the origins of contemporary france-4-第39章

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many　dissidents　are　there；　disguised　as　orthodox；　charlatans　disguised

as　patriots；　and　pashas　disguised　as　sans…culottes？＇138＇　Add　all　this

vermin　to　that　which　Marat　seeks　to　crush　out；　it　is　no　longer　by

hundreds　of　thousands；　but　by　millions。　　exclaim　Baudot；　Jeanbon…

Saint…André　and　Guffroy；　that　the　guilty　must　be　counted　and　cut　off

their　heads！　…　And　all　these　heads；　Robespierre；　according　to　his

maxims；　must　strike　off。　　He　is　well　aware　of　this；　hostile　as　his

intellect　may　be　to　precise　ideas；　he；　when　alone　in　his　closet；　face

to　face　with　himself；　sees　clearly；　as　clearly　as　Marat。　　Marat's

chimera；　on　first　spreading　out　its　wings；　bore　its　frenzied　rider

swiftly　onward　to　the　charnel　house；　that　of　Robespierre；　fluttering

and　hobbling　along；　reaches　the　goal　in　its　turn；　in　its　turn；　it

demands　something　to　feed　on；　and　the　rhetorician；　the　professor　of

principles；　begins　to　assess　the　voracity　of　the　monstrous　brute　on

which　he　is　mounted。　　Slower　than　the　other；　this　one　is　still　more

ravenous；　for；　with　similar　claws　and　teeth；　it　has　a　vaster　appetite。

At　the　end　of　three　years　Robespierre　has　overtaken　Marat；　at　that

distant　end　of　the　line；　at　the　station　where　Marat　had　established

himself　from　the　very　beginning；　and　the　theoretician　now　adopts　the

policy；　the　aim；　the　means；　the　work；　and　almost　the　vocabulary　of　a

maniac：＇139＇



armed　dictatorship　of　the　urban　mob；

systematic　perturbation　of　the　bribed　rabble；

war　against　the　bourgeoisie；

extermination　of　the　rich；



placing　opposition　writers；　administrators　and　deputies　outside　the

law。



Both　monsters　get　the　same　food；　only；　to　the　ration　of　his　monster；

Robespierre　adds　〃vicious　men〃　as　its　special　and　favorite　prey。

Henceforth；　he　may　in　vain　abstain　from　action；　take　refuge　in　his

rhetoric；　stop　his　chaste　ears；　and　raise　his　hypocritical　eyes　to

heaven；　he　cannot　avoid　seeing　or　hearing　under　his　immaculate　feet

the　streaming　gore；　and　the　bones　crashing　in　the　open　jaws　of　the

insatiable　monster　which　he　has　fashioned　and　on　which　he　rides。＇140＇

These　ever　open　and　hungry　jaws　must　be　daily　fed　with　an　ampler

supply　of　human　flesh；　not　only　is　he　bound　to　let　it　eat；　but　to

furnish　the　food；　often　with　his　own　hands；　except　that　he　must

afterwards　wash　them；　declaring；　and　even　believing；　that　no　spot　of

blood　has　ever　soiled　them。　　He　is　generally　content　to　caress　and

flatter　the　brute；　to　excuse　it；　to　let　it　go　on。　　Nevertheless；　more

than　once；　tempted　by　the　opportunity；　he　has　launched　it　against　his

designated　victim。＇141＇　　He　is　now　himself　starting　off　in　quest　of

living　prey；　he　casts　the　net　of　his　rhetoric＇142＇　around　it；　he

fetches　it　bound　to　the　open　jaws；　he　thrusts　aside　with　an

uncompromising　air　the　arms　of　friends；　wives　and　mothers；　the

outstretched　hands　of　suppliants　begging　for　lives；＇143＇　he　suddenly

throttles　the　struggling　victims＇144＇　and；　for　fear　that　they　might

escape；　he　strangles　them　in　time。　　Near　the　end；　this　is　no　longer

enough；　the　brute　must　have　grander　quarries；　and；　accordingly；　a　pack

of　hounds；　beaters…up；　and；　willingly　or　not；　it　is　Robespierre　who

equips；　directs　and　urges　them　on；　at　Orange；　at　Paris；＇145＇　ordering

them　to　empty　the　prison's；　and　be　expeditious　in　doing　their　work。　　…

In　this　profession　of　slaughtering；　destructive　instincts；　long

repressed　by　civilization；　become　aroused。　　His　feline　physiognomy；　at

first　〃that　of　a　domestic　cat；　restless　but　mild；　changes　into　the

savage　appearance　of　the　wildcat；　and　close　to　the　ferocious　exterior

