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and feasting their eyes on his ugly face； the living type of envy。〃
（The first months of 1790。）
＇37＇ Moniteur； V。 237 （July 26； 1790）； V。 594。 （September 8；
1790）； V。 631 （September 12； 1790）； VI。 310 （October 6； 1790）。
（Letter of the Abbé Peretti。）
＇38＇ De Ferrières； II。 75。 … Moniteur； VI。 373 （September 6；
1790）。 … M。 de Virieu。 〃Those who insult certain members and
hinder the freedom of debate by hooting or applause must be
silenced。 Is it the three hundred spectators who are to be our
judges； or the nation？〃 M。 Chasset； President： 〃Monsieur opinionist；
I call you to order。 You speak of hindrances to a free vote； there
has never been anything of the kind in this Assembly。〃
＇39＇ Sauzay； I 140。 Letter of M。 Lompré； liberal deputy； to M。
Séguin； chanoine （towards the end of November； 1789）。 〃The service
becomes more difficult every day； we have become objects of popular
fury； and； when no other resource was left to us to avoid the
tempest but to get rid of the endowments of the clergy； we yielded
to force。 It had become a pressing necessity； and I should have
been sorry to have had you still here； exposed to the outrages and
violence with which I have been repeatedly threatened。〃
＇40＇ Mercure de France； Nos。 of January 15； 1791； October 2； 1790；
May 14；1791。 Buchez and Roux； V。 343 （April 13； 1790）； VII。 76
（September 2； 1790）； X。 225 （ June 21； 1791）。 … De Montlosier；
I。 357。 … Moniteur； IV； 427。
＇41＇ Archives of the Police； exposed by the Committee of the
district of Saint…Roch。 Judgment of the Police Tribunal； May 15；
1790。
＇42＇ Malouet； II。 68。 … De Montlosier； II。 217； 257 （Speech of
M。 Lavie； September 18； 1791）。
＇43＇ I。e。 members of the old local parlements。
＇44＇ Mercure； October 1； 1791。 （Article by Mallet du Pan。）
＇45＇ Malouet II。 66。 〃Those only who were not intimidated by
insults or threats； nor by actual blows； could come forward as
opponents。〃
＇46＇ Buchez and Roux； X。 432； 465。
＇47＇ Malouet； II； 153。
＇48＇ Decrees of July 23rd and 28th； 1789。 … 〃Archives Nationales。〃
Papers of Committee of Investigation； passim。 Among other affairs
see that of Madame de Persan （Moniteur； V。 611； sitting of September
9； 1790）； and that of Malouet （〃Mémoires II。 12）。
＇49＇ Buchez and Roux； IV。 56 （Report of Garan de Coulon）； V。 49
（Decision of the Committee of Investigation； December 28； 1789）。
＇50＇ The arrests of M。 de Riolles； M。 de Bussy； etc。； of Madame de
Jumilhac； of two other ladies； one at Bar…le…Duc and the other of
Nancy； etc。
＇51＇ Sitting of July 28； 1789； the speeches of Duport and Rewbell；
etc。 … Mercure； No。 of January 1； 1791 （article by Mallet du
Pan）。 … Buchez and Roux； V。 146l 〃Behold five or six successive
conspiracies that of the sacks of flour； that of the sacks of
money； etc。 （Article by Camille Desmoulins。）
＇52＇ 〃Archives de la Préfecture de Police。〃 Extract from the
registers of the deliberations of the Conseil…Général of the
district of Saint…Roch； October 10 1789： Arrête： to request all the
men in the commune to devote themselves； with all the prudence；
activity； and force of which they are capable； to the discovery；
exposure； and publication of the horrible plots and infernal
treachery which are constantly meditated against the inhabitants of
the capital； to denounce to the public the authors； abettors； and
adherents of the said plots； whatever their rank may be； to secure
their persons and insure their punishment with all the rigor which
outrages of this kind call for。〃 The commandant of the battalion and
the district captains come daily to consult with the committee。
〃While the alarm lasts； the first story of each house is to be
lighted with lamps during the night： all citizens of the district
are requested to be at home by ten o'clock in the evening at the
latest； unless they should be on duty。 。 。 。 All citizens are
invited to communicate whatever they may learn or discover in
relation to the abominable plots which are secretly going on in the
capital。〃
＇53＇ Letter of M。 de Guillermy； July 31； 1790 （〃Actes des Ap？tres；〃
V。 56）。 〃During these two nights （July 13th and 14th； 1789） that we
remained in session I heard one deputy try to get it believed that
an artillery corps had been ordered to point its guns against our
hall； another； that it was undermined； and that it was to be blown
