the origins of contemporary france-4-第87章

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that　they　may　pay　their　drafts；　they　are　let　out　as　a　favor；　but　on

condition　that　they　remain　under　arrest　in　their　homes；　at　their　own

expense；　under　guard　of　two　good　sans…culottes。＇131＇　　In　like　manner；

at　Nantes；＇132＇　Lyons；　Marseilles　and　Bordeaux；　the　prisons　are　filled

and　the　guillotine　works　according　to　the　categories。　　At　one　time

they　are　〃all　of　the　Grand　Théatre；〃　or　the　principal　merchants；　〃to

the　number　of　more　than　200；〃　are　incarcerated　at　Bordeaux　in　one

night。＇133＇　At　another　time；　Paris　provides　a　haul　of　farmer…generals

or　parliamentarians。　　Carts　leave　Toulouse　conveying　its

parliamentarians　to　Paris　to　undergo　capital　punishment。　　At　Aix；

writes　an　agent；＇134＇



〃the　guillotine　is　going　to　work　on　former　lawyers　a　few　hundred　heads

legally　taken　off　will　do　the　greatest　good。〃



And；　as　new　crimes　require　new　terms　to　designate　them；　they　add　to

〃incivisme〃　and　〃moderantisme；〃　the　term　〃negociantisme；〃　all　of　which

are　easily　stated　and　widespread　crimes。



〃The　rich　and　the　merchants；〃　writes　an　observer；＇135＇　〃are　here；　as

elsewhere；　born　enemies　of　equality　and　lovers　of　hideous　federalism；

the　only　aristocracy　that　remains　to　be　crushed　out。〃



Barras；　with　still　greater　precision；　declares　in　the　tribune　that；

〃commerce　is　usurious；　monarchical　and　anti…revolutionary。〃＇136＇

Considered　in　itself；　it　may　be　defined　as　an　appeal　to　bad　instincts；

it　seems　a　corrupting；　incivique；　anti…fraternal　institution；　many

Jacobins　having　proposed　either　to　interdict　it　to　private　persons　and

attribute　it　wholly　to　the　State；　or　suppress　it　along　with　the　arts

and　manufactures　which　nourish　it；　in　order　that　only　a　population　of

agriculturists　and　soldiers　may　be　left　in　France。＇137＇



The　second　advantage　and　the　second　crime　of　the　notables　is

superiority　of　education。　　〃In　all　respectable　assemblages；〃　writes　a

Dutch　traveler　in　1795；＇138＇　〃you　may　be　sure　that　one…half　of　those

present　have　been　in　prison。　　　Add　the　absent；　the　guillotined；　the

exiled；　emigrés；　the　deported；　and　note　this；　that；　in　the　other

favored　half；　those　who　did　not　quaff　the　prison　cup　had　had　a

foretaste　of　it　for；　each　expected　daily　to　receive　his　warrant　of

arrest；　〃the　worst　thing　under　Robespierre；　as　several　old　gentlemen

have　told　me；　was　that　one　never　knew　in　the　morning　whether　one　would

sleep　in　one's　own　bed　at　night。〃　There　was　not　a　well…bred　man　who

did　not　live　in　dread　of　this；　examine　the　lists　of　〃suspects；〃　of　the

arrested；　of　exiles；　of　those　executed；　in　any　town；　district　or

department；＇139＇　and　you　will　see　immediately；　through　their　quality

and　occupations；　first；　that　three…quarters　of　the　cultivated　are

inscribed　on　it；　and　next；　that　intellectual　culture　in　itself　is

suspect。　　〃They　were　equally　criminal；〃＇140＇　write　the　Strasbourg

administrators；　〃whether　rich　or　cultivated　。　　。　　。　　。　　The　（Jacobin）

municipality　declared　the　University　federalist；　it　proscribed　public

instruction　and；　consequently；　the　professors；　regents；　and　heads　of

schools；　with　all　instructors；　public　as　well　as　private；　even　those

provided　with　certificates　of　civism；　were　arrested；　。　　。　　。　　。　　every

Protestant　minister　and　teacher　in　the　Lower…Rhine　department　was

incarcerated；　with　a　threat　of　being　transferred　to　the　citadel　at

Besan？on。〃　…　Fourcroy；　in　the　Jacobin　Club　at　Paris；　excusing　himself

for　being　a　savant；　for　giving　lectures　on　chemistry；　for　not　devoting

his　time　to　the　rantings　of　the　Convention　and　of　the　clubs；　is

obliged　to　declare　that　he　is　poor；　that　he　lives　by　his　work；　that　he

