the origins of contemporary france-4-第52节
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pure joy of youthful citizens! O the exquisite tears of tender
mothers! O the divine charms of innocence and beauty! What majesty in
a great people happy in its strength; power and virtue!〃 … 〃No;
Charmette; No; death is not the sleep of eternity!〃 … 〃Remember; O;
People; that in a republic; etc。〃 … 〃If such truths must be dissembled
then bring me the hemlock!〃
'95' Speech; May 7; 1794。 (On moral and religious ideas in relation
to republican principles。)
'96' Personifications。 From Greek to make persons。 (SR)。
'97' Buchez et Roux; XXXIII。; 436。 〃The verres and Catilines of our
country。〃 (Speech of Thermidor 8th。) … Note especially the speech
delivered March 7; 1794; crammed full of classical reminiscences。
'98' Ibid。; XXXIII。; 421。 〃Truth has touching and terrible accents
which reverberate powerfully in pure hearts as in guilty consciences;
and which falsehood can no more counterfeit than Salome can
counterfeit the thunders of heaven。〃 … 437: 〃Why do those who
yesterday predicted such frightful tempests now gaze only on the
fleeciest clouds? Why do those who but lately exclaimed 'I affirm that
we are treading on a volcano' now behold themselves sleeping on a bed
of roses?〃
'99' Ibid。; XXXII。; 360; 361。 (Portraits of the encyclopaedists and
Hébertists。)
'100' Ibid。; XXXIII。; 408。 〃Here; I have to open my heart。〃 … XXXII。;
475…478; the concluding part。
'101' Hamel: 〃Histoire de Robespierre;〃 I。; 34…76。 An attorney at 23;
a member of the Rosati club at Arras at 24; a member of the Arras
Academy at 25。 The Royal Society of Metz awarded him a second prize
for his discourse against the prejudice which regards the relatives of
condemned criminals as infamous。 His eulogy of Gresset is not crowned
by the Amiens Academy。 He reads before the Academy of Arras a
discourse against the civil incapacities of illegitimate children; and
then another on reforms in criminal jurisprudence。 In 1789; he is
president of the Arras Academy; and publishes an eulogy of Dupaty and
an address to the people from Artois on the qualities necessary for
future deputies。
'102' See his eulogy of Rousseau in the speech of May 7; 1794。
(Buchez et Roux; XXXII。; 369。 … Garat; 85。 〃I hoped that his
selection of Rousseau for a model of style and the constant reading of
his works would exert some good influence on his character。〃
'103' Fievée; 〃correspondance〃 (introduction)。 Fievée; who heard him
at the Jacobin Club; said that he resembled a 〃tailor of the ancient
regime。〃 La Réeveillère…Lepeaux; ′〃Mmoires。〃 … Buchez et Roux; XXXIV。;
94。 … Malouet; 〃Mémoires;〃 II。; 135。 (Session of May 31; 1791; after
the delivery of Abbé Raynal's address。) 〃This is the first and only
time I found Robespierre clear and even eloquent。 。 。 。 He spun
out his opening phrases as usual; which contained the spirit of his
discourse; and which; in spite of his accustomed rigmarole; produced
the effect he intended。〃
'104' Courrier de Provence; III。; No。 52; (Oct。 7 and 8; 1789)。 …
Buchez et Roux; VI。; 372。 (Session of July 10; 1790。) Another similar
blunder was committed by him on the occasion of an American
deputation。 The president had made his response; which was
〃unanimously applauded。〃 Robespierre wanted to have his say
notwithstanding the objections of the Assembly; impatient at his
verbiage; and which finally put him down。 Amidst the laughter; 〃M。
l'Abbé Maury demands ironically the printing of M。 Robespierre's
discourse。〃
'105' L。 Villiers; 2。
'106' Cf。 his principal speeches in the constituent Assembly;
against martial law; against the veto; even suspensive; against the
qualification of the silver marc and in favor of universal suffrage;
in favor of admitting into the National Guard non…acting citizens; of
the marriage of priests; of the abolition of the death penalty; of
granting political rights to colored men; of interdicting the father
from favoring any one of his children; of declaring the 〃Constituants〃
ineligible to the Legislative Assembly; etc。 On royalty: 〃The King is
not the representative but the clerk of the nation。〃 On the danger of
allowing political rights to colored men: 〃Let the colonies perish if
they cost you your honor; your glory; your liberty!〃
'107' Hamel; I。; 76。77; (March; 1789)。 〃My heart is an honest one and
