... During the 'ancien regime', the church was equal in terms of its social, economic and spiritual power. This class owned nearly ten percent of the land in France. It paid no taxes, but to support church activities such as school running and caring for the poor, it collected a tithe, or a tax on income. About one third of the entire clergy in France served as parish priests. This estate was a minor one, making up 1 to 2 percent of the entire population. The Second Estate was the most powerful one, made up of nobles. They enjoyed extensive rights and privileges. Although they were only about 1.5 percent of the population, the nobles owned about one third of the land in France. Thus, economically, the nobility was characterized by great land wealth. Like the First Estate, they hardly paid any taxes. Typical sources of income for them were rents ...

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