登陆注册
5288200000157

第157章 CHAPTER IX.(9)

Vergniaud, however, had but shaken, not convinced, the Assembly, which wavered between the two parties. Several members were successively heard, for and against the appeal to the people. Brissot, Gensonne, Petion, supported it in their turn. One speaker at length had a decisive influence on the question. Barere, by his suppleness, and his cold and evasive eloquence, was the model and oracle of the centre. He spoke at great length on the trial, reviewed it in all its bearings--of facts, of laws, and of policy--and furnished all those weak minds, who only wanted specious reasons for yielding, with motives for the condemnation of the King. From that moment the unfortunate King was condemned. The discussion lasted till the 7th, and nobody would listen any longer to the continual repetition of the same facts and arguments. It was therefore declared to be closed without opposition, but the proposal of a fresh adjournment excited a commotion among the most violent, and ended in a decree which fixed the 14th of January for putting the questions to the vote.

Meantime the King did not allow the torturing suspense to disturb his outward composure, or lessen his kindness to those around him. On the morning after his second appearance at the bar of the Convention, the commissary Vincent, who had undertaken secretly to convey to the Queen a copy of the King's printed defence, asked for something which had belonged to him, to treasure as a relic; the King took off his neck handkerchief and gave it him; his gloves he bestowed on another municipal, who had made the same request. "On January 1st," says Clery, "I approached the King's bed and asked permission to offer him my warmest prayers for the end of his misfortunes. 'I accept your good wishes with affection,' he replied, extending his hand to me. As soon as he had risen, he requested a municipal to go and inquire for his family, and present them his good wishes for the new year. The officers were moved by the tone in which these words, so heartrending considering the position of the King, were pronounced . . . . The correspondence between their Majesties went on constantly. The King being informed that Madame Royale was ill, was very uneasy for some days. The Queen, after begging earnestly, obtained permission for M. Brunnier, the medical attendant of the royal children, to come to the Temple. This seemed to quiet him."

The nearer the moment which was to decide the King's fate approached, the greater became the agitation in, Paris. "A report was circulated that the atrocities of September were to be repeated there, and the prisoners and their relatives beset the deputies with supplications that they would snatch them from destruction. The Jacobins, on their part, alleged that conspiracies were hatching in all quarters to save Louis XVI. from punishment, and to restore royalty. Their anger, excited by delays and obstacles, assumed a more threatening aspect; and the two parties thus alarmed one another by supposing that each harboured sinister designs."

On the 14th of January the Convention called for the order of the day, being the final judgment of Louis XVI.

"The sitting of the Convention which concluded the trial," says Hazlitt, "lasted seventy-two hours. It might naturally be supposed that silence, restraint, a sort of religious awe, would have pervaded the scene. On the contrary, everything bore the marks of gaiety, dissipation, and the most grotesque confusion. The farther end of the hall was converted into boxes, where ladies, in a studied deshabille, swallowed ices, oranges, liqueurs, and received the salutations of the members who went and came, as on ordinary occasions. Here the doorkeepers on the Mountain side opened and shut the boxes reserved for the mistresses of the Duc d'Orleans; and there, though every sound of approbation or disapprobation was strictly forbidden, you heard the long and indignant 'Ha, ha's!' of the mother-duchess, the patroness of the bands of female Jacobins, whenever her ears were not loudly greeted with the welcome sounds of death. The upper gallery, reserved for the people, was during the whole trial constantly full of strangers of every description, drinking wine as in a tavern.

Bets were made as to the issue of the trial in all the neighbouring coffee-houses. Ennui, impatience, disgust sat on almost every countenance. The figures passing and repassing, rendered more ghastly by the pallid lights, and who in a slow, sepulchral voice pronounced only the word--Death; others calculating if they should have time to go to dinner before they gave their verdict; women pricking cards with pins in order to count the votes; some of the deputies fallen asleep, and only waking up to give their sentence,--all this had the appearance rather of a hideous dream than of a reality."

The Duc d'Orleans, when called on to give his vote for the death of his King and relation, walked with a faltering step, and a face paler than death itself, to the appointed place, and there read these words:

"Exclusively governed by my duty, and convinced that all those who have resisted the sovereignty of the people deserve death, my vote is for death!" Important as the accession of the first Prince of the blood was to the Terrorist faction, his conduct in this instance was too obviously selfish and atrocious not to excite a general feeling of indignation; the agitation of the Assembly became extreme; it seemed as if by this single vote the fate of the monarch was irrevocably sealed.

The President having examined the register, the result of the scrutiny was proclaimed as follows Against an appeal to the people........... 480 For an appeal to the people............... 283

同类推荐
  • 残唐五代史演义传

    残唐五代史演义传

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 小品方

    小品方

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 过庭录

    过庭录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 笔髓论

    笔髓论

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • A Plea for Old Cap Collier

    A Plea for Old Cap Collier

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 谁许你爱我

    谁许你爱我

    因为一场车祸,我失忆了。我不知道,我应不应该,爱上那个高大,帅气,冷酷,且脾气奇丑,老和我作对的富家子弟赵子浩……最后,我记忆渐渐复苏,明白了自己身份。
  • 替婚皇妃

