the origins of contemporary france-4-第85章

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masterpieces　in　which　the　silliness；　imbecility　and　credulity　of　a

numskull；　the　sentimentality　of　the　drunkard；　the　clap…trap　of　a

mountebank　and　the　tirades　of　a　cheap　philosopher　form　an　unique

compound；　at　once　sickening　and　irritating；　like　the　fiery；　pungent

mixtures　of　cheap　bars；　which　suit　his　audience　better　because　they

contain　the　biting；　mawkish　ingredients　that　compose　the　adulterated

brandy　of　the　Revolution。　　…　　He　is　posted　on　foreign　maneuvers；　and

enlarges　upon　the　true　reasons　for　the　famine：　〃A　lot　of　bread　has

been　lately　found　in　the　privies：　the　Pitts　and　Cobourgs　and　other

rascals　who　want　to　enslave　justice　and　reason；　and　assassinate

philosophy；　must　be　called　to　account　for　this。　　Headquarters；

etc。〃＇46＇　He　has　theories　on　religions　and　preaches　civic　modesty　to

all　dissenters：　〃The　ministers　and　sectaries　of　every　form　of　worship

are　requested　not　to　practice　any　further　religious　ceremonies　outside

their　temples。　　Every　good　sectarian　will　see　the　propriety　of

observing　this　order。　　The　interior　of　a　temple　is　large　enough　for

paying　one's　homage　to　the　Eternal；　who　requires　no　rites　that　are

repulsive　to　every　thinking　man。　　The　wise　agree　that　a　pure　heart　is

the　sublimest　homage　that　Divinity　can　desire。　　Headquarters；　etc。〃　…

He　sighs　for　the　universal　idyllic　state；　and　invokes　the　suppression

of　the　armed　force：



　〃I　beg　my　fellow…citizens；　who　are　led　to　the　criminal　courts　out　of

curiosity；　to　act　as　their　own　police；　this　is　a　task　which　every　good

citizen　should　fulfill　wherever　he　happens　to　be。　　In　a　free　country；

justice　should　not　be　secured　by　pikes　and　bayonets；　but　through

reason　and　philosophy。　　These　must　maintain　a　watchful　eye　over

society；　these　must　purify　it　and　proscribe　thieves　and　evil…doers。

Each　individual　must　bring　his　small　philosophic　portion　with　him　and；

with　these　small　portions；　compose　a　rational　totality　that　will　turn

out　to　be　of　benefit　and　to　the　welfare　of　all。　　Oh；　for　the　time　when

functionaries　shall　be　rare；　when　the　wicked　shall　be　overthrown；　when

the　law　shall　become　the　sole　functionary　in　society！　Headquarters；

etc。　　〃　　Every　morning；　he　preaches　in　the　same　pontifical　strain。

Imagine　the　scene　…　Henriot's　levee　at　head…quarters；　and　a　writing

table；　with；　perhaps；　a　bottle　of　brandy　on　it；　on　one　side　of　the

table；　the　rascal　who；　while　buckling　on　his　belt　or　drawing　on　his

boots；　softens　his　husky　voice；　and；　with　his　nervous　twitchings；

flounders　through　his　humanitarian　homily；　on　the　other　side　the　mute；

uneasy　secretary；　who　may　probably　be　able　to　spell；　but　who　dares　not

materially　change　the　grotesque　phraseology　of　his　master。



The　Commune　which　employs　the　commanding…general　is　of　about　the　same

alloy；　for；　in　the　municipal　sword；　the　blade　and　hilt；　forged

together　in　the　Jacobin　shop；　are　composed　of　the　same　base　metal。　　…

Fifty…six；　out　of　eighty…eight　members；　whose　qualifications　and

occupations　are　known；　are　decidedly　illiterate；　or　nearly　so；　their

education　being　rudimentary；　or　none　at　all。＇47＇　Some　of　them　are

petty　clerks；　counter…jumpers　and　common　scribblers；　one　among　them

being　a　public　writer；　others　are　small　shopkeepers；　pastry…cooks；

mercers；　hosiers；　fruit…sellers　and　wine…dealers；　yet　others　are

simple　mechanics　or　even　laborers；　carpenters；　joiners；　cabinet…

makers；　locksmiths；　and　especially　three　tailors；　four　hair…dressers；

two　masons；　two　shoemakers；　one　cobbler；　one　gardener；　one　stone…

cutter；　one　paver；　one　office…runner；　and　one　domestic。　　Among　the

thirty…two　who　are　instructed；　one　alone　has　any　reputation；　Paris；

professor　at　the　University　and　the　assistant　of　Abbé　Delille。　　Only

one；　Dumetz；　an　old　engineer；　steady；　moderate　and　attending　to　the

supplies；　seems　a　competent　and　useful　workman。　　The　rest；　collected

from　amongst　the　mass　of　unknown　demagogues；　are　six　art…apprentices

