they　let　everything　take　its　course；　the　people　sack　their　dwellings
  and　get　the　upper　hand；　they　announce　by　sound　of　trumpet　that　all
  their　demands　are　granted。　　On　other　occasions；　the　mob　dispenses
  with　their　services　and　acts　for　itself。　　If　there　happens　to　be　no
  grain　on　the　market…place；　the　people　go　after　it　wherever　they　can
  find　it　　to　proprietors　and　farmers　who　are　unable　to　bring　it　for
  fear　of　pillage；　to　convents；　which　by　royal　edict　are　obliged
  always　to　have　one　year's　crop　in　store；　to　granaries　where　the
  Government　keeps　its　supplies；　and　to　convoys　which　are　dispatched
  by　the　intendants　to　the　relief　of　famished　towns。　　Each　for　himself
  so　much　the　worse　for　his　neighbor。　　The　inhabitants　of　Fougères
  beat　and　drive　out　those　who　come　from　Ernée　to　buy　in　their　market；
  a　similar　violence　is　shown　at　Vitré　to　the　in…habitants　of
  Maine。＇19＇　　At　Sainte…Léonard　the　people　stop　the　grain　started　for
  Limoges；　at　Bost　that　intended　for　Aurillac；　at　Saint…Didier　that
  ordered　for　Moulins；　and　at　Tournus　that　dispatched　to　Macon。　　In
  vain　are　escorts　added　to　the　convoys；　troops　of　men　and　women；
  armed　with　hatchets　and　guns；　put　themselves　in　ambush　in　the　woods
  along　the　road；　and　seize　the　horses　by　their　bridles；　the　saber　has
  to　be　used　to　secure　any　advance。　　In　vain　are　arguments　and　kind
  words　offered；　〃and　in　vain　even　is　wheat　offered　for　money；　they
  refuse；　shouting　out　that　the　convoy　shall　not　go　on。〃　They　have
  taken　a　stubborn　stand；　their　resolution　being　that　of　a　bull
  planted　in　the　middle　of　the　road　and　lowering　his　horns。　　Since　the
  wheat　is　in　the　district；　it　is　theirs；　whoever　carries　it　off　or
  withholds　it　is　a　robber。　　This　fixed　idea　cannot　be　driven　out　of
  their　minds。　　At　Chant…nay；　near　Mans；＇20＇　they　prevent　a　miller
  from　carrying　that　which　he　had　just　bought　to　his　mill。　　At
  Montdragon；　in　Languedoc；　they　stone　a　dealer　in　the　act　of　sending
  his　last　wagon　load　elsewhere。　　At　Thiers；　workmen　go　in　force　to
  gather　wheat　in　the　fields；　a　proprietor　with　whom　some　is　found　is
  nearly　killed；　they　drink　wine　in　the　cellars；　and　leave　the　taps
  running。　　At　Nevers；　the　bakers　not　having　put　bread　on　their
  counters　for　four　days；　the　mob　force　the　granaries　of　private
  persons；　of　dealers　and　religious　communities。　　〃The　frightened
  corn…dealers　part　with　their　grain　at　any　price；　most　of　it　is
  stolen　in　the　face　of　the　guards；〃　and；　in　the　tumult　of　these
  searches　of　homes；　a　number　of　houses　are　sacked。　　　In　these　days
  woe　to　all　who　are　concerned　in　the　acquisition；　commerce；　and
  manipulation　of　grain！　Popular　imagination　requires　living　beings　to
  who　it　may　impute　its　misfortunes；　and　on　whom　it　may　gratify　its
  resentments。　　To　it；　all　such　persons　are　monopolists；　and；　at　any
  rate；　public　enemies。　　Near　Angers　the　Benedictine　establishment　is
  invaded；　and　its　fields　and　woods　are　devastated。＇21＇　At　Amiens　〃the
  people　are　arranging　to　pillage　and　perhaps　burn　the　houses　of　two
