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！
alike； of a rudimentary fashion and easily managed； without personal
conscience； spontaneity； curiosity or integrity； whoever has
cultivated himself； whoever has thought for himself and exercised his
own will and judgment rises above the level and shakes off the yoke；
to obtain consideration； to be intelligent and honorable； to belong to
the élite； is to be anti…revolutionary。 In the popular club of Bourg…
en…Bresse；＇150＇ Representative Javogues declared that；
〃the Republic could be established only on the corpse of the last of
the respectable men。〃
X。 The Governors and the Governed。
Prisoners in the rue de Sévres and the 〃Croix…Rouge〃 revolutionary
committee。 … The young Dauphin and Simon his preceptor。 … Judges；
and those under their jurisdiction。 … Trenchard and Coffinhal；
Lavoisier and André Chénier。
Here we have； on one side； the élite of France； almost every person of
rank； fortune； family； and merit； those eminent for intelligence；
culture； talent and virtue； all deprived of common rights； in exile；
in prison； under pikes； and on the scaffold。 On the other side； those
above common law； possessing every office and omnipotent in the
irresponsible dictatorship； in the despotic proconsulships； in the
sovereignty of justice； a horde of the outcasts of all classes； the
parvenus of fanaticism； charlatanism； imbecility and crime。 Often；
when these personalities meet； one sees the contrast between the
governed and the governors in such strong relief that one almost
regards it as calculated and arranged beforehand； the colors and brush
of the painter； rather than words； are necessary to represent it。 In
the western section of Paris； in the prisons of the rue de Sévres＇151＇
the prisoners consist of the most distinguished personages of the
Quartier Saint Germain； prelates； officers； grand…seigniors； and noble
ladies； … … Monseigneur de Clermont…Tonnerre； Monseigneur de Crussol
d'Amboise； Monseigneur de Hersaint； Monseigneur de Saint Simon； bishop
of Agde； the Comtesse de Narbonne…Pelet； the Duchesse de Choiseul； the
Princesse de Chimay； the Comtesse de Raymond…Narbonne and her
daughter； two years of age； in short； the flower of that refined
society which Europe admired and imitated and which； in its exquisite
perfection； equalled or surpassed all that Greece； Rome and Italy had
produced in brilliancy； polish and amiability。 Contrast with these
the arbiters of their lives and deaths； the potentates of the same
quarter who issue the warrants of arrest against them； who pen them in
to speculate on them； and who revel at their expense and before their
eyes： these consist of the members of the revolutionary committee of
the Croix…Rouge； the eighteen convicted rogues and debauchees
previously described；＇152＇ ex…cab…drivers； porters； cobblers； street…
messengers； stevedores； bankrupts； counterfeiters； former or future
jail…birds； all clients of the police or alms…house riff…raff。 … At
the other end of Paris； in the east； in the tower of the Temple；
separated from his sister and torn from his mother； still lives the
little Dauphin： no one in France merits more pity or respect than him。
For； if France exists； it is owing to the thirty…five military chiefs
and crowned kings of which he is the last direct scion； without their
thousand years of hereditary rule and preserving policy the intruders
into the Tuileries who have just profaned their tombs at St。 Denis
and thrown their bones into a common ditch；＇153＇ would not be
Frenchmen。 At this moment； were suffrages free； the immense majority
of the people； nineteen Frenchmen out of twenty； would recognize this
innocent and precious child for their King； the heir of the people of
which their nation and country is formed； a child of eight years； of
rare precociousness； as intelligent as he is good； and of a gentle and
winning expression。 Look at the other figure alongside of him； his
fist raised and with insults on his lips； with a hang…dog face；
bloated with brandy； titular governor； official preceptor； and
absolute master of this child； the cobbler Simon； malignant； foul…
mouthed； mean in every way； forcing him to become intoxicated；
starving him； preventing him from sleeping； thrashing him； and who；
obeying orders； instinctively visits on him all his brutality and
corruption that he may pervert； degrade and deprave him。＇154＇ … In the
