[45]. The example is set by the king who sells to the farmer-generals， for an annual sum， the management and product of the principal indirect taxes.
[46]. Voltaire， "Politique et Législation， La voix du Curé，" (in relation to the serfs of St. Claude). - A speech of the Duke d'Aiguillon， August 4th， 1789， in the National Assembly： "The proprietors of fiefs， of seigniorial estates， are rarely guilty of the excesses of which their vassals complain； but their agents are often pitiless."[47]. Beugnot. "Mémoires，" V. I. p.136. - Duc de Lévis， "Souvenirs et portraits，" p. 156. - "Moniteur，" the session of November 22， 1872， M. Bocher says： "According to the statement drawn up by order of the Convention the Duke of Orleans's fortune consisted of 74，000，000of indebtedness and 140，000，000 of assets." On the 8th January， 1792， he had assigned to his creditors 38，000，000 to obtain his discharge.
[48]. King Louis the XVI's brother. (SR.)[49]. In 1785， the Duke de Choiseul In his testament estimated his property at fourteen millions and his debts at ten millions. (Comte de Tilly， "Mémoires，" II. 215.)[50]. Renauldon， ibid.. 45， 52， 628. - Duvergier， "Collection des Lois，" II. 391； law of August 31； - October 18， 1792. - Statements (cahier) of grievances of a magistrate of the Chatelet on seigniorial courts (1789)， p. 29. - Legrand， " l'Intendance du Hainaut，" p.119.
[51]. Archives Nationales， H， 654 ("Mémoire" by René de Hauteville， advocate to the Parliament， Saint-Brieuc， October 5， 1776.) In Brittany the number of seigniorial courts is immense， the pleaders being obliged to pass through four or five jurisdictions before reaching the Parliament. "Where is justice rendered？ In the cabaret， in the tavern， where， amidst drunkards and riff-raff， the judge sells justice to whoever pays the most for it."[52]. Beugnot， "Mémoires，" vol. I. p. 35.
[53]. Boivin-Champeaux， ibid.. 48. - Renauldon， 26， 416. -Manuscript reports of the States-general (Archives nationales)， t.
CXXXII. pp. 896 and 901. - Hippeau， "Le Gouvernement de Normandie，"VII. 61， 74. - Paris， "La Jeunesse de Robespierre，" pp.314-324. -"Essai sur les capitaineries royales et autres，" (1789) passim. - De Loménie， "Beaumarchais et son emps，" I. 125. Beaumarchais having purchased the office of lieutenant-general of the chase in the bailiwicks of the Louvre warren (twelve to fifteen leagues in circumference. approx. 60 km. SR.) tries delinquents under this title.
July 15th， 1766， he sentences Ragondet， a farmer to a fine of one hundred livres together with the demolition of the walls around an enclosure， also of his shed newly built without license， as tending to restrict the pleasures of the king.
[54]. Marquis D'Argenson， "Mémoires，" ed. Rathery， January 27， 1757. "The sieur de Montmorin， captain of the game-preserves of Fontainebleau， derives from his office enormous sums， and behaves himself like a bandit. The population of more than a hundred villages around no longer sow their land， the fruits and grain being eaten by deer； stags and other game. They keep only a few vines， which they preserve six months of the year by mounting guard day and night with drums， making a general turmoil to frighten off the destructive animals." January 23， 1753. - " M. le Prince de Conti has established a captainry of eleven leagues around Ile-Adam and where everybody is vexed at it." September 23， 1753. - M. le Duc d'Orléans came to Villers-Cotterets， he has revived the captainry； there are more than sixty places for sale on account of these princely annoyances.
[55]. The old peasants with whom I once have talked still had a clear memory of these annoyances and damages. - They recounted how， in the country around Clermont， the gamekeepers of Prince de Condé in the springtime took litters of wolves and raised them in the dry moats of the chateau. They were freed in the beginning of the winter， and the wolf hunting team would then hunt them later. But they ate the sheep， and， here and there， a child.
[56]. The estates of the king encompassed in forest one million acres， not counting forests in the appanages set aside for his eldest son or for factories or salt works.
[57]. De Montlosier， "Mémoires，" I. 175.