supports　〃his　father；　a　sans…culotte；　and　his　sans…culotte　sisters；〃

although　a　good　republican；　he　barely　escapes；　and　the　same　with

others　like　him。　　　All　educated　men　were　persecuted；〃　he　states　a

month　after　Thermidor　9；＇141＇　〃to　have　acquaintances；　to　be　literary；

sufficed　for　arrest；　as　an　aristocrat。　　。　　。　　。　　Robespierre　。　　。　　。

with　devilish　ingenuity；　abused；　calumniated　and　overwhelmed　with　gall

and　bitterness　all　who　were　devoted　to　serious　studies；　all　who

professed　extensive　knowledge；　。　　。　　。　　he　felt　that　cultivated　men

would　never　bend　the　knee　to　him　＇142＇。　　。　　。　　。　　。　　Instruction　was

paralyzed；　they　wanted　to　burn　the　libraries　。　　。　　。　　。　　。　　Must　I

tell　you　that　at　the　very　door　of　your　assembly　errors　in　orthography

are　seen？　Nobody　learns　how　to　read　or　write。〃　…　At　Nantes；　Carrier

boasts　of　having　〃dispersed　the　literary　chambers；〃　while　in　his

enumeration　of　the　evil…minded　he　adds　〃to　the　rich　and　merchants；〃

〃all　gens　d'esprit。〃＇143＇　Sometimes　on　the　turnkey's　register　we　read

that　such　an　one　was　confined　〃for　being　clever　and　able　to　do

mischief；〃　another　for　saying　〃good…day；　gentlemen；　to　the　municipal

councillors。〃＇144＇



Politeness　has；　like　other　signs　of　a　good　education；　become　a　stigma；

good　manners　are　considered；　not　only　as　a　remnant　of　the　ancient

régime；　but　as　a　revolt　against　the　new　institutions；　now；　as　the

governing　principle　of　these　is；　theoretically；　abstract　equality　and；

practically；　the　ascendancy　of　the　low　class；　one　rebels　against　the

established　order　of　things　when　one　repudiates　coarse　companions；

familiar　oaths；　and　the　indecent　expressions　of　the　common　workman　and

the　soldier。　　In　sum；　Jacobinism；　through　its　doctrines　and　deeds；　its

dungeons　and　executioners；　proclaims　to　the　nation　over　which　it　holds

the　rod：＇145＇



　〃Be　rude；　that　you　may　become　republican；　return　to　barbarism　that

you　may　show　the　superiority　of　your　genius；　abandon　the　customs　of

civilized　people　that　you　may　adopt　those　of　galley　slaves；　mar　your

language　with　a　view　to　improve　it；　use　that　of　the　populace　under

penalty　of　death。　　Spanish　beggars　treat　each　other　in　a　dignified

way；　they　show　respect　for　humanity　although　in　tatters。　　We；　on　the

contrary；　order　you　to　assume　our　rags；　our　patois；　our　terms　of

intimacy。　　Don　the　carmagnole　and　tremble；　become　rustics　and　dolts；

and　prove　your　civism　by　the　absence　of　all　education。〃



This　is　true　to　the　letter。



〃Education；＇146＇　〃　says　another　contemporary；　〃amiable　qualities；

gentle　ways；　a　mild　physiognomy；　bodily　graces；　a　cultivated　mind；　all

natural　endowments　are　henceforth　the　inevitable　causes　of

proscription。〃



One　is　self…condemned　if　one　has　not　converted　oneself　into　a　sans…

culotte　and　proletarian；　in　accordance　with　affected　modes；　air；

language　and　dress。　　Hence；



〃through　a　hypocritical　contest　hitherto　unknown　men　who　were　not

vicious　deemed　it　necessary　to　appear　so。〃



And　worse　still；



　〃one　was　even　afraid　to　be　oneself；　one　changed　one's　name；　one　went

in　disguise；　wearing　a　vulgar　and　tasteless　attire；　everybody　shrunk

from　being　what　he　was。〃



For；　according　to　the　Jacobin　program；　all　Frenchmen　must　be

recast＇147＇　in　one　uniform　mold；　they　must　be　taken　when　small；　all

must　be　subject　to　the　same　enforced　education；　that　of　a　mechanic；

rustic　and　soldier's　boy。　　Be　warned；　ye　adults；　by　the　guillotine；

reform　yourselves　beforehand　according　to　the　prescribed　pattern！　No

more　costly；　elegant　or　delicate　crystal　or　gold　vases！　All　are

shattered　or　are　still　being　shattered。　　Henceforth；　only　common　ware

