zanoni-第101部分

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glasses。　　Erect　in　a　chair；　before　a　large　table　spread　with

letters；　sat　the　original　of　bust　and　canvas；　the　owner　of　the

apartment。　　He　was　alone；　yet　he　sat　erect；　formal；　stiff；

precise；　as　if　in　his　very　home　he　was　not　at　ease。　　His　dress

was　in　harmony　with　his　posture　and　his　chamber；　it　affected　a

neatness　of　its　own；foreign　both　to　the　sumptuous　fashions　of

the　deposed　nobles；　and　the　filthy　ruggedness　of　the　sans…

culottes。　　Frizzled　and　coiffe；　not　a　hair　was　out　of　order；　not

a　speck　lodged　on　the　sleek　surface　of　the　blue　coat；　not　a

wrinkle　crumpled　the　snowy　vest；　with　its　under…relief　of

delicate　pink。　　At　the　first　glance；　you　might　have　seen　in　that

face　nothing　but　the　ill…favoured　features　of　a　sickly

countenance；　at　a　second　glance；　you　would　have　perceived　that　it

had　a　power；　a　character　of　its　own。　　The　forehead；　though　low

and　compressed；　was　not　without　that　appearance　of　thought　and

intelligence　which；　it　may　be　observed；　that　breadth　between　the

eyebrows　almost　invariably　gives；　the　lips　were　firm　and　tightly

drawn　together；　yet　ever　and　anon　they　trembled；　and　writhed

restlessly。　　The　eyes；　sullen　and　gloomy；　were　yet　piercing；　and

full　of　a　concentrated　vigour　that　did　not　seem　supported　by　the

thin；　feeble　frame；　or　the　green　lividness　of　the　hues；　which

told　of　anxiety　and　disease。



Such　was　Maximilien　Robespierre；　such　the　chamber　over　the

menuisier's　shop；　whence　issued　the　edicts　that　launched　armies

on　their　career　of　glory；　and　ordained　an　artificial　conduit　to

carry　off　the　blood　that　deluged　the　metropolis　of　the　most

martial　people　in　the　globe！　　Such　was　the　man　who　had　resigned　a

judicial　appointment　（the　early　object　of　his　ambition）　rather

than　violate　his　philanthropical　principles　by　subscribing　to　the

death　of　a　single　fellow…creature；　such　was　the　virgin　enemy　to

capital　punishments；　and　such；　Butcher…Dictator　now；　was　the　man

whose　pure　and　rigid　manners；　whose　incorruptible　honesty；　whose

hatred　of　the　excesses　that　tempt　to　love　and　wine；　would；　had　he

died　five　years　earlier；　have　left　him　the　model　for　prudent

fathers　and　careful　citizens　to　place　before　their　sons。　　Such

was　the　man　who　seemed　to　have　no　vice；　till　circumstance；　that

hotbed；　brought　forth　the　two　which；　in　ordinary　times；　lie　ever

the　deepest　and　most　latent　in　a　man's　heart；Cowardice　and

Envy。　　To　one　of　these　sources　is　to　be　traced　every　murder　that

master…fiend　committed。　　His　cowardice　was　of　a　peculiar　and

strange　sort；　for　it　was　accompanied　with　the　most　unscrupulous

and　determined　WILL；a　will　that　Napoleon　reverenced；　a　will　of

iron；　and　yet　nerves　of　aspen。　　Mentally；　he　was　a　hero；

physically；　a　dastard。　　When　the　veriest　shadow　of　danger

threatened　his　person；　the　frame　cowered；　but　the　will　swept　the

danger　to　the　slaughter…house。　　So　there　he　sat；　bolt　upright；

his　small；　lean　fingers　clenched　convulsively；　his　sullen　eyes

straining　into　space；　their　whites　yellowed　with　streaks　of

corrupt　blood；　his　ears　literally　moving　to　and　fro；　like　the

ignobler　animals'；　to　catch　every　sound；a　Dionysius　in　his

cave；　but　his　posture　decorous　and　collected；　and　every　formal

hair　in　its　frizzled　place。



〃Yes；　yes；〃　he　said　in　a　muttered　tone；　〃I　hear　them；　my　good

Jacobins　are　at　their　post　on　the　stairs。　　Pity　they　swear　so！　　I

have　a　law　against　oaths；the　manners　of　the　poor　and　virtuous

people　must　be　reformed。　　When　all　is　safe；　an　example　or　two

