Samuel Coleridge - The Complete Works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Firm at its post. 20

Enter a Messenger.

Messenger. Robespierre has reach’d the Commune. They espouse

The tyrant’s cause. St. Just is up in arms!

St. Just — the young ambitious bold St. Just

Harangues the mob. The sanguinary Couthon

Thirsts for your blood. [Tocsin rings. 25

Tallien. These tyrants are in arms against the law:

Outlaw the rebels.

Enter MERLIN OF DOUAY.

Merlin. Health to the representatives of France!

I past this moment through the arméd force —

They ask’d my name — and when they heard a delegate, 30

Swore I was not the friend of France.

Collot d’Herbois. The tyrants threaten us as when they turn’d

The cannon’s mouth on Brissot.

Enter another Messenger.

Second Messenger. Vivier harangues the Jacobins — the Club

Espouse the cause of Robespierre. 35

Enter another Messenger.

Third Messenger. All’s lost — the tyrant triumphs. Henriot leads

The soldiers to his aid. — Already I hear

The rattling cannon destined to surround

This sacred hall.

Tallien. Why, we will die like men then.

The representatives of France dare death, 40

When duty steels their bosoms. [Loud applauses.

Tallien (addressing the galleries). Citizens!

France is insulted in her delegates —

The majesty of the Republic is insulted —

Tyrants are up in arms. An arméd force

Threats the Convention. The Convention swears 45

To die, or save the country!

[Violent applauses from the galleries.

Citizen (from above). We too swear

To die, or save the country. Follow me.

[All the men quit the galleries.

Enter another Messenger.

Fourth Messenger. Henriot is taken! [Loud applauses.

Three of your brave soldiers

Swore they would seize the rebel slave of tyrants,

Or perish in the attempt. As he patroll’d 50

The streets of Paris, stirring up the mob,

They seiz’d him. [Applauses.

Billaud Varennes. Let the names of these brave men

Live to the future day.

Enter BOURDON L’OISE, sword in hand.

Bourdon l’Oise. I have clear’d the Commune.

[Applauses.

Through the throng I rush’d,

Brandishing my good sword to drench its blade 55

Deep in the tyrant’s heart. The timid rebels

Gave way. I met the soldiery — I spake

Of the dictator’s crimes — of patriots chain’d

In dark deep dungeons by his lawless rage —

Of knaves secure beneath his fostering power. 60

I spake of Liberty. Their honest hearts

Caught the warm flame. The general shout burst forth,

‘Live the Convention — Down with Robespierre!’ [Applauses.

(Shouts from without — Down with the Tyrant!)

Tallien. I hear, I hear the soul-inspiring sounds,

France shall be saved! her generous sons attached 65

To principles, not persons, spurn the idol

They worshipp’d once. Yes, Robespierre shall fall

As Capet fell! Oh! never let us deem

That France shall crouch beneath a tyrant’s throne,

That the almighty people who have broke 70

On their oppressors’ heads the oppressive chain,

Will court again their fetters! easier were it

To hurl the cloud-capt mountain from its base,

Than force the bonds of slavery upon men

Determined to be free! [Applauses. 75

Enter LEGENDRE — a pistol in one hand, keys in the other.

Legendre (flinging down the keys). So — let the mutinous Jacobins

meet now

In the open air. [Loud applauses.

A factious turbulent party

Lording it o’er the state since Danton died,

And with him the Cordeliers. — A hireling band

Of loud-tongued orators controull’d the Club, 80

And bade them bow the knee to Robespierre.

Vivier has ‘scaped me. Curse his coward heart —

This fate-fraught tube of Justice in my hand,

I rush’d into the hall. He mark’d mine eye

That beam’d its patriot anger, and flash’d full 85

With death-denouncing meaning. ‘Mid the throng

He mingled. I pursued — but stay’d my hand,

Lest haply I might shed the innocent blood. [Applauses.

Freron. They took from me my ticket of admission —

Expell’d me from their sittings. — Now, forsooth, 90

Humbled and trembling re-insert my name.

But Freron enters not the Club again

‘Till it be purged of guilt:—’till, purified

Of tyrants and of traitors, honest men

May breathe the air in safety. [Shouts from without. 95

Barrere. What means this uproar! if the tyrant band

Should gain the people once again to rise —

We are as dead!

Tallien. And wherefore fear we death?

Did Brutus fear it? or the Grecian friends

Who buried in Hipparchus’ breast the sword, 100

And died triumphant? Caesar should fear death,

Brutus must scorn the bugbear.

(Shouts from without — Live the Convention! — Down with the Tyrants!)

Tallien. Hark! again

The sounds of honest Freedom!

Enter Deputies from the Sections.

Citizen. Citizens! representatives of France!

Hold on your steady course. The men of Paris 105

Espouse your cause. The men of Paris swear

They will defend the delegates of Freedom.

Tallien. Hear ye this, Colleagues? hear ye this, my brethren?

And does no thrill of joy pervade your breasts?

My bosom bounds to rapture. I have seen 110

The sons of France shake off the tyrant yoke;

I have, as much as lies in mine own arm,

Hurl’d down the usurper. — Come death when it will,

I have lived long enough. [Shouts without.

Barrere. Hark! how the noise increases! through the gloom 115

Of the still evening — harbinger of death,

Rings the tocsin! the dreadful generale

Thunders through Paris —

[Cry without — Down with the Tyrant!

Enter LECOINTRE.

Lecointre. So may eternal justice blast the foes

Of France! so perish all the tyrant brood, 120

As Robespierre has perish’d! Citizens,

Caesar is taken. [Loud and repeated applauses.

I marvel not that with such fearless front

He braved our vengeance, and with angry eye

Scowled round the hall defiance. He relied 125

On Henriot’s aid — the Commune’s villain friendship,

And Henriot’s boughten succours. Ye have heard

How Henriot rescued him — how with open arms

The Commune welcom’d in the rebel tyrant —

How Fleuriot aided, and seditious Vivier 130

Stirr’d up the Jacobins. All had been lost —

The representatives of France had perish’d —

Freedom had sunk beneath the tyrant arm

Of this foul parricide, but that her spirit

Inspir’d the men of Paris. Henriot call’d 135

‘To arms’ in vain, whilst Bourdon’s patriot voice

Breathed eloquence, and o’er the Jacobins

Legendre frown’d dismay. The tyrants fled —

They reach’d the Hôtel. We gather’d round — we call’d

For vengeance! Long time, obstinate in despair, 140

With knives they hack’d around them. ‘Till foreboding

The sentence of the law, the clamorous cry

Of joyful thousands hailing their destruction,

Each sought by suicide to escape the dread

Of death. Lebas succeeded. From the window 145

Leapt the younger Robespierre, but his fractur’d limb

Forbade to escape. The self-will’d dictator

Plunged often the keen knife in his dark breast,

Yet impotent to die. He lives all mangled

By his own tremulous hand! All gash’d and gored 150

He lives to taste the bitterness of death.

Even now they meet their doom. The bloody Couthon,

The fierce St. Just, even now attend their tyrant

To fall beneath the axe. I saw the torches