The Ancient Regime eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 652 pages of information about The Ancient Regime.

The Ancient Regime eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 652 pages of information about The Ancient Regime.

Madame Campan, “Mémoires,” I. 58, 28.

“Madame Louise often told me that, although twelve years of age, she had not fully learned the alphabet. . . .

“It was necessary to decide absolutely whether a certain water-bird was fat or lean.  Madame Victoire consulted a bishop. . . .  He replied that, in a doubt of this kind, after having the bird cooked it would be necessary to puncture it on a very cold silver dish and, if the juice coagulated in one-quarter of an hour, the bird might be considered fat.  Madame Victoire immediately put it to test; the juice did not coagulate.  The princess was highly delighted, as she was very fond of this species of game.  Fasting (on religious grounds), to which Madame Victoire was addicted, put her to inconvenience; accordingly she awaited the midnight stroke of Holy Saturday impatiently.  A dish of chicken and rice and other succulent dishes were then at once served up.”

("Journal de Dumont d’Urville,” commanding the vessel on which Charles X. left France in 1830.  Quoted by Vaulabelle, History of the Restoration, VIII. p.465).

“The king and the Duc d’Angoulême questioned me on my various campaigns, but especially on my voyage around the world in the ‘Astrolabe.’  My narrative seemed to interest them very much, their interruptions consisting of questions of remarkable naiveté, showing that they possessed no notions whatever, even the most superficial, on the sciences or on voyages, being as ignorant on these points as any of the old rentiers of the Marais. ------------------------------------
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Note 5. 
On the rate of direct taxation.

The following figures are extracted from the proces-verbaux of the provincial assemblies (1778-1787)

_______________________________________________________
_______________ Access- Total en Taille. iores de Capitation Impot des multiples la taille. taillable. routes. de la taille.
_______________________________________________________
___________________ Ile-de-France, 4,296,040 2,207,826 2,689,287 519,989 2,23 Lyonnais, 1,356,954 903,653 898,089 315,869 2,61 Géneralité de Rouen, 2,671,939 1,595,051 1,715,592 598,258[1] 2,46 Généralité de Caen, 1,939,665 1,212,429 1,187,823 659,034 2,56 Berry, 821,921 448,431 464,955 236,900 2,50 Poitou, 2,309,681 1,113,766 1,403,402 520,000 2,30 Soissonnats, 1,062,392 911,883 734,899 462,883 2,94 Orléanais, 2,353,892 1,256,125 1,485,720 586,385 2,34 Champagne, 1,783,850 1,459,780 1,377,371 807,280 3,00 Généralité d’Alencon, 1,742,655 1,120,041 1,067,849 435,637 2,47 Auvergne 1,999,040 1,399,678 1,753,026 310,468 2,70 Généralité d’Auch, 1,440,533 931,261 797,268 316,909[2] 2,35
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The Ancient Regime from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.