amongst　those　good　Jacobins　would　make　effect。　　Faithful　fellows；

how　they　love　me！　　Hum！what　an　oath　was　that！they　need　not

swear　so　loud；upon　the　very　staircase；　too！　　It　detracts　from

my　reputation。　　Ha！　steps！〃



The　soliloquist　glanced　at　the　opposite　mirror；　and　took　up　a

volume；　he　seemed　absorbed　in　its　contents；　as　a　tall　fellow；　a

bludgeon　in　his　hand；　a　girdle　adorned　with　pistols　round　his

waist；　opened　the　door；　and　announced　two　visitors。　　The　one　was

a　young　man；　said　to　resemble　Robespierre　in　person；　but　of　a　far

more　decided　and　resolute　expression　of　countenance。　　He　entered

first；　and；　looking　over　the　volume　in　Robespierre's　hand；　for

the　latter　seemed　still　intent　on　his　lecture；　exclaimed；



〃What！　　Rousseau's　Heloise？　　A　love…tale！〃



〃Dear　Payan；　it　is　not　the　love；it　is　the　philosophy　that

charms　me。　　What　noble　sentiments！what　ardour　of　virtue！　　If

Jean　Jacques　had　but　lived　to　see　this　day！〃



While　the　Dictator　thus　commented　on　his　favourite　author；　whom

in　his　orations　he　laboured　hard　to　imitate；　the　second　visitor

was　wheeled　into　the　room　in　a　chair。　　This　man　was　also　in　what；

to　most；　is　the　prime　of　life；namely；　about　thirty…eight；　but

he　was　literally　dead　in　the　lower　limbs：　　crippled；　paralytic；

distorted；　he　was　yet；　as　the　time　soon　came　to　tell　him；a

Hercules　in　Crime！　　But　the　sweetest　of　human　smiles　dwelt　upon

his　lips；　a　beauty　almost　angelic　characterised　his　features

（〃Figure　d'ange；〃　says　one　of　his　contemporaries；　in　describing

Couthon。　　The　address；　drawn　up　most　probably　by　Payan　（Thermidor

9）；　after　the　arrest　of　Robespierre；　thus　mentions　his　crippled

colleague：　　〃Couthon；　ce　citoyen　vertueux；　QUI　N'A　QUE　LE　COEUR

ET　LA　TETE　DE　VIVANS；　mais　qui　les　a　brulants　de　patriotisme〃

（Couthon；　that　virtuous　citizen；　who　has　but　the　head　and　the

heart　of　the　living；　yet　possesses　these　all　on　flame　with

patriotism。））；　an　inexpressible　aspect　of　kindness；　and　the

resignation　of　suffering　but　cheerful　benignity；　stole　into　the

hearts　of　those　who　for　the　first　time　beheld　him。　　With　the　most

caressing；　silver；　flute…like　voice；　Citizen　Couthon　saluted　the

admirer　of　Jean　Jacques。



〃Nay；do　not　say　that　it　is　not　the　LOVE　that　attracts　thee；　it

IS　the　love！　but　not　the　gross；　sensual　attachment　of　man　for

woman。　　No！　the　sublime　affection　for　the　whole　human　race；　and

indeed；　for　all　that　lives！〃



And　Citizen　Couthon；　bending　down；　fondled　the　little　spaniel

that　he　invariably　carried　in　his　bosom；　even　to　the　Convention；

as　a　vent　for　the　exuberant　sensibilities　which　overflowed　his

affectionate　heart。　　（This　tenderness　for　some　pet　animal　was　by

no　means　peculiar　to　Couthon；　it　seems　rather　a　common　fashion

with　the　gentle　butchers　of　the　Revolution。　　M。　George　Duval

informs　us　（〃Souvenirs　de　la　Terreur；〃　volume　iii　page　183）　that

Chaumette　had　an　aviary；　to　which　he　devoted　his　harmless

leisure；　the　murderous　Fournier　carried　on　his　shoulders　a　pretty

little　squirrel；　attached　by　a　silver　chain；　Panis　bestowed　the

superfluity　of　his　affections　upon　two　gold　pheasants；　and　Marat；

who　would　not　abate　one　of　the　three　hundred　thousand　heads　he

demanded；　REARED　DOVES！　　Apropos　of　the　spaniel　of　Couthon；　Duval

gives　us　an　amusing　anecdote　of　Sergent；　not　one　of　the　least

relentless　agents　of　the　massacre　of　September。　　A　lady　came　to

implore　his　protection　for　one　of　her　relations　confined　in　the

Abbaye。　　He　scarcely　deigned　to　speak　to　her。　　As　she　retired　in

despair；