Robespierre is a name which is found, with great regularity, in the many fictional pamphlets produce

Robespierre is a name which is found, with great regularity, in the many fictional pamphlets produced by the Revolution. These pamphlets had a short life and, of course, were published and printed anonymously. A few titles will indicate the nature of this fiction, starting with Robespierre chez les orphelins ou Histoire secrette des derniers jours de Robespierre (London, 1794). In this account, we learn why Robespierre was absent from the Convention for the last three weeks of his life: he got drunk, lost his way home and fell asleep in the countryside. He is woken up by a child who is chasing a swarm of bees, who regrets that the bees have lost their queen. This remark puzzles Robespierre. He catches the queen in his snuff box and is surprised that the other bees discover the queen’s whereabouts and become organised and orderly. There is clearly a message here. Robespierre gets badly stung, he is taken to an orphanage and the account finishes with a dialogue between Robespierre and the two orphan boys, during which he admits the errors of his ways.

Robespierre in French fiction (Malcolm Cook)