving it so that he might do it often, as long as there was life in him; that the day on which M. Huez died yielded him ten francs, together with the neck-buckle of M. Hues, found on him when he was arrested in his flight."]
1324 (return) [ Mercure de France,, September 26, 1789. Letters of the officers of the Bourbon regiment and of members of the general committee of Caen.—Floquet, VII. 545.]
1325 (return) [ "Archives Nationales," H. 1453.—Ibid. D. XXIX. I. Note of M. de la Tour-du-Pin, October 28th.]
1326 (return) [ Decree, February 5, 1789, enforced May 1st following.]