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。
(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;
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