zanoni-第65章

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a　young　man；　said　to　resemble　Robespierre　in　person；　but　of　a　far

more　decided　and　resolute　expression　of　countenance。　　He　entered

first；　and；　looking　over　the　volume　in　Robespierre's　hand；　for

the　latter　seemed　still　intent　on　his　lecture；　exclaimed；



〃What！　　Rousseau's　Heloise？　　A　love…tale！〃



〃Dear　Payan；　it　is　not　the　love；it　is　the　philosophy　that

charms　me。　　What　noble　sentiments！what　ardour　of　virtue！　　If

Jean　Jacques　had　but　lived　to　see　this　day！〃



While　the　Dictator　thus　commented　on　his　favourite　author；　whom

in　his　orations　he　laboured　hard　to　imitate；　the　second　visitor

was　wheeled　into　the　room　in　a　chair。　　This　man　was　also　in　what；

to　most；　is　the　prime　of　life；namely；　about　thirty…eight；　but

he　was　literally　dead　in　the　lower　limbs：　　crippled；　paralytic；

distorted；　he　was　yet；　as　the　time　soon　came　to　tell　him；a

Hercules　in　Crime！　　But　the　sweetest　of　human　smiles　dwelt　upon

his　lips；　a　beauty　almost　angelic　characterised　his　features

（〃Figure　d'ange；〃　says　one　of　his　contemporaries；　in　describing

Couthon。　　The　address；　drawn　up　most　probably　by　Payan　（Thermidor

9）；　after　the　arrest　of　Robespierre；　thus　mentions　his　crippled

colleague：　　〃Couthon；　ce　citoyen　vertueux；　QUI　N'A　QUE　LE　COEUR

ET　LA　TETE　DE　VIVANS；　mais　qui　les　a　brulants　de　patriotisme〃

（Couthon；　that　virtuous　citizen；　who　has　but　the　head　and　the

heart　of　the　living；　yet　possesses　these　all　on　flame　with

patriotism。））；　an　inexpressible　aspect　of　kindness；　and　the

resignation　of　suffering　but　cheerful　benignity；　stole　into　the

hearts　of　those　who　for　the　first　time　beheld　him。　　With　the　most

caressing；　silver；　flute…like　voice；　Citizen　Couthon　saluted　the

admirer　of　Jean　Jacques。



〃Nay；do　not　say　that　it　is　not　the　LOVE　that　attracts　thee；　it

IS　the　love！　but　not　the　gross；　sensual　attachment　of　man　for

woman。　　No！　the　sublime　affection　for　the　whole　human　race；　and

indeed；　for　all　that　lives！〃



And　Citizen　Couthon；　bending　down；　fondled　the　little　spaniel

that　he　invariably　carried　in　his　bosom；　even　to　the　Convention；

as　a　vent　for　the　exuberant　sensibilities　which　overflowed　his

affectionate　heart。　　（This　tenderness　for　some　pet　animal　was　by

no　means　peculiar　to　Couthon；　it　seems　rather　a　common　fashion

with　the　gentle　butchers　of　the　Revolution。　　M。　George　Duval

informs　us　（〃Souvenirs　de　la　Terreur；〃　volume　iii　page　183）　that

Chaumette　had　an　aviary；　to　which　he　devoted　his　harmless

leisure；　the　murderous　Fournier　carried　on　his　shoulders　a　pretty

little　squirrel；　attached　by　a　silver　chain；　Panis　bestowed　the

superfluity　of　his　affections　upon　two　gold　pheasants；　and　Marat；

who　would　not　abate　one　of　the　three　hundred　thousand　heads　he

demanded；　REARED　DOVES！　　Apropos　of　the　spaniel　of　Couthon；　Duval

gives　us　an　amusing　anecdote　of　Sergent；　not　one　of　the　least

relentless　agents　of　the　massacre　of　September。　　A　lady　came　to

implore　his　protection　for　one　of　her　relations　confined　in　the

Abbaye。　　He　scarcely　deigned　to　speak　to　her。　　As　she　retired　in

despair；　she　trod　by　accident　on　the　paw　of　his　favourite

spaniel。　　Sergent；　turning　round；　enraged　and　furious；　exclaimed；

〃MADAM；　HAVE　YOU　NO　HUMANITY？〃）



〃Yes；　for　all　that　lives；〃　repeated　Robespierre；　tenderly。　　〃Good

Couthon；poor　Couthon！　　Ah；　the　malice　of　men！how　we　are

misrepresented！　　To　be　calumniated　as　the　executioners　of　our

colleagues！　　Ah；　it　is　THAT　which　pierces　the　heart！　　To　be　an

object　of　terror　to　the　enemies　of　our　country；THAT　is　noble；

but　to　be　an　object　of　terror　to　the　good；　the　patriotic；　to

