第33章

[28]. De Ferrières， "Mémoires，" II. 57： "All had 100，000 some 200， 300， and even 800，000."[29]. De Tocqueville， ibid.. book 2， Chap. 2. p.182. - Letter of the bailiff of Mirabau， August 23， 1770. "This feudal order was merely vigorous， even though they have pronounced it barbarous， because France， which once had the vices of strength， now has only those of feebleness， and because the flock which was formerly devoured by wolves is now eaten up with lice. . . . Three or four kicks or blows with a stick were not half so injurious to a poor man's family， nor to himself， as being devoured by six rolls of handwriting." - "The nobility，" says St. Simon， in his day， "has become another people with no choice left it but to crouch down in mortal and ruinous indolence， which renders it a burden and contemptible， or to go and be killed in warfare； subject to the insults of clerks， secretaries of the state and the secretaries of intendants." Such are the complaints of feudal spirits. - The details which follow are all derived from Saint Simon， Dangeau， de Luynes， d'Argenson and other court historians.

[30]. Works of Louis XIV. and his own words. - Mme Vigée-Lebrun， "Souvenirs，" I.71： "I have seen the queen (Marie Antoinette)， obliging Madame to dine， then six years of age， with a little peasant girl whom she was taking care of， and insisting that this little one should he served first， saying to her daughter： 'You must do the honors.' "(Madame is the title given to the king's oldest daughter. SR.)[31]. Molière， "Misanthrope." This is the "desert" in which Célimène refuses to he buried with Alceste. See also in "Tartuffe" the picture which Dorine draws of a small town.- Arthur Young，" Voyages en France，" I. 78.

[32]. 'Traité de la Population，" p. 108， (1756).

[33]. I have this from old people who witnessed it before 1789.

[34]. "Mémoires" de M. de Montlosier，" I. p. 161，.

[35]. Reports of the Société de Berry， "Bourges en 1753 et 1754，"p. 273.

[36]. Ibid.. p. 271. One day the cardinal， showing his guests over his palace just completed， led them to the bottom of a corridor where he had placed water closets， at that time a novelty. M. Boutin de la Coulommière， the son of a receiver-general of the finances， made an exclamation at the sight of the ingenious mechanism which it pleased him to see moving， and， turning towards the abbé de Canillac， he says：

"That is really admirable， but what seems to me still more admirable is that His Eminence， being above all human weakness， should condescend to make use of it." This anecdote is valuable， as it serves to illustrate the rank and position of a grand-seignior prelate in the provinces.

[37]. Arthur Young， V.II. P.230 and the following pages.

[38]. Abolition of the tithe， the feudal rights， the permission to kill the game， etc.

[39]. De Loménie， "Les Mirabeau，" p.134. A letter of the bailiff， September 25， 1760： "I am at Harcourt， where I admire the master's honest， benevolent greatness. You cannot imagine my pleasure on fête days at seeing the people everywhere around the chateau， and the good little peasant boys and girls looking right in the face of their good landlord and almost pulling his watch off to examine the trinkets on the chain， and all with a fraternal air； without familiarity. The good duke does not make his vassals to go to court； he listens to them and decides for them， humoring them with admirable patience." Lacretelle， "Dix ans d'épreuve，" p. 58.

[40]. "De l'état religieux，" by the abbés de Bonnefoi et Bernard， 1784， I. pp. 287， 291.

[41]. See on this subject "La partie de chasse de Henri IV" by Collé. Cf. Berquin， Florian， Marmontel， etc， and likewise the engravings of that day.

[42]. Boivin-Champeaux， "Notice historique sue la Révolution dans le département de l'Eure，" p. 63， 61.

[43]. Archives nationales， Reports of the States-General of 1789， T， XXXIX.， p. 111. Letter of the 6th March， 1789， from the curate of St. Pierre de Ponsigny， in Berry. D'Argenson， 6th July， 1756. "The late cardinal de Soubise had three millions in cash and he gave nothing to the poor."[44]. De Tocqueville， ibid.. 405. - Renauldon， ibid.. 628.