"The king has just given 1,500,000 livres to M.le Prince de Conti to pay his debts, 1,000,000 of which is under the pretext of indemnifying him for the injury done him by the sale of Orange, and 500,000 livres as a gratuity." "The Duc d'Orleans formerly had 50,000 crowns pension, as a poor man, and awaiting his father's inheritance.

This event making him rich, with an income of more than 3,000,000 livres, he gave up his pension.

But having since represented to the king that his expenditure exceeded his income, the king gave him back his 50,000 crowns."-- Twenty years later, in 1780, when Louis XVI., desirous of relieving the treasury, signs "the great reformation of the table, 600,000 livres are given to Mesdames for their tables." This is what the dinners, cut down, of three old ladies, cost the public! For the king's two brothers, 8,300,000 livres, besides 2,000,000 income in appanages; for the Dauphin, Madame Royale, Madame Elisabeth, and Mesdames 3,500,000 livres; for the queen, 4,000,000: such is the statement of Necker in 1784.

Add to this the casual donations, admitted or concealed; 200,000 francs to M.de Sartines, to aid him in paying his debts; 200,000 to M.Lamoignon, keeper of the seals; 100,000 to M.de Miromesnil for expenses in establishing himself; 166,000 to the widow of M.de Maurepas; 400,000 to the Prince de Salm; 1,200,000 to the Duc de Polignac for the pledge of the county Fenestranges; 754,337 to Mesdames to pay for Bellevue.[1419] M.de Calonne," says Augeard, a reliable witness,[1420] "scarcely entered on his duties, raised a loan of 100,000,000 livres, one-quarters of which did not find its way into the royal treasury; the rest was eaten up by people at the court; his donations to the Comte Artois are estimated at 56,000,000; the portion of Monsieur is 5,000,000; he gave to the Prince de Conde, in exchange for 300,000 livres income, 12,000,000 paid down and 600,000 livres annuity, and he causes the most burdensome acquisition to be made for the State, in exchanges of which the damage is more than five to one." We must not forget that in actual rates all these donations, pensions, and salaries are worth double the amount .-- Such is the use of the great in relation to the central power; instead of constituting themselves representatives of the people, they aimed to be the favorites of the Sovereign, and they shear the flock which they ought to preserve.
IV.
Isolation of the Chiefs--Sentiments of subordinates -- Provincial nobility--The Curates.
The fleeced flock is to discover finally what is done with its wool.
"Sooner or later," says a parliament of 1764,[1421] "the people will learn that the remnants of our finances continue be wasted in donations which are frequently undeserved; in excessive and multiplied pensions for the same persons; in dowries and promises of dowry, and in useless offices and salaries." Sooner or later they will thrust back "these greedy hands which are always open and never full; that insatiable crowd which seems to be born only to seize all and possess nothing, and pitiless as it is shameless."-- And when this day arrives the extortioners will find that they stand alone.

For the characteristic of an aristocracy which cares only for itself is to live aloof in a closed circle.