Thegovernmenttooknonoticeofit。Thefirstengineerwhocametosurveyit，gotaballthroughhishead，anddiedonhislevel。Noactionwastakenonthismurder，buttheroadmadeacircuitwhichlengtheneditbyeightmiles！
Thecontinualloweringofthepriceofwinesdrunkintheneighborhood，thoughitmaysatisfythedesireofthebourgeoisieofIssoudunforcheapprovisions，isleadingthewaytotheruinofthevine-growers，whoaremoreandmoreburdenedwiththecostsofcultivationandthetaxes；justastheruinofthewoollentradeistheresultofthenon-improvementinthebreedingofsheep。Country-
folkhavethedeepesthorrorofchange；eventhatwhichismostconducivetotheirinterests。Inthecountry，aParisianmeetsalaborerwhoeatsanenormousquantityofbread，cheese，andvegetables；heprovestohimthatifhewouldsubstituteforthatdietacertainportionofmeat，hewouldbebetterfed，atlesscost；thathecouldworkmore，andwouldnotuseuphiscapitalofhealthandstrengthsoquickly。TheBerrichonseesthecorrectnessofthecalculation，butheanswers，“Thinkofthegossip，monsieur。““Gossip，whatdoyoumean？““Well，yes，whatwouldpeoplesayofme？““Hewouldbethetalkoftheneighborhood，“saidtheownerofthepropertyonwhichthisscenetookplace；“theywouldthinkhimasrichasatradesman。Heisafraidofpublicopinion，afraidofbeingpointedat，afraidofseemingillorfeeble。That’showweallareinthisregion。“Manyofthebourgeoisieutterthisphrasewithfeelingsofinwardpride。
Whileignoranceandcustomareinvincibleinthecountryregions，wherethepeasantsareleftverymuchtothemselves，thetownofIssoudunitselfhasreachedastateofcompletesocialstagnation。
Obligedtomeetthedecadenceoffortunesbythepracticeofsordideconomy，eachfamilylivestoitself。Moreover，societyispermanentlydeprivedofthatdistinctionofclasseswhichgivescharactertomannersandcustoms。Thereisnooppositionofsocialforces，suchasthattowhichthecitiesoftheItalianStatesintheMiddleAgesowedtheirvitality。TherearenolongeranynoblesinIssoudun。TheCottereaux，theRoutiers，theJacquerie，thereligiouswarsandtheRevolutiondidawaywiththenobility。Thetownisproudofthattriumph。Issoudunhasrepeatedlyrefusedtoreceiveagarrison，alwaysonthepleaofcheapprovisions。Shehasthuslostameansofintercoursewiththeage，andshehasalsolosttheprofitsarisingfromthepresenceoftroops。Before1756，Issoudunwasoneofthemostdelightfulofallthegarrisontowns。Ajudicialdrama，whichoccupiedforatimetheattentionofFrance，thefeudofalieutenant-generalofthedepartmentwiththeMarquisdeChapt，whoseson，anofficerofdragoons，wasputtodeath，——justlyperhaps，yettraitorously，forsomeaffairofgallantry，——deprivedthetownfromthattimeforthofagarrison。Thesojournoftheforty-fourthdemi-brigade，imposeduponitduringthecivilwar，wasnotofanaturetoreconciletheinhabitantstotheraceofwarriors。