people；　those　on　the　contrary　who　style　themselves　good　patriots；
  republicans　or　anarchists；　were　not　conspicuous　on　this　occasion；
  but　a　very　small　number　among　them　have　made　their　submission。　　The
  rest　are　surprised　at　being　called　upon　for　money；　they　had　been
  given　a　quite　different　hope。〃
  In　short；　during　more　than　thirty　months；　and　under　a　steady　fire　of
  threats；　outrages；　and　plunder；　the　nobles　who　remain　in　France
  neither　commit　nor　undertake　any　hostile　act　against　the　Government
  that　persecutes　them。　None　of　them；　not　even　M。　de　Bouillé；　attempts
  to　carry　out　any　real　plan　of　civil　war；　I　find　but　one　resolute　man
  in　their　ranks　at　this　date；　ready　for　action；　and　who　labors　to
  form　one　militant　party　against　another　militant　party：　he　is　really
  a　politician　and　conspirator；　he　has　an　understanding　with　the　Comte
  d'Artois；　he　gets　petitions　signed　for　the　freedom　of　the　King　and
  of　the　Church；　he　organizes　armed　companies；　he　recruits　the
  peasants；　he　prepares　a　Vendée　for　Languedoc　and　Provence；　and　this
  person　is　a　bourgeois；　Froment　of　N？mes。＇3＇　　But；　at　the　moment　of
  action；　he　finds　only　three　out　of　eighteen　companies；　supposed　by
  him　to　be　enlisted　in　his　cause；　that　are　willing　to　march　with　him。
  Others　remain　in　their　quarters　until；　Froment　being　overcome；　they
  are　found　there　and　slaughtered；　the　survivors；　who　escape　to　Jalès；
  find；　not　a　stronghold；　but　a　temporary　asylum；　where　they　never
  succeed　in　transforming　their　inclinations　into　determinations。＇4＇
  …　　The　nobles　too；　like　other　Frenchmen；　have　been　subject　to　the
  lasting　pressure　of　monarchical　centralization。　　They　no　longer　form
  one　body。；　they　have　lost　the　instinct　of　association。　　They　no
  longer　know　how　to　act　for　themselves；　they　are　the　puppets　of
  administration　awaiting　an　impulse　from　the　center；　while　at　the
  center　the　King；　their　hereditary　general；　a　captive　in　the　hands　of
  the　people；　commands　them　to　be　resigned　and　to　do　nothing。＇5＇
  Moreover；　like　other　Frenchmen；　they　have　been　brought　up　in　the
  philosophy　of　the　eighteenth　century。　　〃Liberty　is　so　precious；〃
  wrote　the　Duc　de　Brissac；＇6＇　〃that　it　may　well　be　purchased　with
  some　suffering；　a　destroyed　feudalism　will　not　prevent　the　good　and
  the　true　from　being　respected　and　loved。〃　　…　　They　persist　in　this
  illusion　for　a　long　time　and　remain　optimists。　　As　they　feel　kindly
  towards　the　people；　they　cannot　comprehend　that　the　people　should
  entertain　other　sentiments　toward　them；　they　firmly　believe　that　the
  troubles　are　transient。　　Immediately　on　the　proclamation　of　the
  Constitution　they　return　in　crowds　from　Spain；　Belgium；　and　Germany；
  at　Troyes　there　are　not　enough　post…horses　for　many　days　to　supply
  the　emigrants　who　are　coming　back。＇7＇　　Thus　they　accept　not　only　the
  abolition　of　feudalism　with　civil　equality；　but　also　political
  equality　and　numerical　sovereignty。
  Some　consideration　for　them；　some　outward　signs　of　respect；　a　few
  bows；　would；　in　all　probability；　have　rallied　them　sincerely　to
  democratic　institutions。　　They　would　soon　consent　to　be　confounded
  with　the　crowd；　to　submit　to　the　common　level；　and　to　live　as
  private　individuals。　　Had　they　been　treated　like　the　bourgeois　or
  the　peasant；　their　neighbors；　had　their　property　and　persons　been
  respected；　they　might　have　accepted　the　new　régime　without　any
  bitterness　of　feeling。　　That　the　leading　emigrant　nobles　and　those
  forming　a　part　of　the　old　court　carry　on　intrigues　at　Coblentz　or　at
  Turin　is　natural；　since　they　have　lost　everything：　authority；
  places；　pensions；　sinecures；　pleasures；　and　the　rest。　　But；　to　the
  gentry　and　inferior　nobles　of　the　provinces；　chevaliers　of　Saint…
  Louis；　subaltern　officers　and　resident　proprietors；　the　loss　is
  insignificant。　　The　law　has　suppressed　one…half　of　their　seignorial
  dues；　but　by　virtue　of　the　same　law　their　lands　are　no　longer
  burdened　with　tithes。　　Popular　elections　will　not　provide　them　with
  places；　but　they　did　not　enjoy　them　under　the　arbitrary　ministerial
  rule。　　Little　does　it　matter　to　them　that　power；　whether　ministerial
  or　popular；　has　changed　hands：　they　are　not　accustomed　to　its
  favors；　and　will　pursue　their　ordinary　avocations　　…　　the　chase；
  promenading；　reading；　visiting；　and　conversing　　…　　provided　they；
  like　the　first…comer；　the　grocer　at　the　corner；　or　their　farm…
  servant；　find　protection；　safety；　and　security　on　the　public　road
  and　in　their　dwellings。＇8＇
  II。
