Thegovernmenttooknonoticeofit。Thefirstengineerwhocametosurveyit，gotaballthroughhishead，anddiedonhislevel。Noactionwastakenonthismurder，buttheroadmadeacircuitwhichlengtheneditbyeightmiles！
　　Thecontinualloweringofthepriceofwinesdrunkintheneighborhood，thoughitmaysatisfythedesireofthebourgeoisieofIssoudunforcheapprovisions，isleadingthewaytotheruinofthevine-growers，whoaremoreandmoreburdenedwiththecostsofcultivationandthetaxes；justastheruinofthewoollentradeistheresultofthenon-improvementinthebreedingofsheep。Country-
　　folkhavethedeepesthorrorofchange；eventhatwhichismostconducivetotheirinterests。Inthecountry，aParisianmeetsalaborerwhoeatsanenormousquantityofbread，cheese，andvegetables；heprovestohimthatifhewouldsubstituteforthatdietacertainportionofmeat，hewouldbebetterfed，atlesscost；thathecouldworkmore，andwouldnotuseuphiscapitalofhealthandstrengthsoquickly。TheBerrichonseesthecorrectnessofthecalculation，butheanswers，“Thinkofthegossip，monsieur。““Gossip，whatdoyoumean？““Well，yes，whatwouldpeoplesayofme？““Hewouldbethetalkoftheneighborhood，“saidtheownerofthepropertyonwhichthisscenetookplace；“theywouldthinkhimasrichasatradesman。Heisafraidofpublicopinion，afraidofbeingpointedat，afraidofseemingillorfeeble。That’showweallareinthisregion。“Manyofthebourgeoisieutterthisphrasewithfeelingsofinwardpride。
　　Whileignoranceandcustomareinvincibleinthecountryregions，wherethepeasantsareleftverymuchtothemselves，thetownofIssoudunitselfhasreachedastateofcompletesocialstagnation。
　　Obligedtomeetthedecadenceoffortunesbythepracticeofsordideconomy，eachfamilylivestoitself。Moreover，societyispermanentlydeprivedofthatdistinctionofclasseswhichgivescharactertomannersandcustoms。Thereisnooppositionofsocialforces，suchasthattowhichthecitiesoftheItalianStatesintheMiddleAgesowedtheirvitality。TherearenolongeranynoblesinIssoudun。TheCottereaux，theRoutiers，theJacquerie，thereligiouswarsandtheRevolutiondidawaywiththenobility。Thetownisproudofthattriumph。Issoudunhasrepeatedlyrefusedtoreceiveagarrison，alwaysonthepleaofcheapprovisions。Shehasthuslostameansofintercoursewiththeage，andshehasalsolosttheprofitsarisingfromthepresenceoftroops。Before1756，Issoudunwasoneofthemostdelightfulofallthegarrisontowns。Ajudicialdrama，whichoccupiedforatimetheattentionofFrance，thefeudofalieutenant-generalofthedepartmentwiththeMarquisdeChapt，whoseson，anofficerofdragoons，wasputtodeath，——justlyperhaps，yettraitorously，forsomeaffairofgallantry，——deprivedthetownfromthattimeforthofagarrison。Thesojournoftheforty-fourthdemi-brigade，imposeduponitduringthecivilwar，wasnotofanaturetoreconciletheinhabitantstotheraceofwarriors。
　　Bourges，whosepopulationisyearlydecreasing，isavictimofthesamesocialmalady。Vitalityisleavingthesecommunities。
　　Undoubtedly，thegovernmentistoblame。Thedutyofanadministrationistodiscoverthewoundsuponthebody-politic，andremedythembysendingmenofenergytothediseasedregions，withpowertochangethestateofthings。Alas，sofarfromthat，itapprovesandencouragesthisominousandfataltranquillity。Besides，itmaybeasked，howcouldthegovernmentsendnewadministratorsandablemagistrates？Who，ofsuchmen，iswillingtoburyhimselfinthearrondissements，wherethegoodtobedoneiswithoutglory？If，bychance，someambitiousstrangersettlesthere，hesoonfallsintotheinertiaoftheregion，andtuneshimselftothedreadfulkeyofprovinciallife。IssoudunwouldhavebenumbedNapoleon。
