Then, accompanied by the
Convention, he proceeded to the Champ de Mars, to inaugurate the
celebration of the worship of a Supreme Being as his high-priest.
But amid this triumph, on his way to the Champ de Mars, Robespierre
the conqueror had for the first time noticed the murmurs of the
Tarpeian rock; he had noticed the dark, threatening glances which
were directed at him from all sides. He felt the danger which
menaced him, and he was determined to remove it from his person by
annihilating those who threatened.
But already terror had lost its power, no one trembled before the
guillotine, no one took pleasure in the fall of the axe, in the
streams of blood, which empurpled the Place de la Revolution. The
fearful stillness of death hung round the guillotine, the people
were tired of applauding it, and now and then from the silent ranks
of the people thundered forth in threatening accents the word
"tyrant!" which, as the first weapon of attack, was directed against
Robespierre, who, on the heights of the tribune, was throned with
his unmoved, calm countenance.
Robespierre felt that he must strike a heavy, decisive blow against
his foes and annihilate them.
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