Chapter 1.4.IV: The Procession
Background
On Monday, May 4th the delegates move in a procession from the church of St. Louis to the Notre Dame de Versailles, where a mass is heard.
Carlyle introduces us to the principal figures of the Estates-General, lingering on Mirabeau (who emerges as the de facto leader of the Third Estate) and Robespierre, whose time is yet to come.
The next day, the delegates are brought for the first time into the Salle des Menus, where the Estates-General will take place. They hear a short speech from the King and two long, dull speeches from the Keeper of the Seals and Necker, both of whom struggle to make themselves heard. There is a bit of politicking surrounding the wearing of hats, a privilege typically afforded to the nobility which the Third Estate usurps. Louis defuses the situation by removing his own hat, which leads everyone to do the same. Otherwise, the day passes without incident or action.
Notes
gaze d’or Light and transparent fabric made of golden thread
his first rays could strike music from the Memnon’s Statue on the Nile The Colossi of Memnon are two 59-foot statues depicting the Pharaoh Amenhotep III on the bank of the Nile near modern day Luxor in Egypt. Legend holds that after an earthquake ruptured one of the statues it began to emit a strange musical sound around dawn. Greek travelers identified the sound with the song of Eos (Greek goddess of dawn) who sang in mourning of her son Memnon, killed by Achilles in the Trojan War.
weep like Xerxes Xerxes the Great was the king of the Persian Achaemenid Empire. According to Herodotus, he wept upon seeing his massive army assembled when he reflected that, even if victorious, all of his men would be dead within one hundred years. This moment is famous as a reflection on the impermanence of life.
September Massacres, Bridges of Lodi, retreats of Moscow, Waterloos, Peterloos, Tenpound Franchises, Tarbarrels and Guillotines All referring to events which will transpire as a result of the revolution
“Ye can no other; God be your help!” I believe Carlyle is referring to Martin Luther, who said something similar at the Diet of Worms. It is typically quoted as “Here I stand; I can do no other. God help me.”
Muse Clio Clio is the muse of history
“as Malebranche saw all things in God, so M. Necker sees all things in Necker,” Malebranche (1638-1715) was a Catholic rationalist philosopher who sought to synthesize St. Augustine and Descartes to show the active role of God in all things; Necker was rather a narcissist.
Demoiselle Théroigne Theroigne de Mericourt was a Belgian woman who became active in fomenting the Revolution; she traveled to Paris in May 1789 and hung around the Estates-General.
He shall be, in a few months, Jourdan the Headsman, and have other work. Jean-Baptiste Jourdan will be a military commander during the Revolution and under Napoleon.
dayspring after Nova-Zembla Nova-Zembla is an archipelago in the Arctic Ocean known for its extreme cold and long polar nights.
naphtha-lamp Naphtha is a flammable hydrocarbon
he might say with the old Despot: ‘The National Assembly? I am that.’ Referring to Louis XIV’s famous “L'état c’est moi”.
produced tough Marquis Victor, the Friend of Men See above Chapter 1.2.VIII for the origins of this nickname for Mirabeau’s father
hardly since the Arabian Prophet lay dead to Ali’s admiration Referring to Mohammed and Ali ibn Abi Talib, the son-in-law and cousin of Mohammed considered by Shia Muslims to be the first Imam.
Pharos Another name for the Lighthous of Alexandria, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
Charles Edward, the English Prince or Pretender “Bonnie Prince Charlie”, grandson of James II and VII, Stuart claimant to the thrones of England.
and the strict-minded Max must abdicate, for his conscience will not permit the dooming of any son of Adam to die Highlighting the notable fact that Robespierre was a staunch advocate against the death penalty in his earlier life. He will have a change of heart.
alegar vinegar
on the wrong side of Styx and Lethe I.e., in a limbo state. Styx and Lethe are both rivers in the underworld, Styx marking the boundary between earth and the underworld, and the River Lethe bringing forgetfulness of one’s past life
Drapeau Rouge The “red flag” which since the Revolution has been associated with leftism.
Hippogriff a magical creature that has the front legs, wings, and head of a giant eagle and the body, hind legs, and tail of a horse
Astolpho Hero of Italian romance, subject of Ariosto’s Orlando Furioso
(victa Catoni) Carlyle is citing the end of Lucan’s Victrix causa deis placuit, sed victa Catoni: “The victorious cause pleased the the gods, but the defeated one pleases Cato.”
Duces (Dukes, as they are still named) did actually lead Carlyle is pointing out the etymological relationship between “duke” and the Latin ducere, “to lead”.
O Tempus ferax rerum! “Oh time, bearer of things”
a Gospel according to Jean Jacques Referring to Rousseau and his Social Contract
estrade platform