the origins of contemporary france-4-第69章

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could　be　more　respectable。〃　Duquesnoy　gives　the　unlucky　courtier　a

blow　under　the　nose：　〃You　are　disputing　…　go　to　prison；〃　〃　which　I　did

at　once；〃　adds　the　docile　subject。　　…　That　same　evening；　〃whereas；　in

the　conflagration；　none　of　the　inhabitants　in　good　circumstances

offered　their　services　in　extinguishing　the　fire；＇100＇　and　none　but

sans…culottes　came　thereto；　from　the　garrison　as　well　as　from　the

commune；〃　Duquesnoy　orders　〃that　a　tax　of　40；000　livres　be　imposed　on

the　commune　of　Metz；　levied　on　the　fortunes　of　the　rich　and

distributed　among　the　poor；　payable　within　ten　days。〃＇101＇　　〃Fais…

moi　f。。。。　　dedans　tous　ces　b。。。　　là＇102＇；〃　〃quatre　j。。。f。。。　　à

raccourcir；〃＇103＇　At　Arras；　as　at　Metz；　the　lout　is　ever　the　ruffian

and　the　butcher。



　Others　are　either　jolly　fellows；　or　blackguards。　　A　certain　André

Dumont；　an　old　village　attorney；　now　king　of　Picardie；　or　sultan；　as

occasion　offers；　〃figures　as　a　white　Negro；〃　sometimes　jovial；　but

generally　as　a　rude　hardened　cynic；　treating　female　prisoners　and

petitioners　as　in　a　kermesse。＇104＇　…　One　morning　a　lady　enters　his

ante…room；　and　waits　amidst　about　twenty　sans…culottes；　to　solicit　the

release　of　her　husband。　　Dumont　appears　in　a　morning…gown；　seats

himself　and　listens　to　the　petitioner。



　〃Sit　down；　citoyenne。〃



He　takes　her　on　his　lap；　thrusts　his　hand　in　her　bosom　and　exclaims：



〃Who　would　suppose　that　the　bust　of　a　marchioness　would　feel　so　soft

to　one　of　the　people's　representatives。〃



The　sans…culottes　shout　with　laughter。　　He　sends　the　poor　woman　away

and　keeps　her　husband　locked　up。　　In　the　evening　he　may　write　to　the

Convention　that　he　investigates　things　himself；　and　closely　examines

aristocrats。　　…　If　one　is　to　maintain　the　revolutionary　enthusiasm　at

a　high　level　it　is　helpful　to　have　a　drop　too　much　in　one's　head；　and

most　of　them　take　precautions　in　this　direction。　　At　Lyons；＇105＇　〃the

representatives　sent　to　ensure　the　people's　welfare；　Albitte　and

Collot；〃　call　upon　the　Committee　of　Sequestrations　to　deliver　at　their

house　two　hundred　bottles　of　the　best　wine　to　be　found；　and　five

hundred　bottles　more　of　Bordeaux　red　wine；　first　quality；　for　table

use。　　…　In　three　months；　at　the　table　of　the　representatives　who

devastate　la　Vendée；　nineteen　hundred　and　seventy…four　bottles　of　wine

are　emptied；＇106＇　taken　from　the　houses　of　the　emigrés　belonging　to

the　town；　for；　〃when　one　has　helped　to　preserve　a　commune　one　has　a

right　to　drink　to　the　Republic。〃　Representative　Bourbotte　presides　at

this　bar；　Rossignol　touches　his　glass；　an　ex…jeweler　and　then　a

September　massacreur；　all　his　life　a　debauchee　and　brigand；　and　now　a

major…general；　alongside　of　Rossignol；　stand　his　adjutants；　Grammont；

an　old　actor；　and　Hazard；　a　former　priest；　along　with　them　is

Vacheron；　a　good　républican；　who　ravishes　women　and　shoots　them　when

they　refuse　to　succumb；＇107＇　in　addition　to　these　are　some　〃brilliant〃

young　ladies；　undoubtedly　brought　from　Paris；　〃the　prettiest　of　whom

share　their　nights　between　Rossignol　and　Bourbotte；〃　whilst　the　others

serve　their　subordinates：　the　entire　band；　male　and　female；　is　installed

in　a　Hotel　de　Fontenay；　where　they　begin　by　breaking　the　seals；　so　as　t

o　confiscate　〃for　their　own　benefit；　furniture；　jewelry；　dresses；

feminine　trinkets　and　even　porcelains。〃＇108＇　Meanwhile；　at　Chantonney；

representative　Bourdon　de　l'Oise　drinks　with　General　Tunck；　becomes　〃

frantic〃　when　tipsy；　and　has　patriotic　administrators　seized　in　their

beds　at　midnight；　whom　he　had　embraced　the　evening　before。　　…　Nearly

all　of　them；　like　the　latter；　get　nasty　after　a　few　drinks；　…　Carrier

at　Nantes；　Petit…Jean　at　Thiers；　Duquesnoy　at　Arras；　Cusset　at

Thionville；　Monestier　at　Tarbes。　　At　Thionville；　Cusset　drinks　like

a　〃Lapithe〃　and；　when　drunk；　gives　the　orders　of　a　〃vizier；〃　which

orders　are　executed。＇109＇　　At　Tarbes；　Monestier　〃after　a　heavy　meal

