m of society is added the sweepings
of the depots and of the jails. Among the vagabonds that fill these,
after winnowing out those able to make their families known or to obtain
sponsors, "there are none left," says an intendant, "but those who are
entirely unknown or dangerous, out of which those regarded as the
least vicious are selected and efforts are made to place these in
the army."[5407]--The last of its affluents is the half-forced,
half-voluntary enlistment by which the ranks are for the most part
filled, the human waste of large towns, like adventurers, discharged
apprentices, young reprobates turned out of doors, and people without
homes or steady occupation. The recruiting agent who is paid so much a
head for his recruits and so much an inch on their stature above five
feet, "holds his court in a tavern, treating everyone" promoting his
merchandise:

"Come, boys, soup, fish, meat and salad is what you get to eat in the
regiment;" nothing else, "I don't deceive you--pie and Arbois wine are
the extras."[5408]

He pours the wine, pays the bill and, if need be, yields his mistress.
"After a few days debauchery, the young libertine, with no money to pay
his debts, is obliged to sell himself, while the laborer, transformed
into soldier, begins to drill under the lash."--Strange recruits these,
for the protection of society, all selected from the class which will
attack it, down-trodden peasants, imprisoned vagabonds, social outcasts,
poor fellows in debt, disheartened, excited and easily tempted, who,
according to circumstances, become at one time rioters, and at another
soldiers.--Which lot is preferable? The bread the soldier eats is not
more abundant than that of the prisoner, while poorer in quality; for
the bran is taken out of the bread which the locked-up vagabond eats,
and left in the bread which is eaten by the soldier who locks him
up[5409]. In this state of things the soldier ought not to mediate on
his lot, and yet this is just what his officers incite him to do. They
also have become politicians and fault-finders. Some years before the
Revolution[5410] "disputes occurred" in the army, "discussions
and complaints, and, the new ideas fermenting in their heads,
a correspondence was established between two regiments. Written
information was obtained from Paris, authorized by the Minister of
War, which cost, I believe, twelve louis per annum. It soon took a
philosophic turn, embracing dissertations, crit