zanoni-第93节

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！



Robespierre　who　ordains　it。　　Is　there　a　new　tax？it　is

Robespierre　who　ruins　you。　　They　call　me　tyrant！and　why？

Because　I　have　acquired　some　influence；　but　how？in　speaking

truth；　and　who　pretends　that　truth　is　to　be　without　force　in　the

mouths　of　the　Representatives　of　the　French　people？　　Doubtless；

truth　has　its　power；　its　rage；　its　despotism；　its　accents；

touching；　terrible；　which　resound　in　the　pure　heart　as　in　the

guilty　conscience；　and　which　Falsehood　can　no　more　imitate　than

Salmoneus　could　forge　the　thunderbolts　of　Heaven。　　What　am　I　whom

they　accuse？　　A　slave　of　liberty；a　living　martyr　of　the

Republic；　the　victim　as　the　enemy　of　crime！　　All　ruffianism

affronts　me；　and　actions　legitimate　in　others　are　crimes　in　me。

It　is　enough　to　know　me　to　be　calumniated。　　It　is　in　my　very　zeal

that　they　discover　my　guilt。　　Take　from　me　my　conscience；　and　I

should　be　the　most　miserable　of　men！〃



He　paused；　and　Couthon　wiped　his　eyes；　and　St。　Just　murmured

applause　as　with　stern　looks　he　gazed　on　the　rebellious　Mountain；

and　there　was　a　dead；　mournful；　and　chilling　silence　through　the

audience。　　The　touching　sentiment　woke　no　echo。



The　orator　cast　his　eyes　around。　　Ho！　he　will　soon　arouse　that

apathy。　　He　proceeds；　he　praises；　he　pities　himself　no　more。　　He

denounces；he　accuses。　　Overflooded　with　his　venom；　he　vomits　it

forth　on　all。　　At　home；　abroad；　finances；　war；on　all！　　Shriller

and　sharper　rose　his　voice；



〃A　conspiracy　exists　against　the　public　liberty。　　It　owes　its

strength　to　a　criminal　coalition　in　the　very　bosom　of　the

Convention；　it　has　accomplices　in　the　bosom　of　the　Committee　of

Public　Safety。。。What　is　the　remedy　to　this　evil？　　To　punish　the

traitors；　to　purify　this　committee；　to　crush　all　factions　by　the

weight　of　the　National　Authority；　to　raise　upon　their　ruins　the

power　of　Liberty　and　Justice。　　Such　are　the　principles　of　that

Reform。　　Must　I　be　ambitious　to　profess　them？then　the

principles　are　proscribed；　and　Tyranny　reigns　amongst　us！　　For

what　can　you　object　to　a　man　who　is　in　the　right；　and　has　at

least　this　knowledge；he　knows　how　to　die　for　his　native　land！

I　am　made　to　combat　crime；　and　not　to　govern　it。　　The　time；　alas！

is　not　yet　arrived　when　men　of　worth　can　serve　with　impunity

their　country。　　So　long　as　the　knaves　rule；　the　defenders　of

liberty　will　be　only　the　proscribed。〃



For　two　hours；　through　that　cold　and　gloomy　audience；　shrilled

the　Death…speech。　　In　silence　it　began；　in　silence　closed。　　The

enemies　of　the　orator　were　afraid　to　express　resentment；　they

knew　not　yet　the　exact　balance　of　power。　　His　partisans　were

afraid　to　approve；　they　knew　not　whom　of　their　own　friends　and

relations　the　accusations　were　designed　to　single　forth。　　〃Take

care！〃　whispered　each　to　each；　〃it　is　thou　whom　he　threatens。〃

But　silent　though　the　audience；　it　was；　at　the　first；　wellnigh

subdued。　　There　was　still　about　this　terrible　man　the　spell　of　an

overmastering　will。　　Alwaysthough　not　what　is　called　a　great

oratorresolute；　and　sovereign　in　the　use　of　words；　words　seemed

as　things　when　uttered　by　one　who　with　a　nod　moved　the　troops　of

Henriot；　and　influenced　the　judgment　of　Rene　Dumas；　grim

President　of　the　Tribunal。　　Lecointre　of　Versailles　rose；　and

there　was　an　anxious　movement　of　attention；　for　Lecointre　was　one

of　the　fiercest　foes　of　the　tyrant。　　What　was　the　dismay　of　the

Tallien　faction；　what　the　complacent　smile　of　Couthon；when

Lecointre　demanded　only　that　the　oration　should　be　printed！　　All

seemed　paralyzed。　　At　length　Bourdon　de　l'Oise；　whose　name　was

doubly　marked　in　the　black　list　of　the　Dictator；　stalked　to　the

tribune；　and　moved　the　bold　counter…resolution；　that　the　speech

should　be　referred　to　the　two　committees　whom　that　very　speech

accused。　　Still　no　applause　from　the　conspirators；　they　sat

torpid　as　frozen　men。　　The　shrinking　Barrere；　ever　on　the　prudent

side；　looked　round　before　he　rose。　　He　rises；　and　sides　with

Lecointre！　　Then　Couthon　seized　the　occasion；　and　from　his　seat

（a　privilege　permitted　only　to　the　paralytic　philanthropist）　（M。

Thiers　in　his　History；　volume　iv。　page　79；　makes　a　curious

blunder：　　he　says；　〃Couthon　s'elance　a　la　tribune。'　　（Couthon

darted　towards　the　tribune。）　　Poor　Couthon！　whose　half　body　was

dead；　and　who　was　always　wheeled　in　his　chair　into　the

Convention；　and　spoke　sitting。）；　and　with　his　melodious　voice

sought　to　convert　the　crisis　into　a　triumph。



