the origins of contemporary france-4- 第50部分

Revolutionary　Tribunal；　less　than　ten　votes　elect　their

substitutes；＇4＇　not　one　vote　is　cast　for　the　adoption　of　the　decree

indicting　the　deputy；　Dulaure；＇5＇　〃no　member　rises　for　or　against　it；

there　is　no　vote；〃　the　president；　nevertheless；　pronounces　the　act

passed　and　the　Marais　lets　things　take　their　course。〃　…　〃Marais

frogs〃＇6＇　is　the　appellation　bestowed　on　them　before　the　2nd　of　June；

when；　amongst　the　dregs　of　the　〃Center；〃　they　〃broke〃　with　the

〃Mountain；〃　now；　they　still　number　four　hundred　and　fifty；　three　times

as　many　as　the　〃　Montagnards；　〃but　they　purposely　keep　quiet；　their

old　name　〃renders　them；　so　to　say；　soft；　their　ears　ring　with　eternal

menaces；　their　hearts　shrivel　up　with　terror；＇7＇　while　their　tongues；

paralyzed　by　habitual　silence；　remain　as　if　glued　to　the　roofs　of

their　mouths。　　In　vain　do　they　keep　in　the　back…ground；　consent　to

everything；　ask　nothing　for　themselves　but　personal　safety；　and

surrender　all　else；　their　votes；　their　wills　and　their　consciences；

they　feel　that　their　life　hangs　by　a　thread。　　The　greatest　mute　among

them　all；　Siéyès；　denounced　in　the　Jacobin　Club；　barely　escapes；　and

through　the　protection　of　his　shoemaker；　who　rises　and　exclaims　：

〃That　Siéyès　！　I　know　him。　　He　don't　meddle　with　politics。　　He　does

nothing　but　read　his　book。　　I　make　his　shoes　and　will　answer　for

him。〃＇8＇



Of　course；　previous　to　the　9th　of　Thermidor；　none　of　them　open　their

mouths；　it　is　only　the　〃Montagnards〃　who　make　speeches；　and　on　the

countersign　being　given。　　If　Legendre；　the　admirer；　disciple　and

confidential　friend　of　Danton；　dares　at　one　time　interfere　in　relation

to　the　decree　which　sends　his　friend　to　the　scaffold；　asking　that　he

may　first　be　heard；　it　is　only　to　retract　immediately；　that　very

evening；　at　the　Jacobin　club；　for　greater　security；　〃he　wallows　in　the

mud；〃＇9＇　he　declares　〃that　he　submits　to　the　judgment　of　the

revolutionary　Tribunal；〃　and　swears　to　denounce　〃whoever　shall　oppose

any　obstacle　to　the　execution　of　the　decree。〃＇10＇　Has　not　Robespierre

taught　him　a　lesson；　and　in　his　most　pedantic　manner？　What　is　more

beautiful；　says　the　great　moralist；　more　sublime；　than　an　Assembly

which　purges　itself？＇11＇　…　Thus；　not　only　is　the　net　which　has　already

dragged　out　so　many　palpitating　victims　still　intact；　but　it　is

enlarged　and　set　again；　only；　the　fish　are　now　caught　on　the　〃Left〃　as

well　as　on　the　〃Right；〃　and　preferably　on　the　topmost　benches　of　the

〃Mountain。〃＇12＇　And　better　still；　through　the　law　of　Prairial　22；　its

meshes　are　reduced　in　size　and　its　width　increased；　with　such

admirable　contraption；　the　fishpond　could　not　fail　to　be　exhausted。　　A

little　before　the　9th　of　Thermidor；　David；　who　was　one　of

Robespierre's　devoted　adherents；　himself　exclaimed：　〃Will　twenty　of　us

be　left　on　the　Mountain？〃　About　the　same　time；　Legendic；　Thuriot；

Léonard　Bourdon；　Tallien；　Bourdon　de　l'Oise；　and　others；　each　has　a

spy　all　day　long　at　his　heels。　　There　are　thirty　deputies　to　be

proscribed　and　their　names　are　whispered　about；　whereupon；　sixty　stay

out　all　night；　convinced　that　they　will　be　seized　the　next　morning

before　they　can　get　up。＇13＇



Subject　to　such　a　system；　prolonged　for　so　many　months；　people　sink

down　and　become　discouraged。　　〃Everybody　made　themselves　small　so　as

