the origins of contemporary france-3-第49节

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either　yielded　or　perished。　Santerre；　certain　of　the　issue；　preferred

to　take　no　part　in　this　affair；　he　prudently　holds　back；　he　shies

away；　and　lets　the　crowd　push　him　into　the　council　chamber；　where　the

Queen；　the　young　Dauphin；　and　the　ladies　have　taken　refuge。＇48＇

There；　with　his　tall；　corpulent　figure；　he　formed　a　sort　of　shield　to

forestall　useless　and　compromising　injuries。　　In　the　mean　time；　in　the

Oeil　de　B？uf；　he　lets　things　take　their　course；　everything　will　be

done　in　his　absence　that　ought　to　be　done；　and　in　this　he　seems　to

have　calculated　justly。　　On　one　side；　in　a　window　recess；　sits　the

King　on　a　bench；　almost　alone；　while　in　front　of　him；　as　a　guard；　are

four　or　five　of　the　National　Guards；　on　the　other　side；　in　the

apartments；　is　an　immense　crowd；　hourly　increasing　according　as　the

rumor　of　the　irruption　spreads　in　the　vicinity；　fifteen　or　twenty

thousand　persons；　a　prodigious　accumulation；　a　pell…mell　traversed　by

eddies；　a　howling　sea　of　bodies　crushing　each　other；　and　of　which　the

simple　flux　and　reflux　would　flatten　against　the　walls　obstacles　ten

times　as　strong；　an　uproar　sufficient　to　shatter　the　window　panes；

〃frightful　yells；〃　curses　and　imprecations；　〃Down　with　M。　Veto！〃　〃Let

Veto　go　to　the　devil！〃　〃Take　back　the　patriot　ministers！〃　〃He　shall

sign；　we　won't　go　away　till　he　does！〃＇49＇　　Foremost　among　them　all；

Legendre；　more　resolute　than　Santerre；　declares　himself　the　spokesman

and　trustee　of　the　powers　of　the　sovereign　people：　〃Sir；〃　says　he　to

the　King；　who；　he　sees；　makes　a　gesture　of　surprise；　〃yes；　Sir；　listen

to　us；　you　are　made　to　listen　to　what　we　say！　　You　are　a　traitor！　You

have　always　deceived　us；　you　deceive　us　now！　But　look　out；　the　measure

is　full；　the　people　are　tired　of　being　played　upon　！　〃　　〃　Sire；

Sire；〃　exclaims　another　fanatic；　〃I　ask　you　in　the　name　of　the　hundred

thousand　beings　around　us　to　recall　the　patriot　ministers。　。　。　　　I

demand　the　sanction　of　the　decree　against　the　priests　and　the　twenty

thousand　men。　Either　the　sanction　or　you　shall　die！〃　　But　little　is

wanting　for　the　threat　to　be　carried　out。　The　first　comers　are　on

hand；　〃presenting　pikes；〃　among　them　〃a　brigand；〃　with　a　rusty　sword

blade　on　the　end　of　a　pole；　〃very　sharp；〃　and　who　points　this　at　the

King。　Afterwards　the　attempt　at　assassination　is　many　times　renewed；

obstinately；　by　three　or　four　madmen　determined　to　kill；　and　who　make

signs　of　so　doing；　one；　a　shabby；　ragged　fellow；　who　keeps　up　his

excitement　with　〃the　foulest　propositions；〃　the　second　one；　〃a　so…

called　conqueror　of　the　Bastille；〃　formerly　　porte…tête　for　Foulon　and

Berthier；　and　since　driven　out　of　the　battalion；　the　third；　a　market…

porter；　who；　〃for　more　than　an　hour；〃　armed　with　a　saber；　makes　a

terrible　effort　to　make　his　way　to　the　king。＇50＇　　Nothing　is　done。

The　king　remains　impassible　under　every　threat。　　He　takes　the　hand　of