　　Asaresultofthisparticularcharacteristic，thearrondissementofIssoudunwasgoverned，in1822，bymenwhoallbelongedtoBerry。Theadministrationofpowerbecameeitheranullityorafarce，——exceptincertaincases，naturallyveryrare，whichbytheirmanifestimportancecompelledtheauthoritiestoact。Theprocureurduroi，MonsieurMouilleron，wascousintotheentirecommunity，andhissubstitutebelongedtooneofthefamiliesofthetown。Thejudgeofthecourt，beforeattainingthatdignity，wasmadefamousbyoneofthoseprovincialsayingswhichputacapandbellsonaman’sheadfortherestofhislife。Asheendedhissumming-upofallthefactsofanindictment，helookedattheaccusedandsaid:“MypoorPierre！thethingisasplainasday；yourheadwillbecutoff。Letthisbealessontoyou。“Thecommissaryofpolice，holdingofficesincetheRestoration，hadrelationsthroughoutthearrondissement。Moreover，notonlywastheinfluenceofreligionnull，butthecuratehimselfwasheldinnoesteem。
　　Itwasthisbourgeoisie，radical，ignorant，andlovingtoannoyothers，whichnowrelatedtales，moreorlesscomic，abouttherelationsofJean-JacquesRougetwithhisservant-woman。ThechildrenofthesepeoplewentnonethelesstoSunday-school，andwereasscrupulouslypreparedfortheircommunion:theschoolswerekeptupallthesame；masswassaid；thetaxeswerepaidthesolethingthatParisextractsoftheprovinces，andthemayorpassedresolutions。
　　Butalltheseactsofsocialexistenceweredoneasmereroutine，andthusthelaxityofthelocalgovernmentsuitedadmirablywiththemoralandintellectualconditionofthegoverned。Theeventsofthefollowinghistorywillshowtheeffectsofthisstateofthings，whichisnotasunusualintheprovincesasmightbesupposed。ManytownsinFrance，moreparticularlyintheSouth，arelikeIssoudun。TheconditiontowhichtheascendencyofthebourgeoisiehasreducedthatlocalcapitalisonewhichwillspreadoverallFrance，andeventoParis，ifthebourgeoiscontinuestoruletheexteriorandinteriorpolicyofourcountry。
　　Now，onewordoftopography。Issoudunstretchesnorthandsouth，alongahillsidewhichroundstowardsthehighroadtoChateauroux。Atthefootofthehill，acanal，nowcalledthe“Riviereforcee“whosewatersaretakenfromtheTheols，wasconstructedinformertimes，whenthetownwasflourishing，fortheuseofmanufactoriesortofloodthemoatsoftherampart。The“Riviereforcee“formsanartificialarmofanaturalriver，theTournemine，whichuniteswithseveralotherstreamsbeyondthesuburbofRome。Theselittlethreadsofrunningwaterandthetworiversirrigateatractofwide-spreadingmeadow-land，enclosedonallsidesbylittleyellowishorwhiteterracesdottedwithblackspeckles；forsuchistheaspectofthevineyardsofIssoudunduringsevenmonthsoftheyear。Thevine-growerscuttheplantsdownyearly，leavingonlyanuglystump，withoutsupport，shelteredbyabarrel。ThetravellerarrivingfromVierzon，Vatan，orChateauroux，hiseyeswearywithmonotonousplains，isagreeablysurprisedbythemeadowsofIssoudun，——theoasisofthispartofBerry，whichsuppliestheinhabitantswithvegetablesthroughoutaregionofthirtymilesincircumference。BelowthesuburbofRome，liesavasttractentirelycoveredwithkitchen-gardens，anddividedintotwosections，whichbearthenameofupperandlowerBaltan。AlongavenueofpoplarsleadsfromthetownacrossthemeadowstoanancientconventnamedFrapesle，whoseEnglishgardens，quiteuniqueinthatarrondissement，havereceivedtheambitiousnameofTivoli。LovingcoupleswhispertheirvowsinitsalleysofaSunday。
　　TracesoftheancientgrandeurofIssoudunofcourserevealthemselvestotheeyesofacarefulobserver；andthemostsuggestivearethedivisionsofthetown。Thechateau，formerlyalmostatownitselfwithitswallsandmoats，isadistinctquarterwhichcanonlybeentered，evenatthepresentday，throughitsancientgateways，——bymeansofthreebridgesthrownacrossthearmsofthetworivers，——andhasalltheappearanceofanancientcity。Therampartsshow，inplaces，theformidablestrataoftheirfoundations，onwhichhouseshavenowsprungup。Abovethechateau，isthefamoustowerofIssoudun，oncethecitadel。Theconquerorofthecity，whichlayaroundthesetwofortifiedpoints，hadstilltogainpossessionofthetowerandthecastle；andpossessionofthecastledidnotinsurethatofthetower，orcitadel。
