the origins of contemporary france-4-第83部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！



soul　may　take　the　form　and　rigidity　of　trenchant　steel。　　Suppose　this

an　animated　blade；　feeling　and　willing　in　conformity　with　its　temper

and　structure；　it　would　delight　in　being　brandished；　and　would　need　to

strike；　such　is　the　need　of　Saint…Just。　　Taciturn；　impassible；　keeping

people　at　a　distance；　as　imperious　as　if　the　entire　will　of　the　people

and　the　majesty　of　transcendent　reason　resided　in　his　person；　he　seems

to　have　reduced　his　passions　to　the　desire　of　dashing　everything　to

atoms；　and　to　creating　dismay。　　It　may　be　said　of　him　that；　like　the

conquering　Tartars；　he　measures　his　self…attributed　grandeur　by　what

he　fells；　no　other　has　so　extensively　swept　away　fortunes；　liberties

and　lives；　no　other　has　so　terrifically　heightened　the　effect　of　his

deeds　by　laconic　speech　and　the　suddenness　of　the　stroke。　　He　orders

the　arrest　and　close　confinement　of　all　former　nobles；　men　and　women；

in　the　four　departments；　in　twenty…four　hours；　he　orders　the

bourgeoisie　of　Strasbourg　to　pay　over　nine　millions　in　twenty…four

hours；　ten　thousand　persons　in　Strasbourg　must　give　up　their　shoes　in

twenty…four　hours；　random　and　immediate　discharges　of　musketry　on　the

officers　of　the　Rhine　army　…　such　are　the　measures。＇149＇　　So　much　the

worse　for　the　innocent；　there　is　no　time　to　discern　who　they　are；　〃a

blind　man　hunting　for　a　pin　in　a　dust…heap　takes　the　whole　heap。〃＇150＇

…　And；　whatever　the　order；　even　when　it　cannot　be　executed；　so　much

the　worse　for　him　to　whom　it　is　given；　for　the　captain　who；　directed

by　the　representative　to　establish　this　or　that　battery　in　a　certain

time；　works　all　night　with　all　his　forces；　〃with　as　many　men　as　the

place　will　hold。〃＇151＇　The　battery　not　being　ready　at　the　hour　named；

Saint…Just　sends　the　captain　to　the　guillotine。　　…　The　sovereign

having　once　given　an　order　it　cannot　be　countermanded；　to　take　back

his　words　would　be　weakening　himself；＇152＇　in　the　service　of

omnipotence；　pride　is　insatiable；　and；　to　mollify　it；　no　barbaric　act

is　too　great。　　…　The　same　appetite　is　visible　in　Collot　d'Herbois；

who；　no　longer　on　the　stage；　plays　before　the　town　the　melo…dramatic

tyrant　with　all　becoming　ostentation。　　One　morning；　at　Lyons；　he

directs　the　revolutionary　Tribunal　to　arrest；　examine　and　sentence　a

youthful　〃suspect〃　before　the　day　is　over。　　〃Towards　six　o'clock；＇153＇

Collot　being　at　table　enjoying　an　orgy　with　prostitutes；　buffoons　and

executioners；　eating　and　drinking　to　choice　music；　one　of　the　judges

of　the　Tribunal　enters；　after　the　usual　formalities；　he　is　led　up　to

the　Representative；　and　informs　him　that　the　young　man　had　been

arrested　and　examined；　and　the　strictest　inquiries　made　concerning

him；　he　is　found　irreproachable　and　the　Court　decided　to　set　him　free。

Collot；　without　looking　at　the　judge；　raises　his　voice　and　says　to

him：



〃I　ordered　you　to　punish　that　young　man　and　I　want　him　out　of　the　way

before　night。　　If　the　innocent　are　spared；　too　many　of　the　guilty　will

escape。　　Go。〃



The　music　and　gaiety　begin　again；　and　in　an　hour　the　young　man　is

shot。〃　…　And　so　in　most　of　the　other　pachalics；　if　any　head　mentally

condemned　by　the　pacha　escapes　or　does　not　fall　soon　enough；　the

latter　is　indignant　at　the　delays　and　forms　of　justice；　also　against

the　judges　and　juries；　often　selected　by　himself。　　Javogues　writes　an

insulting　letter　to　the　commission　of　Feurs　which　has　dared　acquit　two

former　nobles。　　Laignelot；　Lecarpentier；　Michaud；　Monestier；　Lebon；

