house　is　pillaged；　as　well　as　the　bureau　of　the　flour…tax。　　The
  following　day；　the　chief　of　the　band　〃obliges　the　principal
  inhabitants　to　give　him　a　sum　of　money　to　indemnify；　as　he　states
  it；　the　peasants　who　have　abandoned　their　work；〃　and　devoted　the　day
  to　serving　the　public。　　　At　Peinier；　the　Président　de　Peinier；　an
  octogenarian；　is　〃besieged　in　his　chateau　by　a　band　of　a　hundred　and
  fifty　artisans　and　peasants；〃　who　bring　with　them　a　consul　and　a
  notary。　　Aided　by　these　two　functionaries；　they　force　the　president
  〃to　pass　an　act　by　which　he　renounces　his　seignorial　rights　of　every
  description　〃　　　At　Sollier　they　destroy　the　mills　belonging　to　M。
  de　Forbin…Janson。　　They　sack　the　house　of　his　business　agent；
  pillage　the　chateau；　and　demolish　the　roof；　chapel；　altar；　railings；
  and　escutcheons。　　They　enter　the　cellars；　stave　in　the　casks；　and
  carry　away　everything　that　can　be　carried；　〃the　transportation
  taking　two　days；〃　all　of　which　cause　damages　of　a　hundred　thousand
  crowns　to　the　marquis。　　　At　Riez　they　surround　the　episcopal
  palace　with　fagots；　threatening　to　burn　it；　〃and　compromise　with　the
  bishop　on　a　promise　of　fifty　thousand　livres；〃　and　want　him　to　burn
  his　archives。　　　In　short；　the　sedition　is　social　for　it　singles
  out　for　attack　all　that　profit　by；　or　stand　at　the　head　of；　the
  established　order　of　things。
  Seeing　them　act　in　this　way；　one　would　say　that　the　theory　of　the
  Contrat…Social　had　been　instilled　into　them。　　They　treat　magistrates
  as　domestics；　promulgate　laws；　and　conduct　themselves　like
  sovereigns。　　They　exercise　public　power；　and　establish；　summarily；
  arbitrarily；　and　brutally；　whatever　they　think　to　be　in　conformity
  with　natural　right。　　　At　Peinier　they　exact　a　second　electoral
  assembly；　and；　for　themselves；　the　right　of　suffrage。　　　At　Saint…
  Maximin　they　themselves　elect　new　consuls　and　officers　of　justice。
  At　Solliez　they　oblige　the　judge's　lieutenant　to　give　in　his
  resignation；　and　they　break　his　staff　of　office。　　　At　Barjols
  〃they　use　consuls　and　judges　as　their　town　servants；　announcing　that
  they　are　masters　and　that　they　will　themselves　administer　justice。〃
  In　fact；　they　do　administer　it；　as　they　understand　it　　that　is
  to　say；　through　many　exactions　and　robberies！　One　man　has　wheat；　he
  must　share　it　with　him　who　has　none。　　Another　has　money；　he　must
  give　it　to　him　who　has　not　enough　to　buy　bread　with。　　On　this
  principle；　at　Barjols；　they　tax　the　Ursulin　nuns　1；800　livres；　carry
  off　fifty　loads　of　wheat　from　the　Chapter；　eighteen　from　one　poor
  artisan；　and　forty　from　another；　and　constrain　canons　and
  beneficiaries　to　give　acquittances　to　their　farmers。　　Then；　from
  house　to　house；　with　club　in　hand；　they　oblige　some　to　hand　over
  money；　others　to　abandon　their　claims　on　their　debtors；　〃one　to
  desist　from　criminal　proceedings；　another　to　nullify　a　decree
  obtained；　a　third　to　reimburse　the　expenses　of　a　lawsuit　gained
