第 10 节
作者:开了      更新:2021-02-18 23:00      字数:9307
  purged。〃
  Here; in advance; is the program of the Reign of Terror。
  Now all this is not only read; but declaimed; amplified; and turned
  to practical account。  In front of the coffee…houses 〃those who have
  stentorian lungs relieve each other every evening。〃'22'  〃They get
  up on a chair or a table; they read the strongest articles on
  current affairs; 。  。。  。  the eagerness with which they are heard;
  and the thunder of applause they receive for every sentiment of more
  than common hardiness or violence against the present Government;
  cannot easily be imagined。〃 〃Three days ago a child of four years;
  well taught and intelligent; was promenaded around the garden; in
  broad daylight; at least twenty times; borne on the shoulders of a
  street porter; crying out; 'Verdict of the French people: Polignac
  exiled one hundred leagues from Paris; Condé the same; Conti the
  same; Artois the same; the Queen;  I dare not write it。'〃 A hall
  made of boards in the middle of the Palais…Royal is always full;
  especially of young men; who carry on their deliberations in
  parliamentary fashion : in the evening the president invites the
  spectators to come forward and sign motions passed during the day;
  and of which the originals are placed in the Café Foy。'23'  They
  count on their fingers the enemies of the country; 〃and first two
  Royal Highnesses (Monsieur and the Count d'Artois); three Most
  Serene Highnesses (the Prince de Condé; Duc de Bourbon; and the
  Prince de Conti); one favorite (Madame de Polignac); MM。 de
  Vandreuil; de la Trémoille; du Chatelet; de Villedeuil; de Barentin;
  de la Galaisière; Vidaud de la Tour; Berthier; Foulon; and also M。
  Linguet。〃 Placards are posted demanding the pillory on the Pont…Neuf
  for the Abbeé Maury。  One speaker proposes 〃to burn the house of M。
  d'Espréménil; his wife; children and furniture; and himself: this is
  passed unanimously。〃  No opposition is tolerated。  One of those
  present having manifested some horror at such sanguinary motions;
  〃is seized by the collar; obliged to kneel down; to make an apology;
  and to kiss the ground。  The punishment inflicted on children is
  given to him; he is ducked repeatedly in one of the fountain…basins;
  after which they him over to the mob; who roll him in the mud。〃 On
  the following day an ecclesiastic is trodden under foot; and flung
  from hand to hand。  A few days after; on the 22nd of June; there are
  two similar events。  The sovereign mob exercises all the functions
  of sovereign authority; with those of the legislator those of the
  judge; and those of the judge with those of the executioner。   Its
  idols are sacred; if any one fails to show them respect he is guilty
  of lése…majesté; and at once punished。  In the first week of July;
  an abbé who speaks ill of Necker is flogged; a woman who insults the
  bust of Necker is stripped by the fishwomen; and beaten until she is
  covered with blood。  War is declared against suspicious uniforms。
  〃On the appearance of a hussar;〃 writes Desmoulins; 〃they shout;
  'There goes Punch!' and the stone…cutters fling stones at him。  Last
  night two officers of the hussars; MM。 de Sombreuil and de Polignac;
  came to the Palais…Royal。  。  。  chairs were flung at them; and they
  would have been knocked down if they had not run away。  The day
  before yesterday they seized a spy of the police and gave him a
  ducking in the fountain。  They ran him down like a stag; hustled
  him; pelted him with stones; struck him with canes; forced one of
  his eyes out of its socket; and finally; in spite of his entreaties
  and cries for mercy; plunged him a second time in the fountain。  His
  torments lasted from noon until half…past five o'clock; and he had
  about ten thousand executioners。〃  Consider the effect of such a
  focal center at a time like this。  A new power has sprung up
  alongside the legal powers; a legislature of the highways and public
  squares; anonymous; irresponsible; without restraint。  It is driven
  onward by coffeehouse theories; by strong emotions and the vehemence
  of mountebanks; while the bare arms which have just accomplished the
  work of destruction in the Faubourg Saint…Antoine; form its
  bodyguard and ministerial cabinet。
  V。
  Popular mobs become a political force。 … Pressure on the Assembly。 …
  Defection of the soldiery。
  This is the dictatorship of a mob; and its proceedings; conforming
  to its nature; consist in acts of violence; wherever it finds
