the origins of contemporary france-4-第72章

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

guillotineur　at　Bordeaux；　but　still　more　rake　and　robber；　caring

mostly　for　his　palate　and　stomach。　　Son　of　the　cook　of　a　grand

seignior；　he　is　doubtless　swayed　by　family　traditions：　for　his

government　is　simply　a　larder　where；　like　the　head…butler　in　〃Gil

Blas；〃　he　can　eat　and　turn　the　rest　into　money。　　At　this　moment；　his

principal　favorite　is　Teresa　Cabarrus；　a　woman　of　society；　or　one　of

the　demi…monde；　whom　he　took　out　of　prison；　he　rides　about　the　streets

with　her　in　an　open　carriage；　〃with　a　courier　behind　and　a　courier　in

front；〃　sometimes　wearing　the　red　cap　and　holding　a　pike　in　her

hand；＇140＇　thus　exhibiting　his　goddess　to　the　people。　　And　this　is　the

sentiment　which　does　him　the　most　credit；　for；　when　the　crisis　comes；

the　imminent　peril　of　his　mistress　arouses　his　courage　against

Robespierre；　and　this　pretty　woman；　who　is　good…natured；　begs　him；　not

for　murders；　but　for　pardons。＇141＇　…　Others；　as　gallant　as　he　is；　but

with　less　taste；　obtain　recruits　for　their　pleasures　in　a　rude　way；

either　as　fast…livers　on　the　wing；　or　because　fear　subjects　the　honor

of　women　to　their　caprices；　or　because　the　public　funds　defray　the

expenses　of　their　guard…room　habits。　　At　Blois；　for　this　kind　of

expenditure；　Guimberteau　discharges　his　obligations　by　drafts　on　the

proceeds　of　the　revolutionary　tax。＇142＇　　Carrier；　at　Nantes；

appropriates　to　himself　the　house　and　garden　of　a　private　person　for

〃his　seraglio〃；　the　reader　may　judge　whether；　on　desiring　to　be　a

third　party　in　the　household；　the　husband　would　make　objections。　　At

other　times；　in　the　hotel　Henry　IV。；　〃with　his　friends　and　prostitutes

brought　under　requisition；　he　has　an　orgy；〃　he　allows　himself　the　same

indulgence　on　the　galiot　during　the　drownings；　there　at　the　end　of　a

drunken　frolic；　he　is　regaled　with　merry　songs；　for　example；　〃la

gamelle〃：＇143＇　he　needs　his　amusements。



Some；　who　are　shrewd；　think　of　the　more　substantial　and　look　out　for

the　future。　　Foremost　among　these　is　Tallien；　the　king　of　robbers；　but

prodigal；　whose　pockets；　full　of　holes；　are　only　filled　to　be　at　once

emptied；　Javogues；　who　makes　the　most　of　Montbrison；　Rovère；　who；　for

eighty　thousand　francs　in　assignats；　has　an　estate　adjudged　to　him

worth　five　hundred　thousand　francs　in　coin；　Fouché；　who；　in　Nièvre；

begins　to　amass　the　twelve　or　fourteen　millions　which　he　secures　later

on；＇144＇　and　so　many　others；　who　were　either　ruined　or　impoverished

previous　to　the　outbreak　of　the　Revolution；　and　who　are　rich　when　it

ends：　Barras　with　his　domain　of　Gros　Bois；　André　Dumont；　with　the

Hotel　de　Plouy；　its　magnificent　furniture；　and　an　estate　worth　four

hundred　thousand　livres；　Merlin　de　Thionville；　with　his　country…

houses；　equipages；　and　domain　of　Mont…Valérien；　and　other　domains；

Salicetti；　Reubell；　Rousselin；　Chateauneuf…Randon；　and　the　rest　of　the

gluttonous　and　corrupted　members　of　the　Directory。　　Without　mentioning

the　taxes　and　confiscations　of　which　they　render　no　account；　they

have；　for　their　hoard；　the　ransoms　offered　underhandedly　by　〃suspects〃

and　their　families；　what　is　more　convenient？＇145＇　　And　all　the　more；

because　the　Committee　of　General　Security；　even　when　informed；　let

things　take　their　course：　to　prosecute　〃Montagnards；〃　would　be　〃making

the　Revolution　take　a　step　backward。〃　One　is　bound　to　humor　useful

servants　who　have　such　hard　work；　like　that　of　the　September　killings；

to　do。　　Irregularities；　as　with　these　September　people；　must　be

overlooked；　it　is　necessary　to　allow　them　a　few　perquisites　and　give

them　gratuities。＇146＇



All　this　would　not　suffice　to　keep　them　at　work　if　they　had　not　been

held　by　an　even　greater　attraction。　　…　To　the　common　run　of　civilized

men；　the　office　of　Septembriseur　is　at　first　disagreeable；　but；　after

a　little　practice；　especially　with　a　tyrannical　nature；　which；　under

cover　of　the　theory；　or　under　the　pretext　of　public　safety；　can

