友情提示:如果本网页打开太慢或显示不完整,请尝试鼠标右键“刷新”本网页!阅读过程发现任何错误请告诉我们,谢谢!! 报告错误
九色书籍 返回本书目录 我的书架 我的书签 TXT全本下载 进入书吧 加入书签

the origins of contemporary france-2-第29章

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!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!




lost。  Already; near the end of September; the remark applies which

Mirabeau makes to the Comte de la Marck:



〃Yes; all is lost; the King and Queen will be swept away; and you

will see the populace trampling on their lifeless bodies。〃



Eight days after this; on the 5th and 6th of October; it breaks out

against both King and Queen; against the National Assembly and the

Government; against all government present and to come; the violent

party which rules in Paris obtains possession of the chiefs of

France to hold them under strict surveillance; and to justify its

intermittent outrages by one permanent outrage。



 V。



The 5th and 6th of October。



Once more; two different currents combine into one torrent to hurry

the crowd onward to a common end。   On the one hand are the

cravings of the stomach; and women excited by the famine:



〃Now that bread cannot be had in Paris; let us go to Versailles and

demand it there; once we have the King; Queen; and Dauphin in the

midst of us; they will be obliged to feed us;〃 we will bring back

〃the Baker; the Bakeress; and the Baker's boy。〃



  On the other hand; there is fanaticism; and men who are pushed

on by the need to dominate。



 〃Now that our chiefs yonder disobey us;  let us go and make them

obey us forthwith; the King is quibbling over the Constitution and

the Rights of Man  make him approve them ; his guards refuse to

wear our cockade  make them accept it;  they want to carry him off

to Metz  make him come to Paris; here; under our eyes and in our

hands; he; and the lame Assembly too; will march straight on; and

quickly; whether they like it or not; and always on the right road。〃



 Under this confluence of ideas the expedition is arranged。'28'

Ten days before this; it is publicly alluded to at Versailles。  On

the 4th of October; at Paris; a woman proposes it at the Palais…

Royal; Danton roars at the Cordeliers; Marat; 〃alone; makes as much

noise as the four trumpets on the Day of Judgment。〃 Loustalot writes

that a second revolutionary paroxysm is necessary。〃 〃The day

passes;〃 says Desmoulins; 〃in holding councils at the Palais…Royal;

and in the Faubourg Saint…Antoine; on the ends of the bridges; and

on the quays。。。  in pulling off the cockades of but one color。。。。

These are torn off and trampled under foot with threats of the lamp

post; in case of fresh offense; a soldier who is trying to refasten

his; changes his mind on seeing a hundred sticks raised against

him。〃'29'  These are the premonitory symptoms of a crisis; a huge

ulcer has formed in this feverish; suffering body; and it is about

to break。



But; as is usually the case; it is a purulent concentration of the

most poisonous passions and the foulest motives。  The vilest of men

and women were engaged in it。  Money was freely distributed。  Was it

done by intriguing subalterns who; playing upon the aspirations of

the Duke of Orleans; extracted millions from him under the pretext

of making him lieutenant…general of the kingdom? Or is it due to the

fanatics who; from the end of April; clubbed together to debauch the

soldiery; and stir up a body of ruffians for the purpose of leveling

and destroying everything around them?'30' There are always

Machiavellis of the highways and of houses of ill…fame ready to

excite the foul and the vile of both sexes。  On the first day that

the Flemish regiment goes into garrison at Versailles an attempt is

made to corrupt it with money and women。  Sixty abandoned women are

sent from Paris for this purpose; while the French Guards come and

treat their new comrades。  The latter have been treated at the

Palais…Royal; while three of them; at Versailles; exclaim; showing

some crown pieces of six livres; 〃What a pleasure it is to go to

Paris! one always comes back with money !〃 In this way; resistance

is overcome beforehand。  As to the attack; women are to be the

advanced guard; because the soldiers will scruple to fire at them;

their ranks; however; will be reinforced by a number of men

disguised as women。  On looking closely at them they are easily

recognized; notwithstanding their rouge; by their badly…shaven

beards; and by their voices and gait。'31'  No difficulty has been

found in obtaining men and women among the prostitutes of the

Palais…Royal and the military deserters who serve them as bullies。

It is probable that the former lent their lovers the cast…off

dresses they had to spare。  At night all will meet again at the

common rendezvous; on the benches of the National Assembly; where

they are quite as much at home as in their own houses。'32'  In any

event; the first band which marches out is of this stamp; displaying

the finery and the gaiety of the profession; 〃most of them young;