  resistance; it strikes。   The people of Versailles; in the streets
  and at the doors of the Assembly; daily 〃come and insult those whom
  they call aristocrats。〃'24' On Monday; June 22nd; 〃d'Espréménil
  barely escapes being knocked down; the Abbé Maury。  。  。  owes his
  escape to the strength of a curé; who takes him up in his arms and
  tosses him into the carriage of the Archbishop of Arles。〃 On the
  23rd; 〃the Archbishop of Paris and the Keeper of the Seals are
  hooted; railed at; scoffed at; and derided; until they almost sink
  with shame and rage。〃 So formidable is the tempest of rage with
  which they are greeted; that Passeret; the King's secretary; who
  accompanies the minister; dies of the excitement that very day。  On
  the 24th; the Bishop of Beauvais is almost knocked down by a stone
  striking him on the head。  On the 25th; the Archbishop of Paris is
  saved only by the speed of his horses; the multitude pursuing him
  and pelting him with stones。  His mansion is besieged; the windows
  are all shattered; and; notwithstanding the intervention of the
  French Guards; the peril is so great that he is obliged to promise
  that he will join the deputies of the Third…Estate。  This is the way
  in which the rude hand of the people effects a reunion of the
  Orders。  It bears as heavily on its own representatives as on its
  adversaries。  〃Although our hall was closed to the public;〃 says
  Bailly; 〃there were always more than six hundred spectators。〃'25'
  These were not respectful and silent; but active and noisy; mingling
  with the deputies; raising their hands to vote in all cases; taking
  part in the deliberations; by their applause and hisses: a
  collateral Assembly which often imposes its own will on the other。
  They take note of and put down the names of their opponents;
  transmit them to the chair…bearers in attendance at the entrance of
  the hall; and from them to the mob waiting for the departure of the
  deputies; these names are from now considered as the names of public
  enemies。'26'  Lists are made out and printed; and; at the Palais…
  Royal in the evening; they become the lists of the proscribed。
  It is under this brutal pressure that many decrees are passed; and;
  amongst them; that by which the commons declare themselves the
  National Assembly and assume supreme power。  The night before;
  Malouet had proposed to ascertain; by a preliminary vote; on which
  side the majority was。  In an instant all those against had gathered
  around him to the number of three hundred。  〃Upon which a mans
  springs out from the galleries; falls upon him and takes him by the
  collar exclaiming; 'Hold your tongue; you false citizen!' 〃 Malouet
  is released and the guard comes forward; 〃but terror has spread
  through the hall; threats are uttered against opponents; and the
  next day we were only ninety。〃 Moreover; the lists of their names
  had been circulated; some of them; deputies from Paris; went to see
  Bailly that very evening。  One amongst them; 〃a very honest man and
  good patriot;〃 had been told that his house was to be set on fire。
  Now his wife had just given birth to a child; and the slightest
  tumult before the house would have been fatal。  Such arguments are
  decisive。  Consequently; three days afterwards; at the Tennis…court;
  but one deputy; Martin d'Auch; dares to write the word 〃opposing〃
  after his name。  Insulted by many of colleagues; 〃at once denounced
  to the people who had collected at the entrance of the building; he
  is obliged to escape by a side door to avoid being cut to pieces;〃
  and; for several days; to keep away from the meetings。'27'  …  Owing
  to this intervention of the galleries the radical minority;
  numbering about thirty;'28' lead the majority; and they do not allow
  them to free themselves。   On the 28th of May; Malouet; having
  demanded a secret session to discuss the conciliatory measures which
  the King had proposed; the galleries hoot at him; and a deputy; M。
  Bourche; addresses him in very plain terms。  〃You must know; sir;
  that we are deliberating here in the presence of our masters; and
  that we must account to them for our opinions。〃 This is the doctrine
  of the Contrat…Social。  Through timidity; fear of the Court and of
  the privileged class; through optimism and faith in human nature;
  through enthusiasm and the necessity of adhering to previous
  actions; the deputies; who are novices; provincial; and given up to
  theories; neither dare nor know how to escape from the tyranny of
  the prevailing dogma。   Henceforth it becomes th