按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
II。； amounts to 7；840； and； on Messidor 25 following； notwithstanding
the large batches of 50 and 60 persons led in one day； and every day；
to the scaffold； the number is still 7；502。＇11＇ There are more than
one thousand persons in the prisons of Arras； more than one thousand
five hundred in those of Toulouse； more than three thousand in those
of Strasbourg； and more than thirteen thousand in those of Nantes。 In
the two departments alone of Bouches du…Rh？ne and Vaucluse；
Representative Maignet； who is on the spot； reports from 12；000 to
15；000 arrests。＇12＇ 〃A little before Thermidor；〃 says Representative
Beaulieu； 〃the number of incarcerated arose to nearly 400；000； as is
apparent on the lists and registers then before the Committee of
General Security。〃＇13＇ … Among these poor creatures； there are
children； and not alone in the prisons of Nantes where the
revolutionary searches have collected the whole of the rural
population； in the prisons of Arras； among twenty similar cases； I
find a coal…dealer and his wife with their seven sons and daughters；
from seventeen down to six years of age； a widow with her four
children from nineteen down to twelve years of age； another noble
widow with her nine children； from seventeen down to three years of
age； and six children； without father or mother； from twenty…three
down to nine years of age。＇14＇ … These prisoners of State were
treated； almost everywhere； worse than robbers and assassins under the
ancient régime。 They began by subjecting them to rapiotage； that is
to say； stripping them naked or； at best； feeling their bodies under
their shirts； women and young girls fainted away under this
examination； formerly confined to convicts on entering the bagnio。＇15＇
… Frequently； before consigning them to their dungeons or shutting
them up in their cells； they would be left two or three nights pell…
mell in a lower hall on benches； or in the court on the pavement；
〃without beds or straw。〃 〃The feelings are wounded in all directions；
every point of sensibility； so to say； being played upon。 They are
deprived one after the other of their property； assignats； furniture；
and food； of daylight and lamp…light； of the assistance which their
wants and infirmities demand； of a knowledge of public events； of all
communication； either immediate or written； with fathers； sons and
husbands。〃＇16＇ They are obliged to pay for their lodgings； their
keepers； and for what they eat； they are robbed at their very doors of
the supplies they send for outside； they are compelled to eat at a
mess…table； they are furnished with scant and nauseous food； 〃spoilt
codfish； putrid herrings and meat； rotten vegetables； all this
accompanied with a mug of Seine water colored red with some drug or
other。〃＇17＇ They starve them； bully them； and vex them purposely as if
they meant to exhaust their patience and drive them into a revolt； so
as to get rid of them in a mass； or； at least； to justify the
increasing rapid strokes of the guillotine。 They are huddled together
in tens； twenties and thirties； in one room at La Force； 〃eight in a
chamber； fourteen feet square；〃 where all the beds touch； and many
overlap each other； where two out of the eight inmates are obliged to
sleep on the floor； where vermin swarm； where the closed sky…lights；
the standing tub； and the crowding together of bodies poisons the
atmosphere。 … In many places； the proportion of the sick and dying is
greater than in the hold of a slave…ship。 〃Of ninety individuals with
whom I was shut up two months ago；〃 writes a prisoner at Strasbourg；
〃sixty…six were taken to the hospital in the space of eight days。〃＇18＇
In the prisons of Nantes； 3000 out 13；000 prisoners die of typhoid
fever and of the rot in two months。＇19＇ 400 priests＇20＇ confined on a
vessel between decks； in the roadstead of Aix； stowed on top of each
other； wasted with hunger； eaten up by vermin； suffocated for lack of
air； half…frozen； beaten； mocked at； and constantly threatened with
death； suffer still more than Negroes in a slave…hold； for； through
interest in his freight； the captain of the slaver tries to keep his
human consignment in good health； whilst； through revolutionary
fanaticism； the crew of the Aix vessel detests its cargo of 〃black…
frocks〃 and would gladly send them to the bottom。 … According to this
system； which； up to Thermidor 9； grows worse and worse； imprisonment
becomes a torture； oftentimes mortal； slower and more painful than the
guillotine； and to such an extent that； to escape it； Champfort opens
his veins and Condorcet swallows poison。＇21＇The third expedient
consists of murder； with or without trial。 … 178 tribunals； of which
40 are ambulatory； pronounce in every part of the territory sentences
of death which are immediately executed on the spot。＇22＇ Between
April 6； 1793； and Thermidor 9； year II。； （July 27th； 1794） that of
Paris has 2；625 persons guillotined；＇23＇ while the provincial judges
do as much work as the Paris judges。 In the small town of Orange
alone； they guillotine 331 persons。 In the single town of Arras they
have 299 men and 93 women guillotined。 At Nantes； the revolutionary
tribunals and military committees have； on the average； 100 persons a
day guillotined； or shot； in all 1；971。 In the city of Lyons the
revolutionary committee admit 1；684； while Cadillot； one of
Robespierre's correspondents； advises him of 6；000。＇24＇ … The
statement of these murders is not complete； but 17；000 have been
enumerated；＇25＇ 〃most of them effected without any formality； evidence
or direct charge；〃 among others the murder of 〃more than 1200 women；
several of whom were octogenarians and infirm；〃＇26＇ particularly the
murder of 60 women or young girls； condemned to death； say the
warrants； for having attended the services of unsworn priests； or for
having neglected the services of a sworn priest。
〃The accused； ranged in order； were condemned at sight。 Hundreds of
death…sentences took about a minute per head。 Children of seven； five
and four years of age； were tried。 A father was condemned for the
son； and the son for the father。 A dog was sentenced to death。 A
parrot was brought forward as a witness。 Numbers of accused persons
whose sentences could not be written out were executed。〃
At Angers； the sentences of over four hundred men and three hundred
and sixty women； executed for the purpose of relieving the prisons；
were mentioned on the registers simply by the letters S or G （shot or
guillotined）。＇27＇ At Paris； as in the provinces； the slightest
pretext＇28＇ served to constitute a crime。 The daughter of the
celebrated painter； Joseph Vernet；＇29＇ was guillotined for being a 〃
receiver；〃 for having kept fifty pounds of candles in her house；
distributed among the employees of La Muette by the liquidators of the
civil list。 Young de Maillé；＇30＇ aged sixteen years； was guillotined
as a conspirator； 〃for having thrown a rotten herring in the face of