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together in peace and harmony。 Basically they are good；＇86＇ and will；
after a little necessary purification； become good again。
Accordingly； their collective will is 〃the voice of reason and public
interest；〃 hence； on meeting together； they are wise。 〃The people's
assembly of delegates should deliberate； if possible； in the presence
of the whole body of the people；〃 the Legislative body； at least；
should hold its sittings 〃in a vast； majestic edifice open to twenty
thousand spectators。〃 Note that for the past four years； in the
Constituent Assembly； in the Legislative Assembly； in the Convention；
at the Hotel de…Ville； in the Jacobin Club； wherever Robespierre
speaks； the galleries have never ceased to shout； yell and express
their opinion。 Such a positive； palpable experience would open
anybody's eyes； his are closed through prejudice or interest； even
physical truth finds no access to his mind； because he is unable to
comprehend it； or because he has to keep it out。 He must；
accordingly； be either obtuse or a charlatan。 Actually he is both；
for both combine to form the pedant （cuistre）； that is to say； the
hollow； inflated mind which； filled with words and imagining that
these are ideas； revels in its own declamation and dupes itself that
it may dictate to others。
Such is his title； his personality and role。 In this artificial and
declamatory tragedy of the Revolution he takes the leading part； the
maniac and the barbarian slowly retire in the background on the
appearance of the cuistre； Marat and Danton finally become effaced； or
efface themselves； and the stage is left to Robespierre who attracts
all the attention。＇87＇ … If we want to understand him we must look at
him as he stands in the midst of his surroundings。 At the last stage
of a dying intellectual vegetation； on the last branch of the
eighteenth century； he is the final freak and dried fruit of the
classical spirit。＇88＇ He has retained nothing of a worn…out system of
philosophy but its lifeless dregs and well…conned formulae； the
formulae of Rousseau； Mably； and Raynal； concerning 〃the people；
nature； reason； liberty； tyrants； factions； virtue； morality；〃 a
ready…made vocabulary；＇89＇ expressions too ample； the meaning of
which； ill…defined by the masters； evaporates in the hands of the
disciple。 He never tries to get at this； his writings and speeches
are merely long strings of vague abstract periods； there is no telling
fact in them； no distinct； characteristic detail； no appeal to the eye
evoking a living image； no personal； special observation； no clear；
frank original impression。 It might be said of him that he never saw
anything with his own eyes； that he neither could nor would see； that
false conceptions have intervened and fixed themselves between him and
the object；＇90＇ he combines these in logical sequence； and simulates
the absent thought by an affected jargon； and this is all。 The other
Jacobins alongside of him likewise use the same scholastic jargon； but
none of them spout and spread out so complacently and lengthily as he。
For hours； we grope after him in the vague shadows of political
speculation； in the cold and perplexing mist of didactic generalities；
trying in vain to make something out of his colorless tirades； and we
grasp nothing。＇91＇ When we； in astonishment； ask ourselves what all
this talk amounts to； and why he talks at all； the answer is； that he
has said nothing and that he talks only for the sake of talking； the
same as a sectarian preaching to his congregation； neither the
preacher nor his audience ever wearying； the one of turning the
dogmatic crank； and the other of listening。 So much the better if the
container is empty； the emptier it is the easier and faster the crank
turns。 And better still； if the empty term he selects is used in a
contrary sense； the sonorous words justice； humanity； mean to him
piles of human heads； the same as a text from the gospels means to a
grand inquisitor the burning of heretics。 … Through this extreme
perversity； the cuistre spoils his own mental instrument； thenceforth
he employs it as he likes； as his passions dictate； believing that he
serves truth in serving these。
Now； his first passion； his principal passion； is literary vanity。
Never was the chief of a party； sect or government； even at critical
moments； such an incurable； insignificant rhetorician； so formal； so
pompous； and so dull。 … On the eve of the 9th of Thermidor； when it
was a question of life or death； he enters the tribune with a set
speech； written and re…written； polished and re…polished；＇92＇
overloaded with studied ornaments and bits for effect；＇93＇ coated by
dint of time and labor； with the academic varnish； the glitter of
symmetrical antitheses； rounded periods； exclamations； omissions；
apostrophes and other tricks of the pen。＇94＇ … In the most famous and
important of his reports；＇95＇ I have counted eighty…four instances of
personifications＇96＇ imitated from Rousseau and the antique； many of
them largely expanded； some addressed to the dead； to Brutus； to young
Barra； and others to absentees； priests； and aristocrats； to the
unfortunate； to French women； and finally to abstract substantives
like Liberty and Friendship。 With unshaken conviction and intense
satisfaction； he deems himself an orator because he harps on the same
old tune。 There is not one true tone in his elaborate eloquence；
nothing but recipes and only those of a worn…out art； Greek and Roman
common…places； Socrates and the hemlock； Brutus and his dagger；
classic metaphors like 〃the flambeaux of discord；〃 and 〃the vessel of
State；〃＇97＇s coupled together and beauties of style which a pupil in
rhetoric aims at on the college bench；＇98＇times a grand bravura air；
so essential for parade in public；＇99＇ centimes a delicate strain of
the flute； for； in those days； one must have a tender heart；＇100＇ in
short； Marmontel's method in 〃 Belisarius；〃 or that of Thomas in his
〃Eloges；〃 all borrowed from Rousseau； but of inferior quality； like a
sharp； thin voice strained to imitate a rich； powerful voice。 All is
a sort of involuntary parody； and the more repulsive because a word
ends in a blow； because a sentimental； declamatory Trissotin poses as
statesman； because the studied elegance of the closet become pistol
shots aimed at living breasts； because an epithet skillfully directed
sends a man to the guillotine。 … The contrast is too great between
his talent and the part he plays。 With such a talent； as mediocre and
false as his intellect； there is no employment for which he is less
suited than that of governing men； he was cut out for another； which；
in a peaceable community； he would have been able to do。 Suppress the
Revolution； and Marat would have probably ended his days in an asylum。
Danton might possibly have become a legal filibuster； a highwayman or
gangster； and finally throttled or hung。 Robespierre； on the
contrary； might have conti