54
MEMOIRS OF THE SANSONS.
but in vain. My hands tremble, and tremble
so that I have been compelled to give up cutting
the hair of the doomed prisoners. They are be-
fore rae weeping aud praying, aud I cannot con-
vince myself of the reality of what is going on.
I lead them to death, and I cannot believe that
they are going to die. It is like a dream which
I strive to dispel. I follow the preparations for
the tragedy, and I have no idea what is to occur
next, and "I discharge my functions with the
mechanical regularity of an automaton. Then
comes the thump of the knife which reminds
me of the horrible reality. I cannot hear it
now without a shudder. A kind of rage then
takes possession of me. Forgetting that I
ought lo blame myself more than others, I
abuse the gendarmes who, saber in hand, have
escorted the victims; I abuse the people who
look on without raising a finger in their defense;
1 abuse the suu which lightens all this. At
length I leave the scaffold, disposed to weep,
although I cannot find a tear. Never were
these sensations more violent than to-day. Lad-
miral and Cécile Renaud were among the con-
victs of to-day, and the others were their so-
called «accomplices.
Since the 23rd the Committee of Public Safety
sends lists of death to the Tribunal. The arrest
of Naudiu and Antonnelle, two jurors who
would r.ot admit that revolutionary right was
above right of justice, shows that this Tribunal
is no more than a sham. While he preaches
against indulgence at the Jacobins, Robespierre
nevertheless abstains from being present when
these lists are being drawn up—that is to say.
thaï he shirks the odium, so as to be able to
show that he is guiltless of bloodshed. The
other members of the Committee are aware of
bis tactics, and they gave as much importance
as they could to the trial of the "murderers of
Robespierre," thereby trying to sap his reputa-
tion by calling attention "to his omnipotency.
In this affair they introduced two women,
the St. Amaranthes, who were acquainted with
Robespierre the younger; and they spread the
rumor that one of these women was Maximilian
Robespierre's mistress, and that Maximilian in-
sisted on her death because she surprised the
secret of his aspirations to royalty.
All this was being whispered around the
scaffold; but it was not this wily combination
of the Committee which produced the deepest
impression. Citizeness St Amaranthe held at
No. 50 of the Palais Egalité a gaming house,
frequented by many influential men, and an
equal number of adventurers—Danton, Hérault
de Séchelles, Lacroix, Robespierre the younger,
Desfieux, Proly, and the famous Baron de
Batz, whom the police could never lay hands
upon. Madame St. Amaranthe's daughter was
young and pretty-. When mother and daughter
were arrested, their servants and friends were
also taken. Maria Grandmaison, an actress of
the Italian Theater, aud Marie Nicole Bouchard,
her servant, were of the number. The latter
was only eighteen years old, and she was so
thin and delicate that she did not appear more
than fourteen. When the poor little girl held
out her hands to Lariviére, he turned to Des-
morets, my head assistant, and said: "Surely
this is a joke?" Desmorets shrugged his shoul-
ders, and it was the little one who, smiling
through her tears, answered: "No, sir, it is
serious;" whereupon Lariviére threw down his
cords, and exclaimed : " Let some one else bind
her. It is not my profession to execute chil-
dren!" She was calm and resigned. There
was a delay in starting. Red shirts had been
ordered only for Ladmiral, Saintenax, and the
four Renauds.1 An order came at the last mo
ment directing all the culprits to be arrayed in
the same garment. While the shirts were being
fetched, little Nicole Bouchard sat down at her
mistress's feet, and tried to console her. She
asked leave to be with her in the same cart. 1
really believed that if she had begged for life,
more than oue would have freed her, and offer-
ed to take her place. What we felt the people
felt also. The crowd was very large, owing to
the proportions of the execution. The hun-
dreds of gendarmes who escorted us, and the
cannon which followed in the rear, had induced
all Parisians to come out. Five or six young
and pretty women were in the first cart, and their
fate excited pity; but when poor little Nicole
Bouchard was seen there was an explosion of
indignation. Cries of "No children!" rose nu-
merous and loud. In the Faubourg St. Antoine
I could see the women weeping. I was almost
overpowered by this scene.    I had looked at
i The red shirt was the garment of parricides.
