the memoirs of marie antoinette-第56节

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The　King　went　to　Paris　on　the　17th　of　July；　accompanied　by　the　Marechal　de　Beauvau；　the　Duc　de　Villeroi；　and　the　Duc　de　Villequier；　he　also　took　the　Comte　d'Estaing；　and　the　Marquis　de　Nesle；　who　were　then　very　popular；　in　his　carriage。　　Twelve　Body　Guards；　and　the　town　guard　of　Versailles；　escorted　him　to　the　Pont　du　Jour；　near　Sevres；　where　the　Parisian　guard　was　waiting　for　him。　　His　departure　caused　equal　grief　and　alarm　to　his　friends；　notwithstanding　the　calmness　he　exhibited。　　The　Queen　restrained　her　tears；　and　shut　herself　up　in　her　private　rooms　with　her　family。　　She　sent　for　several　persons　belonging　to　her　Court；　their　doors　were　locked。　　Terror　had　driven　them　away。　　The　silence　of　death　reigned　throughout　the　palace；　they　hardly　dared　hope　that　the　King　would　return？　　The　Queen　had　a　robe　prepared　for　her；　and　sent　orders　to　her　stables　to　have　all　her　equipages　ready。　　She　wrote　an　address　of　a　few　lines　for　the　Assembly；　determining　to　go　there　with　her　family；　the　officers　of　her　palace；　and　her　servants；　if　the　King　should　be　detained　prisoner　at　Paris。　　She　got　this　address　by　heart；　it　began　with　these　words：　〃Gentlemen；　I　come　to　place　in　your　hands　the　wife　and　family　of　your　sovereign；　do　not　suffer　those　who　have　been　united　in　heaven　to　be　put　asunder　on　earth。〃　　While　she　was　repeating　this　address　she　was　often　interrupted　by　tears；　and　sorrowfully　exclaimed：　〃They　will　not　let　him　return！〃

It　was　past　four　when　the　King；　who　had　left　Versailles　at　ten　in　the　morning；　entered　the　Hotel　de　Ville。　　At　length；　at　six　in　the　evening；　M。　de　Lastours；　the　King's　first　page；　arrived；　he　was　not　half　an　hour　in　coming　from　the　Barriere　de　la　Conference　to　Versailles。　　Everybody　knows　that　the　moment　of　calm　in　Paris　was　that　in　which　the　unfortunate　sovereign　received　the　tricoloured　cockade　from　M。　Bailly；　and　placed　it　in　his　hat。　　A　shout　of　〃Vive　le　Roi！〃　arose　on　all　sides；　it　had　not　been　once　uttered　before。　　The　King　breathed　again；　and　with　tears　in　his　eyes　exclaimed　that　his　heart　stood　in　need　of　such　greetings　from　the　people。　　One　of　his　equerries　（M。　de　Cubieres）　told　him　the　people　loved　him；　and　that　he　could　never　have　doubted　it。　　The　King　replied　in　accents　of　profound　sensibility：

〃Cubieres；　the　French　loved　Henri　IV。；　and　what　king　ever　better　deserved　to　be　beloved？〃

