the origins of contemporary france-4-第76节

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occupations　are　known；　are　decidedly　illiterate；　or　nearly　so；　their

education　being　rudimentary；　or　none　at　all。＇47＇　Some　of　them　are

petty　clerks；　counter…jumpers　and　common　scribblers；　one　among　them

being　a　public　writer；　others　are　small　shopkeepers；　pastry…cooks；

mercers；　hosiers；　fruit…sellers　and　wine…dealers；　yet　others　are

simple　mechanics　or　even　laborers；　carpenters；　joiners；　cabinet…

makers；　locksmiths；　and　especially　three　tailors；　four　hair…dressers；

two　masons；　two　shoemakers；　one　cobbler；　one　gardener；　one　stone…

cutter；　one　paver；　one　office…runner；　and　one　domestic。　　Among　the

thirty…two　who　are　instructed；　one　alone　has　any　reputation；　Paris；

professor　at　the　University　and　the　assistant　of　Abbé　Delille。　　Only

one；　Dumetz；　an　old　engineer；　steady；　moderate　and　attending　to　the

supplies；　seems　a　competent　and　useful　workman。　　The　rest；　collected

from　amongst　the　mass　of　unknown　demagogues；　are　six　art…apprentices

or　bad　painters；　six　business…agents　or　ex…lawyers；　seven　second　or

third…rate　merchants；　one　teacher；　one　surgeon；　one　unfrocked　married

priest；　all　of　whom；　under　the　political　direction　of　Mayor　Fleuriot…

Lescot　and　Payen；　the　national　agent；　bring　to　the　general　council　no

administrative　ability；　but　the　faculty　for　verbal　argumentation；

along　with　the　requisite　amount　of　talk　and　scribbling　indispensable

to　a　deliberative　assembly。　　And　it　is　curious　to　see　them　in　session。

Toward　the　end　of　September；　1793；＇48＇　one　of　the　veterans　of　liberal

philosophy　and　political　economy；　belonging　to　the　French　Academy　and

ruined　by　the　Revolution；　the　old　Abbé　Morellet；　needs　a　certificate

of　civism；　to　enable　him　to　obtain　payment　of　the　small　pension　of　one

thousand　francs；　which　the　Constituent　Assembly　had　voted　him　in

recompense　for　his　writings；　the　Commune；　desiring　information　about

this；　selects　three　of　its　body　to　inquire　into　it。　　Morellet

naturally　takes　the　preliminary　steps。　　He　first　writes　〃a　very

humble；　very　civic　note；〃　to　the　president　of　the　General　Council；

Lubin　Jr。；　formerly　an　art…apprentice　who　had　abandoned　art　for

politics；　and　is　now　living　with　his　father　a　butcher；　in　the　rue　St。

Honoré；　he　calls　on　this　authority；　and　passes　through　the　stall；

picking　his　way　amongst　the　slaughterhouse　offal；　admitted　after　some

delay；　he　finds　his　judge　in　bed；　before　whom　he　pleads　his　cause。　　He

then　calls　upon　Bernard；　an　ex…priest；　〃built　like　an　incendiary　and

ill…looking；〃　and　respectfully　bows　to　the　lady　of　the　house；　〃a

tolerably　young　woman；　but　very　ugly　and　very　dirty。〃　Finally；　he

carries　his　ten　or　a　dozen　volumes　to　the　most　important　of　the　three

examiners；　Vialard；　〃　ex…ladies'　hair…dresser；　〃　the　latter　is　almost

a　colleague；　〃for；〃　says　he；　〃　I　have　always　liked　technicians；　having

presented　to　the　Academy　of　Sciences　a　top　which　I　invented　myself。〃

Nobody；　however；　had　seen　the　petitioner　in　the　streets　on　the　10th　of

August；　nor　on　the　2nd　of　September；　nor　on　the　31st　of　May；　how　can　a

certificate　of　civism　be　granted　after　such　evidences　of　lukewarmness？

Morellet；　not　disheartened；　awaits　the　all…powerful　hair…dresser　at

the　H？tel…de…Ville；　and　accosts　him　frequently　as　he　passes　along。

He；　〃with　greater　haughtiness　and　distraction　than　the　most

unapproachable　Minister　of　War　would　show　to　an　infantry　lieutenant；〃

scarcely　listens　to　him　and　walks　on；　he　goes　in　and　takes　his　seat；

and　Morellet；　much　against　his　will；　has　to　be　present　at　ten　or

twelve　of　these　meetings。　　What　strange　meetings；　to　which　patriotic

deputations；　volunteers　and　amateurs　come　in　turn　to　declaim　and　sing；

where　the　president；　Lubin；　〃decorated　with　his　scarf；〃　shouts　the

Marseilles　Hymn　five　or　six　times；　〃Ca　Ira；〃　and　other　songs　of

several　stanzas；　set　to　tunes　of　the　Comic　Opera；　and　always　〃out　of

time；　displaying　the　voice；　airs　and　songs　of　an　exquisite　Leander。　　。

。　　I　really　believe　that；　at　the　last　meeting；　he　sung　alone　in　this

manner　three　quarters　of　an　hour　at　different　times；　the　assembly

repeating　the　last　line　of　the　verse。〃　…　〃　How　odd！〃　exclaims　a　common

woman　alongside　of　Morellet；　〃how　droll；　passing　all　their　time　here；

singing　in　that　fashion！　Is　that　what　they　come　here　for？〃　…　Not　alone

for　that：　after　the　circus…parade　is　over；　the　ordinary　haranguers；

and　especially　the　hair…dresser；　come　and　propose　measures　for　murder

〃in　infuriate　language　and　with　fiery　gesticulation。〃　Such　are　the

