friend；　be　as　gentle　with　them　as　you　would　be　with　your　equals；　and
  rest　assured　that　they　are　capable　of　responding　to　it。〃
  Thus　does　Huez　act；　and　he　even　does　more；　paying　no　attention　to
  their　menaces；　refusing　to　provide　for　his　own　safety　and　almost
  offering　himself　as　a　sacrifice。
  〃I　have　wronged　no　one；〃　he　exclaimed；　〃why　should　any　one　bear　me
  ill…will？〃
  His　sole　precaution　is　to　provide　something　for　the　unfortunate　poor
  when　he　is　gone：　he　bequeaths　in　his　will　18；000　livres　to　the　poor；
  and；　on　the　eve　of　his　death；　sends　100　crowns　to　the　bureau　of
  charity。　　But　what　avail　self…abnegation　and　beneficence　against
  blind；　insane　rage！　On　the　9th　of　September；　three　loads　of　flour
  proving　to　be　unsound；　the　people　collect　and　shout　out；
  〃Down　with　the　flour…dealers！　Down　with　machinery！　Down　with　the
  mayor！　Death　to　the　mayor；　and　let　Truelle　be　put　in　his　place！　〃
  Huez；　on　leaving　his　court…room；　is　knocked　down；　murdered　by　kicks
  and　blows；　throttled；　dragged　to　the　reception　hall；　struck　on　his
  head　with　a　wooden…shoe　and　pitched　down　the　grand　staircase。　　The
  municipal　officers　strive　in　vain　to　protect　him；　a　rope　is　put
  around　his　neck　and　they　begin　to　drag　him　along。　　A　priest；　who
  begs　to　be　allowed　at　least　to　save　his　soul；　is　repulsed　and
  beaten。　　A　woman　jumps　on　the　prostrate　old　man；　stamps　on　his　face
  and　repeatedly　thrusts　her　scissors　in　his　eyes。　　He　is　dragged
  along　with　the　rope　around　his　neck　up　to　the　Pont　de　la　Selle；　and
  thrown　into　the　neighboring　ford；　and　then　drawn　out；　again　dragged
  through　the　streets　and　in　the　gutters；　with　a　bunch　of　hay　crammed
  in　his　mouth。＇23＇
  In　the　meantime；　his　house　as　well　as　that　of　the　lieutenant　of
  police；　that　of　the　notary　Guyot；　and　that　of　M。　de　Saint…Georges；
  are　sacked；　the　pillaging　and　destruction　lasts　four　hours；　at　the
  notary's　house；　six　hundred　bottles　of　wine　are　consumed　or　carried
  off；　objects　of　value　are　divided；　and　the　rest；　even　down　to　the
  iron　balcony；　is　demolished　or　broken；　the　rioters　cry　out；　on
  leaving；　that　they　have　still　to　burn　twenty…seven　houses；　and　to
  take　twenty…seven　heads。　　〃No　one　at　Troyes　went　to　bed　that　fatal
  night。〃…　During　the　succeeding　days；　for　nearly　two　weeks；　society
  seems　to　be　dissolved。　　Placards　posted　about　the　streets　proscribe
  municipal　officers；　canons；　divines；　privileged　persons；　prominent
  merchants；　and　even　ladies　of　charity；　the　latter　are　so　frightened
  that　they　throw　up　their　office；　while　a　number　of　persons　move　off
  into　the　country；　others　barricade　themselves　in　their　dwellings　and
  only　open　their　doors　with　saber　in　hand。　　Not　until　the　26th　does
  the　orderly　class　rally　sufficiently　to　resume　the　ascendancy　and
  arrest　the　miscreants。　　　Such　is　public　life　in　France　after　the
  14th　of　July：　the　magistrates　in　each　town　feel　that　they　are　at　the
  mercy　of　a　band　of　savages　and　sometimes　of　cannibals。　　Those　of
  Troyes　had　just　tortured　Huez　after　the　fashion　of　Hurons；　while
  those　of　Caen　did　worse；　Major　de　Belzance；　not　less　innocent；　and
  under　sworn　protection；＇24＇　was　cut　to　pieces　like　Laperouse　in　the
  Fiji　Islands；　and　a　woman　ate　his　heart。
  VI。
  Taxes　are　no　longer　paid。　　…　Devastation　of　the　Forests。　　…　The　new
  game　laws。
  It　is；　under　such　circumstances；　possible　to　foretell　whether　taxes
  come　in；　and　whether　municipalities　that　sway　about　in　every　popular
  breeze　will　have　the　authority　to　collect　the　odious　revenues。
  Towards　the　end　of　September；＇25＇　I　find　a　list　of　thirty…six
  committees　or　municipal　bodies　which；　within　a　radius　of　fifty
  leagues　around　Paris；　refuse　to　ensure　the　collection　of　taxes。　　One
  of　them　tolerates　the　sale　of　contraband　salt；　in　order　not　to
  excite　a　riot。　　Another　takes　the　precaution　to　disarm　the　employees
  in　the　excise　department。　　In　a　third　the　municipal　officers　were
  the　first　to　provide　themselves　with　contraband　salt　and　contraband
  tobacco。
  At　Peronne　and　at　Ham；　the　order　having　come　to　restore　the　toll…
  houses；　the　people　destroy　the　soldiers'　quarters；　conduct　all　the
  employees　to　their　homes；　and　order　them　to　leave　within　twenty…four
  hours；　under　penalty　of　death。　　After　twenty　months'　resistance
  Paris　will　end　the　matter　by　forcing　the　National　Assembly　to　give
  in　and　by　obtaining　the　final　suppression　of　its　octroi。＇26＇　　　Of
  all　the　creditors　whose　hand　each　one　felt　on　his　shoulders；　that　of
  the　exchequer　was　the　heaviest；　and　now　it　is　the　weakest；　hence
