abroad。〃　In　the　suburbs　of　Rouen　they　imagine　that　grain　is
  purposely　〃　engulfed　in　the　swamps；　ponds；　and　clay…pits。〃　At　Laon；
  imbecile　and　Jacobin　committees　attribute　the　dearness　of　provisions
  to　the　avidity　of　the　rich　and　the　malevolence　of　the　aristocrats
  according　to　them；　〃jealous　millionaires　grow　rich　at　the　expense　of
  the　people。　　They　know　the　popular　strength；〃　and；　not　daring　to
  measure　their　forces　with　it；　〃in　an　honorable　fight；〃　have　recourse
  〃to　treachery。〃　To　conquer　the　people　easily　they　have　determined　to
  reduce　them　in　advance　by　extreme　suffering　and　by　the　length　of
  their　fast；　and　hence　they　monopolize　〃wheat；　rye；　and　meal；　soap；
  sugar；　and　brandy。〃＇18＇　　…　　　Similar　reports　suffice　to　excite　a
  suffering　crowd　to　acts　of　violence；　and　it　must　inevitably　accept
  for　its　leaders　and　advisers　those　who　urge　it　forward　on　the　side
  to　which　it　is　inclined。　　The　people　always　require　leaders；　and
  they　are　chosen　wherever　they　can　be　found；　at　one　time　amongst　the
  elite；　and　at　another　amongst　the　dregs。　　Now　that　the　nobles　are
  driven　out；　the　bourgeoisie　in　retirement；　the　large　cultivators
  under　suspicion；　while　animal　necessities　exercise　their　blind　and
  intermittent　despotism；　the　appropriate　popular　ministers　consist　of
  adventurers　and　of　bandits。　　They　need　not　be　very　numerous；　for　in
  a　place　full　of　combustible　matter　a　few　firebrands　suffice　to　start
  the　conflagration。　　〃About　twenty；　at　most；　can　be　counted　in　the
  towns　of　étampes　and　Dourdan；　men　with　nothing　to　lose　and
  everything　to　gain　by　disturbances；　they　are　those　who　always
  produce　excitement　and　disorder；　while　other　citizens　afford　them
  the　means　through　their　indifference。〃　Those　whose　names　are　known
  among　the　new　guides　of　the　crowd　are　almost　all　escaped　convicts
  whose　previous　habits　have　accustomed　them　to　blows；　violence；
  frequently　to　murder；　and　always　to　contempt　for　the　law。　　At
  Brunoy；＇19＇　the　leaders　of　the　outbreak　are　〃two　deserters　of　the
  18th　regiment；　sentenced　and　unpunished；　who；　in　company　with　the
  vilest　and　most　desperate　of　the　parish；　always　go　about　armed　and
  threatening。〃　At　étampes；　〃the　two　principal　assassins　of　the　mayor
  are　a　poacher　repeatedly　condemned　for　poaching；　and　an　old
  carabiniere　dismissed　from　his　regiment　with　a　bad　record　against
  him。〃＇20＇　　Around　these　are　artisans　〃without　a　known　residence；〃
  wandering　workmen；　journeymen　and　apprentices；　vagrants　and　highway
  rovers；　who　flock　into　the　towns　on　market…days　and　are　always　　…
  ready　for　mischief　when　an　opportunity　occurs。　　Vagabonds；　indeed；
  now　roam　about　the　country　everywhere；　all　restrictions　against　them
  having　ceased。
  〃For　a　year　past；〃　write　several　parishes　in　the　neighborhood　of
  Versailles；　〃we　have　seen　no　gendarmes　except　those　who　come　with
  decrees；〃　and　hence　the　multiplication　of　〃murders　and　brigandage　〃
  between　étampes　and　Versailles；　on　the　highways　and　in　the　country。
  Bands　of　thirteen；　fifteen；　twenty　and　twenty…two　beggars　rob　the
  vineyards；　enter　farm…houses　at　night；　and　compel　their　inmates　to
  lodge　and　feed　them；　returning　in　the　same　way　every　fortnight；　all
  farms　or　isolated　dwellings　being　their　prey。　　An　ecclesiastic　is
  killed　in　his　own　house　in　the　suburbs　of　Versailles；　on　the　26th　of
  September；　1791；　and；　on　the　same　day；　a　bourgeois　and　his　wife　are
  garroted　and　robbed。　　On　the　22nd　of　September；　near　Saint…Rémi…
  Honoré；　eight　bandits　ransack　the　dwelling　of　a　farmer。　　On　the　25th
  of　September；　at　Villers…le…Sec；　thirteen　others　strip　another
  farmer；　and　then　add　with　much　politeness；　〃It　is　lucky　for　your
  masters　that　they　are　not　here；　for　we　would　have　roasted　them　at
  yonder　fire。〃　Six　similar　outrages　are　committed　by　armed　ruffians
  in　dwelling…places；　within　a　radius　of　from　three　to　four　leagues；
  accompanied　with　the　threats　of　the　chauffeurs。＇21＇　〃After
  enterprises　of　such　force　and　boldness；〃　write　the　people　of　this
  region；　〃there　is　not　a　well…to…do　man　in　the　country　who　can　rely
  upon　an　hour's　security　in　his　house。　　Already　many　of　our　best
  cultivators　are　giving　up　their　business；　while　others　threaten　to
  do　the　same　in　case　these　disorders　continue。〃　　…　　What　is　worse
  still　is　the　fact　that　in　these　outrages　most　of　the　bandits　were
  〃in　the　national　uniform。〃　The　most　ignorant；　the　poorest；　and　most
  fanatical　of　the　National　Guard　thus　enlist　for　the　sake　of　plunder。
  It　is　so　natural　for　men　to　believe　in　their　right　to　that　of　which
