The gabelle, which it was intended to establish in Lower Normandy, was what began this revolt; private hatreds and rumours fomented it; and the misery of the populace would have continued it if the arms of the King had not restored his authority and suppressed the insolence of the rebels who had already begun to make themselves masters of public liberty.

It was in the month of last July that the town of Avranches (which formerly was the spark which ignited the League) showed, by the assassination of the sieur de la Besnardire Poupinel, lieutenant particulier in the bailliage of Coutances, that it wished to begin a rebellion. The sieur Poupinel had gone to present to the judge of Avranches a commission from the Parlement of Rouen to investigate a quarrel between one of his relatives and someone else in a case where the judges of Avranches were debarred. The sieur de Ponthbert took exception to the sieur Poupinel, either because he sought this information or because of his own melancholy humour. (This had always been inclined to seek reforms of public affairs and had led him frequently to discuss impertinently on affairs of State). Thus he became zealous for the public good. For whatever reason he was the first to suspect (though it was untrue) that the said Poupinel was empowered by a commission to demolish the salt works at Avranches to establish the gabelle, the announcement of which was to be made shortly afterwards. (The goodness of the King caused the commissions of the council to be revoked, and prevented by this act of justice the total ruin of the province in which it was proposed to make this new levy)...

It was thus the said Ponthbert who was the first person to give this unfortunate impression to the people. They saw themselves already overburdened with the taille, and a second burden ready to overwhelm them, one moreover from which they had already been exempt. They were at last possessed by a furious despair and assaulted the said Poupinel in the open street, hitting him cruely with stones, sticks and other arms.

There were no more than 40 or 50 rogues at the beginning, most of them salt-makers and wood-carriers; but in less than a quarter of an hour the people gathered together so that at the end there were more than 400.

This spectacle, as unfortunate as deplorable, did not at all assuage the heart of this populace; because shortly afterwards, they pursued someone they had heard was involved in some of the king's tax affairs, and chased him to the convent of the Capucins...

...When there was talk of burying the body of Poupinel, the populace prevented it, stating that it was not just that the enemy of the province should receive any honour, so that the judges could scarcely obtain that he was buried at night without ceremony and prayers...

...The name of Jean Barefoot (Nuds-pieds) was chosen the same day as the name of the leader of the rebellion. This began to take on a less confused form that it had had at its outset. At this time, those who had showed themselves the most animated in this disorder received the approval of a number of these rogues who elected them for their leaders, and swore inviolable allegiance to them. Thus the name of Jean Barefoot was taken from a poor unfortunate salt-maker who was called this fine title because he walked barefoot on the sand (sablons) at the edge of the sea. This was the name given to the leader of the revolt, who did not dare declare himself openly for it, but contented himself to give orders secretly to those who were bolder than him. This is why the name of the general of this `army of suffrance', as they called those in revolt, is not known.

The other leaders also took different names. A priest named Morel, vicar of St. Saturnin, in the suburbs of Avranches, called himself captain des Mondrins. Under this name he was for a long time secretary of the orders of geneal Jean Barefoot, with such insolence and boldness that he sent the orders of his general into the parishes, for them to be announced in the sermons of the parish Mass, which the curs did not dare oppose. Plenty of printed orders have been seen, all counter-signed by the said Morel, under the name of des Mondrins...M. de la Potherie [intendant at Caen] has obtained a letter written in his hand, which seeks to encourage a good priest to encourage his people to rebel.

He took this name of des Mondrins because on the strands, the salt-makers gather together small piles of the sand from which white salt is made, which remains on the strands after the tide has turned: they call these piles Mondrins.

Once these leaders were chosen, the fury of the populace had no immediate object against which it could act so the vicomte of Avranches and Costardire, a king's advocate, decided to give it one. To do this, they spread a rumour that the sieur de Beaupr(against whom they had personal animosity) was the author of the proposed gabelle. They spread this rumour everywhere, and alleged that he was a dangerous spirit who must be distrusted, that he was a conspirator with connections at Paris and in the province; that he had advanced 29,000 livres on the tax contract; that he was the sole proposer and inventor of the Cour des Aides of Caen; that he had promised Messieurs of the council to ensure this would be established; and that it was one of the articles of their tax contract. They knew how to disguise their lies so as to pass them off for the truth so that in less than three days this rumour was spread as a fact of which there could be no doubt, unless one was involved with the gabelle and an enemy of the public. This deception so prejudiced the sieur de Beaupr, that all his relatives and friends were unable to defend his reputation.

...Thus it was that a manifesto was drawn up under the name of Jean Barefoot, which was printed at Avranches. Copies were sent into all the parishes. The sieur de Beauprand his servants were proscribed, and there was talk of burning their houses. In a word, public fury demanded him as its victim...

Manifesto of the high and indomitable captain Jean Barefoot, general of the army of suffrance.

The rich people with their taxes,

Oppress the public by their conspiracies,

They sell off the province with their intrigues,

They are so vainglorious they mock us,

Wearing satin and velvet at our expense.

This would not be without their treason,

Complete Barefoot as I am, I shall lower their ambition.

They seek the help of all tax-contractors,

They run to Paris to seek the gabelle,

I know, with my peasants, how to discover

Their secret treasons; and with zeal,

I shall halt the spread of so many thefts,

Which every day oppress the people,

Who succumb to the burden, and require friends;

All Barefeet opposing the rape of their possessions.

[5 other stanzas].

Colonel Mandrin calls the nobility

Of all parts to aid us to free ourselves,

To reject boldly taxes and gabelles

That everywhere people expect us to suffer.

Even the towns and bourgs, in this great issue

Are requested to assist Jean Barefoot,

Despite copies of decrees that have been picked out,

That they try vainly to show them.

[The finance ministers have revoked the commission for the establishement of the gabelle].

...The town of Vire, animated as much as Avranches, rose and in a horrible outrage, the people of the suburbs attacked the office-holders of the élection, who were giving justice in their sessions. Having asked where the letters concerning the gabelle were, which they imagined to be in their hands, they hailed blows onto the president, the sieur de Sarcilly, with sticks and stones, and left him as dead on the spot, his other colleagues having escaped through the windows. After this, all the populace went to pillage his house and those of the sieurs de La Vincendire and someone named Le Perlier, who were involved in the farm of the aides.

[Matignon, the lieutenant-general, could only find 400 men to serve him, while the rebels had more than 3000 men].

...I will not comment on what happened at Rouen, Caen and Bayeux, because the punishment of the rebels has already made their crime known. It is certain that they did not rebel on the pretext of the gabelle, because this had been established there for a long time, but because the populace of the towns wanted to appear at least as rebellious as that of Lower Normandy, thinking that there was some dishonour in not appearing so.

During all these pillages, the leaders of the rebels in the éélections affected by the projected establishment of the gabelle, moved from town to town in secret intrigues, enticing some, forcing others, holding the rich to ransom to provide weapons: one man had to provide 100 muskets, another so many pikes, another the equivalent, according to deals that they made with those who purchased exemption from pillage. In addition, they forced the peasants to provide weapons, and for this purpose they had their cattle seized. They could not obtain the release of the cattle until they had paid the sum for which they were taxed for weapons...

Throughout all this, personal animosities played an important role, everyone seeking to avenge himself against his enemy by means of these thefts. It was necessary only to denounce a man for being involved in public affairs or having knowledge of them. Immediately, public anger was directed against him. Although the denunciation was false, he necessarily perished...

[Source: Floquet, pp. 397-421].