第61章

l’échéancesanslafilerie;elleluioffreuneressource，enoccupantutilementsafemme，sesenfants，sesservants，sesvalets，etlui—même;maisquellepéniblevie，mêmeaidéedecesecours。Enété，iltravaillecommeunforcataulabourageetàlarécolte;ilsecoucheà9heuresetselèveàdeux，poursuffireauxtravaux;enhiverildevraitréparersesforcesparunplusgrandrepos;maisiimanqueradegrainspourlepainetlessemailles，s’ilsedéfaitdesdenréesqu’ilfaudraitvendrepourpayerlesimpôts。Ilautdoncfilerpoursuppléeràcevide……iifautyapporterlaplusgrandeassiduité。

Aussilepaysansecouche—t—iienhiveràminuit，uneheure，etselèveàcinqonsix;onbienilsecoucheàneuf，etselèveàdeux，etcelatonslesjoursdelaviesiccn’estledimanche。Cesexcésdeveilleetdetravailusentlanaturehumaine，etdelàvienqu’hommesetfemmesvieillissentbeaucoupplutôtdanslescampagnesquedanslesvilles。"（Mirabeau，l。c。，t。III。pp。212sqq。）

Notetothesecondedition。InApril1866，18yearsafterthepublicationoftheworkofRobertSomersquotedabove，ProfessorLeoneLevigavealecturebeforetheSocietyofArtsonthetransformationofsheep—walksintodeer—forest，inwhichhedepictstheadvanceinthedevastationoftheScottishHighlands。Hesays，withotherthings:"Depopulationandtransformationintosheep—walkswerethemostconvenientmeansforgettinganincomewithoutexpenditure……Adeer—forestinplaceofasheep—walkwasacommonchangeintheHighlands。Thelandownersturnedoutthesheepastheyonceturnedoutthemenfromtheirestates，andwelcomedthenewtenants—thewildbeastsandthefeatheredbirds……OnecanwalkfromtheEarlofDalhousie’sestatesinForfarshiretoJohno’Groats，withouteverleavingforestland……Inmanyofthesewoodsthefox，thewildcat，themarten，thepolecat，theweaselandtheAplineharearecommon;whilsttherabbit，thesquirrelandtherathavelatelymadetheirwayintothecountry。Immensetractsofland，muchofwhichisdescribedinthestatisticalaccountofScotlandashavingapasturageinrichnessandextentofverysuperiordescription，arethusshutoutfromallcultivationandimprovement，andaresolelydevotedtothesportofafewpersonsforaverybriefperiodoftheyear。"TheLondonEconomistofJune2，1866，says，"AmongsttheitemsofnewsinaScotchpaperoflastweek，weread……’OneofthefinestsheepfarmsinSutherlandshire，forwhicharentof£1，200

ayearwasrecentlyoffered，ontheexpiryoftheexistingleasethisyear，istobeconvertedintoadeer—forest。’Hereweseethemoderninstinctsoffeudalism……operatingprettymuchastheydidwhentheNormanConqueror……destroyed36villagestocreatetheNewForest……Twomillionsofacres……totallylaidwaste，embracingwithintheirareasomeofthemostfertilelandsofScotland。ThenaturalgrassofGlenTiltwasamongthemostnutritiveinthecountryofPerth。Thedeer—forestofBenAulderwasbyfarthebestgrazinggroundinthewidedistrictofBadenoch;apartoftheBlackMountforestwasthebestpastureforblack—facedsheepinScotland。SomeideaofthegroundlaidwasteforpurelysportingpurposesinScotlandmaybeformedfromthefactthatitembracedanarealargerthanthewholecountryofPerth。TheresourcesoftheforestofBenAuldermightgivesomeideaofthelosssustainedfromtheforceddesolations。

Thegroundwouldpasture15，000sheep，andasitwasnotmorethanone—thirtiethpartoftheoldforestgroundinScotland……itmight，&c……Allthatforestlandisastotallyunproductive……ItmightthusaswellhavebeensubmergedunderthewatersoftheGermanOcean……SuchextemporisedwildernessesordesertsoughttobeputdownbythedecidedinterferenceoftheLegislature。"

