the origins of contemporary france-2-第13章

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fire；＇34＇　but　the　excited　and　wild　animal　takes　all　precautions　for

insults；　in　future；　it　intends　to　be　its　own　conductor；　and；　to

begin；　it　treads　its　guides　under　foot。　　　On　the　12th　of　July；

near　noon；＇35＇　on　the　news　of　the　dismissal　of　Necker；　a　cry　of　rage

arises　in　the　Palais…Royal；　Camille　Desmoulins；　mounted　on　a　table；

announces　that　the　Court　meditates　〃a　St。　Bartholomew　of　patriots。〃

The　crowd　embrace　him；　adopt　the　green　cockade　which　he　has

proposed；　and　oblige　the　dancing…saloons　and　theaters　to　close　in

sign　of　mourning：　they　hurry　off　to　the　residence　of　Curtius；　and

take　the　busts　of　the　Duke　of　Orleans　and　of　Necker　and　carry　them

about　in　triumph。　　　Meanwhile；　the　dragoons　of　the　Prince　de

Lambesc；　drawn　up　on　the　Place　Louis…Quinze；　find　a　barricade　of

chairs　at　the　entrance　of　the　Tuileries；　and　are　greeted　with　a

shower　of　stones　and　bottles。＇36＇　　Elsewhere；　on　the　Boulevard；

before　the　H？tel　Montmorency；　some　of　the　French　Guards；　escaped

from　their　barracks；　fired　on　a　loyal　detachment　of　the　〃Royal

Allemand。〃　…　The　alarm　bell　is　sounding　on　all　sides；　the　shops

where　arms　are　sold　are　pillaged；　and　the　H？tel…de…Ville　is　invaded；

fifteen　or　sixteen　well…disposed　electors；　who　meet　there；　order　the

districts　to　be　assembled　and　armed。　　　The　new　sovereign；　the

people　in　arms　and　in　the　street；　has　declared　himself。



The　dregs　of　society　at　once　come　to　the　surface。　　During　the　night

between　the　12th　and　13th　of　July；＇37＇　〃all　the　barriers；　from　the

Faubourg　Saint…Antoine　to　the　Faubourg　Saint…Honoré；　besides　those

of　the　Faubourgs　Saint…Marcel　and　Saint…Jacques；　are　forced　and　set

on　fire。〃　There　is　no　longer　an　octroi；　the　city　is　without　a

revenue　just　at　the　moment　when　it　is　obliged　to　make　the　heaviest

expenditures；　but　this　is　of　no　consequence　to　the　mob；　which；　above

all　things；　wants　to　have　cheap　wine。　　〃Ruffians；　armed　with　pikes

and　sticks；　proceed　in　several　parties　to　give　up　to　pillage　the

houses　of　those　who　are　regarded　as　enemies　to　the　public　welfare。〃

〃They　go　from　door　to　door　crying；　'Arms　and　bread！'　During　this

fearful　night；　the　bourgeoisie　kept　themselves　shut　up；　each

trembling　at　home　for　himself　and　those　belonging　to　him。〃　On　the

following　day；　the　13th；　the　capital　appears　to　be　given　up　to

bandits　and　the　lowest　of　the　low。　　One　of　the　bands　hews　down　the

gate　of　the　Lazarists；　destroys　the　library　and　clothes…presses；　the

pictures；　the　windows　and　laboratory；　and　rushes　to　the　cellars；

where　it　staves　in　the　casks　and　gets　drunk：　twenty…four　hours　after

this；　about　thirty　of　them　are　found　dead　and　dying；　drowned　in

wine；　men　and　women；　one　of　these　being　at　the　point　of　childbirth。

In　front　of　the　house＇38＇　the　street　is　full　of　the　wreckage；　and　of

ruffians　who　hold　in　their　hands；　〃　some；　eatables；　others　a　jug；

forcing　the　passers…by　to　drink；　and　pouring　out　wine　to　all　comers。

Wine　runs　down　into　the　gutter；　and　the　scent　of　it　fills　the　air；〃

it　is　a　drinking　bout：　meanwhile　they　carry　away　the　grain　and　flour

which　the　monks　kept　on　hand　according　to　law；　fifty…two　loads　of　it

being　taken　to　the　market。　　Another　troop　comes　to　La　Force；　to

deliver　those　imprisoned　for　debt；　a　third　breaks　into　the　Garde

Meuble；　carrying　away　valuable　arms　and　armour。　　Mobs　assemble

before　the　hotel　of　Madame　de　Breteuil　and　the　Palais…Bourbon；　which

they　intend　to　ransack；　in　order　to　punish　their　proprietors。　　M。　de

Crosne；　one　of　the　most　liberal　and　most　respected　men　of　Paris；

but；　unfortunately　for　himself　a　lieutenant　of　the　police；　is

pursued；　escaping　with　difficulty；　and　his　hotel　is　sacked。　　

During　the　night　between　the　13th　and　14th　of　May；　the　baker's　shops

and　the　wine　shops　are　pillaged；　〃men　of　the　vilest　class；　armed

with　guns；　pikes；　and　turnspits；　make　people　open　their　doors　and

give　them　something　to　eat　and　drink；　as　well　as　money　and　arms。〃