of　the　tiger。　　In　the　Constituent　Assembly　he　speaks　with　a　whine；　in

the　Convention　he　froths　at　the　mouth。〃＇146＇　　The　monotonous　drone　of

a　stiff　sub…professor　changes　into　the　personal　accent　of　furious

passion；　he　hisses　and　grinds　his　teeth；＇147＇　Sometimes；　on　a　change

of　scene；　he　affects　to　shed　tears。＇148＇　　But　his　wildest　outbursts

are　less　alarming　than　his　affected　sensibility。　　The　festering

grudges；　corrosive　envies　and　bitter　scheming　which　have　accumulated

in　his　breast　are　astonishing。　　The　gall　bladder　is　full；　and　the

extravasated　gall　overflows　on　the　dead。　　He　never　tires　of　re…

executing　his　guillotined　adversaries；　the　Girondists；　Chaumette；

Hébert　and　especially　Danton；＇149＇　probably　because　Danton　was　the

active　agent　in　the　Revolution　of　which　he　was　simply　the　incapable

pedagogue；　he　vents　his　posthumous　hatred　on　this　still　warm　corpse　in

artful　insinuations　and　obvious　misrepresentations。　　Thus；　inwardly

corroded　by　the　venom　it　distills；　his　physical　machine　gets　out　of

order；　like　that　of　Marat；　but　with　other　symptoms。　　When　speaking　in

the　tribune　〃his　hands　crisp　with　a　sort　of　nervous　contraction；〃

sudden　tremors　agitate　〃his　shoulders　and　neck；　shaking　him

convulsively　to　and　fro。〃＇150＇　〃His　bilious　complexion　becomes　livid；〃

his　eyelids　quiver　under　his　spectacles；　and　how　he　looks！　〃Ah；〃　said

a　Montagnard；　〃you　would　have　voted　as　we　did　on　the　9th　of　Thermidor；

had　you　seen　his　green　eyeballs　！〃　〃Physically　as　well　as　morally；〃　he

becomes　a　second　Marat；　suffering　all　the　more　because　his　delirium　is

not　steady；　and　because　his　policy；　being　a　moral　one；　forces　him　to

exterminate　on　a　grander　scale。



But　he　is　a　discreet　Marat；　of　a　timid　temperament；　anxious；＇151＇

keeping　his　thoughts　to　himself；　made　for　a　school…master　or　a

pleader；　but　not　for　taking　the　lead　or　for　governing；　always　acting

hesitatingly；　and　ambitious　to　be　rather　the　pope；　than　the　dictator

of　the　Revolution。＇152＇　　Above　all；　he　wants　to　remain　a　political

Grandison＇153＇；　until　the　very　end；　he　keeps　his　mask；　not　only　in

public　but　also　to　himself　and　in　his　inmost　conscience。　　The　mask；

indeed；　has　adhered　to　his　skin；　he　can　no　longer　distinguish　one　from

the　other；　never　did　an　impostor　more　carefully　conceal　intentions　and

acts　under　sophisms；　and　persuade　himself　that　the　mask　was　his　face；

and　that　in　telling　a　lie；　he　told　the　truth。



Taking　his　word　for　it；　he　had　nothing　to　do　with　the　September

events。＇154＇　　〃Previous　to　these　events；　he　had　ceased　to　attend　the

General　Council　of　the　Commune。　　。　　。　　He　no　longer　went　there。〃　He

was　not　charged　with　any　duty；　he　had　no　influence　there；　he　had　not

provoked　the　arrest　and　murder　of　the　Girondists。＇155＇　　All　he　did　was

to　〃speak　frankly　concerning　certain　members　of　the　Committee　of

Twenty…one；〃　as　〃a　magistrate〃　and　〃one　of　a　municipal　assembly。〃

Should　he　not〃　explain　himself　freely　on　the　authors　of　a　dangerous

plot？〃　Besides；　the　Commune　〃far　from　provoking　the　2nd　of　September

did　all　in　its　power　to　prevent　it。〃　After　all；　only　one　innocent

person　perished；　〃which　is　undoubtedly　one　too　many。　　Citizens；　mourn

over　this　cruel　mistake；　we　too　have　long　mourned　over　it！　But；　as　all

things　human　come　to　an　end；　let　your　tears　cease　to　flow。〃　When　the

sovereign　people　resumes　its　delegated　power　and　exercises　its

inalienable　rights；　we　have　only　to　bow　our　heads。　　…　Moreover；　it　is

just；　wise　and　good　〃in　all　that　it　undertakes；　all　is　virtue　and

truth；　nothing　can　be　excess；　error　or　crime。〃＇156＇　　It　must　intervene

when　its　true　representatives　are　hampered　by　the　law　〃let　it　assemble

