第23章

Elsewhere we encounter "M. de Pérignan， with his red garments， wig and ginger face， having dry stone wails built on his domain， and getting intoxicated with the blacksmith of the place；" related to Cardinal Fleury， he is made the first Duc de Fleury.-Everything contributes to this decay， the law， habits and customs， and， above all， the right of primogeniture. Instituted for the purpose of maintaining undivided sovereignty and patronage it ruins the nobles since sovereignty and patronage have no material to work on. "In Brittany，" says Chateaubriand， "the elder sons of the nobles swept away two-thirds of the property， while the younger sons shared in one-third of the paternal heritage."[19] Consequently， "the younger sons of younger sons soon come to the sharing of a pigeon， rabbit， hound and fowling-piece. The entire fortune of my grandfather did not exceed five thousand livres income， of which his elder son had two-thirds， three thousand three hundred livres， leaving one thousand six hundred and sixty-six livres for the three younger ones， upon which sum the elder still had a préciput claim."[20] This fortune， which crumbles away and dies out， they neither know how， nor are they disposed， to restore by commerce， manufactures or proper administration of it； it would be derogatory. "High and mighty seigniors of dove-cote， frog-pond and rabbit-warren，" the more substance they lack the more value they set on the name.-Add to all this winter sojourn in town， the ceremonial and expenses caused by vanity and social requirements， and the visits to the governor and the intendant. A man must be either a German or an Englishman to be able to pass three gloomy， rainy months in a castle or on a farm， alone， in companionship with peasants， at the risk of becoming as awkward and as fantastic as they.[21] They accordingly run in debt， become involved， sell one piece of ground and then another piece. A good many alienate the whole， excepting their small manor and their seigniorial dues， the cens and the lods et ventes， and their hunting and justiciary rights on the territory of which they were formerly proprietors.[22] Since they must support themselves on these privileges they must necessarily enforce them， even when the privilege is burdensome， and even when the debtor is a poor man. How could they remit dues in grain and in wine when these constitute their bread and wine for the entire year？ How could they dispense with the fifth and the fifth of the fifth (du quint et du requint) when this is the only coin they obtain？ Why， being needy should they not be exacting？

Accordingly， in relation to the peasant， they are simply his creditors； and to this end come the feudal régime transformed by the monarchy. Around the chateau I see sympathies declining， envy raising its head， and hatreds on the increase. Set aside in public matters， freed from taxation， the seignior remains isolated and a stranger among his vassals； his extinct authority with his unimpaired privileges form for him an existence apart. When he emerges from it， it is to forcibly add to the public misery. From this soil， ruined by the tax-man， he takes a portion of its product， so much it， sheaves of wheat and so many measures of wine. His pigeons and his game eat up the crops. People are obliged to grind in his mill， and to leave with him a sixteenth of the flour. The sale of a field for the sum of six hundred livres puts one hundred livres into his pocket. A brother's inheritance reaches a brother only after he has gnawed out of it a year's income. A score of other dues， formerly of public benefit， no longer serve but to support a useless private individual. The peasant， then as today， is eager for gain， determined and accustomed to do and to suffer everything to save or gain a crown. He ends by looking angrily on the turret in which are preserved the archives， the rent-roll， the detested parchments by means of which a Man of another species， favored to the detriment of the rest， a universal creditor and paid to do nothing， grazes over all the ground and feeds on all the products. Let the opportunity come to enkindle all this covetousness， and the rent-roll will burn， and with it the turret， and with the turret， the chateau.

III. Absentee Seigniors.

Vast extent of their fortunes and rights.-Possessing greater advantages they owe greater services.-Reasons for their absenteeism.-Effect of it.-- Apathy of the provinces.-Condition of their estates.-They give no alms.-Misery of their tenants.-Exactions of their agents.-Exigencies of their debts. - State of their justiciary. -Effects of their hunting rights. - Sentiments of the peasantry towards them.