the origins of contemporary france-4-第84节

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candidates　have　passed　the　purifying　scrutiny　of　the　clubs；　it

comprises　none　but　ultra…Jacobins。　　Naturally；　the　pay　being　forty

sous　a　day；　it　comprises　none　but　the　very　lowest　class。　　Naturally；

as　the　work　is　as　loathsome　as　it　is　atrocious；　it　comprises　but　few

others＇150＇　than　those　out　of　employment　and　reduced　to　an　enlistment

to　get　a　living；　〃hairdressers　without　customers；　lackeys　without

places；　vagabonds；　wretches　unable　to　earn　a　living　by　honest　labor；〃

〃thick　and　hard　hitters〃　who　have　acquired　the　habit　of　bullying；

knocking　down　and　keeping　honest　folks　under　their　pikes；　a　gang　of

confirmed　scoundrels　making　public　brigandage　a　cloak　for　private

brigandage；　inhabitants　of　the　slums　glad　to　bring　down　their　former

superiors　into　the　mud；　and　themselves　take　precedence　and　strut　about

in　order　to　prove　by　their　arrogance　and　self…display　that　they；　in

their　turn；　are　princes。　　…　〃Take　a　horse；　the　nation　pays　for

it！〃＇151＇　said　the　sans…culottes　of　Bordeaux　to　their　comrades　in　the

street；　who；　〃in　a　splendid　procession；〃　of　three　carriages；　each

drawn　by　six　horses；　escorted　by　a　body　on　horseback；　behind；　in

front；　and　each　side；　conducting　Riouffe　and　two　other　〃suspects〃　to

the　Réole　prison。　　The　commander　of　the　squad　who　guards　prisoners　on

the　way　to　Paris；　and　who　〃starves　them　along　the　road　to　speculate　on

them；〃　is　an　ex…cook　of　Agen；　having　become　a　gendarme；　he　makes　them

travel　forty　leagues　extra；　〃purposely　to　glorify　himself；〃　and　〃let

all　Agen　see　that　he　has　government　money　to　spend；　and　that　he　can

put　citizens　in　irons。〃　Accordingly；　in　Agen；　〃he　keeps　constantly　and

needlessly　inspecting　the　vehicle；〃　winking　at　the　spectators；　〃more

triumphant　than　if　he　had　made　a　dozen　Austrians　prisoners　and　brought

them　along　himself。〃　At　last；　to　show　the　crowd　in　the　street　the

importance　of　his　capture；　he　summons　two　blacksmiths　to　come　out　and

rivet；　on　the　legs　of　each　prisoner；　a　cross…bar　cannon…ball　weighing

eighty　pounds。＇152＇　The　more　display　these　henchmen　make　of　their

brutality；　the　greater　they　think　themselves。　　At　Belfort；　a　patriot

of　the　club　dies；　and　a　civic　interment　takes　place；　a　detachment　of

the　revolutionary　army　joins　the　procession；　the　men　are　armed　with

axes；　on　reaching　the　cemetery；　the　better　to　celebrate　the　funeral；

〃they　cut　down　all　the　crosses　（over　the　graves）　and　make　a　bonfire　of

them；　while　the　carmagnole　ends　this　ever　memorable　day。〃＇153＇　…

Sometimes　the　scene；　theatrical　and　played　by　the　light　of　flambeaux；

makes　the　actors　think　that　they　have　performed　an　extraordinary　and

meritorious　action；　〃that　they　have　saved　the　country。〃　　〃This　very

night；〃　writes　the　agent　at　Bordeaux；＇154＇　nearly　three　thousand　men

have　been　engaged　in　an　important　undertaking；　with　the　members　of　the

Revolutionary　Committee　and　of　the　municipality　at　the　head　of　it。

They　visited　every　wholesale　dealer's　store　in　town　and　in　the

Faubourg　des　Chartrons；　taking　possession　of　their　letter…books；

sealing　up　their　desks；　arresting　the　merchants　and　putting　them　in

the　Seminiare。　　。　　。　　。　　Woe　to　the　guilty　！　〃　…　If　the　prompt

confinement　of　an　entire　class　of　individuals　is　a　fine　thing　for　a

town；　the　seizure　of　a　whole　town　itself　is　still　more　imposing。

Leaving　Marseilles　with　a　small　army；＇155＇　commanded　by　two　sans…

culottes；　they　surround　Martigne　and　enter　it　as　if　it　were　a　mill。

The　catch　is　superb；　in　this　town　of　five　thousand　souls　there　are

only　seventeen　patriots；　the　rest　are　Federalists　or　Moderates。　　Hence

a　general　disarmament　and　domiciliary　visits。　　The　conquerors　depart；

carrying　off　every　able…bodied　boy；　〃five　hundred　lads　subject　to　the

conscription；　and　leave　in　the　town　a　company　of　sans…culottes　to

enforce　obedience。〃　It　is　certain　that　obedience　will　be　maintained

and　that　the　garrison；　joined　to　the　seventeen　patriots；　will　do　as

they　like　with　their　conquest。



In　effect；　all；　both　bodies　and　goods；　are　at　their　disposal；　and　they

consequently　begin　with　the　surrounding　countryside；　entering　private

houses　to　get　at　their　stores；　also　the　farmhouses　to　have　the　grain

threshed；　in　order　to　verify　the　declarations　of　their　owners　and　see

if　these　are　correct：　if　the　grain　is　not　threshed　out　at　once　it　will

be　done　summarily　and　confiscated；　while　the　owner　will　be　sentenced

to　twelve　months　in　irons；　if　the　declaration　is　not　correct；　he　is

