the origins of contemporary france-2- 第27部分

very　evening。　　On　the　other　hand；　its　ponderous　mass　crushes　all

authority　and　overrides　all　rules　and　regulations　　which　is　at

once　apparent　on　reaching　Versailles。　　　Admitted　into　the

Assembly；　at　first　in　small　numbers；　the　women　crowd　against　the

door；　push　in　with　a　rush；　fill　the　galleries；　then　the　hall；　the

men　along　with　them；　armed　with　clubs；　halberds；　and　pikes；　all

pell…mell；　side　by　side　with　the　deputies；　taking　possession　of

their　benches；　voting　along　with　them；　and　gathering　about　the

President；　who；　surrounded；　threatened；　and　insulted；　finally

abandons　the　position；　while　his　chair　is　taken　by　a　woman。＇34＇　　A

fishwoman　commands　in　a　gallery；　and　about　a　hundred　women　around

her　shout　or　keep　silence　at　her　bidding；　while　she　interrupts　and

abuses　the　deputies：



〃Who　is　that　speaker　there？　Silence　that　blabbermouth；　he　does　not

know　what　he　is　talking　about。　　The　question　is　how　to　get　bread。

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…de…Boeuf；　a　door　of　which　is　broken　in：　here

they