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Taine, Hippolyte, 1828-1893

"The French Revolution - Volume 3"

" - 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.


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