Nicole Bouchard at the Conciergerie, and her
eyes, to my thinking, seemed to say: "You will
not kill tne!" And yet she is dead now. She,
was the ninth. When she passed before me, I ,
had to struggle with an inspiration, which wliis ]
pered in my ear: " Smash up the guillotine, and :
do not allow this child to die!"
My assistants pushed her on toward the knife.
I turned away; my legs trembled, and I turned
sick. It was Martin who had charge of the ex-
ecution.    He said to me:
" You are unwell. Go home, and trust to me
for the rest."
I did not answer, and left the scaffold. I
was iu a fever, and so scared that at the corner
of the Rue Saintonge, when a woman stopped
me and begged, I thought the little girl was
before me. This eveniug 1 thought 1 saw spots
of blood on the tablecloth as I was sitting down
to dinner.
Prairial 30.—No executions to-day. Re-
mained at home, and read the papers. Robes-
pierre's enemies have found another weapon to
strike him with. There are some distracted
women who recite prayers in his honor. If
they could only persuade the masses that he
suffers and encourages this, it would be all over
with him; and that is just what Vadier tried to
do in the sitting of the 27th. A police officer
employed by the Committee has found out an
old woman who pretends to be a prophetess, and
who announces the advent of a uew savior.
This savior is Robespierre. Vadier made the
most of this discovery.
Messidor 1.—From the 1st to the 4th of Mes-
sidor ninety-two convicts were put to death.
The dead are beginning to frighten the living.
The inhabitants of the Montreuil section, where
we now send the dead bodies, have complained.
They urged that the stench is horrible, and
that" unless the small cemetery of St. Margue-
rite be closed, serious consequences cannot but
ensue. After much hesitation the Commune
has selected a new place for the burial of the
executed. This is the garden of the old con-
veut of Picpus. The spot seems lo be ill chosen ;
the soil is composed of pure clay, and it cannot
absorb what is deposited in it. But, thank
Heaven! this is no business of mine. My task
ends on the scaffold. The Commune pays for
"crows" (undertakers), who receive the bodies
from my assistants and bury them. Desmorets,
my head assistant, goes with them. Whatever
is found in the pockets of the convicts is taken
to the Commune; the clothes, &c, are sent to
the charities. To-day the Tribunal coudemned
a man under rather curious circumstances. His
name was Doyen, and he was a wood merchant
He was wealthy and parsimonious. His fortune
was much envied by his neighbors, and he was
so afraid of getting into trouble that for a whole
year he did" not speak. He lived alone, and
communicated by signs with those he had to
deal with. When he was asked the time, he
took out his watch and showed it to you with-
out a word. This singular reserve was taken
for pride, and his enemies became legion. One
night the Tree of Liberty, planted in the public
square of the town in which he lived, was up-
rooted, and as a matter of course, the crime was
attributed to Citizen Doyen. His house was
searched. While the soldiers were searching tbe
first floor, a gendarme was about to take up a
log of wood and throw it into the grate, when
Doyen rushed forward, exclaiming: " Not this
oue!" This excited suspicion. An ax was pro-
cured, and, when the log was split, a number of
golden louis dropped onthefloor. This circum-
stance settled his fate. He recovered his pow-
ers of speech before the Tribunal, but too late
to save his life.
Messidor 6.—Fear of the guillotine has in-
duced a prisoner of Les Madelonnett.es to hang
himself. Before tying the noose he wrote in the
following terms to Robespierre: "Virtuous
Robespierre, provide for my wife, for now
she has no means of livelihood." This is the
second prisoner who has committed suicide.
The late valet-de-chambre of the Dukede Créqy,
one Cuni, cut his throat with a razor a few days
ago. Executed twenty-three men and four
women. One of the men, a deserter of the
name of Notter, had a dog. The animal was
much attached to its master, and it was the
cause of his arrest The dog followed him to
prison, and remained at tbe door until tbe carts
came out of the yard. It recognized its master,
and barking with joy, followed us to the Place
du Trône. When the soldier alighted he patted
the poor beast and asked several persons to take
and keep it; but no one dared. When the time
for separation came, the dog would not leave its
master, and followed him up to the platform.