those　one　loves　and　reveres；THAT　is　the　most　terrible　of　human

tortures　at　least；　to　a　susceptible　and　honest　heart！〃　　（Not　to

fatigue　the　reader　with　annotations；　I　may　here　observe　that

nearly　every　sentiment　ascribed　in　the　text　to　Robespierre　is　to

be　found　expressed　in　his　various　discourses。）



〃How　I　love　to　hear　him！〃　ejaculated　Couthon。



〃Hem！〃　said　Payan；　with　some　impatience。　　〃But　now　to　business！〃



〃Ah；　to　business！〃　said　Robespierre；　with　a　sinister　glance　from

his　bloodshot　eyes。



〃The　time　has　come；〃　said　Payan；　〃when　the　safety　of　the　Republic

demands　a　complete　concentration　of　its　power。　　These　brawlers　of

the　Comite　du　Salut　Public　can　only　destroy；　they　cannot

construct。　　They　hated　you；　Maximilien；　from　the　moment　you

attempted　to　replace　anarcy　by　institutions。　　How　they　mock　at

the　festival　which　proclaimed　the　acknowledgment　of　a　Supreme

Being：　　they　would　have　no　ruler；　even　in　heaven！　　Your　clear　and

vigorous　intellect　saw　that；　having　wrecked　an　old　world；　it

became　necessary　to　shape　a　new　one。　　The　first　step　towards

construction　must　be　to　destroy　the　destroyers。　　While　we

deliberate；　your　enemies　act。　　Better　this　very　night　to　attack

the　handful　of　gensdarmes　that　guard　them；　than　to　confront　the

battalions　they　may　raise　to…morrow。〃



〃No；〃　said　Robespierre；　who　recoiled　before　the　determined　spirit

of　Payan；　〃I　have　a　better　and　safer　plan。　　This　is　the　6th　of

Thermidor；　on　the　10thon　the　10th；　the　Convention　go　in　a　body

to　the　Fete　Decadaire。　　A　mob　shall　form；　the　canonniers；　the

troops　of　Henriot；　the　young　pupils　de　l'Ecole　de　Mars；　shall　mix

in　the　crowd。　　Easy；　then；　to　strike　the　conspirators　whom　we

shall　designate　to　our　agents。　　On　the　same　day；　too；　Fouquier

and　Dumas　shall　not　rest；　and　a　sufficient　number　of　'the

suspect'　to　maintain　salutary　awe；　and　keep　up　the　revolutionary

excitement；　shall　perish　by　the　glaive　of　the　law。　　The　10th

shall　be　the　great　day　of　action。　　Payan；　of　these　last　culprits；

have　you　prepared　a　list？〃



〃It　is　here；〃　returned　Payan；　laconically；　presenting　a　paper。



Robespierre　glanced　over　it　rapidly。　　〃Collot　d'Herbois！good！

Barrere！ay；　it　was　Barrere　who　said；　'Let　us　strike：　　the　dead

alone　never　return。'　　（〃Frappons！　il　n'y　a　que　les　morts　qui　ne

revient　pas。〃Barrere。）　　Vadier；　the　savage　jester！goodgood！

Vadier　of　the　Mountain。　　He　has　called　me　'Mahomet！'　　Scelerat！

blasphemer！〃



〃Mahomet　is　coming　to　the　Mountain；〃　said　Couthon；　with　his

silvery　accent；　as　he　caressed　his　spaniel。



〃But　how　is　this？　　I　do　not　see　the　name　of　Tallien？　　Tallien；I

hate　that　man；　that　is；〃　said　Robespierre；　correcting　himself

with　the　hypocrisy　or　self…deceit　which　those　who　formed　the

council　of　this　phrase…monger　exhibited　habitually；　even　among

themselves；〃that　is；　Virtue　and　our　Country　hate　him！　　There　is

no　man　in　the　whole　Convention　who　inspires　me　with　the　same

horror　as　Tallien。　　Couthon；　I　see　a　thousand　Dantons　where

Tallien　sits！〃



〃Tallien　has　the　only　head　that　belongs　to　this　deformed　body；〃

said　Payan；　whose　ferocity　and　crime；　like　those　of　St。　Just；

were　not　unaccompanied　by　talents　of　no　common　order。　　〃Were　it

not　better　to　draw　away　the　head；　to　win；　to　buy　him；　for　the

time；　and　dispose　of　him　better　when　left　alone？　　He　may　hate

YOU；　but　he　loves　MONEY！〃



〃No；〃　said　Robespierre；　writing　down　the　name　of　Jean　Lambert

Tallien；　with　a　slow　hand　that　shaped　each　letter　with　stern

distinctness；　〃that　one　head　IS　MY　NECESSITY！〃



〃I　have　a　SMALL　list　here；〃　said　Couthon；　sweetly；〃a　VERY　small

list。　　You　are　dealing　with　the　Mountain；　it　is　necessary　to　make

