《the origins of contemporary france-4》

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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。

(Reports of the Police; at the dates designated。)



'143' Dauban; 〃Paris en 1794;〃 pp。562; 568; 572。



'144' Mallet…Dupan; 〃Correspondance avec la cour de Vienne;〃 I。; 254。

(July 18; 1795。)



'145' Schmidt; ibid。  (Report of Fructidor 3; year III。)



'146' Schmidt; ibid。; vols。  II。  and III。  (Reports of the police at

the dates designated。)



'147' Meissner; 〃 Voyage à Paris;〃 132。  Ibid。; 104。  〃 Bread is made

with coarse; sticky black flour; because they put in potatoes; beans;

Indian corn and millet; and moreover it is badly baked。〃 … Granier de

Cassagnac; 〃Histoire du Directoire;〃 I。; 51。  (Letter of M。 Andot to

the author。) 〃There were three…quarter pound days; one…half pound and

one…quarter pound days and many at two ounces。  I was achild of twelve

and used to go and wait four hours in the morning in a line; rue de

l'Ancienne Comédie。  There was a fourth part of bran in the bread;

which was very tender and very soft。  。  。  。  and it contained one…

fourth excess of water。  I brought back eight ounces of bread a day

for the four persons in our household。〃



'148' Dauban; 586。



'149' Schmidt; ibid。  (Reports of Brumaire 24; and Frimaire 13; year

IV。)



'150' This state of misery is prolonged far beyond this epoch in Paris

and the provinces。  ~f。  Schmidt; 〃Tableaux de Paris;〃 vol。  III。…

Felix Rocquam; 〃L'Etat de la France au 18e Brumaire;〃 p。156。  (Report

by Fourcroy; Niv?se 5; year IX。) Convoys of grain fail to reach Brest

because the English are masters at sea; while the roads on land are

impassable。  〃we are assured that the people of Brest have long been

on half…rations and perhaps on quarter…rations。〃



'151' 1st It is difficult to arrive at even approximate figures; but

the following statements will render the idea clear。  I。  Wherever I

have compared the mortality of the Revolution with that of the ancient

regime I have found the former greater than the latter; even in those

parts of France not devastated by the civil war; and the increase of

this mortality is enormous; especially in years II。  and III。  … At

Troyes; with 25;282 inhabitants (in 1790); during the five years of

1786; 1787; 1788; 1789 and 1792 (1790 and 1791 are missing); the

average annual mortality is 991 deaths; or 39 per thousand

inhabitants; during the years II; III; IV; this average is 1;166 or 47

per thousand inhabitants; the increase is then 7 deaths per year;

nearly one fifth。  (Documents provided by M。 Albert Babeau。) … At

Rheims; the average mortality from 1780 to 1789 is 1;350; which; for a

population of 35;597; (1790); gives 41 deaths per annum to every

thousand inhabitants。  In the year II。; there are 1;836 deaths which

gives for each of the two years 64 deaths to every thousand persons;

the increase is 23 deaths a year; that is to say more than one…half

above the ordinary rate。  (Statistics communicated by M。 Jadart;

archiviste at Rheims。) … At Limoges; the yearly average of mortality

previous to 1789 was 825 to 20;000 inhabitants; or at the rate of 41

to a thousand。  From January 1; 1792; to September 22; 1794; there are

3;449 deaths; that is to say; a yearly average of 63 deaths to one

thousand inhabitants; that is to say; 22 extra per annum; while the

mortality bears mostly on the poor; for out of 2;073 persons who die

between January 17; 1793; and September 22; 1794; over one…half;