    替婚皇妃

    听说过代父从军,听说过替人出嫁,可听说过随夫出嫁吗?听说过鸠占雀巢,听说过李代桃疆,可听说过替夫入洞房吗?及笄当日,新婚洞房之时,夫君带着她匆匆踏上了联姻的大红花轿红烛摇曳,满室桃红,夫君的新婚洞房,可她却被夫君亲手送上了另一个他的床从此,夫为后,妻为妃,乱世中男色红颜一样倾覆了这天下原本帝王身,为何化妆娇红颜?原本童养媳,何事成了别人妃?原本暴君命,奈何万般为佳人?分不清江山红颜孰重孰轻道不明相知相守为何那般艰难更不知半世红颜飘零究竟为谁?狼烟起,胭脂灭帝王权,万宗归江山霸业,宏图天下,到底是谁辜负这大好河山?红颜祸水,男色倾城,到底又是谁误了谁的终生?*************************************************精彩片段飘过:一身红妆的无双单手挑起云轻的下巴,魅惑的说:“轻儿,你喜欢为夫吗?”云轻两腮通红,水眸含羞,“夫君,轻儿自然是爱你的!”无双的龙眉一扬,雾眸半眯,咬住云轻小巧的耳垂,“那轻儿,今夜这洞房你是会替为夫上他床的,对吗?”……诺大的龙床之上,云轻任由无双的手四处游动,一柄匕首抵上他的胸:“皇上,让云轻再上这龙床可是要有代价的!”一身明黄龙袍,无双邪眯雾眸,洁白如玉的手指将云轻手中的匕首对准自己的心脏,身子缓缓压下,血溅了云轻一脸:“轻儿,只要你能杀了为夫,这天下为夫送你便是!”……残霞半壁血红天,云轻一身白衣迎风而立,水眸迷惘,身后一双粉嫩的小娃半厥粉唇,甜美霸气,冷冷的看着城楼下孤身奋杀的倾城男子。“无知的父王,以为杀过了铁卫就能带走娘亲吗?哼!”背手而立的小男娃儿一身帝王霸气,雾眸像极了那个邪戾的男子。“可怜的父王,杀过了铁卫还有我的阿龙阿虎呢!哼!”咬着糖葫芦的小女娃儿纯真可爱,足边一狮一莽静卧,伺机而动。……“******************************************************友情链接:潇湘冬儿09倾力巨作:11处特工皇妃若曦521的新文:狼美人********************************************************柳少白强文好文:烟雨一千年毅力青春校园文:《高中小少妇》子晗宝贝新文文:穿越之残雪无心风兮兮最新文文:【暴】了黑道教父
  • 大佛顶广聚陀罗尼经

    大佛顶广聚陀罗尼经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 随笔杂语

    随笔杂语

    观天地之理,查万物之机。寻天机之密,思百家之言。
  • 涅槃齐天

    涅槃齐天

    一万年前,天地骤然毁灭,诸神创世涅槃大陆。这个世界光怪陆离,泱泱九界,四族分治大陆,人族蚕食九州,大地尽是荒土。这里竟有修真炼金,武装魔道,仙术御剑,机关铠甲,魔道光武……这里不止妖魔鬼怪,兽有异兽、妖兽、魔兽与神兽,人有灵人、精灵、兽人、异人和幽鬼……诸神沉眠万年,等待着苏醒,重临于九界,齐天大圣涅槃重生,斗宿命之劫,问宿命之情……这是重生一万年后的涅槃大陆,传奇才刚刚开始……
  • 放弃我,抓紧我(上)

    放弃我,抓紧我(上)

    一次意外溺水,长时间脑部缺氧让著名服装设计师厉薇薇失去了部分记忆,她的记忆停留在23岁。记忆中热恋的同为设计师的男友竟成了竞争对手,而一个陌生人却成了她的未婚夫。30岁的厉薇薇决定改变现状,她逐步解开过去的误会,和对手冰释前嫌,不但找回了爱情,也重拾了初心和梦想。
  • 服务精神

    服务精神

    中国的企业需要什么样的服务水平、意识、方法,素养、品质和标准?服务在现代商业社会中有着无穷的价值,而更加符合消费者需求的服务规范和方法又是创造企业利润的价值源泉。本书的读者定位为中国服务行业的从业人员包括:客户服务经理及其管理层;一线服务经理和一线服务人员;直接或间接与客户接触的其他服务人员或业务人员。
  • 拯救

    拯救

    工作是嘉兴市中级法院的一名法官。已发表小说100万余字,散见于《小说选刊》、《中篇小说选刊》、《中国作家》、《江南》、《山花》、《百花洲》等期刊。
  • 疯骑士的宇宙时代

    疯骑士的宇宙时代

    “金手指系统?你当我是傻子吗?这年头哪有什么天上掉下来的馅饼?从我脑袋中滚出去,新型的诈骗骗局?还是外星人附带催眠能力的杀戮机器训练装置?”“不,我是虚空中呢喃的混沌,南十字星所有生灵最恐惧的噩梦,无上神位的传承者,还有……你姐。”“……我只有一个妹妹,没姐!”“不,你有,我是私生女,只是你爸没和你说。”
  • 寒冬里那丝暖意

    寒冬里那丝暖意

    《寒冬里那丝暖意》从作者孙瑞林已发表的故事中精选出45篇,每篇作品都以灵动的笔触和质朴的语言,讲述一个洞彻人心灵的故事。这些故事都是以真实的生活为基础,把深奥的人生道理,融入跌宕起伏的情节变化之中,让读者在潜移默化中,心灵得以滋养,情感得以温暖。本书的故事中有你、有我也有他,只要你翻开它,就会从中找到自己的影子。《寒冬里那丝暖意》的每篇作品都犹如一杯咖啡,让你从中品味出幽香深远的韵味。