the origins of contemporary france-2-第33章

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their　ranks；　however；　will　be　reinforced　by　a　number　of　men

disguised　as　women。　　On　looking　closely　at　them　they　are　easily

recognized；　notwithstanding　their　rouge；　by　their　badly…shaven

beards；　and　by　their　voices　and　gait。＇31＇　　No　difficulty　has　been

found　in　obtaining　men　and　women　among　the　prostitutes　of　the

Palais…Royal　and　the　military　deserters　who　serve　them　as　bullies。

It　is　probable　that　the　former　lent　their　lovers　the　cast…off

dresses　they　had　to　spare。　　At　night　all　will　meet　again　at　the

common　rendezvous；　on　the　benches　of　the　National　Assembly；　where

they　are　quite　as　much　at　home　as　in　their　own　houses。＇32＇　　In　any

event；　the　first　band　which　marches　out　is　of　this　stamp；　displaying

the　finery　and　the　gaiety　of　the　profession；　〃most　of　them　young；

dressed　in　white；　with　powdered　hair　and　a　sprightly　air；〃　many　of

them　〃laughing；　singing；　and　drinking；〃　as　they　would　do　at　setting

out　for　a　picnic　in　the　country。　　Three　or　four　of　them　are　known　by

name　　one　brandishing　a　sword；　and　another；　the　notorious

Théroigne。　　Madeleine　Chabry　Louison；　who　is　selected　to　address　the

King；　is　a　pretty　grisette　who　sells　flowers；　and；　no　doubt；

something　else；　at　the　Palais…Royal。　　Some　appear　to　belong　to　the

first　rank　in　their　calling；　and　to　have　tact　and　the　manners　of

society　　suppose；　for　instance；　that　Champfort　and　Laclos　sent

their　mistresses。　　To　these　must　be　added　washerwomen；　beggars；

bare…footed　women；　and　fishwomen；　enlisted　for　several　days　before

and　paid　accordingly。　　This　is　the　first　nucleus；　and　it　keeps　on

growing；　for；　by　compulsion　or　consent；　the　troop　incorporates　into

it；　as　it　passes　along；　all　the　women　it　encounters　　seamstresses；

portresses；　housekeepers；　and　even　respectable　females；　whose

dwellings　are　entered　with　threats　of　cutting　off　their　hair　if　they

do　not　fall　in。　　To　these　must　be　added　vagrants；　street…rovers；

ruffians　and　robbers　　the　lees　of　Paris；　which　accumulate　and　come

to　the　surface　every　time　agitation　occurs：　they　are　to　be　found

already　at　the　first　hour；　behind　the　troop　of　women　at　the　H？tel…

de…Ville。　　Others　are　to　follow　during　the　evening　and　in　the　night。

Others　are　waiting　at　Versailles。　　Many；　both　at　Paris　and

Versailles；　are　under　pay：　one；　in　a　dirty　whitish　vest；　chinks　gold

and　silver　coin　in　his　hand。　　　Such　is　the　foul　scum　which；　both

in　front　and　in　the　rear；　rolls　along　with　the　popular　tide；

whatever　is　done　to　stem　the　torrent；　it　widens　out　and　will　leave

its　mark　at　every　stage　of　its　overflow。



The　first　troop；　consisting　of　four　or　five　hundred　women；　begin

operations　by　forcing　the　guard　of　the　H？tel…de…Ville；　which　is

unwilling　to　make　use　of　its　bayonets。　　They　spread　through　the

rooms　and　try　to　burn　all　the　written　documents　they　can　find；

declaring　that　there　has　been　nothing　but　scribbling　since　the

Revolution　began。＇33＇　　A　crowd　of　men　follow　after　them；　bursting

open　doors；　and　pillaging　the　magazine　of　arms。　　Two　hundred

thousand　francs　in　Treasury　notes　are　stolen　or　disappear；　several

of　the　ruffians　set　fire　to　the　building；　while　others　hang　an　abbé。

The　abbé　is　cut　down；　and　the　fire　extinguished　only　just　in　time：

such　are　the　interludes　of　the　popular　drama。　　In　the　meantime；　the

crowd　of　women　increases　on　the　Place　de　Grève；　always　with　the　same

unceasing　cry；　〃Bread！〃　and　〃To　Versailles！〃　One　of　the　conquerors

of　the　Bastille；　the　usher　Maillard；　offers　himself　as　a　leader。　　He

is　accepted；　and　taps　his　drum；　on　leaving　Paris；　he　has　seven　or

eight　thousand　women　with　him；　and；　in　addition；　some　hundreds　of

men　；　by　dint　of　remonstrances；　he　succeeds　in　maintaining　some　kind

of　order　amongst　this　rabble　as　far　as　Versailles。　　　But　it　is　a

rabble　notwithstanding；　and　consequently　so　much　brute　force；　at

once　anarchical　and　imperious。　　On　the　one　hand；　each；　and　the　worst

among　them；　does　what　he　pleases　　which　will　be　quite　evident　this