  this　is　the　first　whose　grasp　is　to　be　shaken　off；　there　is　none
  which　is　more　heartily　detested　or　which　receives　harsher　treatment。
  Especially　against　collectors　of　the　salt…tax；　custom…house
  officers；　and　excisemen　the　fury　is　universal。　　These；
  everywhere；＇27＇　are　in　danger　of　their　lives　and　are　obliged　to　fly。
  At　Falaise；　in　Normandy；　the　people　threaten　to　〃cut　to　pieces　the
  director　of　the　excise。〃　At　Baignes；　in　Saintonge；　his　house　is
  devastated　and　his　papers　and　effects　are　burned；　they　put　a　knife
  to　the　throat　of　his　son；　a　child　six　years　of　age；　saying；　〃Thou
  must　perish　that　there　may　be　no　more　of　thy　race。〃
  For　four　hours　the　clerks　are　on　the　point　of　being　torn　to　pieces；
  through　the　entreaties　of　the　lord　of　the　manor；　who　sees　scythes
  and　sabers　aimed　at　his　own　head；　they　are　released　only　on　the
  condition　that　they　〃abjure　their　employment。〃　　Again；　for　two
  months　following　the　taking　of　the　Bastille；　insurrections　break　out
  by　hundreds；　like　a　volley　of　musketry；　against　indirect　taxation。
  》From　the　23rd　of　July　the　Intendant　of　Champagne　reports　that　〃the
  uprising　is　general　in　almost　all　the　towns　under　his　command。〃　On
  the　following　day　the　Intendant　of　Alen？on　writes　that；　in　his
  province；　〃the　royal　dues　will　no　longer　be　paid　anywhere。〃　On　the
  7th　of　August；　M。　Necker　states　to　the　National　Assembly　that　in　the
  two　intendants'　districts　of　Caen　and　Alen？on　it　has　been　necessary
  to　reduce　the　price　of　salt　one…half；　that　〃in　an　infinity　of　places
  〃　the　collection　of　the　excise　is　stopped　or　suspended；　that　the
  smuggling　of　salt　and　tobacco　is　done　by　〃convoys　and　by　open　force
  〃　in　Picardy；　in　Lorraine；　and　in　the　Trois…évêchés；　that　the
  indirect　tax　does　not　come　in；　that　the　receivers…general　and　the
  receivers　of　the　taille　are　〃at　bay〃　and　can　no　longer　keep　their
  engagements。　　The　public　income　diminishes　from　month　to　month；　in
  the　social　body；　the　heart；　already　so　feeble；　faints；　deprived　of
  the　blood　which　no　longer　reaches　it；　it　ceases　to　propel　to　the
  muscles　the　vivifying　current　which　restores　their　waste　and　adds　to
  their　energy。
  〃All　controlling　power　is　slackened；〃　says　Necker；　〃everything　is　a
  prey　to　the　passions　of　individuals。〃　Where　is　the　power　to
  constrain　them　and　to　secure　to　the　State　its　dues？　　The　clergy；
  the　nobles；　wealthy　townsmen；　and　certain　brave　artisans　and
  farmers；　undoubtedly　pay；　and　even　sometimes　give　spontaneously。
  But　in　society　those　who　possess　intelligence；　who　are　in　easy
  circumstances　and　conscientious；　form　a　small　select　class；　the
  great　mass　is　egotistic；　ignorant；　and　needy；　and　lets　its　money　go
  only　under　constraint；　there　is　but　one　way　to　collect　the　taxes；
  and　that　is　to　extort　them。　　From　time　immemorial；　direct　taxes　in
  France　have　been　collected　only　by　bailiffs　and　seizures；　which　is
  not　surprising；　as　they　take　away　a　full　half　of　the　net　income。
  Now　that　the　peasants　of　each　village　are　armed　and　form　a　band；　let
  the　collector　come　and　make　seizures　if　he　dare　！　　〃　Immediately
  after　the　decree　on　the　equality　of　the　taxes；〃　writes　the
  provincial　commission　of　Alsace；＇28＇　〃the　people　generally　refused
  to　make　any　payments；　until　those　who　were　exempt　and　privileged
  should　have　been　inscribed　on　the　local　lists。〃　In　many　places　the
  peasants　threaten　to　obtain　the　reimbursement　of　their　installments；
  while　in　others　they　insist　that　the　decree　should　be　retrospective
  and　that　the　new　rate…payers　should　pay　for　the　past　year。　　〃No
  collector　dare　send　an　official　to　distrain；　none　that　are　sent　dare
  fulfill　their　mission。〃　　〃　It　is　not　the　good　bourgeois〃　of　whom
  there　is　any　fear；　〃but　the　rabble　who　make　the　latter　and　every　one
  else　afraid　of　them；〃　resistance　and　disorder　everywhere　come　from
  〃people　that　have　nothing　to　lose。〃　　Not　only　do　they　shake　off
  taxation；　but　they　usurp　property；　and　declare　that；　being　the
  Nation；　whatever　belongs　to　the　Nation　belongs　to　them。　　The　forests
  of　Alsace　are　laid　waste；　the　seignorial　as　well　as　communal；　and
  wantonly　destroyed　with　the　wastefulness　of　children　or　of　maniacs。
  〃In　many　places；　to　avoid　the　trouble　of　removing　the　woods；　they
  are　burnt；　and　the　people　content　themselves　with　carrying　off　the
  ashes。〃　　After　the　decrees　of　August　4th；　and　in　spite　of　the　law
  which　licenses　the　proprietor　only　to　hunt　on　his　own　grounds；　the
  impulse　to　break　the　law　becomes　irresistible。　　Every　man　who　ca