a　grenadier　who　wishes　to　encourage　him；　and；　placing　it　on　his

breast；　bids　him；　〃See　if　that　is　the　beating　of　a　heart　agitated　by

fear。〃＇51＇　　To　Legendre　and　the　zealots　who　call　upon　him　to　sanction；

he　replies　without　the　least　excitement：



〃I　have　never　departed　from　the　Constitution。　。　　。　。　I　will　do　what

the　Constitution　requires　me　to　do。　。　。　。　It　is　you　who　break　the

law。〃



　And；　for　nearly　three　hours；　remaining　standing；　blockaded　on　his

bench；＇52＇　he　persists　in　this　without　showing　a　sign　of　weakness　or

of　anger。　This　cool　deportment　at　last　produces　an　effect；　the

impression　it　makes　on　the　spectators　not　being　at　all　that　which　they

anticipated。　　It　is　very　clear　that　the　personage　before　them　is　not

the　monster　which　has　been　depicted　to　them；　a　somber；　imperious

tyrant；　the　savage；　cunning　Charles　IX。　they　had　hissed　on　the　stage。

They　see　a　man　somewhat　stout；　with　placid；　benevolent　features；　whom

they　would　take；　without　his　blue　sash；　for　an　ordinary；　peaceable

bourgeois。＇53＇　　His　ministers；　near　by；　three　or　four　men　in　black

coats；　gentlemen　and　respectable　employees；　are　just　what　they　seem　to

be。　　In　another　window　recess　stands　his　sister；　Madame　Elizabeth；

with　her　sweet　and　innocent　face。　This　pretended　tyrant　is　a　man　like

other　men；　he　speaks　gently；　he　says　that　the　law　is　on　his　side；　and

nobody　says　the　contrary；　perhaps　he　is　less　wrong　than　he　is　thought

to　be。　　If　he　would　only　become　a　patriot！　　A　woman　in　the　room

brandishes　a　sword　with　a　cockade　on　its　point；　the　King　makes　a　sign

and　the　sword　is　handed　to　him；　which　he　raises　and；　hurrahing　with

the　crowd；　cries　out：　Vive　la　Nation！　That　is　already　one　good　sign。　A

red　cap　is　shaken　in　the　air　at　the　end　of　a　pole。　　Some　one　offers　it

to　him　and　he　puts　it　on　his　head；　applause　bursts　forth；　and　shouts

of　Vive　la　Nation！　Vive　la　Liberte！　and　even　vive　le　Roi！



From　this　time　forth　the　greatest　danger　is　over。　　But　it　is　not　that

the　besiegers　abandon　the　siege。　〃He　did　damned　well；〃　they　exclaim；

〃to　put　the　cap　on；　and　if　he　hadn't　we　would　have　seen　what　would

come　of　it。　And　damn　it；　if　he　does　not　sanction　the　decree　against

the　priests；　and　do　it　right　off；　we　will　come　back　every　day。　　In

this　way　we　shall　tire　him　out　and　make　him　afraid　of　us。　　But　the

day　wears　on。　The　heat　is　over…powering；　the　fatigue　extreme；　the　King

less　deserted　and　better　protected。　　Five　or　six　of　the　deputies；

three　of　the　municipal　officers；　a　few　officers　of　the　National　Guard；

have　succeeded　in　making　their　way　to　him。　　Pétion　himself；　mounted　on

a　sofa；　harangues　the　people　with　his　accustomed　flattery。＇54＇　　At　the

same　time　Santerre；　aware　of　the　opportunity　being　lost；　assumes　the

attitude　of　a　liberator；　and　shouts　in　his　rough　voice：　〃I　answer　for

the　royal　family。　　Let　me　see　to　it。〃　A　line　of　National　Guards　forms

in　front　of　the　King；　when；　slowly　and　with　difficulty；　urged　by　the

mayor；　the　crowd　melts　away；　and；　by　eight　o'clock　in　the　evening；　it

is　gone。

