the origins of contemporary france-2-第34章

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

This　frenzy　began　to　show　itself　on　the　way。　　Already；　on　setting

out；　a　woman　had　exclaimed；





　　　〃We　shall　bring　back　the　Queen's　head　on　the　end　of　a　pike！〃＇37＇



On　reaching　the　Sèvres　bridge　others　added；



　　　　〃Let　us　cut　her　throat；　and　make　cockades　of　her　entrails！〃



Rain　is　falling；　they　are　cold；　tired；　and　hungry；　and　get　nothing

to　eat　but　a　bit　of　bread；　distributed　at　a　late　hour；　and　with

difficulty；　on　the　Place　d'Armes。　　One　of　the　bands　cuts　up　a

slaughtered　horse；　roasts　it；　and　consumes　it　half　raw；　after　the

manner　of　savages。　　It　is　not　surprising　that；　under　the　names　of

patriotism　and　〃justice；〃　savage　ideas　spring　up　in　their　minds

against　〃members　of　the　National　Assembly　who　are　not　with　the

principles　of　the　people；〃　against　〃the　Bishop　of　Langres；　Mounier；

and　the　rest。〃　One　man　in　a　ragged　old　red　coat　declares　that　〃he

must　have　the　head　of　the　Abbé　Maury　to　play　nine…pins　with。〃　But　it

is　especially　against　the　Queen；　who　is　a　woman；　and　in　sight；　that

the　feminine　imagination　is　the　most　aroused。



　〃She　alone　is　the　cause　of　the　evils　we　endure　。。。。　　she　must　be

killed；　and　quartered。〃



　Night　advances；　there　are　acts　of　violence；　and　violence

engenders　violence。



〃How　glad　I　should　be；〃　says　one　man；　〃if　I　could　only　lay　my　hand

on　that　she…devil；　and　strike　off　her　head　on　the　first　curbstone　！〃



Towards　morning；　some　cry　out；



〃Where　is　that　cursed　cat？　We　must　eat　her　heart　out。。。　　We'll　take

off　her　head；　cut　her　heart　out；　and　fry　her　liver　I　〃



　With　the　first　murders　the　appetite　for　blood　has　been　awakened；

the　women　from　Paris　say　that　〃they　have　brought　tubs　to　carry　away

the　stumps　of　the　Royal　Guards；〃　and　at　these　words　others　clap

their　hands。　　Some　of　the　riffraff　of　the　crowd　examine　the　rope　of

the　lamp　post　in　the　court　of　the　National　Assembly；　and　judging　it

not　to　be　sufficiently　strong；　are　desirous　of　supplying　its　place

with　another　〃to　hang　the　Archbishop　of　Paris；　Maury；　and

d'Espréménil。〃　　This　murderous；　carnivorous　rage　penetrates　even

among　those　whose　duty　it　is　to　maintain　order；　one　of　the　National

Guard　being　heard　to　say　that　〃the　body…guards　must　be　killed　to　the

last　man；　and　their　hearts　torn　out　for　a　breakfast。〃



Finally；　towards　midnight；　the　National　Guard　of　Paris　arrives；　but

it　only　adds　one　insurrection　to　another；　for　it　has　likewise

mutinied　against　its　chiefs。＇38＇



　〃If　M。　de　Lafayette　is　not　disposed　to　accompany　us；〃　says　one　of

the　grenadiers；　〃we　will　take　an　old　grenadier　for　our　commander。〃



Having　come　to　this　decision；　they　sought　the　general　at　the　H？tel…

de…Ville；　and　the　delegates　of　six　of　the　companies　made　their

instructions　known　to　him。



　〃General；　we　do　not　believe　that　you　are　a　traitor；　but　we　think

that　the　Government　is　betraying　us。。。。　　The　committee　on

subsistence　is　deceiving　us；　and　must　be　removed。　　We　want　to　go　to

Versailles　to　exterminate　the　body…guard　and　the　Flemish　regiment

who　have　trampled　on　the　national　cockade。　　If　the　King　of　France　is

too　feeble　to　wear　his　crown；　let　him　take　it　off；　we　will　crown　his

son　and　things　will　go　better。〃



In　vain　Lafayette　refuses；　and　harangues　them　on　the　Place　de　Grève；

in　vain　he　resists　for　hours；　now　addressing　them　and　now　imposing

silence。　　Armed　bands；　coming　from　the　Faubourgs　Saint…Antoine　and

Saint…Marceau；　swell　the　crowd；　they　take　aim　at　him；　others　prepare

the　lamp…post。　　He　then　dismounts　and　endeavors　to　return　to　the

H？tel…de…Ville；　but　his　grenadiers　bar　the　way：



〃Morbleu；　General；　you　will　stay　with　us；　you　will　not　abandon　us　！〃



Being　their　chief　it　is　pretty　plain　that　he　must　follow　them；　which

is　also　the　sentiment　of　the　representatives　of　the　commune　at　the

H？tel…de…Ville；　who　send　him　their　authorization；　and　even　the　order

to　march；　〃seeing　that　it　is　impossible　for　him　to　refuse。〃