Vagrants；　ragged　men；　several　of　them　〃almost　naked；〃　and　〃most　of

them　armed　like　savages；　and　of　hideous　appearance；〃　they　are　〃　such

as　one　does　not　remember　to　have　seen　in　broad　daylight；〃　many　of

them　are　strangers；　come　from　nobody　knows　where。＇39＇　　It　is　stated

that　there　were　50；000　of　them；　and　that　they　had　taken　possession

of　the　principal　guard…houses。



During　these　two　days　and　nights；　says　Bailly；　〃Paris　ran　the　risk

of　being　pillaged；　and　was　only　saved　from　the　marauders　by　the

National　Guard。〃　Already；　in　the　open　street；＇40＇　〃these　creatures

tore　off　women's　shoes　and　earrings；〃　and　the　robbers　were　beginning

to　have　full　sway。　　　Fortunately　the　militia　organized　itself　and

the　principal　inhabitants　and　gentlemen　enrolled　themselves；　48；000

men　are　formed　into　battalions　and　companies；　the　bourgeoisie　buy

guns　of　the　vagabonds　for　three　livres　apiece；　and　sabers　or　pistols

for　twelve　sous。　　At　last；　some　of　the　offenders　are　hung　on　the

spot；　and　others　disarmed；　and　the　insurrection　again　becomes

political。　　But；　whatever　its　object；　it　remains　always　wild；

because　it　is　in　the　hands　of　the　mob。　　Dusaulx；　its　panegyrist；

confesses＇41＇　that　〃he　thought　he　was　witnessing　the　total

dissolution　of　society。〃　There　is　no　leader；　no　management。　　The

electors　who　have　converted　themselves　into　the　representatives　of

Paris　seem　to　command　the　crowd；　but　it　is　the　crowd　which　commands

them。　　One　of　them；　Legrand；　to　save　the　H？tel…de…Ville；　has　no

other　resource　but　to　send　for　six　barrels　of　gun…powder；　and　to

declare　to　the　assailants　that　he　is　about　to　blow　everything　into

the　air。　　The　commandant　whom　they　themselves　have　chosen；　M。　de

Salles；　has　twenty　bayonets　at　his　breast　during　a　quarter　of　an

hour；　and；　more　than　once；　the　whole　committee　is　near　being

massacred。　　Let　the　reader　imagine；　on　the　premises　where　the

discussions　are　going　on；　and　petitions　are　being　made；　〃a　concourse

of　fifteen　hundred　men　pressed　by　a　hundred　thousand　others　who　are

forcing　an　entrance；〃　the　wainscoting　cracking；　the　benches　upset

one　over　another；　the　enclosure　of　the　bureau　pushed　back　against

the　president's　chair；　a　tumult　such　as　to　bring　to　mind　'the　day　of

judgment；〃　the　death…shrieks；　songs；　yells；　and　〃people　beside

themselves；　for　the　most　part　not　knowing　where　they　are　nor　what

they　want。〃　　Each　district　is　also　a　petty　center；　while　the

Palais…Royal　is　the　main　center。　　Propositions；　〃　accusations；　and

deputations　travel　to　and　fro　from　one　to　the　other；　along　with　the

human　torrent　which　is　obstructed　or　rushes　ahead　with　no　other

guide　than　its　own　inclination　and　the　chances　of　the　way。　　One　wave

gathers　here　and　another　there；　their　strategy　consisting　in　pushing

and　in　being　pushed。　　Yet；　their　entrance　is　effected　only　because

they　are　let　in。　　If　they　get　into　the　Invalides　it　is　owing　to　the

connivance　of　the　soldiers。　　　At　the　Bastille；　firearms　are

discharged　from　ten　in　the　morning　to　five　in　the　evening　against

walls　forty　feet　high　and　thirty　feet　thick；　and　it　is　by　chance

that　one　of　their　shots　reaches　an　invalid　on　the　towers。　　They　are

treated　the　same　as　children　whom　one　wishes　to　hurt　as　little　as

possible。　　The　governor；　on　the　first　summons　to　surrender；　orders

the　cannon　to　be　withdrawn　from　the　embrasures；　he　makes　the

garrison　swear　not　to　fire　if　it　is　not　attacked；　he　invites　the

first　of　the　deputations　to　lunch；　he　allows　the　messenger

dispatched　from　the　H？tel…de…Ville　to　inspect　the　fortress；　he

receives　several　discharges　without　returning　them；　and　lets　the

first　bridge　be　carried　without　firing　a　shot。＇42＇　　When；　at　length；

he　does　fire；　it　is　at　the　last　extremity；　to　defend　the　second

bridge；　and　after　having　notified　the　assailants　that　he　is　going　to

do　so。　　In　short；　his　forbearance　and　patience　are　excessive；　in

conformity　with　the　humanity　of　the　times。　　The　people；　in　turn；　are

infatuated　with　the　novel　sensations　of　attack　and　resistance；　with

the　smell　of　gunpowder；　with　the　excitement　of　the　contest；　all　t