the origins of contemporary france-2-第26部分

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competent；　always　has　the　right　to　dismiss　or　instruct　anew　its

servants；　the　deputies。　　On　the　following　day；　August　2nd；　to　make

matters　plainer；　new　delegates　from　the　same　Palais…Royal　suit

gestures　to　words；　they　place　two　fingers　on　their　throats；　on　being

introduced　before　the　representatives　of　the　commune；　as　a　hint

that；　if　the　latter　do　not　obey；　they　will　be　hung。



After　this　it　is　vain　for　the　National　Assembly　to　make　any　show　of

indignation；　to　declare　that　it　despises　threats；　and　to　protest　its

independence；　the　impression　is　already　produced。　　〃More　than　300

members　of　the　communes；〃　says　Mounier；　〃had　decided　to　support　the

absolute　veto。〃　At　the　end　of　ten　days　most　of　these　had　gone　over；

several　of　them　through　attachment　to　the　King；　because　they　were

afraid　of　〃a　general　uprising；〃　and　〃were　not　willing　to　jeopardize

the　lives　of　the　royal　family。〃　But　concessions　like　these　only

provoke　fresh　extortions。　　The　politicians　of　the　street　now　know　by

experience　the　effect　of　brutal　violence　on　legal　authority。

Emboldened　by　success　and　by　impunity；　they　reckon　up　their　strength

and　the　weakness　of　the　latter。　　One　blow　more；　and　they　are

undisputed　masters。　　Besides；　the　issue　is　already　apparent　to

clear…sighted　men。　　When　the　agitators　of　the　public　thoroughfares；

and　the　porters　at　the　street…corners；　convinced　of　their　superior

wisdom；　impose　decrees　by　the　strength　of　their　lungs；　of　their

fists；　and　of　their　pikes；　at　that　moment　experience；　knowledge；

good　sense；　cool…blood；　genius；　and　judgment；　disappear　from　human

affairs；　and　things　revert　back　to　chaos。　　Mirabeau；　in　favor　of　the

veto　for　life；　saw　the　crowd　imploring　him　with　tears　in　their　eyes

to　change　his　opinion　：



　〃Monsieur　le　Comte；　if　the　King　obtains　this　veto；　what　will　be　the

use　of　a　National　Assembly？　We　shall　all　be　slaves　〃＇27＇



Outbursts　of　this　description　are　not　to　be　resisted；　and　all　is

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