the memoirs of marie antoinette-第91节

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　the　Assembly　ought　not　to　be　so　dishonoured　as　to　be　made　to　sit　in　judgment　on　Louis　XVI。；　that　no　authority　in　France　had　that　right；　and　the　Assembly　in　particular　had　no　claim　to　it；　that　if　it　resolved　to　act　as　a　political　body；　it　could　do　no　more　than　take　measures　of　safety　against　the　ci…devant　King；　but　that　if　it　was　acting　as　a　court　of　justice　it　was　overstepping　all　principles；　for　it　was　subjecting　the　vanquished　to　be　tried　by　the　conquerors；　since　most　of　the　present　members　had　declared　themselves　the　conspirators　of　the　10th　of　August。　At　the　word　〃conspirators〃　a　tremendous　uproar　arose　on　all　aides。　　Cries　of　〃Order！〃〃To　the　Abbaye！〃〃Down　with　the　Tribune！〃　were　heard。　Lanjuinais　strove　in　vain　to　justify　the　word　〃conspirators；〃　saying　that　he　meant　it　to　be　taken　in　a　favourable　sense；　and　that　the　10th　of　August　was　a　glorious　conspiracy。　　He　concluded　by　declaring　that　he　would　rather　die　a　thousand　deaths　than　condemn；　contrary　to　all　laws；　even　the　most　execrable　of　tyrants。

A　great　number　of　speakers　followed；　and　the　confusion　continually　increased。　　The　members；　determined　not　to　hear　any　more；　mingled　together；　formed　groups；　abused　and　threatened　one　another。　　After　a　tempest　of　an　hour's　duration；　tranquillity　was　at　last　restored；　and　the　Assembly；　adopting　the　opinion　of　those　who　demanded　the　discussion　on　the　trial　of　Louis　XVI。；　declared　that　it　was　opened；　and　that　it　should　be　continued；　to　the　exclusion　of　all　other　business；　till　sentence　should　be　passed。

The　discussion　was　accordingly　resumed　on　the　27th；　and　there　was　a　constant　succession　of　speakers　from　the　28th　to　the　31st。　　Vergniaud　at　length　ascended　the　tribune　for　the　first　time；　and　an　extraordinary　eagerness　was　manifested　to　hear　the　Girondists　express　their　sentiments　by　the　lips　of　their　greatest　orator。

The　speech　of　Vergniaud　produced　a　deep　impression　on　all　his　hearers。　Robespierre　was　thunderstruck　by　his　earnest　and；　persuasive　eloquence。　Vergniaud；　however；　had　but　shaken；　not　convinced；　the　Assembly；　which　wavered　between　the　two　parties。　　Several　members　were　successively　heard；　for　and　against　the　appeal　to　the　people。　　Brissot；　Gensonne；　Petion；　supported　it　in　their　turn。　　One　speaker　at　length　had　a　decisive　influence　on　the　question。　　Barere；　by　his　suppleness；　and　his　cold　and　evasive　eloquence；　was　the　model　and　oracle　of　the　centre。　　He　spoke　at　great　length　on　the　trial；　reviewed　it　in　all　its　bearingsof　facts；　of　laws；　and　of　policyand　furnished　all　those　weak　minds；　who　only　wanted　specious　reasons　for　yielding；　with　motives　for　the　condemnation　of　the　King。　　From　that　moment　the　unfortunate　King　was　condemned。　　The　discussion　lasted　till　the　7th；　and　nobody　would　listen　any　longer　to　the　continual　repetition　of　the　same　facts　and　arguments。　　It　was　therefore　declared　to　be　closed　without　opposition；　but　the　proposal　of　a　fresh　adjournment　excited　a　commotion　among　the　most　violent；　and　ended　in　a　decree　which　fixed　the　14th　of　January　for　putting　the　questions　to　the　vote。

Meantime　the　King　did　not　allow　the　torturing　suspense　to　disturb　his　outward　composure；　or　lessen　his　kindness　to　those　around　him。　　On　the　morning　after　his　second　appearance　at　the　bar　of　the　Convention；　the　commissary　Vincent；　who　had　undertaken　secretly　to　convey　to　the　Queen　a　copy　of　the　King's　printed　defence；　asked　for　something　which　had　belonged　to　him；　to　treasure　as　a　relic；　the　King　took　off　his　neck　handkerchief　and　gave　it　him；　his　gloves　he　bestowed　on　another　municipal；　who　had　made　the　same　request。　　〃On　January　1st；〃　says　Clery；　〃I　approached　the　King's　bed　and　asked　permission　to　offer　him　my　warmest　prayers　for　the　end　of　his　misfortunes。　　'I　accept　your　good　wishes　with　affection；'　he　replied；　extending　his　hand　to　me。　　As　soon　as　he　had　risen；　he　requested　a　municipal　to　go　and　inquire　for　his　family；　and　present　them　his　good　wishes　for　the　new　year。　　The　officers　were　moved　by　the　tone　in　which　these　words；　so　heartrending　considering　the　position　of　the　King；　were　pronounced　。　　。　　。　　。　　The　correspondence　between　their　Majesties　went　on　constantly。　　The　King　being　informed　that　Madame　Royale　was　ill；　was　very　uneasy　for　some　days。　　The　Queen；　after　begging　earnestly；　obtained　permission　for　M。　Brunnier；　the　medical　attendant　of　the　royal　children；　to　come　to　the　Temple。　　This　seemed　to　quiet　him。〃

