the origins of contemporary france-4-第46章

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everyone；〃＇25＇　he　says；　〃the　patriotic　tax…contribution　of　one…quarter

of　all　income　will　produce；　at　the　very　least；　4；860　millions；　and

perhaps　twice　that　sum。〃　With　this　sum　M。　Necker　may　raise　five

hundred　thousand　men；　which　he　calculates　on　for　the　subjugation　of

France。　　…　Since　the　taking　of　the　Bastille；　〃the　municipality's　waste

alone　amount　to　two　hundred　millions。　　The　sums　pocketed　by　Bailly　are

estimated　at　more　than　two　millions；　what　'Mottié'　（Lafayette）　has

taken　for　the　past　two　years　is　incalculable。〃＇26＇　…　On　the　15th　of

November；　1791；　the　gathering　of　emigrés　comprises　〃at　least　120；000

former　gentlemen　and　drilled　partisans　and　soldiers；　not　counting　the

forces　of　the　German　princes　about　to　join　them。〃＇27＇　…　Consequently；

as　with　his　brethren　in　Bicêtre；　（a　lunatic　asylum）；　he　raves

incessantly　on　the　horrible　and　the　foul：　the　procession　of　terrible

or　disgusting　phantoms　has　begun。＇28＇　　According　to　him；　the　scholars

who　do　not　choose　to　admire　him　are　fools；　charlatans　and　plagiarists。

Laplace　and　Monge　are　even　〃automatons；〃　so　many　calculating　machines；

Lavoisier；　〃reputed　father　of　every　discovery　causing　a　sensation　in

the　world；　has　not　an　idea　of　his　own；〃　he　steals　from　others　without

comprehending　them；　and　〃changes　his　system　as　he　changes　his　shoes。〃

Fourcroy；　his　disciple　and　horn…blower；　is　of　still　thinner　stuff。

All　are　scamps：　〃I　could　cite　a　hundred　instances　of　dishonesty　by　the

Academicians　of　Paris；　a　hundred　breaches　of　trust；〃　twelve　thousand

francs　were　entrusted　to　them　for　the　purpose　of　ascertaining　how　to

direct　balloons；　and　〃they　divided　it　among　themselves；　squandering　it

at　the　Rapée；　the　opera　and　in　brothels。〃＇29＇　…　In　the　political

world；　where　debates　are　battles；　it　is　still　worse。　　Marat's

publication　〃The　Friend　of　the　people〃　has　merely　rascals　for

adversaries。　　Praise　of　Lafayette's　courage　and　disinterestedness；　how

absurd　If　he　went　to　America　it　was　because　he　was　jilted；　〃cast　off

by　a　Messalina；〃　he　maintained　a　park　of　artillery　there　as　〃powder…

monkeys　look　after　ammunition…wagons；　〃　these　are　his　only　exploits；

besides；　he　is　a　thief。　　Bailly　is　also　a　thief；　and　Mabuet　a　〃clown。〃

Necker　has　conceived　the　〃horrible　project　of　starving　and　poisoning

the　people；　he　has　drawn　on　himself　for　all　eternity　the　execration　of

Frenchmen　and　the　detestation　of　mankind。〃　…　What　is　the　Constituent

Assembly　but　a　set　of　〃low；　rampant；　mean；　stupid　fellows？〃　…

〃Infamous　legislators；　vile　scoundrels；　monsters　athirst　for　gold　and

blood；　you　traffic　with　the　monarch；　with　our　fortunes；　with　our

rights；　with　our　liberties；　with　our　lives！　〃　…　〃　The　second

legislative　corps　is　no　less　rotten　than　the　first　one。〃　…　In　the

Convention；　Roland；　〃the　officious　Gilles　and　the　forger　Pasquin；　is

the　infamous　head　of　the　monopolizers。〃　〃　Isnard　is　a　juggler；　Buzot　a

Tartuffe；　Vergniaud　a　police　spy。〃＇30＇　…　When　a　madman　sees　everywhere

around　him；　on　the　floor；　on　the　walls；　on　the　ceiling；　toads；

scorpions；　spiders；　swarms　of　crawling；　loathsome　vermin；　he　thinks

only　of　crushing　them；　and　the　disease　enters　on　its　last　stage：　after

the　ambitious　delirium；　the　mania　for　persecution　and　the　settled

nightmare；　comes　the　homicidal　mania。



With　Marat；　this　broke　out　at　the　very　beginning　of　the　Revolution。

The　disease　was　innate；　he　was　inoculated　with　it　beforehand。　　He　had

contracted　it　in　good　earnest；　on　principle；　never　was　there　a　plainer

case　of　deliberate　insanity。　　…　On　the　one　hand；　having　derived　the

rights　of　man　from　physical　necessities；　he　concluded；　〃that　society

owes　to　those　among　its　members　who　have　no　property；　and　whose　labor

scarcely　suffices　for　their　support；　an　assured　subsistence；　the

wherewithal　to　feed；　lodge　and　clothe　oneself　suitably；　provision　for

attendance　in　sickness　and　when　old　age　comes　on；　and　for　bringing　up

children。　　Those　who　wallow　in　wealth　must　（then）　supply　the　wants　of

