(Seine-et-Oise， canton of Jouy， Pluvi？se 8， year IV.) "Forty-nine out of fifty citizens seem to have the greatest desire to profess the Catholic faith." - Ibid.， canton of Dammartin， Pluvi？se 7， year IV.)"The Catholic religion has full sway； those who do not accept it are frowned upon." - At the same date (Pluvi？se 9， year IV)， the commissioner at Chamarande writes： "I see persons giving what they call blessed bread and yet having nothing to eat."[82] Ibid.， cartons 3144 and 3145， No. 1004， missions of the councillors of state， year IX. - (Report of Barbé-Marbois on Brittany.) "At Vannes， I entered the cathedral on the jour des Rois， where the constitutional mass was being celebrated； there were only one priest and two or three poor people there. A little farther on Ifound a large crowd barring the way in the street； these people could not enter a chapel which was already full and where the mass called for by the Catholics was being celebrated. - Elsewhere， the churches in the town were likewise deserted， and the people went to hear mass by a priest just arrived from England." - (Report by Fran？ais de Nantes on Vaucluse and Provence.) One tenth of the population follows the constitutional priests； the rest follow the returned emigrépriests； the latter have on their side the rich and influential portion of society." - (Report of Lacuée on Paris and the seven surrounding departments.) "The situation of the unsubmissive priests is more advantageous than that of the submissive priests. . . . The latter are neglected and abandoned； it is not fashionable to join them. . . (The former) are venerated by their adherents as martyrs；they excite tender interest， especially from the women."[83] Archives nationales， cartons 3144 and 3145， No.1004， missions of the councillors of state， year IX.- (Report by Lacuée.) "The wants of the people in this way seem at this moment to be confined. . . to a vain spectacle， to ceremonies： going to mass， the sermon and vespers， which is all very well； but confession， the communion， fasting， doing without meat， is not common anywhere. . . . In the country， where there are no priests， the village schoolmaster officiates， and people are content； they would prefer bells without priests rather than priests without bells." - This regret for bells is very frequent and survives even in the cantons which are lukewarm. - (Creuse， Pluvi？se 10， year IV.) "They persist in replanting the crosses which the priests have dug up； they put back the ropes to the bells which the magistrate has taken away."[84] Archives nationales， cartons 3144 and 3145， No. 1004， missions of the councilors of state， year IX. - (Report by Fourcroy.) "The keeping of Sunday and the attendance on the churches， which is seen everywhere， shows that the mass of Frenchmen desire a return to ancient usages， and that the time has gone by for resisting this national tendency. . . The mass of mankind require a religion， a system of worship and a priesthood. It is an error of certain modern phi1osophers， into which I have myself been led， to believe in the possibility of any instruction sufficiently widespread to destroy religious prejudices； they are a source of consolation for the vast number of the unfortunate. . . . Priests， altars and worship must accordingly be left to the mass of the people."[85] Peuchet， "Statistique élémentaire de la France" (published in 1805)， p.228. According to statements furnished by prefects in the years IX and X， the population is 33，111，962 persons； the annexation of the island of Elbe and of Piedmont adds 1，864，350 Total， 34，976，313. - Pelet de la Lozère， P.203. (Speech by Napoleon to the council of state， February 4， 1804， on the Protestant seminaries of Geneva and Strasbourg， and on the number of Protestants in his states.) "Their population numbers only 3 millions."[86] Roederer， III.， 330 (July 1800)： "The First Consul spoke to me about the steps necessary to be taken to prevent the (emigrés) who had been struck off from getting back their possessions， in view of maintaining the interest in the revolution of about 1，200，000purchasers of national domains. " - Rocquain， "état de la France au 18Brumaire." (Report by Barbé-Marbois on Morbihan， Finisterre， Ile-et-Vilaine， and C？tes-du-Nord， year IX.) "In every place I have just passed through the proprietors recognize that their existence is attached to that of the First Consul."[87] Constitution of Frimaire 22， year VIII， art. 94. - Article 93， moreover， declares that "the possessions of the émigrés are irrevocably acquired by the republic."[88] Law of Floréal 29， year X， title I， article 8. The member also swears "to combat with all the means which justice， reason and the law authorize， every enterprise tending to restore the feudal régime，"and， consequently， feudal rights and tithes[89] Organic Sénatus-consulte， Floreal 28， year XII (18th May 1804).
Title VII.， art. 53.
[90] Roederer， III.， 430-432 (April 4， 1802， May I， 1802)： "Defermon remarked to me yesterday， 'This will all go on well as long as the First Consul lives； the day after his death we shall all emigrate.' "- " Every one， from the sailor to the worker， says to himself， 'All this is very well， but will it last？ . . .- This work we undertake， this capital we risk， this house we build， these trees we plant， what will become of them if he dies？"[91] Ibid.， 340. (Words of the First Consul， November 4， 1800.) "Who is the rich man to-day？ The buyer of national domains， the contractor.
the robber." -These details， above， are provided for me by family narrations and souvenirs.
[92] Napoleon， "Correspondance，" letter of September 5， 1795.
