the origins of contemporary france-4-第63章

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and　dalmatica；　and；　in　two　long　lines；　file　before　the　benches　of　the

Convention。　　Some　of　them　bear　on　hand…barrows　or　in　baskets；

candelabra；　chalices；　gold　and　silver　salvers；　monstrances；　and

reliquaries；　others　hold　aloft　banners；　crosses　and　other

ecclesiastical　spoils。　　In　the　mean　time　〃bands　play　the　air　of　the

carmagnole　and　'Malbrook。'　。　　。　　。　　On　the　entry　of　the　dais；　they

strike　up　'Ah！　le　bel　oiseau；'〃＇19＇　all　at　once　the　masqueraders　throw

off　their　disguise；　and；　mitres；　stoles；　chasubles　flung　in　the　air；

〃disclose　to　view　the　defenders　of　the　country　in　the　national

uniform。〃　Peals　of　laughter；　shouts　and　enthusiasm；　while　the

instrumental　din　becomes　louder！　The　procession；　now　in　full　blast；

demands　the　carmagnole；　and　the　Convention　consents；　even　some　of　the

deputies　descend　from　their　benches　and　cut　the　pigeon…wing　with　the

merry　prostitutes。　　…　To　wind　up；　the　Convention　decrees　that　it　will

attend　that　evening　the　fête　of　Reason　and；　in　fact；　they　go　in　a

body。　　Behind　an　actress　in　short　petticoats　wearing　a　red　cap；

representing　Liberty　or　Reason；　march　the　deputies；　likewise　in　red

caps；　shouting　and　singing　until　they　reach　the　new　temple；　which　is

built　of　planks　and　pasteboard　in　the　choir　of　Notre　Dame。　　They　take

their　seats　in　the　front　rows；　while　the　Goddess；　an　old　frequenter　of

the　suppers　of　the　Duc　de　Soubise；　along　with　〃all　the　pretty　dames　of

the　Opera；〃　display　before　them　their　operatic　graces。＇20＇　They　sing

the　〃Hymn　to　Liberty；〃　and；　since　the　Convention　has　that　morning

decreed　that　it　must　sing；　I　suppose　that　it　also　joined　in。＇21＇　After

this　there　follows　dancing；　but；　unfortunately；　the　authorities　are

wanting　for　stating　whether　the　Convention　danced　or　not。　　In　any

event；　it　is　present　at　the　dance；　and　thus　consecrates　an　unique

orgy；　not　Rubens'　〃Kermesse〃　in　the　open　air；　racy　and　healthy；　but　a

nocturnal　boulevard…jollification；　a　〃Mardi…gras〃　composed　of　lean　and

haggard　scapegraces。　　…　In　the　great　nave　of　the　Cathedral；　〃the

dancers；　almost　naked；　with　bare　necks　and　breasts；　and　stockings　down

at　the　heel；〃　writhe　and　stamp；　〃howling　the　carmagnole。〃　In　the　side

chapels；　which　are　〃shut　off　by　high　tapestries；　prostitutes　with

shrill　voices〃　pursue　their　avocation。＇22＇　…　To　descend　to　this　low

level　so　barefacedly；　to　fraternise　with　barrier　sots；　and　wenches；　to

endure　their　embraces　and　hiccoughs；　is　bad　enough；　even　for　docile

deputies。　　More　than　one　half　of　them　loathed　it　beforehand　and

remained　at　home；　after　this　they　do　not　feel　disposed　to　attend　the

Convention。＇23＇　　…　But　the　〃　Mountain　sends　for　them；　and　an　officer

brings　them　back；〃　it　is　necessary　that　they　should　co…operate　through

their　presence　and　felicitations　in　the　profanations　and　apostasies

which　follow；＇24＇　it　is　necessary　that　they　should　approve　of　and

decree　that　which　they　hold　in　horror；　not　alone　folly　and　nonsense；

but　crime；　the　murder　of　innocent　people；　and　that　of　their　friends。

…　All　this　is　done。　　　〃Unanimously；　and　with　the　loudest　applause；〃

the　Left；　united　with　the　Right；　sends　Danton　to　the　scaffold；　its

natural　chieftain；　the　great　promoter　and　leader　of　the

Revolution。＇25＇　　〃Unanimously；　and　with　the　loudest　applause；〃　the

Right；　united　with　the　Left；　votes　the　worse　decrees　of　the

Revolutionary　government。＇26＇　〃Unanimously；〃　with　approving　and

enthusiastic　cheers；　manifesting　the　warmest　sympathy　for　Collot

d'Herbois；　Couthon；　and　Robespierre；＇27＇　the　Convention；　through

multiplied　and　spontaneous　re…elections；　maintains　the　homicidal

government　which　the　Plain　detests；　because　it　is　homicidal；　and　which

the　Mountain　detests；　because　it　is　decimated　by　it。　　Plain　and

Mountain；　by　virtue　of　terror；　majority　after　majority；　end　in

consenting　to　and　bringing　about　their　own　suicide：　on　the　22nd　of

Prairial；　the　entire　Convention　has　stretched　out　its　neck；＇28＇　on　the

