Article by Mallet du Pan： "Such is literally the language of these emigrants； I do not add a word." - Ibid. May 15， 1790. Letter of the Baron de Bois d'Aizy， April 29，1790， demanding a decree of protection fur the nobles. "We shall know (then) whether we are outlawed or are of any account in the rights of man written out with so much blood， or whether， finally， no other option is left to us but that of carrying to distant skies the remains of our property and our wretched existence."[35] Mercure， October 15， 1791， and September 10， 1791. Read the admirable letter of the Chevalier de Mesgrigny， appointed colonel during the suspension of the King， and refusing his new rank.
[36] Cf. the "Mémoires" of M. de Boustaquet， a Norman gentleman.
[37] Cf. "The Ancient Régime，" books I. and II.
[38] Boivin- Champeaux， "Notice Historique sur la Révolution dans le Département de L'Eure，" the register of grievances. In 1788， at Rouen， there was not a single profession made by men. In the monastery of the Deux-Amants the chapter convoked in 1789 consisted of two monks. -- "Archives Nationales，" papers of the ecclesiastic committee， passim.
[39] "Apologie de l'état Religieux" (1775)， with statistics. Since 1768 the decline is "frightful." "It is easy to foresee that in ten or twelve years most of the regular bodies will be absolutely extinct， or reduced to a state of feebleness akin to death."[40] Sanzay， I. 224 (November， 1790). At Besan？on， out of 266monks， "79 only showed any loyalty to their engements or any affection for their calling." Others preferred to abandon it， especially all the Dominicans but five， all but one of the bare footed Carmelites， and all the Grand Carmelites. The same disposition is apparent throughout the department， as， for instance， with the Benedictines of Cluny except one， all the Minimes but three， all the Capuchins but five， the Bernandins， Dominicans， and Augustins， all preferring to leave. -- Montalembert， "Les Moines d'Occident，" introduction， pp. 105-164. Letter of a Benedictine of Saint-Germain-des-Prés to a Benedictine of Vannes. "Of all the members of your congregation which come here to lodge， I have scarcely found one capable of edifying us. You may probably say the same of those who came to you from our place." -- Cf. in the "Mémoires" of Merlin de Thionville the description of the Chartreuse of Val St. Pierre.
[41] Ch. Guerin， "Revue des Questions Historiques" (July 1， 1875；April 1， 1876). -- Abbé Guettée， "Histoire de l'Eglise de France，"XII， 128. ("Minutes of the meeting of l'Assemblée du Clergé，" in 1780.) -- "Archives nationales，" official reports and memorandums of the States-General in 1789. The most obnoxious proceeding to the chiefs of the order is the postponement of the age at which vows may be taken， it being， in their view， the ruin of their institutions.
-- "The Ancient Régime，" p. 403.
[42] In order for a modern uninstructed non-believing reader to understand the motivation which moved thousands of self-less sisters and brothers to do their useful and kind work read St.
Matthew chapter 25， verses 31 to 46 where Jesus predicts how he will sit in judgment on mankind and separate the sheep from the goats. (SR.)[43] "The Ancient Régime，" P.33 -- Cf. Guerin "The monastery of the Trois-Rois， in the north of Franche-Comté， founded four villages collected from foreign colonists. It is the only center of charity and civilization in a radius of three leagues. It took care of two hundred of the sick in a recent epidemic； it lodges the troops which pass from Alsace into Franche-Comté， and in the late hailstorm it supplied the whole neighborhood with food."[44] Moniteur， sitting of February 13，1790. (Speech of the Abbé de Montesquiou). -- Archives Nationales，" papers of the Ecclesiastical Committee， DXIX. 6， Visitation de Limoges， DXIX.
25， Annonciades de Saint-Denis； ibid. Annonciades de Saint Amour， Ursulines d'Auch， de Beaulieu， d'Eymoutier， de la Ciotat， de Pont Saint-Esprit， Hospitalières d'Ernée， de Laval； Sainte Claire de Laval， de Marseilles， etc. "[45] Sauzay， I. 247. Out of three hundred and seventy-seven nuns at Doubs， three hundred and fifty-eight preferred to remain as they were， especially at Pontarlier， all the Bernardines， Annonciades， and Ursulines； at Besan？on， all the Carmelites， the Visitandines， the Annonciades， the Clarisses， the Sisters of Refuge， the Nuns of the Saint-Esprit and， save one， all the Benedictine Nuns.
[46] "Archives Nationales." Papers of the Ecclesiastical Committee， passim.-- Suzay， I. 51. -- Statistics of France for 1866.
[47] In 1993 this number has once more fallen， and continues to fall， to 55 900. "Quid"， 1996 page 623. (SR.)[48] Felix Rocquain， "La France aprés le 18 Brumaire." (Reports of the Councillors of State dispatched on this service， passim).
[49] Moniteur， October 24， 1789. (Speech of Dupont de Nemours.) All these speeches， often more fully reported and with various renderings， may be found in "Les Archives Parlementaires，" 1st series， vols. VIII. and IX.
[50] Duvergier， decree of June 14-17， 1791. "The annihilation of every corporation of citizens of any one condition or profession being on of the foundation-stones of the French constitution， it is forbidden to re-establish these de-facto under any pretext or form whatever. Citizens of a like condition or profession， such as contractors， shopkeepers， workmen of all classes， and associates in any art whatever shall not， on assembling together， appoint either president， or secretaries， or syndics， discuss or pass resolutions， or frame any regulations in relation to their assumed common interests."[51] Moniteur， sitting of November 2nd， 1789.