Hugo_NinetyThree.txt topic ['13', '324', '378', '393']
in coalition, shackles
innumerable, fiscal impositions, excise laws, mortmain, taxes,
exemptions, prerogatives, prejudices, fanaticisms, the royal
privilege of bankruptcy, the sceptre, the throne, the regal
will, the divine right; the other, a unit the knife.
one side the knout; on the other the axe.
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had long stood alone in the midst of this
wilderness. she had frowned with her machicolated
casements, from whence had streamed boiling oil, blazing
pitch, and melted lead; her oubliettes paved with human
skeletons; her torture-chamber; the whole hideous tragedy
with which she was filled. her funereal front above
the forest, sh3 had passed fifteen centuries of savage tran-
quillity amidst its shadows ; she had been the one power in
this land, the one object of respect and fear; she had reign-
ed supreme; she had been the realization of barbarism, and
suddenly she saw rise before her and against her, something
(more than a thing a being) as terrible as herself the
guillotine.
objects sometimes appear endowed with a
strange power of sight. statue notices, a tower watches,
the face of an edifice contemplates. seemed to
be studying the guillotine. seemed to question herself
concerning it. was that object? looked as if it
had sprung out of the earth. was from there, in truth,
that it had risen.
sinister tree had germinated in the fatal ground.
of the soil watered by so much of human sweat, so
many tears, so much blood out of the earth in which had
been dug so many trenches, so many graves, so many cav-
erns, so many ambuscades out of this earth wherein had
rolled the countless victims of countless tyrannies out of
this earth spread above so many abysses wherein had been
buried so many crimes (terrible germs) had sprung in a des-
tined day this unknown, this avenger, this ferocious sword-
bearer, and '93 had said to the , " me
the guillotine had the right to say to the donjon
tower, " am thy daughter."
, at the same time, the tower for those fatal objects
possess a strange vitality felt herself slain by this newly-
risen force.
this formidable apparition seemed to
shudder. might have said that she was afraid.
monstrous mass of granite was majestic, but infamous; that
plank with its black triangle was worse. all-powerful
fallen, trembled before the all-powerful risen. his-
tory was studying judicial history. violence of by-gona
352 -.
days was comparing itself with, the violence of the present;
the ancient fortress, the ancient prison, the ancient seigneury
where tortured victims had shrieked out their lives; that
construction of war and murder, now useless, defenseless,
violated, dismantled, uncrowned, a heap of stones with no
more than a heap of ashes, hideous yet magnificent, dying,
dizzy with the awful memories of all those by-gone centu-
ries, watched the terrible living sweep up. -
day trembled before to-day; antique ferocity acknowledged
and bowed its head before this fresh horror. power
which was sinking into nothingness opened eyes of fright
upon this new-born terror. despotism stared at
this spectral avenger.
is pitiless ; she never withdraws her flowers, her
music, her joyousness, and her sunlight from before human
cruelty or suffering. overwhelms man by the contrast
between divine beauty and social hicleousness. spares
him nothing of her loveliness, neither butterfly nor bird.
the midst of murder, vengeance, barbarism, he must feel
himself watched by holy things ; he can not escape the im-
mense reproach of universal nature and the implacable se-
renity of the sky. deformity of human laws is forced
to exhibit itself naked amidst the dazzling rays of eternal
beauty. breaks and destroys ; man lays waste ; man
kills; but the summer remains summer; the lily remains
the lily ; the star remains a star.
had a morning dawned fresher and more glorious
than this. soft breeze stirred the heath, a warm haze
rose amidst the branches; the of permeated
by the breath of hidden brooks, smoked in the dawn like a
vast censer filled with perfumes; the blue of the firmament,
the whiteness of the clouds, the transparency of the streams,
the verdure, that harmonious gradation of color from aqua-
marine to emerald, the groups of friendly trees, the mats of
grass, the peaceful fields, all breathed that purity which is
's eternal counsel to man.
the midst of all this rose the horrible front of human
shamelessness ; in the midst of all this appeared the fortress
and the scaffold, war and punishment ; the incarnations of
the bloody age and the bloody moment; the owl of the
night of the and the bat of the cloud-darkened dawn
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of the . blossoming, odor-giving creation, lov-
ing and charming, and the grand sky golden with morning
spread about and the guillotine, and seemed to
say to man, " my work and yours." are the
terrible reproaches of the sunlight !
spectacle had its spectators.
four thousand men of the little expeditionary army
were drawn up in battle order upon the plateau. sur-
rounded the guillotine on three sides in such a manner as to
form about it the shape of a letter ; the battery placed in
the centre of the largest line made the notch of the .
red monster was inclosed by these three battle fronts; a
sort of wall of soldiers spread out on two sides to the edge
of the plateau ; the fourth side, left open, was the ravine,
which seemed to frown at .
