The Revolution 331 



The Capitaineries were a dreadful scourge on all the occupiers 

 of land. By this term is to be understood the paramountship of 

 certain districts granted by the king to princes of the blood, by 

 which they were put in possession of the property of all game, 

 even on lands not belonging to them; and, what is very singular, 

 on manors granted long before to individuals; so that the 

 erecting of a district into a capitainerie was an annihilation of all 

 manorial rights to game within it. This was a trifling business 

 in comparison of other circumstances; for in speaking of the 

 preservation of the game in these capitaineries, it must be 

 observed that by game must be understood whole droves of 

 wild boars, and herds of deer not confined by any wall or pale, 

 but wandering at pleasure, over the whole country, to the 

 destruction of crops ; and to the peopling of the galleys by the 

 wretched peasants who presumed to kill them in order to save 

 that food which was to support their helpless children. The 

 game in the capitainerie of Montceau, in four parishes only, did 

 mischief to the amount of 184,263 h\Tes per annum.^ No 

 wonder then that we should find the people asking, " Nous de- 

 mandons a grand cris la destruction des capitaineries et celle de 

 toute sorte de gibier.'' ~ And what are we to think of demanding, 

 as a favour, the permission — " De nettoyer ses grains de faucher 

 les pres artificiels, et d'enlever ses chanmes sans egard pour la per- 

 drix on tout autre gibier.''^ Now an English reader will scarcely 

 understand it without being told, that there were numerous 

 edicts for preserving the game which prohibited weeding and 

 hoeing, lest the young partridges should be disturbed ; steeping 

 seed, lest it should injure the game ; manuring with night soil, 

 lest the flavour of the partridges should be injured by feeding 

 on the corn so produced; mowing hay, etc., before a certain 

 time, so late as to spoil many crops; and taking away the 

 stubble, which would deprive the birds of shelter. The t\Tanny 

 exercised in these capitaineries, which extended over 400 leagues 

 of country, was so great that many cahiers demanded the utter 

 suppression of them.^ Such were the exertions of arbitrary 

 power which the lower orders felt directly from the royal 

 authority; but heavy as they were, it is a question whether the 



' Cahier du Hers etat de Meaux, p. 49. — Author's note. 



'^ De Mantes and Meulan, p. 38. — Author's note. 



^ Ibid, p. 40. Also, Nob. et Tier Etat de Peronne, p. 42. De Trois ordres 

 de Montfort, p. 28. — Author's note. 



* Clerge de Provins et Montereau, p. 35. Clcrge de Paris, p. 25. Clerge 

 de Mantes et Meulan, pp. 45, 46. Clerge de Laon, p. 11. Nob. de Nemours, 

 p. 17. Nob. de Paris, p. 22. Nob. d' Arras, p. 29. — Author's rwte. 



