the origins of contemporary france-3-第87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！



how　things　are　with　his　own　eyes；　he　is　to　loyally　endorse　the　revolt

of　the　moderates　against　the　Maratists。＇86＇　　　〃The　respectable　class

of　the　arts；　says　observers；　〃　is　gradually　leaving　the　faction　to

join　the　sane　party。〃＇87＇　〃Now　that　water…carriers；　porters　and　the

like　storm　the　loudest　in　the　sections；　it　is　plain　to　all　eyes　that

the　gangrene　of　disgust　has　reached　the　fruit…sellers；　tailors；　shoe…

makers；　bar　owners；〃　and　others　of　that　class。＇88＇　　　Towards　the

end；　〃butchers　of　both　classes；　high　and　low；　are　aristocratized。〃　

In　the　same　way；　〃the　women　in　the　markets；　except　a　few　who　are　paid

and　whose　husbands　are　Jacobins；　curse　and　swear；　fume；　fret　and

storm。〃　〃This　morning；〃　says　a　merchant；　〃four　or　five　of　them　were

here；　they　no　longer　insist　on　being　called　citoyennes；　they　declare

that　they　〃spit　on　the　republic。〃＇89＇　…　The　only　remaining　patriot

females　are　from　the　lowest　of　the　low　class；　the　harpies　who　pillage

shops　as　much　through　envy　as　through　necessity；　〃boat…women；

embittered　by　hard　labor；＇90＇　。　。　。　jealous　of　the　grocer's　wife；

better　dressed　than　herself；　as　the　latter　was　of　the　wives　of　the

attorney　and　counselor；　as　these　were　of　those　of　the　financier　and

noble。　The　woman　of　the　people　thinks　she　cannot　do　too　much　to　lower

the　grocer's　wife　to　her　own　level。〃







Thus　reduced　to　its　dregs　through　the　withdrawal　of　its　tolerably

honest　recruits；　the　faction　now　comprises　none　but　the　scum　of　the

populace；　first；　〃subordinate　workmen　who　look　upon　the　downfall　of

their　employers　with　a　certain　satisfaction；〃　then；　the　small

retailers；　the　old…clothes　dealers；　plasterers；　〃those　who　offer

second…hand　coats　for　sale　on　the　fringes　of　the　market；　fourth…rate

cooks　who；　at　the　cemetery　of　the　Innocents；　sell　meat　and　beans　under

umbrella　tops；〃＇91＇　next；　domestics　highly　pleased　with　now　being

masters　of　their　masters；　kitchen　helpers；　grooms；　lackeys；　janitors；

every　species　of　valet；　who；　in　contempt　of　the　law；　voted　at　the

elections＇92＇　and　at　the　Jacobin　club　form　a　group　of　〃silly　people〃

satisfied　〃that　they　were　universal　geographers　because　they　had

ridden　post　once　or　twice；〃　and　that　they　were　politicians　〃because

they　had　read　'The　Four　Sons　of　Aymon。'〃＇93＇　　But；　in　this　mud；

spouting　and　spreading　around　in　broad　daylight；　it　is　the　ordinary

scum　of　great　cities　which　forms　the　grossest　flux；　the　outcasts　of

every　trade　and　profession；　dissipated　workmen　of　all　kinds；　the

irregular　and　marauding　troops　of　the　social　army；　the　class　which；

〃discharged　from　La　Pitié；　run　through　a　career　of　disorder　and　end　in

Bicêtre。〃＇94＇　　〃From　La　Pitié　to　Bicêtre〃　is　a　well　known　popular

adage。　　Men　of　this　stamp　are　without　any　principle　whatever。　If　they

have　fifty　francs　they　live　on　fifty；　and　if　they　have　only　five　they

live　on　five；　spending　everything；　they　are　always　out　of　pocket　and

save　nothing。　This　is　the　class　that　took　the　Bastille；＇95＇　got　up　the

10th　of　August；　etc。　　It　is　the　same　class　which　filled　the　galleries

in　the　Assembly　with　all　sorts　of　characters；　filling　up　the　groups；〃

and；　during　all　this　time　it　never　did　a　stroke　of　work。　Consequently；

〃a　wife　who　owns　a　watch；　ear…rings；　finger…rings；　any　jewels；　first