dismiss；　recompose；　or　replace　the　commissions　of　Fontenoy；　Saint…

Malo；　and　Perpignan；　and　the　tribunals　of　Pau；　N？mes；　and　Arras；　whose

judgments　did　not　please　them。＇154＇　Lebon；　Bernard　de　Saintes；

Dartigoyte　and　Fouché　re…arrest　prisoners　on　the　same　charge；　solemnly

acquitted　by　their　own　tribunals。　　B？；　Prieur　de　la　Marne；　and　Lebon；

send　judges　and　juries　to　prison　that　do　not　always　vote　death。＇155＇

Barras　and　Fréron　dispatch；　from　brigade　to　brigade；　to　the

revolutionary　Tribunal　in　Paris；　the　public　prosecutor　and　president

of　the　revolutionary　Tribunal　of　Marseilles；　for　being　indulgent　to

anti…revolutionaries；　because；　out　of　five　hundred　and　twenty…eight

prisoners；　they　guillotined　only　one　hundred　and　sixty…two。＇156＇　…　To

contradict　the　infallible　Representative！　That　of　itself　is　an

offense。　　He　owes　it　to　himself　to　punish　those　who　are　not　docile；　to

re…arrest　absolved　delinquents；　and　to　support　cruelty　with　cruelty。



When　for　a　long　time　someone　has　been　imbibing　a　strong　and　nauseating

drink；　not　only　does　the　palate　get　accustomed；　but　it　often　acquires

a　taste　for　it；　it　soon　wants　to　have　it　stronger；　finally；　it

swallows　it　pure；　completely　raw；　with　no　admixture　or　condiment　to

disguise　its　repulsiveness　…　Such；　to　certain　imaginations；　is　the

spectacle　of　human　gore；　after　getting　accustomed　to　it　they　take

delight　in　seeing　it。　　Lequinio；　Laignelot　and　Lebon　invite　the

executioner　to　dine　with　them；＇157＇　Monestier；　〃with　his　cut…throats；

is　going　himself　in　search　of　prisoners　in　the　dungeons；　so　that　he

may　accompany　them　to　the　Tribunal　and　overwhelm　them　with　charges；　if

they　are　disposed　to　defend　themselves；　after　their　condemnation；　he

attends　in　uniform〃　at　their　execution。＇158＇　　Fouché；　lorgnette　in

hand；　looks　out　of　his　window　upon　a　butchery　of　two　hundred　and　ten

Lyonnese。　　Collot；　Laporte　and　Fouché　feast　together　in　a　large

company　on　the　days　when　executions　by　shooting　takes　place；　and；　at

each　discharge；　stand　up　and　cheer　lustily；　waving　their　hats。＇159＇

At　Toulon；　Fréron；　in　person；　orders　and　sees　executed；　the　first

grand　massacre　on　the　Champ　de　Mars。＇160＇　…　On　the　Place　d'Arras；　M。

de　Vielfort；　already　tied　and　stretched　out　on　the　plank；　awaits　the

fall　of　the　knife。　　Lebon　appears　on　the　balcony　of　the　theatre；　makes

a　sign　to　the　executioner　to　stop；　opens　the　newspaper；　and；　in　a　loud

voice；　reads　off　the　recent　successes　of　the　French　armies；　then；

turning　to　the　condemned　man；　exclaims：　〃Go；　wretch；　and　take　the　news

of　our　victories　to　your　brethren。〃＇161＇　At　Feurs；　where　the　shootings

take　place　at　the　house　of　M。　du　Rosier；　in　the　great　avenue　of　the

park；　his　daughter；　quite　a　young　woman；　advances　in　tears　to

Javogues；　and　asks　for　the　release　of　her　husband。　　〃Oh；　yes；　my

dear；〃　replies　Javogues；　〃you　shall　have　him　home　to…morrow。〃　In

effect；　the　next　day；　her　husband　is　shot；　and　buried　in　the

avenue。＇162＇　…　It　is　evident　that　they　get　to　liking　the　business。

Like　their　September　predecessors；　they　find　amusement　in　murdering：

people　around　them　allude　gaily　to　〃the　red　theater〃　and　〃the　national

razor。〃　An　aristocrat　is　said　to　be　〃putting　his　head　at　the　national

window；〃　and　〃he　has　put　his　head　through　the　cathole。〃＇163＇　　They

themselves　have　the　style　and　humor　of　their　trade。　　〃To…morrow；　at

seven　o'clock；〃　writes　Hugues；　〃let　the　sacred　guillotine　be　erected！〃

…　〃The　demoiselle　guillotine；〃　writes　Lecarlier；　〃keeps　steadily

agoing。〃＇164＇　…　〃The　relatives　and　f