good　speakers＇49＇　and　men　for　show。　　The　others；　who　remain　silent；

and　hardly　know　to　write；　act　and　do　the　rough　work。　　A　certain

Chalaudon；　member　of　the　Commune；＇50＇　is　one　of　this　kind；　president

of　the　Revolutionary　Committee　of　the　section　of　〃L'Homme　armé；〃　and

probably　an　excellent　man…hunter；　for　〃the　government　committees

assigned　to　him　the　duty　of　watching　the　right　bank　of　the　Seine；　and；

with　extraordinary　powers　conferred　on　him；　he　rules　from　his　back

shop　one　half　of　Paris。　　Woe　to　those　he　has　reason　to　complain　of；

those　who　have　withdrawn　from；　or　not　given　him；　their　custom！

Sovereign　of　his　quarter　up　to　Thermidor　10；　his　denunciations　are

death…warrants。　　Some　of　the　streets；　especially　that　of　Grand

Chantier；　he　〃depopulates。〃　And　this　Marais　exterminator　is　a

〃cobbler；〃　a　colleague　in　leather；　as　well　as　in　the　Commune；　of　Simon

the　shoemaker；　the　preceptor　and　murderer　of　the　young　Dauphin。



Still　lower　down　than　this　admirable　municipal　body；　let　us　try　to

imagine；　from　at　least　one　complete　example；　the　forty…eight

revolutionary　committees　who　supply　it　with　hands。　　…　There　is　one　of

them　of　which　we　know　all　the　members；　where　the　governing　class；

under　full　headway；　can　be　studied　on　the　spot　and　in　action。＇51＇　This

consists　of　the　underworld；　nomadic　class　which　is　revolutionary　only

through　its　appetites；　no　theory　and　no　convictions　animate　it；　during

the　first　three　years　of　the　Revolution　it　pays　no　attention　to；　or

cares　for；　public　matters；　if；　since　the　10th　of　August；　and

especially　since　the　2nd　of　June；　it　takes　any　account　of　these；　it　is

to　get　a　living　and　gorge　itself　with　plunder。　　…　Out　of　eighteen

members；　simultaneously　or　in　succession；　of　the　〃Bonnet　Rouge；〃

fourteen；　before　the　10th　of　August　and　especially　since　the　2nd　of

June；　are　unknown　in　this　quarter；　and　had　taken　no　part　in　the

Revolution。　　The　most　prominent　among　these　are　three　painters；

heraldic；　carriage　and　miniature；　evidently　ruined　and　idle　on　account

of　the　Revolution；　a　candle…dealer；　a　vinegar…dealer；　a　manufacturer

of　saltpeter；　and　a　locksmith；　while　of　these　seven　personages；　four

have　additionally　enhanced　the　dignity　of　their　calling　by　vending

tickets　for　small　lotteries；　acting　as　pawnbrokers　or　as　keepers　of　a

biribi＇52＇　saloon。　　Seated　along　with　these　are　two　upper…class

domestics；　a　hack…driver；　an　ex…gendarme　dismissed　from　the　corps；　a

cobbler　on　the　street　corner；　a　runner　on　errands　who　was　once　a

carter's　boy；　and　another　who；　two　months　before　this；　was　a

scavenger's　apprentice；　the　latter　penniless　and　in　tatters　before　he

became　one　of　the　Committee；　and　since　that；　well　clad；　lodged　and

furnished。　　Finally；　a　former　dealer　in　lottery…tickets；　himself　a

counterfeiter　by　his　own　admission；　and　a　jail…bird。　　Four　others　have

been　dismissed　from　their　places　for　dishonesty　or　swindling；　three

are　known　drunkards；　two　are　not　even　Frenchmen；　while　the　ring…

leader；　the　man　of　brains　of　this　select　company　is；　as　usual；　a

seedy；　used…up　lawyer；　the　ex…notary　Pigeot；　and　expelled　from　his

professional　body　on　account　of　bankruptcy。　　He　is　probably　the　author

of　the　following　speculation：　After　the　month　of　September；　1793；　the

Committee；　freely　arresting　whomsoever　it　pleased　in　the　quarter；　and

even　outside　of　it；　makes　a　haul　of　〃three　hundred　heads　of　families〃

in　four　months；　with　whom　it　fills　the　old　barracks　it　occupies　in　the

rue　de　Sèvres。　　In　this　confined　and　unhealthy　tenement；　more　than　one

hundred　and　twenty　prisoners　are　huddled　together；　sometimes　ten　in

one　room；　two　in　the　same　bed；　and；　for　their　keeping；　they　pay　three

hundred　francs　a　day。　　As　sixty…two　francs　of　this　charge　are

verified；　there　is　of　this　sum；　（not　counting　other　extortions　or

concessions　which　are　not　official）；　two　hundred　and　thirty…eight

francs　profit　daily　for　these　'honest'　contractors。　　Accordingly；　they

live　freely　and　have　〃the　most　magnificent　dinners　〃　in　their　assembly

chamber；　the　contribution　of　ten　or　twelve　francs　apiece　is　〃　nothing

〃　for　them。　　…　But；　in　this　opulent　St。　　Germain　quarter；　so　many　rich

and　noble　men　and　women　form　a　herd　which　must　be　conveniently

stalled；　so　as　to　be　the　more　easily　milked。　　Consequently；　toward　the

end　of　March；　1794；　the　Committee；　to　increase　its　business　and　fill

up　the　pen；　hires　a　large　house　on　the　corner　of　the　boulevard

possessing　a　court　and　a　garden；　where　the　high　society　of　the　quarter

is　assigned　lodgings　of　t