Viard into despicability and air; all Friends of Order applauding. (Moniteur, Seance du 7 Decembre 1792.) So, with Theatre-riots, and ’Bread, or else kill us;’ with Rage, Hunger, preternatural Suspicion, does this wild Paris pipe.  Roland grows ever more querulous, in his Messages and Letters; rising almost to the hysterical pitch.  Marat, whom no power on Earth can prevent seeing into traitors and Rolands, takes to bed for three days; almost dead, the invaluable People’s-Friend, with heartbreak, with fever and headache:  ’O, Peuple babillard, si tu savais agir, People of Babblers, if thou couldst but act!’

To crown all, victorious Dumouriez, in these New-year’s days, is arrived in Paris;—­one fears, for no good.  He pretends to be complaining of Minister Pache, and Hassenfratz dilapidations; to be concerting measures for the spring campaign:  one finds him much in the company of the Girondins.  Plotting with them against Jacobinism, against Equality, and the Punishment of Louis!  We have Letters of his to the Convention itself.  Will he act the old Lafayette part, this new victorious General?  Let him withdraw again; not undenounced. (Dumouriez, Memoires, iii. c. 4.)

And still, in the Convention Tribune, it drones continually, mere Juristic Eloquence, and Hypothesis without Action; and there are still fifties on the President’s List.  Nay these Gironde Presidents give their own party preference:  we suspect they play foul with the List; men of the Mountain cannot be heard.  And still it drones, all through December into January and a New year; and there is no end!  Paris pipes round it; multitudinous; ever higher, to the note of the whirlwind.  Paris will ‘bring cannon from Saint-Denis;’ there is talk of ’shutting the Barriers,’—­to Roland’s horror.

Whereupon, behold, the Convention Tribune suddenly ceases droning:  we cut short, be on the List who likes; and make end.  On Tuesday next, the Fifteenth of January 1793, it shall go to the Vote, name by name; and, one way or other, this great game play itself out!

Chapter 3.2.VII.

The Three Votings.

Is Louis Capet guilty of conspiring against Liberty?  Shall our Sentence be itself final, or need ratifying by Appeal to the People?  If guilty, what Punishment?  This is the form agreed to, after uproar and ’several hours of tumultuous indecision:’  these are the Three successive Questions, whereon the Convention shall now pronounce.  Paris floods round their Hall; multitudinous, many sounding.  Europe and all Nations listen for their answer.  Deputy after Deputy shall answer to his name:  Guilty or Not guilty?

As to the Guilt, there is, as above hinted, no doubt in the mind of Patriot man.  Overwhelming majority pronounces Guilt; the unanimous Convention votes for Guilt, only some feeble twenty-eight voting not Innocence, but refusing to vote at all.  Neither does the Second Question prove doubtful, whatever the Girondins might calculate.  Would not Appeal to the People be another name for civil war?  Majority of two to one answers that there shall be no Appeal:  this also is settled.  Loud Patriotism, now at ten o’clock, may hush itself for the night; and retire to its bed not without hope.  Tuesday has gone well.  On the morrow comes, What Punishment?  On the morrow is the tug of war.