the origins of contemporary france-4-第62部分

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There　he　stands　on　a　colossal　stage；　in　the　presence　of　a　hundred

thousand　spectators；　on　the　8th　of　June；　1794；　the　most　glorious　day

of　his　life；　at　that　fête　in　honor　of　the　Supreme　Being；　which　is　the

glorious　triumph　of　his　doctrine　and　the　official　consecration　of　his

papacy。　　Two　characters　are　found　in　Robespierre；　as　in　the　Revolution

which　he　represents：　one；　apparent；　paraded；　external；　and　the　other

hidden；　dissembled；　inward；　the　latter　being　overlaid　by　the　former。

…　The　first　one　all　for　show；　fashioned　out　of　purely　cerebral

cogitations；　is　as　artificial　as　the　solemn　farce　going　on　around　him。

According　to　David's　programme；　the　cavalcade　of　supernumeraries　who

file　in　front　of　an　allegorical　mountain；　gesticulate　and　shout　at　the

command；　and　under　the　eyes；　of　Henriot　and　his　gendarmes；＇163＇

manifesting　at　the　appointed　time　the　emotions　which　are　prescribed

for　them。　　At　five　o'clock　in　the　morning



〃friends；　husbands；　wives；　relations　and　children　will　embrace　。　　。　　。

。　　The　old　man；　his　eyes　streaming　with　tears　of　joy；　feels　himself

rejuvenated。〃



At　two　o'clock；　on　the　turf…laid　terraces　of　the　sacred　mountain；



　〃all　will　show　a　state　of　commotion　and　excitement：　mothers　here

press　to　their　bosoms　the　infants　they　suckle；　and　there　offer　them　up

in　homage　to　the　author　of　Nature；　while　youths；　aglow　with　the　ardor

of　battle；　simultaneously　draw　their　swords　and　hand　them　to　their

venerable　fathers。　　Sharing　in　the　enthusiasm　of　their　sons；　the

deported　old　men　embrace　them　and　bestow　on　them　the　paternal

benediction。　　。　　。　　。　　。　　All　the　men　distributed　around　the　'Field　of

Reunion'　sing　in　chorus　the　（first）　refrain。　　。　　。　　。　　　All　the　Women

distributed　around　the　'Field　of　Reunion'　sing　in　unison　the　（second）

refrain　。　　。　　。　　。　　All　Frenchmen　partake　of　each　other's　sentiments

in　one　grand　fraternal　embrace。〃



What　could　better　than　such　an　idyll；　ruled　with　an　iron　hand；　in　the

presence　of　moral　symbols　and　colored　pasteboard　divinities；　could

better　please　the　counterfeit　moralist；　unable　to　distinguish　the

false　from　the　true；　and　whose　skin…deep　sensibility　is　borrowed　from

sentimental　authors！　〃For　the　first　time〃　his　glowing　countenance

beams　with　joy；　while　〃the　enthusiasm〃＇164＇　of　the　scribe　overflows；

as　usual；　in　book　phraseology。



　〃Behold！〃　he　exclaims；　〃that　which　is　most　interesting　in　humanity！

The　Universe　is　here　assembled！　O；　Nature；　how　sublime；　how　exquisite

is　thy　power！　How　tyrants　must　quail　at　the　contemplation　of　this

festival　！〃



Is　not　he　himself　its　most　dazzling　ornament？　Was　not　he　unanimously

chosen　to　preside　over　the　Convention　and　conduct　the　ceremonies？　Is

he　not　the　founder　of　the　new　cult；　the　only　pure　worship　on　the　face

of　the　earth；　approved　of　by　morality　and　reason？　Wearing　the　uniform

of　a　representative；　nankeen　breeches；　blue　coat；　tri…colored　sash　and

plumed　hat；＇165＇　holding　in　his　hand　a　bouquet　of　flowers　and　grain；

he　marches　at　the　head　of　the　Convention　and　officiates　on　the

platform；　he　sets　fire　to　the　veil　which　hides　from　view　the　idol

representing　〃Atheism；〃　and　suddenly；　through　an　ingenious

contrivance；　the　majestic　statue　of　〃Wisdom〃　appears　in　its　place。　　He

then　addresses　the　crowd；　over　and　over　again；　exhorting；

apostrophizing；　preaching；　elevating　his　soul　to　the　Supreme　Being；

and　with　what　oratorical　combinations！　What　an　academic　swell　of

