第715章

- And， whatever the order， even when it cannot be executed， so much the worse for him to whom it is given， for the captain who， directed by the representative to establish this or that battery in a certain time， works all night with all his forces， "with as many men as the place will hold."[151] The battery not being ready at the hour named， Saint-Just sends the captain to the guillotine. - The sovereign having once given an order it cannot be countermanded； to take back his words would be weakening himself；[152] in the service of omnipotence， pride is insatiable， and， to mollify it， no barbaric act is too great. - The same appetite is visible in Collot d'Herbois， who， no longer on the stage， plays before the town the melo-dramatic tyrant with all becoming ostentation. One morning， at Lyons， he directs the revolutionary Tribunal to arrest， examine and sentence a youthful "suspect" before the day is over. "Towards six o'clock，[153]

Collot being at table enjoying an orgy with prostitutes， buffoons and executioners， eating and drinking to choice music， one of the judges of the Tribunal enters； after the usual formalities， he is led up to the Representative， and informs him that the young man had been arrested and examined， and the strictest inquiries made concerning him； he is found irreproachable and the Court decided to set him free.

Collot， without looking at the judge， raises his voice and says to him：

"I ordered you to punish that young man and I want him out of the way before night. If the innocent are spared， too many of the guilty will escape. Go."The music and gaiety begin again， and in an hour the young man is shot." - And so in most of the other pachalics； if any head mentally condemned by the pacha escapes or does not fall soon enough， the latter is indignant at the delays and forms of justice， also against the judges and juries， often selected by himself. Javogues writes an insulting letter to the commission of Feurs which has dared acquit two former nobles. Laignelot， Lecarpentier， Michaud， Monestier， Lebon， dismiss， recompose， or replace the commissions of Fontenoy， Saint-Malo， and Perpignan， and the tribunals of Pau， N？mes， and Arras， whose judgments did not please them.[154] Lebon， Bernard de Saintes， Dartigoyte and Fouché re-arrest prisoners on the same charge， solemnly acquitted by their own tribunals. B？， Prieur de la Marne， and Lebon， send judges and juries to prison that do not always vote death.[155]

Barras and Fréron dispatch， from brigade to brigade， to the revolutionary Tribunal in Paris， the public prosecutor and president of the revolutionary Tribunal of Marseilles， for being indulgent to anti-revolutionaries， because， out of five hundred and twenty-eight prisoners， they guillotined only one hundred and sixty-two.[156] - To contradict the infallible Representative！ That of itself is an offense. He owes it to himself to punish those who are not docile， to re-arrest absolved delinquents， and to support cruelty with cruelty.

When for a long time someone has been imbibing a strong and nauseating drink， not only does the palate get accustomed， but it often acquires a taste for it； it soon wants to have it stronger； finally， it swallows it pure， completely raw， with no admixture or condiment to disguise its repulsiveness - Such， to certain imaginations， is the spectacle of human gore； after getting accustomed to it they take delight in seeing it. Lequinio， Laignelot and Lebon invite the executioner to dine with them；[157] Monestier， "with his cut-throats， is going himself in search of prisoners in the dungeons， so that he may accompany them to the Tribunal and overwhelm them with charges， if they are disposed to defend themselves； after their condemnation， he attends in uniform" at their execution.[158] Fouché， lorgnette in hand， looks out of his window upon a butchery of two hundred and ten Lyonnese. Collot， Laporte and Fouché feast together in a large company on the days when executions by shooting takes place， and， at each discharge， stand up and cheer lustily， waving their hats.[159]

At Toulon， Fréron， in person， orders and sees executed， the first grand massacre on the Champ de Mars.[160] - On the Place d'Arras， M.

de Vielfort， already tied and stretched out on the plank， awaits the fall of the knife. Lebon appears on the balcony of the theatre， makes a sign to the executioner to stop， opens the newspaper， and， in a loud voice， reads off the recent successes of the French armies； then， turning to the condemned man， exclaims： "Go， wretch， and take the news of our victories to your brethren."[161] At Feurs， where the shootings take place at the house of M. du Rosier， in the great avenue of the park， his daughter， quite a young woman， advances in tears to Javogues， and asks for the release of her husband. "Oh， yes， my dear，" replies Javogues， "you shall have him home to-morrow." In effect， the next day， her husband is shot， and buried in the avenue.[162] - It is evident that they get to liking the business.

Like their September predecessors， they find amusement in murdering：

people around them allude gaily to "the red theater" and "the national razor." An aristocrat is said to be "putting his head at the national window，" and "he has put his head through the cathole."[163] They themselves have the style and humor of their trade. "To-morrow， at seven o'clock，" writes Hugues， "let the sacred guillotine be erected！"- "The demoiselle guillotine，" writes Lecarlier， "keeps steadily agoing."[164] - "The relatives and friends of emigrés and of refractory priests，" writes Lebon， "monopolize the guillotine. .