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to the folemn declaration of the refpective contributors. The affembly were terrified at the boldness of the project; but the count de Mirabeau, who poffibly repented the fhare he had taken in defeating the former project of the minifter, now exerted the full force of his irrefiftible talents in his favour. "He proved that the exigencies of the itate required an immediate fupply; and that it was impoffible to fubftitute a new scheme of finance in the place of that propofed by M. Neckar, or even to examine that which he had fubmitted to them; fince to go through the very figures which the statement contained would require a period of not less than three entire months. He urged the neceffity of confidence in fuch a conjunéture; a confidence which he obferved the former conduct of the minifter entirely warranted; and which ought now to be accorded to him, even though his plan might not be the best that human ingenuity could devife, because there was no other before them which they could adopt." The affembly upon these reasons accepted the plan of M. Neckar; and on the rft of October he prefented it in its perfect form, and with it his own contribution, which amounted to 100,000 livres.

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tuents, feveral of the patriotic mem bers propofed, that the king fhould be requested to accept that part of the conftitution which was already determined, previous to prefenting him with the decree concerning this extraordinary impoft. M. Mirabeau, happily combining the different views upon this fubject, propofed to make the first part of M. Neckar's plan the preamble to the decree, in order that the profpect of relief might be as confpicuous as the demand. His plan was therefore adopted, notwithstanding the clamours of oppofition; and the decree, along with the declaration of rights, was in this ftate prefented to the king.

The events which follow, are by the candid of all parties allowed to be enveloped in an almost impene trable cloud of mystery. The democratic writers affert, that a plot was concerted of immenfe extent for the total ruin of the liberties of France; the principal articles of which were-That the king was to be tranfported voluntarily, or involuntarily, to Metz; where the royal ftandard was to be erected; where all the ancient inftruments of defpotifm, the minifters, generals, and parliaments, were to be affembled, and to iffue manifeftoesagainst the reprefentatives of the nation-That a fubfcription was actually opened, by thofe who termed thenfelves the king's party, for the exprefs purpofe of carrying on a civil war That both the capital and Verfailles were once more to be in vefted with a powerful army-and that the national affembly was to be forcibly diffolved. Thefe affertions undoubtedly receive fome countenance from the fragment of a letter from the count d'Estaing to the queen," in which he mentions fuch rumours having reached

his ears, and in which he earneftly diffuades her from becoming a party in so rash a measure." The court party, on the other hand, throw the blame upon their adverfaries, and affirm that the whole was a preconcerted plan of the popular leaders to force the king and the affembly to refide within the walls of Paris.

All however that is known with certainty refpecting the circumftances which conduced to the commotion at Versailles is, that the minds of the two great parties which had already begun to affume the factious epithets of democratic and ariftocratic, were at this period inflamed to a most extravagant pitch of refentment, and difpofed to fufpect each other of the most atrocious defigns; that the declaration of rights and the first articles of the conflitution had remained for fome days in the hand of the king, who had delayed to give them the expected fanction; that the clamours of the ariftocratic party were louder than ever; that every mode was effayed to work upon the compaffion and the loyalty of the nation; that the king was reprefented as dethroned, and reduced to the most abject ftate of flavery; and that fome of the dependants of the court, in the plenitude of their zeal, were heard to boast" that a few days would reftore affairs to their ancient footing, and that the king and his minifters would refume their power." It is well known on the other hand, that the old French guards, who compofed, as we have already feen, the centre company in each battalion of the city militia, and who had been accuftomed to the honour of guarding the king's perfon, faw with a moft jealous eye that important truft committed to the body guard and the militia of Verfailles. It is not improbable

too, that the more ardent of the pa triotic party might entertain fufpicions, that the fovereign might one day effect an efcape from the unguarded palace of Verfailles to put himself into the hands of their encmies, and might fecretly wish to fee him lodged in the centre of a city devoted to their interefts, and from which there was but little probability of retreat.

An incident which occurred at Verfailles (which ftamps the conduct of the court with at least the ftigma of imprudence, and which evinced that they were not without hopes that, as the revolution was chiefly effected by the change which was produced in the minds of the foldiery, a fimilar change might operate in their favour) contributed to blow the glowing embers into an open flame. The count d'Estaing, who commanded the national guard of Verfailles, either influenced by the court, or jealous of the inclination which the French guards had manifefted to partake in the honour of guarding their monarch, requested an additional regiment to affilt him` in preferving tranquillity and order at the palace; and the regiment of Flanders dragoons was accordingly ordered for this fervice. On the ift of October an entertainment (the firft that was ever given in pub lic at Verfailles by that body) was given by the gardes-du-corps, or king's body guard, to the officers of the regiment of Flanders; and to augment the unpopularity of the circumitance, it was given in the royal faloon. Several of the ohcers of the national guard, with others of the military, were invited. At the fecond courfe, four toalls were given: "The king, the queen, the dauphin, and the royal family." "The nation" was propofed, but, according

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according to a number of witneffes, exprefsly rejected by the gardes-ducorps.