  Workings　of　the　popular　imagination　with　respect　to　them。　…　　The
  monomania　of　suspicion。　　…　　The　nobles　distrusted　and　treated　as
  enemies。　　…　　Situation　of　a　gentleman　on　his　domain。　　…　　M。　de。
  Bussy
  Popular　passion；　unfortunately；　is　a　blind　power；　and；　for　lack　of
  enlightenment；　suffers　itself　to　be　guided　by　spectral　illusions。
  Imaginary　conceptions　work；　and　work　in　conformity　with　the
  structure　of　the　excited　brain　which　has　given　birth　to　them：
  What　if　the　Ancient　Regime　should　return！
  What　if　we　were　obliged　to　restore　the　property　of　the　clergy！
  What　if　we　should　be　again　forced　to　pay　the　salt　tax；　the　excise；
  the　taille；　and　other　dues　which；　thanks　to　the　law；　we　no　longer
  pay；　besides　other　taxes　and　dues　that　we　do　not　pay　in　spite　of　the
  law！
  What　if　all　the　nobles　whose　chateaux　are　burnt；　and　who　have　given
  rent　acquittances　at　the　point　of　the　sword；　should　find　some　way　to
  avenge　themselves　and　recover　their　former　privileges！
  Undoubtedly　they　brood　over　these　things；　make　agreements　amongst
  each　other；　and　plot　with　the　strangers；　at　the　first　opportunity
  they　will　fall　upon　us：　we　must　watch　them；　repress　them；　and；　if
  needs　be；　destroy　them。　…　　This　instinctive　process　of　reasoning
  prevailed　from　the　outset；　and；　in　proportion　as　excesses　increase；
  prevails　to　a　much　greater　extent。　　The　noble　is　ever　the　past；
  present；　and　future　creditor；　or；　at　the　very　least；　a　possible　one；
  which　means　that　he　is　the　worst　and　most　odious　of　enemies。　　All
  his　ways　are　suspicious；　even　when　he　is　doing　nothing；　whatever　he
  may　do　it　is　with　a　view　of　arming　himself。
  M。　de　Gilliers；　who　lives　with　his　wife　and　sister　one　league　out　of
  Romans　in　Dauphiny；＇9＇　amuses　himself　by　planting　trees　and　flowers；
  a　few　steps　from　his　house；　on　another　domain；　M。　de　Montchorel；　an
  old　soldier；　and　M。　Osmond；　an　old　lawyer　from　Paris；　with　their
  wives　and　children；　occupy　their　leisure　hours　in　somewhat　the　same
  manner。　　M。　de　Gilliers　having　ordered　and　received　wooden　water…
  pipes；　the　report　spreads　that　they　are　cannon。　　His　guest；　M。
  Servan；　receives　an　English　traveling…trunk；　which　is　said　to　be
  full　of　pistols。　　When　M。　Osmond　and　M。　Servan　stroll　about　the
  country　with　pencils　and　drawing…paper；　it　is　averred　that　they　are
  preparing　topographical　plans　for　the　Spaniards　and　Savoyards。　　The
  four　carriages　belonging　to　the　two　families　go　to　Romans　to　fetch
  some　guests：　instead　of　four　there　are　nineteen；　and　they　are　sent
  for　aristocrats　who　are　coming　to　hide　away　in　underground　passages。
  M。　de　Senneville；　decorated　with　a　cordon　rouge　（red　ribbon）；　pays　a
  visit　on　his　return　from　Algiers：　the　decoration　becomes　a　blue　one；
  and　the　wearer　is　the　Comte　d'Artois＇10＇　in　person。　　There　is
  certainly　a　plot　brewing；　and　at　five　o'clock　in　the　morning
  eighteen　communes　（two　thousand　armed　men）　arrive　before　the　doors
  of　the　two　houses；　shouts　and　threats　of　death　last　for　eight　hours；
  a　gun　fired　a　few　paces　off　at　the　suspects　misfires；　a　peasant　who
  is　aiming　at　them　says　to　his　neighbor；　〃Give　me　a　decent　gun　and　I
  will　plant　both　my　balls　in　their　bodies！〃　Finally；　M。　de　Gilliers；
  who　was　absent；　attending　a　baptism；　returns　with　the　Royal
  Chasseurs　of　Dauphiny　and　the　National　Guard　of　Romans；　and　with
  their　assistance　delivers　his　family。　　…　　It　is　only　in　the　towns；
  that　is；　in　a　few　towns；　and　for　a　very　short　time；　that　an
  inoffensive　noble　who　is　attacked　obtains　any　aid；　the　phantoms
  which　people　create　for　themselves　there　are　less　gross；　a　certain
  degree　of　enlightenment；　and　a　remnant　of　common　sense；　prevent　the
  hatching　of　too　absurd　stories。　　…　　But　in　the　dark　recesses　of
  rustic　brains　nothing　can　arrest　the　monomania　of　suspicion。
  Fancies　multiply　there　like　weeds　in　a　dark　hole：　they　take　root　and
  vegetate　until　they　become　belief；　conviction；　and　certainty；　they
  produce　the　fruit　of　hostility　and　hatred；　homicidal　and　incendiary
  ideas。　　With　eyes　constantly　fixed　on　the　chateau；　the　village
  regards　it　as　a　Bastille　which　must　be　captured；　and；　instead　of
  saluting　the　lord　of　the　manor；　it　thinks　only　of　firing　at　him。
  Let　us　take　up　one　of　these　local　histories　in　detail。＇11＇　In　the
  month　of　July；　1789；　during　the　jacquerie　in　Ma？onnais；　the　parish
  of　Villiers　appealed　for　assistance　to　its　lord；　M。　de　Bussy；　a
  former　colonel　of　dragoons。　　He　had　returned　home；　treated　the
  people　of　his　village　to　a　dinner；　and　attempted　to　form　them　into　a
  bo