the origins of contemporary france-4-第4节

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especially　by　Stanislas　Maillard；　the　famous　September　judge；　and　his

sixty…eight　bearded　ruffians；　each　receiving　pay　at　five　francs　a　day。

〃On　all　the　roads；　within　a　circuit　of　fifteen　or　twenty　leagues　of

the　capital；〃　the　delegates　are　searched；　their　trunks　are　opened；　and

their　letters　read。　　At　the　barriers　in　Paris　they　find　〃inspectors〃

posted　by　the　Commune；　under　the　pretext　of　protecting　them　against

prostitutes　and　swindlers。　　There；　they　are　taken　possession　of；　and

conducted　to　the　mayoralty；　where　they　receive　lodging　tickets；　while

a　picket　of　gendarmerie　escorts　them　to　their　allotted　domiciles。＇25＇

　Behold　them　in　pens　like　sheep；　each　in　his　numbered　stall；　there

is　no　fear　of　the　dissidents　trying　to　escape　and　form　a　band　apart：


one　of　them；　who　comes　to　the　Convention　and　asks　for　a　separate　hall

for　himself　and　his　adherents；　is　snubbed　in　the　most　outrageous

manner；　they　denounce　him　as　an　intriguer；　and　accuse　him　of　a　desire

to　defend　the　traitor　Castries；　they　take　his　name　and　credentials；

and　threaten　him　with　an　investigation。＇26＇　The　unfortunate　speaker

hears　the　Abbaye　alluded　to；　and　evidently　thinks　himself　fortunate　to

escape　sleeping　there　that　night。　　　After　this；　it　is　certain　that

he　will　not　again　demand　the　privilege　of　speaking；　and　that　his

colleagues　will　remain　quiet；　and　all　this　is　the　more　likely



*　because　the　revolutionary　tribunal　holds　permanent　sessions　under

their　eyes；



*　because　the　guillotine　is　set　up　and　in　operation　on　the　〃Place　de

la　Révolution；〃



*　because　a　recent　act　of　the　Commune　enjoins　on　the　police　〃the　most

active　surveillance〃　and　〃constant　patrols〃　by　the　armed　force；



*　because；　from　the　first　to　the　fourth　of　August；　the　barriers　are

closed；



*　because；　on　the　2nd　of　August；　a　raid　into　three　of　the　theaters

puts　five　hundred　young　men　in　the　lock…up；＇27＇



so　the　discontented　soon　discover；　if　there　are　any；　that　this　is　not

the　time　or　the　place　to　protest。



As　to　the　others；　already　Jacobin；　the　faction　takes　it　upon　itself　to

render　them　still　more　so。　　　Lost　in　the　immensity　of　Paris；　all

these　provincials　require　moral　as　well　as　physical　guides；　it　agrees

to　exercise　toward　them　〃hospitality　in　all　its　plenitude；　the

sweetest　of　Republican　virtues。〃＇28＇　Hence；　ninety…six　sans…culottes；

selected　from　among　the　sections；　wait　on　them　at　the　Mayoralty　to

serve　as　their　correspondents；　and　perhaps　as　their　guarantees；　and

certainly　as　pilots



*　to　give　them　lodging…tickets；



*　to　escort　and　install　them；



*　to　indoctrinate　them；　as　formerly　with　the　federates　of　July；　1792；



*　to　prevent　their　getting　into　bad　company；



*　to　introduce　them　into　all　the　exciting　meetings；



*　to　see　that　their　ardent　patriotism　quickly　rises　to　the　proper

temperature　of　Parisian　Jacobinism。＇29＇



The　theaters　must　not　offend　their　eyes　or　ears　with　pieces　〃opposed

to　the　spirit　of　the　Revolution。〃＇30＇　An　order　is　issued　for　the

performance　three　times　a　week　of　〃republican　tragedies；　such　as

'Brutus'；　'William　Tell'；　'Caius　Gracchus；'　and　other　dramas　suitable

for　the　maintenance　of　the　principles　of　equality　and　liberty。〃　Once　a

week　the　theaters　must　be　free；　when　Chéniér's　alexandrines　are

spouted　on　the　stage　to　the　edification　of　the　delegates；　crowded　into

the　boxes　at　the　expense　of　the　State。　　The　following　morning；　led　in

groups　into　the　tribunes　of　the　Convention；＇31＇　they　there　find　the

same；　classic；　simple；　declamatory；　sanguinary　tragedy；　except　that

the　latter　is　not　feigned　but　real；　and　the　tirades　are　in　prose

instead　of　in　verse。　　Surrounded　by　paid　yappers　like　victims　for　the

ancient　Romans　celebrations　of　purifications；　our　provincials　applaud；

cheer　and　get　excited；　the　same　as　on　the　night　before　at　the　signal

given　by　the　claqueurs　and　the　regulars。　　Another　day；　the　procureur…

syndic　Lhullier　summons　them　to　attend　the　〃Evéché；〃　to　〃fraternize

with　the　authorities　of　the　Paris　department；〃＇32＇　the　〃Fraternité〃

section　invites　them　to　its　daily　meetings；　the　Jacobin　club　lends

them　its　vast　hall　in　the　morning　and　admits　them　to　its　sessions　in

the　evening。　　　Thus　monopolized　and　kept；　as　in　a　diving　bell；　they

breathe　in　Paris　nothing　but　a　Jacobin　atmosphere；　from　one　Jacobin

den　to　another；　as　they　are　led　about　in　this　heated　atmosphere；　their

pulse　beats　more　rapidly。　　Many　of　them；　who；　on　their　arrival；　were