a　few　examples　in　the　Plain。　　These　moderates　are　as　straws　which

follow　the　wind。　　They　turned　against　us　yesterday　in　the

Convention。　　A　little　terror　will　correct　the　weathercocks。　　Poor

creatures！　　I　owe　them　no　ill…will；　I　could　weep　for　them。　　But

before　all；　la　chere　patrie！〃



The　terrible　glance　of　Robespierre　devoured　the　list　which　the

man　of　sensibility　submitted　to　him。　　〃Ah；　these　are　well　chosen；

men　not　of　mark　enough　to　be　regretted；　which　is　the　best　policy

with　the　relics　of　that　party；　some　foreigners　too；yes；　THEY

have　no　parents　in　Paris。　　These　wives　and　parents　are　beginning

to　plead　against　us。　　Their　complaints　demoralise　the

guillotine！〃



〃Couthon　is　right；〃　said　Payan；　〃MY　list　contains　those　whom　it

will　be　safer　to　despatch　en　masse　in　the　crowd　assembled　at　the

Fete。　　HIS　list　selects　those　whom　we　may　prudently　consign　to

the　law。　　Shall　it　not　be　signed　at　once？〃



〃It　IS　signed；〃　said　Robespierre；　formally　replacing　his　pen　upon

the　inkstand。　　〃Now　to　more　important　matters。　　These　deaths　will

create　no　excitement；　but　Collot　d'Herbois；　Bourdon　De　l'Oise；

Tallien；〃　the　last　name　Robespierre　gasped　as　he　pronounced；

〃THEY　are　the　heads　of　parties。　　This　is　life　or　death　to　us　as

well　as　them。〃



〃Their　heads　are　the　footstools　to　your　curule　chair；〃　said

Payan；　in　a　half　whisper。　　〃There　is　no　danger　if　we　are　bold。

Judges；　juries；　all　have　been　your　selection。　　You　seize　with　one

hand　the　army；　with　the　other；　the　law。　　Your　voice　yet　commands

the　people〃



〃The　poor　and　virtuous　people；〃　murmured　Robespierre。



〃And　even；〃　continued　Payan；　〃if　our　design　at　the　Fete　fail　us；

we　must　not　shrink　from　the　resources　still　at　our　command。

Reflect！　　Henriot；　the　general　of　the　Parisian　army；　furnishes

you　with　troops　to　arrest；　the　Jacobin　Club　with　a　public　to

approve；　inexorable　Dumas　with　judges　who　never　acquit。　　We　must

be　bold！〃



〃And　we　ARE　bold；〃　exclaimed　Robespierre；　with　sudden　passion；

and　striking　his　hand　on　the　table　as　he　rose；　with　his　crest

erect；　as　a　serpent　in　the　act　to　strike。　　〃In　seeing　the

multitude　of　vices　that　the　revolutionary　torrent　mingles　with

civic　virtues；　I　tremble　to　be　sullied　in　the　eyes　of　posterity

by　the　impure　neighbourhood　of　these　perverse　men　who　thrust

themselves　among　the　sincere　defenders　of　humanity。　　What！they

think　to　divide　the　country　like　a　booty！　　I　thank　them　for　their

hatred　to　all　that　is　virtuous　and　worthy！　　These　men；〃and　he

grasped　the　list　of　Payan　in　his　hand；〃these！not　WEhave

drawn　the　line　of　demarcation　between　themselves　and　the　lovers

of　France！〃



〃True；　we　must　reign　alone！〃　muttered　Payan；　〃in　other　words；　the

state　needs　unity　of　will；〃　working；　with　his　strong　practical

mind；　the　corollary　from　the　logic　of　his　word…compelling

colleague。



〃I　will　go　to　the　Convention；〃　continued　Robespierre。　　〃I　have

absented　myself　too　long；lest　I　might　seem　to　overawe　the

Republic　that　I　have　created。　　Away　with　such　scruples！　　I　will

prepare　the　people！　　I　will　blast　the　traitors　with　a　look！〃



He　spoke　with　the　terrible　firmness　of　the　orator　that　had　never

failed；of　the　moral　will　that　marched　like　a　warrior　on　the

cannon。　　At　that　instant　he　was　interrupted；　a　letter　was　brought

to　him：　　he　opened　it；his　face　fell；　he　shook　from　limb　to

limb；　it　was　one　of　the　anonymous　warnings　by　which　the　hate　and

revenge　of　those　yet　left　alive　to　threaten　tortured　the　death…

giver。



〃Thou　art　smeared；〃　ran　the　lines；　〃with　the　best　blood　of

France。　　Read　thy　sentence！　　I　await　the　hour　when　the　people

shall　knell　thee　to　the　doomsman。　　If　my　hope　deceive　me；　if

deferr