They are schooled in fraternity, in discipline, in frugality,
in good habits, in love of country and in detestation of kings." three
or four thousand young people are lodged at the Sablons, "in a palisaded
enclosure, the intervals of which are guarded by chevaux de frises
and sentinels."[21110] We puts them into tents; we feed them with bran
bread, rancid pork, water and vinegar; we drill them in the use of arms;
we march them out on national holidays and stimulate them with patriotic
harangues.--Suppose all Frenchmen educated in such a school; the habits
they acquire in youth will persist in the adult, and, in each adult we
shall find the sobriety, energy and patriotism of a Spartan or Roman.
Already, under the pressure of our decrees, civism affects customs, and
there are manifest signs, on all sides, of public regeneration. "The
French people," says Robespierre, "seems to have outstripped the rest
of humanity, by two thousand years; one might be tempted to regard them,
living amongst them, as a different species. In the rest of Europe, a
ploughman, an artisan, is an animal formed for the pleasures of a noble;
in France, the nobles are trying to transform themselves into ploughmen
and artisans, but do not succeed in obtaining that honor."[21111]
Life in all directions is gradually assuming democratic forms Wealthy
prisoners are prohibited from purchasing delicacies, or procuring
special conveniences; they eat along with the poor prisoners the same
ration, at the common mess[21112]. Bakers have orders to make but one
quality of bread, the brown bread called equality bread, and, to obtain
his ration, each person must place himself in line with the rest of the
crowd. On holidays[21113] everybody will bring his provisions down into
the street and eat as one family with his neighbor; on décadi all are to
sing and dance together, pell-mell, in the temple of the Supreme being.
The decrees of the Convention and the orders of the representatives
impose the republican cockade on women; public opinion and example
impose on men the costume and appearance of sans-culottes we see even
dandies wearing mustaches, long hair, red cap, vest and heavy wooden
shoes.[21114] Nobody calls a person Monsieur or Madame; the only titles
allowed are citoyen and citoyenne while thee and Thou is the general
rule. Rude familiarity takes the place of monarchical politeness; all
greet each other as equals and comrades.[21115] There is now only one
tone, one style, one language; revolutionary forms constitute the
tissue of speech, as well as of written discourse; thought now seems
to consists entirely of our ideas and phrases.[21116] All names are
transformed, those of months and of days, those of places and of
monuments, baptismal names and names of families: St. Denis has become
Franciade; Peter Gaspard is converted into Anaxagoras, and Antoine-Louis
into Brutus; Leroi, the deputy, calls himself Laloi, and Leroy, the
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account