the origins of contemporary france-2-第11部分

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！



Vagrants；　ragged　men；　several　of　them　〃almost　naked；〃　and　〃most　of

them　armed　like　savages；　and　of　hideous　appearance；〃　they　are　〃　such

as　one　does　not　remember　to　have　seen　in　broad　daylight；〃　many　of

them　are　strangers；　come　from　nobody　knows　where。＇39＇　　It　is　stated

that　there　were　50；000　of　them；　and　that　they　had　taken　possession

of　the　principal　guard…houses。



During　these　two　days　and　nights；　says　Bailly；　〃Paris　ran　the　risk

of　being　pillaged；　and　was　only　saved　from　the　marauders　by　the

National　Guard。〃　Already；　in　the　open　street；＇40＇　〃these　creatures

tore　off　women's　shoes　and　earrings；〃　and　the　robbers　were　beginning

to　have　full　sway。　　　Fortunately　the　militia　organized　itself　and

the　principal　inhabitants　and　gentlemen　enrolled　themselves；　48；000

men　are　formed　into　battalions　and　companies；　the　bourgeoisie　buy

guns　of　the　vagabonds　for　three　livres　apiece；　and　sabers　or　pistols

for　twelve　sous。　　At　last；　some　of　the　offenders　are　hung　on　the

spot；　and　others　disarmed；　and　the　insurrection　again　becomes

political。　　But；　whatever　its　object；　it　remains　always　wild；

because　it　is　in　the　hands　of　the　mob。　　Dusaulx；　its　panegyrist；

confesses＇41＇　that　〃he　thought　he　was　witnessing　the　total

dissolution　of　society。〃　There　is　no　leader；　no　management。　　The

electors　who　have　converted　themselves　into　the　representatives　of

Paris　seem　to　command　the　crowd；　but　it　is　the　crowd　which　commands

them。　　One　of　them；　Legrand；　to　save　the　H？tel…de…Ville；　has　no

other　resource　but　to　send　for　six　barrels　of　gun…powder；　and　to

declare　to　the　assailants　that　he　is　about　to　blow　everything　into

the　air。　　The　commandant　whom　they　themselves　have　chosen；　M。　de

Salles；　has　twenty　bayonets　at　his　breast　during　a　quarter　of　an

hour；　and；　more　than　once；　the　whole　committee　is　near　being

massacred。　　Let　the　reader　imagine；　on　the　premises　where　the

discussions　are　going　on；　and　petitions　are　being　made；　〃a　concourse

of　fifteen　hundred　men　pressed　by　a　hundred　thousand　others　who　are

forcing　an　entrance；〃　the　wainscoting　cracking；　the　benches　upset

one　over　another；　the　enclosure　of　the　bureau　pushed　back　against

the　president's　chair；　a　tumult　such　as　to　bring　to　mind　'the　day　of

judgment；〃　the　death…shrieks；　songs；　yells；　and　〃people　beside

themselves；　for　the　most　part　not　knowing　where　they　are　nor　what

they　want。〃　　Each　district　is　also　a　petty　center；　while　the

Palais…Royal　is　the　main　center。　　Propositions；　〃　accusations；　and

deputations　travel　to　and　fro　from　one　to　the　other；　along　with　the

human　torrent　which　is　obstructed　or　rushes　ahead　with　no　other

guide　than　its　own　inclination　and　the　chances　of　the　way。　　One　wave

gathers　here　and　another　there；　their　strategy　consisting　in　pushing

and　in　being　pushed。　　Yet；　their　entrance　is　effected　only　because

they　are　let　in。　　If　they　get　into　the　Invalides　it　is　owing　to　the

connivance　of　the　soldiers。　　　At　the　Bastille；　firearms　are

discharged　from　ten　in　the　morning　to　five　in　the　evening　against

walls　forty　feet　high　and　thirty　feet　thick；　and　it　is　by　chance

that　one　of　their　shots　reaches　an　invalid　on　the　towers。　　They　are

treated　the　same　as　children　whom　one　wishes　to　hurt　as　little　as

