could it be longer kept
secret that there was a schism in the despotic committee. On one side
were Robespierre, St. Just, and Couthon; on the other Collot and
Billaud. Barere leaned towards these last, but only leaned towards them.
As was ever his fashion when a great crisis was at hand, he fawned
alternately on both parties, struck alternately at both, and held
himself in readiness to chant the praises or to sign the death warrant
of either. In any event his Carmagnole was ready. The tree of liberty,
the blood of traitors, the dagger of Brutus, the guineas of perfidious
Albion, would do equally well for Billaud and for Robespierre.

The first attack which was made on Robespierre was indirect. An old
woman named Catherine Theot, half maniac, half impostor, was protected
by him, and exercised a strange influence over his mind; for he was
naturally prone to superstition, and, having abjured the faith in which
he had been brought up, was looking about for something to believe.
Barere drew up a report against Catherine, which contained many
facetious conceits, and ended, as might be expected, with a motion for
sending her and some other wretched creatures of both sexes to the
Revolutionary Tribunal, or, in other words, to death. This report,
however, he did not dare to read to the Convention himself. Another
member, less timid, was induced to father the cruel buffoonery; and the
real author enjoyed in security the dismay and vexation of Robespierre.

Barere now thought that he had done enough on one side, and that it was
time to make his peace with the other. On the seventh of Thermidor, he
pronounced in the Convention a panegyric on Robespierre. "That
representative of the people," he said, "enjoys a reputation for
patriotism, earned by five years of exertion, and by unalterable
fidelity to the principles of independence and liberty." On the eighth
of Thermidor, it became clear that a decisive struggle was at hand.
Robespierre struck the first blow. He mounted the tribune, and uttered a
long invective on his opponents. It was moved that his discourse should
be printed; and Barere spoke for the printing. The sense of the
Convention soon appeared to be the other way; and Barere apologized for
his former speech, and implored his colleagues to abstain from disputes
which could be agreeable only to Pitt and York. On the next day, the
ever memorable ninth of Thermidor, came the real tug of war. Tallien,
bravely taking his life