Reenactment Help!

[nirejseki.livejournal.com]

I'm doing a reenactment of some scenes from the French Revolution with my friends in a few weeks, and I was wondering - does anyone have an English translation of Camille Desmoulins' Aux Armes speech on July 12? The "jump on a table, pull out a pistol or two, and get everyone to wear green" speech; I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. ^^

Also, I'm looking for Saint-Just's "Report on the Dantonists" (again, in English - alas, I speak no French).

Anything else you can get me in English, I'd be grateful. Preferably by Robespierre, Desmoulins, Danton, Saint-Just, Marat, etc. All is welcome; presume we know nothing. ^_^

We have a pretty willing group, so if there's anything you'd like to see people in costume performing in front of a camera in Central Park or wherever it ends up being - please, either give me a link or email me at riderriddle@yahoo.com

(Also, if anyone knows a lot about costumes of specific people and can link me to something that has really good images, that would be very helpful! It's the little details, like "What did stockings look like" and "What type of shoes?" and "What do the sleeves look like again?" that really get you...and if you can answer any of those questions, that helps. ^^)

Thanks a lot!

Comments

[kurotoshi.livejournal.com]

If you want to re-enact anything concerning Marat, give me a heads-up, I can get you anything you'd like! (But I'm PRETTY sure you'd be interested about his death, I can give you what REALLY happened)

[rs09985.livejournal.com]

Marat was delighted when Corday said she held a list of traitors. He immediately exclaimed, "They will be guillotined the following day!"

Just a helpful side note.

[citoyenneclark.livejournal.com]

Please take photos/video tape. I've got to see this.

Didn't Camille jump on a chair on a table? Granted, this might be a bit dangerous, though.

Are you going to do 9th Thermidor? JB Morton's book on Saint-Just has his last speech in the back. (He only got to the first paragraph)

[livviebway.livejournal.com]

This is my own English translation from the letter he wrote to his father about July 12.

...Sunday, all Paris was appalled by the dismissal of M. Necker. My emotions were aflame; no one was taking up arms. I joined them, they saw my zeal, they surrounded me, they pressed me to climb upon a table. In a minute I was surrounded by six thousand people. “Citizens,” I said, “You know that the nation had demanded that Necker remain, that a monument be built for him. They have chased him off! It is a slap in your face! After this coup, they will dare to do anything and maybe tonight they are plotting a Saint-Bartholomew’s Day Massacre of patriots!” I was choking under a wave of ideas besieging me, I was ranting. “To arms,” I cried, “To arms! Let us wear green cockades, the color of hope.” I remember that I finished with these words: “The despicable police are here! Let them see me, let them observe me well! Yes, it is I who call my brothers to liberty!” Raising a pistol, I said, “At least they will not take me alive, I know how to die gloriously. There’s nothing they can do to me that’s worse than watching France become a slave!” Then I descended, I was embraced, I was smothered in people’s arms. “My friend,” each person said to me, “We are going to protect you, we will not abandon you, we will follow you.” I said I didn’t want to command and that I only wanted to be a soldier of the country. I took a green ribbon and I attached it to my hat. How fast the blaze spread!...

I know various history books have cleaned it up and embellished it over time, so if you want I can look for a fancier version. There you have Camille's version though.

[livviebway.livejournal.com]

Oh and of course your question about costumes. I am probably the resident historical clothing geek here, so I'll try to help you out with this. Do you just want some images of people or are you looking for more specific costume advice? Also, I know you said you are poor students, so I understand constraints ;-).

[victoriavandal.livejournal.com]

Speechwise, Verso have just published a paperback $14.95/£7.99 edition of some of Robespierre's speeches in english ("Slavoj Zizek presents Robespierre - virtue and terror")- they're cut a bit, though, and they don't include the death penalty speech, because it would presumably clash with the editor's opening thesis!. You could try online google books editions of 19thc histories as these often have great chunks of speeches in them: there are a few up there, G.H. Lewes, Carlyle and a couple of the French 19thc historians in English.

[citoyenneclark.livejournal.com]

Here is Saint-Just's last speech.
I belong to no faction. I will oppose them all. But factions can only be abolished by institutions, carrying with them guarantees; institutions which will trace the limits of the executive, and will once and for al time force human arrogance to submit to the yoke of the liberty of the people. Circumstances have decreed that this tribune should perhaps be the Tarpeian rock for him who would tell you that the Government has turned from the path of wisdom.

At this point in his speech, Tallien interrupts with a point of order, something along the lines of, Is this speech an individual speaking, or the will of the Committee? Yesterday's speaker spoke individually, which does not help the situation. As we need to work together.

And to put it in a cliche, after this, all hell broke loose.

-------
He only got this far, I can post the rest of the speech if you are interested.

[trf-chan.livejournal.com]

Oooh, this sounds like a lot of fun! =D Good luck with it.

Here (http://www.marxists.org/history/france/revolution/robespierre/index.htm) are some speeches of Robespierre's. And Saint-Just's speech about the king (http://chnm.gmu.edu/revolution/d/325/).

[citoyenneclark.livejournal.com]

So, how did the it go?