mited monarchy, as in any respect accessaries to the bloody scenes which have been acted in the course of this revolution, is in the highest degree absurd. If such reasoning were admitted, Luther would be proved to be the author of the massacre of St Bartholomew; because, unless he had attempted to detect the abuses of popery, and brought about the reformation, there would have been no Protest

ants to massacre.

The national guards assembled before the town-house were so determined on this expedition to Versailles, and so irritated at La Fayette's persevering endeavours to dissuade them, that a large body of them declared that they would no longer have him for their commander, and actually proposed to M. Dogni, intendant des postes and commander of the battalion of St. Eustache, to accept the chief command instead of La Fayette, and to lead them to Versailles, declaring that they would follow his orders in all respects. He, however, positively refused. Seeing that at all events they were decided on going, M. La Fayette at length said, that if the municipality would give him an order for that purpose, he would go at the head of the national guards to communicate to the king the distresses of the capital, and the grievances of which they complained.

Having obtained the order, he set out with a body of 20,000 men for Versailles, four or five hours after the motley band above described had taken the same route.

Whoever were the first movers of this insurrection, they had given different reasons for the necessity of it, adapted to the different prejudices and dispositions of the persons they wished to excite.

The national militia complained of the indignity offered to the three-coloured cockade by the gardes-du-corps at the famous banquet, for which, they said, these bodyguards deserved death.

The old French guards, who were incorporated with the national guards, were provoked at not having been allowed to guard the person of the king. They said that

this was a clear proof that he intended to escape out of the kingdom; and they were instructed to call for his being removed to Paris.

Some exclaimed against his having delayed to sanction the decrees of the national assembly, and said they ought to march to Versailles, on purpose to let him know that the people were impatient for that measure.

The poissardes cried out against the scarcity of bread; and as they proceeded to Versailles, they often execrated the queen as the sole cause of the scarcity. I never heard,' said a garde-à-cheval as he passed them, 'that the queen devoured more bread than another woman.” • C'est égal,' answered one of these furies: Tu vas à Versailles; dis à la reine que nous y serons pour lui couper le cou.'

The king had gone that morning to hunt the stag. He was informed, while in the midst of the chase, that there had been great disorders in Paris, in consequence of which a multitude of armed people, many of them in women's dress, were marching to Versailles. His majesty immediately left the field, and returned to the palace. The captain of his guards asked if he had any orders to give to him. The king answered, laughing, Eh quoi, pour des femmes! vous vous moquez.

Such accounts came afterwards, however, of their numbers, of their rage, and of the threatening language which they held on their march, that this expedition began to be considered as a very serious business by those near the person of the king. It was even proposed in the council, that the royal family should be removed; but that proposition being over-ruled, the queen was informed, that as the fury and malice of the insurgents were peculiarly pointed against her, it would be highly proper for her to withdraw, for some time at least, from Versailles: to which, with a firmness which never forsook her on the most trying occasions, she answered, I am determined never to forsake my husband: if the Parisians are bent on murdering me, I will die at the feet of the king.'

CHAPTER XV.

Daring Conduct of Mirabeau-The Rabble arrive at Versailles -A Deputation of Poissardes accompany that of the National Assembly to the King-He gives a conciliatory Answer to the former, and the same Night assents to the Decrees of the Assembly-M. La Fayette, with the Parisian Army, arrives at Midnight-The Court, the Deputies, and M. La Fayette, retire to Rest-The Palace unexpectedly attacked in the Morn ing-Various Scenes of Horror-Insolence of the RabbleMagnanimous Behaviour of the Queen-The Royal Family carried to Paris-Reception there.