is　to　be　tolerated　or　ordered　to　be　made；　all　alike　in　substance；

shape　and　color；　manufactured　by　thousands　at　wholesale　and　in　public

factories；　for　the　common　and　plain　uses　of　rural　and　military　life；

all　original　and　superior　forms　are　to　be　rejected。



　〃The　masters　of　the　day；〃　writes　Daunou；＇148＇　〃deliberately　aimed

their　sword　thrusts　at　superior　talent；　at　energetic　characters；　they

mowed　down　as　well　as　they　could　in　so　short　a　time；　the　flower　and

hope　of　the　nation。〃



In　this　respect　they　were　consistent；　equality…socialism＇149＇　allows

none　but　automatic　citizens；　mere　tools　in　the　hands　of　the　State；　all

alike；　of　a　rudimentary　fashion　and　easily　managed；　without　personal

conscience；　spontaneity；　curiosity　or　integrity；　whoever　has

cultivated　himself；　whoever　has　thought　for　himself　and　exercised　his

own　will　and　judgment　rises　above　the　level　and　shakes　off　the　yoke；

to　obtain　consideration；　to　be　intelligent　and　honorable；　to　belong　to

the　élite；　is　to　be　anti…revolutionary。　　In　the　popular　club　of　Bourg…

en…Bresse；＇150＇　Representative　Javogues　declared　that；



　〃the　Republic　could　be　established　only　on　the　corpse　of　the　last　of

the　respectable　men。〃



X。　　　The　Governors　and　the　Governed。



Prisoners　in　the　rue　de　Sévres　and　the　〃Croix…Rouge〃　revolutionary

committee。　　…　The　young　Dauphin　and　Simon　his　preceptor。　　…　Judges；

and　those　under　their　jurisdiction。　　…　Trenchard　and　Coffinhal；

Lavoisier　and　André　Chénier。



Here　we　have；　on　one　side；　the　élite　of　France；　almost　every　person　of

rank；　fortune；　family；　and　merit；　those　eminent　for　intelligence；

culture；　talent　and　virtue；　all　deprived　of　common　rights；　in　exile；

in　prison；　under　pikes；　and　on　the　scaffold。　　On　the　other　side；　those

above　common　law；　possessing　every　office　and　omnipotent　in　the

irresponsible　dictatorship；　in　the　despotic　proconsulships；　in　the

sovereignty　of　justice；　a　horde　of　the　outcasts　of　all　classes；　the

parvenus　of　fanaticism；　charlatanism；　imbecility　and　crime。　　Often；

when　these　personalities　meet；　one　sees　the　contrast　between　the

governed　and　the　governors　in　such　strong　relief　that　one　almost

regards　it　as　calculated　and　arranged　beforehand；　the　colors　and　brush

of　the　painter；　rather　than　words；　are　necessary　to　represent　it。　　In

the　western　section　of　Paris；　in　the　prisons　of　the　rue　de　Sévres＇151＇

the　prisoners　consist　of　the　most　distinguished　personages　of　the

Quartier　Saint　Germain；　prelates；　officers；　grand…seigniors；　and　noble

ladies；　…　…　Monseigneur　de　Clermont…Tonnerre；　Monseigneur　de　Crussol

d'Amboise；　Monseigneur　de　Hersaint；　Monseigneur　de　Saint　Simon；　bishop

of　Agde；　the　Comtesse　de　Narbonne…Pelet；　the　Duchesse　de　Choiseul；　the

Princesse　de　Chimay；　the　Comtesse　de　Raymond…Narbonne　and　her

daughter；　two　years　of　age；　in　short；　the　flower　of　that　refined

society　which　Europe　admired　and　imitated　and　which；　in　its　exquisite

perfection；　equalled　or　surpassed　all　that　Greece；　Rome　and　Italy　had

produced　in　brilliancy；　polish　and　amiability。　　Contrast　with　these

the　arbiters　of　their　lives　and　deaths；　the　potentates　of　the　same

quarter　who　issue　the　warrants　of　arrest　against　them；　who　pen　them　in

to　speculate　on　them；　and　who　revel　at　their　expense　and　before　their

eyes：　these　consist　of　the　members　of　the　revolutionary　committee　of

the　Croix…Rouge；　the　eighteen　convicted　rogues　and　debauchees

previously　described；＇152＇　ex…cab…drivers；　porters；　cobblers；　street…

messengers；　stevedores；　bankrupts；　counterfeiters；　former　or　future

jail…birds；　all　clients　of　the　police　or　alms…house　riff…raff。　　…　At

the　other　end　of　Paris；　in　the　east；　in　the　tower　of　the　Temple；

separated　from　his　sister