the origins of contemporary france-4-第156部分

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This　bread　is　made　of　oats　and　beans　。　　。　　。　　On　days　that　there　is

none；　beans；　chestnuts　and　rice　are　distributed　in　very　small

quantities；〃　four　ounces　of　bread；　five　of　rice　or　chestnuts。　　〃I；　who

tell　you　this；　have　already　eaten　eight　or　ten　meals　without　bread；　I

would　gladly　do　without　it　if　I　could　get　potatoes　in　place　of　it；　but

these；　too；　cannot　be　had。〃　Five　months　later；　fasting　still

continues；　and　it　lasts　until　after　the　reign　of　Terror；　not　alone　in

the　town；　but　throughout　the　department。　　〃In　the　district　of

Cadillac；　says　Tallien；＇55＇　〃absolute　dearth　prevails；　the　citizens　of

the　rural　districts　contend　with　each　other　for　the　grass　in　the

fields；　I　have　eaten　bread　made　of　dog…grass。〃　Haggard　and　worn　out；

the　peasant；　with　his　pallid　wife　and　children；　resorts　to　the　marsh

to　dig　roots；　while　there　is　scarcely　enough　strength　in　his　arms　to

hold　the　plough。　　…　The　same　spectacle　is　visible　in　places　which

produce　but　little　grain；　or　where　the　granaries　have　been　emptied　by

the　revolutionary　drafts。　　〃In　many　of　the　Indre　districts；〃　writes

the　representative　on　missions；＇56＇　〃food　is　wanting　absolutely。　　Even

in　some　of　the　communes；　many　of　the　inhabitants　are　reduced　to　a

frightful　state　of　want；　feeding　on　acorns；　bran　and　other　unhealthy

food。　　。　　。　　。　　The　districts　of　Chatre　and　Argenton；　especially；　will

be　reduced　to　starvation　unless　they　are　promptly　relieved。　　。　　。　　。

The　cultivation　of　the　ground　is　abandoned；　most　of　the　persons　in　the

jurisdiction　wander　about　the　neighboring　departments　in　search　of

food。〃　…　And　it　is　doubtful　whether　they　find　it。　　In　the　department

of　Cher；　〃the　butchers　can　no　longer　slaughter；　the　dealers'　stores

are　all　empty。〃　In　Allier；　〃the　slaughterhouses　and　markets　are

deserted；　every　species　of　vegetable　and　aliment　having　disappeared；

the　inns　are　closed。〃　In　one　of　the　Lozère　districts；　composed　of　five

cantons；　of　which　one　produces　an　extra　quantity　of　rye；　the　people

live　on　requisitions　imposed　on　Gard　and　the　Upper　Loire；　the

extortions　of　the　representatives　in　these　two　departments　〃were

distributed　among　the　municipalities；　and　by　these　to　the　most

indigent：　many　entire　families；　many　of　the　poor　and　even　of　the　rich；

suffered　for　want　of　bread　during　six　or　eight　days；　and　this

frequently。〃＇57＇　Nevertheless　they　do　not　riot；　they　merely　supplicate

and　stretch　forth　their　hands　〃with　tears　in　their　eyes。　　〃　…　Such　is

the　diet　and　submission　of　the　stomach　in　the　provinces。　　　Paris　is

less　patient。　　For　this　reason；　all　the　rest　is　sacrificed　to　it；＇58＇

not　merely　the　public　funds；　the　Treasury　from　which　it　gets　one　or

two　millions　per　week；＇59＇　but　whole　districts　are　starved　for　its

benefit；　six　departments　providing　grain；　twenty　six　departments

providing　pork；＇60＇　at　the　rate　of　the　maximum；　through　requisitions；

through　the　prospect　of　imprisonment　and　of　the　scaffold　in　case　of

refusal　or　concealment；　under　the　predatory　bayonets　of　the

revolutionary　army。　　The　capital；　above　all；　has　to　be　fed。　　Let　us

see；　under　this　system　of　partiality；　how　people　live　in　Paris　and

what　they　feed　on。



〃Frightful　crowds〃　at　the　doors　of　the　bakeries；　then　at　the　doors　of

the　butchers　and　grocers；　then　at　the　markets　for　butter；　eggs；　fish

and　vegetables；　and　then　on　the　quay　for　wine；　firewood　and　charcoal　…

such　is　the　steady　refrain　of　the　police　reports。＇61＇　…　And　this　lasts

