the origins of contemporary france-4-第38章

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generalities　and　oratorical　tirades　take　full　hold；　he　finds　his

worshippers；　they　drink　in　his　words；　they　have　the　same　opinion　of

him　that　he　has　of　himself；　to　every　person　in　the　house；　husband；

wife　and　daughter；　he　is　the　great　patriot；　the　infallible　sage；　he

bestows　benedictions　night　and　morning；　he　inhales　clouds　of　incense；

he　is　a　god　at　home。　　The　faithful；　to　obtain　access　to　him　form　a

line　in　the　court。＇111＇　One　by　one　they　are　admitted　into　the

reception　room；　where　they　gather　around　portraits　of　him　drawn　with

pencil；　in　stump；　in　sepia　and　in　water　color；　and　before　miniature

busts　in　red　or　gray　plaster。　　Then；　on　the　signal　being　given　by　him；

they　penetrate　through　a　glass　door　into　the　sanctuary　where　he

presides；　into　the　private　closet　in　which　the　best　bust　of　him；　with

verses　and　mottoes；　replaces　him　during　his　absence。　　…　His

worshippers　adore　him　on　their　knees；　and　the　women　more　than　the　men。

On　the　day　he　delivers　his　apology　before　the　Convention　〃the　passages

are　lined　with　women＇112＇　。　　。　　。　　。　　seven　or　eight　hundred　of　them

in　the　galleries；　and　but　two　hundred　men　at　most；〃　and　how

frantically　they　cheer　him！　He　is　a　priest　surrounded　by

devotees。〃＇113＇　In　the　Jacobin　club；　when　he　delivers　his　〃amphigory；〃

there　are　sobs　of　emotion；　〃outcries　and　stamping　of　feet　almost

making　the　house　tumble。〃＇114＇　An　onlooker　who　shows　no　emotion　is

greeted　with　murmurs　and　obliged　to　slip　out；　like　a　heretic　that　has

strayed　into　a　church　on　the　elevation　of　the　Host。　　…　The　faster　the

revolutionary　thunderbolts　fall　on　other　heads；　so　does　Robespierre

mount　higher　and　higher　in　glory　and　deification。　　Letters　are

addressed　to　him　as　〃the　founder　of　the　Republic；　the　incorruptible

genius　who　foresees　all　and　saves　all；　who　can　neither　be　deceived　nor

seduced；〃＇115＇　who　has　〃the　energy　of　a　Spartan　and　the　eloquence　of

an　Athenian；〃＇116＇　〃who　shields　the　Republic　with　the　aegis　of　his

eloquence；〃＇117＇　who　〃illuminates　the　universe　with　his　writings；

fills　the　world　with　his　renown　and　regenerates　the　human　species　here

below；〃＇118＇　whose〃　name　is　now；　and　will　be；　held　in　veneration　for

all　ages；　present　and　to　come；〃＇119＇　who　is　〃the　Messiah　promised　by

the　Eternal　for　universal　reform。〃＇120＇　An　extraordinary　popularity；〃

says　Billaud…Varennes；＇121＇　a　popularity　which；　founded　under　the

Constituent　Assembly；　〃only　increased　during　the　Legislative

Assembly；〃　and；　later　on；　so　much　more；　that；　〃in　the　National

Convention　he　soon　found　himself　the　only　one　able　to　fix　attention　on

his　person。　　。　　。　　。　　and　control　public　opinion。　　。　　。　　。　　With　this

ascendancy　over　public　opinion；　with　this　irresistible　preponderance；

when　he　reached　the　Committee　of　Public　Safety；　he　was　already　the

most　important　being　in　France。〃　After　three　years；　a　chorus　of　a

thousand　voices；＇122＇　which　he　formed　and　directs；　repeats　again　and

again　in　unison　his　litany；　his　personal　creed；　a　hymn　of　three

stanzas　composed　by　him　in　his　own　honor；　and　which　he　daily　recites

to　himself　in　a　low　tone　of　voice；　and　often　in　a　loud　one：



　〃Robespierre　alone　has　discovered　the　best　type　of　citizen！

Robespierre　alone；　modestly　and　without　shortcomings；　fits　the

description！　Robespierre　alone　is　worthy　of　and　able　to　lead　the

Revolution！〃＇123＇



Cool　infatuation　carried　thus　far　is　equivalent　to　a　raging　fever；　and

Robespierre　almost　attains　to　the　ideas　and　the　ravings　of　Marat。



First；　in　his　own　eyes；　he；　like　Marat；　is　a　persecuted　man；　and；　like

Marat；　he　poses　himself　as　a　〃martyr；〃　but　more　skillfully　and　keeping

