第 30 节
作者:
开了 更新:2021-02-18 23:01 字数:9316
Let papa Mirabeau speak we want to hear him。〃
A decree on subsistence having been passed; the leaders demand
something in addition; they must be allowed to enter all places
where they suspect any monopolizing to be going on; and the price of
〃bread must be fixed at six sous the four pounds; and meat at six
sous per pound。〃
〃You must not think that we are children to be played with。 We are
ready to strike。 Do as you are bidden。〃
All their political injunctions emanate from this central idea。 And
further:
〃Send back the Flemish regiment it is a thousand men more to
feed; and they take bread out of our mouths。〃 〃Punish the
aristocrats; who hinder the bakers from baking。〃 〃Down with the
skull…cap; the priests are the cause of our trouble! 〃 〃Monsieur
Mounier; why did you advocate that villainous veto? Beware of the
lamp post ! 〃
Under this pressure; a deputation of the Assembly; with the
President at its head; sets out on foot; in the mud; through the
rain; and watched by a howling escort of women and men armed with
pikes: after five hours of waiting and entreaty; it wrings from the
King; besides the decree on subsistence; about which there was no
difficulty; the acceptance; pure and simple; of the Declaration of
Rights; and his sanction to the constitutional articles。 Such is
the independence of the King and the Assembly。'35' Thus are the new
principles of justice established; the grand outlines of the
Constitution; the abstract axioms of political truth under the
dictatorship of a crowd which extorts not only blindly; but which is
half…conscious of its blindness。
〃Monsieur le President;〃 some among the women say to Mounier; who
returns with the Royal sanction; 〃will it be of any real use to us?
will it give poor folks bread in Paris?〃
Meanwhile; the scum has been bubbling up around the chateau; and the
abandoned women subsidized in Paris are pursuing their calling。'36'
They slip through into the lines of the regiment drawn on the
square; in spite of the sentinels。 Théroigne; in an Amazonian red
vest; distributes money among them。
〃Side with us;〃 some say to the men; 〃we shall soon beat the King's
Guards; strip off their fine coats and sell them。〃
Others lie sprawling on the ground; alluring the soldiers; and make
such offers as to lead one of them to exclaim; 〃We are going to have
a jolly time of it !〃 Before the day is over; the regiment is
seduced; the women have; according to their own idea; acted for a
good motive。 When a political idea finds its way into such heads;
instead of ennobling them; it becomes degraded there; its only
effect is to let loose vices which a remnant of modesty still keeps
in subjection; and full play is given to luxurious or ferocious
instincts under cover of the public good。 The passions;
moreover; become intensified through their mutual interaction;
crowds; clamor; disorder; longings; and fasting; end in a state of
frenzy; from which nothing can issue but dizzy madness and rage。
This frenzy began to show itself on the way。 Already; on setting
out; a woman had exclaimed;
〃We shall bring back the Queen's head on the end of a pike!〃'37'
On reaching the Sèvres bridge others added;
〃Let us cut her throat; and make cockades of her entrails!〃
Rain is falling; they are cold; tired; and hungry; and get nothing
to eat but a bit of bread; distributed at a late hour; and with
difficulty; on the Place d'Armes。 One of the bands cuts up a
slaughtered horse; roasts it; and consumes it half raw; after the
manner of savages。 It is not surprising that; under the names of
patriotism and 〃justice;〃 savage ideas spring up in their minds
against 〃members of the National Assembly who are not with the
principles of the people;〃 against 〃the Bishop of Langres; Mounier;
and the rest。〃 One man in a ragged old red coat declares that 〃he
must have the head of the Abbé Maury to play nine…pins with。〃 But it
is especially against the Queen; who is a woman; and in sight; that
the feminine imagination is the most aroused。
〃She alone is the cause of the evils we endure 。。。。 she must be
killed; and quartered。〃
Night advances; there are acts of violence; and violence
engenders violence。
〃How glad I should be;〃 says one man; 〃if I could only lay my hand
on that she…devil; and strike off her head on the first curbstone !〃
Towards morning; some cry out;
