the staircase are two pig-pens; at the end of
the apartment are the privies, and in one corner a night-tub, which
completes the poisoning of the atmosphere already vitiated by this
crowded mass of human beings. The beds consist of sacks of
straw swarming with vermin; they are compelled to endure the
discipline,[11107] rations and mess of convicts. And they are lucky to
escape at this rate: for Amar takes advantage of their silent deportment
to tax them with conspiracy; other Montagnards likewise want to arraign
them at the revolutionary Tribunal: at all events, it is agreed that the
Committee of General Security shall examine their records and maintain
the right of designating new culprits amongst them. For ten months
they thus remain under the knife, in daily expectation of joining the
twenty-two on the Place de la Revolution.--With respect to the latter,
the object is not to try them but to kill them, and the semblance of a
trial is simply judicial assassination; the bill of indictment against
them consists of club gossip; they are accused of having desired the
restoration of the monarchy, of being in correspondence with Pitt and
Coburg;[11108] of having excited Vendee to insurrection. The betrayal
of Dumouriez is imputed to them, also the murder of Lepelletier, and the
assassination of Marat; while pretended witnesses, selected from amongst
their personal enemies, come and repeat, like a theme agreed upon, the
same ill-contrived fable: nothing but vague allegations and manifest
falsehoods, not one definite fact, not once convincing document; the
lack of proof is such that the trial has to be stopped as soon as
possible. "You brave b----forming the court," writes Hebert, "don't
trifle away your time. Why so much ceremony in shortening the days of
wretches whom the people have already condemned?" Care is especially
taken not to let them have a chance to speak. The eloquence of
Vergniaud and logic of Guadet might turn the tables at the last
moment. Consequently, a prompt decree authorizes the tribunal to stop
proceedings as soon as the jury becomes sufficiently enlightened, which
is the case after the seventh session of the court, the record of death
suddenly greeting the accused, who are not allowed to defend themselves.
One of them, Valaze, stabs himself in open court, and the next day
the national head-chopper strikes off the remaining twenty heads in
thirty-eight minutes.--Still more expeditious are the proceedings