  years　before；　a　father　to　give　his　consent　to　the　marriage　of　his
  son。〃　　All　their　grievances　are　brought　to　mind；　and　we　all　know
  the　tenacity　of　a　peasant's　memory。　　Having　become　the　master；　he
  redresses　wrongs；　and　especially　those　of　which　he　thinks　himself
  the　object。　　There　must　be　a　general　restitution；　and　first；　of　the
  feudal　dues　which　have　been　collected。　　They　take　of　M。　de
  Montmeyan's　business　agent　all　the　money　he　has　as　compensation　for
  that　received　by　him　during　fifteen　years　as　a　notary。　　A　former
  consul　of　Brignolles　had；　in　1775；　inflicted　penalties　to　the　amount
  of　1；500　or　1；800　francs；　which　had　been　given　to　the　poor；　this　sum
  is　taken　from　his　strong　box。　　Moreover；　if　consuls　and　law　officers
  are　wrongdoers；　the　title　deeds；　rent…rolls；　and　other　documents　by
  which　they　do　their　business　are　still　worse。　　To　the　fire　with　all
  old　writings　　not　only　office　registers；　but　also；　at　Hyères；　all
  the　papers　in　the　town　hall　and　those　of　the　principal　notary。
  In　the　matter　of　papers　none　are　good　but　new　ones　　those　which
  convey　some　discharge；　quittance；　or　obligation　to　the　advantage　of
  the　people。　　At　Brignolles　the　owners　of　the　gristmills　are
  constrained　to　execute　a　contract　of　sale　by　which　they　convey　their
  mills　to　the　commune　in　consideration　of　5；000　francs　per　annum；
  payable　in　ten　years　without　interest　　an　arrangement　which　ruins
  them。　　On　seeing　the　contract　signed　the　peasants　shout　and　cheer；
  and　so　great　is　their　faith　in　this　piece　of　stamped　paper　that　they
  at　once　cause　a　mass　of　thanksgiving　to　be　celebrated　in　the
  Cordeliers。　　Formidable　omens　these！　Which　mark　the　inward　purpose；
  the　determined　will；　and　the　coming　deeds　of　this　rising　power。　　If
  it　prevails；　its　first　work　will　be　to　destroy　all　ancient
  documents；　all　title　deeds；　rent…rolls；　contracts；　and　claims　to
  which　force　compels　it　to　submit。　　By　force　likewise　it　will　draw　up
  others　to　its　own　advantage；　and　the　scribes　who　do　it　will　be　its
  own　deputies　and　administrators　whom　it　holds　in　its　rude　grasp。
  Those　who　are　in　high　places　are　not　alarmed；　they　even　find　that
  there　is　some　good　in　the　revolt；　inasmuch　as　it　compels　the　towns
  to　suppress　unjust　taxation。＇32＇　　The　new　Marseilles　guard；　formed
  of　young　men；　is　allowed　to　march　to　Aubagne；　〃to　insist　that　M。　le
  lieutenant　criminel　and　M。　l'avocat　du　Roi　release　the　prisoners。〃
  The　disobedience　of　Marseilles；　which　refuses　to　receive　the
  magistrates　sent　under　letters　patent　to　take　testimony；　is
  tolerated。　　And　better　still；　in　spite　of　the　remonstrances　of　the
  parliament　of　Aix；　a　general　amnesty　is　proclaimed；　〃no　one　is
  excepted　but　a　few　of　the　leaders；　to　whom　is　allowed　the　liberty　of
  leaving　the　kingdom。〃　The　mildness　of　the　King　and　of　the　military
  authorities　is　admirable。　　It　is　admitted　that　the　people　are
  children；　that　they　err　only　through　ignorance；　that　faith　must　be
  had　in　their　repentance；　and；　as　soon　as　they　return　to　order；　they