〃Where is that cursed cat? We must eat her heart out。。。 We'll take
off her head; cut her heart out; and fry her liver I 〃
With the first murders the appetite for blood has been awakened;
the women from Paris say that 〃they have brought tubs to carry away
the stumps of the Royal Guards;〃 and at these words others clap
their hands。 Some of the riffraff of the crowd examine the rope of
the lamp post in the court of the National Assembly; and judging it
not to be sufficiently strong; are desirous of supplying its place
with another 〃to hang the Archbishop of Paris; Maury; and
d'Espréménil。〃 This murderous; carnivorous rage penetrates even
among those whose duty it is to maintain order; one of the National
Guard being heard to say that 〃the body…guards must be killed to the
last man; and their hearts torn out for a breakfast。〃
Finally; towards midnight; the National Guard of Paris arrives; but
it only adds one insurrection to another; for it has likewise
mutinied against its chiefs。'38'
〃If M。 de Lafayette is not disposed to accompany us;〃 says one of
the grenadiers; 〃we will take an old grenadier for our commander。〃
Having come to this decision; they sought the general at the H?tel…
de…Ville; and the delegates of six of the companies made their
instructions known to him。
〃General; we do not believe that you are a traitor; but we think
that the Government is betraying us。。。。 The committee on
subsistence is deceiving us; and must be removed。 We want to go to
Versailles to exterminate the body…guard and the Flemish regiment
who have trampled on the national cockade。 If the King of France is
too feeble to wear his crown; let him take it off; we will crown his
son and things will go better。〃
In vain Lafayette refuses; and harangues them on the Place de Grève;
in vain he resists for hours; now addressing them and now imposing
silence。 Armed bands; coming from the Faubourgs Saint…Antoine and
Saint…Marceau; swell the crowd; they take aim at him; others prepare
the lamp…post。 He then dismounts and endeavors to return to the
H?tel…de…Ville; but his grenadiers bar the way:
〃Morbleu; General; you will stay with us; you will not abandon us !〃
Being their chief it is pretty plain that he must follow them; which
is also the sentiment of the representatives of the commune at the
H?tel…de…Ville; who send him their authorization; and even the order
to march; 〃seeing that it is impossible for him to refuse。〃
Fifteen thousand men thus reach Versailles; and in front of and
along with them thousands of ruffians; protected by the darkness。
On this side the National Guard of Versailles; posted around the
chateau; together with the people of Versailles; who bar the way
against vehicles; have closed up every outlet。'39' The King is
prisoner in his own palace; he and his; with his ministers and his
court; and with no defense。 For; with his usual optimism; he has
confided the outer posts of the chateau to Lafayette's soldiers;
and; through a humanitarian obstinacy which he is to maintain up to
the last;'40' he has forbidden his own guards to fire on the crowd;
so that they are only there for show。 With common right in his
favor; the law; and the oath which Lafayette had just obliged his
troops to renew; what could he have to fear? What could be more
effective with the people than trust in them and prudence? And by
playing the sheep one is sure of taming brutes!
》From five o'clock in the morning they prowl around the palace…
railings。 Lafayette; exhausted with fatigue; has taken an hour's
repose;'41' which hour suffices for them。'42' A populace armed with
pikes and clubs; men and women; surrounds a squad of eighty…eight
National Guards; forces them to fire on the King's Guards; bursts
open a door; seizes two of the guards and chops their heads off。
The executioner; who is a studio model; with a heavy beard;
stretches out his blood…stained hands and glories in the act; and so
great is the effect on the National Guard that they move off;
through sensibility; in order not to witness such sights: such is
the resistance! In the meantime the crowd invade the staircases;
beat down and trample on the guards they encounter; and burst open
the doors with imprecations against the Queen。 The Queen runs off;
just in time; in her underclothes; she takes refuge with the King
and the rest of the royal family; who have in vain barricaded
themselves in the ?il…d