1;100; die in the hospital。  … (Louis Guibert; 〃Ancien registre des

paroisses de Limoges;〃 pp。  40; 45; 47。) … At Poitiers; in year IX。;

the population is 18;223; and the average mortality of the past ten

years was 724 per annum。  But in year II。; there are 2;094 deaths; and

in year III。  2;032; largely in the hospitals。  Thus; even on

comparing the average mortality of the ten years of the Revolution

with the mortality of years II。  and III。; the average rate has almost

trebled。  … The same applies to Loudens; where the average death…rate

being 151; in year II。; it rises to 425。  Instead of the triple for

Chatellerault; it is double; where; the average rate being 262; the

death…rate rises to 482; principally in the military hospitals。

(〃Statistique de la Vienne;〃 by Cochon; préfet; year IX。) … At Niort;

population 11;000; the annual mortality of the ten years preceding

1793 averaged 423; or 38 per thousand。  In year II。; there are 1;872;

or 170 per thousand inhabitants; the number being more than

quadrupled。  In year III。; there are 1;122 deaths; or 122; which is

almost the triple。  ('Statistique des Deux…Sèvres;〃 by Dupin; prefet;

2nd memorial; year IX。) … At Strasbourg; (〃Recueil des Pièces

Authentiques;〃 etc。; vol。  I。; p。32; declaration of the Municipality;)

〃twice as many died last year (year II。) as during any of the

preceding years。〃 … According to these figures and the details we have

read; the annual mortality during years II。  and III。  and most of

year IV。; may be estimated as having increased one…half extra。  Now;

previous to 1789; according to Moheau and Necker; (Peuchet;

〃Statistique elementaire de la France;〃 1805; p。239;) the yearly

mortality in France was one person to every thirty; that is to say;

866;666 deaths to a population of 26 millions。  One…half in addition

to this for two and a half years gives; consequently; one million and

eighty thousand deaths。



 2nd 。  During the whole of the Directory episode; privation lasted

and the rate of mortality rose very high; especially for sick

children; the infirm and the aged; because the convention had

confiscated the possessions of the hospitals and public charity was

almost null。  For example; at Lyons; 〃The Asylums having been deprived

of sisters of charity during years II。; III。  and IV。; and most of

year V。; the children gathered into them could neither be fed nor

suckled and the number that perished was frightful。〃 (〃Statistique du

Rhone;〃 by Vernier; prefet; year X。) … In Necker's time; there were

about eight hundred asylums; hospitals and charitable institutions;

with one hundred thousand or one hundred and ten thousand inmates。

(Peuchet; ibid。; 256。) For lack of care and food they die in myriads;

especially foundlings; the number of which increases enormously: in

1790; the figures do not exceed 23;000; in year IX。; the number

surpasses 62;000; (Peuchet; 260): 〃It is a 'perfect deluge;' 〃 say the

reports; in the department of Aisne; there are 1;097 instead of 400;

in that of Lot…et…Garonne; fifteen hundred; (Statistiques des préfets

de l'Aisne; Gers; Lot…et…Garonne); and they are born only to die。  In

that of Eure; after a few months; it is six out of seven; at Lyons;

792 out of 820; (Statistique des Prefets du Rhone et de l'Eure)。  At

Marseilles; it is ′600 out of 618; at Toulon; 101 out of 104; in the

average; 19 out of 20。  (Rocquam; 〃Etat de France au 18e Brumaire;〃

p。33。  Report of Fran?ois de Nantes。) At Troyes; out of 164 brought in

in year IV。; 134 die; out of 147 received in year VII。; 136 die。

(Albert Babeau; II。; 452。) At Paris; in year IV。; out of 3;122 infants

received 2;907 perish。  (Moniteur; year V。; No。  231。) … The sick

perish the same。  〃At Toulon; only seven pounds of meat are given each

day to eighty patients; I saw in the civil Asylum;〃 says Fran?ois de

Nantes; 〃a woman who had just undergone a surgical operation to whom

they gave for a restorative a dozen beans on a wooden platter。〃

(Ibid。; 16; 31; and passim; especially for Bordeaux; Caen; Alen?on;

St。  L?; etc。) … As to beggars; these are innumerable: in year IX。; it

is estimated that there are 3 or 4;000 by department; at least 300;000

in France。  〃In the four Brittany departments one can truly say that a

third of the population live at the expense of the other two…thirds;

either by stealing from them or through compelling assistance。〃

(Rocquain; 〃Report by Barbé…Marbois;〃 p。93。)



3rd。  In year IX。; the Consells…generaux are called upon to 
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