the origins of contemporary france-4-第66章

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to　the　utmost；　his　mind　plays　only　false　notes　in　violent　fits　and

starts；　logical　continuity；　the　art　then　so　common　of　regularly

developing　a　theme；　has　disappeared；　he　stumbles　over　the　ground；

piling　up　telling　aphorisms　and　dogmatic　axioms。　　In　dealing　with

facts　there　is　nothing　in　his　speech　but　a　perversion　of　the　truth；

impostures　abound　in　it　of　pure　invention；　palpable；　as　brazen　as

those　of　a　charlatan　in　his　booth；＇69＇　he　does　not　even　deign　to

disguise　them　with　a　shadow　of　probability；　as　to　the　Girondists；　and

as　to　Danton；　Fabre　d'Eglantine　and　his　other　adversaries；　whoever

they　may　be；　old　or　new；　any　rope　to　hang　them　with　suffices　for　him；

any　rough；　knotted；　badly…twisted　cord　he　can　lay　his　hands　on；　no

matter　what；　provided　it　strangles；　is　good　enough；　there　is　no　need

of　a　finer　one　for　confirmed　conspirators；　with　the　gossip　of　the　club

and　an　Inquisition　catechism；　he　can　frame　his　bill　of　indictment。　　…

Accordingly；　his　intellect　grasps　nothing　and　yields　him　nothing；　he

is　a　sententious　and　overexcited　declaimer；　an　artificial　spirit

always　on　the　stretch；　full　of　affectations；＇70＇　his　talent　reducing

itself　down　to　the　rare　flashes　of　a　somber　imagination；　a　pupil　of

Robespierre；　as　Robespierre　himself　is　a　pupil　of　Rousseau；　the

exaggerated　scholar　of　a　plodding　scholar；　always　rabidly　ultra；

furious　through　calculation；　deliberately　violating　both　language　and

ideas；＇71＇　confining　himself　to　theatrical　and　funereal　paradoxes；　a

sort　of　〃grand　vizier〃＇72＇　with　the　airs　of　an　exalted　moralist　and

the　bearing　of　the　sentimental　shepherd。＇73＇　　Were　one　of　a　mocking

humor　one　might　shrug　one's　shoulders；　but；　in　the　present　state　of

the　Convention；　there　is　no　room　for　anything　but　fear。　　Launched　in

imperious　tones；　his　phrases　fall　upon　their　ears　in　monotonous

strokes；　on　bowed　heads；　and；　after　five　or　six　blows　from　this　leaden

hammer；　the　stoutest　are　stretched　out　stupefied　on　the　ground；

discussion　is　out　of　the　question；　when　Saint…Just；　in　the　name　of　the

Convention；　affirms　anything；　it　must　be　believed；　his　dissertation　is

a　peremptory　injunction　and　not　an　effort　of　reason；　it　commands

obedience；　it　is　not　open　to　examination；　it　is　not　a　report　which　he

draws　from　his　coat　pocket；　but　a　bludgeon。



The　other　reporter；　Barère；　is　of　quite　another　stamp；　a　〃patent…

right〃　haranguer；　an　amusing　Gascon；　alert；　〃free　and　easy；〃　fond　of　a

joke；　even　on　the　Committee　of　Public　Safety；＇74＇　unconcerned　in　the

midst　of　assassinations；　and；　to　the　very　last；　speaking　of　the　reign

of　Terror　as　〃the　simplest　and　most　innocent　thing　in　the　world。〃＇75＇

No　man　was　ever　less　trammeled　by　a　conscience；　in　truth；　he　has

several；　that　of　two　days　ago；　that　of　the　previous　day；　that　of　the

present　day；　that　of　the　morrow；　of　the　following　day；　and　still

others；　as　many　as　you　like；　all　equally　pliant　and　supple；　at　the

service　of　the　strongest　against　the　weakest；　ready　to　swing　round　at

once　on　the　wind　changing；　but　all　joined　together　and　working　to　one

common　end　through　physical　instinct；　the　only　one　that　lasts　in　the

immoral；　adroit　and　volatile　being　who　circulates　nimbly　about；　with

no　other　aim　than　self…preservation；　and　to　amuse　himself。＇76＇　　…　In

his　dressing…gown；　early　in　the　morning；　he　receives　a　crowd　of

solicitors；　and；　with　the　ways　of　a　〃dandified　minister；〃　graciously

accepts　the　petitions　handed　to　him；　first；　those　of　ladies；

〃distributing　gallantries　among　the　prettiest；〃　he　makes　promises；　and

smiles；　and　then；　returning　to　his　cabinet；　throws　the　papers　in　the

fire：　〃There；〃　he　says；　my　correspondence　is　done。〃　…　He　sups　twice

every　decade　in　his　fine　house　at　Clichy；　along　with　three　more　than

accommodating　pretty　women；　he　is　gay；　awarding　flatteries　and

attentions　quite　becoming　to　an　amiable　protector：　he　enters　into

their　professional　rivalries；　their　spites　against　the　reigning