  they　feel　the　need；　that　the　possessors　of　wheat　thus　become　its
  monopolists；　and　the　superfluity　of　the　rich　the　property　of　the
  poor！　This　is　what　the　peasants　say　who　devastate　the　forest　of
  Bruyères…le…Chatel：　〃We　have　neither　wood；　bread；　nor　work　　…
  necessity　knows　no　law。〃
  The　necessaries　of　life　are　not　to　be　had　cheap　under　such　a　system。
  There　is　too　much　anxiety；　and　property　is　too　precarious；　there　are
  too　many　obstacles　to　commerce　；　purchases；　sales；　shipments；
  arrivals　and　payments　are　too　uncertain。　　How　are　goods　to　be　stored
  and　transported　in　a　country　where　neither　the　central　government；
  the　local　authorities；　the　National　Guard；　nor　the　regular　troops
  perform　their　duties；　and　where　every　transaction　in　produce；　even
  the　most　legal　and　the　most　serviceable；　is　subject　to　the　caprice
  of　a　dozen　villains　whom　the　populace　obey。　…　　Wheat　remains　in　the
  barn；　or　is　secreted；　or　is　kept　waiting；　and　only　reaches　by
  stealth　the　hands　of　those　who　are　rich　enough　to　pay；　not　only　its
  price；　but　the　extra　cost　of　the　risk。　　Thus　forced　into　a　narrow
  channel；　it　rises　to　a　rate　which　the　depreciation　of　the　assignats
  augments；　its　dearness　being　not　only　maintained；　but　ever　on　the
  increase。　　　Thereupon　popular　instinct　invents　for　the　cure　of　the
  evil　a　remedy　which　serves　to　aggravate　it：　henceforth；　wheat　must
  not　travel；　it　is　impounded　in　the　canton　in　which　it　is　gathered。
  At　Laon；　〃the　people　have　sworn　to　die　rather　than　let　their　food　be
  carried　off。〃　At　étampes；　to　which　the　municipality　of　Angers
  dispatches　an　administrator　of　its　hospital　to　buy　two　hundred　and
  fifty　sacks　of　flour；　the　commission　cannot　be　executed；　the
  delegate　not　even　daring　to　avow　for　several　days　the　object　of　his
  coming；　all　he　can　do　is　〃to　visit　incognito；　and　at　night；　the
  different　flour…dealers　in　the　valley；　who　would　offer　to　furnish
  the　supply；　but　fear　for　their　lives　and　dare　not　even　leave　their
  houses。〃　…　The　same　violence　is　shown　in　the　more　distant　circle　of
  departments　which　surround　the　first　circle。　　At　Aubigny；　in
  Cher；＇22＇　grain…wagons　are　stopped；　the　district　administrators　are
  menaced；　two　have　a　price　set　on　their　heads；　a　portion　of　the
  National　Guard　sides　with　the　mutineers。　　At　Chaumont；　in　Haute…
  Marne；　the　whole　of　the　National　Guard　is　in　a　state　of　mutiny；　a
  convoy　of　over　three　hundred　sacks　is　stopped；　the　H？tel…de…Ville
  forced；　and　the　insurrection　lasts　four　days；　the　directory　of　the
  department　takes　flight；　and　the　people　seize　on　the　powder　and
  cannons。　　At　Douai；　in　the　〃Nord；〃　to　save　a　grain…dealer；　he　is　put
  in　prison；　the　mob　forces　the　gates；　the　soldiers　refuse　to　fire；
  and　the　man　is　hung；　while　the　directory　of　the　department　takes
  refuge　in　Lille。　　At　Montreuil…sur…Mer；　in　Pas…de…Calais；　the　two
  leaders　of　the　insurrection；　a　brazier　and　a　horse…shoer；　〃Bèquelin；
  called　Petit…Gueux；〃　the　latter　with　his　saber　in　hand；　reply　to　the
  summons　of　the　municipal　authorities；　that　〃not　a　grain　shall　go　now
  that　they　are　masters；〃　and　that　if　they　dare　to　make　such
  proclamations　〃they　will　cut　off　their　heads。〃　There　are　no　means　of
  resistance。　　The　National　Guard；　when　it　is　convoked；　does　not
  respond；　the　volunteers　when　called　upon　turn　their　muskets　down；
  and　the　crowd；　assembled　beneath　the　windows；　shouts　out　its
  huzzahs。　　So　much　the　worse　for　the　law　when　it　opposes　popular
  passion：　〃We　will　not　obey　it；〃　they　say；　〃people　make　laws　to
  please　themselves。〃　　…　　By　way　of　practical　illustration；　at　Tortes；
  in　Seine…Inférieure；　six　thousand　armed　men　belonging　to　the
  surrounding　parishes　form　a　deliberative　armed　body；　the　better　to
  establish　their　rights；　they　bring　two　cannon　with　them　fastened　by
  ropes　on　a　couple　of　carts；　twenty…two　companies　of　the　National
  Guard；　each　under　its　own　banner；　march　beside　them；　while　all
  peaceable　inhabitants　are　compelled　to　fall　in　〃under　penalty　of
  death；〃　the　municipal　officers　being　at　their　head。　　This　improvised
  parliament　promulgates　a　complete　law　in　relation　to　grain；　which；
  as　a　matter　of　form；　is　sent　for　acceptance　to　the　department；　and
  to　the　National　Assembly；　and　one　of　its　articles　declares　that　all
  husbandmen　shall　be　forbidden　〃to　sell　their　wheat　elsewhere　than　on
  the　market…places。〃　With　no　other　outlet　for　it；　wheat　must　be
  brought　to　the　corn　markets　（halles）；　and　when　these　are　full　the
  price　must　necessarily　fall。
  What　a　profound　deception！　Even　i