Onthe28thofJuly，atAngoulême，[11]thealarmbellisheardaboutthreeo’clockintheafternoon；thedrumsbeattoarms，andcannonaremountedontheramparts。Thetownhastobeputinastateofdefenseagainst15，000banditswhoareapproaching，andfromthewallsacloudofdustontheroadisdiscoveredwithterror。Itprovestobethepost—wagononitswaytoBordeaux。Afterthisthenumberofbrigandsisreducedto1，500，butthereisnodoubtthattheyareravagingthecountry。Atnineo’clockintheevening20，000menareunderarms，andthustheypassthenight，alwayslisteningwithouthearinganything。Towardsthreeo’clockinthemorningthereisanotheralarm，thechurchbellsringingandthepeopleformingabattlearray。TheyareconvincedthatthebrigandshaveburnedRuffec，Vernenil，LaRochefoucauld，andotherplaces。
Thenextdaycountrymenflockintogivetheiraidagainstbanditswhoarestillabsent。\"Atnineo’clock，\"saysawitness，\"wehad40，000meninthetown，towhomweshowedourgratitude。\"Asthebanditsdonotshowthemselves，itmustbebecausetheyareconcealed；ahundredhorsemen，alargenumberofmenonfoot，startouttosearchtheforestofBra？onne，andtotheirgreatsurprisetheyfindnothing。Buttheterrorisnotallayed；\"duringthefollowingdaysaguardiskeptmounted，andcompaniesareenrolledamongthetownsmen，\"whileBordeaux，dulyinformed，dispatchesacouriertoofferthesupportof20，000menandeven30，000。\"Whatissurprising，\"addsthenarrator，isthatattenleaguesoffintheneighborhood，ineachparish，asimilardisturbancetookplace，andataboutthesamehour。\"——Allthatisrequiredisthatagirl，returningtothevillageatnight，shouldmeettwomenwhodonotbelongtotheneighborhood。ThecaseisthesameinAuvergne。
Wholeparishes，onthestrengthofthis，betakethemselvesatnighttothewoods，abandoningtheirhouses，andcarryingawaytheirfurniture；\"thefugitivestroddownanddestroyedtheirowncrops；
pregnantwomenwereinjuredintheforests，andotherslosttheirwits。\"Fearlendsthemwings。Twoyearsafterthis，MadameCampanwasshownarockypeakonwhichawomanhadtakenrefuge，andfromwhichshewasobligedtobeletdownwithropes。——Thepeopleatlastreturntotheirhomes，andresumetheirusualroutines。Butsuchlargemassesarenotunsettledwithimpunity；atumultlikethisis，initself，alivelysourceofalarm。Asthecountrydidrise，itmusthavebeenonaccountofthreateneddangerandiftheperilwasnotduetobrigands，itmusthavecomefromsomeotherquarter。ArthurYoung，atDijonandinAlsace，[12]hearsatthepublicdinnertablesthattheQueenhadformedaplottounderminetheNationalAssemblyandtomassacreallParis。LateronheisarrestedinavillagenearClermont，andexaminedbecauseheisevidentlyconspiringwiththeQueenandtheComted’Entraiguestoblowupthetownandsendthesurvivorstothegalleys。
Noargument，noexperiencehasanyeffectagainstthemultiplyingphantomsofanover—excitedimagination。Hencefortheverycommune，andeveryman，providethemselveswitharmsandkeepthemreadyforuse。Thepeasantsearcheshishoard，and\"findsfromtentotwelvefrancsforthepurchaseofagun。\"\"Anationalmilitiaisfoundinthepoorestvillage。\"Burgessguardsandcompaniesofvolunteerspatrolallthetowns。Militarycommandersdeliverarms，ammunition，andequipment，ontherequisitionofmunicipalbodies，while，incaseofrefusal，thearsenalsarepillaged，and，voluntarilyorbyforce，fourhundredthousandgunsthuspassintothehandsofthepeopleinsixmonths。[13]Notcontentwiththistheymusthavecannon。Bresthavingdemandedtwo，everytowninBrittanydoesthesamething；theirself—esteemisatstakeaswellasaneedoffeelingthemselvesstrong。—Theylacknothingnowtorenderthemselvesmasters。Allauthority，allforce，everymeansofconstraintandofintimidationisintheirhands，andintheirsalone；andthesesovereignhandshavenothingtoguidetheminthisactualinterregnumofalllegalpowers，butthewildormurderoussuggestionsofhungerordistrust。
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