there is no ready money, if; like Francoeur, the
opera manager, a man "has nothing but debts," so much the worse. "In
case of refusal," writes the section of Bon-Conseil, "his personal and
real property shall be sold by the revolutionary committee, and his
person declared suspected."[3492]--Even this is simply an installment on
account:

"There is no desire on the part of the Committee at the present moment
to demand more than a portion of your surplus," that which rest will be
taken later. Desfieux, the bankrupt,[3493] has already, in the tribune
of the Jacobin club, estimated the fortunes of one hundred of the
wealthiest notaries and financiers in Paris at 640,000,000 francs;
the municipality sent a list of their names to the sections to have it
completed; if only one-tenth was taken from them, it would amount to
64,000,000, which "big sponges," thoroughly squeezed, would disgorge a
much larger amount.

"The richest of Frenchmen," says Robespierre, "should not have more than
3,000 francs a year."[3494]

The contributions of "these gentlemen" suffice to arm the sans-culottes,
"remunerate artisans for their attendance in the section meetings, and
support laborers without work."[3495] Already through the sovereign
virtue of summary requisitions, everything is spoil; carriage-horses are
seized in their stables, while vehicles belonging to aged ladies,
mostly widows, and the last of the berlins and elegant carriages still
remaining in Paris, are taken out of the livery-stables.[3496]

With such powers used in this way, the section makes the most of the old
deep-seated enmity of the poor against the rich;[3497] it secures the
firm loyalty of the needy and of vagabonds; thanks to the vigorous arms
of its active clients, it completely overcomes the feeble, transient,
poorly-contrived resistance which the National Convention and the
Parisian population still oppose to its rule.

On the 13th of April Marat, accused three months before and daily
becoming bolder in his fractiousness, is finally indicted through a
decree of the incensed majority;[3498] on the 24th he appears before the
revolutionary tribunal. But the revolutionary tribunal, like other newly
organized institutions, is composed of pure Jacobins, and, moreover, the
party has taken its precautions. Marat, for his escort to the court-room
has "the municipal commissaries, envoys from the various sections,
delegates from all the patriotic clubs"; besides these, "a