condemned　as　a　monopolist　and　punished　with　death。　　Armed　with　this

order；＇156＇　each　band　takes　the　field　and　gathers　together　not　only

grain；　but　supplies　of　every　description。　　〃That　of　Grenoble；　the

agent　writes；＇157＇　does　wonderfully；　in　one　little　commune　alone；　four

hundred　measures　of　wheat；　twelve　hundred　eggs；　and　six　hundred　pounds

of　butter　had　been　found。　　All　this　was　quickly　on　the　way　to

Grenoble。〃　In　the　vicinity　of　Paris；　the　forerunners　of　the　throng；

provided　〃with　pitchforks　and　bayonets；　rush　to　the　farms；　take　oxen

out　of　their　stalls；　grab　sheep　and　chickens；　burn　the　barns；　and　sell

their　booty　to　speculators。〃＇158＇　　〃Bacon；　eggs；　butter　and　chickens　…

the　peasants　surrender　whatever　is　demanded　of　them；　and　thenceforth

have　nothing　that　they　can　take　to　market。　　They　curse　the　Republic

which　has　brought　war　and　famine　on　them；　and　nevertheless　they　do

what　they　are　told：　on　being　addressed；　'Citizen　peasant；　I　require　of

you　on　peril　of　your　head；'　。　　。　　。　　it　is　not　possible　to

refuse。〃＇159＇　…　Accordingly；　they　are　only　too　glad　to　be　let　off　so

cheaply。　　On　Brumaire　19；　about　seven　o'clock　in　the　evening；　at

Tigery；　near　Corbeil；　twenty…five　men　〃with　sabers　and　pistols　in

their　belts；　most　of　them　in　the　uniform　of　the　National　Guards　and

calling　themselves　the　revolutionary　army；〃　enter　the　house　of　Gibbon；

an　old　ploughman；　seventy…one　years　of　age；　while　fifty　others　guard

all　egress　from　it；　so　that　the　expedition　may　not　be　interfered　with。

Turlot；　captain；　and　aid…de…camp　to　General　Henriot；　wants　to　know

where　the　master　of　the　house　is。　　…　〃In　his　bed；〃　is　the　reply。　　…

〃Wake　him　up。〃　…　The　old　man　rises。　　…　Give　up　your　arms。〃　…　His　wife

hands　over　a　fowling…piece；　the　only　arm　on　the　premises。　　The　band

immediately　falls　on　the　poor　man；　〃strikes　him　down；　ties　his　hands；

and　puts　a　sack　over　his　head；〃　and　the　same　thing　is　done　to　his　wife

and　to　eight　male　and　two　female　servants。　　〃Now；　give　us　the　keys　of

your　closets；〃　they　want　to　be　sure　that　there　are　no　fleur…de…lys　or

other　illegal　articles。　　They　search　the　old　man's　pockets；　take　his

keys；　and；　to　dispatch　business；　break　into　the　chests　and　seize　or

carry　off　all　the　plate；　〃twenty…six　table…dishes；　three　soup…ladles；

three　goblets；　two　snuff…boxes；　forty　counters；　two　watches；　another

gold　watch　and　a　gold　cross。〃　〃We　will　draw　up　a　procès…verbal　of　all

this　at　our　leisure　in　Meaux。　　Now；　where's　your　silver？　If　you　don't

say　where　it　is；　the　guillotine　is　outside　and　I　will　be　your

executioner。〃　The　old　man　yields　and　merely　requests　to　be　untied。

But　it　is　better　to　keep　him　bound；　〃so　as　to　make　him　'sing。'　〃　They

carry　him　into　the　kitchen　and　〃put　his　feet　into　a　heated　brazier。〃

He　shouts　with　pain；　and　indicates　another　chest　which　they　break　open

and　then　carry　off　what　they　find　there；　〃seventy…two　francs　in　coin

and　five　or　six　thousand　livres　in　assignats；　which　Gibbon　had　just

received　for　the　requisitions　made　on　him　for　corn。〃　Next；　they　break

open　the　cellar　doors；　set　a　cask　of　vinegar　running；　carry　wine

upstairs；　eat　the　family　meal；　get　drunk　and；　at　last；　clear　out；

leaving　Gibbon　with　his　feet　burnt；　and　garroted；　as　well　as　the　other

eleven　members　of　his　household；　quite　certain　that　there　will　be　no

pursuit。＇160＇　…　In　the　towns；　especially　in　federalist　districts；

however；　these　robberies　are　complicated　with　other　assaults。　　At

Lyons；　whilst　the　regular　troops　are　lodged　in　barracks；　the

revolutionary　army　is　billeted　on　the　householders；　two　thousand　vile；

sanguinary　blackguards　from　Paris；　and　whom　their　general；　Ronsin

himself；　calls　〃scoundrels　and　brigands；〃　alleging；　in　excuse　for

this；　that　〃honest　folks　cannot　be　found　for　such　business。〃　How　they

treat　their　host；　his　wife　and　his　daughters　may　be　imagined；

contemporaries　glide　over　these　occurrences　and；　through　decency　or

disgust；　avoid　giving　details。＇161＇　Some　simply　use　brutal　force；

others　get　rid　of　a　troublesome　husband　by　the　guillotine；　in　the　most

exceptional　cases　they　bring　their　wenches　along　with　them；　while　the

housekeeper　has　to　arouse　herself　at　one　o'clock　at　night　and　light　a

fire　for　the　officer　who　comes　in　with　the　jolly　company。　　…　And　yet；

there　are　others　still　worse；　for　the　worst　attract　each　other。　　We

have　seen　the　revolutionary　committee　at　Nantes；　also　the

representative　on　mission　in　the　same　city；　nowhere　did　the

revolutionary　Sabbat　rage　so　furiously；　and　nowhere　was　there　such　a

traffic　in　human　lives。　　With　such　b