the origins of contemporary france-4-第51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！


and　poor；　protégé　of　his　bishop；　a　bursar　through　favor　at　the　college

Louis…le…Grand；　later　a　clerk　with　Brissot　under　the　revolutionary

system　of　law…practice；　and　at　length　settled　down　in　his　gloomy　rue

des　Rapporteurs　as　a　pettifogger。　　Living　with　a　bad…tempered　sister；

he　has　adopts　Rousseau；　whom　he　had　once　seen　and　whom　he　ardently

studies；　for　his　master　in　philosophy；　politics　and　style。　　Fancying；

probably；　like　other　young　men　of　his　age　and　condition；　that　he　could

play　a　similar　part　and　thus　emerge　from　his　blind　alley；　he　published

law　pleadings　for　effect；　contended　for　Academy　prizes；　and　read

papers　before　his　Arras　colleagues。　　His　success　was　moderate：　one　of

his　harangues　obtained　a　notice　in　the　Artois　Almanac；　the　Academy　of

Metz　awarded　him　only　a　second　prize；　that　of　Amiens　gave　him　no

prize；　while　the　critic　of　the　〃Mercure〃　spoke　of　his　style　as

smacking　of　the　provinces。　　…　In　the　National　Assembly；　eclipsed　by

men　of　great　and　spontaneous　ability；　he　remains　a　long　time　in　the

shade；　and；　more　than　once；　through　obstination　or　lack　of　tact；　makes

himself　ridiculous。　　With　his　sharp；　thin；　attorney's　visage；　〃dull；

monotonous；　coarse　voice　and　wearisome　delivery；〃　…　〃　an　artesian

accent　〃　and　constrained　air；＇102＇　his　constantly　putting　himself

forward；　his　elaboration　of　commonplaces；　his　evident　determination　to

impose　on　cultivated　people；　still　a　body　of　intelligent　listeners；

and　the　intolerable　boredom　he　caused　them　…　all　this　is　not

calculated　to　render　the　Assembly　indulgent　to　errors　of　sense　and

taste。＇103＇　　One　day；　referring　to　certain　acts　of　the　〃Conseil：〃　〃It

is　necessary　that　a　noble　and　simple　formula　should　announce　national

rights　and　carry　respect　for　law　into　the　hearts　of　the　people。

Consequently；　in　the　decrees　as　promulgated；　after　the　words　Louis；　by

the　grace　of　God；〃　etc。；　these　words　should　follow：



〃People；　behold　the　law　imposed　on　you！　Let　this　law　be　considered

sacred　and　inviolable　for　all！〃　Upon　this；　a　Gascon　deputy　arises　and

remarks　in　his　southern　accent；　〃Gentlemen；　this　style　is　unsuitable　…

there　is　no　need　for　sermons。＇104＇　（cantique）。〃



General　laughter；　Robespierre　keeps　silent　and　bleeds　internally：　two

or　three　such　mishaps　nettle　such　a　man　from　head　to　foot。　　It　is　not

that　his　stupid　remarks　seem　silly　to　him；　no　pedant　taken　in　the　act

and　hissed　would　avow　that　he　deserved　such　treatment；　on　the

contrary；　he　is　content　to　have　spoken　as　becomes　a　philosophic　and

moral　legislator；　and　so　much　the　worse　for　the　narrow　minds　and

corrupt　hearts　unable　to　comprehend　him。…　Thrown　back　upon　himself；

his　wounded　vanity　seeks　inward　nourishment　and　takes　what　it　can　find

in　the　sterile　uniformity　of　his　bourgeois　moderation。　　Robespierre；

unlike　Danton；　has　no　cravings。　　He　is　sober；　he　is　not　tormented　by

his　senses；　if　he　gives　way　to　them；　it　is　only　no　further　than　he　can

help；　and　with　a　bad　grace。　　In　the　rue　Saintonge　in　Paris；　〃for　seven

months；〃　says　his　secretary；＇105＇　〃I　knew　of　but　one　woman　that　he

kept　company　with；　and　he　did　not　treat　her　very　well。　　　。　　。　　very

often　he　would　not　let　her　enter　his　room〃：　when　busy；　he　must　not　be

disturbed。　　He　is　naturally　steady；　hard…working；　studious　and　fond　of

seclusion；　at　college　a　model　pupil；　at　home　in　his　province　an

attentive　advocate；　a　punctual　deputy　in　the　Assembly；　everywhere　free

of　temptation　and　incapable　of　going　astray。　　…　〃Irreproachable〃　is

the　word　which　from　early　youth　an　inward　voice　constantly　repeats　to

him　in　low　tones　to　console　him　for　obscurity　and　patience。　　Thus　has

he　ever　been；　is　now；　and　ever　will　be；　he　says　this　to　himself；　tells

others　so；　and　on　this　foundation；　all　of　a　piece；　he　builds　up　his

character。　　He　is　not；　like　Desmoulins；　to　be　seduced　by　dinners；　like

Barnave；　by　flattery；　like　Mirabeau　and　Danton；　by　money；　like　the

Girondists；　by　the　insinuating　charm　of　ancient　politeness　and　select