The　nearer　the　moment　which　was　to　decide　the　King's　fate　approached；　the　greater　became　the　agitation　in；　Paris。　　〃A　report　was　circulated　that　the　atrocities　of　September　were　to　be　repeated　there；　and　the　prisoners　and　their　relatives　beset　the　deputies　with　supplications　that　they　would　snatch　them　from　destruction。　　The　Jacobins；　on　their　part；　alleged　that　conspiracies　were　hatching　in　all　quarters　to　save　Louis　XVI。　　from　punishment；　and　to　restore　royalty。　　Their　anger；　excited　by　delays　and　obstacles；　assumed　a　more　threatening　aspect；　and　the　two　parties　thus　alarmed　one　another　by　supposing　that　each　harboured　sinister　designs。〃

On　the　14th　of　January　the　Convention　called　for　the　order　of　the　day；　being　the　final　judgment　of　Louis　XVI。

〃The　sitting　of　the　Convention　which　concluded　the　trial；〃　says　Hazlitt；　〃lasted　seventy…two　hours。　　It　might　naturally　be　supposed　that　silence；　restraint；　a　sort　of　religious　awe；　would　have　pervaded　the　scene。　　On　the　contrary；　everything　bore　the　marks　of　gaiety；　dissipation；　and　the　most　grotesque　confusion。　　The　farther　end　of　the　hall　was　converted　into　boxes；　where　ladies；　in　a　studied　deshabille；　swallowed　ices；　oranges；　liqueurs；　and　received　the　salutations　of　the　members　who　went　and　came；　as　on　ordinary　occasions。　　Here　the　doorkeepers　on　the　Mountain　side　opened　and　shut　the　boxes　reserved　for　the　mistresses　of　the　Duc　d'Orleans；　and　there；　though　every　sound　of　approbation　or　disapprobation　was　strictly　forbidden；　you　heard　the　long　and　indignant　'Ha；　ha's！'　of　the　mother…duchess；　the　patroness　of　the　bands　of　female　Jacobins；　whenever　her　ears　were　not　loudly　greeted　with　the　welcome　sounds　of　death。　　The　upper　gallery；　reserved　for　the　people；　was　during　the　whole　trial　constantly　full　of　strangers　of　every　description；　drinking　wine　as　in　a　tavern。

Bets　were　made　as　to　the　issue　of　the　trial　in　all　the　neighbouring　coffee…houses。　　Ennui；　impatience；　disgust　sat　on　almost　every　countenance。　　The　figures　passing　and　repassing；　rendered　more　ghastly　by　the　pallid　lights；　and　who　in　a　slow；　sepulchral　voice　pronounced　only　the　wordDeath；　others　calculating　if　they　should　have　time　to　go　to　dinner　before　they　gave　their　verdict；　women　pricking　cards　with　pins　in　order　to　count　the　votes；　some　of　the　deputies　fallen　asleep；　and　only　waking　up　to　give　their　sentence；all　this　had　the　appearance　rather　of　a　hideous　dream　than　of　a　reality。〃

The　Duc　d'Orleans；　when　called　on　to　give　his　vote　for　the　death　of　his　King　and　relation；　walked　with　a　faltering　step；　and　a　face　paler　than　death　itself；　to　the　appointed　place；　and　there　read　these　words：　〃Exclusively　governed　by　my　duty；　and　convinced　that　all　those　who　have　resisted　the　sovereignty　of　the　people　deserve　death；　my　vote　is　for　death！〃　　Important　as　the　accession　of　the　first　Prince　of　the　blood　was　to　the　Terrorist　faction；　his　conduct　in　this　instance　was　too　obviously　selfish　and　atrocious　not　to　excite　a　general　feeling　of　indignation；　the　agitation　of　the　Assembly　became　extreme；　it　seemed　as　if　by　this　single　vote　the　fate　of　the　monarch　was　irrevocably　sealed。

The　President　having　examined　the　register；　the　result　of　the　scrutiny　was　proclaimed　as　follows


　　　　　Against　an　appeal　to　the　people。。。。。。。。。。。　480　　　　　　For　an　appeal　to　the　people。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　283

　　　　　Majority　for　final　judgment。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　197

The　President　having　announced　that　he　was　about　to　declare　the　result　of　the　scrutiny；　a　profound　silence　ensued；　and　he　then　gave　in　the　following　declaration：　that；　out　of　719　votes；　366　were　for　DEATH；　319　were　for　imprisonment　during　the　war；　two　for　perpetual　imprisonment；　eight　for　a　suspension　of　the　execution　of　the　sentence　of　death　until　after　the　expulsion　of　the　family　of　the　Bourbons；　twenty…three　were　for　not　putting　him　to　death　until　the　French　territory　was　invaded　by　any　foreign　power；　and　one　was　for　a　sentence　of　death；　but　with　power　of　commutation　of　the　punishment。

After　this　enumeration　the　President　took　off　his　hat；　and；　lowering　his　voice；　said：　〃In　consequence　of　this　expression　of　opinion　I　declare　that　the　punishment　pronounced　by　the　National　Convention　against　Louis　Capet　is　DEATH！〃

Previous　to　the　passing　of　the　sentence　the　President　announced　on　the　part　of　the　Foreign　Minister　the　receipt　of　a　letter　from　the　Spanish　Minister　relative　to　that　sentence。　　The　Convention；　however；　refused　to　hear　it。　　＇It　will　be　remembered　that　a　similar　remonstrance　was　forwarded　by　the　English　Government。＇

M。　de　Malesherbes；　according　to　his　promise　to　the　King；　went　to　the　Temple　at　nine　o'clock　on　the　morning　of　the　17th？。

　　　　　＇Louis　was　fully　prepared　for　his　fate。　　During　the　calling　of　the　　　　　　votes　he　asked　M。　de　Malesherbes；　〃Have　you　not　met　near　the　Temple　　　　　　the　White　Lady？〃〃　What　do　you　mean？〃　replied　he。　　〃Do　you