bombastic　cadences；　strung　together　to　enforce　his　tirades！　How

cunning　the　even　balance　of　adjective　and　substantive！＇166＇　From　these

faded　rhetorical　flowers；　arranged　as　if　for　a　prize　distribution　or　a

funeral　oration；　exhales　a　sanctimonious；　collegiate　odor　which　he

complacently　breathes；　and　which　intoxicates　him。　　At　this　moment；　he

must　certainly　be　in　earnest；　there　is　no　hesitation　or　reserve　in　his

self…admiration；　he　is　not　only　in　his　own　eyes　a　great　writer　and

great　orator；　but　a　great　statesman　and　great　citizen　his　artificial；

philosophic　conscience　awards　him　only　praise。　　…　But　look　underneath；

or　rather　wait　a　moment。　　Signs　of　impatience　and　antipathy　appear

behind　his　back：　Lecointre　has　braved　him　openly；　numerous　insults；

and；　worse　than　these；　sarcasms；　reach　his　ears。　　On　such　an　occasion；

and　in　such　a　place！　Against　the　pontiff　of　Truth；　the　apostle　of

Virtue！　The　miscreants；　how　dare　they！　Silent　and　pale；　he　suppresses

his　rage；　and；＇167＇　losing　his　balance；　closing　his　eyes；　he　plunges

headlong　on　the　path　of　murder：　cost　what　it　will；　the　miscreants　must

perish　and　without　loss　of　time。　　To　expedite　matters；　he　must　get

their　heads　off　quietly；　and　as　〃up　to　this　time　things　have　been

managed　confidentially　in　the　Committee　of　Public　Safety；〃　he；　alone

with　Couthon；　two　days　after；　without　informing　his　colleagues；＇168＇

draws　up；　brings　to　the　Convention；　and　has　passed　the　terrible　act　of

Prairial　which　places　everybody's　life　at　his　disposal。　　…　In　his

crafty；　blundering　haste；　he　has　demanded　too　much；　each　one；　on

reflection；　becomes　alarmed　for　himself；　he　is　compelled　to　back　out；

to　protest　that　he　is　misunderstood；　admit　that　representatives　are

excepted；　and；　accordingly；　to　sheathe　the　knife　he　has　already

applied　to　his　adversaries　throats。　　But　he　still　holds　it　in　his

grasp。　　He　watches　them；　and；　pretending　to　retreat；　affects　a

renunciation；　crouched　in　his　corner；＇169＇　waiting　until　they

discredit　themselves；　so　as　to　spring　upon　them　a　second　time。　　　He

has　not　to　wait　long；　for　the　exterminating　machine　he　set　up　on　the

22nd　of　Prairial；　is　in　their　hands；　and　it　has　to　work　as　he　planned

it；　namely；　by　making　rapid　turns　and　almost　haphazard：　the　odium　of　a

blind　sweeping　massacre　rests　with　them；　he　not　only　makes　no

opposition　to　this；　but；　while　pretending　to　abstain　from　it；　he　urges

it　on。　　Secluded　in　the　private　office　of　his　secret　police；　he　orders

arrests；＇170＇　he　sends　out　his　principal　bloodhound；　Herman；　he　first

signs　and　then　dispatches　the　resolution　by　which　it　is　supposed　that

there　are　conspirators　among　those　in　confinement　and　which；

authorizing　spies　or　paid　informers；　is　to　provide　the　guillotine　with

those　vast　batches　which　purge　and　clean　prisons　out　in　a　trice。〃＇171＇

…　　〃I　am　not　responsible；〃　he　states　later　on　。　　。　　。　　。〃　My　lack　of

power　to　do　any　good；　to　arrest　the　evil；　forced　me　for　more　than　six

weeks　to　abandon　my　post　on　the　Committee　of　Public　Safety。〃＇172＇　　To

ruin　his　adversaries　by　murders　committed　by　him；　by　those　which　he

makes　them　commit　and　which　he　imputes　to　them；　to　whitewash　himself

and　blacken　them　with　the　same　stroke　of　the　brush；　what　intense

delight！　If　the　natural　conscience　murmurs　in　whispers　at　moments；　the

acquired　superposed　conscience　immediately　imposes　silence；　concealing

personal　hatreds　under　public　pretexts：　the　guillotined；　after　all；

were　aristocrats；　and　whoever　comes　under　the　guillotine　is　immoral。

Thus；　the　means　are　good　and　the　end　better；　in　employi