to　pass　beneath　the　popular　yoke。＇14＇　Everybody　became　one　of　the　low

class。　　。　　。　　。　　Clothes；　manners；　refinement；　cleanliness；　the

conveniences　of　life；　civility　and　politeness　were　all　renounced。〃　…

People　wear　their　clothes　indecently　and　curse　and　swear；　they　try　to

resemble　the　sans…culottes　Montagnards　〃who　are　profane　and　dress

themselves　like　so　many　dock…loafers；〃＇15＇　at　Armonville；　the　carder；

who　presides　（at　a　meeting）　wears　a　woolen　cap；　and　similarly　at

Cusset；　a　gauze…workman；　who　is　always　drunk。　　Only　Robespierre　dares

appear　in　neat　attire；　among　the　others；　who　do　not　have　his

influence；　among　the　demi…suspects　with　a　pot…belly；　such　a　residue　of

the　ancient　régime　might　become　dangerous；　they　do　well　not　to　attract

the　attention　of　the　foul…mouthed　spy　who　cannot　spell；＇16＇　especially

is　it　important　at　a　meeting　to　be　one　of　the　crowd　and　remain

unnoticed　by　the　paid　claqueurs；　drunken　swaggerers　and　〃fat

petticoats〃　of　the　tribunes。　　It　is　even　essential　to　shout　in　harmony

with　them　and　join　in　their　bar…room　dances。　　The　deputations　of　the

popular　clubs　come　for　fourteen　months　to　the　bar　of　the　house　and

recite　their　common…place　or　bombastic　tirades；　and　the　Convention　is

forced　to　applaud　them。　　For　nine　months；＇17＇　street　ballad…singers

and　coffee…house　ranters　attend　in　full　session　and　sing　the　rhymes　of

the　day；　while　the　Convention　is　obliged　to　join　in　the　chorus。　　For

six　weeks；＇18＇　the　profaners　of　churches　come　to　the　hall　and　display

their　dance…house　buffooneries；　and　the　Convention　has　not　only　to　put

up　with　these；　but　also　to　take　part　in　them。　　…　Never；　even　in

imperial　Rome；　under　Nero　and　Heliogabalus；　did　a　senate　descend　so

low。



II。



How　the　parades　are　carried　out。　　…　Its　slavery　and　servility　…　Its

participation　in　crime。



Observe　one　of　their　parades；　that　of　Brumaire　20th；　22nd　or　30th；

which　masquerade　often　occurs　several　times　a　week　and　is　always　the

same；　with　scarcely　any　variation。　　…　Male　and　female　wretches　march

in　procession　to　the　doors　of　the　deputies'　hall；　still　〃drunk　with

the　wine　imbibed　from　chalices；　after　eating　mackerel　broiled　in

patens；〃　besides　refreshing　themselves　on　the　way。　　〃Mounted　astride

of　asses　which　they　have　rigged　out　in　chasuble　and　which　they　guide

with　a　stole；〃　they　halt　at　each　low　smoking…den；　holding　a　drinking

cup　in　their　hand；　the　bartender；　with　a　mug　in　his　hand；　fills　it；

and；　at　each　station；　they　toss　off　their　bumpers；　one　after　the

other；　in　imitation　of　the　Mass；　and　which　they　repeat　in　the　street

in　their　own　fashion。　　…　On　finishing　this；　they　don　copes；　chasubles

and　dalmatica；　and；　in　two　long　lines；　file　before　the　benches　of　the

Convention。　　Some　of　them　bear　on　hand…barrows　or　in　baskets；

candelabra；　chalices；　gold　and　silver　salvers；　monstrances；　and

reliquaries；　others　hold　aloft　banners；　crosses　and　other

ecclesiastical　spoils。　　In　the　mean　time　〃bands　play　the　air　of　the

carmagnole　and　'Malbrook。'　。　　。　　。　　On　the　entry　of　the　dais；　they

strike　up　'Ah！　le　bel　oiseau；'〃＇19＇　all　at　once　the　masqueraders　throw

off　their　disguise；　and；　mitres；　stoles；　chasubles　flung　in　the　air；

〃disclose　to　view　the　defenders　of　the　country　in　the　national

uniform。〃　Peals　of　laughter；　shouts　and　enthusiasm；　while　the

