[94] Ibid.， 428， 435， 436. "O day forever blessed！ What a sight to behold， the entire French people assembled together and rendering to the author of nature the only homage worthy of him！ How affecting each object that enchants the eye and touches the heart of man！ O honored old age！ O generous ardor of the young of our country！ O the innocent， pure joy of youthful citizens！ O the exquisite tears of tender mothers！ O the divine charms of innocence and beauty！ What majesty in a great people happy in its strength， power and virtue！" - "No， Charmette， No， death is not the sleep of eternity！" - "Remember， O， People， that in a republic， etc." - "If such truths must be dissembled then bring me the hemlock！"[95] Speech， May 7， 1794. (On moral and religious ideas in relation to republican principles.)[96] Personifications. From Greek to make persons. (SR).
[97] Buchez et Roux， XXXIII.， 436. "The verres and Catilines of our country." (Speech of Thermidor 8th.) - Note especially the speech delivered March 7， 1794， crammed full of classical reminiscences.
[98] Ibid.， XXXIII.， 421. "Truth has touching and terrible accents which reverberate powerfully in pure hearts as in guilty consciences， and which falsehood can no more counterfeit than Salome can counterfeit the thunders of heaven." - 437： "Why do those who yesterday predicted such frightful tempests now gaze only on the fleeciest clouds？ Why do those who but lately exclaimed 'I affirm that we are treading on a volcano' now behold themselves sleeping on a bed of roses？"[99] Ibid.， XXXII.， 360， 361. (Portraits of the encyclopaedists and Hébertists.)[100] Ibid.， XXXIII.， 408. "Here， I have to open my heart." - XXXII.， 475-478， the concluding part.
[101] Hamel： "Histoire de Robespierre，" I.， 34-76. An attorney at 23， a member of the Rosati club at Arras at 24， a member of the Arras Academy at 25. The Royal Society of Metz awarded him a second prize for his discourse against the prejudice which regards the relatives of condemned criminals as infamous. His eulogy of Gresset is not crowned by the Amiens Academy. He reads before the Academy of Arras a discourse against the civil incapacities of illegitimate children， and then another on reforms in criminal jurisprudence. In 1789， he is president of the Arras Academy， and publishes an eulogy of Dupaty and an address to the people from Artois on the qualities necessary for future deputies.
[102] See his eulogy of Rousseau in the speech of May 7， 1794.
(Buchez et Roux， XXXII.， 369. - Garat， 85. "I hoped that his selection of Rousseau for a model of style and the constant reading of his works would exert some good influence on his character."[103] Fievée， "correspondance" (introduction). Fievée， who heard him at the Jacobin Club， said that he resembled a "tailor of the ancient regime." La Réeveillère-Lepeaux， ′"Mmoires." - Buchez et Roux， XXXIV.， 94. - Malouet， "Mémoires，" II.， 135. (Session of May 31， 1791， after the delivery of Abbé Raynal's address.) "This is the first and only time I found Robespierre clear and even eloquent. . . . He spun out his opening phrases as usual， which contained the spirit of his discourse， and which， in spite of his accustomed rigmarole， produced the effect he intended."[104] Courrier de Provence， III.， No. 52， (Oct. 7 and 8， 1789). -Buchez et Roux， VI.， 372. (Session of July 10， 1790.) Another similar blunder was committed by him on the occasion of an American deputation. The president had made his response， which was "unanimously applauded." Robespierre wanted to have his say notwithstanding the objections of the Assembly， impatient at his verbiage， and which finally put him down. Amidst the laughter， "M.
l'Abbé Maury demands ironically the printing of M. Robespierre's discourse."[105] L. Villiers， 2.
[106] Cf. his principal speeches in the constituent Assembly； --against martial law； against the veto， even suspensive； against the qualification of the silver marc and in favor of universal suffrage；in favor of admitting into the National Guard non-acting citizens； of the marriage of priests； of the abolition of the death penalty； of granting political rights to colored men； of interdicting the father from favoring any one of his children； of declaring the "Constituants"ineligible to the Legislative Assembly， etc. On royalty： "The King is not the representative but the clerk of the nation." On the danger of allowing political rights to colored men： "Let the colonies perish if they cost you your honor， your glory， your liberty！"[107] Hamel， I.， 76.77， (March， 1789). "My heart is an honest one and I stand firm； I have never bowed beneath the yoke of baseness and corruption." He enumerates the virtues that a representative of the Third Estate should possess (26， 83). He already shows his blubbering capacity and his disposition to regard himself as a victim： "They undertake making martyrs of the people's defenders. Had they the power to deprive me of the advantages they envy， could they snatch from me my soul and the consciousness of the benefits I desire to confer on them."[108] Buchez et Roux， XXXIII. "Who am I that am thus accused？ The slave of freedom， a living martyr to the Republic， at once the victim and the enemy of crime！" See this speech in full.
[109] Especially in his address to the French people， (Aug.， 1791)， which， in a justificatory form， is his apotheosis. - Cf. Hamel， II.， 212； Speech in the Jacobin club， (April 27， 1792).
[110] Hamel， I.， 517， 532， 559； II.， 5.
[111] Laréveillère-Lepeaux，" Mémoires." - Barbaroux， "Mémoires，" 358.
(Both， after a visit to him.)