very　evening。　　On　the　other　hand；　its　ponderous　mass　crushes　all

authority　and　overrides　all　rules　and　regulations　　which　is　at

once　apparent　on　reaching　Versailles。　　　Admitted　into　the

Assembly；　at　first　in　small　numbers；　the　women　crowd　against　the

door；　push　in　with　a　rush；　fill　the　galleries；　then　the　hall；　the

men　along　with　them；　armed　with　clubs；　halberds；　and　pikes；　all

pell…mell；　side　by　side　with　the　deputies；　taking　possession　of

their　benches；　voting　along　with　them；　and　gathering　about　the

President；　who；　surrounded；　threatened；　and　insulted；　finally

abandons　the　position；　while　his　chair　is　taken　by　a　woman。＇34＇　　A

fishwoman　commands　in　a　gallery；　and　about　a　hundred　women　around

her　shout　or　keep　silence　at　her　bidding；　while　she　interrupts　and

abuses　the　deputies：



〃Who　is　that　speaker　there？　Silence　that　blabbermouth；　he　does　not

know　what　he　is　talking　about。　　The　question　is　how　to　get　bread。

Let　papa　Mirabeau　speak　　we　want　to　hear　him。〃



A　decree　on　subsistence　having　been　passed；　the　leaders　demand

something　in　addition；　they　must　be　allowed　to　enter　all　places

where　they　suspect　any　monopolizing　to　be　going　on；　and　the　price　of

〃bread　must　be　fixed　at　six　sous　the　four　pounds；　and　meat　at　six

sous　per　pound。〃



　〃You　must　not　think　that　we　are　children　to　be　played　with。　　We　are

ready　to　strike。　　Do　as　you　are　bidden。〃



All　their　political　injunctions　emanate　from　this　central　idea。　　And

further：



　〃Send　back　the　Flemish　regiment　　it　is　a　thousand　men　more　to

feed；　and　they　take　bread　out　of　our　mouths。〃　　〃Punish　the

aristocrats；　who　hinder　the　bakers　from　baking。〃　〃Down　with　the

skull…cap；　the　priests　are　the　cause　of　our　trouble！　〃　　　〃Monsieur

Mounier；　why　did　you　advocate　that　villainous　veto？　Beware　of　the

lamp　post　！　〃



Under　this　pressure；　a　deputation　of　the　Assembly；　with　the

President　at　its　head；　sets　out　on　foot；　in　the　mud；　through　the

rain；　and　watched　by　a　howling　escort　of　women　and　men　armed　with

pikes：　after　five　hours　of　waiting　and　entreaty；　it　wrings　from　the

King；　besides　the　decree　on　subsistence；　about　which　there　was　no

difficulty；　the　acceptance；　pure　and　simple；　of　the　Declaration　of

Rights；　and　his　sanction　to　the　constitutional　articles。　　　Such　is

the　independence　of　the　King　and　the　Assembly。＇35＇　Thus　are　the　new

principles　of　justice　established；　the　grand　outlines　of　the

Constitution；　the　abstract　axioms　of　political　truth　under　the

dictatorship　of　a　crowd　which　extorts　not　only　blindly；　but　which　is

half…conscious　of　its　blindness。



　〃Monsieur　le　President；〃　some　among　the　women　say　to　Mounier；　who

returns　with　the　Royal　sanction；　〃will　it　be　of　any　real　use　to　us？

will　it　give　poor　folks　bread　in　Paris？〃



Meanwhile；　the　scum　has　been　bubbling　up　around　the　chateau；　and　the

abandoned　women　subsidized　in　Paris　are　pursuing　their　calling。＇36＇

They　slip　through　into　the　lines　of　the　regiment　drawn　on　the

square；　in　spite　of　the　sentinels。　　Théroigne；　in　an　Amazonian　red

vest；　distributes　money　among　them。



　〃Side　with　us；〃　some　say　to　the　men；　〃we　shall　soon　beat　the　King's

Guards；　strip　off　their　fine　coats　and　sell　them。〃



Others　lie　sprawling　on　the　ground；　alluring　the　soldiers；　and　make

such　offers　as　to　lead　one　of　them　to　exclaim；　〃We　are　going　to　have

a　jolly　time　of　it　！〃　Before　the　day　is　over；　the　regiment　is

seduced；　the　women　have；　according　to　their　own　idea；　acted　for　a

good　motive。　　When　a　political　idea　finds　its　way　into　such　heads；

instead　of　ennobling　them；　it　becomes　degraded　there；　its　only

effect　is　to　let　loose　vices　which　a　remnant　of　modesty　still　keeps

in　subjection；　and　full　play　is　given　to　luxurious　or　ferocious

instincts　under　cover　of　the　public　good。　　　The　passions；

moreover；　become　intensified　through　their　mutual　interaction；

crowds；　clamor；　disorder；　longings；　and　fasting；　end　in　a　state　of

frenzy；　from　which　nothing　can　issue　but　dizzy　madness　and　rage。　　

This　frenzy　began　to　show　itself　on　the　way。　　Alread