in　its　sections　and　compel　the　arrest　of　faithless　deputies。〃＇157＇

What　is　more　legal　than　such　a　motion；　which　is　the　only　part

Robespierre　took　on　the　31st　of　May。　　He　is　too　scrupulous　to　commit

or　prescribe　an　illegal　act。　　That　will　do　for　the　Dantons；　the

Marats；　men　of　relaxed　morals　or　excited　brains；　who　if　need　be；　tramp

in　the　gutters　and　roll　up　their　shirt…sleeves；　as　to　himself；　he　can

do　nothing　that　would　ostensibly　derange　or　soil　the　dress　proper　to

an　honest　man　and　irreproachable　citizen。　　In　the　Committee　of　Public

Safety；　he　merely　executes　the　decrees　of　the　Convention；　and　the

Convention　is　always　free。　　He　a　dictator！　He　is　merely　one　of　seven

hundred　deputies；　and　his　authority；　if　he　has　any；　is　simply　the

legitimate　ascendancy　of　reason　and　virtue。＇158＇　He　a　murderer！　If　he

has　denounced　conspirators；　it　is　the　Convention　which　summons　these

before　the　revolutionary　Tribunal；＇159＇　and　the　revolutionary　Tribunal

pronounces　judgment　on　them。　　He　a　terrorist！　He　merely　seeks　to

simplify　the　established　proceedings；　so　as　to　secure　a　speedier

release　of　the　innocent；　the　punishment　of　the　guilty；　and　the　final

purgation　that　is　to　render　liberty　and　morals　the　order　of　the

day。＇160＇　…　Before　uttering　all　this　he　almost　believes　it；　and；　when

he　has　uttered　it　he　believes　it　fully。＇161＇　　When　nature　and　history

combine；　to　produce　a　character；　they　succeed　better　than　man's

imagination。　　Neither　Molière　in　his　〃Tartuffe；〃　nor　Shakespeare　in

his　〃　Richard　III。；〃　dared　bring　on　the　stage　a　hypocrite　believing

himself　sincere；　and　a　Cain　that　regarded　himself　as　an　Abel。＇162＇

There　he　stands　on　a　colossal　stage；　in　the　presence　of　a　hundred

thousand　spectators；　on　the　8th　of　June；　1794；　the　most　glorious　day

of　his　life；　at　that　fête　in　honor　of　the　Supreme　Being；　which　is　the

glorious　triumph　of　his　doctrine　and　the　official　consecration　of　his

papacy。　　Two　characters　are　found　in　Robespierre；　as　in　the　Revolution

which　he　represents：　one；　apparent；　paraded；　external；　and　the　other

hidden；　dissembled；　inward；　the　latter　being　overlaid　by　the　former。

…　The　first　one　all　for　show；　fashioned　out　of　purely　cerebral

cogitations；　is　as　artificial　as　the　solemn　farce　going　on　around　him。

According　to　David's　programme；　the　cavalcade　of　supernumeraries　who

file　in　front　of　an　allegorical　mountain；　gesticulate　and　shout　at　the

command；　and　under　the　eyes；　of　Henriot　and　his　gendarmes；＇163＇

manifesting　at　the　appointed　time　the　emotions　which　are　prescribed

for　them。　　At　five　o'clock　in　the　morning



〃friends；　husbands；　wives；　relations　and　children　will　embrace　。　　。　　。

。　　The　old　man；　his　eyes　streaming　with　tears　of　joy；　feels　himself

rejuvenated。〃



At　two　o'clock；　on　the　turf…laid　terraces　of　the　sacred　mountain；



　〃all　will　show　a　state　of　commotion　and　excitement：　mothers　here

press　to　their　bosoms　the　infants　they　suckle；　and　there　offer　them　up

in　homage　to　the　author　of　Nature；　while　youths；　aglow　with　the　ardor

of　battle；　simultaneously　draw　their　swords　and　hand　them　to　their

venerable　fathers。　　Sharing　in　the　enthusiasm　of　their　sons；　the

deported　old　men　embrace　them　and　bestow　on　them　the　paternal

benediction。　　。　　。　　。　　。　　All　the　men　distributed　around　the　'Field　of

Reunion'　sing　in　chorus　the　（first）　refrain。　　。　　。　　。　　　All　the　Women

distributed　around　the　'Field　of　Reunion'　sing　in　unison　the　（second）

refrain　。　　。　　。　　。　　All　Frenchmen　partake　of　each　other's　sentiments

in　one　grand　fraternal　embrace。〃



What　could　better　than　such　an　idyll；　ruled　with　an　iron　hand；　in　the

presence　of　moral　symbols　and　colored　pasteboard　divinities；　could

better　please　the　counterfeit　moralist；　u