up； another went so far as to declare that he smelt powder； upon
which M。 le Comte de Virieu replied that power had no odor until it
was burnt。〃
＇54＇ Dumont； 351。 〃Each constitutional law was a party triumph。〃
＇55＇ Here Taine indicates how subversive parties may proceed to
weaken a nation prior to their take…over。（SR。）
CHAPTER II。 DESTRUCTION。
I。
Two principal vices of the ancient régime。 … Two principal reforms
proposed by the King and the privileged classes。 … They suffice for
actual needs。 … Impracticable if carried further。
In the structure of the old society there were two fundamental vices
which called for two reforms of corresponding importance。＇1＇
In the first place； those who were privileged having ceased to
render the services for which the advantages they enjoyed
constituted their compensation and their privileges were no longer
anything but a gratuitous charge imposed on one portion of the
nation for the benefit of the other。 Hence the necessity for
suppressing them。
In the second place； the Government； being absolute； made use of
public resources as if they were its own private property；
arbitrarily and wastefully；＇2＇ it was therefore necessary to impose
upon it some effective and regular restraints。
To render all citizens equal before taxation； to put the purse of
the tax…payers into the hands of their representatives； such was the
twofold operation to be carried out in 1789； and the privileged
class as well as the King willingly lent themselves to it。 Not
only； in this respect； were the memorials of nobles and clergy in
perfect harmony； but the monarch himself； in his declaration of the
23rd of June； 1789； decreed the two articles。 Henceforth； every tax
or loan was to obtain the consent of the States…General； this
consent was to be renewed at each new meeting of the States； the
public estimates were to be annually published； discussed；
specified； apportioned； voted on and verified by the States； there
were to be no arbitrary assessments or use of public funds；
allowances were to be specially assigned for all separate services；
the household of the King included。 In each province or district…
general； there was to be an elected Provincial Assembly； one…half
composed of ecclesiastics and nobles； and the other half of members
of the Third…Estate； to apportion general taxes； to manage local
affairs； to decree and direct public works； to administer hospitals；
prisons； workhouses； and to continue its function； in the interval
of the sessions； through an intermediary commission chosen by
itself； so that； besides the principal control of the center； there
were to be thirty subordinate controlling powers at the extremities。
There was to be no more exemption or distinction in the matter of
taxation； the roadtax （covée） was to be abolished； also the right of
franc…fief＇3＇ imposed on plebeians； the rights of mortmain；＇4＇
subject to indemnity； and internal customs duties。 There was to be
a reduction of the captaincies； a modification of the salt…tax and
of the excise； the transformation of civil justice； too costly for
the poor； and of criminal justice； too severe for the humbler
classes。 Here we have； besides the principal reform； equalization
of taxes； the beginning and inducement of the more complete
operation which is to strike off the last of the feudal manacles。
Moreover； six weeks later； on the 4th of August； the privileged； in
an outburst of generosity； come forward of their own accord to cut
off or undo the whole of them。 This double reform thus encountered
no obstacles； and； as Arthur Young reported to his friends； it
merely required one vote to have it adopted。＇5＇
This was enough； for all real necessities were now satisfied。 On
the one hand； through the abolition of privileges in the matter of
taxation； the burden of the peasant and； in general； on the small
tax…payer was diminished one…half； and perhaps two thirds； instead
of paying fifty…three francs on one hundred francs of net income； he
paid no more than twenty…five or even sixteen；＇6＇ an enormous
relief； and one which； with the proposed revision of the excise and
salt duties； made a complete change in his condition。 Add to this
the gradual redemption of ecclesiastical and feudal dues： and after
twenty years the peasant； already proprietor of a fifth of the soil；
would； without the violent events of the Revolution； in any