uninterruptedly　during　the　fourteen　months　of　revolutionary

government：　long　lines　of　people　waiting　in　turn　for　bread；　meat；　oil；

soap　and　candles；　〃queues　for　milk；　for　butter；　for　wood；　for

charcoal；　queues　everywhere！　〃＇62＇　〃There　was　one　queue　beginning　at

the　door　of　a　grocery　in　the　Petit　Carreau　stretching　half　way　up　the

rue　Montorgueil。〃＇63＇　These　queues　form　at　three　o'clock　in　the

morning；　one　o'clock　and　at　midnight；　increasing　from　hour　to　hour。

Picture　to　yourself；　reader；　the　file　of　wretched　men　and　women

sleeping　on　the　pavement　when　the　weather　is　fine＇64＇　and　when　not

fine；　standing　up　on　stiff　tottering　legs；　above　all）in　winter；　〃the

rain　pouring　on　their　backs；〃　and　their　feet　in　the　snow；　for　so　many

weary　hours　in　dark；　foul；　dimly　lighted　streets　strewed　with　garbage；

for；　for　want　of　oil；　one　half　of　the　street　lamps　are　extinguished；

and　for　lack　of　money；　there　is　no　repaving；　no　more　sweeping；　the

offal　being　piled　up　against　the　walls。＇65＇　　The　crowd　draggles　along

through　it；　likewise；　nasty；　tattered　and　torn；　people　with　shoes　full

of　holes；　because　the　shoemakers　do　no　more　work　for　their　customers；

and　in　dirty　shirts；　because　no　more　soap　can　be　had　to　wash　with；

while；　morally　as　well　as　physically；　all　these　forlorn　beings

elbowing　each　other　render　themselves　still　fouler。　　…

Promiscuousness；　contact；　weariness；　waiting　and　darkness　afford　free

play　to　the　grosser　instincts；　especially　in　summer；　natural

bestiality　and　Parisian　mischievousness　have　full　play。　　〃Lewd

women〃＇66＇　pursue　their　calling　standing　in　the　row；　it　is　an

interlude　for　them；　〃their　provoking　expressions；　their　immoderate

laughter；〃　is　heard　some　distance　off　and　they　find　it　a　convenient

place：　two　steps　aside；　on　the　flank　of　the　row；　are　〃half　open　doors

and　dark　alleys〃　which　invite　tête…à…tête；　many　of　these　women　who

have　brought　their　mattresses　〃sleep　there　and　commit　untold

abominations。〃　What　an　example　for　the　wives　and　daughters　of　steady

workmen；　for　honest　servants　who　hear　and　see！　〃Men　stop　at　each　row

and　choose　their　dulcinea；　while　others；　less　shameless；　pounce　on　the

women　like　bulls　and　kiss　them　one　after　the　other。〃　Are　not　these　the

fraternal　kisses　of　patriotic　Jacobins？　Do　not　Mayor　Pache's　wife　and

daughter　go　to　the　clubs　and　kiss　drunken　sans…culottes？　And　what　says

the　guard？　…　It　has　enough　to　do　to　restrain　another　blind　and　deaf

animal　instinct；　aroused　as　it　is　by　suffering；　anticipation　and

deception。



On　approaching　each　butcher's　stall　before　it　opens　〃the　porters；

bending　under　the　weight　of　a　side　of　beef；　quicken　their　steps　so　as

not　to　be　assailed　by　the　crowd　which　presses　against　them；　seeming　to

devour　the　raw　meat　with　their　eyes。〃　They　force　a　passage；　enter　the

shop　in　the　rear；　and　it　seems　as　if　the　time　for　distributing　the

meat　had　come；　the　gendarmes；　spurring　their　horses　to　a　gallop；

scatter　the　groups　that　are　too　dense；　〃rascals；　in　pay　of　the

Commune；〃　range　the　women　in　files；　two　and　two；　〃shivering〃　in　the

cold　morning　air　of　December　and　January；　awaiting　their　turn。

Beforehand；　however；　the　butcher；　according　to　law；　sets　aside　the

portion　for　the　hospitals；　for　pregnant　women　and　others　who　are

confined；　for　nurses；　and　besides；　notwithstanding　the　law；　he　sets

aside　another　portion　for　the　revolutionary　committee　of　the　section；

for　the　assistant　commissioner　and　superintendent；　for　the　pashas　and

semi　pashas　of　the　quarter；　and　finally　for　his　rich　customers　who　pay

him　extra。＇67＇　　To　this　end