the origins of contemporary france-4-第54章

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acts　under　sophisms；　and　persuade　himself　that　the　mask　was　his　face；

and　that　in　telling　a　lie；　he　told　the　truth。



Taking　his　word　for　it；　he　had　nothing　to　do　with　the　September

events。＇154＇　　〃Previous　to　these　events；　he　had　ceased　to　attend　the

General　Council　of　the　Commune。　　。　　。　　He　no　longer　went　there。〃　He

was　not　charged　with　any　duty；　he　had　no　influence　there；　he　had　not

provoked　the　arrest　and　murder　of　the　Girondists。＇155＇　　All　he　did　was

to　〃speak　frankly　concerning　certain　members　of　the　Committee　of

Twenty…one；〃　as　〃a　magistrate〃　and　〃one　of　a　municipal　assembly。〃

Should　he　not〃　explain　himself　freely　on　the　authors　of　a　dangerous

plot？〃　Besides；　the　Commune　〃far　from　provoking　the　2nd　of　September

did　all　in　its　power　to　prevent　it。〃　After　all；　only　one　innocent

person　perished；　〃which　is　undoubtedly　one　too　many。　　Citizens；　mourn

over　this　cruel　mistake；　we　too　have　long　mourned　over　it！　But；　as　all

things　human　come　to　an　end；　let　your　tears　cease　to　flow。〃　When　the

sovereign　people　resumes　its　delegated　power　and　exercises　its

inalienable　rights；　we　have　only　to　bow　our　heads。　　…　Moreover；　it　is

just；　wise　and　good　〃in　all　that　it　undertakes；　all　is　virtue　and

truth；　nothing　can　be　excess；　error　or　crime。〃＇156＇　　It　must　intervene

when　its　true　representatives　are　hampered　by　the　law　〃let　it　assemble

in　its　sections　and　compel　the　arrest　of　faithless　deputies。〃＇157＇

What　is　more　legal　than　such　a　motion；　which　is　the　only　part

Robespierre　took　on　the　31st　of　May。　　He　is　too　scrupulous　to　commit

or　prescribe　an　illegal　act。　　That　will　do　for　the　Dantons；　the

Marats；　men　of　relaxed　morals　or　excited　brains；　who　if　need　be；　tramp

in　the　gutters　and　roll　up　their　shirt…sleeves；　as　to　himself；　he　can

do　nothing　that　would　ostensibly　derange　or　soil　the　dress　proper　to

an　honest　man　and　irreproachable　citizen。　　In　the　Committee　of　Public

Safety；　he　merely　executes　the　decrees　of　the　Convention；　and　the

Convention　is　always　free。　　He　a　dictator！　He　is　merely　one　of　seven

hundred　deputies；　and　his　authority；　if　he　has　any；　is　simply　the

legitimate　ascendancy　of　reason　and　virtue。＇158＇　He　a　murderer！　If　he

has　denounced　conspirators；　it　is　the　Convention　which　summons　these

before　the　revolutionary　Tribunal；＇159＇　and　the　revolutionary　Tribunal

pronounces　judgment　on　them。　　He　a　terrorist！　He　merely　seeks　to

simplify　the　established　proceedings；　so　as　to　secure　a　speedier

release　of　the　innocent；　the　punishment　of　the　guilty；　and　the　final

purgation　that　is　to　render　liberty　and　morals　the　order　of　the

day。＇160＇　…　Before　uttering　all　this　he　almost　believes　it；　and；　when

he　has　uttered　it　he　believes　it　fully。＇161＇　　When　nature　and　history

combine；　to　produce　a　character；　they　succeed　better　than　man's

imagination。　　Neither　Molière　in　his　〃Tartuffe；〃　nor　Shakespeare　in

his　〃　Richard　III。；〃　dared　bring　on　the　stage　a　hypocrite　believing

himself　sincere；　and　a　Cain　that　regarded　himself　as　an　Abel。＇162＇

There　he　stands　on　a　colossal　stage；　in　the　presence　of　a　hundred

thousand　spectators；　on　the　8th　of　June；　1794；　the　most　glorious　day

of　his　life；　at　that　fête　in　honor　of　the　Supreme　Being；　which　is　the

glorious　triumph　of　his　doctrine　and　the　official　consecration　of　his

papacy。　　Two　characters　are　found　in　Robespierre；　as　in　the　Revolution

which　he　represents：　one；　apparent；　paraded；　external；　and　the　other

hidden；　dissembled；　inward；　the　latter　being　overlaid　by　the　former。

…　The　first　one　all　for　show；　fashioned　out　of　purely　cerebral

cogitations；　is　as　artificial　as　the　solemn　farce　going　on　around　him。

According　to　David's　programme；　the　cavalcade　of　supernumeraries　who

file　in　front　of　an　allegorical　mountain；　gesticulate　and　shout　at　the

command；　and　under　the　eyes；　of　Henriot　and　his　gendarmes；＇163＇

manifesting　at　the　appointed　time　the　emotions　which　are　prescribed

for　them。　　At　five　o'clock　in　the　morning



