the origins of contemporary france-4-第71章

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operation。＇125＇　　Even　when　fasting；　and　in　an　ordinary　condition；　he

is　scarcely　more　cooled　down。　　When　the　administrators　of　the

department　come　to　consult　with　him；＇126＇　they　gather　around　the　door

to　see　if　he　looks　enraged；　and　is　in　a　condition　to　hear　them。　　He

not　only　insults　petitioners；　but　likewise　the　functionaries　under　him

who　make　reports　to　him；　or　take　his　orders；　his　foul　nature　rises　to

his　lips　and　overflows　in　the　vilest　terms：



〃Go　to　hell　and　be　damned。　　I　have　no　time。〃＇127＇



They　consider　themselves　lucky　if　they　get　off　with　a　volley　of

obscene　oaths；　for　he　generally　draws　his　saber：



〃The　first　bastard　that　mentions　supplies；　I　will　cut　his　head

off。〃＇128＇



And　to　the　president　of　the　military　commission；　who　demands　that

verdicts　be　rendered　before　ordering　executions：



〃You；　you　old　rascal；　you　old　bastard；　you　want　verdicts；　do　you！　Go

ahead！　If　the　whole　pen　is　not　emptied　in　a　couple　of　hours　I　will

have　you　and　your　colleagues　shot！〃



His　gestures；　his　look　have　such　a　powerful　effect　upon　the　mind　that

the　other；　who　is　also　a　〃bruiser；〃　dies　of　the　shock　a　few　days

after。＇129＇　　Not　only　does　he　draw　his　saber；　but　he　uses　it；　among

the　petitioners；　a　boatman；　whom　he　is　about　to　strike；　runs　off　as

fast　as　he　can；　he　draws　General　Moulins　into　the　recess　of　a　window

and　gives　him　a　cut。＇130＇　…　People　〃tremble〃　on　accosting　him；　and　yet

more　in　contradicting　him。　　The　envoy　of　the　Committee　of　Public

Safety；　Julien　de　la　Dr？me；　on　being　brought　before　him；　takes　care　to

〃　stand　some　distance　off；　in　a　corner　of　the　room；〃　wisely　trying　to

avoid　the　first　spring；　wiser　still；　he　replies　to　Carrier's

exclamations　with　the　only　available　argument：



〃If　you　put　me　out　of　the　way　to…day；　you　yourself　will　be　guillotined

within　a　week！〃＇131＇



On　coming　to　a　stand　before　a　mad　dog　one　must　aim　the　knife　straight

at　its　throat；　there　is　no　other　way　to　escape　its　fangs　and　slaver。

Accordingly；　with　Carrier；　as　with　a　mad　dog；　the　brain　is　mastered　by

the　steady　mechanical　reverie；　by　persistent　images　of　murder　and

death。　　He　exclaims　to　President　Tronjolly；　apropos　of　the　Vendean

children：



〃The　guillotine；　always　the　guillotine！〃＇132＇



In　relation　to　the　drownings：



　〃You　judges　must　have　verdicts；　pitch　them　into　the　water；　which　is

much　more　simple。〃



Addressing　the　popular　club　of　Nantes；　he　says：



　〃The　rich；　the　merchants；　are　all　monopolizers；　all　anti…

revolutionists；　denounce　them　to　me；　and　I　will　have　all　their　heads

under　the　national　razor。　　Tell　me　who　the　fanatics　are　that　shut

their　shops　on　Sunday　and　I　will　have　them　guillotined。〃　〃When　will

the　heads　of　those　rascally　merchants　fall　？　〃　…　〃　I　see　beggars　here

in　rags；　you　are　as　big　fools　at　Ancenis　as　at　Nantes。　　Don't　you　know

that　the　money；　the　wealth　of　these　old　merchants；　belongs　to　you；　and

is　not　the　river　there？〃　〃My　brave　bastards；　my　good　sansculottes　your

time　is　come！　Denounce　them　to　me！　The　evidence　of　two　good　sans…

culottes　is　all　I　want　to　make　the　heads　of　those　old　merchants

tumble！　〃　…　　〃We　will　make　France　a　grave…yard　rather　than　not

regenerate　it　in　our　own　way。〃＇133＇　…　His　steady　howl　ends　in　a　cry　of

anguish：



〃We　shall　all　be　guillotined；　one　after　the　other！〃＇134＇　…



Such　is　the　mental　state　to　which　the　office　of　representative　on

mission　leads。　　Below　Carrier；　who　is　on　the　extreme　verge；　the

others；　less　advanced；　likewise　turn　pale　at　the　lugubrious　vision；

which　is　the　inevitable　effect　of　their　work　and　their　mandate。

Beyond　every　grave　they　dig；　they　catch　a　glimpse　of　the　grave　already

dug　for　them。　　There　is　nothing　left　for　the　gravedigger　but　to　dig

mechanically　day　after　day；　and；　in　the　meantime；　make　what　he　can　out

of　his　place；　he　can　at　least　render　himself　insensible　by　having　〃a

good　time。〃



IX。　　Vice。



The　development　of　vice。　　…　Vanity　and　the　need　of　gambling。　　…　Collot