　　　　　＇Louis　XVI。　cherished　the　memory　of　Henri　IV。：　at　that　moment　he　　　　　　thought　of　his　deplorable　end；　but　he　long　before　regarded　him　as　a　　　　　　model。　　Soulavie　says　on　the　subject：　〃A　tablet　with　the　inscription　　　　　　'Resurrexit'　placed　upon　the　pedestal　of　Henri　IV。's　statue　on　the　　　　　　accession　of　Louis　XVI。　flattered　him　exceedingly。　　'What　a　fine　　　　　　compliment；'　said　he；　'if　it　were　true！　　Tacitus　himself　never　wrote　　　　　　anything　so　concise　or　so　happy。'　　Louis　XVI。　wished　to　take　the　　　　　　reign　of　that　Prince　for　a　model。　　In　the　following　year　the　party　　　　　　that　raised　a　commotion　among　the　people　on　account　of　the　dearness　　　　　　of　corn　removed　the　tablet　inscribed　Resurrexit　from　the　statue　of　　　　　　Henri　IV。；　and　placed　it　under　that　of　Louis　XV。；　whose　memory　was　　　　　　then　detested；　as　he　was　believed　to　have　traded　on　the　scarcity　of　　　　　　food。　　Louis　XVI。；　who　was　informed　of　it；　withdrew　into　his　private　　　　　　apartments；　where　he　was　found　in　a　fever　shedding　tears；　and　during　　　　　　the　whole　of　that　day　he　could　not　be　prevailed　upon　either　to　dine；　　　　　　walk　out；　or　sup。　　From　this　circumstance　we　may　judge　what　he　　　　　　endured　at　the　commencement　of　the　Revolution；　when　he　was　accused　　　　　　of　not　loving　the　French　people。〃NOTE　BY　THE　EDITOR。＇

His　return　to　Versailles　filled　his　family　with　inexpressible　joy；　in　the　arms　of　the　Queen；　his　sister；　and　his　children；　he　congratulated　himself　that　no　accident　had　happened；　and　he　repeated　several　times；　〃Happily　no　blood　has　been　shed；　and　I　swear　that　never　shall　a　drop　of　French　blood　be　shed　by　my　order；〃a　determination　full　of　humanity；　but　too　openly　avowed　in　such　factious　times！

The　King's　last　measure　raised　a　hope　in　many　that　general　tranquillity　would　soon　enable　the　Assembly　to　resume　its；　labours；　and　promptly　bring　its　session　to　a　close。　　The　Queen　never　flattered　herself　so　far；　M。　Bailly's　speech　to　the　King　had　equally　wounded　her　pride　and　hurt　her　feelings。　　〃Henri　IV。　conquered　his　people；　and　here　are　the　people　conquering　their　King。〃　　The　word　〃conquest〃　offended　her；　she　never　forgave　M。　Bailly　for　this　fine　academical　phrase。

Five　days　after　the　King's　visit　to　Paris；　the　departure　of　the　troops；　and　the　removal　of　the　Princes　and　some　of　the　nobility　whose　influence　seemed　to　alarm　the　people；　a　horrible　deed　committed　by　hired　assassins　proved　that　the　King　had　descended　the　steps　of　his　throne　without　having　effected　a　reconciliation　with　his　people。

M。　Foulon；　adjoint　to　the　administration　while　M。　de　Broglie　was　commanding　the　army　assembled　at　Versailles；　had　concealed　himself　at　Viry。　　He　was　there　recognised；　and　the　peasants　seized　him；　and　dragged　him　to　the　Hotel　de　Ville。　　The　cry　for　death　was　heard；　the　electors；　the　members　of　committee；　and　M。　de　La　Fayette；　at　that　time　the　idol　of　Paris；　in　vain　endeavoured　to　save　the　unfortunate　man。　　After　tormenting　him　in　a　manner　which　makes　humanity　shudder；　his　body　was　dragged　about　the　streets；　and　to　the　Palais　Royal；　and　his　heart　was　carried　by　women　in　the　midst　of　a　bunch　of　white　carnations！　　M。　Berthier；　M。　Foulon's　son…in…law；　intendant　of　Paris；　was　seized　at　Compiegne；　at　the　same　time　that　his　father…in…law　was　seized　at　Viry；　and　treated　with　still　more　relentless　cruelty。

The　Queen　was　always　persuaded　that　this　horrible　deed　was　occasioned　by　some　indiscretion；　and　she　informed　me　that　M。　Foulon　had　drawn　up　two　memorials　for　the　direction　of　the　King's　conduct　at　the　time　of　his　being　called　to　Court　on　the　removal　of　M。　Necker；　and　that　these　memorials　contained　two　schemes　of　totally　different　nature　for　extricating　the　King　from　the　dreadful　situation　in　which　he　was　placed。　In　the　first　of　these　projects　M。　Foulon　expressed　himself　without　reserve　respecting　the　criminal　views　of　the　Duc　d'Orleans；　said　that　he　ought　to　be　put　under　arrest；　and　that　no　time　should　be　lost　in　commencing　a　prosecution　against　him；　while　the　criminal　tribunals　were　still　in　existence；　he　likewise　pointed　out　such　deputies　as　should　be　apprehended；　and　advised　the　King　not　to　separate　himself　from　his　army　until　order　was　restored。