Palais de Justice； midway between the tower of the Temple and the
prison in the rue de Sèvres； an almost similar contrast； transposing
the merits and demerits； daily brings together in opposition the
innocent with the vile。 There are days when the contrast； still more
striking； seats criminals on the judges' bench and judges on the bench
of criminals。 On the first and second of Floréal； the old
representatives and trustees of liberty under the monarchy； twenty…
five magistrates of the Paris and Toulouse parliaments； many of them
being eminent intellects of the highest culture and noblest character；
embracing the greatest historical names of the French magistracy； …
Etienne Pasquier； Lefèvre d'Ormesson； Molé de Champlatreux； De
Lamoignon； de Malesherbes； … are sent to the guillotine＇155＇ by the
judges and juries familiar to us； assassins or brutes who do not take
the trouble； or who have not the capacity； to give proper color to
their sentences。 M。 de Malesherbes exclaims； after reading his
indictment； 〃 If that were only common…sense！〃 … In effect those who
pronounce judgment are； by their own admission； 〃substantial jurymen；
good sans…culottes； natural people。〃 And such a nature！ One of these；
Trenchard； an Auvergnat carpenter； portrays himself accurately in the
following note addressed to his wife before the trial comes on：
〃If you are not alone； and the companion can work； you may come； my
dear； and see the twenty…four gentlemen condemned； all of them former
presidents or councillors in the parliaments of Toulouse and Paris。 I
recommend you to bring something along with you （to eat）； it will be
three hours before we finish。 I embrace you； my dear friend and
wife。〃＇156＇
In the same court； Lavoisier； the founder and organizer of chemistry；
the great discoverer； and condemned to death； asks for a reprieve of
his sentence for a fortnight to complete an experiment； and the
president； Coffinhal； another Auvergnat； replies；
〃The Republic has no need of savants。〃＇157＇
And it has no need of poets。 The first poet of the epoch； André
Chénier； the delicate and superior artist who reopens antique sources
of inspiration and starts the modern current； is guillotined； we
possess the original manuscript indictment of his examination； a
veritable master…piece of gibberish and barbarism； of which a full
copy is necessary to convey an idea of its 〃turpitudes of sense and
orthography。〃＇158＇ The reader may there see； if he pleases； a man of
genius delivered up to brutes； coarse； angry； despotic animals； who
listen to nothing； who comprehend nothing； who do not even understand
terms in common use； who stumble through their queries； and who； to
ape intelligence； draggle their pens along in supreme stupidity。
The overthrow is complete。 France； subject to the Revolutionary
Government； resembles a human being forced to walk with his head down
and to think with his feet。
_____________________________________________________________________
Notes：
＇1＇ Cf。 〃The Revolution；〃 book I。； ch。 3； and book III。； chs。 9 and
10。
＇2＇ Grégoire； 〃 Memoires；〃 II。； 172。 〃About eighteen thousand
ecclesiastics are enumerated among the émigrés of the first epoch。
About eighteen thousand more took themselves off； or were sent off；
after the 2nd of September。〃
＇3＇ Ibid。； 26。 〃The chief of the émigré bureau in the police
department （May 9； 1805） enumerates about two hundred thousand persons
reached； or affected； by the laws concerning emigration。〃 … Lally…
Tolendal； 〃Défense des Emigrés；〃 （2nd part； p。 62 and passim）。
Several thousand persons inscribed as émigrés did not leave France。
The local administration recorded them on its lists either because
they lived in another department； and could not obtain the numerous
certificates exacted by the law in proof of residence； or because
those who made up the lists treated these certificates with contempt。
It was found convenient to manufacture an émigré in order to
confiscate his possessions legally； and even to guillotine him； not
less legally； as a returned émigré。 … Message of the Directory to the
〃Five Hundred；〃 Vent？se 3； year V。： 〃According to a rough estimate；
obtained at the Ministry of Finances； the number enrolled on the
general list of émigres amounts to over one hundred and twenty
thousand； and； again； the lists from some of the departments have not
come in。〃 … Lafayette； 〃Mémoires；〃 vol。 II。； 181。 （Letters to M。 de
Maubourg； Oct。 17； 1799 （noté） Oct