I stand firm; I have never bowed beneath the yoke of baseness and
corruption。〃 He enumerates the virtues that a representative of the
Third Estate should possess (26; 83)。 He already shows his blubbering
capacity and his disposition to regard himself as a victim: 〃They
undertake making martyrs of the people's defenders。 Had they the
power to deprive me of the advantages they envy; could they snatch
from me my soul and the consciousness of the benefits I desire to
confer on them。〃
'108' Buchez et Roux; XXXIII。 〃Who am I that am thus accused? The
slave of freedom; a living martyr to the Republic; at once the victim
and the enemy of crime!〃 See this speech in full。
'109' Especially in his address to the French people; (Aug。; 1791);
which; in a justificatory form; is his apotheosis。 … Cf。 Hamel; II。;
212; Speech in the Jacobin club; (April 27; 1792)。
'110' Hamel; I。; 517; 532; 559; II。; 5。
'111' Laréveillère…Lepeaux;〃 Mémoires。〃 … Barbaroux; 〃Mémoires;〃 358。
(Both; after a visit to him。)
'112' Robespierre's devotees constantly attend at the Jacobin club and
in the convention to hear him speak and applaud him; and are called;
from their condition and dress; 〃 the fat petticoats。〃
'113' Buchez et Roux; XX。; 197。 (Meeting of Nov。 I; 1792。) …
〃Chronique de Paris;〃 Nov。 9; 1792; article by Condorcet。 With the
keen insight of the man of the world; he saw clearly into
Robespierre's character。 〃Robespierre preaches; Robespierre censures;
he is animated; grave; melancholy; deliberately enthusiastic and
systematic in his ideas; and conduct。 He thunders against the rich
and the great; he lives on nothing and has no physical necessities。
His sole mission is to talk; and this he does almost constantly。 。 。
His characteristics are not those of a religious reformer; but of the
chief of a sect。 He has won a reputation for austerity approaching
sanctity。 He jumps up on a bench and talks about God and Providence。
He styles himself the friend of the poor; he attracts around him a
crowd of women and 'the poor in spirit; and gravely accepts their
homage and worship。 。 。 。 Robespierre is a priest and never will
be anything else。〃 Among Robespierre's devotees Madame de Chalabre
must be mentioned; (Hamel; I。; 525); a young widow (Hamel; III。; 524);
who offers him her hand with an income of forty thousand francs。
〃Thou art my supreme deity;〃 she writes to him; 〃and I know no other
on this earth! I regard thee as my guardian angel; and would live only
under thy laws。〃
'114' Fievée; 〃Correspondance;〃 (introduction)。
'115' Report of Courtois on the papers found in Robespierre's
domicile。 Justificatory documents No。20; letter of the Secretary of
the Committee of Surveillance of Saint Calais; Niv?se 15; year II。
'116' Ibid。; No。 18。 Letter of V…; former inspector of 〃droits
reservés;〃 Feb。 5; 1792。
'117' Ibid。; No。8。 Letter of P。 Brincourt; Sedan; Aug。29; 1793。
'118' Ibid。; No。 I。 Letter of Besson; with an address of the popular
club of Menosque; Prairial 23; year II
'119' Ibid。; No。14。 Letter of D…; member of the Cordeliers Club;
and former mercer; Jan。31; 1792
'120' Ibid。; No。12。 Letter by C; Chateau Thierry; Prairial 30;
year II。
'121' Hamel; III。; 682。 (Copied from Billaud…Varennes' manuscripts;
in the Archives Nationales)。
'122' Moniteur; XXII。; '75。 (Session of Vendémiaire i8; year III。
Speech by Laignelot。) 〃Robespierre had all the popular clubs under his
thumb。〃
'123' Garat; 85。 〃The most conspicuous sentiment with Robespierre;
and one; indeed; of which he made no mystery; was that the defender of
the people could never see amiss。 … (Bailleul; quoted in Carnot's
Memoirs; I。 516。) 〃He regarded himself as a privileged being;
destined to become the people's regenerator and instructor。〃
'124' Speech of May 16; 1794; and of Thermidor 8; year II。
'125' Buchez et Roux; X。; 295; 296。 (Session June 22; 1791; of the
Jacobin Club。) … Ibid。; 294。 … Marat spoke in the same vein: 〃I have
made myself a curse for all good people in France。〃 He writes; the
same date: 〃Writers in behalf of the people will be dragged to
dungeons。 'The friend of the people;' whose last sigh is given for
his country; and whose faithful voice still summons you to freedom; is
to find his grave in a fiery furnace。〃 The last expression shows the
difference in their imaginations。
'126' Hamel; II。; 122。 (Meeting of the Jacobin Club; Feb。10; 1792。)
〃To obtain death at the hands of tyrants is not enough …