possible。　　The　governor；　on　the　first　summons　to　surrender；　orders

the　cannon　to　be　withdrawn　from　the　embrasures；　he　makes　the

garrison　swear　not　to　fire　if　it　is　not　attacked；　he　invites　the

first　of　the　deputations　to　lunch；　he　allows　the　messenger

dispatched　from　the　H？tel…de…Ville　to　inspect　the　fortress；　he

receives　several　discharges　without　returning　them；　and　lets　the

first　bridge　be　carried　without　firing　a　shot。＇42＇　　When；　at　length；

he　does　fire；　it　is　at　the　last　extremity；　to　defend　the　second

bridge；　and　after　having　notified　the　assailants　that　he　is　going　to

do　so。　　In　short；　his　forbearance　and　patience　are　excessive；　in

conformity　with　the　humanity　of　the　times。　　The　people；　in　turn；　are

infatuated　with　the　novel　sensations　of　attack　and　resistance；　with

the　smell　of　gunpowder；　with　the　excitement　of　the　contest；　all　they

can　think　of　doing　is　to　rush　against　the　mass　of　stone；　their

expedients　being　on　a　level　with　their　tactics。　　A　brewer　fancies

that　he　can　set　fire　to　this　block　of　masonry　by　pumping　over　it

spikenard　and　poppy…seed　oil　mixed　with　phosphorus。　　A　young

carpenter；　who　has　some　archaeological　notions；　proposes　to

construct　a　catapult。　　Some　of　them　think　that　they　have　seized　the

governor's　daughter；　and　want　to　burn　her　in　order　to　make　the

father　surrender。　　Others　set　fire　to　a　projecting　mass　of　buildings

filled　with　straw；　and　thus　close　up　the　passage。　　〃The　Bastille　was

not　taken　by　main　force；〃　says　the　brave　Elie；　one　of　the

combatants；　〃it　surrendered　before　even　it　was　attacked；〃＇43＇　by

capitulation；　on　the　promise　that　no　harm　should　be　done　to　anybody。

The　garrison；　being　perfectly　secure；　had　no　longer　the　heart　to

fire　on　human　beings　while　themselves　risking　nothing；＇44＇　and；　on

the　other　hand；　they　were　unnerved　by　the　sight　of　the　immense

crowd。　　Eight　or　nine　hundred　men　only＇45＇　were　concerned　in　the

attack；　most　of　them　workmen　or　shopkeepers　belonging　to　the

faubourg；　tailors；　wheelwrights；　mercers　and　wine…dealers；　mixed

with　the　French　Guards。　　The　Place　de　la　Bastille；　however；　and　all

the　streets　in　the　vicinity；　were　crowded　with　the　curious　who　came

to　witness　the　sight；　〃among　them；〃　says　a　witness；＇46＇　〃were　a

number　of　fashionable　women　of　very　good　appearance；　who　had　left

their　carriages　at　some　distance。〃　To　the　hundred　and　twenty　men　of

the　garrison　looking　down　from　their　parapets　it　seemed　as　though

all　Paris　had　come　out　against　them。　　It　is　they；　also；　who　lower

the　drawbridge　an　introduce　the　enemy：　everybody　has　lost　his　head；

the　besieged　as　well　as　the　besiegers；　the　latter　more　completely

because　they　are　intoxicated　with　the　sense　of　victory。　　Scarcely

have　they　entered　when　they　begin　the　work　of　destruction；　and　the

latest　arrivals　shoot　at　random　those　that　come　earlier；　〃each　one

fires　without　heeding　where　or　on　whom　his　shot　tells。〃　Sudden

omnipotence　and　the　liberty　to　kill　are　a　wine　too　strong　for　human

nature；　giddiness　is　the　result；　men　see　red；　and　their　frenzy　ends

in　ferocity。



For　the　peculiarity　of　a　popular　insurrection　is　that　nobody　obeys

anybody；　the　bad　passions　are　free　as　well　as　the　generous　ones；

heroes　are　unable　to　restrain　assassins。　　Elie；　who　is　the　first　to

enter　the　fortress；　Cholat；　Hulin；　the　brave　fellows　who　are　in

advance；　the　French　Guards　who　are　cognizant　of　the　laws　of　war；　try