8th　of　Thermidor；　for　a　quarter　of　an　hour　after　Robespierre's

speech；＇29＇　it　has　again　stretched　this　out；　and　would　probably　have

succumbed；　had　not　five　or　six　of　them；　whom　Robespierre　designated　or

named；　Bourdon　de　l'Oise；　Vadier；　Cambon；　Billaud　and　Panis；

stimulated　by　the　animal　instinct　of　self…preservation；　raised　their

arms　to　ward　off　the　knife。　　Nothing　but　imminent；　personal；　mortal

danger　could；　in　these　prostrated　beings；　supplant　long…continued　fear

with　still　greater　fear。　　Later　on；　Siéyès；　on　being　asked　how　he

acted　in　these　times；　replied；　〃I　lived。〃　　In　effect；　he　and　others

are　reduced　to　that；　they　succeeded　in　doing　this；　at　all　costs；　and

at　what　a　price！＇30＇　　His　secret　notes；　his　most　private　sketches

confirm　this＇31＇。　　。　　。



　〃On　the　Committee　of　March　20；　〃Paillasse；　half　drunk；　gives　a

dissertation　on　the　way　to　carry　on　the　war；　and　interrogates　and

censures　the　Minister。　　The　poor　Minister　evades　his　questions　with

café　gossip　and　a　review　of　campaigns。　　These　are　the　men　placed　at

the　head　of　the　government　to　save　the　Republic！〃　…　〃　H。。。。；　in　his

distraction；　had　the　air　of　a　sly　fox　inwardly　smiling　at　his　own

knavish　thoughts。　　Ruit　irrevocabile　vulgus　。　　。　　。　　Jusque　Datum

sceleri。〃　…　〃Are　you　keeping　silent？〃　…　〃Of　what　use　is　my　glass　of

wine　in　this　torrent　of　ardent　spirits？　〃　…



　All　this　is　very　well；　but　he　did　not　merely　keep　silent　and　abstain。

He　voted；　legislated　and　decreed；　along　with　the　unanimous　Convention；

he　was　a　collaborator；　not　only　passively；　through　his　presence；　but

also　through　his　active　participation　in　the　acts　of　the　government

which　he　elected　and　enthroned；　re…elected　twelve　times；　cheered　every

week；　and　flattered　daily；　authorizing　and　keeping　on　to　the　end　its

work　of　spoliation　and　massacre。



〃Everybody　is　guilty　here；〃　said　Carrier　in　the　Convention；　〃even　to

the　president's　bell。〃



In　vain　do　they　constantly　repeat　to　themselves　that　they　were　forced

to　obey　under　penalty　of　death：　the　conscience　of　the　purest　among

them；　if　he　has　any；　replies：



〃You　too；　in　spite　of　yourself；　I　admit；　less　than　others；　if　you

please；　but　　you　were　a　terrorist；　that　is　to　say；　a　brigand　and　an

assassin。〃＇32＇



III。　　The　Committee　of　Public　Safety。



The　Men　who　do　the　work。　　…　Carnot；　Prieur　de…la…C？te　d'Or；　Jean　Bon

Saint　André；　Robert　Lindet。



On　a　man　becoming　a　slave；　said　old　Homer；　the　Gods　take　away　the　half

of　his　soul；　the　same　is　true　of　a　man　who　becomes　a　tyrant。　　…　In　the

Pavilion　de　Flore；　alongside　of　and　above　the　enslaved　Convention；　sit

the　twelve　kings　it　has　enthroned；　twice　a　day；＇33＇　ruling　over　it　as

well　as　over　France。＇34＇　　Of　course；　some　guarantee　is　required　from

those　who　fill　this　place；　there　is　not　one　of　them　who　is　not　a

revolutionary　of　long　standing；　an　impenitent　regicide；　a　fanatic　in

essence　and　a　despot　through　principle；　but　the　fumes　of　omnipotence

have　not　intoxicated　them　all　to　the　same　degree。　　…　Three　or　four　of

them；　Robert　Lindet；　Jean　Bon　St。　　André；　Prieur　de　la　C？te…d'Or　and

Carnot；　confine　themselves　to　useful　and　secondary　duties；　this

suffices　to　keep　them　partially　safe。　　As　specialists；　charged　with　an

important　service；　their　first　object　is　to　do　this　well；　and　hence

they　subordinate　the　rest　to　this；　even　theoretical　exigencies　and　the

outcries　of　the　clubs。



Lindet's　prime　object　is　to　feed　the　departments　that　are　without

wheat；　and　the　towns　that　are　soon　to　be　short　of　bread。



Prieur's　business　is　to　see　that　biscuits；　brandy；　clothes；　shoes；

gunpowder　and　arms　are　manufactured。＇35＇



Jean　Bon；　that　vessels　are　equipped　and　crews　drilled。



Carnot；　to　draw　up　campaign　plans　and　direct　the　march　of　armies：　the

dispatch　of　so　many　bags　of　grain　during　the　coming　fortnight　to　this

or　that　town；　or　warehouse　in　this　or　that　district；　the　making　up　of

so　many　weekly　rations；　to　be　deported　during　the　month　to　certain

places　on　the　frontier；　the　transformation　of　so　many　fishermen　into

artillerymen　or