the origins of contemporary france-4-第145章

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pieces　of　the　national　bread。　　〃This　bread；〃　he　says；　〃which　the　poor

would　formerly　have　despised；　I　found　accepted　with　the　liveliest

gratitude；　and　by　well　educated　persons；〃　the　lady　who　contended　with

the　dog　for　the　bone　was　a　former　nun；　without　either　parents　or

friends　and　everywhere　repulsed。〃　〃I　still　hear　with　a　shudder；〃　says

Meissner；　〃the　weak；　melancholy　voice　of　a　well…dressed　woman　who

stopped　me　in　the　rue　du　Bac；　to　tell　me　in　accents　indicative　both　of

shame　and　despair：　'Ah；　Sir；　do　help　me！　I　am　not　an　outcast。　　I　have

some　talent　…　you　may　have　seen　some　of　my　works　in　the　salon。　　I　have

had　nothing　to　eat　for　two　days　and　I　am　crazy　for　want　of　food。'〃

Again；　in　June；　1796；　the　inspectors　state　that　despair　and

despondency　have　reached　the　highest　point；　only　one　cry　being　heard…

misery　！。。　　。　　。　　Our　reports　all　teem　with　groans　and　complaints。　　。

。　　。　　Pallor　and　suffering　are　stamped　on　all　faces。　　。　　。　　。　　Each

day　presents　a　sadder　and　more　melancholy　aspect。〃　And

repeatedly；＇149＇　they　sum　up　their　scattered　observations　in　a　general

statement：



*　〃A　mournful　silence；　the　deepest　distress　on　every　countenance；

*　the　most　intense　hatred　of　the　government　in　general　developed　in

all　conversations；

*　contempt　for　all　existing　authority；

*　an　insolent　luxuriousness；　insulting　to　the　wretchedness　of　the　poor

rentiers　who　expire　with　hunger　in　their　garrets；　no　longer　possessing

the　courage　to　crawl　to　the　Treasury　and　get　the　wherewithal　to

prolong　their　misery　for　a　few　days；

*　the　worthy　father　of　a　family　daily　deciding　what　article　of

furniture　he　will　sell　to　make　up　for　what　is　lacking　in　his　wages

that　he　may　buy　a　half…pound　of　bread；

*　every　sort　of　provision　increasing　in　price　sixty　times　an　hour；

*　the　smallest　business　dependent　on　the　fall　of　assignats；

*　intriguers　of　all　parties　overthrowing　each　other　only　to　get

offices；

*　the　intoxicated　soldier　boasting　of　the　services　he　has　rendered　and

is　to　render；　and　abandoning　himself　shamelessly　to　every　sort　of

debauchery；

*　commercial　houses　transformed　into　dens　of　thieves；

*　rascals　become　traders　and　traders　become　rascals；　the　most　sordid

cupidity　and　a　mortal　egoism…



such　is　the　picture　presented　by　Paris。〃＇150＇



One　group　is　wanting　in　this　picture；　that　of　the　governors　who

preside　over　this　wretchedness；　which　group　remains　in　the　background；

one　might　say　that　it　was　so　designed　and　composed　by　some　great

artist；　a　lover　of　contrasts；　an　inexorable　logician；　whose　invisible

hand　traces　human　character　unvaryingly；　and　whose　mournful　irony

unfailingly　depicts　side　by　side；　in　strong　relief；　the　grotesqueness

of　folly　and　the　seriousness　of　death。　　How　many　perished　on　account

of　this　misery？　Probably　more　than　a　million　persons。＇151＇　…



　Try　to　take　in　at　a　glance　the　extraordinary　spectacle　presented　on

twenty…six　thousand　square　leagues　of　territory：



*　The　immense　multitude　of　the　starving　in　town　and　country；

*　the　long　lines　of　women　for　three　years　waiting　for　bread　in　all　the

cities；

*　this　or　that　town　of　twenty…three　thousand　souls　in　which　one…third

of　the　population　dies　in　the　hospitals　in　three　months；

*　the　crowds　of　paupers　at　the　poor…houses；

*　the　file　of　poor　wretches　entering　and　the　file　of　coffins　going

out；

*　the　asylums　deprived　of　their　property；　overcrowded　with　the　sick；

unable　to　feed　the　multitude　of　foundlings　pining　away　in　their

cradles　the　very　first　week；　their　little　faces　in　wrinkles　like　those

of　old　men；

*　the　malady　of　want　aggravating　all　other　maladies；　the　long

suffering　of　a　persistent　vitality　amidst　pain　and　which　refuses　to

succumb；　the　final　death…rattle　in　a　garret　or　in　a　ditch。



Contrast　this　with　this　the　small；　powerful；　triumphant　group　of

Jacobins　which；　having　understood　how　to　place　themselves　in　the　good

places；　is　determined　to　stay　there　at　any　cost。　　…　About　ten　o'clock

