d, and shot with
the rest! (Deux Amis, xii. 251-62.) Such is the vengeance of an enraged
Republic. Surely this, according to Barrere's phrase, is Justice 'under
rough forms, sous des formes acerbes.' But the Republic, as Fouche says,
must "march to Liberty over corpses." Or again as Barrere has it: "None
but the dead do not come back, Il n'y a que les morts qui ne reviennent
pas." Terror hovers far and wide: 'The Guillotine goes not ill.'

But before quitting those Southern regions, over which History can cast
only glances from aloft, she will alight for a moment, and look fixedly
at one point: the Siege of Toulon. Much battering and bombarding,
heating of balls in furnaces or farm-houses, serving of artillery well
and ill, attacking of Ollioules Passes, Forts Malbosquet, there has
been: as yet to small purpose. We have had General Cartaux here, a
whilom Painter elevated in the troubles of Marseilles; General Doppet,
a whilom Medical man elevated in the troubles of Piemont, who, under
Crance, took Lyons, but cannot take Toulon. Finally we have General
Dugommier, a pupil of Washington. Convention Representans also we have
had; Barrases, Salicettis, Robespierres the Younger:--also an Artillery
Chef de brigade, of extreme diligence, who often takes his nap of sleep
among the guns; a short taciturn, olive-complexioned young man, not
unknown to us, by name Buonaparte: one of the best Artillery-officers
yet met with. And still Toulon is not taken. It is the fourth month now;
December, in slave-style; Frostarious or Frimaire, in new-style: and
still their cursed Red-Blue Flag flies there. They are provisioned from
the Sea; they have seized all heights, felling wood, and fortifying
themselves; like the coney, they have built their nest in the rocks.

Meanwhile, Frostarious is not yet become Snowous or Nivose, when a
Council of War is called; Instructions have just arrived from Government
and Salut Public. Carnot, in Salut Public, has sent us a plan of siege:
on which plan General Dugommier has this criticism to make, Commissioner
Salicetti has that; and criticisms and plans are very various; when
that young Artillery Officer ventures to speak; the same whom we saw
snatching sleep among the guns, who has emerged several times in this
History,--the name of him Napoleon Buonaparte. It is his humble opinion,
for he has been gliding about with spy-glasses, with thoughts, That a
certain Fort l'Eguillette can be clutched, as with lion