within　bounds；　affecting　the　resigned　and　tender　air　of　an　innocent

victim；　who；　offering　himself　as　a　sacrifice；　ascends　to　Heaven；

bequeathing　to　mankind　the　imperishable　souvenir　of　his　virtues。＇124＇



　〃I　arouse　against　me　the　pride　of　everybody；＇125＇　I　sharpen　against

me　a　thousand　daggers。　　I　am　a　sacrifice　to　every　species　of　hatred。

。　　。　　。　　It　is　certain　that　my　head　will　atone　for　the　truths　I　have

uttered。　　I　have　given　my　life；　and　shall　welcome　death　almost　as　a

boon。　　It　is；　perhaps；　Heaven's　will　that　my　blood　should　indicate　the

pathway　of　my　country　to　happiness　and　freedom。　　With　what　joy　I

accept　this　glorious　destiny！〃＇126＇　…



〃It　is　hardly　in　order　to　live　that　one　declares　war　against　tyrants；

and；　what　is　still　more　dangerous；　against　miscreants。　　。　　。　　。　　The

greater　their　eagerness　to　put　an　end　to　my　career　here　below；　the

more　eager　I　shall　be　to　fill　it　with　actions　serving　the　welfare　of

my　fellow…creatures。〃＇127＇



　〃All　these　offenders　outrage　me；＇128＇　actions　which　to　others　may

appear　insignificant　or　completely　legitimate　are　for　me　crimes。　　As

soon　as　someone　becomes　acquainted　with　me　he　is　at　once　calumniated。

Others　are　forgiven　for　their　fortune；　my　zeal　is　considered　a　crime。

Deprive　me　of　my　conscience　and　I　am　the　most　wretched　of　men。　　I　do

not　even　enjoy　the　rights　of　a　citizen。　　I　am　not　even　allowed　to

perform　my　duty　as　a　representative　of　the　people。　　。　　。　　。　　To　the

enemies　of　my　country；　to　whom　my　existence　seems　an　obstacle　to　their

heinous　plots；　I　am　ready　to　sacrifice　it；　if　their　odious　empire　is

to　endure。　　。　　。　　。　　。　　Let　their　road　to　the　scaffold　be　the　pathway

of　crime；　ours　shall　be　that　of　virtue；　let　the　hemlock　be　got　ready

for　me；　I　await　it　on　this　hallowed　spot。　　I　shall　at　least　bequeath

to　my　country　an　example　of　constant　affection　for　it；　and　to　the

enemies　of　humanity　the　disgrace　of　my　death。〃



Naturally；　and　always　just　like　Marat；　he　sees　around　himself　only　〃

the　perverted；　the　plotters；　the　traitors。〃＇129＇　…　Naturally；　as　with

Marat；　common　sense　with　him　is　perverted；　and；　like　Marat　again；　he

thinks　at　random。



　〃I　am　not　obliged　to　reflect；〃　said　he　to　Garat；　〃I　always　rely　on

first　impressions。〃



〃For　him；〃　says　the　same　authority；　〃the　best　reasons　are

suspicions；〃＇130＇　and　naught　makes　headway　against　suspicions；　not

even　the　most　positive　evidence。　　On　September　4；　1792；　talking

confidentially　with　Pétion；　and　hard　pressed　with　the　questions　that

he　put　to　him；　he　ends　by　saying；　〃Very　well；　I　think　that　Brissot　is

on　Brunswick's　side。〃＇131＇　…　Naturally；　finally；　he；　like　Marat；

imagines　the　darkest　fictions；　but　they　are　less　improvised；　less

grossly　absurd；　more　slowly　worked　out　and　more　industriously

interwoven　in　his　calculating　inquisitorial　brain。



〃Evidently；〃　he　says　to　Garat；　〃the　Girondists　are　conspiring。〃＇132＇



〃And　where？〃　demands　Garat。



〃Everywhere；〃　Robespierre　replies；　〃in　Paris；　throughout　France；　over

all　Europe。　　Gensonné；　at　Paris；　is　plotting　in　the　Faubourg　St。

Antoine；　going　about　among　the　shopkeepers　and　persuading　them　that　we

patriots　mean　to　pillage　their　shops。　　The　Gironde　（department）　has

for　a　long　time　been　plotting　its　separation　from　France　so　as　to　join

England；　the　chiefs　of　its　deputation　are　at　the　head　of　the　plot；　and

mean　to　carry　it　out　at　any　cost。　　Gensonné　makes　no　secret　of　it；　he

tells　all　among　them　who　will　listen　to　him　that　they　are　not

representatives　of　the　nation；　but　plenipotentiaries　of　the　Gironde。

Brissot　is　plotting　in　his　journal；　which　is　simply　a　tocsin　of　civil