d'Herbois；　Ysabeau；　Tallien。　　…　The　Robbers。　　…　Tallien；　Javogues；

Rovère；　Fouché。　　…　Two　sources　of　cruelty。　　…　Need　of　demonstrating

one's　power。　　…　Saint…Just　in　the　Pas…de…Calais　department；　and　in

Alsace。　　…　Collot　d'Herbois　at　Lyons。　　…　Pressure　exercised　by　the

Representatives　on　the　tribunals。　　…　Pleasure　caused　by　death　and

suffering。　　…　Monestier；　Fouché；　Collot　d'Herbois；　Lebon　and　Carrier。



Most　of　them　follow　this　course；　some　instinctively　and　through

lassitude；　and　others　because　the　display　they　make　adds　to　their

authority。　　〃Dragged　along　in　Carriages　with　six　horses；　surrounded　by

guards；　seated　at　sumptuous　tables　set　for　thirty　persons；　eating　to

the　sound　of　music　along　with　a　Cortege　of　actors；　courtesans　and

praetorians；〃＇135＇　they　impress　the　imagination　with　an　idea　of　their

omnipotence；　and　people　bow　all　the　lower　because　they　make　a　grand

show。　　…　At　Troyes；　on　the　arrival　of　young　Rousselin；　cannon　are

discharged　as　if　for　the　entry　of　a　prince。　　The　entire　population　of

Nevers　is　called　upon　to　honor　the　birth　of　Fouché's　child；　the　civil

and　military　authorities　pay　their　respects　to　him；　and　the　National

Guards　are　under　arms。＇136＇　　At　Lyons；　〃　The　imposing　display　of

Collot　d'Herbois　resembles　that　of　the　Grand　Turk。　　It　requires　three

successive　applications　to　obtain　an　audience；　nobody　approaches

nearer　than　a　distance　of　fifteen　feet；　two　sentinels　with　muskets

stand　on　each　side　of　him；　with　their　eyes　fixed　on　the

petitioners。〃＇137＇　…　Less　menacing；　but　not　less　imposing；　is　the　pomp

which　surrounds　the　representatives　at　Bordeaux；　to　approach　them；

requires　〃a　pass　from　the　captain　of　the　guards；〃＇138＇　through　several

squads　of　sentinels。　　One　of　them；　Ysabeau；　who；　after　having

guillotined　to　a　considerable　extent；　has　become　almost　tractable；

allows　adulation；　and；　like　a　Duc　de　Richelieu　coming　down　from

Versailles；　tries　to　play　the　popular　potentate；　with　all　the　luxuries

which　the　situation　affords。　　At　the　theaters；　in　his　presence；　they

give　a　ballet　in　which　shepherds　form　with　garlands　of　flowers　the

words　〃Ysabeau；　Liberty；　Equality。〃　He　allows　his　portrait　to　pass

from　hand　to　hand；　and　condescendingly　smiles　on　the　artist　who

inscribes　these　words　at　the　bottom　of　an　engraving　of　the　day：　〃An

event　which　took　place　under　Ysabeau；　representative　of　the　people。〃

〃When　he　passes　in　the　street　people　take　off　their　hats　to　him；　cheer

him；　and　shout　'Hurrah　for　Ysabeau！　Hurrah　for　the　savior　of　Bordeaux；

our　friend　and　father！'　The　children　of　aristocrats　come　and

apostrophize　him　in　this　way；　even　at　the　doors　of　his　carriage；　for

he　has　a　Carriage；　and　several　of　them；　with　a　coachman；　horses；　and

the　equipage　of　a　former　noble；　gendarmes　preceding　him　everywhere；

even　on　excursions　into　the　country；〃　where　his　new　courtiers　call　him

〃great　man；〃　and　welcome　him　with　〃Asiatic　magnificence。〃　There　is

good　cheer　at　his　table；　〃superb　white　bread；〃　called

〃representatives'　bread；〃　whilst　the　country　folk　of　the　neighborhood

live　on　roots；　and　the　inhabitants　of　Bordeaux　can　scarcely　obtain

more　than　four　ounces　of　musty　bread　per　day。　　…　There　is　the　same

feasting　with　the　representatives　at　Lyons；　in　the　midst　of　similar

distress。　　In　the　reports　made　by　Collot　we　find　a　list　of　bottles　of

brandy　at　four　francs　each；　along　with　partridges；　capons；　turkeys；

chickens；　pike；　and　crawfish；　note　also　the　white　bread；　the　other

kind；　called　〃equality　bread；〃　assigned　to　simple　mortals；　offends

this　august　palate。　　Add　to　this　the　requisitions　made　by　Albitte　and

Fouché；　seven　hundred　bottles　of　fine　wine；　in　one　lot；　another　of

fifty　pounds　of　coffee；　one　hundred　and　sixty　ells　of　muslin；　three

dozen　silk　handkerchiefs　for　cravats；　three　dozen　pairs　of　gloves；　and

four　dozen　pairs　of　stockings：　they　provide　themselves　with　a　good

stock。＇139＇　…　Among　so　many　itinerant　tyrants；　the　most　audaciously

sensual　is；　I　believe；　Tallien；　the　Septembriseur　at　Paris