His　other　plan　was　that　the　King　should　make　himself　master　of　the　revolution　before　its　complete　explosion；　he　advised　his　Majesty　to　go　to　the　Assembly；　and　there；　in　person；　to　demand　the　cahiers；

　　　　　＇Cahiers；　the　memorials　or　lists　of　complaints；　grievances；　and　　　　　　requirements　of　the　electors　drawn　up　by　the　primary　assemblies　and　　　　　　sent　with　the　deputies。＇

and　to　make　the　greatest　sacrifices　to　satisfy　the　legitimate　wishes　of　the　people；　and　not　to　give　the　factious　time　to　enlist　them　in　aid　of　their　criminal　designs。　　Madame　Adelaide　had　M。　Foulon's　two　memorials　read　to　her　in　the　presence　of　four　or　five　persons。　　One　of　them；　Comte　Louis　de　Narbonne；　was　very　intimate　with　Madame　de　Stael；　and　that　intimacy　gave　the　Queen　reason　to　believe　that　the　opposite　party　had　gained　information　of　M。　Foulon's　schemes。

It　is　known　that　young　Barnave；　during　an　aberration　of　mind；　since　expiated　by　sincere　repentance；　and　even　by　death；　uttered　these　atrocious　words：　〃Is　then　the　blood　now；　flowing　so　pure？〃　when　M。　Berthier's　son　came　to　the　Assembly　to　implore　the　eloquence　of　M。　de　Lally　to　entreat　that　body　to　save　his　father's　life。　　I　have　since　been　informed　that　a　son　of　M。　Foulon；　having　returned　to　France　after　these　first　ebullitions　of　the　Revolution；　saw　Barnave；　and　gave　him　one　of　those　memorials　in　which　M。　Foulon　advised　Louis　XVI。　to　prevent　the　revolutionary　explosion　by　voluntarily　granting　all　that　the　Assembly　required　before　the　14th　of　July。　　〃Read　this　memorial；〃　said　he；　〃I　have　brought　it　to　increase　your　remorse：　it　is　the　only　revenge　I　wish　to　inflict　on　you。〃　　Barnave　burst　into　tears；　and　said　to　him　all　that　the　profoundest　grief　could　dictate。




CHAPTER　II。

After　the　14th　of　July；　by　a　manoeuvre　for　which　the　most　skilful　factions　of　any　age　might　have　envied　the　Assembly；　the　whole　population　of　France　was　armed　and　organised　into　a　National　Guard。　　A　report　was　spread　throughout　France　on　the　same　day；　and　almost　at　the　same　hour；　that　four　thousand　brigands　were　marching　towards　such　towns　or　villages　as　it　was　wished　to　induce　to　take　arms。　　Never　was　any　plan　better　laid；　terror　spread　at　the　same　moment　all　over　the　kingdom。　　In　1791　a　peasant　showed　me　a　steep　rock　in　the　mountains　of　the　Mont　d'Or　on　which　his　wife　concealed　herself　on　the　day　when　the　four　thousand　brigands　were　to　attack　their　village；　and　told　me　they　had　been　obliged　to　make　use　of　ropes　to　let　her　down　from　the　height　which　fear　alone　had　enabled　her　to　climb。

Versailles　was　certainly　the　place　where　the　national　military　uniform　appeared　most　offensive。　　All　the　King's　valets；　even　of　the　lowest　class；　were　metamorphosed　into　lieutenants　or　captains；　almost　all　the　musicians　of　the