zanoni-第90章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



to　plead　against　us。　　Their　complaints　demoralise　the

guillotine！〃



〃Couthon　is　right；〃　said　Payan；　〃MY　list　contains　those　whom　it

will　be　safer　to　despatch　en　masse　in　the　crowd　assembled　at　the

Fete。　　HIS　list　selects　those　whom　we　may　prudently　consign　to

the　law。　　Shall　it　not　be　signed　at　once？〃



〃It　IS　signed；〃　said　Robespierre；　formally　replacing　his　pen　upon

the　inkstand。　　〃Now　to　more　important　matters。　　These　deaths　will

create　no　excitement；　but　Collot　d'Herbois；　Bourdon　De　l'Oise；

Tallien；〃　the　last　name　Robespierre　gasped　as　he　pronounced；

〃THEY　are　the　heads　of　parties。　　This　is　life　or　death　to　us　as

well　as　them。〃



〃Their　heads　are　the　footstools　to　your　curule　chair；〃　said

Payan；　in　a　half　whisper。　　〃There　is　no　danger　if　we　are　bold。

Judges；　juries；　all　have　been　your　selection。　　You　seize　with　one

hand　the　army；　with　the　other；　the　law。　　Your　voice　yet　commands

the　people〃



〃The　poor　and　virtuous　people；〃　murmured　Robespierre。



〃And　even；〃　continued　Payan；　〃if　our　design　at　the　Fete　fail　us；

we　must　not　shrink　from　the　resources　still　at　our　command。

Reflect！　　Henriot；　the　general　of　the　Parisian　army；　furnishes

you　with　troops　to　arrest；　the　Jacobin　Club　with　a　public　to

approve；　inexorable　Dumas　with　judges　who　never　acquit。　　We　must

be　bold！〃



〃And　we　ARE　bold；〃　exclaimed　Robespierre；　with　sudden　passion；

and　striking　his　hand　on　the　table　as　he　rose；　with　his　crest

erect；　as　a　serpent　in　the　act　to　strike。　　〃In　seeing　the

multitude　of　vices　that　the　revolutionary　torrent　mingles　with

civic　virtues；　I　tremble　to　be　sullied　in　the　eyes　of　posterity

by　the　impure　neighbourhood　of　these　perverse　men　who　thrust

themselves　among　the　sincere　defenders　of　humanity。　　What！they

think　to　divide　the　country　like　a　booty！　　I　thank　them　for　their

hatred　to　all　that　is　virtuous　and　worthy！　　These　men；〃and　he

grasped　the　list　of　Payan　in　his　hand；〃these！not　WEhave

drawn　the　line　of　demarcation　between　themselves　and　the　lovers

of　France！〃



〃True；　we　must　reign　alone！〃　muttered　Payan；　〃in　other　words；　the

state　needs　unity　of　will；〃　working；　with　his　strong　practical

mind；　the　corollary　from　the　logic　of　his　word…compelling

colleague。



〃I　will　go　to　the　Convention；〃　continued　Robespierre。　　〃I　have

absented　myself　too　long；lest　I　might　seem　to　overawe　the

Republic　that　I　have　created。　　Away　with　such　scruples！　　I　will

prepare　the　people！　　I　will　blast　the　traitors　with　a　look！〃



He　spoke　with　the　terrible　firmness　of　the　orator　that　had　never

failed；of　the　moral　will　that　marched　like　a　warrior　on　the

cannon。　　At　that　instant　he　was　interrupted；　a　letter　was　brought

to　him：　　he　opened　it；his　face　fell；　he　shook　from　limb　to

limb；　it　was　one　of　the　anonymous　warnings　by　which　the　hate　and

revenge　of　those　yet　left　alive　to　threaten　tortured　the　death…

giver。



〃Thou　art　smeared；〃　ran　the　lines；　〃with　the　best　blood　of

France。　　Read　thy　sentence！　　I　await　the　hour　when　the　people

shall　knell　thee　to　the　doomsman。　　If　my　hope　deceive　me；　if

deferred　too　long；hearken；　read！　　This　hand；　which　thine　eyes

shall　search　in　vain　to　discover；　shall　pierce　thy　heart。　　I　see

thee　every　day；I　am　with　thee　every　day。　　At　each　hour　my　arm

rises　against　thy　breast。　　Wretch！　live　yet　awhile；　though　but

for　few　and　miserable　dayslive　to　think　of　me；　sleep　to　dream

of　me！　　Thy　terror　and　thy　thought　of　me　are　the　heralds　of　thy

doom。　　Adieu！　this　day　itself　I　go　forth　to　riot　on　thy　fears！〃

（See　〃Papiers　inedits　trouves　chez　Robespierre；〃　etc。；　volume　ii。

page　155。　　（No。　lx。））



〃Your　lists　are　not　full　enough！〃　said　the　tyrant；　with　a　hollow

voice；　as　the　paper　dropped　from　his　trembling　hand。　　〃Give　them

to　me！give　them　to　me！　　Think　again；　think　again！　　Barrere　is

rightright！　'Frappons！　il　n'y　a　que　les　morts　qui　ne　revient

pas！'〃





CHAPTER　7。II。



La　haine；　dans　ces　lieux；　n'a　qu'un　glaive　assassin。

Elle　marche　dans　l'ombre。