ChapterTwenty—EigthKarlMarxCapitalVolumeOnePartVIII:

PrimativeAccumulationCHAPTERTWENTY—EIGHT:

BLOODYLEGISLATIONAGAINSTTHEEXPROPRIATED，FROMTHEENDOFTHE15THCENTURY。

FORCINGDOWNOFWAGESBYACTSOFPARLIAMENT

Theproletariatcreatedbythebreakingup。ofthebandsoffeudalretainersandbytheforcibleexpropriationofthepeoplefromthesoil，this"free"

proletariatcouldnotpossiblybeabsorbedbythenascentmanufacturesasfastasitwasthrownupontheworld。Ontheotherhand，thesemen，suddenlydraggedfromtheirwontedmodeoflife，couldnotassuddenlyadaptthemselvestothedisciplineoftheirnewcondition。Theywereturnedenmasseintobeggars，robbers，vagabonds，partlyfrominclination，inmostcasesfromstressofcircumstances。Henceattheendofthe15thandduringthewholeofthe16thcentury，throughoutWesternEuropeabloodylegislationagainstvagabondage。Thefathersofthepresentworking—classwerechastisedfortheirenforcedtransformationintovagabondsandpaupers。

Legislationtreatedthemas"voluntary"criminals，andassumedthatitdependedontheirowngoodwilltogoonworkingundertheoldconditionsthatnolongerexisted。

InEnglandthislegislationbeganunderHenryVII。

HenryVIII。1530:Beggarsoldandunabletoworkreceiveabeggar’slicence。Ontheotherhand，whippingandimprisonmentforsturdyvagabonds。

Theyaretobetiedtothecart—tailandwhippeduntilthebloodstreamsfromtheirbodies，thentoswearanoathtogobacktotheirbirthplaceortowheretheyhavelivedthelastthreeyearsandto"putthemselvestolabour。"Whatgrimirony！In27HenryVIII。theformerstatuteisrepeated，butstrengthenedwithnewclauses。Forthesecondarrestforvagabondagethewhippingistoberepeatedandhalftheearslicedoff;butforthethirdrelapsetheoffenderistobeexecutedasahardenedcriminalandenemyofthecommonweal。

EdwardVI。:Astatuteofthefirstyearofhisreign，1547，ordainsthatifanyonerefusestowork，heshallbecondemnedasaslavetothepersonwhohasdenouncedhimasanidler。Themastershallfeedhisslaveonbreadandwater，weakbrothandsuchrefusemeatashethinksfit。Hehastherighttoforcehimtodoanywork，nomatterhowdisgusting，withwhipandchains。Iftheslaveisabsentafortnight，heiscondemnedtoslaveryforlifeandistobebrandedonforeheadorbackwiththeletterS;ifherunsawaythrice，heistobeexecutedasafelon。Themastercansellhim，bequeathhim，lethimoutonhireasaslave，justasanyotherpersonalchattelorcattle。Iftheslavesattemptanythingagainstthemasters，theyarealsotobeexecuted。Justicesofthepeace，oninformation，aretohunttherascalsdown。Ifithappensthatavagabondhasbeenidlingaboutforthreedays，heistobetakentohisbirthplace，brandedwithared—hotironwiththeletterVonthebreastandbesettowork，inchains，inthestreetsoratsomeotherlabour。Ifthevagabondgivesafalsebirthplace，heisthentobecometheslaveforlifeofthisplace，ofitsinhabitants，oritscorporation，andtobebrandedwithanS。Allpersonshavetherighttotakeawaythechildrenofthevagabondsandtokeepthemasapprentices，theyoungmenuntilthe24thyear，thegirlsuntilthe20th。Iftheyrunaway，theyaretobecomeuptothisagetheslavesoftheirmasters，whocanputtheminirons，whipthem，&c。，iftheylike。Everymastermayputanironringroundtheneck，armsorlegsofhisslave，bywhichtoknowhimmoreeasilyandtobemorecertainofhim。[1]Thelastpartofthisstatuteprovides，thatcertainpoorpeoplemaybeemployedbyaplaceorbypersons，whoarewillingtogivethemfoodanddrinkandtofindthemwork。Thiskindofparish—slaveswaskeptupinEnglanduntilfarintothe19thcenturyunderthenameof"roundsmen。"

