the origins of contemporary france-3-第85章

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theft；　in　three　months　he　succeeds　in　bringing　about　a　deficiency　of

130；000；000；　〃without　vouchers。〃＇11＇　　On　another　side；　the　Duke　of

Orleans；　become　Philippe…Egalité；　dragged　along　by　the　men　once　in　his

pay；　with　a　rope　around　his　neck　and　almost　strangled；　has　to　pay　out

more　than　ever；　even　down　to　the　very　depths　of　his　purse；　to　save　his

own　life　he　consents　to　vote　for　the　King's　death；　besides　resigning

himself　to　other　sacrifices；＇12＇　it　is　probable　that　a　large　portion

of　his　74；000；000　of　indebtedness　at　his　death　is　due　to　all　this。　

Thus　in　possession　of　civil　and　military　offices；　of　arms　and　money；

the　faction；　masters　of　Paris；　has　nothing　to　do　but　master　the

isolated　Convention；　and　this　it　invests　on　all　sides。＇13＇





II。



Its　parliamentary　recruits。　　Their　characters　and　minds。　　　Saint…

Just。　　Violence　of　the　minority　in　the　Convention。　　Pressure　of

the　galleries。　　　Menaces　of　the　streets。



Through　the　elections；　the　Jacobin　advance…guard　of　fifty　deputies　is

already　posted　there；　while；　owing　to　the　fascination　it　has　to

excitable　and　despotic　natures；　to　brutal　temperaments；　narrow；

disjointed　minds；　weak　imaginations；　doubtful　honesty；　and　old

religious　or　social　rancor；　it　succeeds　in　doubling　this　number　at　the

end　of　six　months。＇14＇　　On　the　benches　of　the　extreme　〃Left；〃　around

Robespierre；　Danton　and　Marat；　the　original　nucleus　of　the　September

faction；　sit　men　of　their　stamp；　first；　the　corrupt；　like　Chabot；

Tallien　and　Barras；　wretches　like　Fouché；　Guffroy　and　Javogues；　crazy

enthusiasts　like　David；　savage　maniacs　like　Carrier；　paltry　simpletons

like　Joseph　Lebon；　common　fanatics　like　Levasseur；　Baubot；　Jeanbon…

Saint…André；　Romme　and　Lebas。　Add　also；　and　especially；　the　future

iron…handed　representatives；　uncouth；　authoritarian；　and　narrow…

minded；　excellent　troopers　for　a　political　militia；　Bourbotte；

Duquesnoy；　Rewbell；　and　Bentabole；　〃a　lot　of　ignorant　bastards；〃　said

Danton；＇15＇　〃without　any　common　sense；　and　patriotic　only　when　drunk。

Marat　is　nothing　but　a　bawler。　　Legendre　is　fit　for　nothing　but　to　cut

up　his　meat。　The　rest　are　good　for　little　else　than　voting　by　either

sitting　down　or　standing　up；　but　they　are　cold　blooded　and　have　broad

shoulders。〃　From　amongst　these　energetic　nonentities　we　see　ascending

a　young　monster；　with　calm；　handsome　features；　Saint…Just。　He　is　a

kind　of　precocious　Sylla；　25　years　old　and　a　new…comer；　who　springs　at

once　from　the　ranks　and；　by　dint　of　atrocities；　obtains　a　prominent

position。＇16＇　　Six　years　before　this　he　began　life　by　a　domestic

robbery；　on　a　visit　to　his　mother；　he　left　the　house　during　the　night；

carrying　off　the　plate　and　jewels；　which　he　squandered　while　living　in

a　lodging　house　in　the　Rue　Fromenteau；　in　the　center　of　Parisian

prostitution；＇17＇　on　the　strength　of　this；　and　at　the　demand　of　his

friends；　he　is　shut　up　in　a　house　of　correction　for　six　months。　　On

returning　to　his　lodgings　he　occupied　himself　with　writing　an　obscene

poem　in　the　style　of　La　Pucelle　and　then；　through　a　fit　of　rage

resembling　a　spasm；　he　plunged　headlong　into　the　Revolution。　He

possessed　a　〃blood　calcified　by　study；〃　a　colossal　pride；　an　unhinged

conscience；　a　pompous；　gloomy　imagination　haunted　with　the　bloody

recollections　of　Rome　and　Sparta；　an　intelligence　so　warped　and

twisted　as　to　be　comfortable　only　among　excessive　paradoxes；　shameless

sophistry；　and　devastating　lies。＇18＇　　All　these　dangerous　ingredients

which；　mingled　in　the　crucible　of　suppressed；　concentrated　ambition；

long　and　silently　boiling　within　him；　have　led　to　a　constant　defiance；

