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distribute proportionately eight hundred sets of wheels and harness。
The wagoners will be paid and guarded the same as military convoys；
and drafted as required。 To feed the oxen； the district
administrators will take by pre…emption the necessary fields and
pasturages； etc。〃 （Orders of Pluvi？se 10； year III。）
＇136＇ Moniteur； XXIV。； 397。 … Schmidt； 〃Tableaux de Paris。〃 （Reports
of Frimaire 16； year IV。） 〃Citizens in the departments wonder how it
is that Paris costs them five hundred and forty six millions per month
merely for bread when they are starving。 This isolation of Paris； for
which all the benefits of the Revolution are exclusively reserved。
has the worst effect on the public mind。〃 … Meissner； 345。
＇137＇ Mercier； 〃Paris Pendant la Révolution；〃 I。； 355…357。 … Schmidt；
〃Pariser Zustande；〃 I。； 224。 （The Seine is frozen over on November 23
and January 23； the thermometer standing at sixteen degrees
（Centigrade） below zero。） … Schmidt； 〃Tableaux de Paris。〃 （Reports of
the Police； Pluvi？se 2； 3 and 4。）
＇138＇ Schmidt； 〃Pariser Zustande；〃 I。； 228； and following pages。
（February 25； the distribution of bread is reduced to one and one…half
pounds per person； March 17； to one and onehalf pounds for workmen and
one pound for others。 Final reduction to one…quarter of a pound；
March 31。） … Ibid。； 251； for ulterior rates。 … Dufort de Cheverney；
（MS。 Mémoires； August； 1795。） M。 de Cheverney takes up his quarters
at the old Louvre with his friend Sedaine。 〃I had assisted them with
food all I could： they owned to me that； without this； they would have
died of starvation notwithstanding their means。〃
＇139＇ Schmidt； 〃Tableaux de Paris。〃 （Reports of Germinal 15 and 27；
and Messidor 28； year III。； Brumaire 14 and Frimaire 23； year IV。） …
Ibid。 （Germinal 15； year III。） Butter is at eight francs the pound；
eggs seven francs for four ounces。 … Ibid。； （Messidor 19） bread is at
sixteen francs the pound； （Messidor 28） butter at fourteen francs the
pound； （Brumaire 29） flour at 14；000 francs the bag of 325 pounds。
＇140＇ Ibid。 （Report of Germinal 12； year III。） 〃The eating houses and
pastry…cooks are better supplied than ever。〃 ？〃Memoires （manuscript）
of M。 de Cheverney。〃 〃My sister…in…law； with more than forty thousand
livres income； registered in the 'Grand Ledger；' was reduced to
cultivating her garden； assisted by her two chambermaids。 M。 de
Richebourg； formerly intendant…general of the Post…Office； had to sell
at one time a clock and at another time a wardrobe to live on。 'My
friends；' he said to us one day； 'I have been obliged to put my clock
in the pot。' 〃 … Schmidt。 （Report of Frimaire 17； year IV。） 〃A
frequenter of the Stock…Exchange sells a louis at five thousand
francs。 He dines for one thousand francs and loudly exclaims： 'I have
dined at four francs ten sous。 They are really superb； these
assignats！ I couldn't have dined so well formerly at twelve francs。'〃
＇141＇ Schmidt。 （Reports of Frimaire 9； year IV。） 〃The reports
describe the sad condition of those who； with small incomes and having
sold their clothes； are selling their furniture； being； so to say； at
their last piece； and； soon without anything； are reduced to the last
extremity by committing suicide。〃 … Ibid。； Frimaire 2； 〃The rentier is
ruined； not being able to buy food。 Employees are all in the same
situation。〃 … Naturally； the condition of employees and rentiters
grows worse with the depreciation of assignats。 Here are house…
keeping accounts at the end of 1795。 （Letter of Beaumarchais' sister
Julie to his wife； December； 1794。 〃Beaumarchais et son temps；〃 by De
Lomenie； p。486。） 〃When you gave me those four thousand francs
（assignats）； my dear friend； my heart went pit…a…pat。 I thought that
I should go crazy with such a fortune。 I put them in my pocket at
once and talked about other things so as to get the idea out of my
mind。 On returning to the house； get some wood and provisions as
quick as possible before prices go higher！ Dupont （the old domestic）
started off and did his best。 But the scales fell from my eyes on
seeing； not counting food for a month； the result of those 4；275
francs：
1 load of wood 1460 francs
9 pounds of candles； from 8 to 100 francs per pound 900
4 pounds of sugar； at 100 francs per pound 400
3 measures of grain； at 40 francs 120
7 pounds oil； at 100 francs 700
12 wicks； at 5 francs 60
1 1/2 bushels potatoes； at 200 francs per bushel 300
1 month's washing 215
1 pound ground powder 70
2 ounces pomatum （formerly 3 sous； now 25 francs） 50
Sub…total 4；275 francs
There remains the month's supply of butter and eggs；
as you know； 200 francs； meat 25 or 30 francs； and
other articles in proportion 507
There was no bread for two days。 。 。 I have bought only
four pounds the last two days； at 45 francs 180
Total 5；022 francs。
〃When I think of this royal outlay； as you call it； which makes me
spend from18；000 to 20；000 francs for nothing； I wish the devil had
the system。。。 。 10；000 francs which I have scattered about the past
fortnight； alarm and trouble me so much that I do not know how to
calculate my income in this way。 In three days the difference （in the
value of assignats） has sent wood up from 4；200 to 6；500 francs； and
extras in proportion so that； as I wrote you； a load piled up and put
away costs me 7；100 francs。 Every week now； the pot…au…feu and other
meats for ragouts； without any butter； eggs and other details； cost
from seven to eight hundred francs。 Washing also goes up so fast that
eight thousand francs do not suffice。 All this puts me out of humor；
while in all this expenditure I declare on my honor （je jure par la
saine vérité de mon c？ur） that for two years I have indulged no fancy
of my own or spent anything except on household expenses。
Nevertheless； I have urgent need of some things for which I should
require piles of assignats。〃 … We see by Beaumarchais' correspondence
that one of his friends travels around in the environs of Paris to
find bread。 〃It is said here （he writes from Soizy； June 5； 1795）
that flour may be had at Briare。 If this were so I would bargain with
a reliable man there to carry it to you by water…carriage between
Briare and Paris。 。 。 In the mean time I do not despair of finding
a loaf。〃 … Letter of a friend of Beaumarchais： 〃This letter costs you
at least one hundred francs； including paper； pen； ink； and lamp…oil。
For economy's sake I write it in your house。〃
＇142＇ Cf。 Schmidt； 〃Tableaux de Paris；〃 vols。 II。 and III。
（Rep