the origins of contemporary france-4-第37章

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piles　of　human　heads；　the　same　as　a　text　from　the　gospels　means　to　a

grand　inquisitor　the　burning　of　heretics。　　…　Through　this　extreme

perversity；　the　cuistre　spoils　his　own　mental　instrument；　thenceforth

he　employs　it　as　he　likes；　as　his　passions　dictate；　believing　that　he

serves　truth　in　serving　these。



Now；　his　first　passion；　his　principal　passion；　is　literary　vanity。

Never　was　the　chief　of　a　party；　sect　or　government；　even　at　critical

moments；　such　an　incurable；　insignificant　rhetorician；　so　formal；　so

pompous；　and　so　dull。　　…　On　the　eve　of　the　9th　of　Thermidor；　when　it

was　a　question　of　life　or　death；　he　enters　the　tribune　with　a　set

speech；　written　and　re…written；　polished　and　re…polished；＇92＇

overloaded　with　studied　ornaments　and　bits　for　effect；＇93＇　coated　by

dint　of　time　and　labor；　with　the　academic　varnish；　the　glitter　of

symmetrical　antitheses；　rounded　periods；　exclamations；　omissions；

apostrophes　and　other　tricks　of　the　pen。＇94＇　…　In　the　most　famous　and

important　of　his　reports；＇95＇　I　have　counted　eighty…four　instances　of

personifications＇96＇　imitated　from　Rousseau　and　the　antique；　many　of

them　largely　expanded；　some　addressed　to　the　dead；　to　Brutus；　to　young

Barra；　and　others　to　absentees；　priests；　and　aristocrats；　to　the

unfortunate；　to　French　women；　and　finally　to　abstract　substantives

like　Liberty　and　Friendship。　　With　unshaken　conviction　and　intense

satisfaction；　he　deems　himself　an　orator　because　he　harps　on　the　same

old　tune。　　There　is　not　one　true　tone　in　his　elaborate　eloquence；

nothing　but　recipes　and　only　those　of　a　worn…out　art；　Greek　and　Roman

common…places；　Socrates　and　the　hemlock；　Brutus　and　his　dagger；

classic　metaphors　like　〃the　flambeaux　of　discord；〃　and　〃the　vessel　of

State；〃＇97＇s　coupled　together　and　beauties　of　style　which　a　pupil　in

rhetoric　aims　at　on　the　college　bench；＇98＇times　a　grand　bravura　air；

so　essential　for　parade　in　public；＇99＇　centimes　a　delicate　strain　of

the　flute；　for；　in　those　days；　one　must　have　a　tender　heart；＇100＇　in

short；　Marmontel's　method　in　〃　Belisarius；〃　or　that　of　Thomas　in　his

〃Eloges；〃　all　borrowed　from　Rousseau；　but　of　inferior　quality；　like　a

sharp；　thin　voice　strained　to　imitate　a　rich；　powerful　voice。　　All　is

a　sort　of　involuntary　parody；　and　the　more　repulsive　because　a　word

ends　in　a　blow；　because　a　sentimental；　declamatory　Trissotin　poses　as

statesman；　because　the　studied　elegance　of　the　closet　become　pistol

shots　aimed　at　living　breasts；　because　an　epithet　skillfully　directed

sends　a　man　to　the　guillotine。　　…　The　contrast　is　too　great　between

his　talent　and　the　part　he　plays。　　With　such　a　talent；　as　mediocre　and

false　as　his　intellect；　there　is　no　employment　for　which　he　is　less

suited　than　that　of　governing　men；　he　was　cut　out　for　another；　which；

in　a　peaceable　community；　he　would　have　been　able　to　do。　　Suppress　the

Revolution；　and　Marat　would　have　probably　ended　his　days　in　an　asylum。

Danton　might　possibly　have　become　a　legal　filibuster；　a　highwayman　or

gangster；　and　finally　throttled　or　hung。　　Robespierre；　on　the

contrary；　might　have　continued　as　he　began；＇101＇　a　busy；　hard…working

lawyer　of　good　standing；　member　of　the　Arras　Academy；　winner　of

competitive　prizes；　author　of　literary　eulogies；　moral　essays　and

philanthropic　pamphlets；　his　little　lamp；　lighted　like　hundreds　of

others　of　equal　capacity　at　the　focus　of　the　new　philosophy；　would

have　burned　moderately　without　doing　harm　to　any　one；　and　diffused

over　a　provincial　circle　a　dim；　commonplace　illumination　proportionate

to　the　little　oil　his　lamp　would　hold。