　　ThesuburbofSaint-Paterne，whichliesintheshapeofapalettebeyondthetower，encroachingonthemeadow-lands，issoconsiderablethatintheveryearliestagesitmusthavebeenpartofthecityitself。Thisopinionderived，in1822，asortofcertaintyfromthethenexistenceofthecharmingchurchofSaint-Paterne，recentlypulleddownbytheheiroftheindividualwhoboughtitofthenation。
　　Thischurch，oneofthefinestspecimensoftheRomanesquethatFrancepossessed，actuallyperishedwithoutasingledrawingbeingmadeoftheportal，whichwasinperfectpreservation。Theonlyvoiceraisedtosavethismonumentofapastartfoundnoecho，eitherinthetownitselforinthedepartment。ThoughthecastleofIssoudunhastheappearanceofanoldtown，withitsnarrowstreetsanditsancientmansions，thecityitself，properlysocalled，whichwascapturedandburnedatdifferentepochs，notablyduringtheFronde，whenitwaslaidinashes，hasamodernair。Streetsthatarespaciousincomparisonwiththoseofothertowns，andwell-builthousesformastrikingcontrasttotheaspectofthecitadel，——acontrastthathaswonforIssoudun，incertaingeographies，theepithetof“pretty。“
　　Inatownthusconstituted，withouttheleastactivity，evenbusinessactivity，withoutatasteforart，orforlearnedoccupations，andwhereeverybodystayedinthelittleroundofhisorherownhome，itwaslikelytohappen，anddidhappenundertheRestorationin1816
　　whenthewarwasover，thatmanyoftheyoungmenoftheplacehadnocareerbeforethem，andknewnotwheretoturnforoccupationuntiltheycouldmarryorinheritthepropertyoftheirfathers。Boredintheirownhomes，theseyoungfellowsfoundlittleornodistractionelsewhereinthecity；andas，inthelanguageofthatregion，“youthmustsheditscuticle“theysowedtheirwildoatsattheexpenseofthetownitself。Itwasdifficulttocarryonsuchoperationsinopenday，lesttheperpetratorsshouldberecognized；forthecupoftheirmisdemeanorsoncefilled，theywereliabletobearraignedattheirnextpeccadillobeforethepolicecourts；andtheythereforejudiciouslyselectedthenighttimefortheperformanceoftheirmischievouspranks。Thusitwasthatamongthetracesofdiverslostcivilizations，avestigeofthespiritofdrollerythatcharacterizedthemannersofantiquityburstintoafinalflame。
　　TheyoungmenamusedthemselvesverymuchasCharlesIX。amusedhimselfwithhiscourtiers，orHenryV。ofEnglandandhiscompanions，orasinformertimesyoungmenwerewonttoamusethemselvesintheprovinces。Havingoncebandedtogetherforpurposesofmutualhelp，todefendeachotherandinventamusingtricks，therepresentlydevelopedamongthem，throughtheclashofideas，thatspiritofmaliciousmischiefwhichbelongstotheperiodofyouthandmayevenbeobservedamonganimals。Theconfederation，initself，gavethemthemimicdelightsofthemysteryofanorganizedconspiracy。Theycalledthemselvesthe“KnightsofIdleness。“Duringthedaytheseyoungscampswereyouthfulsaints；theyallpretendedtoextremequietness；
　　and，infact，theyhabituallysleptlateafterthenightsonwhichtheyhadbeenplayingtheirmaliciouspranks。The“Knights“beganwithmerecommonplacetricks，suchasunhookingandchangingsigns，ringingbells，flingingcasksleftbeforeonehouseintothecellarofthenextwithacrash，rousingtheoccupantsofthehousebyanoisethatseemedtotheirfrightenedearsliketheexplosionofamine。InIssoudun，asinmanycountrytowns，thecellarisenteredbyanopeningnearthedoorofthehouse，coveredwithawoodenscuttle，securedbystrongironhingesandapadlock。