第450章

[18] Moniteur， Dec. 17 (examination at the bar of the house of Rauch， a pretended labor contractor， whom they are obliged to send off acquitted). Rauch tells them： "I have no money， and cannot find a place where I can sleep at less than 6 sous， because I pee in the bed." -- Moniteur， XII. 574. (session of June 4)， report by Chabot： "Apeddler from Mortagne， says that a domestic coming from Coblentz told him that there was a troop about to carry off the king and poison him， so as to throw the odium of it on the National Assembly." Bernassais de Poitiers writes： "A brave citizen told me last evening： 'I have been to see a servant-girl， living with a noble. She assured me that her master was going to-night to Paris， to join the 30，000， who， in about a month， meant to cut the throats of the National Assembly and set fire to every corner of Paris！'" - "M. Gerard， a saddler at Amiens， writes to us that Louis XVI is to be aided in his flight by 5，000 relays， and that afterwards they are going to fire red-hot bullets on the National Assembly."[19] Mercure de France， Nov. 5， 1791 (session of Oct. 25). -- Ibid.， Dec. 23.-Moniteur， XII. 192 (session of April 21， 1792). -- XII. 447(address to the French， by Clootz)： "God brought order out of primitive chaos； the French will bring order out of feudal chaos. God is mighty， and manifested his will； we are mighty， and we will manifest our will. . . The more extensive the seat of war the sooner， and more fortunately， will the suit of plebeians against the nobles be decided. . . We require enemies， . . Savoy， Tuscany， and quickly， quickly！"[20] Cf. Moniteur， XI. 192 (sitting of Jan. 22， 1792). "M. Burnet， chaplain of the national guard， presents himself at the bar of the house with an English woman， named Lydia Kirkham， and three small children， one of which is in her arms. M. Burnet announces that she is his wife and that the child in her arms is the fruit of their affection. After referring to the force of natural sentiments which he could not resist， the petitioner thus continues： 'One day， I met one of those sacred questioners. Unfortunate man， said he， of what are you guilty？ Of this child， sir； and I have married this woman， who is a Protestant， and her religion has nothing to do with mine. . . Death or my wife！ Such is the cry that nature now and always will， inspire me with." - The petitioner receives the honors of the Assembly. - (Ibid.， XII 369).

[21] The grotesque is often that of a farce. "M. Piorry， in the name of poor； but virtuous citizens， tenders two pairs of buckles， with this motto： 'They have served to hold the shoe-straps on my feet； they will serve to reduce under them， with the imprint and character of truth， all tyrants leagued against the constitution' (Moniteur， XII.

457， session of May 21)" - Ibid.， XIII. 249 (session of July 25). "Ayoung citoyenne offers to combat， in person， against the enemies of her country；" and the president， with a gallant air， replies： "Made rather to soothe， than to combat tyrants， your offer， etc."[22] Moniteur， XL 576 (session of March 6)； XII. 237， 314， 368(sessions of April 27， May 5 and 14).

[23] Mercure de France. Sept. 19，1791， Feb.11， and March 3， 1792. --Buchez et Roux， XVI 185 (session of July 26， 1792).

[24] "Mémoires de Mallet du Pan，" 1433 (tableau of the three parties， with special information).

[25] Buchez et Roux， XII. 348 (letter by the deputy Chéron， president of the Feuillants Club). The deputies of the Legislative Assembly， registered at the Feuillants Club， number 264 besides a large number of deputies in the Constituent Assembly. -- According to Mallet du Pan the so-called Independents number 250.

[26] These figures are verified by decisive ballottings (Mortimer-Ternauz， II. 205， 348.)[27] Moniteur， XII. 393 (session of May 15， speech by Isnard)： "The Constituent Assembly only half dared do what it had the power to do.

It has left in the field of liberty， even around the very roots of the young constitutional tree， the old roots of despotism and of the aristocracy . . . It has bound us to the trunk of the constitutional tree， like powerless victims given up to the rage of their enemies." -- Etienne Dumont saw truly the educational defects peculiar to the party. He says， apropos of Madame Roland： "I found in her too much of that distrustful despotism which belongs to ignorance of the world . .

. What her intellectual development lacked was a greater knowledge of the world and intercourse with men of superior judgment to her own.

Roland himself had little intellectual breadth， while all those who frequented her house never rose above the prejudices of the vulgar."[28] "Souvenirs"， by PASQUIER (Etienne-Dennis， duc)， chancelier de France. in VI volumes， Librarie Plon， Paris 1893.

[29] Madame de Stael， "Considerations sur la Révolution Fran？aise， IIIrd part， ch. III.-Madame de Sta？l conversed with them and judges them according to the shrewd perceptions of a woman of the world.