  merchants；　who　have　built　labor…saving　mills。〃　Restrained　by　the
  soldiers；　they　confine　themselves　to　breaking　windows；　but　other
  〃groups　come　to　destroy　or　plunder　the　houses　of　two　or　three
  persons　whom　they　suspect　of　being　monopolists。〃　At　Nantes；　a　sieur
  Geslin；　being　deputized　by　the　people　to　inspect　a　house；　and
  finding　no　wheat；　a　shout　is　set　up　that　he　is　a　receiver；　an
  accomplice！　The　crowd　rush　at　him；　and　he　is　wounded　and　almost　cut
  in　pieces。　　　It　is　very　evident　that　there　is　no　more　security　in
  France；　property；　even　life；　is　in　danger。　　The　primary　possession；
  food；　is　violated　in　hundreds　of　places；　and　is　everywhere　menaced
  and　precarious。　　The　local　officials　everywhere　call　for　aid；
  declare　the　constabulary　incompetent；　and　demand　regular　troops。
  And　mark　how　public　authority；　everywhere　inadequate；　disorganized；
  and　tottering；　finds　stirred　up　against　it　not　only　the　blind
  madness　of　hunger；　but；　in　addition；　the　evil　instincts　which　profit
  by　every　disorder　and　the　inveterate　lusts　which　every　political
  commotion　frees　from　restraint。
  IV。
  Intervention　of　ruffians　and　vagabonds。
  We　have　seen　how　numerous　the　smugglers；　dealers　in　contraband　salt；
  poachers；　vagabonds；　beggars；　and　escaped　convicts＇22＇　have　become；
  and　how　a　year　of　famine　increases　the　number。　　All　are　so　many
  recruits　for　the　mobs；　and　whether　in　a　disturbance　or　by　means　of　a
  disturbance　each　one　of　them　fills　his　pouch。　　Around　Caux；＇23＇　even
  up　to　the　environs　of　Rouen；　at　Roncherolles；　Quévrevilly；　Préaux；
  Saint…Jacques；　and　in　the　entire　surrounding　neighborhood　bands　of
  armed　bandits　force　their　way　into　the　houses；　particularly　the
  parsonages；　and　lay　their　hands　on　whatever　they　please。　　To　the
  south　of　Chartres　〃three　or　four　hundred　woodcutters；　from　the
  forests　of　Bellème；　chop　away　everything　that　opposes　them；　and
  force　grain　to　be　given　up　to　them　at　their　own　price。〃　In　the
  vicinity　of　étampes；　fifteen　bandits　enter　the　farmhouses　at　night
  and　put　the　farmer　to　ransom；　threatening　him　with　a　conflagration。
  In　Cambrésis　they　pillage　the　abbeys　of　Vauchelles；　of　Verger；　and
  of　Guillemans；　the　chateau　of　the　Marquis　de　Besselard；　the　estate
  of　M。　Doisy；　two　farms；　the　wagons　of　wheat　passing　along　the　road
  to　Saint…Quentin；　and；　besides　this；　seven　farms　in　Picardy。　　〃The
  seat　of　this　revolt　is　in　some　villages　bordering　on　Picardy　and
  Cambrésis；　familiar　with　smuggling　operations　and　to　the　license　of
  that　pursuit。〃　The　peasants　allow　themselves　to　be　enticed　away　by
  the　bandits。　　Man　slips　rapidly　down　the　incline　of　dishonesty；　one
  who　is　half…honest；　and　takes　part　in　a　riot　inadvertently　or　in
  spite　of　himself；　repeats　the　act；　allured　on　by　impunity　or　by
  gain。　　In　fact；　〃it　is　not　dire　necessity　which　impels　them；〃　they
  make　a　speculation　of　cupidity；　a　new　sort　of　illicit　trade。　　An　old
  soldier；　saber　in　hand；　a　forest…keeper；　and　〃about　eight　persons