to　keep　their　word　of　honor；　but　the　crowd　pressing　on　behind　them

know　not　whom　to　strike；　and　they　strike　at　random。　　They　spare　the

Swiss　soldiers　who　have　fired　at　them；　and　who；　in　their　blue

smocks；　seem　to　them　to　be　prisoners；　on　the　other　hand；　by　way　of

compensation；　they　fall　furiously　on　the　invalides　who　opened　the

gates　to　them；　the　man　who　prevented　the　governor　from　blowing　up

the　fortress　has　his　wrist　severed　by　the　blow　of　a　saber；　is　twice

pierced　with　a　sword　and　is　hung；　and　the　hand　which　had　saved　one

of　the　districts　of　Paris　is　promenaded　through　the　streets　in

triumph。　　The　officers　are　dragged　along　and　five　of　them　are

killed；　with　three　soldiers；　on　the　spot；　or　on　the　way。　　During　the

long　hours　of　firing；　the　murderous　instinct　has　become　aroused；　and

the　wish　to　kill；　changed　into　a　fixed　idea；　spreads　afar　among　the

crowd　which　has　hitherto　remained　inactive。　　It　is　convinced　by　its

own　clamor；　a　hue　and　cry　is　all　that　it　now　needs；　the　moment　one

strikes；　all　want　to　strike。　　〃Those　who　had　no　arms；〃　says　an

officer；　〃threw　stones　at　me；＇47＇　the　women　ground　their　teeth　and

shook　their　fists　at　me。　　Two　of　my　men　had　already　been

assassinated　behind　me。　　I　finally　got　to　within　some　hundreds　of

paces　of　the　H？tel…de…Ville；　amidst　a　general　cry　that　I　should　be

hung；　when　a　head；　stuck　on　a　pike；　was　presented　to　me　to　look　at；

while　at。　　the　same　moment　I　was　told　that　it　was　that　of　M。　de

Launay；〃　the　governor。　　…　　The　latter；　on　going　out；　had　received

the　cut　of　a　sword　on　his　right　shoulder；　n　reaching　the　Rue　Saint…

Antoine　〃everybody　pulled　his　hair　out　and　struck　him。〃　Under　the

arcade　of　Saint…Jean　he　was　already　〃severely　wounded。〃　Around　him；

some　said；　〃his　head　ought　to　be　struck　off；〃　others；　〃let　him　be

hung；〃　and　others；　〃he　ought　to　be　tied　to　a　horse's　tail。〃　Then；　in

despair；　and　wishing　to　put　an　end　to　his　torments；　he　cried　out；

〃Kill　me；〃　and；　in　struggling；　kicked　one　of　the　men　who　held　him　in

the　lower　abdomen。　　On　the　instant　he　is　pierced　with　bayonets；

dragged　in　the　gutter；　and；　striking　his　corpse；　they　exclaim；　〃He's

a　scurvy　wretch　（galeux）　and　a　monster　who　has　betrayed　us；　the

nation　demands　his　head　to　exhibit　to　the　public；〃　and　the　man　who

was　kicked　is　asked　to　cut　it　off。　　　　This　man；　an　unemployed

cook；　a　simpleton　who　〃went　to　the　Bastille　to　see　what　was　going

on；〃　thinks　that　as　it　is　the　general　opinion；　the　act　is　patriotic；

and　even　believes　that　he　〃deserves　a　medal　for　destroying　a

monster。〃　Taking　a　saber　which　is　lent　to　him；　he　strikes　the　bare

neck；　but　the　dull　saber　not　doing　its　work；　he　takes　a　small　black…

handled　knife　from　his　pocket；　and；　〃as　in　his　capacity　of　cook　he

knows　how　to　cut　meat；〃　he　finishes　the　operation　successfully。

Then；　placing　the　head　on　the　end　of　a　three…pronged　pitchfork；　and

accompanied　by　over　two　hundred　armed　men；　〃not　counting　the　mob；〃

he　marches　along；　and；　in　the　Rue　Saint…Honoré；　he　has　two

inscriptions　attached　to　the　head；　to　indicate　without　mistake　whose

head　it　is。　　　They　grow　merry　over　it：　after　filing　alongside　of

the　Palais…Royal；　the　procession　arrives　at　the　Pont…Neuf；　where；

before　the　statue　of　Henry　IV。；　they　bow　the　head　three　times；

saying；　〃Salute　thy　master　！　〃　　This　is　the　last　joke：　it　is　to　be

found　in　every　triumph；　a