dressed in white; with powdered hair and a sprightly air;〃 many of

them 〃laughing; singing; and drinking;〃 as they would do at setting

out for a picnic in the country。  Three or four of them are known by

name  one brandishing a sword; and another; the notorious

Théroigne。  Madeleine Chabry Louison; who is selected to address the

King; is a pretty grisette who sells flowers; and; no doubt;

something else; at the Palais…Royal。  Some appear to belong to the

first rank in their calling; and to have tact and the manners of

society  suppose; for instance; that Champfort and Laclos sent

their mistresses。  To these must be added washerwomen; beggars;

bare…footed women; and fishwomen; enlisted for several days before

and paid accordingly。  This is the first nucleus; and it keeps on

growing; for; by compulsion or consent; the troop incorporates into

it; as it passes along; all the women it encounters  seamstresses;

portresses; housekeepers; and even respectable females; whose

dwellings are entered with threats of cutting off their hair if they

do not fall in。  To these must be added vagrants; street…rovers;

ruffians and robbers  the lees of Paris; which accumulate and come

to the surface every time agitation occurs: they are to be found

already at the first hour; behind the troop of women at the H?tel…

de…Ville。  Others are to follow during the evening and in the night。

Others are waiting at Versailles。  Many; both at Paris and

Versailles; are under pay: one; in a dirty whitish vest; chinks gold

and silver coin in his hand。   Such is the foul scum which; both

in front and in the rear; rolls along with the popular tide;

whatever is done to stem the torrent; it widens out and will leave

its mark at every stage of its overflow。



The first troop; consisting of four or five hundred women; begin

operations by forcing the guard of the H?tel…de…Ville; which is

unwilling to make use of its bayonets。  They spread through the

rooms and try to burn all the written documents they can find;

declaring that there has been nothing but scribbling since the

Revolution began。'33'  A crowd of men follow after them; bursting

open doors; and pillaging the magazine of arms。  Two hundred

thousand francs in Treasury notes are stolen or disappear; several

of the ruffians set fire to the building; while others hang an abbé。

The abbé is cut down; and the fire extinguished only just in time:

such are the interludes of the popular drama。  In the meantime; the

crowd of women increases on the Place de Grève; always with the same

unceasing cry; 〃Bread!〃 and 〃To Versailles!〃 One of the conquerors

of the Bastille; the usher Maillard; offers himself as a leader。  He

is accepted; and taps his drum; on leaving Paris; he has seven or

eight thousand women with him; and; in addition; some hundreds of

men ; by dint of remonstrances; he succeeds in maintaining some kind

of order amongst this rabble as far as Versailles。   But it is a

rabble notwithstanding; and consequently so much brute force; at

once anarchical and imperious。  On the one hand; each; and the worst

among them; does what he pleases  which will be quite evident this

very evening。  On the other hand; its ponderous mass crushes all

authority and overrides all rules and regulations  which is at

once apparent on reaching Versailles。   Admitted into the

Assembly; at first in small numbers; the women crowd against the

door; push in with a rush; fill the galleries; then the hall; the

men along with them; armed with clubs; halberds; and pikes; all

pell…mell; side by side with the deputies; taking possession of

their benches; voting along with them; and gathering about the

President; who; surrounded; threatened; and insulted; finally

abandons the position; while his chair is taken by a woman。'34'  A

fishwoman commands in a gallery; and about a hundred women around

her shout or keep silence at her bidding; while she interrupts and

abuses the deputies:



〃Who is that speaker there? Silence that blabbermouth; he does not

know what he is talking about。  The question is how to get bread。

Let papa Mirabeau speak  we want to hear him。〃



A decree on subsistence having been passed; the leader
返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0
未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!
温馨提示: 温看小说的同时发表评论,说出自己的看法和其它小伙伴们分享也不错哦!发表书评还可以获得积分和经验奖励,认真写原创书评 被采纳为精评可以获得大量金币、积分和经验奖励哦!