But, alas! it seemed that the French people had nothing to do but to eat what Foulon recommended.
From Paris, the fear of famine was dispersed among the provinces.
“Foulon,” said all, “had predicted it.”
They must mow all France.
All said that his ghost appeared to execute the menace.
Then report went about that bands of robbers had been seen mowing the green wheat.
The municipality of Soissons wrote to the Assembly a letter full of fears. “The robbers had cut,” they said, “all the wheat for miles around, and were now marching on the city.”
Soissons demanded help.
The Assembly sent a thousand men, who searched on all sides, twelve miles a-day. They could not find the robbers.