arrangements made a long square, in the centre of
which stood the scaffold. , as the sun mounted
higher, the shadow of the guillotine grew shorter on the
turf.
gunners were at their pieces ; the matches lighted.
faint blue smoke rose from the ravine the last breath
of the expiring conflagration.
cloud encircled without veiling , whose
lofty platform overlooked the whole horizon. was
only the width of the ravine between the platform and the
guillotine. one could have parleyed with the other.
table of the tribunal and the chair shadowed by the tri-
colored flags had been set upon the platform. sun rose
higher behind , bringing out the black mass of
the fortress clear and defined, and revealing upon its summit
the figure of a man in the chair beneath the banners, sitting
motionless, his arms crossed upon his breast. was -
dain. wore, as on the previous day, his civil delegate's
dress; on his head was the hat with the tri : colored cockade;
his sabre at his side; his pistols in his belt. lie sat silent.
whole crowd was mute. soldiers stood with down-
cast eyes, musket in hand stood so close that their shoul-
ders touched, but no one spoke. were meditating con-
fusedly upon this war; the numberless combats, the hedge-
fusillades so bravely confronted; the hosts of peasants driven
back by their might ; the citadels taken, the battles won, the
354 -.
victories gained, and it seemed to them as if all that glory
had turned now to their shame. sombre expectation con-
tracted every heart. could see the executioner come
and go upon the platform of the guillotine. increasing
splendor of the morning filled the sky with its majesty.
the sound of muffled drums broke the stillness.
funereal tones swept nearer. ranks opened a cor-
tege entered the square and moved toward the scaffold.
, the drummers with their crape - wreathed drums ;
then a company of grenadiers with lowered muskets ; then
a platoon of gendarmes with drawn sabres ; then the con-
demned . walked forward with a free, firm
step. had no fetters on hands or feet. was in an
undress uniform^and wore his sword. him marched
another platoon of gendarmes.
's face was still lighted by that pensive joy which
had illuminated it at the moment when he said to -
dain, " am thinking of the ." could be
more touching and sublime than that smile.
he reached the fatal square, his first glance was di-
rected toward the summit of the tower. disdained the
guillotine. knew that would make it an im-
perative duty to assist at the execution. eyes sought
the platform. saw him there.
was ghastly and cold. standing near
him could not catch even the sound of his breathing.
a tremor shook his frame when he saw .
moved toward the scaffold. he walked on,
he looked at , and looked at him.
seemed as if rested his very soul upon that clear
glance.
reached the foot of the scaffold. ascended it.
officer who commanded the grenadiers followed him.
lie unfastened his sword, and handed it to the officer; he
undid his cravat, and gave it to the executioner.
looked like a vision. had he been so handsome.
brown curls floated in the wind ; at the time it was not
the custom to cut off the hair of those about to be executed.
white neck reminded one a woman ; his heroic and
sovereign glance made one think of an archangel. stood
there on the scaffold lost in thought. place of punish-
. 355
ment was a height too. stood upon it, erect, proud,
tranquil. sunlight streamed about him till he seemed
to stand in the midst of a halo.
he must be bound. executioner advanced, cord
in hand.
this moment, when the soldiers saw their young leader
so close to the knife, they could restrain themselves no long-
er; the hearts of those stern warriors gave way.
mighty sound swelled up the united sob of a whole
army. clamor rose : " ! mercy !"
fell upon their knees ; others flung away their guns
and stretched their arms toward the platform where -
dain was seated. grenadier pointed to the guillotine,
and cried, " substitute ! substitute ! me !"
repeated frantically, " ! mercy!" a troop
of lions heard, they must have been softened or terrified ;
the tears of soldiers are* terrible.
executioner hesitated, no longer knowing what to do.
a voice, quick and low, but so stern that it was audi-
ble to every ear, spoke from the top of the tower,
" the law!"
recognized that inexorable tone. had
spoken. army shuddered.
executioner hesitated no longer. approached,
holding out the cord.
" !" said .
turned toward , made a gesture of farewell
with his right hand, which was still free, then allowed him-
self to be bound.
he was tied, he said to the executioner,
". instant more."
he cried, " the !"
was laid upon the plank. noble head was held
by the infamous yoke. executioner gently parted his
hair aside, then touched the spring. triangle began to
move slowly at first then rapidly a terrible blow was
heard
the same instant another report sounded. p : stol-
shot had answered the blow of the axe. had
seized one of the pistols from his belt, and, as 's
head rolled into the basket, sank back pierced to
the heart by a bullet his own hand had fired. stream of
blood burst from his mouth ; he fell dead.
those two souls, united still in that tragic death, soar-
ed away together, the shadow of the one mingled with the
radiance of the other.