One of my men threw it down; but the dog
rushed up the steps again, and began to howl
dismally; whereupon a gendarme pinned it with
his bayonet. Strange to say, the people, who
can stand and see Christians murdered, took
the dog's part. Stones were aimed at the gen-
darme, and he narrowly escaped with his Tife.
A workman took up the dog, and carried it
away.
Messidor 7.—There was a' time when the
women were, as a rule, stronger and pluckier
than the men. Not so now. They weep, trem-
ble, and beg for mercy. We have had a fearful
day. The"Faubourg St. Antoine cannot forget
it. My carts contained twenty-three women of
different ages and social standing. Each turn
of the wheel was marked by a sob. Their
shrieks were awful to hear. The crowd dis-
persed, and we made our way along deserted
streets. My men were more than usually dark
and sullen. One of them said : " They compel
us to disgrace the guillotine." I was not left to
suffer alone today.
Messidor 8.—The other prisoners of Bicêtre,
who were compromised by Valagnos' denuncia-
tion, were guillotined to-day. Among these
was Osselinxi deputy of the National Assem-
bly. He had given shelter to one Madame
Gharry, an émigrée. in a country house situated
at Marly. This generous deed at first cost him
his liberty, and afterward his life. He confided
in a ruffian whom he believed to be his friend.
The man saw Madame Charry, fell in love with
her, and threatened her with immediate arrest
if she did not return his affection. As a matter
of course, Madame Charry refused; and on the
fol'.owing day she was arrested, tried, and ex-
ecuted.
As the law which punishes with death who-
ever shall shelter an enemy of the Republic
was not yet passed, Osselin was sentenced
to two years' imprisonment, and sent to Bi-
cêtre, where he was fain to mingle with
criminals of the worst class. His former posi-
tion, and, above all, his connection with Dan-
ton's party, pointed him out to those who had
the mission to clear the prisons, and he was ar-
raigned. Osselin, it appears, resolved not to
appear on the guillotine. He found a large
nail in the ceiling of his cell, and struck himself
three times with it; but be survived bis wounds.
When we came to fetch Osselin tlie doctor of the
Conciergerie humorously observed that it was
useless to take him to the scaffold, as he had
but a few moments to live. Nevertheless we
carried him away. Poor Osselin called for
death, and tore away his bimdages. The doc-
tor, who accompanied us, told him that he need
have no fear, that the guillotine was a long way
off, and that he might possibly die on the way;
and, in fact, when we reached the Place du
Trône, Osselin was pale and stiff, and to all ap-
pearance dead. I felt so sure of it that I told
Desmorets to throw a blanket over the corpse,
and leave it in the cart: but the doctor, who
was still with us, said that Osselin was still
alive, and that the sentence should therefore be
carried out. As I was hesitating, he said to
me: "Fool, if he is dead, of what consequence
is it whether he reaches the other world with or
without his head? Think of what might hap-
pen to us if he were still alive." Osselin was
carried to the weigh-plank, but not a muscle
moved when the knife came down; and I am
firmly persuaded that we guillotined a corpse.
My grandfather'sDiary here comes to an end.
He gives no warning of his intention to discon-
tinue this daily record of his bloody mission,
but I think I can explain this sudde"n conclu-
sion. He was a strong and callous man; but
few, even among the hardest, could have re-
sisted the work which tbe Revolutionary Trib-
unal provided for bim. His constitution gave
way, and bis spirits also. He had a violent at-
tack of delirium tremens after the execution of
Robespierre's so-called murderers. Martin, his
brother, who usually took his place whenever
there was occasion for doing so, perceived that
the old executioner was breaking down. He
was pale, agitated, and uneasy. The slightest
noise made "bim shudder, and he avoided his
relatives. He no longer related to his wife and
children the scenes in which he acted the chief
part; and his usual state of mind was a dark
moodiness, which he retained to his last day.
This easily explains the interruption of his
Diary. The reader may have noticed that his
last notes are far less precise and minute than
the first portion of his information ; in the last