Early in 1789， M. de Gouy d'Arcy[73] was the first to put his pen to paper in behalf of popular rights. A deputy of the noblesse to the Constituent Assembly， he is the first to rally to the Third-Estate；when the liberal minority of the noblesse came and took their seats in the hall of the Communes， he had already been there eight days， and， for thirty months， he "invariably seated himself on the side of the 'Left.'" Senior major-general， and ordered by the Legislative Assembly to suppress the outbreak of the 6，000 insurgents at Noyon， "he kept his rigorous orders in his pocket for ten days"； he endured their insults； he risked his life "to save those of his misguided fellow-citizens， and he had the good fortune not to spill a drop of blood." Exhausted by so much labor and effort， almost dying， ordered into the country by his physicians， "he devoted his income to the relief of poverty"； he planted on his own domain the first liberty tree that was erected； he furnished the volunteers with clothes and arms； "instead of a fifth， he yielded up a third of his revenue under the forced system of taxation." His children live with him on the property， which has been in the family four hundred years， and the peasantry call him "their father." No one could lead a more tranquil or， indeed， a more meritorious existence. But， being a noble， he is suspected， and a delegate from the Paris Commune denounces him at Compiègne as having in his house two cannon and five hundred and fifty muskets. There is at once a domiciliary visit. Eight hundred men， infantry and cavalry， appear before the chateau d'Arcy in battle array. He meets them at the door and tenders them the keys. After a search of six hours， they find twelve fowling pieces and thirteen rusty pistols， which he has already declared. His disappointed visitors grumble， break， eat and drink to the extent of 2，000 crowns damage.[74] Nevertheless， urged by their leaders they finally retire.
But M. de Gouy has 60，000 francs in rentals which would be so much gain to the nation if he would emigrate； this must be effected， by expelling him， and， moreover during his expulsion， they may fill their pockets. For eight days this matter is discussed in the Compiègne club， in the bars， in the barracks， and， on the ninth day， 150volunteers issue from the town， declaring that they are going to kill M. de Gouy and all who belong to him. Informed of this， he departs with his family， leaving the doors of his house wide open. There is a general pillage for five hours； the mob drink the costly wines， steal the plate， demand horses to carry their booty away， and promise to return soon and take the owner's head. -- In effect， on the following morning at four o'clock， there is a new invasion， a new pillage， and， this time， the last one； the servants escape under a fire of musketry， and M. de Gouy， at the request of the villagers， whose vineyards are devastated， is obliged to quit that part of the country.[75] -- There is no need to go through the whole file. At Houdainville， at the house of M. de Saint-Maurice， at Nointel， on the estate of the Duc de Bourbon， at Chantilly， on the estate of the Prince de Condé， at the house of M. de Fitz-James， and elsewhere， a certain Gauthier， "commandant of the Paris detachment of Searchers， and charged with the powers of the Committee of Supervision，" makes his patriotic circuit， and Roland knows beforehand of what that consists， namely， a dragonnade[76] in regular form on the domains of all nobles， absent or present.[77]
Favorite game is still found in the clergy， more vigorously hunted than the nobles； Roland， charged with the duty of maintaining public order， asks himself how the lives of inoffensive priests， which the law recommends to him， can be protected. -- At Troyes， at the house of M. Fardeau， an old non-conformist curé， an altar decked with its sacred vessels is discovered， and M. Fardeau， arrested， refuses to take the civic oath. Torn from his prison， and ordered to shout "Vive la Nation！" he again refuses. On this， a volunteer， borrowing an ax from a baker， chops off his head， and this head， washed in the river， is borne to the H？tel-de-ville.[78] -- At Meaux， a brigade of Parisian gendarmerie murders seven priests， and， as an extra， six ordinary malefactors in confinement.[79] At Rheims， the Parisian volunteers first make way with the post-master and his clerk， both under suspicion because the smell of burnt paper had issued from their chimney， and， next， M. de Montrosier， an old retired officer， which is the opening of the hunt. Afterwards they fall upon two ecclesiastics with pikes and sabers， whom their game-beaters have brought in from the country， then on the former curé of Saint-Jean， and on that of Rilly； their corpses are cut up， paraded through the streets in portions， and burnt in a bonfire； one of the wounded priests， the abbéAlexandre， is thrown in still alive.[80] -- Roland recognizes the men of September， who， exposing their still bloody pikes， came to his domicile to demand their wages； wherever the band passes it announces， "in the name of the people，" its "plenary power to spread the example of the capital." Now， as 40，000 unsworn priests are condemned by the decree of August 26 to leave their departments in a week and France in a fortnight， shall they be allowed to depart？ Eight thousand of them at Rouen， in obedience to the decree， charter transports， which the riotous population of both sides of the Seine prevent from leaving.