The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1878-07-16


French soldiers, and to the infamous
greed of the nobility, which robs the
poor agrlculturalist of every thing des
tined to sustain life itself. The starving
peasants are ripe for rising. Let us
move without delay"
81 am ready" said LIE Grand drily. q
"One word,n interposed Guillaume
Aux Alouttes. "Before the movement
begins we must have
A LEADER" :.
"Who shall be that leader p -.
"Caille.," said LIE Grand, gruffly. 4
"No," said Caillet; "the responsibility
is too great for me-"
"Are you afraid ?" asked LIE Grand, al
most contemporary. ...
"'Oh, no let Alouettes be our leader 7
rejoined Caillet. r, -
81 would gladly give my consent t
it." said Guillaume Aux Alouettes, "bu
/ cannot command aa armed force in th'
field You can, Caillet."
swell, theE," replied Caillet, 81 viii
be leader. What title shall assume ?
"Kingw exclaimed LIE Grand. Sou
peasants think a King almost supernat
ural being"
t..But King what7'
Alouettes said: "The noblemen sneer
ingly call every peasant Jacquez Bon
homme. Suppose you call yourself
KING JAcQUEz BoNHoMME ?"
His two hearers laughed.
"a splendid ideal" said Caille.. q
am King Jacquez Bonhomme now, ant
in that capacity ! order you two to ae
company me to the cross,road tavern .
Lointes. Some nobleMen are carousins
there at this very hour. There we vii
strike the first blow ;,.s,.l,5,, ,s
The three men left the cave where ths
peasants were feasting upon the flesh D
the, two horses. Fifteen minutes late
they entered the Picardie Arms tavern a
Lointes. In the small bar-room they
found three young noblemen already
considerably under the influence o.
liquor. e,...- -.J.] -
"Host," cried lie Grand Ferre in ,
s.entorian voice, "three bottles of you
best Fleury wine."
"Have you got the money for it 2
asked the landlord.
"Yes," cried lie Grand "here it is"
And he felled the hapless fellow Will
his battle.ax to the floor. The three
young noblemen sprang to their feet.
"What means this 2" they cried.
at means this" replied LIE Grand,
Staying them too with
r. his MURDERoUs WEAPON. a.
And thus was inaugurated that terri
BILE civil rising known in the history o
France as "La Jacquerie."
The three men set FIRE to the tavern
The flames attracted large conccurst
of peasants. King Jacquez. Bonhomms
addressed them as follows:
peasants the hour of your deliver
ance has come. Follow me! 1 am you
King Jacquez Bonhomme We will frs
avenge our wrongs upon the noblemen
We will punish them in manner tina
will be remembered. Their wives ant
daughters belong to you. Dishono
them and then slay them. We will di
vide the property of the nobility Fol
low me to Castle Lointez r a'i lo re
That castle was the memorial seat o
very bad man, the Marquis de Lointes
Two hundred peasants rushed into it,
They killed every male inmate. As fol
the females theft fate was still more hor
rible. a5 ,g1gs q .2Ul s.ss9tela
In three days there were four Thousand
well-armed men under the command o
King Jacques Bonhomme, who caused
every nobleman to be slain in the coun
try between Montargis and Amiens, ant
who entered that city in triumph sever
days after the beginning of the rising
For certain reasons the citizens of Ami
ems received him with open arms. Hi
army looked somewhat gro.esque, for i
was dressed in the gorgeous clothes o
the murdered nobleman and their ser
wants. 7t'a ciiel0Yel u 7iatg rGiilasl
King Bonhomme was solemnlycrown
ed in the market place. Meanwhile th,
movement spread all over Southerl
France. Sixty thousand persons fell vic
tins to La Jacquerie in the course o
one year. g1G9. 3l - -5ar7z sis aa.
Then King Charles Of Navarro though
it time for him to interfere. He invited
Caillet to an interview,and treacherousl,
caused him to be killed by having red
hot crown pressed down upon his head.
lie Grand Ferre made his escape b,
an almost indescribable tour de. force =
Charles attacked the Jacquerie at Mont
didier and routed the peasantry com
pletely. Then the surviving noblemel
took heart and reyenged themselves upol
the peasants
They killed $4,000 of them, LIE Gran,
Fere being slain by the daughter of th
Count of Arlis, who stabbed him to th
heart. @ -
r..