But　the　Revolution　bore　him　into　the　Constituent　Assembly；　where；　for

a　long　time　on　this　great　stage；　his　amour　propre；　the　dominant

feeling　of　the　pedant；　suffered　terribly。　　He　had　already　suffered　on

this　score　from　his　earliest　youth；　and　his　wounds　being　still　fresh

made　him　only　the　more　sensitive。　　…　Born　in　Arras　in　1758；　orphaned

and　poor；　protégé　of　his　bishop；　a　bursar　through　favor　at　the　college

Louis…le…Grand；　later　a　clerk　with　Brissot　under　the　revolutionary

system　of　law…practice；　and　at　length　settled　down　in　his　gloomy　rue

des　Rapporteurs　as　a　pettifogger。　　Living　with　a　bad…tempered　sister；

he　has　adopts　Rousseau；　whom　he　had　once　seen　and　whom　he　ardently

studies；　for　his　master　in　philosophy；　politics　and　style。　　Fancying；

probably；　like　other　young　men　of　his　age　and　condition；　that　he　could

play　a　similar　part　and　thus　emerge　from　his　blind　alley；　he　published

law　pleadings　for　effect；　contended　for　Academy　prizes；　and　read

papers　before　his　Arras　colleagues。　　His　success　was　moderate：　one　of

his　harangues　obtained　a　notice　in　the　Artois　Almanac；　the　Academy　of

Metz　awarded　him　only　a　second　prize；　that　of　Amiens　gave　him　no

prize；　while　the　critic　of　the　〃Mercure〃　spoke　of　his　style　as

smacking　of　the　provinces。　　…　In　the　National　Assembly；　eclipsed　by

men　of　great　and　spontaneous　ability；　he　remains　a　long　time　in　the

shade；　and；　more　than　once；　through　obstination　or　lack　of　tact；　makes

himself　ridiculous。　　With　his　sharp；　thin；　attorney's　visage；　〃dull；

monotonous；　coarse　voice　and　wearisome　delivery；〃　…　〃　an　artesian

accent　〃　and　constrained　air；＇102＇　his　constantly　putting　himself

forward；　his　elaboration　of　commonplaces；　his　evident　determination　to

impose　on　cultivated　people；　still　a　body　of　intelligent　listeners；

and　the　intolerable　boredom　he　caused　them　…　all　this　is　not

calculated　to　render　the　Assembly　indulgent　to　errors　of　sense　and

taste。＇103＇　　One　day；　referring　to　certain　acts　of　the　〃Conseil：〃　〃It

is　necessary　that　a　noble　and　simple　formula　should　announce　national

rights　and　carry　respect　for　law　into　the　hearts　of　the　people。

Consequently；　in　the　decrees　as　promulgated；　after　the　words　Louis；　by

the　grace　of　God；〃　etc。；　these　words　should　follow：



〃People；　behold　the　law　imposed　on　you！　Let　this　law　be　considered

sacred　and　inviolable　for　all！〃　Upon　this；　a　Gascon　deputy　arises　and

remarks　in　his　southern　accent；　〃Gentlemen；　this　style　is　unsuitable　…

there　is　no　need　for　sermons。＇104＇　（cantique）。〃



General　laughter；　Robespierre　keeps　silent　and　bleeds　internally：　two

or　three　such　mishaps　nettle　such　a　man　from　head　to　foot。　　It　is　not

that　his　stupid　remarks　seem　silly　to　him；　no　pedant　taken　in　the　act

and　hissed　would　avow　that　he　deserved　such　treatment；　on　the

contrary；　he　is　content　to　have　spoken　as　becomes　a　philosophic　and

moral　legislator；　and　so　much　the　worse　for　the　narrow　minds　and

corrupt　hearts　unable　to　comprehend　him。…　Thrown　back　upon　himself；

his　wounded　vanity　seeks　inward　nourishment　and　takes　what　it　can　find

in　the　sterile　uniformity　of　his　bourgeois　moderation。　　Robespierre；

unlike　Danton；　has　no　cravings。　　He　is　sober；　he　is　not　tormented　by

his　senses；　if　he　gives　way　to　them；　it　is　only　no　further　than　he　can

help；　and　with　a　bad　grace。　　In　the　rue　Saintonge　in　Paris；　〃for　seven

months；〃　says　his　secretary；＇105＇　〃I　knew　of　but　one　woman　that　he

kept　company　with；　and　he　did　not　treat　her　very　well。　　　。　　。　　very

often　he　would　not　let　her　enter　his　room〃：　when　busy；　he　must　not　be

disturbed。　　He　is　naturally　steady；　hard…working；　studious　and　fond　of

seclusion；　at　college　a　model　pupil；　at　home　in　his　province　an

