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His successes with women might be quoted in support of this
theory。 On the days when he speaks ‘‘the passages are choked
with women 。 。 。 there are seven or eight hundred in the
tribunes； and with what transports they applaud！ At the
Jacobins； when he speaks there are sobs and cries of emotion； and
men stamp as though they would bring the hall down。'' A young
widow； Mme。 de Chalabre； possessed of sixteen hundred pounds a
year； sends him burning love…letters and is eager to marry him。
We cannot seek in his character for the causes of his popularity。
A hypochondriac by temperament； of mediocre intelligence；
incapable of grasping realities； confined to abstractions； crafty
and dissimulating； his prevailing note was an excessive pride
which increased until his last day。 High priest of a new faith；
he believed himself sent on earth by God to establish the
reign of virtue。 He received writings stating ‘‘that he
was the Messiah whom the Eternal Being had promised to reform
the world。''
Full of literary pretensions； he laboriously polished his
speeches。 His profound jealousy of other orators or men of
letters； such as Camille Desmoulins； caused their death。
‘‘Those who were particularly the objects of the tyrant's rage；''
writes the author already cited； ‘‘were the men of letters。 With
regard to them the jealousy of a colleague was mingled with the
fury of the oppressor； for the hatred with which he persecuted
them was caused less by their resistance to his despotism than by
their talents； which eclipsed his。''
The contempt of the dictator for his colleagues was immense and
almost unconcealed。 Giving audience to Barras at the hour of his
toilet； he finished shaving； spitting in the direction of his
colleague as though he did not exist； and disdaining to reply to
his questions。
He regarded the bourgeoisie and the deputies with the same
hateful disdain。 Only the multitude found grace in his eyes。
‘‘When the sovereign people exercises its power；'' he said； ‘‘we
can only bow before it。 In all it does all is virtue and truth；
and no excess； error； or crime is possible。''
Robespierre suffered from the persecution mania。 That he had
others' heads cut off was not only because he had a mission as an
apostle； but because he believed himself hemmed in by enemies and
conspirators。 ‘‘Great as was the cowardice of his colleagues
where he was concerned；'' writes M。 Sorel； ‘‘the fear he had of
them was still greater。''
His dictatorship； absolute during five months； is a striking
example of the power of certain leaders。 We can understand that
a tyrant backed by an army can easily destroy whom he pleases；
but that a single man should succeed in sending to death a large
number of his equals is a thing that is not easily explained。
The power of Robespierre was so absolute that he was able to send
to the Tribunal； and therefore to the scaffold； the most eminent
deputies： Desmoulins； Hebert； Danton； and many another。 The
brilliant Girondists melted away before him。 He attacked even
the terrible Commune； guillotined its leaders； and replaced it by
a new Commune obedient to his orders。
In order to rid himself more quickly of the men who displeased
him he induced the Convention to enact the law of Prairial； which
permitted the execution of mere suspects； and by means of which
he had 1；373 heads cut off in Paris in forty…nine days。 His
colleagues； the victims of an insane terror； no longer slept at
home； scarcely a hundred deputies were present at sessions。
David said： ‘‘I do not believe twenty of us members of the
Mountain will be left。''
It was his very excess of confidence in his own powers and in the
cowardice of the Convention that lost Robespierre his life。
Having attempted to make them vote a measure which would permit
deputies to be sent before the Revolutionary Tribunal； which
meant the scaffold； without the authorisation of the Assembly； on
an order from the governing Committee； several Montagnards
conspired with some members of the Plain to overthrow him。
Tallien； knowing himself marked down for early execution； and
having therefore nothing to lose； accused him loudly of tyranny。
Robespierre wished to defend himself by reading a speech which he
had long had in hand； but he learned to his cost that although it
is possible to destroy men in the name of logic it is not
possible to lead an assembly by means of logic。 The
shouts of the conspirators drowned his voice； the cry ‘‘Down with
the tyrant！'' quickly repeated； thanks to mental contagion； by
many of the members present； was enough to complete his downfall。
Without losing a moment the Assembly decreed his accusation。
The Commune having wished to save him； the Assembly outlawed him。
Struck by this magic formula； he was definitely lost。
‘‘This cry of outlawry；'' writes Williams； ‘‘at this period
produced the same effect on a Frenchman as the cry of pestilence；
the outlaw became civilly excommunicated； and it was as though
men believed that they would be contaminated passing through the
air which he had breathed。 Such was the effect it produced upon
the gunners who had trained their cannon against the Convention。
Without receiving further orders； merely on hearing that the
Commune was ‘outside the law；' they immediately turned their
batteries about。''
Robespierre and all his bandSaint…Just； the president of the
Revolutionary Tribunal； the mayor of the Commune； &c。；were
guillotined on the 10th of Thermidor to the number of twenty…one。
Their execution was followed on the morrow by a fresh batch of
seventy Jacobins； and on the next day by thirteen。 The Terror；
which had lasted ten months； was at an end。
The downfall of the Jacobin edifice in Thermidor is one of the
most curious psychological events of the revolutionary period。
None of the Montagnards who had worked for the downfall of
Robespierre had for a moment dreamed that it would mark the end
of the Terror。
Tallien； Barras； Fouche； &c。； overthrew Robespierre as he had
overthrown Hebert； Danton； the Girondists； and many others。
But when the acclamations of the crowd told them that the death
of Robespierre was regarded as having put an end to the Terror
they acted as though such had been their intention。 They were
the more obliged to do so in that the Plainthat is； the great
majority of the Assemblywhich had allowed itself to be
decimated by Robespierre； now rebelled furiously against the
system it had so long acclaimed even while it abhorred it。
Nothing is more terrible than a body of men who have been afraid
and are afraid no longer。 The Plain revenged itself for being
terrorised by the Mountain； and terrorised that body in turn。
The servility of the colleagues of Robespierre in the Convention
was by no means based upon any feeling of sympathy for him。 The
dictator filled them with an unspeakable alarm； but bene