THE

HE king having postponed his assent to the decrees, which had passed in the national assembly, and had been presented to him by M. Mounier their president, the assembly became more and more impatient on account of this delay. Nothing is a surer indication of weakness, in every sense of the word, than betraying symptoms of hesitation and unwillingness to do what is exacted of us, and what it is clear we must do after all. The hesitation of the court in the present instance injured their cause in various ways. It disposed the public to give credit to those who were continually asserting, that the king considered his interest as opposite to that of the people; and it provoked some of the deputies to a petulance of language inconsistent with the respect due to the king.' Il me semble,' said Mirabeau, qu'on pourroit faire au roi une addresse, dans laquelle on lui parleroit avec cette franchise et cette vérité, qu'un fou de Philippe mettoit dans ces paroles triviales: Que ferois-tu, Philippe, si tout le monde disoit non quand tu dis oui ?'*

In the course of the same debate, Petion declaimed against the transactions at the entertainment of the life

* It appears to me, that in an address to the king it would not be improper to speak with the same frankness and truth that the court fool of Philip conveyed in this sentence.— What would you do, Philip, if all the world said No when you said Yes?'

guards, which was the first time that any notice had been taken of it in the assembly; and he asserted, that many things had occurred at that entertainment of a highly criminal nature: on which M. Monspay observed, that vague insinuations ought not to be regarded; that Petion was therefore bound to mention the names of the guilty persons, reduce his accusation to writing, and to sign it. To this Petion made no answer; but it was generally understood that the queen and the duke de Guiche, colonel of the life-guards, were the persons whom he had chiefly

in view.

As Petion seemed to shrink from this challenge, Mirabeau rose and said,- Je commence par déclarer que je regarde comme souverainement impolitique la dénonciation qui vient d'être provoquée: cependant, si on persiste à la demander, je suis prêt, moi, à fournir tous les détails et à les signer; mais auparavant, je demande que cette assemblée déclare que la personne du roi est seule inviolable; et que tous les autres individus de l'etat, quels qu'ils soient, sont également sujets et responsables devant la loi.'*

At the earnest request of M. Mounier the president, M. Monspay withdrew his motion, by which the agitation of a question was prevented which might have had the most fatal consequences. Mirabeau then moved, that the president, at the head of a deputation, should wait on the king with an expostulatory address, requesting him to give a pure and simple sanction to the articles of the declaration of rights and the constitution which had been already presented to him; for the reply which the king had made was rather a comment on the articles than an explicit answer. Robespierre said, that so far from being an acceptance it was a censure.

I begin by declaring, that I consider the defiance which has been made as highly imprudent; but, if it is insisted on, I am ready to give a circumstantial account of the whole, and to sign it; but previously l ́expect that this assembly shall declare that the person of the king alone is inviolable; and that all the other individuals in the state, whosoever they may be, are subject and responsible to law.

The deputation was immediately decreed; but before the members were appointed, the first tumultuous band that had left Paris, conducted by Maillard, arrived at Versailles. A detachment of the most furious of the poissardes belonging to it marched directly to the national assembly, and were on the point of forcing the guards at the gate, when the assembly prudently decreed, that they should be admitted.

Maillard gave a strong proof of the influence he had over those women. He prevailed on them to permit him to speak for them, and to restrain their tongues while he spoke. He said they had come to demand bread, of which there was a great scarcity at Paris, and this scarcity artificially brought on by traitors. He added, that they had likewise come to punish the gardes-du-corps, who had offered an affront to the patriotic cockade; that it was criminal to wear any other; and that he would shew the assembly how both the black cockades and those who wore them ought to be treated.' He then took a cockade of that colour, and tore it in pieces with every mark of indignation, His speech and action having excited some murmurs, What,' said he, are we not all brethren ? The president observed, that, notwithstanding their being all brethren, still it was unlawful to tear people in pieces merely for wearing cockades of a wrong colour.

By this time the patience of the women was quite exhausted. They could keep silence no longer; but as they began their remonstrances all together, it was a considerable time before it could be distinguished that the grievance they chiefly insisted on was the scarcity of bread.

The president declared, that the assembly were just going to deliberate on the speediest means of procuring it, and added that the ladies might withdraw.

Instead of taking this hint, however, the ladies seated themselves without ceremony on the benches with the deputies. They did not listen to the debates with the same silence which they had preserved during Maillard's harangue; but took a degree of interest in them which must