〃friends；　husbands；　wives；　relations　and　children　will　embrace　。　　。　　。

。　　The　old　man；　his　eyes　streaming　with　tears　of　joy；　feels　himself

rejuvenated。〃



At　two　o'clock；　on　the　turf…laid　terraces　of　the　sacred　mountain；



　〃all　will　show　a　state　of　commotion　and　excitement：　mothers　here

press　to　their　bosoms　the　infants　they　suckle；　and　there　offer　them　up

in　homage　to　the　author　of　Nature；　while　youths；　aglow　with　the　ardor

of　battle；　simultaneously　draw　their　swords　and　hand　them　to　their

venerable　fathers。　　Sharing　in　the　enthusiasm　of　their　sons；　the

deported　old　men　embrace　them　and　bestow　on　them　the　paternal

benediction。　　。　　。　　。　　。　　All　the　men　distributed　around　the　'Field　of

Reunion'　sing　in　chorus　the　（first）　refrain。　　。　　。　　。　　　All　the　Women

distributed　around　the　'Field　of　Reunion'　sing　in　unison　the　（second）

refrain　。　　。　　。　　。　　All　Frenchmen　partake　of　each　other's　sentiments

in　one　grand　fraternal　embrace。〃



What　could　better　than　such　an　idyll；　ruled　with　an　iron　hand；　in　the

presence　of　moral　symbols　and　colored　pasteboard　divinities；　could

better　please　the　counterfeit　moralist；　unable　to　distinguish　the

false　from　the　true；　and　whose　skin…deep　sensibility　is　borrowed　from

sentimental　authors！　〃For　the　first　time〃　his　glowing　countenance

beams　with　joy；　while　〃the　enthusiasm〃＇164＇　of　the　scribe　overflows；

as　usual；　in　book　phraseology。



　〃Behold！〃　he　exclaims；　〃that　which　is　most　interesting　in　humanity！

The　Universe　is　here　assembled！　O；　Nature；　how　sublime；　how　exquisite

is　thy　power！　How　tyrants　must　quail　at　the　contemplation　of　this

festival　！〃



Is　not　he　himself　its　most　dazzling　ornament？　Was　not　he　unanimously

chosen　to　preside　over　the　Convention　and　conduct　the　ceremonies？　Is

he　not　the　founder　of　the　new　cult；　the　only　pure　worship　on　the　face

of　the　earth；　approved　of　by　morality　and　reason？　Wearing　the　uniform

of　a　representative；　nankeen　breeches；　blue　coat；　tri…colored　sash　and

plumed　hat；＇165＇　holding　in　his　hand　a　bouquet　of　flowers　and　grain；

he　marches　at　the　head　of　the　Convention　and　officiates　on　the

platform；　he　sets　fire　to　the　veil　which　hides　from　view　the　idol

representing　〃Atheism；〃　and　suddenly；　through　an　ingenious

contrivance；　the　majestic　statue　of　〃Wisdom〃　appears　in　its　place。　　He

then　addresses　the　crowd；　over　and　over　again；　exhorting；

apostrophizing；　preaching；　elevating　his　soul　to　the　Supreme　Being；

and　with　what　oratorical　combinations！　What　an　academic　swell　of

bombastic　cadences；　strung　together　to　enforce　his　tirades！　How

cunning　the　even　balance　of　adjective　and　substantive！＇166＇　From　these

faded　rhetorical　flowers；　arranged　as　if　for　a　prize　distribution　or　a

funeral　oration；　exhales　a　sanctimonious；　collegiate　odor　which　he

complacently　breathes；　and　which　intoxicates　him。　　At　this　moment；　he

must　certainly　be　in　earnest；　there　is　no　hesitation　or　reserve　in　his

self…admiration；　he　is　not　only　in　his　own　eyes　a　great　writer　and

great　orator；　but　a　great　statesman　and　great　citizen　his　artificial；

philosophic　conscience　awards　him　only　praise。　　…　But　look　underneath；

or　rather　wait　a　moment。　　Signs　of　impatience　and　antipathy　appear

behind　his　back：　Lecointre　has　braved　him　openly；　numerous　insults；

and；　worse　than　these；　sarcasms；　reach　his　ears。　　On　such　an　occasion；

and　in　such　a　place！　Against　the　pontiff　of　Truth；　the　apostle　of

Virtue！　The　miscreants；　how　dare　they！　Silent　and　pale；　he　suppresses

his　rage；　and；＇167＇　losing　his　balance；　closing　his　eyes；　he　plunges

headlong　on　the　path　of　murder：　cost　what　it　will；　the　miscreants　must

perish　and　without　loss　of　time。　　To　expedite　matters；　he　must　get

their　heads　off　quietly；　and　as　〃up　to　this　time　things　have　been

managed　confidentially　in　the　Committee　of　Public　Safety；〃　he；　alone

with　Couthon；　two　days　after；　without　informing　his　colleagues；＇168＇

draws　up；　brings　to　the　Convention；　and　has　passed　the　terrible　act　of

Prairial　which　places　everybody's　life　at　his　disposal。　　…　In　his

crafty；　blundering　haste；　he　has　dema