the origins of contemporary france-3-第85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！



still　more　brazen　than　at　Paris。　They　parade　the　heads　of　the　dead　all

night　on　the　ends　of　their　pikes；　they　carry　them　to　the　Place　des

Terreaux　into　the　coffee…houses；　they　set　them　on　the　tables　and

derisively　offer　them　beer；　they　then　light　torches；　enter　the

Célestins　theater；　and；　marching　on　the　stage　with　their　trophies；

blending　real　and　mock　tragedy。　　The　epilogue　is　both　grotesque　and

horrible。　　Roland；　at　the　bottom　of　the　file；　finds　a　letter　from　his

colleague；　Danton；＇89＇　who　begs　him　to　release　the　officers；　murdered

three　months　ago；　〃for；〃　says　Danton；　〃if　no　charge　can　be　found

against　them；　it　would　be　crying　injustice　to　keep　them　longer　in

irons。〃　　Roland's　clerk　makes　a　minute　on　Danton's　letter：　〃This

matter　disposed　of。〃　At　this　I　imagine　the　couple　looking　at　each

other　in　silence。　　Madame　Roland　may　remember　that；　at　the　beginning

of　the　Revolution；　she　herself　demanded　heads；　especially　〃two

illustrious　heads；〃　and　hoped　〃that　the　National　Assembly　would

formally　try　them；　or　that　some　generous　Decius〃＇90＇　would　devote

himself　to　〃striking　them　down。〃＇91＇　Her　prayers　are　granted。　The

trial　is　about　to　begin　in　the　regular　way；　and　the　Decius　she　has

invoked　is　everywhere　found　throughout　France。



The　south…east　corner　remains；　that　Provence；　described　to　him　by

Barbaroux　as　the　last　retreat　of　philosophy　and　freedom。　Roland

follows　the　Rh？ne　down　with　his　finger；　and　on　both　banks　he　finds；　as

he　passes　along；　the　usual　characteristic　misdeeds。　…　　On　the　right

bank；　in　Cantal　and　in　the　Gard；　〃the　defenders　of　the　country〃　fill

their　pockets　at　the　expense　of　taxpayers　designated　by

themselves；＇92＇　this　forced　subscription　is　called　〃a　voluntary　gift。〃

〃Poor　laborers　at　Nismes　were　taxed　50　francs；　others　200；　300；　900；

1；000；　under　penalty　of　devastation　and　of　bad　treatment。〃　　In　the

country　near　Tarascon　the　volunteers；　returning　to　the　old…fashioned

ways　of　bandits；　brandish　the　saber　over　the　mother's　head；　threaten

to　smother　the　aunt　in　her　bed；　hold　the　child　over　a　deep　well；　and

thus　extort　from　the　farmer　or　proprietor　even　as　much　as　4；000　or

5；000　francs。　Generally　the　farmer　keeps　silent；　for；　in　case　of

complaint；　he　is　sure　to　have　his　buildings　burnt　and　his　olive　trees

cut　down。＇93＇　…　　On　the　left　bank；　in　the　Isère；　Lieutenant…colonel

Spendeler；　seized　by　the　populace　of　Tullins；　was　murdered；　and　then

hung　by　his　feet　in　a　tree　on　the　roadside；＇94＇　　in　the　Dr？me；　the

volunteers　of　Gard　forced　the　prison　at　Montélimart　and　hacked　an

innocent　person　to　death　with　a　saber；＇95＇　in　Vaucluse；　the　pillaging

is　general　and　constant。　　With　all　public　offices　in　their　hands；　and

they　alone　admitted　into　the　National　Guard；　the　old　brigands　of

Avignon；　with　the　municipality　for　their　accomplice；　sweep　the　town

and　raid　about　the　country；　in　town；　450；000　francs　of　〃voluntary

gifts〃　are　handed　over　to　the　Glacière　murderers　by　the　friends　and

relatives　of　the　dead；　　in　the　country；　ransoms　of　1；000　and　10；000

francs　are　imposed　on　rich　cultivators；　to　say　nothing　of　the　orgies

of　conquest　and　the　pleasures　of　despots；　money　forcibly　obtained　in

honor　of　innumerable　liberty　trees；　banquets　at　a　cost　of　five　or　six

hundred　francs；　paid　for　by　extorted　funds；　reveling　of　every　sort　and

unrestrained　havoc　on　the　invaded　farms；＇96＇　in　short；　the　abuse

drunken　force　amusing　itself　with　brutality　and　proud　of　its　violence。



Following　this　long　line　of　murders　and　robbery；　the　Minister　reaches

Marseilles；　and　I　imagine　him　stopping　at　this　city　some…what

dumbfounded。　　Not　that　he　is　in　any　way　astonished　at　widespread

murders；　undoubtedly　he　has　had　received　information　of　them　from　Aix；

Aubagne；　Apt；　Brignolles；　and　Eyguières；　while　there　are　a　series　of

them　at　Marseilles；　one　in　July；　two　in　August；　and　two　in

September；＇97＇　but　this　he　must　be　used　to。　　What　disturbs　him　here　is

to　see　the　national　bond　dissolving；　he　sees　departments　breaking

away；　new；　distinct；　independent；　complete　governments　forming　on　the

basis　of　popular　sovereignty；＇98＇　publicly　and　officially；　they　keep

funds　raised　for　the　central　government　for　local　uses；　they　institute

penalties　against　their　inhabitants　seeking　refuge　in　France；　they

organize　tribunals；　levy　taxes；　raise　troops；　and　undertake　military

expeditions。＇99＇　　Assembled　together　to　elect　representatives　to　the

Convention；　the　electors　of　the　Bouches…du…Rh？ne　were；　additionally；

