Chapter 246: Daily Life at Versailles
A young man, barely twenty, responded:
"Are you referring to the drought and harsh winter, Count?"
"No, that's not the primary reason," Mirabeau declared, waving his hand emphatically. "The food shortage stems from the nobility's disregard for cultivation. They merely stay at Versailles, so far removed they've forgotten where their own lands lie. This has reduced fields capable of yielding eighteen bushels to a mere twelve! It's their stubborn refusal to plant potatoes. Even a backward nation like Prussia hasn't suffered a famine as severe as France, simply because they have potatoes..."
At a nearby table, Vergniaud was also delivering an impassioned speech:
"The meager harvests of the farmers are further diminished by their lords, who claim a large portion through mill and oven taxes. Meanwhile, the vast hunting grounds of the great nobles occupy immense tracts of land where not a single grain of wheat will grow!
"Merchants attempting to transport grain to areas of scarcity face countless roadblocks scattered between regions... We must petition His Majesty the King to rectify these injustices, only then can we prevent outbreaks of unrest!"
The nobles around him nodded in agreement:
"Yes, let's implore His Majesty the King together!"
"May His Majesty issue a decree to help those poor farmers."
"Let's go seek an audience with His Majesty tomorrow..."
France had been influenced by Enlightenment thought for many years now. Even within Versailles, nobles who embraced the ideas of Rousseau and Voltaire were commonplace; among the youth, it had practically become a trend.
Thus, with a little guidance from Mirabeau and his peers, countless young people responded with fervor.
As for the old nobility, they had long grown accustomed to these voices and simply pretended not to hear them. If they were to argue with the burgeoning new nobility over this, they would almost certainly be defeated—in terms of debate skill and theoretical foundation, they were no match for the young minds steeped in Enlightenment philosophy.
The next morning.
The young noble, who had spent the better part of the previous night in spirited discussion with Vergniaud, stood in the center of the Marble Courtyard, loudly proclaiming the views he had heard.
Around him, what began as a few dozen nobles who had agreed to meet during dinner gradually swelled into a crowd; soon, four or five hundred people had gathered to listen to his speech.
A guard, noticing the assembly, hurried to consult Archbishop Brienne:
"Archbishop, many people have gathered in the Marble Courtyard, and I thought..."
Archbishop Brienne, having already received instructions from His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, immediately waved his hand.
"They are merely holding a peaceful assembly; there's no need for excessive interference."
Forty minutes later, seeing that the contingent was sufficiently large, the young man waved his hand emphatically:
"Let us petition Her Majesty the Queen to abolish the lords' privileges and prioritize the survival of the farmers!"
Indeed, even though he himself was a noble, he could demand the abolition of noble privileges without a moment's hesitation.
Such was France in this era.
Cheers of approval immediately erupted from the crowd, which then thronged around him and headed towards the Petit Trianon.
As their shouts spread, even more nobles joined their ranks.
Naturally, many more young people were firmly restrained by their parents, forbidden from getting involved in such rebellious acts. That day, quite a few were severely thrashed by their fathers for this very reason.
Queen Mary, as the helmswoman of France, had long grown accustomed to the collective petitions of the nobility—they stirred up such a commotion every few months for one reason or another.
She patiently listened to their grievances, then kindly stated that she would seriously consider them.
She did not realize, however, that this was merely a warm-up...
The next day, during the cabinet meeting, Archbishop Brienne, after consulting the Queen on some routine official duties, placed a document before her.
"Your Majesty, this is a proposal from Viscount Chantal, Municipal Commissioner of Montpellier, requesting the abolition of certain lordly privileges."
"Abolish privileges?" Queen Mary immediately recalled yesterday's petitioners, opening the document with a puzzled expression. "...Therefore, we implore Your Majesty to revoke the nobles' privileges concerning hunting, pigeon breeding, rabbit raising, and fishing. We propose reducing hunting grounds and converting them into arable land to increase grain production...
"Abolish manorial courts. Presently, manorial courts are entirely anachronistic, and with many lords residing permanently at Versailles, they are utterly incapable of presiding over judgments... Given the excellent operational track record of urban courts in Paris and other cities, all disputes should be placed under judicial review...
"Farming demands significant labor from peasants; if they are subsequently burdened with working for their lords, it will lead to neglect of their own fields, thereby decreasing grain yields. Therefore, the obligation for peasants to labor for their lords should be abolished...
"Cultivation contracts between lords and tenant farmers should not be unilaterally decided by the lord; instead, they should be signed under the supervision of the courts, and tenant farmers should have the option to leave their current cultivated land...
"The system of serfdom has severely impacted..."
Queen Mary finished reading patiently, her brows subtly furrowing.
The proposal called for the abolition of noble privileges, particularly those related to land. It touched upon everything from corvée labor to manorial jurisdiction, hunting and breeding rights, and even mill and oven taxes.
Moreover, the justifications provided were high-minded—to increase grain production and prevent a recurrence of the unrest that had spread across the entire southern provinces.
The Queen turned to Archbishop Brienne:
"Archbishop Brienne," she began, "these rights are traditions that have endured for centuries, symbols of the nobility's dignity and status. Perhaps we shouldn't concern ourselves with such insignificant matters."
Archbishop Brienne immediately replied:
"Your Majesty, these are not insignificant. Viscount Chantal is correct; traditional privileges have had a direct impact on this unrest."
Earlier, Joseph had assured him that this matter would not involve church privileges, and that the church's support for abolishing lordly privileges would, in fact, enhance its prestige.
Therefore, he had not hesitated in the slightest to promote this proposal.
Mirabeau interjected from the side:
"Your Majesty," Mirabeau stated, "ever since the British abolished certain privileges, their nation has noticeably grown stronger."
He was, in fact, subtly shifting the argument.
Britain's strength stemmed more from its colonies and industrial development, though some noble privileges were indeed abolished during that period, largely a matter of coinciding timelines.
Archbishop Talleyrand, acting as interim Foreign Minister, also expressed his agreement.
Joseph, being the initiator, certainly wouldn't object.
The Minister of Justice and the Minister of the Census, still unclear about the situation, remained silent.
Queen Mary deliberated repeatedly, finding the matter to be of too great a consequence. Ultimately, she rubbed her forehead and announced that the discussion would be postponed to another day.
Joseph, for his part, hadn't expected to settle it in a single attempt.
In truth, even if the Queen had signed the decree that day, the nobles whose interests were harmed would undoubtedly find a way to reverse it.
Ultimately, this matter required suppressing the old nobility. Today's proposal was merely to lure the snake out of its hole.
That afternoon, Viscount Chantal's proposal, like a drop of water falling into boiling oil, caused an uproar throughout Versailles.
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