the origins of contemporary france-4-第42节

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National　Assembly。〃＇40＇　…　At　the　outset；　a　few　lives　would　have

sufficed：　〃five　hundred　heads　ought　to　have　fallen　when　the　Bastille

was　taken；　and　all　would　then　have　gone　on　well。〃　But；　through　lack　of

foresight　and　timidity；　the　evil　was　allowed　to　spread；　and　the　more

it　spread　the　larger　the　amputation　should　have　been。　　…　With　the

sure；　keen　eye　of　the　surgeon；　Marat　gives　its　dimensions；　he　has　made

his　calculation　beforehand。　　In　September；　1792；　in　the　Council　at　the

Commune；　he　estimates　forty　thousand　as　the　number　of　heads　that

should　be　laid　low。＇41＇　Six　weeks　later；　the　social　abscess　having

enormously　increased；　the　figures　swell　in　proportion；　he　now　demands

two　hundred　and　seventy　thousand　heads；＇42＇　always　on　the　score　of

humanity；　〃to　ensure　public　tranquility；〃　on　condition　that　the

operation　be　entrusted　to　him；　as　the　temporary　enforcer　of　the

justice。　　…　Except　for　this　last　point；　the　rest　is　granted　to　him；　it

is　unfortunate　that　he　could　not　see　with　his　own　eyes　the　complete

fulfillment　of　his　programme；　the　batches　condemned　by　the

revolutionary　Tribunal；　the　massacres　of　Lyons　and　Toulon；　the

drownings　of　Nantes。　　…　From　the　beginning　to　the　end；　he　was　in

keeping　with　the　Revolution；　lucid　on　account　of　his　blindness；　thanks

to　his　crazy　logic；　thanks　to　the　concordance　of　his　personal　malady

with　the　public　malady；　to　the　early　manifestation　of　his　complete

madness　in　the　midst　of　the　incomplete　or　tardy　madness　of　the　rest；

he　alone　steadfast；　remorseless；　triumphant；　perched　aloft　at　the

first　bound　on　the　sharp　pinnacle　which　his　rivals　dared　not　climb　or

only　stumbled　up。



II。　　Danton。



Danton。　　…　Richness　of　his　faculties。　　…　Disparity　between　his

condition　and　instincts。　　…　The　Barbarian。　　…　His　work。　　…　His

weakness。



There　is　nothing　of　the　madman　about　Danton；　on　the　contrary；　not　only

is　his　intellect　sound；　but　he　possesses　political　aptitudes　to　an

eminent　degree；　and　to　such　an　extent　that；　in　this　particular；　none

of　his　associates　or　adversaries　compare　with　him；　while；　among　the

men　of　the　Revolution；　only　Mirabeau　equals　or　surpasses　him。　　He　is

an　original；　spontaneous　genius　and　not；　like　most　of　his

contemporaries；　a　disputatious；　quill…driving　theorist；＇43＇　that　is　to

say；　a　fanatical　pedant；　an　artificial　being　composed　of　his　books；　a

mill…horse　with　blinkers；　and　turning　around　in　a　circle　without　an

issue。　　His　free　judgment　is　not　hampered　by　abstract　prejudices：　he

does　not　carry　about　with　him　a　social　contract；　like　Rousseau；　nor；

like　Siéyès；　a　social　art　and　cabinet　principles　or　combinations；＇44＇

he　has　kept　aloof　from　these　instinctively　and；　perhaps；　through

contempt　for　them；　he　had　no　need　of　them；　he　would　not　have　known

what　to　do　with　them。　　Systems　are　crutches　for　the　impotent；　while　he

is　able…bodied；　formulas　serve　as　spectacles　for　the　short…sighted；

while　his　eyes　are　good。　　〃He　had　read　and　meditated　very　little；〃

says　a　learned　and　philosophical　witness；＇45＇　〃his　knowledge　was

scanty　and　he　took　no　pride　in　investigation；　but　he　observed　and　saw

。　　。　　His　native　capacity；　which　was　very　great　and　not　absorbed　by

other　things；　was　naturally　closed　to　vague；　complex　and　false

notions；　and　naturally　open　to　every　notion　of　experience　the　truth　of

which　was　made　manifest。〃　Consequently；　〃his　perceptions　of　men　and

things；　sudden；　clear；　impartial　and　true；　were　instinct　with　solid；

practical　discretion。〃　To　form　a　clear　idea　of　the　divergent　or

concordant　dispositions；　fickle　or　earnest；　actual　or　possible；　of

different　parties　and　of　twenty…six　millions　of　souls；　to　justly

estimate　probable　resistances；　and　calculate　available　forces；　to

recognize　and　take　advantage　of　the　one　decisive　moment；　to　combine

executive　means；　to　find　men　of　action；　to　measure　the　effect

produced；　to　foresee　near　and　remote　contingencies；　to　regret　nothing

and　take　things　coolly；　to　accept　crimes　in　proportion　to　their

political　efficacy；　to　dodge　before　insurmountable　obstacles；　even　in

contempt　of　current　maxims；　to　consider　objects　and　men　the　same　as　an

engineer　contracting　for　machinery　and　calculating　horse…power＇46＇　…

such　are　the　faculties　of　which　he　gave　proof　on　the　10th　of　August

and　the　2nd　of　September；　during　his　effective　dictatorship　between

the　10th　of　August　and　the　21st　of　September；　afterwards　in　the

Convention；　on　the　first　Committee　of　Public　Safety；　on　the　31st　of

