her;
but the strength could not be restored her; the strength had departed
forever. Alas, one's day is done. Vain that the Tribune in mid air
sounds as of old: to the general ear it has become a horror, and even a
weariness. By and by, Affiliation is prohibited: the mighty Mother sees
herself suddenly childless; mourns, as so hoarse a Rachel may.

The Revolutionary Committees, without Suspects to prey upon, perish
fast; as it were of famine. In Paris the whole Forty-eight of them are
reduced to Twelve, their Forty sous are abolished: yet a little while,
and Revolutionary Committees are no more. Maximum will be abolished; let
Sansculottism find food where it can. (24th December 1794, Moniteur, No.
97.) Neither is there now any Municipality; any centre at the Townhall.
Mayor Fleuriot and Company perished; whom we shall not be in haste to
replace. The Townhall remains in a broken submissive state; knows not
well what it is growing to; knows only that it is grown weak, and
must obey. What if we should split Paris into, say, a Dozen separate
Municipalities; incapable of concert! The Sections were thus rendered
safe to act with:--or indeed might not the Sections themselves be
abolished? You had then merely your Twelve manageable pacific Townships,
without centre or subdivision; (October 1795, Dulaure, viii. 454-6.)
and sacred right of Insurrection fell into abeyance!

So much is getting abolished; fleeting swiftly into the Inane. For
the Press speaks, and the human tongue; Journals, heavy and light, in
Philippic and Burlesque: a renegade Freron, a renegade Prudhomme, loud
they as ever, only the contrary way. And Ci-devants shew themselves,
almost parade themselves; resuscitated as from death-sleep; publish
what death-pains they have had. The very Frogs of the Marsh croak with
emphasis. Your protesting Seventy-three shall, with a struggle, be
emitted out of Prison, back to their seats; your Louvets, Isnards,
Lanjuinais, and wrecks of Girondism, recalled from their haylofts, and
caves in Switzerland, will resume their place in the Convention: (Deux
Amis, xiii. 3-39.) natural foes of Terror!

Thermidorian Talliens, and mere foes of Terror, rule in this Convention,
and out of it. The compressed Mountain shrinks silent more and more.
Moderatism rises louder and louder: not as a tempest, with threatenings;
say rather, as the rushing of a mighty organ-blast, and melodious
deafening Force of Public Opinion, from the Twenty-five mi