those　who　lack　the　necessaries　of　life。〃　Otherwise；　〃the　honest

citizen　whom　society　abandons　to　poverty　and　despair；　reverts　back　to

the　state　of　nature　and　the　right　of　forcibly　claiming　advantages

which　were　only　alienated　by　him　to　procure　greater　ones。　　All

authority　which　is　opposed　to　this　is　tyrannical；　and　the　judge　who

condemns　a　man　to　death　（through　it）　is　simply　a　cowardly

assassin。〃＇31＇



Thus　do　the　innumerable　riots　which　the　dearth　excites；　find

justification；　and；　as　the　dearth　is　permanent；　the　daily　riot　is

legitimate。　　…　On　the　other　hand；　having　laid　down　the　principle　of

popular　sovereignty　he　deduces　from　this；　〃the　sacred　right　of

constituents　to　dismiss　their　delegates；　〃　to　seize　them　by　the　throat

if　they　prevaricate；　to　keep　them　in　the　right　path　by　fear；　and　wring

their　necks　should　they　attempt　to　vote　wrong　or　govern　badly。　　Now；

they　are　always　subject　to　this　temptation。



　〃If　there　is　one　eternal　truth　of　which　it　is　important　to　convince

man；　it　is　that　the　mortal　enemy　of　the　people；　the　most　to　be　dreaded

by　them；　is　the　Government。〃　〃Any　minister　who　remains　more　than　2

days　in　office；　once　the　ministry　is　able　to　plot　against　the　country

is　'suspect。'　〃＇32＇　…　Bestir　yourselves；　then；　ye　unfortunates　in　town

and　country；　workmen　without　work；　street　stragglers　without　fuel　or

shelter　sleeping　under　bridges；　prowlers　along　the　highways；　beggars；

tattered　vagabonds；　cripples　and　tramps；　and　seize　your　faithless

representatives！　…　On　July　14th　and　October　5th　and　6th；　〃the　people

had　the　right　not　only　to　execute　some　of　the　conspirators　in　military

fashion；　but　to　immolate　them　all；　to　put　to　the　sword　the　entire　body

of　royal　satellites　leagued　together　for　our　destruction；　the　whole

herd　of　traitors　to　the　country；　of　every　condition　and　degree。〃＇33＇

Never　go　to　the　Assembly；　〃without　filling　your　pockets　with　stones

and　throwing　them　at　the　impudent　scoundrels　who　preach　monarchical

maxims；〃　〃I　recommend　to　you　no　other　precaution　but　that　of　telling

their　neighbors　to　look　out。〃＇34＇　…　〃We　do　not　demand　the　resignation

of　the　ministers…we　demand　their　heads。　　We　demand　the　heads　of　all

the　cabinet　officials　in　the　Assembly；　your　mayor's；　your　general's；

the　heads　of　most　of　the　staff…officers；　of　most　of　the　municipal

council；　of　the　principal　agents　of　the　executive　power　in　the

kingdom。　　〃　…　Of　what　use　are　half…way　measures；　like　the　sack　of　the

hotel　de　Castries？＇35＇



　〃Avenge　yourselves　wisely！　Death！　Death！　is　the　sole　penalty　for

traitors　raging　to　destroy　you　It　is　the　only　one　that　strikes　terror

into　them。　　Follow　the　example　of　your　implacable　enemies！　Keep　always

armed；　so　that　they　may　not　escape　through　the　delays　of　the　law！　Stab

them　on　the　spot　or　blow　their　brains　out！　〃　…　〃　Twenty…four　millions

of　men　shout　in　unison：　If　the　black；　gangrened；　archi…gangrened

officials　dare　pass　a　bill　reducing　and　reorganizing　the　army；

citizens；　then　you　build　eight　hundred　scaffolds　in　the　Tuileries

garden　and　hang　on　them　every　traitor　to　his　country　…　that　infamous

Riquetti；　Comte　de　Mirabeau；　at　the　head　of　them　…　and；　at　the　same

time；　erect　in　the　middle　of　the　fountain　basin　a　big　pile　of　logs　to

roast　the　ministers　and　their　tools！〃＇36＇　…　Could　〃the　Friend　of　the

People〃　rally　around　him　two　thousand　men　determined　〃to　save　the

country；　he　would　go　and　tear　the　heart　out　of　that　infernal　Mottié　in

the　very　midst　of　his　battalions　of　slaves；　he　would　go　and　burn　the

monarch　and　his　imps　in　his　palace；　impale　the　deputies　on　their

benches；　and　bury　them　beneath　the　flaming　ruins　of　their　den。〃＇37＇…

On　the　first　cannon　shot　being　fired　on　the　frontier；



　〃it　is　indispensable　that　the　people　should　close　the　gates　of　the

towns　and　unhesitatingly　make　way　with　every　priest；　public

functionary　and　anti…revolutionary；　known　instigators　and　their

accomplices。〃　…　〃　It　would　be　wise　for　the　people's　magistrates　to

keep　constantly　manufacturing　large　quantities　of　stro