takes　them　to　the　pawnbrokers　where　they　end　up　being　sold。　At　this

period　many　of　these　people　owe　the　butcher；　the　baker；　the　wine…

dealer；　etc。；　nobody　trusts　them　any　more。　They　have　ceased　to　love

their　wives；　and　their　children　cry　for　food；　while　the　father　is　at

the　Jacobin　club　or　at　the　Tuileries。　　Many　of　them　have　abandoned

their　position　and　trade；〃　while；　either　through　〃indolence〃　or

consciousness　〃of　their　incapacity；〃　。　。　。　　〃they　would　with　a　kind　of

sadness　see　this　trade　come　back　to　life。〃　That　of　a　political　gossip；

of　a　paid　claqueur；　is　more　agreeable；　and　such　is　the　opinion　of　all

the　idlers；　summoned　by　the　bugle　to　work　on　the　camps　around　Paris。　…

…　Here；＇96＇　eight　thousand　men　are　paid　forty　sous　a　day　〃to　do

nothing〃；　〃the　workmen　come　along　at　eight；　nine　and　ten　o'clock　in

the　morning。　　If　they　remain　after　roll…call　。　。　。　they　merely　trundle

about　a　few　wheelbarrow　loads　of　dirt。　Others　play　cards　all　day；　and

most　of　them　leave　at　three　or　four　o'clock；　after　dinner。　　On　asking

the　inspectors　about　this　they　reply　that　they　are　not　strong　enough

to　enforce　discipline；　and　are　not　disposed　to　have　their　throats

slit。〃　Whereupon；　on　the　Convention　decreeing　piece…work；　the

pretended　workers　fall　back　on　their　equality；　remind　it　that　they　had

risen　on　the　10th　of　August；　and　wish　to　massacre　the　commissioners。

It　is　not　until　the　2nd　　of　November　that　they　are　finally　dismissed

with　an　allowance　of　three　sous　per　league　mileage　for　those　of　the

departments。　　Enough；　however；　remain　in　Paris　to　increase

immeasurably　the　troop　of　drones　which；　accustomed　to　consuming　the

store　of　honey；　think　they　have　a　right　to　be　paid　by　the　public　for

buzzing　around　the　State。



As　a　rear…guard；　they　have　〃the　rabble　of　the　suburbs　of　Paris；　which

flocks　in　at　every　tap　of　the　drum　because　it　hopes　to　make

something。〃＇97＇　As　advance…guard　they　have　〃brigands；〃　while　the　front

ranks　contain　〃all　the　robbers　in　Paris；　which　the　faction　has

enrolled　in　its　party　to　use　when　required；〃　the　second　ranks　are　made

up　of　〃a　number　of　former　domestics；　the　bullies　of　gambling…houses

and　of　houses　of　ill…fame；　all　the　vilest　class。〃＇98＇　　Naturally；

lost　women　form　a　part　of　the　crowd　〃Citoyennes；〃　Henriot　says；

addressing　the　prostitutes　of　the　Palais…Royal；　whom　he　has　assembled

in　its　garden；　〃citoyennes；　are　you　good　republicans？〃　　〃Yes；　general；

yes！〃　　〃Have　you；　by　chance；　any　refractory　priest；　any　Austrian；　any

Prussian；　concealed　in　your　apartments？〃　　〃Fie；　fie！　We　have　nobody

but　sans…culottes！　〃＇99＇　　Along　with　these　are　the　thieves　and

prostitutes　out　of　the　Chatelet　and　Conciergerie；　set　at　liberty　and

then　enlisted　by　the　September　slaughterers；　under　the　command　of　an

old　hag　named　Rose　Lacombe；＇100＇　forming　the　usual　audience　of　the

Convention；　on　important　days；　seven　or　eight　hundred　of　these　may　be

counted；　sometimes　two　thousand；　stationed　at　the　entrance　and　in　the

galleries；　from　nine　o'clock　in　the　morning。＇101＇　　Male　and　female；

〃this　anti…social　vermin　〃102thus　crawls　around　at　the　sessions　of　the

Assembly；　the　Commune；　the　Jacobin　club；　the　revolutionary　tribunal；

the　sections　and　one　may　imagine　the　physiognomies　it　offers　to　view。

〃It　would　seem；〃　says　a　deputy；＇103＇　〃as　if　every　sink　in　Paris　and