beauty；　their　jealousy　of　another　who　wears　a　blonde　wig　and　pretends

〃to　set　the　fashion。〃　He　sends　immediately　for　the　National　Agent　and

gravely　informs　him　that　this　head…dress；　borrowed　from　the

guillotined；　is　a　rallying　point　for　anti…revolutionaries；　whereupon；

the　next　day；　wigs　are　denounced　at　the　Commune…council；　and

suppressed；　〃Barère　roared　with　laughter　on　alluding　to　this　piece　of

fun。〃　The　humor　of　an　undertaker　and　the　dexterity　of　a　commercial

drummer：　he　plays　with　Terror。　　…　In　like　manner　he　plays　with　his

reports；　and　at　this　latter　exercise；　he　improvises；　he　is　never

embarrassed；　it　is　simply　necessary　to　turn　the　faucet　and　the　water

runs。　　〃　Had　he　any　subject　to　treat；　he　would　fasten　himself　on

Robespierre；　Hérault；　Saint…Just；　or　somebody　else；　and　draw　them　out；

he　would　then　rush　off　to　the　tribune　and　spin　out　their　ideas；　〃they

were　all　astonished　at　hearing　their　thoughts　expressed　as　fully　as　if

reflected　in　a　mirror。〃　No　individual　on　the　Committee；　or　in　the

Convention；　equaled　him　in　promptness　and　fluency；　for　the　reason　that

he　was　not　obliged　to　think　before　he　spoke：　with　him；　the　faculty　of

speaking；　like　an　independent　organ；　acted　by　itself；　the　empty　brain

or　indifferent　heart　contributing　nothing　to　his　loquacity。

Naturally；　whatever　issues　from　his　mouth　comes　forth　in　ready…made

bombast；　the　current　jargon　of　the　Jacobin　club；　sonorous；　nauseous

commonplace；　schoolboy　metaphors　and　similes　derived　from　the

shambles。＇77＇　　Not　an　idea　is　found　in　all　this　rhetoric；　nothing

acquired；　no　real　mental　application。　　When　Bonaparte；　who　employed

everybody；　even　Fouché；　were　disposed　to　employ　Barère；　they　could

make　nothing　out　of　him　for　lack　of　substance；　except　as　a　low

newsmonger；　common　spy；　or　agent　engaged　to　stir　up　surviving

Jacobins；　later　on；　a　listener　at　keyholes；　and　a　paid　weekly

collector　of　public　rumors；　he　was　not　even　fit　for　this　vile　service；

for　his　wages　were　soon　stopped　Napoleon；　who；　having　no　time　to

waste；　cut　short　his　driveling　verbiage。　　…　It　is　this　verbiage　which；

authorized　by　the　Committee　of　Public　Safety；　now　forms　the　eloquence

of　France；　it　is　this　manufacturer　of　phrases　by　the　dozen；　this

future　informer　and　prison…spy　under　the　empire；　this　frolicking

inventor　of　the　blonde…wig　conspiracy；　that　the　government　sends　into

the　tribune　to　announce　victories；　trumpet　forth　military　heroism　and

proclaim　war　unto　death。　　On　the　7th　of　Prairial；＇78＇　Barère；　in　the

name　of　the　committee；　proposes　a　return　to　savage　law　：　〃No　English

or　Hanoverian　prisoner　shall　henceforth　be　made；〃　the　decree　is

endorsed　by　Carnot　and　passes　the　Convention　unanimously。　　Had　it　been

executed；　as　reprisals；　and　according　to　the　proportion　of　prisoners；

there　would　have　been　for　one　Englishman　shot；　three　Frenchmen　hung：

honor　and　humanity　would　have　disappeared　from　the　camps；　the

hostilities　between　Christians　would　have　become　as　deadly　as　among

savages。　　Happily；　French　soldiers　felt　the　nobleness　of　their

profession；　on　the　order　being　given　to　shoot　the　prisoners；　a　decent

sergeant　replied：



　〃We　will　not　shoot　…　send　them　to　the　Convention。　　If　the

representatives　delight　in　killing　prisoners　…　let　them　do　it

themselves；　and　eat　them；　too；　savages　as　they　are！〃



The　sergeant；　an　ordinary　man；　is　not　on　a　level　with　the　Committee；

or　with　Barère；　and　yet　Barère　did　his　best　in　a　bill　of　indictment　of

twenty…seven　pages；　full　of　grand　flourishes；　every　possible

ritornello；　glaring　falsehood　and　silly　inflation；　explaining　how　〃the

Britannic　leopard〃　paid　assassins　to　murder　the　representatives；　how

the　London　cabinet　had　armed　little　Cécile　Renault；　〃the　new　Corday；〃

against　Robespierre；　how　the　Englishman；　naturally　barbarous；　〃is

unable　to　deny　his　origins；　how　he　descends　from　the　Carthaginians　and

Phenicians；　and　formerly　dealt　in　the　skins　of　wild　beasts　and　slaves；

how　his　trading　occupation　is　not　changed；　how　Cesar；　formerly；　on

landing　in　the　country；　found　nothing　but　a　f