s not under
the swoop of Austria and Cimmeria, seems rushing into madness, and
suicidal ruin. The Mountain labours; like a volcano in a burning
volcanic Land. Convention Committees, of Surety, of Salvation, are busy
night and day: Convention Commissioners whirl on all highways; bearing
olive-branch and sword, or now perhaps sword only. Chaumette and
Municipals come daily to the Tuileries demanding a Constitution: it is
some weeks now since he resolved, in Townhall, that a Deputation 'should
go every day' and demand a Constitution, till one were got; (Deux Amis,
x. 345.) whereby suicidal France might rally and pacify itself; a thing
inexpressibly desirable.

This then is the fruit your Anti-anarchic Girondins have got from
that Levying of War in Calvados? This fruit, we may say; and no other
whatsoever. For indeed, before either Charlotte's or Chalier's head had
fallen, the Calvados War itself had, as it were, vanished, dreamlike, in
a shriek! With 'seventy-two Departments' on one's side, one might have
hoped better things. But it turns out that Respectabilities, though they
will vote, will not fight. Possession is always nine points in Law; but
in Lawsuits of this kind, one may say, it is ninety-and-nine points. Men
do what they were wont to do; and have immense irresolution and inertia:
they obey him who has the symbols that claim obedience. Consider what,
in modern society, this one fact means: the Metropolis is with our
enemies! Metropolis, Mother-city; rightly so named: all the rest are but
as her children, her nurselings. Why, there is not a leathern Diligence,
with its post-bags and luggage-boots, that lumbers out from her, but
is as a huge life-pulse; she is the heart of all. Cut short that one
leathern Diligence, how much is cut short!--General Wimpfen, looking
practically into the matter, can see nothing for it but that one should
fall back on Royalism; get into communication with Pitt! Dark innuendoes
he flings out, to that effect: whereat we Girondins start, horrorstruck.
He produces as his Second in command a certain 'Ci-devant,' one Comte
Puisaye; entirely unknown to Louvet; greatly suspected by him.

Few wars, accordingly, were ever levied of a more insufficient character
than this of Calvados. He that is curious in such things may read
the details of it in the Memoirs of that same Ci-devant Puisaye, the
much-enduring man and Royalist: How our Girondin National Forces,
marching off with plenty of wind-mus