other　great　cities　had　been　scoured　to　find　whatever　was　foul；　the

most　hideous；　and　the　most　infected。　。　。　。　Ugly；　cadaverous　features；

black　or　bronzed；　surmounted　with　tufts　of　greasy　hair；　and　with　eyes

sunken　half…way　into　the　head。　。　。　。　They　belched　forth　with　their

nauseous　breath　the　grossest　insults　amidst　sharp　cries　like　those　of

carnivorous　animals。〃　　Among　them　there　can　be　distinguished　〃the

September　murderers；　whom〃　says　an　observer＇104＇　in　a　position　to　know

them；　〃I　can　compare　to　nothing　but　lazy　tigers　licking　their　paws；

growling　and　trying　to　find　a　few　more　drops　of　blood　just　spilled；

awaiting　a　fresh　supply。〃　Far　from　hiding　away　they　strut　about　and

show　themselves。　One　of　them；　Petit…Mamain；　son　of　an　innkeeper　at

Bordeaux　and　a　former　soldier；　〃with　a　pale；　wrinkled　face；　sharp　eyes

and　bold　air；　wearing　a　scimitar　at　his　side　and　pistols　at　his　belt；〃

promenades　the　Palais…Royal＇105＇　〃accompanied　or　followed　at　a

distance　by　others　of　the　same　species；〃　and　〃taking　part　in　every

conversation。〃　　〃It　was　me；〃　he　says；　〃who　ripped　open　La　Lamballe　and

tore　her　heart　out。　。　。　。　All　I　have　to　regret　is　that　the　massacre

was　such　a　short　one。　　But　we　shall　have　it　over　again。　Only　wait　a

fortnight！〃　and；　thereupon；　he　calls　out　his　own　name　in　defiance。　

Another；　who　has　no　need　of　stating　his　well…known　name；　Maillard；

president　of　the　Abbaye　massacres；　has　his　head…quarters　at　the　café

Chrétien；＇106＇　Rue　Favart；　from　which；　guzzling　drams　of　brandy；　〃he

dispatches　his　mustached　men；　sixty…eight　cutthroats；　the　terror　of

the　surrounding　region；〃　we　see　them　in　coffee…houses　and　in　the

foyers　of　the　theaters　〃drawing　their　huge　sabers；〃　and　telling

inoffensive　people：　〃I　am　Mr。　so　and　so；　if　you　look　at　me　with

contempt　I'll　cut　you　down！　　　A　few　months　more　and；　under　the

command　of　one　of　Henriot's　aids；　a　squad　of　this　band　will　rob　and

toast　（chauffer）　peasants　in　the　environment　of　Corbeil　and

Meaux。＇107＇　In　the　meantime；　even　in　Paris；　they　toast；　rob；　and　rape

on　grand　occasions。　　On　the　25th　and　26th　of　February；　1793；＇108＇　they

pillage　wholesale　and　retail　groceries；　〃save　those　belonging　to

Jacobins；〃　in　the　Rue　des　Lombards；　Rue　des　Cinq…Diamants；　Rue

Beaurepaire；　Rue　Montmartre；　in　the　Ile　Saint…Louis；　on　the　Port…au…

Blé；　before　the　H？tel…de…ville；　Rue　Saint…Jacques；　in　short；　twelve

hundred　of　them；　not　alone　articles　of　prime　necessity；　soap　and

candles；　but　again；　sugar；　brandy；　cinnamon；　vanilla；　indigo　and　tea。

〃In　the　Rue　de　la　Bourdonnaie；　a　number　of　persons　came　out　with

loaves　of　sugar　they　had　not　paid　for　and　which　they　re…sold。〃　The

affair　was　arranged　beforehand；　the　same　as　on　the　5th　of　October；

1789；　among　the　women　are　seen　〃several　men　in　disguise　who　did　not

even　take　the　precaution　of　shaving；〃　and　in　many　places；　thanks　to

the　confusion；　they　heartily　abandon　themselves　to　it。　With　his　feet

in　the　fire　or　a　pistol　at　his　head；　the　master　of　the　house　is

compelled　to　give　them　〃gold；　money；　assignats　and　jewels；〃　only　too

glad　if　his　wife　and　daughters　are　not　raped　before　his　eyes　as　in　a

town　taken　by　assault。







VII。　The　Jacobin　Chieftains。



The　make　up　of　the　rulers。　　The　nature　and　scope　of　their　intellect。

　The　political　views　of　M。　Saule。



Such　are　the　politicians　who；　after　the　last　months　of　the　year　1792；

rule