a　determined　callousness；　an　automatic　rigidity；　and　to　the　summary

politics　of　the　Utopian　dictator　and　exterminator。　　　It　is　plain

that　such　a　minority　will　not　obey　parliamentary　rules；　and；　rather

than　yield　to　the　majority　that　it　will　introduce　into　the　debate　boos

and　hisses；　insults；　threats；　and　scuffles　with　daggers；　pistols；

sabers　and　even　the　〃blunder　busses〃　of　a　veritable　combat。



〃Vile　intriguers；　calumniators；　scoundrels；　monsters；　assassins；

blackguards；　fools　and　hogs；〃　such　are　the　usual　terms　in　which　they

address　each　other；　and　these　form　the　least　of　their　outrages。＇19＇

The　president；　at　certain　sessions；　is　obliged　three　times　to　put　on

his　hat　and；　at　last；　breaks　his　bell。　They　insult　him；　force　him　to

leave　his　seat　and　demand　that　〃he　be　removed。'　Bazire　tries　to　snatch

a　declaration　presented　by　him　〃out　of　his　hands。〃　Bourdon；　from　the

department　of　Oise；　cries　out　to　him　that　if　he　〃dares　to　read　it　he

will　assassinate　him。〃＇20＇　The　chamber　〃has　become　an　arena　of

gladiators。〃＇21＇　Sometimes　the　entire　〃Mountain〃　darts　from　its

benches　on　the　left；　while　a　similar　human　wave　rolls　down　from　those

on　the　right；　both　clash　in　the　center　of　the　room　amidst　furious

screams　and　shouts；　in　one　of　these　hubbubs　one　of　the　〃Mountain〃

having　drawn　a　pistol　the　Girondist　Duperret　draws　his　sword。＇22＇

After　the　middle　of　December　prominent　members　of　the　〃Right；〃

constantly　persecuted；　threatened　and　outraged；〃　reduced　to　〃being　out

every　night；　are　compelled　to　carry　arms　in　self…defense；〃＇23＇　and；

after　the　King's　execution；　〃almost　all〃　bring　them　to　the　sessions　of

the　Convention。　Any　day；　indeed；　they　may　look　for　the　final　attack；

and　they　are　not　disposed　to　die　unavenged：　during　the　night　of　March

9；　finding　that　they　are　only　forty…three；　they　agree　to　launch

themselves　in　a　body　〃at　the　first　hostile　movement；　against　their

adversaries　and　kill　as　many　as　possible〃　before　perishing。＇24＇



It　is　a　desperate　resource；　but　the　only　one。　For；　besides　the　madmen

belonging　to　the　Convention；　they　have　against　them　the　madmen　in　the

galleries；　and　these　likewise　are　September　murderers。　The　vilest

Jacobin　rabble　purposely　takes　its　stand　near　them；　at　first　in　the

old　Riding…school；　and　then　in　the　new　hall　in　the　Tuileries。　They　see

above　and　in　a　circle　around　them　drilled　adversaries；　eight　or　nine

hundred　heads　packed　〃in　the　great　gallery　at　the　bottom；　under　a　deep

and　silent　vault；〃　and；　besides　these；　on　the　sides；　a　thousand　or

fifteen　hundred　more；　two　immense　tribunes　completely　filled。＇25＇　　The

galleries　of　the　Constituent　and　Legislative　Assemblies；　compared　with

these；　were　calm。　　Nothing　is　more　disgraceful　to　the　Convention；

writes　a　foreign　spectator；＇26＇　than　the　insolence　of　the　audience。

One　of　the　regulations　prohibits；　indeed；　any　mark　of　approval　or

disapproval；　〃but　it　is　violated　every　day；　and　nobody　is　ever

punished　for　this　delinquency。〃　　The　majority　in　vain　expresses　its

indignation　at　this　〃gang　of　hired　ruffians；〃　who　beset　and　oppress

it；　while　at　the　very　time　that　it　utters　its　complaints；　it　endures

and　tolerates　it。　〃The　struggle　is　frightful；〃　says　a　deputy；＇27＇

〃screams；　murmurs；　stampings；　shouts。　　。　　。　　The　foulest　insults　were

launched　from　the　galleries。〃　〃For　a　long　time；〃　says　another；　〃no　one

can　speak　here　without　obtaining　their　permission。〃＇28＇　The　day　that

Buzot　obtains　the　floor　to　speak　against　Marat；　〃they　break　out

furiously；　yelling；　stamping；　and　threatening〃；＇29＇　every　time　that

Buzot　tries　to　begin　his　voice　is　drowned　in　the　clamor；　while　he

remains　half　an　hour　in　the　tribune　without　completing　a　sentence。　　On

