lerks and sub-clerks, and has spent all the War-Estimates: that
Furnishers scour in gigs, over all districts of France, and drive
bargains;--and lastly that the Army gets next to no furniture. No shoes,
though it is winter; no clothes; some have not even arms: 'In the
Army of the South,' complains an honourable Member, 'there are thirty
thousand pairs of breeches wanting,'--a most scandalous want.

Roland's strict soul is sick to see the course things take: but what can
he do? Keep his own Department strict; rebuke, and repress wheresoever
possible; at lowest, complain. He can complain in Letter after Letter,
to a National Convention, to France, to Posterity, the Universe; grow
ever more querulous indignant;--till at last may he not grow wearisome?
For is not this continual text of his, at bottom a rather barren one:
How astonishing that in a time of Revolt and abrogation of all Law
but Cannon Law, there should be such Unlawfulness? Intrepid
Veto-of-Scoundrels, narrow-faithful, respectable, methodic man, work
thou in that manner, since happily it is thy manner, and wear thyself
away; though ineffectual, not profitless in it--then nor now!--The brave
Dame Roland, bravest of all French women, begins to have misgivings:
the figure of Danton has too much of the 'Sardanapalus character,' at a
Republican Rolandin Dinner-table: Clootz, Speaker of Mankind, proses sad
stuff about a Universal Republic, or union of all Peoples and Kindreds
in one and the same Fraternal Bond; of which Bond, how it is to be tied,
one unhappily sees not.

It is also an indisputable, unaccountable or accountable fact that
Grains are becoming scarcer and scarcer. Riots for grain, tumultuous
Assemblages demanding to have the price of grain fixed abound far and
near. The Mayor of Paris and other poor Mayors are like to have their
difficulties. Petion was re-elected Mayor of Paris; but has declined;
being now a Convention Legislator. Wise surely to decline: for, besides
this of Grains and all the rest, there is in these times an Improvised
insurrectionary Commune passing into an Elected legal one; getting
their accounts settled,--not without irritancy! Petion has declined:
nevertheless many do covet and canvass. After months of scrutinising,
balloting, arguing and jargoning, one Doctor Chambon gets the post of
honour: who will not long keep it; but be, as we shall see, literally
crushed out of it. (Dictionnaire des Hommes Marquans, para Chambon.)

Think