ssence of the English system was liberty founded on inequality.
The essence of the French ideal was democracy, that is, as in America,
liberty founded on equality. Therefore it was the interest of the
democratic or revolutionary party that the next step should be taken
after the manner of the last, that compulsion, which had answered so
well with the king, should be tried on the nobles, that the methods
applied at Paris should be extended to the Provinces, for there the
nobles predominated. A well-directed blow struck at that favoured and
excepted moment, when the country was ungoverned, might alter for
ever, and from its foundation, the entire structure of society.
Liberty had been secured; equality was within reach. The political
revolution ensured the prompt success of the social revolution. Such
an opportunity of suppressing compromise, and sweeping the historical
ruin away, had never been known in Europe.

While the local powers were painfully constituting themselves, there
was a priceless interval for action. The king had given way to the
middle class; the nobles would succumb to the lower, and the rural
democracy would be emancipated like the urban. This is the second
phase of that reign of terror which, as Malouet says, began with the
Bastille. Experience had shown the efficacy of attacking castles
instead of persons, and the strongholds of feudalism were assailed
when the stronghold of absolutism had fallen.

It is said that one deputy, Duport, a magistrate of the parliament of
Paris, had 400,000 francs to spend in raising the country against the
nobles at the precise moment of their weakness. The money was scarcely
needed, for the rioters were made to believe that they were acting in
obedience to the law. One of their victims wrote, August 3, to
Clermont Tonnerre that they were really sorry to behave in that way
against good masters, but they were compelled by imperative commands
from the king. He adds that seven or eight castles in his
neighbourhood were attacked by their vassals, all believing that the
king desired it. The charters and muniments were the main object of
pillage and destruction, for it was believed that claims which could
not be authenticated could not be enforced. Often the castle itself
was burnt with the parchments it contained, and some of the owners
perished.

The disorders raged in many parts of France. A district east and
south-east of the centre suffered most. Those provinces had co