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Notes：



＇1＇　Moniteur；　X。　39　and　following　pages　（sessions　of　Oct。　5　and　6；

1791）。　Speeches　by　Chabot；　Couthon；　Lequinio；　and　Vergniaud。　…　Mercure

de　France；　Oct。　15。　Speech　by　Robespierre；　May　17；　1790。　　〃The　king　is

not　the　nation's　representative；　but　its　clerk。　…　Cf。　Ernest　Hamel；

〃Vie　de　Robespierre。〃



＇2＇　Moniteur；　　XIII。　97　（session　of　July　6；　1792）



＇3＇　Buchez　et　Roux；　XIII。　61；　Jan。28；　1792。　The　King　in　his　usually

mild　way　calls　the　attention　of　the　Assembly　to　the　usurpation　it　is

committing。　〃The　form　adopted　by　you　is　open　to　important

observations。　I　shall　not　extend　these　to…day；　the　gravity　of　the

situation　demands　that　I　concern　myself　much　more　with　maintaining

harmonious　sentiments　than　with　continually　discussing　my　rights。〃



＇4＇　Sauzay；　II。　99。　Letter　of　the　deputy　Vernerey　to　the　Directory　of

Doubs：　〃The　Directory　of　the　department　may　always　act　with　the

greatest　severity　against　the　seditious；　and；　apart　from　the　article

relating　to　their　pension；　follow　the　track　marked　out　in　the　decree。

If　the　executive　desires　to　impede　the　operations　of　the　Directory。　。

。　　the　latter　has　its　recourse　in　the　National　Assembly；　which　in　all

probability　will　afford　it　a　shelter　against　ministerial　attacks。〃　

Moniteur；　XII。　202　（session　of　April　23）。　Report　of　Roland；　Minister

of　the　Interior。　Already　at　this　date　forty…two　departments　had

expelled　or　interned　the　unsworn　ecclesiastics。



＇5＇　Mercure…de…France；　Feb。25。



＇6＇　Moniteur；　X。　440　（session　of　Nov。22；　1791）。　A　letter　to　M。

Southon；　Director　of　the　Mint　at　Paris；　is　read；　〃complaining　of　an

arbitrary　order；　that　of　the　Minister　of　the　Interior；　to　report

himself　at　Pau　on　the　25th　of　this　month；　under　penalty　of　dismissal。〃

Isnard　supports　the　charge：　〃M。　Southon；〃　he　says；　〃is　here　at　work　on

a　very　circumstantial　denunciation　of　the　Minister　of　the　Interior

＇Applause　from　the　galleries。＇　If　citizens　who　are　zealous　enough　to

make　war　on　abuses　are　sent　back　to　their　departments　we　shall　never

have　denunciations〃　＇The　applause　is　renewed。＇　…　Ibid。；　X；　504

（session　of　Nov。　29）。　Speech　by　Isnard：　〃Our　ministers　must　know　that

we　are　not　fully　satisfied　with　the　conduct　of　each　of　them　＇repeated

applause＇；　that　henceforth　they　must　simply　choose　between　public

gratitude　and　the　vengeance　of　the　law；　and　that　our　understanding　of

the　word　responsibility　　is　death。〃　＇The　applause　is　renewed。＇　　The

Assembly　orders　this　speech　to　be　printed　and　sent　into　the

departments。　…　Cf。　XII；　73；　138；　etc。



＇7＇　Moniteur；　XI。　603。　（Session　of　March　10。　Speech　by　Brissot；　to

secure　a　decree　of　accusation　against　M。　Delessart；　Minister　of

Foreign　Affairs。）　M。　Delessart　is　a　〃perfidious　man；〃　for　having

stated　in　a　dispatch　that　〃the　Constitution；　with　the　great　majority

of　the　nation；　has　become　a　sort　of　religion　which　is　embraced　with

the　greatest　enthusiasm。〃　Brissot　denounces　these　two　expressions　as

inadequate　and　anti…patriotic。…Ib