disposed　to　establish　throughout　the　department　〃the　reign　of　liberty

and　equality；〃　and　to　this　effect　they　found；　says　one　of　them；　〃an

army　of　1；200　heroes　to　purge　the　districts　in　which　the　bourgeois

aristocracy　still　raises　its　bold；　imprudent　head。〃　　Consequently；　at

Sonas；　Noves；　St。　Remy；　Maillane；　Eyrages；　Graveson；　Eyguières；

extended　over　the　territory　consisting　of　the　districts　of　Tarascon；

Arles　and　Salon；　these　twelve　hundred　heroes　are　authorized　to　get　a

living　out　of　the　inhabitants　at　pleasure；　while　the　rest　of　the

expenses　of　the　expedition　are　to　be　borne　〃by　suspected

citizens。〃＇100＇　These　expeditions　are　prolonged　six　weeks　and　more；

one　of　them　goes　outside　of　the　department；　to　Monosque；　in　the

Basses…Alpes；　and　Monosque；　obliged　to　pay　104；000　francs　to　its

〃saviors　and　fathers；〃　as　an　indemnity　for　traveling　expenses；　writes

to　the　Minister　that；　henceforth；　it　can　no　longer　meet　his

impositions。



What　kind　of　improvised　sovereigns　are　these　who　have　instituted

perambulating　brigandage？　　Roland；　on　this　point；　has　simply　to

question　his　friend　Barbaroux；　their　president　and　the　executive　agent

of　their　decrees。　　〃Nine　hundred　persons；〃　Barbaroux　himself　writes；

〃generally　of　slight　education；　impatiently　listening　to

conservatives；　and　yielding　all　attention　to　the　effervescent；　cunning

in　the　diffusion　of　calumnies；　petty　suspicious　minds；　a　few　men　of

integrity　but　unenlightened；　a　few　enlightened　but　cowardly；　many　of

them　patriotic；　but　without　judgment；　without　philosophy〃；　in　short；　a

Jacobin　club；　and　Jacobin　to　such　an　extent　as　to　〃make　the　hall　ring

with　applause＇101＇　on　receiving　the　news　of　the　September　massacre〃；

in　the　foremost　ranks；　〃a　crowd　of　men　eager　for　office　and　money；

eternal　informers；　imagining　trouble　or　exaggerating　it　to　obtain　for

themselves　lucrative　commissions；〃＇102＇　in　other　words；　the　usual　pack

of　hungry　appetites　in　full　chase。　…　To　really　know　them；　Roland　has

only　to　examine　the　last　file；　that　of　the　neighboring　departments；

and　consider　their　colleagues　in　Var。　　In　this　great　wreck　of　reason

and　of　integrity；　called　the　Jacobin　Revolution；　a　few　stray　waifs

still　float　on　the　surface；　many　of　the　department　administrations　are

composed　of　liberals；　friends　of　order；　intelligent　men；　upright　and

firm　defenders　of　the　law。　　Such　was　the　Directory　of　Var。＇103＇　To　get

rid　of　it　the　Toulon　Jacobins　contrived　an　ambush　worthy　of　the

Borgias　and　Oliverettos　of　the　sixteenth　century。＇104＇　On　the　28th　of

July；　in　the　forenoon；　Sylvestre；　president　of　the　club；　distributed

among　his　trusty　men　in　the　suburbs　and　purlieus　of　the　town　an

enormous　sack　of　red　caps；　while　he　posted　his　squads　in　convenient

places。　　In　the　mean　time　the　municipal　body；　his　accomplices；

formally　present　themselves　at　the　department　bureau；　and　invite　the

administrators　to　join　them　in　fraternizing　with　the　people。　　The

administrators；　suspecting　nothing；　accompany　them；　each　arm　in　arm

with　a　municipal　officer　or　delegate　of　the　club。　　They　scarcely　reach

the　square　when　there　rushes　upon　it　from　every　avenue　a　troop　of　red…

caps　lying　in　wait。　The　syndic…attorney；　the　vice…president　of　the

department；　and　two　other　administrators；　are　seized；　cut　down　and

hung；　another；　M。　Debaux；　succeeding　in　making　his　escape；　hides　away；

scales　the　ramparts　during　the　night；　breaks　his　thigh　and　lies　there

on　the　ground；　he　is　discovered　the　next　morning；　a　band；　led　by

Jassaud；　a　harbor…laborer；　and　by　Lemaille；　calling　him　self　　〃the

town　hangman；〃　come　and　raise　him　up；　carry　him　away　in　a　barrow；　and

hang　him　at　the　first　lamppost。　　Other　bands　dispatch　the　public

prosecutor　in　the　same　fashion；　a　district　administrator；　and　a

merchant；　and　then；　spreading　over　the　country；　pillage　and　slay　among

the　country　houses。　　In　vain　has　the　commandant　of　the　place；　M。

Dumerbion；　entreated　the　municipality　to　proclaim　martial　law。　　Not

only　does　it　refuse；　but　it　enjoins　him　to　order　one…half　of　his

troops　back　to　their　barracks。　By　way　of　an　offset；　it　sets　free　a

number　of　soldiers　condemned　to　the　galleys；　and　all　that　are　confined

for　insubordination。　　Henceforth　every　shadow　of　discipline

vanishes；　and；　in　the　following　month；　murders　multiply。　　M。　de

Possel；　a　navy　administrator；　is　taken　from　his　dwelling；　and　a　rope

is　passed　around　his　neck；　he　is　saved　just　in　time　by　a　bombardier；

the　secretary　of　the　club。　　M。　Senis；　caught　in　his　country…house；　is

hu