. The days of the Directoire . Royalists, anti-Republicans, anti-Jacobins, anti-Septembriseurs, and many who weremerely disappointed and discontented and filled with ageneral desire to return to the conditions of the oldregime, met together to grumble, gibe at the consti-tuted authorities, and play at conspiracy. Here ahundred petty audacities were indulged in ; the menwould recite below their breath scurrilous verses re-flecting on the Directors, their Ministers and their ad-ministration, the ladies would furtively half open fans,which then displayed portraits or monograms of the Royal martyr
. The days of the Directoire . Royalists, anti-Republicans, anti-Jacobins, anti-Septembriseurs, and many who weremerely disappointed and discontented and filled with ageneral desire to return to the conditions of the oldregime, met together to grumble, gibe at the consti-tuted authorities, and play at conspiracy. Here ahundred petty audacities were indulged in ; the menwould recite below their breath scurrilous verses re-flecting on the Directors, their Ministers and their ad-ministration, the ladies would furtively half open fans,which then displayed portraits or monograms of the Royal martyrs. Rings were passed from hand tohand bearing loyal mottoes engraved inside, and secretRoyalist toasts were drunk to the confusion of theenemies of France and in honour of her ancient line ofSovereigns. It was all pretty harmless, but at the same time it allserved to show which way the current was now begin-ning to run. ****** Another notable institution of the day, another signof the times pointing in the same direction, was. ANGE PITOU IN THE PLACE SAINT-GERMAIN-LAUXERROIS(From the Chanteur Franfais) MUSCADINS AND TAPE-DURS 143 that picturesque and strangely enigmatical personage,Ange Pitou. Very soon after Thermidor, every day a crowdthrongs the Place in front of the west door of theChurch of Saint-Germain lAuxerrois, with eagerears and minds all agog with excited interest.—Hush ! a man of short stature, but with a keen,expressive face, has cried from amid the multitude : I am fain to sing or satirize rascals, Septembriseurs,cheats, idlers, spies, and all the thievish gang ! . .And he sings, sings with a voice that bites andstings, set to light opera airs : On pille ; on vole ; on assassine,Boutiquiers, financiers, bourgeois ;Pour autoriser la rapine,Des brigands avaient fait des lois. Quand la soif de lor me tourmente,Jai des voisins a denoncer ;lis ont cent mille ecus de rente,Done il faut les guillotiner ! l The singer, who is an open-air opera, a singingcounter-Revolut
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Keywords: ., bookauthorallinson, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookyear1910
