God had no compassion upon us: Hurrah! hurrah! Kings had no compassion upon us: Hurrah! hurrah! The nobles had no compassion upon us: Hurrah! hurrah! We renounce God, kings, and nobles: Hurrah! hurrah! hurrah! THE MAN (_to a maiden_). I am glad to see you look so gay, so blooming. THE MAIDEN. I am sure we have waited quite long enough for such a day as this! I have washed dishes and cleaned knives and forks all my life, without ever having heard a kind word spoken to me: it is high time I too should begin to eat, to dance, to make merry. Hurrah! hurrah! THE MAN. Dance, citizeness! THE BAPTIZED. For God's sake, be cautious, count! You may be recognized; let us go! THE MAN. If any one should recognize me, you are lost. We will mingle with the throng. THE BAPTIZED. A crowd of servants are sitting under the shade of this oak. THE MAN. Let us approach them. FIRST SERVANT. I have just killed my first master. SECOND SERVANT. And I am on the search for my baron. Your health, citizens! VALET DE CHAMBRE. In the sweat of our brows, in the depths of humiliation, licking the dust from the boots of our masters, and prostrate before them, we have yet always felt our rights as men: let us drink the health of our present society! CHORUS OF SERVANTS. Here's to the health of our citizen President! one of ourselves, he will lead us to glory! VALET DE CHAMBRE. Thanks, citizens, thanks! CHORUS OF SERVANTS. Out of dark kitchens, dressing rooms, and antechambers, our prisons of old, we rush together into freedom: Hurrah! We know the ridiculous follies, peevishness, and perversity of our masters; we have been behind the shows and shams of glittering halls: Hurrah! THE MAN. Whose voices are those I hear so harsh and wild from that little mound on our left? THE BAPTIZED. The butchers are singing a chorus. CHORUS OF THE BUTCHERS. The cleaver and axe are our weapons; our life is in the slaughter house; we know the hue of blood, and care not if we kill _cattle_ or _nobles_! Children of blood and strength, we look with indifference upon the pale and weak; he who needs us, has us; we slaughter beeves for the nobles; the nobles for the people! The cleaver and axe are our arms; our life is in the slaughter house: Hurrah for the slaughter house! the slaughter house! the slaughter house! the slaughter house! THE MAN. Come! I like the next group better; honor and philosophy are at least named in it. Good evening, madame! THE BAPTIZED. It would be better if your excellency should say, 'citizeness,' or 'woman of freedom.' WOMAN. What do you mean by the title, 'madame?' From whence did it come? Fie! fie! you smell of mould! THE MAN. Pardon my mistake! WOMAN. I am as free as you, I am a free woman; I give my love freely to the community, because they have acknowledged my right to lavish it where I will! THE MAN. And have the community given you for it these jewelled rings, these chains of violet amethysts?... O thrice beneficent community!