Fifteen　thousand　men　thus　reach　Versailles；　and　in　front　of　and

along　with　them　thousands　of　ruffians；　protected　by　the　darkness。

On　this　side　the　National　Guard　of　Versailles；　posted　around　the

chateau；　together　with　the　people　of　Versailles；　who　bar　the　way

against　vehicles；　have　closed　up　every　outlet。＇39＇　　The　King　is

prisoner　in　his　own　palace；　he　and　his；　with　his　ministers　and　his

court；　and　with　no　defense。　　For；　with　his　usual　optimism；　he　has

confided　the　outer　posts　of　the　chateau　to　Lafayette's　soldiers；

and；　through　a　humanitarian　obstinacy　which　he　is　to　maintain　up　to

the　last；＇40＇　he　has　forbidden　his　own　guards　to　fire　on　the　crowd；

so　that　they　are　only　there　for　show。　　With　common　right　in　his

favor；　the　law；　and　the　oath　which　Lafayette　had　just　obliged　his

troops　to　renew；　what　could　he　have　to　fear？　What　could　be　more

effective　with　the　people　than　trust　in　them　and　prudence？　And　by

playing　the　sheep　one　is　sure　of　taming　brutes！



》From　five　o'clock　in　the　morning　they　prowl　around　the　palace…

railings。　　Lafayette；　exhausted　with　fatigue；　has　taken　an　hour's

repose；＇41＇　which　hour　suffices　for　them。＇42＇　A　populace　armed　with

pikes　and　clubs；　men　and　women；　surrounds　a　squad　of　eighty…eight

National　Guards；　forces　them　to　fire　on　the　King's　Guards；　bursts

open　a　door；　seizes　two　of　the　guards　and　chops　their　heads　off。

The　executioner；　who　is　a　studio　model；　with　a　heavy　beard；

stretches　out　his　blood…stained　hands　and　glories　in　the　act；　and　so

great　is　the　effect　on　the　National　Guard　that　they　move　off；

through　sensibility；　in　order　not　to　witness　such　sights：　such　is

the　resistance！　In　the　meantime　the　crowd　invade　the　staircases；

beat　down　and　trample　on　the　guards　they　encounter；　and　burst　open

the　doors　with　imprecations　against　the　Queen。　　The　Queen　runs　off；

just　in　time；　in　her　underclothes；　she　takes　refuge　with　the　King

and　the　rest　of　the　royal　family；　who　have　in　vain　barricaded

themselves　in　the　？il…de…Boeuf；　a　door　of　which　is　broken　in：　here

they　stand；　awaiting　death；　when　Lafayette　arrives　with　his

grenadiers　and　saves　all　that　can　be　save　　　　their　lives；　and

nothing　more。　　For；　from　the　crowd　huddled　in　the　marble　court　the

shout　rises；　〃To　Paris　with　the　King　！〃　a　command　to　which　the　King

submits。



Now　that　the　great　hostage　is　in　their　hands；　will　they　deign　to

accept　the　second　one？　This　is　doubtful。　　On　the　Queen　approaching

the　balcony　with　her　son　and　daughter；　a　howl　arises　of　〃No

children！〃　They　want　to　have　her　alone　in　the　sights　of　their　guns；

and　she　understands　that。　　At　this　moment　M。　de　Lafayette；　throwing

the　shield　of　his　popularity　over　her；　appears　on　the　balcony　at　her

side　and　respectfully　kisses　her　hand。　　The　reaction　is

instantaneous　in　this　over…excited　crowd。　　Both　the　men　and

especially　the　women；　in　such　a　state　of　nervous　tension；　readily

jump　from　one　extreme　to　another；　rage　bordering　on　tears。　　A

portress；　who　is　a　companion　of　Maillard's；＇43＇　imagines　that　she

hears　Lafayette　promise　in　the　Queen's　name　〃to　love　her　people　and

be　as　much　attached　to　them　as　Jesus　Christ　to　his　Church。〃　People

sob　and　embrace　each　other；　the　grenadiers　shift　their　caps　to　the

heads　of　the　body…guard。　　Everything　will　be　fine　：　〃the　people　have

won　their　King　back。〃　　Nothing　is　to　be　done　now　but　to　rejoice；

and　the　cortege　moves　on。　　The　royal　family　and　a　hundred　deputies；

in　carriages；　form　the　center；　and　then　comes　the　artillery；　with　a

number　of　women　bestriding　the　cannons；　next；　a　convoy　of　flour。

Round　about　are　the　King's　Guards；　each　with　a　National　Guard

mounted　behind　him；　then　comes　the　National　Guard　of　Paris；　and

after　them　men　with　pikes　and　women　on　foot；　on　horseback；　in　cabs；

and　on　carts；　in　front　is　a　band　bearing　two　severed　heads　on　the

ends　of　two　poles；　which　halts　at　a　hairdresser's；　in　Sèvres；　to

have　these　heads　powdered　and　curled；＇44＇　they　are　made　to　bow　by

way　of　salutation；　and　are　dau