第611章

one of them， who comes to the Convention and asks for a separate hall for himself and his adherents， is snubbed in the most outrageous manner； they denounce him as an intriguer， and accuse him of a desire to defend the traitor Castries； they take his name and credentials， and threaten him with an investigation.[26] The unfortunate speaker hears the Abbaye alluded to， and evidently thinks himself fortunate to escape sleeping there that night. -- After this， it is certain that he will not again demand the privilege of speaking， and that his colleagues will remain quiet； and all this is the more likely* because the revolutionary tribunal holds permanent sessions under their eyes，* because the guillotine is set up and in operation on the "Place de la Révolution；"* because a recent act of the Commune enjoins on the police "the most active surveillance" and "constant patrols" by the armed force；* because， from the first to the fourth of August， the barriers are closed；* because， on the 2nd of August， a raid into three of the theaters puts five hundred young men in the lock-up，[27]

so the discontented soon discover， if there are any， that this is not the time or the place to protest.

As to the others， already Jacobin， the faction takes it upon itself to render them still more so. -- Lost in the immensity of Paris， all these provincials require moral as well as physical guides； it agrees to exercise toward them "hospitality in all its plenitude， the sweetest of Republican virtues."[28] Hence， ninety-six sans-culottes， selected from among the sections， wait on them at the Mayoralty to serve as their correspondents， and perhaps as their guarantees， and certainly as pilots* to give them lodging-tickets，* to escort and install them，* to indoctrinate them， as formerly with the federates of July， 1792，* to prevent their getting into bad company，* to introduce them into all the exciting meetings，* to see that their ardent patriotism quickly rises to the proper temperature of Parisian Jacobinism.[29]

The theaters must not offend their eyes or ears with pieces "opposed to the spirit of the Revolution."[30] An order is issued for the performance three times a week of "republican tragedies， such as 'Brutus'， 'William Tell'， 'Caius Gracchus，' and other dramas suitable for the maintenance of the principles of equality and liberty." Once a week the theaters must be free， when Chéniér's alexandrines are spouted on the stage to the edification of the delegates， crowded into the boxes at the expense of the State. The following morning， led in groups into the tribunes of the Convention，[31] they there find the same， classic， simple， declamatory， sanguinary tragedy， except that the latter is not feigned but real， and the tirades are in prose instead of in verse. Surrounded by paid yappers like victims for the ancient Romans celebrations of purifications， our provincials applaud， cheer and get excited， the same as on the night before at the signal given by the claqueurs and the regulars. Another day， the procureur-syndic Lhullier summons them to attend the "Evéché，" to "fraternize with the authorities of the Paris department；"[32] the "Fraternité"section invites them to its daily meetings； the Jacobin club lends them its vast hall in the morning and admits them to its sessions in the evening. -- Thus monopolized and kept， as in a diving bell， they breathe in Paris nothing but a Jacobin atmosphere； from one Jacobin den to another， as they are led about in this heated atmosphere， their pulse beats more rapidly. Many of them， who， on their arrival， were "plain， quiet people，"[33] but out of their element， subjected to contagion without any antidote， quickly catch the revolutionary fever.

The same as at an American revival， under the constant pressure of preaching and singing， of shouts and nervous spasms， the lukewarm and even the indifferent have not long to wait before the delirium puts them in harmony with the converted.

V.

They make their profession of Jacobin faith. -- Their part in the Fête of August 10th. -- Their enthusiasm.

On the 7th of August things come to a head. -- Led by the department and the municipality， a number of delegates march to the bar of the Convention， and make a confession of Jacobin faith. "Soon，" they exclaim， "will search be made on the banks of the Seine for the foul marsh intended to engulf us. Were the royalist and intriguers to die of spite， we will live and die 'Montagnards.'"[34] Applause and embraces. -- From thence they betake themselves to the Jacobin Club， where one of them proposes an address prepared beforehand： the object of this is to justify the 31st of May， and the 2nd of June， "to open the eyes" of provincial France， to declare "war against the federalists."[35] "Down with the infamous libelers who have calumniated Paris！ .... We cherish but one sentiment， our souls are all melted into one ... We form here but one vast， terrible mountain， about to vomit forth its fires on the royalists and supporters of tyranny." Applause and cheers. -- Robespierre declares that they are there to save the country.[36] On the following day， August 8th， this address is presented to the Convention and Robespierre has a resolution adopted， ordering it to be sent to the armies， to foreign powers and all the Communes. More applause， more embraces， and more cheers. -- On the 9th of August，[37] by order of the Convention， the delegates meet in the Tuileries garden， where， divided into as many groups as there are departments， they study the program drawn up by David， in order to familiarize themselves with the parts they are to play in the festival of the following day.

What an odd festival and how well it expresses the spirit of the time！