He　demanded；　not　only　that　the　harangue　should　be　printed；　but

sent　to　all　the　communes　and　all　the　armies。　　It　was　necessary　to

soothe　a　wronged　and　ulcerated　heart。　　Deputies；　the　most

faithful；　had　been　accused　of　shedding　blood。　　〃Ah！　if　HE　had

contributed　to　the　death　of　one　innocent　man；　he　should　immolate

himself　with　grief。〃　　Beautiful　tenderness！and　while　he　spoke；

he　fondled　the　spaniel　in　his　bosom。　　Bravo；　Couthon！

Robespierre　triumphs！　The　reign　of　Terror　shall　endure！　　The　old

submission　settles　dovelike　back　in　the　assembly！　　They　vote　the

printing　of　the　Death…speech；　and　its　transmission　to　all　the

municipalities。　　From　the　benches　of　the　Mountain；　Tallien；

alarmed；　dismayed；　impatient；　and　indignant；　cast　his　gaze　where

sat　the　strangers　admitted　to　hear　the　debates；　and　suddenly　he

met　the　eyes　of　the　Unknown　who　had　brought　to　him　the　letter

from　Teresa　de　Fontenai　the　preceding　day。　　The　eyes　fascinated

him　as　he　gazed。　　In　aftertimes　he　often　said　that　their　regard；

fixed；　earnest；　half…reproachful；　and　yet　cheering　and

triumphant；　filled　him　with　new　life　and　courage。　　They　spoke　to

his　heart　as　the　trumpet　speaks　to　the　war…horse。　　He　moved　from

his　seat；　he　whispered　with　his　allies：　　the　spirit　he　had　drawn

in　was　contagious；　the　men　whom　Robespierre　especially　　had

denounced；　and　who　saw　the　sword　over　their　heads；　woke　from

their　torpid　trance。　　Vadier；　Cambon；　Billaud…Varennes；　Panis；

Amar；　rose　at　once；all　at　once　demanded　speech。　　Vadier　is

first　heard；　the　rest　succeed。　　It　burst　forth；　the　Mountain；

with　its　fires　and　consuming　lava；　flood　upon　flood　they　rush；　a

legion　of　Ciceros　upon　the　startled　Catiline！　　Robespierre

falters；　hesitates；would　qualify；　retract。　　They　gather　new

courage　from　his　new　fears；　they　interrupt　him；　they　drown　his

voice；　they　demand　the　reversal　of　the　motion。　　Amar　moves　again

that　the　speech　be　referred　to　the　Committees；　to　the

Committees；to　his　enemies！　　Confusion　and　noise　and　clamour！

Robespierre　wraps　himself　in　silent　and　superb　disdain。　　Pale；

defeated；　but　not　yet　destroyed；　he　stands；a　storm　in　the　midst

of　storm！



The　motion　is　carried。　　All　men　foresee　in　that　defeat　the

Dictator's　downfall。　　A　solitary　cry　rose　from　the　galleries；　it

was　caught　up；　it　circled　through　the　hall；　the　audience：　　〃A　bas

le　tyrant！　　Vive　la　republique！〃　　（Down　with　the　tyrant！　　Hurrah

for　the　republic！）





CHAPTER　7。XII。



Aupres　d'un　corps　aussi　avili　que　la　Convention；　il　restait　des

chances　pour　que　Robespierre　sortit　vainqueur　de　cette　lutte。

Lacretelle；　volume　xii。



（Amongst　a　body　so　debased　as　the　Convention；　there　still

remained　some　chances　that　Robespierre　would　come　off　victor　in

the　struggle。）



As　Robespierre　left　the　hall；　there　was　a　dead　and　ominous

silence　in　the　crowd　without。　　The　herd；　in　every　country；　side

with　success；　and　the　rats　run　from　the　falling　tower。　　But

Robespierre；　who　wanted　courage；　never　wanted　pride；　and　the　last

often　supplied　the　place　of　the　first；　thoughtfully；　and　with　an

impenetrable　brow；　he　passed　through　the　throng；　leaning　on　St。

Just；　Payan　and　his　brother　following　him。



As　they　got　into　the　open　space；　Robespierre　abruptly　broke　the

silence。



〃How　many　heads　were　to　fall　upon　the　tenth？〃



〃Eighty；〃　replied　Payan。



〃Ah；　we　must　not　tarry　so　long；　a　day　may　lose　an　empire：

terrorism　must　serve　us　yet！〃



He　was　silent　a　few　moments；　and　his　eyes　roved　suspiciously

through　the　street。



〃St。　Just；〃　he　said　abruptly；　〃they　have　not　found　this

Englishman　whose　revelations；　or　whose　trial；　would　have　crushed

the　Amars　and　the　Talliens。　　No；　no！　my　Jacobins　themselves　are

growing　dull　and　blind。　　But　they　have　seized　a　woman；only　a

woman！〃



〃A　woman's　hand　stabbed　Marat；〃　said　St。　Just。　　Robespierre

stopped　short；　and　breathed　hard。



〃St。　Just；〃　said　he；　〃when　this　peril　is　past；　we　will　found　the

Reign　of　Peace。　　There　shall　be　homes　and　gardens　set　apart　for

the　old。　　David　is　already　designing　the　porticos。　　Virtuous　men

shall　be　appointed　to　instruct　the　young。　　All　vice　and　disorder

shall　be　NOT　exterminatedno；　no！　only　banished！　　We　must　not

die　yet。　　Posterity　cannot　judge　us　till　our　work　is　done。　　We

have　recalled　L'Etre　Supreme；　we　must　now　remodel　this　corrupted

world。　　All　shall　be　love　and　brotherhood；　andho！　　Simon！

Simon！hold！　　Your　pencil；　St。　Just！〃　　And　Robespierre　wrote

hastily。　　〃This　to　Citizen　President　Dumas。　　Go　with　it　quick；