in　the　morning；＇152＇　Cambacérès；　president　of　the　Committee　of　Public

Safety；　is　seen　entering　its　hall　in　the　Pavillon　de　l'Egalité。　　He　is

a　large；　cautious　and　shrewd　personage　who　will；　later　on；　become

arch…chancellor　of　the　Empire　and　famous　for　his　epicurean　inventions

and　other　peculiar　tastes　revived　from　antiquity。　　Scarcely　seated；　he

orders　an　ample　pat…au…feu　to　be　placed　on　the　chimney　hearth　and；　on

the　table；　〃fine　wine　and　fine　white　bread；　three　articles；〃　says　a

guest；　〃　not　to　be　found　elsewhere　in　all　Paris。〃　Between　twelve　and

two　o'clock；　his　colleagues　enter　the　room　in　turn；　take　a　plate　of

soup　and　a　slice　of　meat；　swallow　some　wine；　and　then　proceed；　each　to

his　bureau；　to　receive　his　coterie；　giving　this　one　an　office　and

compelling　another　to　pay　up；　looking　all　the　time　after　his　own

special　interests。　　At　this　moment；　especially；　towards　the　close　of

the　Convention；　there　are　no　public　interests；　all　interests　being

private　and　personal。　　…　In　the　mean　time；　the　deputy　in　charge　of

provisions；　Roux　de　la　Haute　Marne；　an　unfrocked　Benedictine；　formerly

a　terrorist　in　the　provinces；　subsequently　the　protégé　and　employee　of

Fouché；　with　whom　he　is　to　be　associated　in　the　police　department；

keeps　the　throng　of　women　in　check　which　daily　resorts　to　the

Tuileries　to　beg　for　bread。　　He　is　well　adapted　for　this　duty；　being

tall；　chubby；　ornamental；　and　with　vigorous　lungs。　　He　has　taken　his

office　in　the　right　place；　in　the　attic　of　the　palace；　at　the　top　of

long；　narrow　and　steep　stairs；　so　that　the　line　of　women　stretching　up

between　the　two　walls；　piled　one　above　the　other；　necessarily　becomes

immovable。　　With　the　exception　of　the　two　or　three　at　the　front；　no

one　has　her　hands　free　to　grab　the　haranguer　by　the　throat　and　close

the　oratorical　stop…cock。　　He　can　spout　his　tirades　accordingly　with

impunity；　and　for　an　indefinite　time。　　On　one　occasion；　his　sonorous

jabber　rattles　away　uninterruptedly　from　the　top　to　the　bottom　of　the

staircase；　from　nine　o'clock　in　the　morning　to　five　o'clock　in　the

afternoon。　　Under　such　a　voluble　shower；　his　hearers　become　weary　and

end　by　going　home。　…　About　nine　or　ten　o'clock　in　the　evening；　the

Committee　of　Public　Safety　reassembles；　but　not　to　discuss　business。

Danton　and　La　Révellière　preach　in　vain；　each　is　too　egoistic　and　too

worn…out；　they　let　the　rein　slacken　on　Cambacérès。　　As　to　him；　he

would　rather　keep　quiet　and　drag　the　cart　no　longer；　but　there　are　two

things　necessary　which　he　must　provide　for　on　pain　of　death。　　…　〃It

will　not　do；〃　says　he　in　plaintive　tones；　〃to　keep　on　printing　the

assignats　at　night　which　we　want　for　the　next　day。　　If　that　lasts；　ma

foi；　we　run　the　risk　of　being　strung　up　at　a　lantern。　　。　　。Go　and　find

Hourier…Eloi；　as　he　has　charge　of　the　finances；　and　tell　him　that　we

entreat　him　to　keep　us　a…going　for　a　fortnight　or　eighteen　days

longer；　when　the　executive　Directory　will　come　in　and　do　what　it

pleases。〃　〃　But　food　…　shall　we　have　enough　for　to…morrow？



〃Aha；　I　don't　know　…　I'll　send　for　our　colleague　Roux；　who　will　post

us　on　that　point。〃　Roux　enters；　the　official　spokesman；　the　fat；

jovial　tamer　of　the　popular　dog。　　〃Well；　Roux；　how　do　we　stand　about

supplying　Paris　with　food？〃　〃The　supply；　citizen　President；　is　just　as

abundant　as　ever；　two　ounces　per　head；　…　at　least　for　most　of　the

sections。〃　〃Go　to　the　devil　with　your　abundant　supply！　You'll　have　our

heads　off！　〃　All　remain　silent；　for　this　possible　dénouement　sets　them

to　thinking。　　Then；　one　of　them　exclaims：　〃President；　are　there　any

refreshments　provided　for　us？　After　working　so　hard　for　so　many　days

we　need　something　to　strengthen　us　！〃　〃Why；　yes　；　there　is　a　good

calf's…tongue；　a　large　turbot；　a　large　piece　of　pie　and　some　other

things。〃　They　cheer　up；　begin　to　eat　and　drink　champagne；　and　indulge

in　drolleries。　　About　eleven　or　twelve　o'clock　the　members　of　other

Committees　come　in；　signatures　are　affixed　to　their　various　decrees；

on　trust；　without　read