satiate　its　despotic　instincts；　all　repugnance　subsides。　　There　is

keen　delight　in　the　exercise　of　absolute　power；　one　is　glad；　every

hour；　to　assert　one's　omnipotence　and　prove　it　by　some　act；　the　most

conclusive　of　all　acts　being　some　act　of　destruction。　　The　more

complete；　radical　and　prompt　the　destruction　is；　the　more　conscious

one　is　of　one's　strength。　　However　great　the　obstacle；　one　is　not

disposed　to　recede　or　stand　still；　one　breaks　away　all　the　barriers

which　men　call　good　sense；　humanity；　justice；　and　the　satisfaction　of

breaking　them　down　is　great。　　To　crush　and　to　subdue　becomes

voluptuous　pleasure；　to　which　pride　gives　keener　relish；　affording　a

grateful　incense　of　the　holocaust　which　the　despot　consumes　on　his　own

altar；　at　this　daily　sacrifice；　he　is　both　idol　and　priest；　offering

up　victims　to　himself　that　he　may　be　conscious　of　his　divinity。　　…

Such　is　Saint…Just；　all　the　more　a　despot　because　his　title　of

representative　on　mission　is　supported　by　his　rank　on　the　Committee　of

Public　Safety：　to　find　natures　strained　to　the　same　pitch　as　his；　we

must　leave　the　modern　world　and　go　back　to　a　Caligula；　or　to　a　caliph

Hakem　in　Egypt　in　the　tenth　century。＇147＇　　He　also；　like　these　two

monsters；　but　with　different　formulae；　regards　himself　as　a　God；　or

God's　vicegerent　on　earth；　invested　with　absolute　power　through　Truth

incarnated　in　him；　the　representative　of　a　mysterious；　limitless　and

supreme　power；　known　as　the　People；　to　worthily　represent　this　power；

it　is　essential　to　have　a　soul　of　steel。＇148＇　　Such　is　the　soul　of

Saint…Just；　and　only　that。　　All　other　sentiments　merely　serve　to

harden　it；　all　the　metallic　agencies　that　compose　it　…　sensuality；

vanity；　every　vice；　every　species　of　ambition；　all　the　frantic

outbursts　and　melancholy　vaporings　of　his　youth　…　are　violently

commingled　and　fused　together　in　the　revolutionary　mold；　so　that　his

soul　may　take　the　form　and　rigidity　of　trenchant　steel。　　Suppose　this

an　animated　blade；　feeling　and　willing　in　conformity　with　its　temper

and　structure；　it　would　delight　in　being　brandished；　and　would　need　to

strike；　such　is　the　need　of　Saint…Just。　　Taciturn；　impassible；　keeping

people　at　a　distance；　as　imperious　as　if　the　entire　will　of　the　people

and　the　majesty　of　transcendent　reason　resided　in　his　person；　he　seems

to　have　reduced　his　passions　to　the　desire　of　dashing　everything　to

atoms；　and　to　creating　dismay。　　It　may　be　said　of　him　that；　like　the

conquering　Tartars；　he　measures　his　self…attributed　grandeur　by　what

he　fells；　no　other　has　so　extensively　swept　away　fortunes；　liberties

and　lives；　no　other　has　so　terrifically　heightened　the　effect　of　his

deeds　by　laconic　speech　and　the　suddenness　of　the　stroke。　　He　orders

the　arrest　and　close　confinement　of　all　former　nobles；　men　and　women；

in　the　four　departments；　in　twenty…four　hours；　he　orders　the

bourgeoisie　of　Strasbourg　to　pay　over　nine　millions　in　twenty…four

hours；　ten　thousand　persons　in　Strasbourg　must　give　up　their　shoes　in

twenty…four　hours；　random　and　immediate　discharges　of　musketry　on　the

officers　of　the　Rhine　army　…　such　are　the　measures。＇149＇　　So　much　the

worse　for　the　innocent；　there　is　no　time　to　discern　who　they　are；　〃a

blind　man　hunting　for　a　pin　in　a　dust…heap　takes　the　whole　heap。〃＇150＇

…　And；　whatever　the　order；　even　when　it　cannot　be　executed；　so　much

the　worse　for　him　to　whom　it　is　given；　for　the　captain　who；　directed

by　the　representative　to　establish　this　or　that　battery　in　a　certain

time；　works　all　night　with　all　his　forces；　〃with　as　many　men　as　the

place　will　hold。〃＇151＇　The　battery　not　being　ready　at　the　hour　named；

Saint…Just　sends　the　captain　to　the　guillotine。　　…　The　sovereign

having　once　given　an　order　it　cannot　be　countermanded；　to　take　back

his　words　would　be　weakening　himself；＇152＇　in　the　service　of

omnipotence；　pride　is　insatiable；　and；　to　mollify　it；　no　barbaric　act

is　too　great。　　…　The　same　appetite　is　visible　in　Collot　d'Herbois；

who；　no　longer　on　the　stage；　plays　before