〃plain；　quiet　people；〃＇33＇　but　out　of　their　element；　subjected　to

contagion　without　any　antidote；　quickly　catch　the　revolutionary　fever。

The　same　as　at　an　American　revival；　under　the　constant　pressure　of

preaching　and　singing；　of　shouts　and　nervous　spasms；　the　lukewarm　and

even　the　indifferent　have　not　long　to　wait　before　the　delirium　puts

them　in　harmony　with　the　converted。







V。



They　make　their　profession　of　Jacobin　faith。　　　Their　part　in　the

Fête　of　August　10th。　　　Their　enthusiasm。



On　the　7th　of　August　things　come　to　a　head。　　　Led　by　the　department

and　the　municipality；　a　number　of　delegates　march　to　the　bar　of　the

Convention；　and　make　a　confession　of　Jacobin　faith。　　〃Soon；〃　they

exclaim；　〃will　search　be　made　on　the　banks　of　the　Seine　for　the　foul

marsh　intended　to　engulf　us。　　Were　the　royalist　and　intriguers　to　die

of　spite；　we　will　live　and　die　'Montagnards。'〃＇34＇　　Applause　and

embraces。　　　From　thence　they　betake　themselves　to　the　Jacobin　Club；

where　one　of　them　proposes　an　address　prepared　beforehand：　the　object

of　this　is　to　justify　the　31st　of　May；　and　the　2nd　of　June；　〃to　open

the　eyes〃　of　provincial　France；　to　declare　〃war　against　the

federalists。〃＇35＇　〃Down　with　the　infamous　libelers　who　have

calumniated　Paris！　。。。。　　We　cherish　but　one　sentiment；　our　souls　are

all　melted　into　one　。。。　　We　form　here　but　one　vast；　terrible　mountain；

about　to　vomit　forth　its　fires　on　the　royalists　and　supporters　of

tyranny。〃　Applause　and　cheers。　　　Robespierre　declares　that　they　are

there　to　save　the　country。＇36＇　On　the　following　day；　August　8th；　this

address　is　presented　to　the　Convention　and　Robespierre　has　a

resolution　adopted；　ordering　it　to　be　sent　to　the　armies；　to　foreign

powers　and　all　the　Communes。　　More　applause；　more　embraces；　and　more

cheers。　　　On　the　9th　of　August；＇37＇　by　order　of　the　Convention；　the

delegates　meet　in　the　Tuileries　garden；　where；　divided　into　as　many

groups　as　there　are　departments；　they　study　the　program　drawn　up　by

David；　in　order　to　familiarize　themselves　with　the　parts　they　are　to

play　in　the　festival　of　the　following　day。



What　an　odd　festival　and　how　well　it　expresses　the　spirit　of　the　time！

It　is　a　sort　of　opera　played　in　the　streets　by　the　public　authorities；

with　triumphant　chariots；　altars；　censers；　an　Ark　of　the　Covenant；

funeral　urns；　classic　banners　and　other　trappings！　Its　divinities

consist　of　plaster　statues　representing　Nature；　Liberty；　the　People；

and　Hercules；　all　of　which　are　personified　abstractions；　like　those

painted　on　the　ceiling　of　a　theater。　　In　all　this　there　is　no

spontaneity　nor　sincerity；　the　actors；　whose　consciences　tell　them

that　they　are　only　actors；　render　homage　to　symbols　which　they　know　to

be　nothing　but　symbols；　while　the　mechanical　procession；＇38＇　the

invocations；　the　apostrophes；　the　postures；　the　gestures　are　regulated

beforehand；　the　same　as　by　a　ballet…manager。　　To　any　truth…loving

person　all　this　must　seem　like　a　charade　performed　by　puppets。　　　But

the　festival　is　colossal；　well　calculated　to　stimulate　the　imagination

and　excite　pride　through　physical　excitement。＇39＇　On　this　grandiose

stage　the　delegates　become　quite　intoxicated　with　their　part；　for；

evidently；　theirs　is　the　leading　part；　they　represent　twenty…six

millions　of　Frenchmen；　and　the　sole　object　of　this　ceremony　is　to

glorify　the　national　will　of　which　they　are　the　bearers。　　　On　the

Place　de　la　Bastille＇40＇　where　the　gigantic　effigy　of　nature　pours

forth　from　its　two　breasts　〃the　regenerating　water；〃　Hérault；　the

president；　after　offering　libations　and　saluting　the　new　goddess；

passes　the　cup　to　the　eighty…seven　elders　（les　doyens）　of　the　eighty…

seven　departments；　each　〃summoned　by　sound　of　drum　and　trumpet〃　to

step　forward　and　drink　in　his　turn；　while　cannon　belch　forth　their

thunders　as　if　for　a　monarch。　　After　the　eighty…seven　have　passed　the

cup　around；　the　artillery　roars。　　The　procession　them　moves　on；　and

the　delegates　again　are　assigned　the　place　of　honor。　　The　elders；

holding　an　olive…branch　in　one　hand；　and　a　pike　in　the　other；　with　a

streamer　on　the　end　of　it　bearing　the　name　of　their　department；　〃bound

to　each　other　by　a　small　three…color　ribbon；〃　surround　the　Convention

as　if　to　convey　the　idea　that　the　nation　maintains　and　conducts　its

legal　representative。　　Behind　them　march　the　rest　of　the　eight

thousand　delegates；　likewise　holding　olive…branches　and　forming　a

second　distinct　body；　the　largest　of　all；　and　on　which　all　eyes　are