France -- History -- Louis XVI, 1774-1793; France -- History -- Revolution, 1789-1799
At the _Maison de Saint-Lazare_, Lazar-House once, now a
Correction-House with Priests, there was no trace of arms; but,
on the other hand, corn, plainly to a culpable extent. Out with
it, to market; in this scarcity of grains!—Heavens, will
“fifty-two carts,” in long row, hardly carry it to the _Halle aux
Bleds?_ Well, truly, ye reverend Fathers, was your pantry filled;
fat are your larders; over-generous your wine-bins, ye plotting
exasperators of the Poor; traitorous forestallers of bread!
Vain is protesting, entreaty on bare knees: the House of
Saint-Lazarus has that in it which comes not out by protesting.
Behold, how, from every window, it _vomits:_ mere torrents of
furniture, of bellowing and hurlyburly;—the cellars also leaking
wine. Till, as was natural, smoke rose,—kindled, some say, by the
desperate Saint-Lazaristes themselves, desperate of other
riddance; and the Establishment vanished from this world in
flame. Remark nevertheless that “a thief” (set on or not by
Aristocrats), being detected there, is “instantly hanged.”
Look also at the Châtelet Prison. The Debtors’ Prison of La Force
is broken from without; and they that sat in bondage to
Aristocrats go free: hearing of which the Felons at the Châtelet
do likewise “dig up their pavements,” and stand on the offensive;
with the best prospects,—had not Patriotism, passing that way,
“fired a volley” into the Felon world; and crushed it down again
under hatches. Patriotism consorts not with thieving and felony:
surely also Punishment, this day, hitches (if she still hitch)
after Crime, with frightful shoes-of-swiftness! “Some score or
two” of wretched persons, found prostrate with drink in the
cellars of that Saint-Lazare, are indignantly haled to prison;
the Jailor has no room; whereupon, other place of security not
suggesting itself, it is written, “_on les pendit_, they hanged
them.”[175] Brief is the word; not without significance, be it
true or untrue!
In such circumstances, the Aristocrat, the unpatriotic rich man
is packing-up for departure. But he shall not get departed. A
wooden-shod force has seized all Barriers, burnt or not: all that
enters, all that seeks to issue, is stopped there, and dragged to
the Hôtel-de-Ville: coaches, tumbrils, plate, furniture, “many
meal-sacks,” in time even “flocks and herds” encumber the Place
de Grève.[176]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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