form the camp around
Paris. Five millions of francs protect the petty tradesmen of the
capital against the depreciation in value of certificates of credit.
Twelve thousand francs a day keep down the price of bread for the Paris
poor.[3410] To these regularly allowed subsidies add the funds which
are diverted or extorted. On one side, in the War Department, Pache, its
accomplice before becoming its mayor, organizes a steady stream of waste
and theft; in three months he succeeds in bringing about a deficiency
of 130,000,000, "without vouchers."[3411] On another side, the Duke of
Orleans, become Philippe-Egalite, dragged along by the men once in his
pay, with a rope around his neck and almost strangled, has to pay out
more than ever, even down to the very depths of his purse; to save his
own life he consents to vote for the King's death, besides resigning
himself to other sacrifices;[3412] it is probable that a large portion
of his 74,000,000 of indebtedness at his death is due to all this.--Thus
in possession of civil and military offices, of arms and money, the
faction, masters of Paris, has nothing to do but master the isolated
Convention, and this it invests on all sides.[3413]

II.--Its parliamentary recruits.

Their characters and minds.--Saint-Just.--Violence of the
minority in the Convention.--Pressure of the galleries.
--Menaces of the streets.

Through the elections, the Jacobin advance-guard of fifty deputies
is already posted there; while, owing to the fascination it has
to excitable and despotic natures, to brutal temperaments, narrow,
disjointed minds, weak imaginations, doubtful honesty, and old religious
or social rancor, it succeeds in doubling this number at the end of six
months.[3414] On the benches of the extreme "Left," around Robespierre,
Danton and Marat, the original nucleus of the September faction, sit
men of their stamp, first, the corrupt, like Chabot, Tallien and Barras,
wretches like Fouche, Guffroy and Javogues, crazy enthusiasts like
David, savage maniacs like Carrier, paltry simpletons like Joseph Lebon,
common fanatics like Levasseur, Baubot, Jeanbon-Saint-Andre, Romme and
Lebas. Add also, and especially, the future iron-handed representatives,
uncouth, authoritarian, and narrow-minded, excellent troopers for a
political militia, Bourbotte, Duquesnoy, Rewbell, and Bentabole, "a lot
of ignorant bastards," said Danton,[3415] "without any common sense, and
patriotic