With All This
Wretchedness, One Of These Peasants Will Not Work In Your Garden
For Less Than Eighteen Sols, About Eleven Pence Sterling, Per
Diem; And Then He Does Not Half The Work Of An English Labourer.
If there is fruit in it, or any thing he can convey, he will
infallibly steal it, if you do not keep a very watchful eye over
him.
All the common people are thieves and beggars; and I believe
this is always the case with people who are extremely indigent
and miserable. In other respects, they are seldom guilty of
excesses. They are remarkably respectful and submissive to their
superiors. The populace of Nice are very quiet and orderly. They
are little addicted to drunkenness. I have never heard of one
riot since I lived among them; and murder and robbery are
altogether unknown. A man may walk alone over the county of Nice,
at midnight, without danger of insult. The police is very well
regulated. No man is permitted to wear a pistol or dagger' on
pain of being sent to the gallies. I am informed, that both
murder and robbery are very frequent in some parts of Piedmont.
Even here, when the peasants quarrel in their cups, (which very
seldom happens) they draw their knives, and the one infallibly
stabs the other. To such extremities, however, they never
proceed, except when there is a woman in the case; and mutual
jealousy co-operates with the liquor they have drank, to inflame
their passions. In Nice, the common people retire to their
lodgings at eight o'clock in winter, and nine in summer. Every
person found in the streets after these hours, is apprehended by
the patrole; and, if he cannot give a good account of himself,
sent to prison. At nine in winter, and ten in summer, there is a
curfew-bell rung, warning the people to put out their lights, and
go to bed. This is a very necessary precaution in towns subject
to conflagrations; but of small use in Nice, where there is very
little combustible in the houses.
The punishments inflicted upon malefactors and delinquents at
Nice are hanging for capital crimes; slavery on board the gallies
for a limited term, or for life, according to the nature of the
transgression; flagellation, and the strappado. This last is
performed, by hoisting up the criminal by his hands tied behind
his back, on a pulley about two stories high; from whence, the
rope being suddenly slackened, he falls to within a yard or two
of the ground, where he is stopped with a violent shock arising
from the weight of his body, and the velocity of his descent,
which generally dislocates his shoulders, with incredible pain.
This dreadful execution is sometimes repeated in a few minutes on
the same delinquent; so that the very ligaments are tore from his
joints, and his arms are rendered useless for life.
The poverty of the people in this country, as well as in the
South of France, may be conjectured from the appearance of their
domestic animals.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 155 of 276
Words from 80012 to 80525
of 143308