or　bad　painters；　six　business…agents　or　ex…lawyers；　seven　second　or

third…rate　merchants；　one　teacher；　one　surgeon；　one　unfrocked　married

priest；　all　of　whom；　under　the　political　direction　of　Mayor　Fleuriot…

Lescot　and　Payen；　the　national　agent；　bring　to　the　general　council　no

administrative　ability；　but　the　faculty　for　verbal　argumentation；

along　with　the　requisite　amount　of　talk　and　scribbling　indispensable

to　a　deliberative　assembly。　　And　it　is　curious　to　see　them　in　session。

Toward　the　end　of　September；　1793；＇48＇　one　of　the　veterans　of　liberal

philosophy　and　political　economy；　belonging　to　the　French　Academy　and

ruined　by　the　Revolution；　the　old　Abbé　Morellet；　needs　a　certificate

of　civism；　to　enable　him　to　obtain　payment　of　the　small　pension　of　one

thousand　francs；　which　the　Constituent　Assembly　had　voted　him　in

recompense　for　his　writings；　the　Commune；　desiring　information　about

this；　selects　three　of　its　body　to　inquire　into　it。　　Morellet

naturally　takes　the　preliminary　steps。　　He　first　writes　〃a　very

humble；　very　civic　note；〃　to　the　president　of　the　General　Council；

Lubin　Jr。；　formerly　an　art…apprentice　who　had　abandoned　art　for

politics；　and　is　now　living　with　his　father　a　butcher；　in　the　rue　St。

Honoré；　he　calls　on　this　authority；　and　passes　through　the　stall；

picking　his　way　amongst　the　slaughterhouse　offal；　admitted　after　some

delay；　he　finds　his　judge　in　bed；　before　whom　he　pleads　his　cause。　　He

then　calls　upon　Bernard；　an　ex…priest；　〃built　like　an　incendiary　and

ill…looking；〃　and　respectfully　bows　to　the　lady　of　the　house；　〃a

tolerably　young　woman；　but　very　ugly　and　very　dirty。〃　Finally；　he

carries　his　ten　or　a　dozen　volumes　to　the　most　important　of　the　three

examiners；　Vialard；　〃　ex…ladies'　hair…dresser；　〃　the　latter　is　almost

a　colleague；　〃for；〃　says　he；　〃　I　have　always　liked　technicians；　having

presented　to　the　Academy　of　Sciences　a　top　which　I　invented　myself。〃

Nobody；　however；　had　seen　the　petitioner　in　the　streets　on　the　10th　of

August；　nor　on　the　2nd　of　September；　nor　on　the　31st　of　May；　how　can　a

certificate　of　civism　be　granted　after　such　evidences　of　lukewarmness？

Morellet；　not　disheartened；　awaits　the　all…powerful　hair…dresser　at

the　H？tel…de…Ville；　and　accosts　him　frequently　as　he　passes　along。

He；　〃with　greater　haughtiness　and　distraction　than　the　most

unapproachable　Minister　of　War　would　show　to　an　infantry　lieutenant；〃

scarcely　listens　to　him　and　walks　on；　he　goes　in　and　takes　his　seat；

and　Morellet；　much　against　his　will；　has　to　be　present　at　ten　or

twelve　of　these　meetings。　　What　strange　meetings；　to　which　patriotic

deputations；　volunteers　and　amateurs　come　in　turn　to　declaim　and　sing；

where　the　president；　Lubin；　〃decorated　with　his　scarf；〃　shouts　the

Marseilles　Hymn　five　or　six　times；　〃Ca　Ira；〃　and　other　songs　of

several　stanzas；　set　to　tunes　of　the　Comic　Opera；　and　always　〃out　of

time；　displaying　the　voice；　airs　and　songs　of　an　exquisite　Leander。　　。

。　　I　really　believe　that；　at　the　last　meeting；　he　sung　alone　in　this

manner　three　quarters　of　an　hour　at　different　times；　the　assembly

repeating　the　last　line　of　the　verse。〃　…　〃　How　odd！〃　exclaims　a　common

woman　alongside　of　Morellet；　〃how　droll；　passing　all　their　time　here；

singing　in　that　fashion！　Is　that　what　they　come　here　for？〃　…　Not　alone

for　that：　after　the　circus…parade　is　over；　the　ordinary　haranguers；

and　especially　the　hair…dresser；　come　and　propose　measures　for　murder

〃in　infuriate　language　and　with　fiery　gesticulation。〃　Such　are　the

good　speakers＇49＇　and　men　for　show。　　The　others；　who　remain　silent；

and　hardly　know　to　write；　act　and　do　the　rough　work。　　A　certain

Chalaudon；　member　of　the　Commune；＇50＇　is　one　of　this　kind；　president

of　the　Revolutionary　Committee　of　the　section　of　〃L'Homme　armé；〃　and

probably　an　excellent　man…hunter；　for　〃the　government　committees

assigned　to　him　the　duty　of　watching　the　right　bank　of　the　Seine；　and；

with　extraordinary　powers　conferred　on　him；　he　rules　from　his　back

shop　one　half　of　Paris。　　Woe　to　those　he　has　reason　to　complain　of；

those　who　have　with