La　Harpe；　〃Jeanne　de　Naples；〃　Act　iv。　sc。　1。



（Hate；　in　these　regions；　has　but　the　sword　of　the　assassin。　　She

moves　in　the　shade。）



While　such　the　designs　and　fears　of　Maximilien　Robespierre；

common　danger；　common　hatred；　whatever　was　yet　left　of　mercy　or

of　virtue　in　the　agents　of　the　Revolution；　served　to　unite

strange　opposites　in　hostility　to　the　universal　death…dealer。

There　was；　indeed；　an　actual　conspiracy　at　work　against　him　among

men　little　less　bespattered　than　himself　with　innocent　blood。

But　that　conspiracy　would　have　been　idle　of　itself；　despite　the

abilities　of　Tallien　and　Barras　（the　only　men　whom　it　comprised；

worthy；　by　foresight　and　energy；　the　names　of　〃leaders〃）。　　The

sure　and　destroying　elements　that　gathered　round　the　tyrant　were

Time　and　Nature；　the　one；　which　he　no　longer　suited；　the　other；

which　he　had　outraged　and　stirred　up　in　the　human　breast。　　The

most　atrocious　party　of　the　Revolution；　the　followers　of　Hebert；

gone　to　his　last　account；　the　butcher…atheists；　who；　in

desecrating　heaven　and　earth；　still　arrogated　inviolable　sanctity

to　themselves；　were　equally　enraged　at　the　execution　of　their

filthy　chief；　and　the　proclamation　of　a　Supreme　Being。　　The

populace；　brutal　as　it　had　been；　started　as　from　a　dream　of

blood；　when　their　huge　idol；　Danton；　no　longer　filled　the　stage

of　terror；　rendering　crime　popular　by　that　combination　of

careless　frankness　and　eloquent　energy　which　endears　their　heroes

to　the　herd。　　The　glaive　of　the　guillotine　had　turned　against

THEMSELVES。　　They　had　yelled　and　shouted；　and　sung　and　danced；

when　the　venerable　age；　or　the　gallant　youth；　of　aristocracy　or

letters；　passed　by　their　streets　in　the　dismal　tumbrils；　but　they

shut　up　their　shops；　and　murmured　to　each　other；　when　their　own

order　was　invaded；　and　tailors　and　cobblers；　and　journeymen　and

labourers；　were　huddled　off　to　the　embraces　of　the　〃Holy　Mother

Guillotine；〃　with　as　little　ceremony　as　if　they　had　been　the

Montmorencies　or　the　La　Tremouilles；　the　Malesherbes　or　the

Lavoisiers。　　〃At　this　time；〃　said　Couthon；　justly；　〃Les　ombres　de

Danton；　d'Hebert；　de　Chaumette；　se　promenent　parmi　nous！〃　（The

shades　of　Danton；　Hebert；　and　Chaumette　walk　amongst　us。）



Among　those　who　had　shared　the　doctrines；　and　who　now　dreaded　the

fate　of　the　atheist　Hebert；　was　the　painter；　Jean　Nicot。

Mortified　and　enraged　to　find　that；　by　the　death　of　his　patron；

his　career　was　closed；　and　that；　in　the　zenith　of　the　Revolution

for　which　he　had　laboured；　he　was　lurking　in　caves　and　cellars；

more　poor；　more　obscure；　more　despicable　than　he　had　been　at　the

commencement；not　daring　to　exercise　even　his　art；　and　fearful

every　hour　that　his　name　would　swell　the　lists　of　the　condemned；

he　was　naturally　one　of　the　bitterest　enemies　of　Robespierre

and　his　government。　　He　held　secret　meetings　with　Collot

d'Herbois；　who　was　animated　by　the　same　spirit；　and　with　the

creeping　and　furtive　craft　that　characterised　his　abilities；　he

contrived；　undetected；　to　disseminate　tracts　and　invectives

against　the　Dictator；　and　to　prepare；　amidst　〃the　poor　and

virtuous　people；〃　the　train　for　the　grand　explosion。　　But　still

so　firm　to　the　eyes；　even　of　profounder　politicians　than　Jean

Nicot；　appeared　the　sullen　power　of　the　incorruptible　Maximilien；

so　timorous　was　the　movement　against　him；that　Nicot；　in　common

with　many　others；　placed　his　hopes　rather　in　the　dagger　of　the

assassin　than　the　revolt　of　the　multitude。　　But　Nicot；　though　not

actually　a　coward；　shrunk　himself　from　braving　the　fate　of　the

martyr；　he　had　sense　enough　to　see　that；　though　all　parties　might

rejoice　in　the　assassination；　all　parties　would　probably　concur

in　beheading　the　assassin。　　He　had　not　the　virtue　to　become　a

Brutus。　　His　object　was　to　inspire　a　proxy…Brutus；　and　in　the

centre　of　that　inflammable　population　this　was　no　improbable

hope。



Amongst　those　loudest　and　sternest　against　the　reign　of　blood；

amongst　those　most　disenchanted　of　the　Rev