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；