attentive　advocate；　a　punctual　deputy　in　the　Assembly；　everywhere　free

of　temptation　and　incapable　of　going　astray。　　…　〃Irreproachable〃　is

the　word　which　from　early　youth　an　inward　voice　constantly　repeats　to

him　in　low　tones　to　console　him　for　obscurity　and　patience。　　Thus　has

he　ever　been；　is　now；　and　ever　will　be；　he　says　this　to　himself；　tells

others　so；　and　on　this　foundation；　all　of　a　piece；　he　builds　up　his

character。　　He　is　not；　like　Desmoulins；　to　be　seduced　by　dinners；　like

Barnave；　by　flattery；　like　Mirabeau　and　Danton；　by　money；　like　the

Girondists；　by　the　insinuating　charm　of　ancient　politeness　and　select

society；　like　the　Dantonists；　by　the　bait　of　joviality　and　unbounded

license　…　he　is　the　incorruptible。　　He　is　not　to　be　deterred　or

diverted；　like　the　Feuillants；　Girondists；　and　Dantonists；　like

statesmen　or　specialists；　by　considerations　of　a　lower　order；　by

regard　for　interests　or　respect　for　acquired　positions；　by　the　danger

of　undertaking　too　much　at　once；　by　the　necessity　of　not　disorganizing

the　service　and　of　giving　play　to　human　passions；　motives　of　utility

and　opportunity：　he　is　the　uncompromising　champion　of　the　right。＇106＇

〃Alone；　or　nearly　alone；　I　do　not　allow　myself　to　be　corrupted；　alone

or　nearly　alone；　I　do　not　compromise　justice；　which　two　merits　I

possess　in　the　highest　degree。　　A　few　others　may　live　correctly；　but

they　oppose　or　betray　principles；　a　few　others　profess　to　have

principles；　but　they　do　not　live　correctly。　　No　one　else　leads　so　pure

a　life　or　is　so　loyal　to　principles；　no　one　else　joins　to　so　fervent　a

worship　of　truth　so　strict　a　practice　of　virtue：　I　am　the　unique。〃　…

What　can　be　more　agreeable　than　this　mute　soliloquy？　From　the　very

first　day　it　can　be　heard　toned　down　in　Robespierre's　address　to　the

Third…Estate　of　Arras；＇107＇　the　last　day　it　is　spoken　aloud　in　his

great　speech　in　the　Convention；＇108＇　during　the　interval；　it　crops　out

and　shines　through　all　his　compositions；　harangues；　or　reports；　in

exordiums；　parentheses　and　perorations；　permeating　every　sentence　like

the　drone　of　a　bag…pipe。＇109＇　　…　Through　the　delight　he　takes　in　this

he　can　listen　to　nothing　else；　and　it　is　just　here　that　the　outward

echoes　supervene　and　sustain　with　their　accompaniment　the　inward

cantata　which　he　sings　to　his　own　glory。　　Towards　the　end　of　the

Constituent　Assembly；　through　the　withdrawal　or　the　elimination　of

every　man　at　all　able　or　competent；　he　becomes　one　of　the　conspicuous

tenors　on　the　political　stage；　while　in　the　Jacobin　Club　he　is

decidedly　the　tenor　most　in　vogue。　　…　〃Unique　competitor　of　the　Roman

Fabricius；〃　writes　the　branch　club　at　Marseilles　to　him；　〃immortal

defender　of　popular　rights；〃　says　the　Jacobin　crew　of　Bourges。＇110＇

One　of　two　portraits　of　him　in　the　exhibition　of　1791　bears　the

inscription：　〃The　Incorruptible。〃　At　the　Moliere　Theatre　a　drama　of

the　day　represents　him　as　launching　the　thunderbolts　of　his　logic　and

virtue　at　Rohan　and　Condé。　　On　his　way；　at　Bapaume；　the　patriots　of

the　place；　the　National　Guard　on　the　road　and　the　authorities；　come　in

a　body　to　honor　the　great　man。　　The　town　of　Arras　is　illuminated　on

his　arrival。　　On　the　adjournment　of　the　Constituent　Assembly　the

people　in　the　street　greet　him　with　shouts；　crown　him　with　oak

wreaths；　take　the　horses　from　his　cab　and　drag　him　in　triumph　to　the

rue　St。　　Honoré；　where　he　lodges　with　the　carpenter　Duplay。　　…　Here；

in　one　of　those　families　in　which　the　semi…bourgeois　class　borders　on

the　people；　whose　minds　are　unsophisticated；　and　on　whom　glittering

generalities　and　oratorical　tirades　take　full　hold；　he　finds　his

worshippers；　they　drink　in　his　words；　they　have　t