Free The War of Wars by Robert Harvey Page B

in which he proposed the worship of a Supreme Being and set aside a day in every ten to worship him, honouring a different virtue each time. Robespierre staged a procession, with himself leading, dressed in a purple robe, and the people following bearing fruit and vegetables, as though in a kind of pagan ritual. It was hard not to believe that he had become quite mad. The ceremony attracted ridicule among atheists and the condemnation of Catholics.
    Robespierre now issued a law giving his underlings the power to arrest virtually anyone at will and sentence them to death for spreading false news, for showing delicacy in manner and even for speaking correctly. This passed only with huge dispute in the Assembly, many of whose own members feared being so arrested. When Robespierre proposed the arrest of one of the most vigorous enforcers of the Terror, as being a sympathizer of Danton, he found himself for the first time in a minority on the Committee of Public Safety.
    Robespierre descended to the Assembly and denounced the two committees, as well as a host of other institutions. This proved too much even for the usually terrorized Assembly, which erupted in astorm of criticism – each member fearing for his life. Only Robespierre’s loyal brother, Augustin, and two supporters, Saint-Just and Couthon, spoke in his favour. He then appealed to the Jacobin clubs, which volunteered to move on the two committees and arrest their members.
    On 25 July a crowd tried to rescue eighty people being taken to the guillotine, but they were prevented. Robespierre sought the same day to speak to the convention, but his right-hand man Saint-Just was interrupted by Tallien. When the pale and trembling Robespierre rose he was greeted with shouts of ‘Down with the tyrant.’ Tallien said he would kill Robespierre if necessary. When the latter tried to speak he was shouted down. His shrill voice screaming, ‘parliament of assassins, for the last time I seek the privilege of speech’, was the last heard of him before his voice gave out.
    Robespierre and his handful of supporters were seized and marched to the prison of Paris, where the gaolers refused to accept him, such was their terror of him. He was led to the offices of the Committee of Public Safety. A group of his supporters managed to free him and tried to take him back to the Hôtel de Ville, where 2,000 loyalists and artillerymen were waiting to acclaim him.
    The Convention, learning of his release, passed a decree outlawing him and his supporters and demanded that he be immediately executed. Fighting seemed about to break out on the streets of Paris. Cannon were brought up by Convention loyalists. Augustin Robespierre tried to kill himself by jumping from a window, but survived. Saint-Just and Couthon both tried unsuccessfully to kill themselves. Robespierre fired a gun which badly wounded his lower jaw. When the besiegers broke into the dreadful scene, they seized these wretched men and carried them straight to execution. The cloth holding Robespierre’s shattered jaw together was torn off on the scaffold. He issued a shout of agony, and was promptly guillotined.
    It was widely assumed that he had been executed so that others nearly as badly steeped in blood, such as Tallien and Barras, who had headed the assailants at the Hôtel de Ville, could seize power for themselves. But a general outcry against the Terror was taking place, and both felt under threat, as did others. Although a handful ofRobespierre’s closest supporters were seized, both Tallien and Barras refused to undertake a new wave of Terror against their own enemies – which required considerable courage, as the two could have been swept away. A general amnesty was proclaimed.
    Relatives of those guillotined – the Avengers – toured the streets wearing black collars and with their hair plaited and tied up as if in preparation for the guillotine, setting upon the Jacobin bands still daring to show themselves. The