For the first time, Legendre, a butcher of Paris, appeared at the bar of the Assembly, where he vociferated in oratorical strain the imprecations of the people against the enemies of the nation and crowned traitors.

Legendre decked his trivial ideas in high-sounding language.

From this junction of vulgar ideas with the ambitious expressions of the tribune sprung that strange language in which the fragments of thought are mingled with the tinsel of words, and thus the popular eloquence of the period resembles the ill-combined display at an extravagant _parvenu_.

The populace was proud at robbing the aristocracy of its language, even to turn it against them; but whilst it filched, it soiled it.

"Representatives," said Legendre, "bid the eagle of victory and fame to soar over your heads and ours; say to the ministers, We love the people,--let your punishment begin: the tyrants must die!" XIX.
Camille Desmoulins, the Aristophanes of the Revolution, then borrowed the sonorous voice of the Abbe Fauchet, in order to make himself heard.
Camille Desmoulins was the Voltaire of the streets; he struck on the chord of passion by his sarcasms.