France -- History -- Louis XVI, 1774-1793; France -- History -- Revolution, 1789-1799
With famine and a Constitutional theory of defective verbs going
on, all other excitement is conceivable. A universal shaking and
sifting of French Existence this is: in the course of which, for
one thing, what a multitude of low-lying figures are sifted to
the top, and set busily to work there!
Dogleech Marat, now for-seen as Simon Stylites, we already know;
him and others, raised aloft. The mere sample, these, of what is
coming, of what continues coming, upwards from the realm of
Night!—Chaumette, by and by Anaxagoras Chaumette, one already
descries: mellifluous in street-groups; not now a sea-boy on the
high and giddy mast: a mellifluous tribune of the common people,
with long curling locks, on _bourne_stone of the thoroughfares;
able sub-editor too; who shall rise—to the very gallows. Clerk
Tallien, he also is become sub-editor; shall become able editor;
and more. Bibliopolic Momoro, Typographic Pruhomme see new trades
opening. Collot d’Herbois, tearing a passion to rags, pauses on
the Thespian boards; listens, with that black bushy head, to the
sound of the world’s drama: shall the Mimetic become Real? Did ye
hiss him, O men of Lyons?[270] Better had ye clapped!
Happy now, indeed, for all manner of _mimetic_, half-original
men! Tumid blustering, with more or less of sincerity, which need
not be entirely sincere, yet the sincerer the better, is like to
go far. Shall we say, the Revolution-element works itself rarer
and rarer; so that only lighter and lighter bodies will float in
it; till at last the mere blown-bladder is your only swimmer?
Limitation of mind, then vehemence, promptitude, audacity, shall
all be available; to which add only these two: cunning and good
lungs. Good fortune must be presupposed. Accordingly, of all
classes the rising one, we observe, is now the Attorney class:
witness Bazires, Carriers, Fouquier-Tinvilles, Bazoche-Captain
Bourdons: more than enough. Such figures shall Night, from her
wonder-bearing bosom, emit; swarm after swarm. Of another deeper
and deepest swarm, not yet dawned on the astonished eye; of
pilfering Candle-snuffers, Thief-valets, disfrocked Capuchins,
and so many Héberts, Henriots, Ronsins, Rossignols, let us, as
long as possible, forbear speaking.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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