Let us suppose that， in order not to excite suspicion， they are content to be without arms， to form no more associations， not to attend elections， to shut themselves up at home， to strictly confine themselves within the harmless precincts of domestic life. The same distrust， the same animosity， still pursues them there. - At Cahors，[22] where the municipal authorities， in spite of the law， had just expelled the Carthusians who， under legal sanction， chose to remain and live in common， two of the monks， before their departure， give to M. de Beaumont， their friend and neighbor， four dwarf pear-trees and some onions in blossom in their garden. On the strength of this， the municipal body decree that"the sieur Louis de Beaumont， formerly count， is guilty of having audaciously and maliciously damaged national property，" condemns him to pay a fine of three hundred livres， and orders "that the four pear-trees， pulled up in the so-called Carthusian garden， be brought on the following day， Wednesday， to the door of the said sieur de Beaumont， and there remain for four consecutive days， guarded， day and night， by two fusiliers， at the expense of the said sieur de Beaumont； and upon the said trees shall be placed the following inscription， to wit： Louis de Beaumont， destroyer of the national property. And the judgment herewith rendered shall be printed to the number of one thousand copies， read， published， and posted at the expense of the said sieur de Beaumont， and duly addressed throughout the department of Lot to the districts and municipalities thereof， as well as to all societies of the Friends of the Constitution and of Liberty."Every line of this legal invective discloses the malignant envy of the local recorder， who revenges himself for having formerly bowed too low. - The following year， M. de Beaumont， having formally and under notarial sanction bought a church which was sold by the district， along with the ornaments and objects of worship it contained， the mayor and municipal officers， followed by a lot of workmen， come and carry away and destroy everything -confessionals， altars， and even the saint's canonised body， which had been interred for one hundred and fifty years： so that， after their departure， "the edifice resembled a vast barn filled with ruins and rubbish."[23] It must be noted that， at this very time， M.
de Beaumont is military commandant at Perigord. The treatment he undergoes shows what is in reserve for ordinary nobles. I do not recommend them to attend official sales of property.[24] - Will they even be free in their domestic enjoyments， and on entering a drawing-room are they sure of quietly passing an evening there？ -At Paris， even， a number of persons of rank， among them the ambassadors of Denmark and Venice， are listening to a concert in a mansion in the Faubourg Saint-Honoré given by a foreign virtuoso， when a cart enters the court loaded with fifty bundles of hay， the monthly supply for the horses. A patriot， who sees the cart driven in， imagines that the King is concealed underneath the hay， and that he has come there for the purpose of plotting with the aristocrats about his flight. A mob gathers， and the National Guard arrives， along with a commissioner， while four grenadiers stand guard around the cart. The commissioner， in the meantime， inspects the hotel； he sees music-stands， and the arrangements for a supper； comes back， has the cart unloaded， and states to the people that he has found nothing suspicious. The people do not believe him， and demand a second inspection. This is made by twenty-four delegates； the bundles of hay， moreover， are counted， and several of them are unbound， but all in vain. Disappointed and irritated， having anticipated a spectacle， the crowd insists that all the invited guests， men and women， should leave the house on foot， and only get into their carriages at the end of the street. "First comes a file of empty carriages；" next， "all the guests in their evening attire， and the ladies in full dress， trembling with fear， with downcast eyes， between two rows of men， women， and children， who stare them in the face， and overwhelm them with insults."[25]
