France -- History -- Louis XVI, 1774-1793; France -- History -- Revolution, 1789-1799
In one of the Guardhouses of the Quartier Saint-Eustache, “a
young woman” seizes a drum,—for how shall National Guards give
fire on women, on a young woman? The young woman seizes the drum;
sets forth, beating it, “uttering cries relative to the dearth of
grains.” Descend, O mothers; descend, ye Judiths, to food and
revenge!—All women gather and go; crowds storm all stairs, force
out all women: the female Insurrectionary Force, according to
Camille, resembles the English Naval one; there is a universal
“Press of women.” Robust Dames of the Halle, slim Mantua-makers,
assiduous, risen with the dawn; ancient Virginity tripping to
matins; the Housemaid, with early broom; all must go. Rouse ye, O
women; the laggard men will not act; they say, we ourselves may
act!
And so, like snowbreak from the mountains, for every staircase is
a melted brook, it storms; tumultuous, wild-shrilling, towards
the Hôtel-de-Ville. Tumultuous, with or without drum-music: for
the Faubourg Saint-Antoine also has tucked up its gown; and, with
besom-staves, fire-irons, and even rusty pistols (void of
ammunition), is flowing on. Sound of it flies, with a velocity of
sound, to the outmost Barriers. By seven o’clock, on this raw
October morning, fifth of the month, the Townhall will see
wonders. Nay, as chance would have it, a male party are already
there; clustering tumultuously round some National Patrol, and a
Baker who has been seized with short weights. They are there; and
have even lowered the rope of the Lanterne. So that the official
persons have to smuggle forth the short-weighing Baker by back
doors, and even send “to all the Districts” for more force.
Grand it was, says Camille, to see so many Judiths, from eight to
ten thousand of them in all, rushing out to search into the root
of the matter! Not unfrightful it must have been;
ludicro-terrific, and most unmanageable. At such hour the
overwatched Three Hundred are not yet stirring: none but some
Clerks, a company of National Guards; and M. de Gouvion, the
Major-general. Gouvion has fought in America for the cause of
civil Liberty; a man of no inconsiderable heart, but deficient in
head. He is, for the moment, in his back apartment; assuaging
Usher Maillard, the Bastille-serjeant, who has come, as too many
do, with “representations.” The assuagement is still incomplete
when our Judiths arrive.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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