society；　like　the　Dantonists；　by　the　bait　of　joviality　and　unbounded

license　…　he　is　the　incorruptible。　　He　is　not　to　be　deterred　or

diverted；　like　the　Feuillants；　Girondists；　and　Dantonists；　like

statesmen　or　specialists；　by　considerations　of　a　lower　order；　by

regard　for　interests　or　respect　for　acquired　positions；　by　the　danger

of　undertaking　too　much　at　once；　by　the　necessity　of　not　disorganizing

the　service　and　of　giving　play　to　human　passions；　motives　of　utility

and　opportunity：　he　is　the　uncompromising　champion　of　the　right。＇106＇

〃Alone；　or　nearly　alone；　I　do　not　allow　myself　to　be　corrupted；　alone

or　nearly　alone；　I　do　not　compromise　justice；　which　two　merits　I

possess　in　the　highest　degree。　　A　few　others　may　live　correctly；　but

they　oppose　or　betray　principles；　a　few　others　profess　to　have

principles；　but　they　do　not　live　correctly。　　No　one　else　leads　so　pure

a　life　or　is　so　loyal　to　principles；　no　one　else　joins　to　so　fervent　a

worship　of　truth　so　strict　a　practice　of　virtue：　I　am　the　unique。〃　…

What　can　be　more　agreeable　than　this　mute　soliloquy？　From　the　very

first　day　it　can　be　heard　toned　down　in　Robespierre's　address　to　the

Third…Estate　of　Arras；＇107＇　the　last　day　it　is　spoken　aloud　in　his

great　speech　in　the　Convention；＇108＇　during　the　interval；　it　crops　out

and　shines　through　all　his　compositions；　harangues；　or　reports；　in

exordiums；　parentheses　and　perorations；　permeating　every　sentence　like

the　drone　of　a　bag…pipe。＇109＇　　…　Through　the　delight　he　takes　in　this

he　can　listen　to　nothing　else；　and　it　is　just　here　that　the　outward

echoes　supervene　and　sustain　with　their　accompaniment　the　inward

cantata　which　he　sings　to　his　own　glory。　　Towards　the　end　of　the

Constituent　Assembly；　through　the　withdrawal　or　the　elimination　of

every　man　at　all　able　or　competent；　he　becomes　one　of　the　conspicuous

tenors　on　the　political　stage；　while　in　the　Jacobin　Club　he　is

decidedly　the　tenor　most　in　vogue。　　…　〃Unique　competitor　of　the　Roman

Fabricius；〃　writes　the　branch　club　at　Marseilles　to　him；　〃immortal

defender　of　popular　rights；〃　says　the　Jacobin　crew　of　Bourges。＇110＇

One　of　two　portraits　of　him　in　the　exhibition　of　1791　bears　the

inscription：　〃The　Incorruptible。〃　At　the　Moliere　Theatre　a　drama　of

the　day　represents　him　as　launching　the　thunderbolts　of　his　logic　and

virtue　at　Rohan　and　Condé。　　On　his　way；　at　Bapaume；　the　patriots　of

the　place；　the　National　Guard　on　the　road　and　the　authorities；　come　in

a　body　to　honor　the　great　man。　　The　town　of　Arras　is　illuminated　on

his　arrival。　　On　the　adjournment　of　the　Constituent　Assembly　the

people　in　the　street　greet　him　with　shouts；　crown　him　with　oak

wreaths；　take　the　horses　from　his　cab　and　drag　him　in　triumph　to　the

rue　St。　　Honoré；　where　he　lodges　with　the　carpenter　Duplay。　　…　Here；

in　one　of　those　families　in　which　the　semi…bourgeois　class　borders　on

the　people；　whose　minds　are　unsophisticated；　and　on　whom　glittering

generalities　and　oratorical　tirades　take　full　hold；　he　finds　his

worshippers；　they　drink　in　his　words；　they　have　the　same　opinion　of

him　that　he　has　of　himself；　to　every　person　in　the　house；　husband；

wife　and　daughter；　he　is　the　great　patriot；　the　infallible　sage；　he

bestows　benedictions　night　and　morning；　he　inhales　clouds　of　incense；

he　is　a　god　at　home。　　The　faithful；　to　obtain　access　to　him　form　a

line　in　the　court。＇111＇　One　by　one　they　are　admitted　into　the

reception　room；　where　they　gather　around　portraits　of　him　drawn　with

pencil；　in　stump；　in　sepia　and　in　water　color；　and　before　miniature

busts　in　red　or　gray　plaster。　　Then；　on　the　signal　being　given　by　him；

they　penetrate　through　a　glass　door　into　the　sanctuary　where　he

presides；　into　the　private　closet　in　which　the　best　bust　of　him；　with

verses　and　mottoes；　replaces　him　during　his　absence。　　…　His

worshippers　adore　him　on　their　knees；　and　the　women　more　than　the　men。

On　the　day　he　delivers　his　apology　before　the　Convention　〃the　passages

are　lined　with　women＇112＇　。　　。　　。　　。　　seven　or　eight　hundred　of　th