  must　be　received　with　paternal　effusions。　　　　The　truth　is；　that
  the　child　is　a　blind　Colossus；　exasperated　by　sufferings。　　hence
  whatever　it　takes　hold　of　is　shattered　　　not　only　the　local　wheels
  of　the　provinces；　which；　if　temporarily　deranged；　may　be　repaired；
  but　even　the　incentive　at　the　center　which　puts　the　rest　in　motion；
  and　the　destruction　of　which　will　throw　the　whole　machinery　into
  confusion。
  __________________________________________________________________
  Notes：
  ＇1＇　Marmontel；　〃Mémoires；〃　II。　　221。　　　Albert　Babeau；　〃Histoire
  de　la　Révolution　Fran？aise；〃　I。　　91；　187。　　（Letter　by　Huez　Mayor　of
  Troyes；　July　30；　1788。）…　　　Archives　Nationales；　H。　　1274。　　（Letter
  by　M。　de　Caraman；　April　22；　1789。）　H。　　942　（Cahier　des　demandes　des
  Etats　de　Languedoc）。　　…　　Buchez　et　Roux；　〃Histoire　Parlementaire；〃
  I。　　283。
  ＇2＇　See　〃　The　Ancient　Régime；〃　p。34。　　Albert　Babeau；　I。　　91。　　（The
  Bishop　of　Troyes　gives　12；000　francs；　and　the　chapter　6；000；　for　the
  relief　workshops。）
  ＇3＇　〃The　Ancient　Regime；〃　350；　387。Floquet；　〃Histoire　du　Parlement
  de　Normandie；〃　VII。　　505…518。　　（Reports　of　the　Parliament　of
  Normandy；　May　3；1788。　　Letter　from　the　Parliament　to　the　King；　July
  15；　1789。）
  ＇4＇　Arthur　Young；　〃Voyages　in　France；〃　June　29th；　July　2nd　and　18th
  〃　Journal　de　Paris；〃　January　2；　1789。　　Letter　of　the　curé　of
  Sainte…Marguerite。
  ＇5＇　Buchez　and　Roux；　IV。　　79…82。　　（Letter　from　the　intermediary
  bureau　of　Montereau；　July　9；　1789；　from　the　maire　of　Villeneuve…le…
  Roi；　July　10th；　from　M。　Baudry；　July　10th；　from　M。　Prioreau；　July
  11th；　etc。）　　　Montjoie；　〃Histoire　de　la　Révolution　de　France；〃　2nd
  part；　ch。　　XXI；　p。　　5。
  ＇6＇　Roux　et　Buchez；　ibid。　　〃It　is　very　unfortunate；〃　writes　the
  Marquis　d'Autichamp；　〃to　be　obliged　to　cut　down　the　standing　crops
  ready　to　be　gathered　in；　but　it　is　dangerous　to　let　the　troops　die
  of　hunger。〃
  ＇7＇　Montjoie；　〃Histoire　de　la　Révolution　de　France；〃　ch。　　XXXIX；　V；
  37。　　　De　Goncourt；　〃La　Société　Fran？aise　pendant　la　Révolution；〃
  p。　　5l3。　　　Deposition　of　Maillard　（Criminal　Inquiry　of　the
  Chatelet　concerning　the　events　of　October　5th　and　6th）。
  ＇8＇　De　Tocqueville；　〃L'Ancien　Régime　et　la　Révolution；〃　272…290。　　De
  Lavergne；　〃Les　Assemblées　provinciales；〃　109。　　Procès…verbaux　des
  assemblées　provinciales；　passim。
  ＇9＇　A　magistrate　who　gives　judgment　in　a　lower　court　in　cases
  relative　to　taxation。　　These　terms　are　retained　because　there　are　no
  equivalents　in　English。　　（Tr。）
  ＇10＇　〃Laboureurs；〃　　this　term；　at　this　epoch；　is　applied　to　those
  who　till　their　own　land。　　（Tr。）
  ＇11＇　Duvergier。　　〃Collection　des　lois　et　décrets；〃　I。　　1　to　23；　and
  particularly　p。　　15。
  ＇12＇　Parish　priests。　　（SR。）
  ＇13＇　Arthur　Young；　July　12th　；　1789　（in　Champagne）。
  ＇14＇　Montjoie；　1st　part；　102。
  ＇15＇　Floquet；　〃Histoire　du　Parlement　de　Normandie；〃　VII。　　508。　　　〃
  Archives　Nationales；〃　H。　　1453。
  ＇16＇　Arthur　Young；　June　29th　（at　Nangis）。
  ＇17＇　〃Archives　Nationales；〃　H。1453。　　Letter　of　the　Duc　de　Mortem