zanoni-第88章

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expand　the　jaws；　foul　with　black　gore。







CHAPTER　7。I。



Qui　suis…je；　moi　qu'on　accuse？　　Un　esclave　de　la　Liberte；　un

martyr　vivant　de　la　Republique。

〃Discours　de　Robespierre；　8　Thermidor。〃



（Who　am　I；_I_　whom　they　accuse？　　A　slave　of　Liberty；a　living

martyr　for　the　Republic。）



It　roars；The　River　of　Hell；　whose　first　outbreak　was　chanted　as

the　gush　of　a　channel　to　Elysium。　　How　burst　into　blossoming

hopes　fair　hearts　that　had　nourished　themselves　on　the　diamond

dews　of　the　rosy　dawn；　when　Liberty　came　from　the　dark　ocean；　and

the　arms　of　decrepit　ThraldomAurora　from　the　bed　of　Tithon！

Hopes！　ye　have　ripened　into　fruit；　and　the　fruit　is　gore　and

ashes！　　Beautiful　Roland；　eloquent　Vergniaud；　visionary

Condorcet；　high…hearted　Malesherbes！wits；　philosophers；

statesmen；　patriots；　dreamers！　behold　the　millennium　for　which　ye

dared　and　laboured！



I　invoke　the　ghosts！　　Saturn　hath　devoured　his　children　（〃La

Revolution　est　comme　Saturne；　elle　devorera　tous　ses　enfans。〃

Vergniaud。）；　and　lives　alone；I　his　true　name　of　Moloch！



It　is　the　Reign　of　Terror；　with　Robespierre　the　king。　　The

struggles　between　the　boa　and　the　lion　are　past：　　the　boa　has

consumed　the　lion；　and　is　heavy　with　the　gorge；Danton　has

fallen；　and　Camille　Desmoulins。　　Danton　had　said　before　his

death；　〃The　poltroon　Robespierre；I　alone　could　have　saved　him。〃

From　that　hour；　indeed；　the　blood　of　the　dead　giant　clouded　the

craft　of　〃Maximilien　the　Incorruptible；〃　as　at　last；　amidst　the

din　of　the　roused　Convention；　it　choked　his　voice。　　（Le　sang　de

Danton　t'etouffe！〃　（the　blood　of　Danton　chokes　thee！）　said

Garnier　de　l'Aube；　when　on　the　fatal　9th　of　Thermidor；

Robespierre　gasped　feebly　forth；　〃Pour　la　derniere　fois；

President　des　Assassins；　je　te　demande　la　parole。〃　　（For　the　last

time；　President　of　Assassins；　I　demand　to　speak。））　　If；　after

that　last　sacrifice；　essential；　perhaps；　to　his　safety；

Robespierre　had　proclaimed　the　close　of　the　Reign　of　Terror；　and

acted　upon　the　mercy　which　Danton　had　begun　to　preach；　he　might

have　lived　and　died　a　monarch。　　But　the　prisons　continued　to

reek；the　glaive　to　fall；　and　Robespierre　perceived　not　that　his

mobs　were　glutted　to　satiety　with　death；　and　the　strongest

excitement　a　chief　could　give　would　be　a　return　from　devils　into

men。



We　are　transported　to　a　room　in　the　house　of　Citizen　Dupleix；　the

menuisier；　in　the　month　of　July；　1794；　or；　in　the　calendar　of　the

Revolutionists；　it　was　the　Thermidor　of　the　Second　Year　of　the

Republic；　One　and　Indivisible！　　Though　the　room　was　small；　it　was

furnished　and　decorated　with　a　minute　and　careful　effort　at

elegance　and　refinement。　　It　seemed；　indeed；　the　desire　of　the

owner　to　avoid　at　once　what　was　mean　and　rude；　and　what　was

luxurious　and　voluptuous。　　It　was　a　trim；　orderly；　precise　grace

that　shaped　the　classic　chairs；　arranged　the　ample　draperies；

sank　the　frameless　mirrors　into　the　wall；　placed　bust　and　bronze

on　their　pedestals；　and　filled　up　the　niches　here　and　there　with

well…bound　books；　filed　regularly　in　their　appointed　ranks。　　An

observer　would　have　said；　〃This　man　wishes　to　imply　to　you；I　am

not　rich；　I　am　not　ostentatious；　I　am　not　luxurious；　I　am　no

indolent　Sybarite；　with　couches　of　down；　and　pictures　that

provoke　the　sense；　I　am　no　haughty　noble；　with　spacious　halls；

and　galleries　that　awe　the　echo。　　But　so　much　the　greater　is　my

merit　if　I　disdain　these　excesses　of　the　ease　or　the　pride；　since

I　love　the　elegant；　and　have　a　taste！　　Others　may　be　simple　and

honest；　from　the　very　coarseness　of　their　habits；　if　I；　with　so

much　refinement　and　delicacy；　am　simple　and　honest；reflect；　and

admire　me！〃



On　the　walls　of　this　chamber　hung　many　portraits；　most　of　them

represented　but　one　face；　on　the　formal　pedestals　were　grouped

many　busts；　most　of　them　sculptured　but　one　head。　　In　that　small

chamber　Egotism　sat　supreme；　and　made　the　Arts　its　looking…

