. . . forced the locks and
pillaged, under our own eyes, the very house we occupy. And who are
these devastators? Two commissioners of the Committee who emptied the
storehouse without our warrant, and even without having any power from
the Committee." - It is a sack in due form, and day after day; it
began on the 10th of October, 1793; it continued after, without
interruption, and we have just seen that, on Flor?al 28, year II.,
that is to say, April 26, 1794, after one hundred and twenty-three
days, it is still maintained.
The last mad scramble and the most extensive of all. - In spite of
the subterfuges of its agents, the Republic, having stolen immensely,
and although robbed in its turn, could still hold on to a great deal;
and first, to articles of furniture which could not be easily
abstracted, to large lots of merchandise, also to the vast spoil of
the palaces, chateaux and churches; next, and above all, to real
estate, fixtures and buildings. To meet its expenses it put all that
up for sale, and whoever wants anything has only to come forward as a
buyer, the last bidder becoming the legal owner and at a cheap rate.
The wood cut down in one year very often pays for a whole forest.
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