war；　we　know　of　his　going　to　England；　and　why　he　went；　we　know　all

about　his　intimacy　with　that　Lebrun；　minister　of　foreign　affairs；　a

Liegois　and　creature　of　the　Austrian　house。　　Brissot's　best　friend　is

Clavière；　and　Clavière　has　plotted　wherever　he　could　breathe。　　Rabaut；

treacherous　like　the　Protestant　and　philosopher　that　he　is；　was　not

clever　enough　to　conceal　his　correspondence　with　that　courtier　and

traitor　Montesquiou；　six　months　ago　they　were　working　together　to　open

Savoy　and　France　to　the　Piedmontese。　　Servan　was　made　general　of　the

Pyrenean　army　only　to　give　the　keys　of　France　to　the　Spaniards。〃



〃Is　there　no　doubt　of　this　in　your　mind？〃　asks　Garat。



　〃None；　whatever。〃＇133＇



Such　assurance；　equal　to　that　of　Marat；　is　terrible　and　worse　in　its

effect；　for　Robespierre's　list　of　conspirators　is　longer　than　that　of

Marat。　　Political　and　social；　in　Marat's　mind；　the　list　comprehends

only　aristocrats　and　the　rich；　theological　and　moral　in　Robespierre's

mind；　it　comprehends　all　atheists　and　dishonest　persons；　that　is　to

say；　nearly　the　whole　of　his　party。　　In　this　narrow　mind；　given　up　to

abstractions　and　habitually　classifying　men　under　two　opposite

headings；　whoever　is　not　with　him　on　the　good　side　is　against　him　on

the　bad　side；　and；　on　the　bad　side；　the　common　understanding　between

the　factious　of　every　flag　and　the　rogues　of　every　degree；　is　natural。



〃All　aristocrats　are　corrupt；　and　every　corrupt　man　is　an　aristocrat；〃

for；　〃republican　government　and　public　morality　are　one　and　the　same

thing。〃＇134＇



Not　only　do　evil…doers　of　both　species　tend　through　instinct　and

interest　to　league　together；　but　their　league　is　already　perfected。

One　has　only　to　open　one's　eyes　to　detect　〃in　all　its　extent〃　the　plot

they　have　hatched；　〃the　frightful　system　of　destruction　of　public

morality。〃＇135＇　Guadet；　Vergniaud；　Gensonné；　Danton；　Hébert；　〃all　of

them　artificial　characters；〃　had　no　other　end　in　view　：　〃they

felt＇136＇　that；　to　destroy　liberty；　it　was　necessary　to　favor　by　every

means　whatever　tended　to　justify　egoism；　wither　the　heart　and　efface

that　idea　of　moral　beauty；　which　affords　the　only　rule　for　public

reason　in　its　judgment　of　the　defenders　and　enemies　of　humanity。〃　…

Their　heirs　remain；　but　let　those　be　careful。　　Immorality　is　a

political　offense；　one　conspires　against　the　State　merely　by　making　a

parade　of　materialism　or　by　preaching　indulgence；　by　acting

scandalously；　or　by　following　evil　courses；　by　stock…jobbing；　by

dining　too　sumptuously；　by　being　vicious；　scheming；　given　to

exaggeration；　or　〃on　the　fence；〃　by　exciting　or　perverting　the　people；

by　deceiving　the　people；　by　finding　fault　with　the　people；　by

distrusting　the　people；＇137＇　short；　when　one　does　not　march　straight

along　on　the　prescribed　path　marked　out　by　Robespierre　according　to

principles：　whoever　stumbles　or　turns　aside　is　a　scoundrel；　a　traitor。

Now；　not　counting　the　Royalists；　Feuillantists；　Girondists；

Hébertists；　Dantonists；　and　others　already　decapitated　or　imprisoned

according　to　their　merit；　how　many　traitors　still　remain　in　the

Convention；　on　the　Committees；　amongst　the　representatives　on　mission；

in　the　administrative　bodies　not　properly　weeded　out；　amongst　petty

tyrannical　underlings　and　the　entire　ruling；　influential　class　at

Paris　and　in　the　provinces？　Outside　of　〃about　twenty　political

Trappists　in　the　Convention；〃　outside　of　a　small　devoted　group　of　pure

Jacobins　in　Paris；　outside　of　a　faithful　few　scattered　among　the

popular　clubs　of　the　departments；　how　many　Fouchés；　Vadiers；　Talliens；

Bourdons；　Collots；　remain　amongst　the　so…called　revolutionaries？　How

many　dissidents　are　there；　disguised　as　orthodo