glasses。　　Erect　in　a　chair；　before　a　large　table　spread　with

letters；　sat　the　original　of　bust　and　canvas；　the　owner　of　the

apartment。　　He　was　alone；　yet　he　sat　erect；　formal；　stiff；

precise；　as　if　in　his　very　home　he　was　not　at　ease。　　His　dress

was　in　harmony　with　his　posture　and　his　chamber；　it　affected　a

neatness　of　its　own；foreign　both　to　the　sumptuous　fashions　of

the　deposed　nobles；　and　the　filthy　ruggedness　of　the　sans…

culottes。　　Frizzled　and　coiffe；　not　a　hair　was　out　of　order；　not

a　speck　lodged　on　the　sleek　surface　of　the　blue　coat；　not　a

wrinkle　crumpled　the　snowy　vest；　with　its　under…relief　of

delicate　pink。　　At　the　first　glance；　you　might　have　seen　in　that

face　nothing　but　the　ill…favoured　features　of　a　sickly

countenance；　at　a　second　glance；　you　would　have　perceived　that　it

had　a　power；　a　character　of　its　own。　　The　forehead；　though　low

and　compressed；　was　not　without　that　appearance　of　thought　and

intelligence　which；　it　may　be　observed；　that　breadth　between　the

eyebrows　almost　invariably　gives；　the　lips　were　firm　and　tightly

drawn　together；　yet　ever　and　anon　they　trembled；　and　writhed

restlessly。　　The　eyes；　sullen　and　gloomy；　were　yet　piercing；　and

full　of　a　concentrated　vigour　that　did　not　seem　supported　by　the

thin；　feeble　frame；　or　the　green　lividness　of　the　hues；　which

told　of　anxiety　and　disease。



Such　was　Maximilien　Robespierre；　such　the　chamber　over　the

menuisier's　shop；　whence　issued　the　edicts　that　launched　armies

on　their　career　of　glory；　and　ordained　an　artificial　conduit　to

carry　off　the　blood　that　deluged　the　metropolis　of　the　most

martial　people　in　the　globe！　　Such　was　the　man　who　had　resigned　a

judicial　appointment　（the　early　object　of　his　ambition）　rather

than　violate　his　philanthropical　principles　by　subscribing　to　the

death　of　a　single　fellow…creature；　such　was　the　virgin　enemy　to

capital　punishments；　and　such；　Butcher…Dictator　now；　was　the　man

whose　pure　and　rigid　manners；　whose　incorruptible　honesty；　whose

hatred　of　the　excesses　that　tempt　to　love　and　wine；　would；　had　he

died　five　years　earlier；　have　left　him　the　model　for　prudent

fathers　and　careful　citizens　to　place　before　their　sons。　　Such

was　the　man　who　seemed　to　have　no　vice；　till　circumstance；　that

hotbed；　brought　forth　the　two　which；　in　ordinary　times；　lie　ever

the　deepest　and　most　latent　in　a　man's　heart；Cowardice　and

Envy。　　To　one　of　these　sources　is　to　be　traced　every　murder　that

master…fiend　committed。　　His　cowardice　was　of　a　peculiar　and

strange　sort；　for　it　was　accompanied　with　the　most　unscrupulous

and　determined　WILL；a　will　that　Napoleon　reverenced；　a　will　of

iron；　and　yet　nerves　of　aspen。　　Mentally；　he　was　a　hero；

physically；　a　dastard。　　When　the　veriest　shadow　of　danger

threatened　his　person；　the　frame　cowered；　but　the　will　swept　the

danger　to　the　slaughter…house。　　So　there　he　sat；　bolt　upright；

his　small；　lean　fingers　clenched　convulsively；　his　sullen　eyes

straining　into　space；　their　whites　yellowed　with　streaks　of

corrupt　blood；　his　ears　literally　moving　to　and　fro；　like　the

ignobler　animals'；　to　catch　every　sound；a　Dionysius　in　his

cave；　but　his　posture　decorous　and　collected；　and　every　formal

hair　in　its　frizzled　place。



〃Yes；　yes；〃　he　said　in　a　muttered　tone；　〃I　hear　them；　my　good

Jacobins　are　at　their　post　on　the　stairs。　　Pity　they　swear　so！　　I

have　a　law　against　oaths；the　manners　of　the　poor　and　virtuous

people　must　be　reformed。　　When　all　is　safe；　an　example　or　two

amongst　those　good　Jacobins　would　make　effect。　　Faithful　fellows；

how　they　love　me！　　Hum！what　an　oath　was　that！they　need　not

swear　so　loud；upon　the　very　staircase；　too！　　It　detracts　from

my　reputation。　　Ha！　steps！〃



The　soliloquist　glanced　at　the　opposite　mirror；　and　took　up　a

volume；　he　seemed　absorbed　in　its　contents；　as　a　tall　fellow；　a

bludgeon　in　his　hand；　a　girdle　adorned　with　pistols　round　his

waist；　opened　the　door；　and　announced　two　visitors。　　The　one　was

a　young　man；　said　to　resemble　Robespierre　in　person；　but　of　a　far

more　decided　and　res