[9].  Archives nationales, D, XIX. portfolios 14, 15, 25.  Five bundles of papers are filled with these petitions.

[10].  Ibid.  D, XIX. portfolio 11.  An admirable letter by Joseph of Saintignon, abbé of Domiévre, general of the regular canons of Saint-Sauveur and a resident.  He has 23,000 livres income, of which 6,066 livres is a pension from the government, in recompense for his services.  His personal expenditure not being over 5,000 livres “he is in a situation to distribute among the poor and the workmen, in the space of eleven years, more than 250,000 livres.”

[11].  On the conduct and sentiments of lay and ecclesiastical seigniors cf.  Léonce de Lavergne, “Les Assemblées provinciales,” I vol.  Legrand, “L’intendance du Hainaut,” I vol.  Hippeau, “Le Gouvernement de Normandie,” 9 vols.

[12].  “The most active sympathy filled their breasts; that which an opulent man most dreaded was to be regarded as insensible.”  (Lacretelle, vol.  V. p. 2.)

[13].  Floquet, “Histoire du Parlement de Normandie,” vol.  VI. p.696.  In 1772 twenty-five gentlemen and imprisoned or exiled for having signed a protest against the orders of the court.

[14].  De Tocqueville, ibid. pp. 39, 56, 75, 119, 184.  He has developed this point with admirable force and insight.

[15].  De Tocqueville, ibid. p.376.  Complaints of the provincial assembly of Haute-Guyenne.  “People complain daily that there is no police in the rural districts.  How could there be one?  The nobles takes no interest in anything, excepting a few just and benevolent seigniors who take advantage of their influence with vassals to prevent affrays.”

[16].  Records of the States-General of 1789.  Many of the registers of the noblesse consist of the requests by nobles, men and women, of some honorary distinctive mark, for instance a cross or a ribbon which will make them recognizable.

[17].  De Boullé, “Mémoires,” p.50. — De Toqueville, ibid.. pp. 118, 119. — De Loménie, “Les Mirabeau, " p. 132.  A letter of the bailiff of Mirabeau, 1760. — De Châteaubriand, Mémoires,” I. 14, 15, 29, 76, 80, 125. — Lucas de Montigny, “Mémoires de Mirabeau,” I. 160. — Reports of the Société du Berry.  “Bourges en 1753 et 1754,” according to a diary (in the national archives), written by one of the exiled parliamentarians, p. 273.

[18].  “La vie de mon père,” by Rétif de la Bretonne, I. 146.

[19].  The rule is analogous with the other coutumes (common-law rules), of other places and especially in Paris. (Renauldon, ibid.. p. 134.)

[20].  A sort of dower right.  Tr.

[21].  Mme. d’Oberkirk, “Mémoires,” I. 395.