instrumental　din　becomes　louder！　The　procession；　now　in　full　blast；

demands　the　carmagnole；　and　the　Convention　consents；　even　some　of　the

deputies　descend　from　their　benches　and　cut　the　pigeon…wing　with　the

merry　prostitutes。　　…　To　wind　up；　the　Convention　decrees　that　it　will

attend　that　evening　the　fête　of　Reason　and；　in　fact；　they　go　in　a

body。　　Behind　an　actress　in　short　petticoats　wearing　a　red　cap；

representing　Liberty　or　Reason；　march　the　deputies；　likewise　in　red

caps；　shouting　and　singing　until　they　reach　the　new　temple；　which　is

built　of　planks　and　pasteboard　in　the　choir　of　Notre　Dame。　　They　take

their　seats　in　the　front　rows；　while　the　Goddess；　an　old　frequenter　of

the　suppers　of　the　Duc　de　Soubise；　along　with　〃all　the　pretty　dames　of

the　Opera；〃　display　before　them　their　operatic　graces。＇20＇　They　sing

the　〃Hymn　to　Liberty；〃　and；　since　the　Convention　has　that　morning

decreed　that　it　must　sing；　I　suppose　that　it　also　joined　in。＇21＇　After

this　there　follows　dancing；　but；　unfortunately；　the　authorities　are

wanting　for　stating　whether　the　Convention　danced　or　not。　　In　any

event；　it　is　present　at　the　dance；　and　thus　consecrates　an　unique

orgy；　not　Rubens'　〃Kermesse〃　in　the　open　air；　racy　and　healthy；　but　a

nocturnal　boulevard…jollification；　a　〃Mardi…gras〃　composed　of　lean　and

haggard　scapegraces。　　…　In　the　great　nave　of　the　Cathedral；　〃the

dancers；　almost　naked；　with　bare　necks　and　breasts；　and　stockings　down

at　the　heel；〃　writhe　and　stamp；　〃howling　the　carmagnole。〃　In　the　side

chapels；　which　are　〃shut　off　by　high　tapestries；　prostitutes　with

shrill　voices〃　pursue　their　avocation。＇22＇　…　To　descend　to　this　low

level　so　barefacedly；　to　fraternise　with　barrier　sots；　and　wenches；　to

endure　their　embraces　and　hiccoughs；　is　bad　enough；　even　for　docile

deputies。　　More　than　one　half　of　them　loathed　it　beforehand　and

remained　at　home；　after　this　they　do　not　feel　disposed　to　attend　the

Convention。＇23＇　　…　But　the　〃　Mountain　sends　for　them；　and　an　officer

brings　them　back；〃　it　is　necessary　that　they　should　co…operate　through

their　presence　and　felicitations　in　the　profanations　and　apostasies

which　follow；＇24＇　it　is　necessary　that　they　should　approve　of　and

decree　that　which　they　hold　in　horror；　not　alone　folly　and　nonsense；

but　crime；　the　murder　of　innocent　people；　and　that　of　their　friends。

…　All　this　is　done。　　　〃Unanimously；　and　with　the　loudest　applause；〃

the　Left；　united　with　the　Right；　sends　Danton　to　the　scaffold；　its

natural　chieftain；　the　great　promoter　and　leader　of　the

Revolution。＇25＇　　〃Unanimously；　and　with　the　loudest　applause；〃　the

Right；　united　with　the　Left；　votes　the　worse　decrees　of　the

Revolutionary　government。＇26＇　〃Unanimously；〃　with　approving　and

enthusiastic　cheers；　manifesting　the　warmest　sympathy　for　Collot

d'Herbois；　Couthon；　and　Robespierre；＇27＇　the　Convention；　through

multiplied　and　spontaneous　re…elections；　maintains　the　homicidal

government　which　the　Plain　detests；　because　it　is　homicidal；　and　which

the　Mountain　detests；　because　it　is　decimated　by　it。　　Plain　and

Mountain；　by　virtue　of　terror；　majority　after　majority；　end　in

consenting　to　and　bringing　about　their　own　suicide：　on　the　22nd　of

Prairial；　the　entire　Convention　has　stretched　out　its　neck；＇28＇　on　the

8th　of　Thermidor；　for　a　quarter　of　an　hour　after　Robespierre's

speech；＇29＇　it　has