May　and　on　the　2nd　of　June：＇47＇　we　have　seen　him　busy　at　work。　　Up　to

the　last；　in　spite　of　his　partisans；　he　has　tried　to　diminish　or；　at

least；　not　add　to；　the　resistance　the　government　had　to　overcome。

Nearly　up　to　the　last；　in　spite　of　his　adversaries；　he　tried　to

increase　or；　at　least；　not　destroy　the　available　forces　of　the

government。　　In　defiance　of　the　outcries　of　the　clubs；　which　clamor

for　the　extermination　of　the　Prussians；　the　capture　of　the　King　of

Prussia；　the　overthrow　of　all　thrones；　and　the　murder　of　Louis　XVI。；

he　negotiated　the　almost　pacific　withdrawal　of　Brunswick；＇48＇　he

strove　to　detach　Prussia　from　the　coalition；＇49＇　he　wanted　to　turn　a

war　of　propaganda　into　one　of　interests；＇50＇　he　caused　the　Convention

to　pass　the　decree　that　France　would　not　in　any　way　interfere　with

foreign　governments；　he　secured　an　alliance　with　Sweden；　he　prescribed

beforehand　the　basis　of　the　treaty　of　Basle；　and　had　an　idea　of　saving

the　King。＇51＇　　In　spite　of　the　distrust　and　attacks　of　the　Girondists；

who　strove　to　discredit　him　and　put　him　out　of　the　way；　he　persists　in

offering　them　his　hand；　he　declared　war　on　them　only　because　they

refused　to　make　peace；＇52＇　and　he　made　efforts　to　save　them　when　they

were　down。　　　Amidst　so　many　ranters　and　scribblers　whose　logic　is　mere

words　and　whose　rage　is　blind；　who　grind　out　phrases　like　a　hand…

organ；　or　are　wound　up　for　murder；　his　intellect；　always　capacious　and

supple；　went　right　to　facts；　not　to　disfigure　and　pervert　them；　but　to

accept　them；　to　adapt　himself　to　them；　and　to　comprehend　them。　　With　a

mind　of　this　quality　one　goes　far　no　matter　in　what　direction；　nothing

remains　but　to　choose　one's　path。　　Mandrin；　under　the　ancient　régime；

was　also；　in　a　similar　way；　a　superior　man；＇53＇　only　he　chose　the

highway。



Between　the　demagogue　and　the　highwayman　the　resemblance　is　close：

both　are　leaders　of　bands　and　each　requires　an　opportunity　to　organize

his　band。　　Danton；　to　organize　his　band；　needed　the　Revolution。　　…　〃Of

low　birth；　without　patronage；〃　penniless；　every　office　being　filled；

and　〃the　Paris　bar　exorbitantly　priced；〃　admitted　a　lawyer　after　〃a

struggle；〃　he　for　a　long　time　wandered　jobless　frequenting　the　coffee…

houses；　the　same　as　similar　men　nowadays　frequent　the　bars。　　At　the

Café　de　l'école；　the　proprietor；　a　good　natured　old　fellow　〃in　a　small

round　wig；　gray　coat　and　a　napkin　on　his　arm；〃　circulated　among　his

tables　smiling　blandly；　while　his　daughter　sat　in　the　rear　as

cashier。＇54＇　Danton　chatted　with　her　and　demanded　her　hand　in

marriage。　　To　obtain　her；　he　had　to　mend　his　ways；　purchase　an

attorneyship　in　the　Court　of　the　Royal　Council　and　find　guarantors　and

sponsors　in　his　small　native　town。＇55＇　　Once　married　and　lodged　in　the

gloomy　Passage　du　Commerce；　he　finds　himself　〃more　burdened　with　debts

than　with　causes；〃　tied　down　to　a　sedentary　profession　which　demands

vigorous　application；　accuracy；　a　moderate　tone；　a　respectable　style

and　blameless　deportment；　obliged　to　keep　house　on　so　small　a　scale

that；　without　the　help　of　a　louis　regularly　advanced　to　him　each　week

by　his　coffee…house　father…in…law；　he　could　not　make　both　ends

meet。＇56＇　His　free…and…easy　tastes；　his　alternately　impetuous　and

indolent　disposition；　his　love　of　enjoyment　and　of　having　his　own　way；

his　rude；　violent　instincts；　his　expansiveness；　creativeness　and

activity；　all　rebel　against　this　life：　he　is　ill…suited　for　the　quiet

routine　of　our　civil　careers。　　It　is　not　the　steady　discipline　of　an

old　society；　but　the　tumultuous　brutality　of　a　society　going　to　pieces

or　in　a　state　of　formation；　that　suits　him。　　In　temperament　and

character　he　is　a　barbarian；　and　a　barbarian　born　to　command　his

fellow…creatures；　like　this　or　that　vassal　of　the　sixth　century　or

baron　of　the　tenth　century。　　A　giant　with　the　face　of　a　〃　Tartar；〃

pitted　with　the　small…pox；　tragically　and　terribly　ugly；　with　a　mask

convulsed　like　that　of　a　growling　〃bull…dog；〃＇57＇　with　small；

cavernous；　restless　eyes　buried　under　the　huge　wrinkles　of　a

threatening　brow；　with　a　thundering　voice　and　moving　and　acting　like　a

combatant；　full…blooded；　boiling　over　with　passion　and　energy。　　His

strength　in　its　outbursts　appears　boundless　like　a　force　of　nature；

when　speaking　he　is　roaring　like　a　bull　and　be　heard　through　closed

windows　fifty　yards　off　in　the　street；　employing　immoderate　imagery；

intensely　in　earnest；　trembling　with　indignation；　revenge　and

patriotic　sentiments；　able　to　arouse　savage