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and rendered them desperate。 How many wretches； indeed； have been
arrested； … ？attacked； confiscated； fined and ruined for having gone
off fifteen or twenty leagues to get grain with which to feed their
wives and children？〃
＇93＇ AF。； II。； 106。 （Circular by Dartigoyte； Floréal 25。） 〃You must
apply this rule； that is； make the municipal officers responsible for
the non cultivation of the soil。〃 〃If any citizen allows himself a
different kind of bread； other than that which all the cultivators and
laborers in the commune use； I shall have him brought before the
courts conjointly with the municipality as being the first culprit
guilty of having tolerated it。 。 。 Reduce； if necessary； three
fourths of the bread allowed to non laboring citizens because
muscadins and muscadines： have resources and； besides； lead an idle
life。〃
＇94＇ AF。； II。； III。 （Letters of Ferry； Bourges； Messidor 23； to his
〃brethren in the popular club；〃 and 〃to the citoyennes （women） of
Indre…et…Cher。〃）
＇95＇ Moniteur； XXI。； 171。 （Letter from Avignon； Messidor 9； and
letter of the Jacobins of Arles。
＇96＇ Moniteur； XXI。； 184。 （Decree of Messidor 21。）
＇97＇ Gouverneur Morris。 （correspondence with Washington。 Letters of
March 27 and April 10； 1794。） He says that there is no record of such
an early spring。 Rye has headed out and clover is in flower。 It is
astonishing to see apricots in April as large as pigeons' eggs。 In
the south； where the dearth is most severe； he has good reason to
believe that the ground is supplying the inhabitants with food。 A
frost like that of the year before in the month of May （1793） would
help the famine more than all the armies and fleets in Europe。
＇98＇ Stalin was to test the system and prove Taine right。 （SR。）
＇99＇ Archives Nationales； AF。； II。； 73。 （Letter by the Directory of
Calvados； Prairial 26； year III。） 〃We have not a grain of wheat in
store； and the prisons are full of cultivators。〃 Archives Nationales；
D。； § 1； file No。3。 （Warrants of arrest issued by Representative
Albert； Pluvi？se 19； year III。； Germinal 7 and 16。） On the details of
the difficulties and annoyances attending the requisitions； cf。 this
file and the five preceding or following files。 （Letter of the
National agent； district of Nogent…sur…Seine； Germinal 13。） 〃I have
had summoned before the district court a great many cultivators and
proprietors who are in arrears in furnishing the requisitions made on
them by their respective municipalities。 。 。 。 A large majority
declared that they were unable to furnish in full even if their seed
were taken。 The court ordered the confiscation of the said grain with
a fine equal to the value of the quantity demanded of those called
upon 。 。 It is now my duty to execute the sentence。 But； I must
observe to you； that if you do not reduce the fine； many of them will
be reduced to despair。 Hence I await your answer so that I may act
accordingly。〃 （Another letter from the same agent； Germinal 9。） 〃It is
impossible to supply the market of Villarceaux； seven communes under
requisition prevented it through the district of Sozannes which
constantly keeps an armed force there to carry grain away as soon as
thrashed。〃 … It is interesting to remark the inquisitorial
sentimentality of the official agents and the low stage of culture。
（Proces verbal of the Magincourt municipality； Vent？se 7。） Of course I
am obliged to correct the spelling so as to render it intelligible。
The said Croiset； gendarme； went with the national agent into the
houses of citizens in arrears； of whom； amongst those in arrears；
nobody refused but Jean Mauchin； whom we could not keep from talking
against him； seeing that he is wholly egoist and only wants for
himself。 He declared to us that； if； the day before his harvesting he
had any left； he would share it with the citizens that needed it。 。
。 。 Alas； yes； how could one refrain from shutting up such an egoist
who wants only for himself to the detriment of his fellow citizens？ A
proof of the truth is that he feeds in his house three dogs； at least
one hundred and fifty chickens and even pigeons； which uses up a lot
of grain； enough to hinder the satisfaction of all the requisitions。
He might do without dogs； as his court is enclosed he might likewise
content himself with thirty chickens and then be able to satisfy the
requisitions。〃 This document is signed 〃Bertrand； Agen。〃 … Mauchin； on
the strength of it； is incarcerated at Troyes 〃at his own expense。〃
＇100＇ Ibid。 Letter from the district of Bar sur Seine； Vent？se 14；
year III。 Since the abolition of the 〃maximum；〃 〃the inhabitants
travel thirty and forty leagues to purchase wheat。〃 （Letter from the
municipality of Troyes； Vent？se 15。） 〃According to the price of grain；
which we keep on buying； by agreement； bread will cost fifteen sous
（the pound） next decade。〃
＇101＇ Schmidt； 〃Pariser Zust？nde；〃 145…220。 The re…opening of the
Bourse； April 25； 1795； ibid。； 322； II。； 105。 … 〃 Memoirs of Theobald
Wolf；〃 vol。 I。； p。200； （February 3； 1796）。 At Havre； the louis d'or
is then worth five thousand francs； and the ecu of six francs in
proportion。 At Paris （February 12）； the louis d'or is worth six
thousand five hundred； a dinner for two persons at the Palais Royal
costs one thousand five hundred francs。 … Mayer； （〃Frankreich in
1796。〃） He gives a dinner for ten persons which costs three hundred
thousand francs in assignats。 At this rate a cab ride costs one
thousand francs； and by the hour six thousand francs。
＇102＇ 〃Correspondance de Mallet du Pan avec la cour de Vienne；〃 I。；
253 （July 18； 1795）。 〃It is not the same now as in the early days of
the Revolution； which then bore heavily only on certain classes of
society； now； everybody feels the scourge； hourly； in every department
of civil life。 Goods and provisions advance daily （in price） in much
greater proportion than the decline in assignats。 。 。 。 Paris is
really a city of furnishing shops。 。 。 The immense competition for
these objects raises all goods twenty five per cent。 a week。。。。 It
is the same with provisions。 A sack of wheat weighing three quintals
is now worth nine thousand francs； a pound of beef thirty six francs；
a pair of shoes one hundred francs。 It is impossible for artisans to
raise their wages proportionately with such a large and rapid
increase。〃 … Cf。 〃Diary of Lord Malmesbury；〃 III。； 290 （October 27；
1796）。 After 1795； the gains of the peasants； land owners and
producers are very large； from 1792 to 1796 they accumulate and hide
away most of the current coin。 They were courageous enough and smart
enough to protect their hoard against the violence of the
revolutionary government； 〃hence； at the time of the depreciation of
assignats； they bought land extraordinarily cheap。〃 In 1796 they
cultivate and produce a great deal。
＇103＇ Archives Nationales； AF。； II。； 72。 （Letter of the
administrators o