de Lameth to Switzerland. (I have this account through M (probably Pasquier).. . . who had it from count Theodore de Lameth's own lips.)[52] Garat. "Memoires，" 317. "Twenty times， he said to me one day， Ioffered them peace. They did not want it. They refused to believe me in order to reserve the right of ruining me."[53] Cf. the "Ancient Regime，" p. 501.
[54] "Danton，" by Dr. Robinet， passim. (Notices by Béon， one of Danton's fellow-disciples. - Fragment by Saint-Albin.) - " The Revolution，" II.， p.35， foot-note.
[55] Emile Bos， "Les Avocats du conseil du Roi，" 515， 520. (See Danton's marriage-contract and the discussions about his fortune.
From 1787 to 1791， he is found engaged as counsel only in three cases.)[56] Madame Roland， "Memoires." (Statement of Madame Danton to Madame Roland.)[57] Expressions used by Garat and R？derer. - Larévilliere-Lepaux calls him "the Cyclop."[58] Fauchet describes him as "the Pluto of Eloquence."[59] Riouffe， "Mémoires sur les prisons." In prison every utterance was mingled with oaths and gross expressions."[60] Terms used by Fabre d'Eglantine and Garat. - Beugnot， a very good observer， had an accurate impression of Danton ("Mémoires"， I， 249-252). - M. Dufort de Cheverney， (manuscript memoirs published by M. Robert de Crèveceur)， after the execution of Babeuf， in 1797， had an opportunity to hear Samson， the executioner， talk with a war commissary， in an inn between Vend？me and Blois. Samson recounted the last moments of Danton and Fabre d'églantine. Danton， on the way to the scaffold， asked if he might sing. "There is nothing to hinder，"said Samson. "All right. Try to remember the verses I have just composed，" and he sang the following to a tune in vogue：
Nous sommes menés au trépas We are led to our death Par quantité de scélérats，by a gang of scoundrels c'est ce qui nous désole. that makes us sad.
Mais bientot le moment viendraBut soon the time shall come Où chacun d'eux y passera，when all of them shall follow c'est ce qui nous console." that's our consolation.
[61] Buchez et Roux， XXI.， 108. Speech (printed) by Pétion： "Marat embraced Danton and Danton embraced him. I certify that this took place in my presence."[62] Buchez et Roux， XXI.， 126. ("To Maximilian Robespierre and his royalists，" a pamphlet by Louvet.) - Beugnot， "Mémoires，" I.， 250， "On arriving in Paris as deputy from my department (to the Legislative Assembly) Danton sought me and wanted me to join his party. I dined with him three times， in the Cour du Commerce， and always went away frightened at his plans and energy. . . . He contented himself by remarking to his friend Courtois and my colleague： 'Thy big Beugnot is nothing but a devotee - you can do nothing with him.'"[63] The Cordeliers district. (Buchez et Roux， IV.， 27.) Assembly meeting of the Cordeliers district， November 11th， 1789， to sanction Danton's permanent presidency. He is always re-elected， and unanimously. This is the first sign of his ascendancy， although sometimes， to save the appearance of his dictatorship， he has his chief clerk Paré elected， whom he subsequently made minister.
[64] Buchez et Roux， IV.， 295， 298， 401； V.， 140.
[65] Ibid.， VIII.， 28 (October， 1790).
[66] Ibid.， IX.， 408： X.， 144， 234， 297， 417. - Lafayette "Mémoires，"I.， 359， 366. Immediately after Mirabeau's death (April， 1791)Danton's plans are apparent， and his initiative is of the highest importance.
[67] "The Revolution，" II.， 238 (Note) and 283. - Garat， 309： "After the 20th of June everybody made mischief at the chateau； the power of which was daily increasing. Danton arranged the 10th of August and the chateau was thunderstruck." - Robinet： "Le Procès des Dantonistes，" 224， 229. ("Journal de la Societé des amis de la Constitution，" No. 214， June 5， 1792.) Danton proposes "the law of Valerius Publicola， passed in Rome after the expulsion of the Tarquins， permitting every citizen to kill any man convicted of having expressed opinions opposed to the law of the State， except in case of proof of the crime." (Ibid.， Nos. 230 and 231， July 13， 1792.) Danton induces the federals present "to swear that they will not leave the capital until liberty is established， and before the will of the department is made known on the fate of the executive power." Such are the principles and the instruments， of "August 10th" and "September 2nd."[68] Garat， 314. "He was present for a moment on the committee of Public Safety. The outbreaks of May 31st and June 2nd occurred； he was the author of both these days."[69] Decrees of April 6 and 7， 1793.
[70] Decree of September 5， 1793.
[71] Decree of March 10， 1793.
[72] August 1 and 12， 1793.
[73] See "The Revolution，" vol. III.， ch. I.-Buchez et Roux， XXV.， 285. (Meeting of Nov.26， 1793.) - Moniteur， XIX.， 726. Danton (March 16， 1794) secures the passing of a decree that "hereafter prose only shall be heard at the rostrum of the house."[74] Archives Nationales， Papers of the committee of General Security， No 134. - Letter of Delacroix to Danton， Lille， March 25， 1793， on the situation in Belgium， and the retreat of Dumouriez. . . . "My letter is so long I fear that you will not read it to the end. . .
.Oblige me by forgetting your usual indolence." -- Letter of Chabot to Danton， Frimaire 12， year II. " I know your genius， my dear colleague， and consequently your natural indolent disposition. I was afraid that you would not read me through if I wrote a long letter.
Nevertheless I rely on your friendship to make an exception in my favor."[75] Lagrange， the mathematician， and senator under the empire， was asked how it was that he voted for the terrible annual conscriptions.
"It had no sensible effect on the tables of mortality，" he replied.
[76] Garat， 305， 310， 313. " His friends almost worshipped him."[77] Ibid.， 317. - Thibeaudeau， "Mémoires，" I.， 59.