第718章

. . . I have attended the Lycée des Arts but three times， and then only for the purpose of sans-culotteising it."[32] Michelet， (1798-1874)， "Histoire de la Révolution，" V.， preface XXX (3rd ed.). "When I was young and looking for a job， I was referred to an esteemed Review， to a well-known philanthropist， devoted to education， to the people， and to the welfare of humanity.

I found a very small man of a melancholic， mild and tame aspect. We were in front of the fire， on which he fixed his eyes without looking at me. He talked a long time， in a didactic， monotonous tone of voice. I felt ill at ease and sick at heart， and got away as soon as I could. It was this little man， I afterwards learned， who hunted down the Girondists， and had them guillotined， and which he accomplished at the age of twenty." - This man's name was Julien de la Dr？me. I (Taine) saw him once when quite young. He is well known；first， through his correspondence， and next， by his mother's diary.

("Journal d'une bourgeoise pendant la Revolution，" ed. Locroy.) - We have a sketch of David ("La Demagogie à Paris en 1793，" by Dauban， a fac-simile at the beginning of the volume)， representing Queen Marie Antoinette led to execution. Madame Julien was at a window along with David looking at the funeral convoy， whilst he made the drawing. -Madame Julien writes in her "Journal，" September 3， 1792： "To attain this end we must will the means. No barbarous humanity！ The people are aroused， the people are avenging the crimes of the past three years." - Her son， a sort of raw， sentimental Puritan， fond of bloodshed， was one of Robespierre's most active agents. He remembered what he had done， as is evident by Michelet's narrative， and cast his eyes down， well knowing that his present philanthropy could not annihilate past acts.

[33] Archives Nationales， AF. II.， 46. Register of the Acts of the Committee of Public Safety， vol. II.， orders of August 3， 1793.

[34] On the concentration and accumulation of business， cf. Archives Nationales， ibid.， acts of Aug. 4， 5， 6， 1793； and AF. II.， 23， acts of Brumaire I and 15， year II. - On the distribution and dispatch of business in the Committee and the hours devoted to it， see Acts of April 6， June 13， 17， 18， Aug. 3， 1793， and Germinal 27， year II. -After August 3， two sessions were held daily， from 8 o'clock in the morning to 1 o'clock in the afternoon， and from 7 to 10 o'clock in the evening； at 10 o'clock， the Executive Council met with the Committee of Public Safety， and papers were signed about 2 or 3 o'clock in the morning. - The files of AF. II.， 23 to 42， contain an account of the doings of the Committee， the minutes of its meetings and of its correspondence. A perusal of these furnishes full details concerning the initiative and responsibility of the Committee. For example， (Niv？se 4， year II.， letters to Freron and Barras， at Marseilles，)"The Committee commend the vigorous measures you have sanctioned in your orders at Marseilles. - Marseilles， through you， affords a great example. Accustomed， as you are， to wielding thunderbolts， you are best calculated for still governing it. . . How glorious， citizen colleagues， to be able like you， after long continued labors and immortal fame， how gratifying， under such auspices， to return to the bosom of the National Convention！ " - (AF. II.， 36， Pluvi？se 7， year II.， letter to the representatives on mission at Bordeaux， approving of the orders issued by them against merchants.) "concealed behind the obscurity of its complots， mercantilism cannot support the ardent， invigorating atmosphere of Liberty； Sybaritic indolence quails before Spartan virtue. " - (AF. II.， 37， Pluvi？se 20， letter to Prieur de la Marne， sent to Nantes to replace Carrier.) "Carrier， perhaps， has been badly surrounded； . ... his ways are harsh， the means he employs are not well calculated to win respect for the national authority； . . . he is used up in that city. He is to leave and go elsewhere." - (AF. II.， 36， Niv？se 21， letter to Fouché， Laporte， and Albitte， at Commune-affranchie， signed by Billaud-Varennes and composed by him.) "The convention， Niv？se I， has approved of the orders and other measures taken by you. We can add nothing to its approval. The Committee of Public Safety subjects all operations to the same principles， that is to say， it conforms to yours and acts with you."[35] Sainte-Beuve， "Nouveaux Lundis，" VIII.， 105. (Unpublished report by Vice-admiral Villaret-Joyeuse， May 28， 1794.)[36] Carnot， "Mémoires，" I.， 107.

[37] Ibid.， I.， 450， 523， 527， "we often ate only a morsel of dry bread on the Committee's table."[38] Moniteur， XXI.， 362. (Speech by Cambon， Session of Thermidor 11， year II.)[39] Beugnot， "Mémoires，" II.， 15. (Stated by Jean Bon himself in a conversation at Mayence in 1813.)[40] Gaudia， duc de Gaéte， "Mémoires，" I.， 16， 28. "I owed my life to Cambon personally， while， through his firmness， he preserved the whole Treasury department， continually attacked by the all-powerful Jacobin club." - On the 8th of Thermidor， Robespierre was "very severe on the administration of the Treasury， which he accused of an aristocratic and anti-revolutionary spirit.... Under this pretext， it was known that the orator meant to propose an act of accusation against the representative charged with its surveillance， as well as against the six commissioners， and bring them before the Revolutionary Tribunal， whose verdict could not be doubtful." - Buchez et Roux， XXXIII.， 431， 436， 441. Speech by Robespierre， Thermidor 8， year II. . . ".

Machiavellian designs against the small fund-holders of the State. .

. . A contemptible financial system， wasteful， irritating， devouring， absolutely independent of your supreme oversight. . . .

Anti-revolution exists in the financial department. . . . Who are its head administrators？ Brissotins， Feuillants， aristocrats and well-known knaves - the Cambons， the Mallarmés， the Ramels！"[41] Carnot， "Mémoires，" I.， 425.