the　calls　of　the　House；　especially；　their　cries　resemble　those　of　the

excited　crowd　at　a　Spanish　bull…fight；　with　their　eager　eyes　and

heaving　breasts；　watching　the　contest　between　the　bull　and　the

picadores；　every　time　that　a　deputy　votes　against　the　death　of　the

King　or　for　an　appeal　to　the　people；　there　are　the　〃vociferations　of

cannibals；〃　and　〃interminable　yells〃　every　time　that　one　votes　for　the

indictment　of　Marat。　〃I　declare；〃　say　deputies　in　the　tribune；　〃that　I

am　not　free　here；　I　declare　that　I　am　forced　to　debate　under　the

knife。〃＇30＇　Charles　Villette　is　told　at　the　entrance　that　〃if　he　does

not　vote　for　the　King's　death　he　will　be　massacred。〃　　And　these　are

not　empty　threats。　On　the　10th　of　March；　awaiting　the　promised　riot；

〃the　tribunes；　duly　advised；　。　。　。　had　already　loaded　their

pistols。〃＇31＇　　In　the　month　of　May；　the　tattered　women　hired　for　the

purpose；　under　the　title　of　〃Ladies　of　the　Fraternity；〃　formed　a　club；

came　daily　early　in　the　morning　to　mount　guard；　with　arms　in　their

hands；　in　the　corridors　of　the　Convention；　they　tear　up　all　tickets

given　to　men　or　women　not　of　their　band；　they　take　possession　of　all

the　seats；　show　pistols　and　daggers；　and　declare　that　〃eighteen

hundred　heads　must　be　knocked　off　to　make　things　go　on　right。〃＇32＇



Behind　these　two　first　rows　of　assailants　is　a　third；　much　more

compact；　the　more　fearful　because　it　is　undefined　and　obscure；　namely；

the　vague　multitude　forming　the　anarchical　set；　scattered　throughout

Paris；　and　always　ready　to　renew　the　10th　of　August　and　2nd　of

September　against　the　obstinate　majority。　　Incendiary　motions　and

demands　for　riots　come　incessantly　from　the　Commune；　and　Jacobin；

Cordeliers；　and　l'Evêché　clubs；　from　the　assemblies　of　the　sections

and　groups　stationed　at　the　Tuileries　and　in　the　streets。

〃Yesterday；〃　writes　the　president　of　the　Tuileries　section；＇33＇　〃at

the　same　moment；　at　various　points　about　Paris；　the　Rue　du　Bac；　at　the

Marais；　in　the　Church　of　St。　Eustache；　at　the　Palace　of　the

Revolution；　on　the　Feuillants　terrace；　scoundrels　were　preaching

pillage　and　assassination。〃　　　On　the　following　day；　again　on　the

Feuillants　terrace；　that　is　to　say；　right　under　the　windows　of　the

Convention；　〃they　urge　the　assassination　of　Louvel　for　having

denounced　Robespierre。　〃　　Minister　Roland　writes：　〃I　hear　of　nothing

but　conspiracy　and　plans　to　murder。〃　　Three　weeks　later；　for　several

days；　〃an　up…rising　is　announced　in　Paris〃；＇34＇　the　Minister　is　warned

that　〃alarm　guns　would　be　fired；〃　while　the　heads　are　designated

beforehand　on　which　this　ever　muttering　insurrection　will　burst。　In

the　following　month；　in　spite　of　the　recent　precise　law；　〃the

electoral　assembly　prints　and　circulates　gratis　the　list　of　members　of

the　Feuillants　and　Sainte…Chapelle　clubs；　it　likewise　orders　the

printing　and　circulation　of　the　list　of　the　eight　thousand；　and　of　the

twenty　thousand；　as　well　as　of　the　clubs　of　1789　and　of　Montaigu。〃＇35＇

In　January；　〃hawkers　cry　through　the　streets　a　list　of　the　aristocrats

and　royalists　who　voted　for　an　appeal　to　the　people。〃＇36＇　　Some　of　the

appelants　are　singled　out　by　name　through　placards；　Thibaut；　bishop　of

Cantal；　while　reading　the　poster　on　the　wall　relating　to　him；　hears

some　one　along　side　of　him　say：　〃I　should　like　to　know　that　bishop　of

Cantal；　I　would　make　bread　tasteless　to　him。〃　Roughs　point　out　certain

deputies　leaving　the　Assembly；　and　exclaim：　〃Those　are　the　beggars　to

cut　up！〃　　From　week　to　week　signs　of　insurrection　increase　and

multiply；　like　flashes　of　lightning　in　a　coming　tempest。　On　the　1st　of

January；　〃it　is　rumored　that　the　barriers