Elizabeth，1572:Unlicensedbeggarsabove14yearsofagearetobeseverelyfloggedandbrandedontheleftearunlesssomeonewilltakethemintoservicefortwoyears;incaseofarepetitionoftheoffence，iftheyareover18，theyaretobeexecuted，unlesssomeonewilltakethemintoservicefortwoyears;butforthethirdoffencetheyaretobeexecutedwithoutmercyasfelons。Similarstatutes:18Elizabeth，c。

13，andanotherof1597。[2]

James1:Anyonewanderingaboutandbeggingisdeclaredarogueandavagabond。Justicesofthepeaceinpettysessionsareauthorisedtohavethempubliclywhippedandforthefirstoffencetoimprisonthemfor6months，forthesecondfor2years。Whilstinprisontheyaretobewhippedasmuchandasoftenasthejusticesofthepeacethinkfit……IncorrigibleanddangerousroguesaretobebrandedwithanRontheleftshoulderandsettohardlabour，andiftheyarecaughtbeggingagain，tobeexecutedwithoutmercy。Thesestatutes，legallybindinguntilthebeginningofthe18thcentury，wereonlyrepealedby12Anne，c。23。

SimilarlawsinFrance，wherebythemiddleofthe17thcenturyakingdomofvagabonds（truands）wasestablishedinParis。EvenatthebeginningofLouisXVI。’sreign（OrdinanceofJuly13th，1777）everymaningoodhealthfrom16to60yearsofage，ifwithoutmeansofsubsistenceandnotpractisingatrade，istobesenttothegalleys。OfthesamenaturearethestatuteofCharlesV。fortheNetherlands（October，1537），thefirstedictoftheStatesandTownsofHolland（March10，1614），the"Plakaat"

oftheUnitedProvinces（June26，1649），&c。

Thusweretheagriculturalpeople，firstforciblyexpropriatedfromthesoil，drivenfromtheirhomes，turnedintovagabonds，andthenwhipped，branded，torturedbylawsgrotesquelyterrible，intothedisciplinenecessaryforthewagesystemItisnotenoughthattheconditionsoflabourareconcentratedinamass，intheshapeofcapital，attheonepoleofsociety，whileattheotheraregroupedmassesofmen，whohavenothingtosellbuttheirlabour—power。Neitherisitenoughthattheyarecompelledtosellitvoluntarily。Theadvanceofcapitalistproductiondevelopsaworking—class，whichbyeducation，tradition，habit，looksupontheconditionsofthatmodeofproductionasself—evidentlawsofNature。Theorganisationofthecapitalistprocessofproduction，oncefullydeveloped，breaksdownall，resistance。Theconstantgenerationofarelativesurplus—populationkeepsthelawofsupplyanddemandoflabour，andthereforekeepswages，inarutthatcorrespondswiththewantsofcapital。Thedullcompulsionofeconomicrelationscompletesthesubjectionofthelabourertothecapitalist。

Directforce，outsideeconomicconditions，isofcoursestillused，butonlyexceptionally。Intheordinaryrunofthings，thelabourercanbelefttothe"naturallawsofproduction，"i。e。，tohisdependenceoncapital，adependencespringingfrom，andguaranteedinperpetuityby，theconditionsofproductionthemselves’。Itisotherwiseduringthehistoricgenesisofcapitalistproduction。Thebourgeoisie，atitsrise，wantsandusesthepowerofthestateto"regulate"wages，i。e。，toforcethemwithinthelimitssuitableforsurplus—valuemaking，tolengthentheworking—dayandtokeepthelabourerhimself