and　much　excited；〃　warmly　harangues　the　court；　personally　examines

the　prisoner；　M。　de　Lasalle；　an　old　officer；　whom　he　has　condemned

to　death；　and　signs　the　order　to　have　him　guillotined　at　once。　　M。

de　Lasalle　is　guillotined　that　very　evening；　at　midnight；　by　torchlight。

The　following　morning　Monestier　says　to　the　president　of　the　court：

〃Well；　we　gave　poor　Lasalle　a　famous　fright　last　night；　didn't　we　？〃

〃How　a　famous　fright？　He　is　executed　！〃　Monestier　is　astonished　…　he

did　not　remember　having　issued　the　order。＇110＇　…　With　others；　wine；

besides　sanguinary　instincts；　brings　out　the　foulest　instincts。　　At

N？mes；　Borie；　in　the　uniform　of　a　representative；　along　with　Courbis；

the　mayor；　Géret；　the　justice　and　a　number　of　prostitutes；　dance　the

farandole　around　the　guillotine。　　At　Auch；　one　of　the　worst　tyrants　in

the　South；　Dartigoyte；　always　heated　with　liquor　〃vomited　every　species

of　obscenity　〃　in　the　faces　of　women　that　came　to　demand　justice；　〃he

compels；　under　penalty　of　imprisonment；　mothers　to　take　their　daughters

to　the　popular　club；〃　to　listen　to　his　filthy　preaching；　one　evening；　at

the　theatre；　probably　after　an　orgy；　he　shouts　at　all　the　women　between

the　acts；　lets　loose　upon　them　his　smutty　vocabulary；　and；　by　way　of

demonstration；　or　as　a　practical　conclusion；　ends　by　stripping　himself

naked。＇111＇　…　This　time；　the　genuine　brute　appears。　　All　the　clothing

woven　during　the　past　centuries　and　with　which　civilization　had　dressed

him；　the　last　drapery　of　humanity；　falls　to　the　ground。　　Nothing　remains

but　the　primitive　animal；　the　ferocious；　lewd　gorilla　supposed　to　be

tamed；　but　which　still　subsists　indefinitely　and　which　a　dictatorship；

joined　to　drunkenness；　revives　in　an　uglier　guise　than　in　remotest　times。





VIII。　　Delirium。



Approach　of　madness。　　…　Loss　of　common…sense。　　…　Fabre；　Gaston；

Guiter；　in　the　army　of　the　Eastern　Pyrenees。　　…　Baudot；　Lebas；　Saint…

Just；　and　the　predecessors　and　successors　in　the　army　of　the　Rhine。　　…

Furious　excitement。　　…　Lebon　at　Arras；　and　Carrier　at　Nantes。



If　intoxication　is　needed　to　awaken　the　brute；　a　dictatorship　suffices

to　arouse　the　madman。　　The　mental　equilibrium　of　most　of　these　new

sovereigns　is　disturbed；　the　distance　between　what　the　man　once　was

and　what　he　now　is；　is　too　great。　　Formerly　he　was　a　petty　lawyer；

village　doctor；　or　schoolmaster；　an　unknown　mover　of　a　resolution　in　a

local　club；　and　only　yesterday　he　was　one　voter　in　the　Convention　out

of　seven　hundred　and　fifty。　　Look　at　him　now；　the　arbiter；　in　one　of

the　departments；　of　all　fortunes　and　liberties；　and　master　of　five

thousand　lives。　　Like　a　pair　of　scales　into　which　a　disproportionate

weight　has　been　thrown；　his　reason　totters　on　the　side　of　pride。　　Some

of　them　regard　their　competency　unlimited；　like　their　powers；　and

having　just　joined　the　army；　claim　the　right　of　being　appointed　major…

generals。＇112＇　　〃Declare　officially；〃　writes　Fabre　to　the　Committee　of

Public　Safety；＇113＇　〃that；　in　future；　generals　shall　be　simply　the

lieutenants　of　the　delegates　to　the　Convention。〃　Awaiting　the　required

declaration；　they　claim　command　and；　in　reality；　exercise　it。　　〃I　know

of　neither　generals　nor　privates；〃　says　Gaston；　a　former　justice　of

the　peace；　to　the　officers；　〃as　to　the　Minister；　he　is　like　a　bull　in

a　china　shop；　I　am　in　command　here　and　must　be　obeyed。〃　〃What　are

generals　good　for？〃　adds　his　colleague　Guiter；　〃the　old　women　in　our

faubourgs　know　as　much　as　they　do。　　Plans；　formal　maneuvers；　tents；

camps；　redoubts？　All　this　is　of　no　use！　The　only　war　suitable　to

Frenchmen　after　this　will　be　a　rush　with　side　arms。〃　To　turn　out　of

office；　guillotine；　disorganize；　march　blindly　on；　waste　lives

haphazard；　force　defeat；　sometimes　get　killed　themselves；　is　all　they

know；　and　they　would　lose　all　if　the　effects　of　their　incapacity　and

arrogance　were　not　redeemed　by　the　devotion　of　the　officers　and　the

enthusiasm　of　the　soldiers。　　…　The　same　spectacle　is　visible　at

Charleroy　where；　through　his　absurd　orders；　Saint…Just　does　his　best

to