  sufficiently　lax；　put　themselves　at　the　head　of　four　or　five　hundred
  men；　go　off　each　day　to　three　or　four　villages。　　Here　they　force
  everybody　who　has　any　wheat　to　give　it　to　them　at　24　livres；〃　and
  even　at　18　livres；　the　sack。　　Those　among　the　band；　who　say　that
  they　have　no　money；　carry　away　their　portion　without　payment。
  Others；　after　having　paid　what　they　please；　re…sell　at　a　profit；
  which　amounts　to　even　45　livres　the　sack。　　This　is　a　good　business；
  and　one　in　which　greed　takes　poverty　for　its　accomplice。　　At　the
  next　harvest　the　temptation　will　be　similar：　〃they　have　threatened
  to　come　and　do　our　harvesting　for　us；　and　also　to　take　our　cattle
  and　sell　the　meat　in　the　villages　at　the　rate　of　two　sous　the
  pound。〃　　In　every　important　insurrection　there　are　similar　evil…
  does　and　vagabonds；　enemies　to　the　law；　savage；　prowling
  desperadoes；　who；　like　wolves；　roam　about　wherever　they　scent　a
  prey。　　It　is　they　who　serve　as　the　directors　and　executioners　of
  public　or　private　malice。　　Near　Uzès　twenty…five　masked　men；　with
  guns　and　clubs；　enter　the　house　of　a　notary；　fire　a　pistol　at　him；
  beat　him；　wreck　the　premises；　and　burn　his　registers　along　with　the
  title…deeds　and　papers　which　be　has　in　keeping　for　the　Count　de
  Rouvres。　　Seven　of　them　are　arrested；　but　the　people　are　on　their
  side；　and　fall　on　the　constabulary　and　free　them。＇24＇　　　They　are
  known　by　their　acts；　by　their　love　of　destruction　for　the　sake　of
  destruction；　by　their　foreign　accent；　by　their　savage　faces　and
  their　rags。　　Some　of　them　come　from　Paris　to　Rouen；　and；　for　four
  days；　the　town　is　at　their　mercy。＇25＇　　The　stores　are　forced　open；
  train　wagons　are　discharged；　wheat　is　wasted；　and　convents　and
  seminaries　are　put　to　ransom。　　They　invade　the　dwelling　of　the
  attorney…general；　who　has　begun　proceedings　against　them；　and　want
  to　tear　him　to　pieces。　　They　break　his　mirrors　and　his　furniture；
  leave　the　premises　laden　with　booty；　and　go　into　the　town　and　its
  outskirts　to　pillage　the　manufactories　and　break　up　or　burn　all　the
  machinery。　　　Henceforth　these　constitute　the　new　leaders：　for　in
  every　mob　it　is　the　boldest　and　least　scrupulous　who　march　ahead　and
  set　the　example　in　destruction。　　The　example　is　contagious：　the
  beginning　was　the　craving　for　bread；　the　end　is　murder　and　arson；
  the　savagery　which　is　unchained　adding　its　unlimited　violence　to　the
  limited　revolt　of　necessity。
  V。
  Effect　on　the　Population　of　the　New　Ideas。
  Bad　as　it　is；　this　savagery　might；　perhaps；　have　been　overcome；　in
  spite　of　the　dearth　and　of　the　brigands；　but　what　renders　it
  irresistible　is　the　belief　of　its　being　authorized；　and　that　by
  those　whose　duty　it　is　to　repress　it。　　Here　and　there　words　and
  actions　of　a　brutal　frankness　break　forth；　and　reveal　beyond　the
  somber　present　a　more　threatening　future　　After　the　9th　of
  January；　1789；　among　the　mob　which　attacks　the　H？tel…de…Ville　and
  besieges　the　bakers'　shops　of　Nantes；　〃shouts　of　Vive　la
  Liberté！＇26＇　。mingled　with　those　of　Vive