The king was juft returned from hunting; and the queen, having been informed of the gaiety of the icene, perfuaded his majefty to accompany her with the heir apparent to the faloon, which was now filled with foldiers the grenadiers of Flanders and the Swifs chaffeurs having been admitted to the deffert. The queen appeared with the dauphin in her arms, affectionate as fhe was lovely, and carried the royal infant through the faloon, amidit the acclamations and murmurs of the fpectators. Fired with enthusiasm the foldiers drank the health of the king, the queen, and the dauphin, with their fwords drawn; and the royal guests bowed refpectfully and retired.

The entertainment, which had hitherto been conducted with fome degree of order, now became a scene of entire confufion. Nothing was omitted to inflame the paffions of the military. The mufic played the favourite air-" O Richard, O my king, the world abandons thee;" the ladies of the court diftributed white cockades, the anti-patriot enfign; and even fome of the national guard, it is faid, had the weaknefs to accept them. In the height of this political banquet, it is affirmed, and there is indeed little caufe to doubt it, that many expreffions of marked difrefpect towards the affembly and the nation efcaped from the officers of the gardes-du-corps, and others of the military this however might eafily have happened in fuch circumflances, without the leaft of premeditation or evil defign.

During thefe tranfactions the city of Paris was afflicted with all the evils of famine. Either no bread was to be obtained, or bread of fo

bad a quality, that the populace, always mistrustful and fufpicious, were not without their alarms of a criminal defign upon the lives, or at leaft the health, of the inhabitants. Such was the ftate of things when the news arrived of the fatal banquet at Versailles. The circumftances which we have related were ftrangely magnified; and all the fufpicions which were entertained refpecting the defign of diffolving the affembly, and carrying off the fovereign, were added in exaggeration. At the fame time the mutual refentment of the contending parties hourly augmented; and the imprudent conduct of the minority expofed them to every infult. White and black cockades were worn as fignals of defiance. They were torn out of the hats of the wearers by the mob; but fuch was the enthufiafm of one of thefe votaries of party, that he is faid to have picked up from the ground this relic of loyalty, to have kiffed it refpectfully, and attempted to replace it in his hat. Every meafure that could be taken by the three hundred directors of the municipality to prevent the fpreading of the infurrection was taken-in vain! Early on the morning of the memorable 5th of October, a woman fallied out from the quarter of St. Euftacia, and entering the corps-de-garde, and feizing a drum, paraded the adjacent ftreets beating an alarm, and exciting the people by clamours refpecting the fcarcity of bread. She was foon joined by a very numerous mob, chiefly of women, and repaired immediately to the Hôtel de Ville. A few of the committee of the commune were affembled; and M. Gouvion, at the head of the national guard, endeavoured to prevent their entrance; but the foldiers, fwayed either by

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gallantry or humanity, gave way, and permitted them to pafs. Some, who by their air and manner appeared of a fuperior clafs, entered with good humour into conversation with the committee, and pleaded eloquently the cause of their companions, who under various circumftances of mifery came to afk for relief. But the greater number, both by their appearance and their conduct, fhewed that they were collected from the lowelt rank of indigence and depravity. With horrid imprecations they demanded bread and arms; they exclaimed with violence against the pufillanimity of the men, and threatened the lives of the whole committee, and particularly of M. Bailly and the marquis de la Fayette. Others penetrated the magazine of arms; and a third troop afcended the belfry, where they attempted to ftrangle the abbé Lefevre. In one of the halls two furics endeavoured to fet fire to the public papers, but were happily prevented by Stanislaus Maillard, who had rendered himself fo famous at the taking of the Baftille.

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This young patriot, finding all endeavours to refift the fury of the mob in vain, employed a new ftratagem to preferve his country. applied to the commanding officer for his authority; and having obtained it, he proceeded down the ftairs of the Hôtel de Ville, which were filled with women, and feizing a drum, which lay at the door, he offered to put himself at the head of the infurgents, the univerfal clamour of whom was to proceed to Verfailles. By a unanimous fhout of applaufe Maillard was chofen captain of this turbulent troop; and by his authority the affembly was adjourned to the Champs Elifées. When arrived at this general ren

dezvous their numbers amounted to upwards of eight thousand; and their firft measure was to furround their chief, and to infift upon his leading them to the arfenal to equip themfelves completely with arms. Fortunately he had authority enough to make himfelf heard, and to convince them that the arms had been removed from the arfenal; and he had even fufficient addrefs to engage them to lay afide the weapons with which they had provided themfelves, by reprefenting to them, that fince their object was to fupplicate the affembly for juftice and for bread, they would operate more forcibly on the compaffion of that body, by appearing as diftreffed petitioners, than with arms in their hands. They departed for Verfailles about noon, preceded by a company of armed men, and guarded in the rear by the volunteers of the Baltille, whom Maillard had prepared for that purpofe.

Unfortunately the fanaticifm of the moment was communicated to the grenadiers. They not only declared, "that they could not turn their bayonets against the poor women who came to afk for bread, but intimated an inclination themselves to proceed to Verfailles." Their spokesman declaimed loudly against the committee of fubfiftence, againft the gardes-du-corps-and concluded, "that the people were miferable, and the fource of the evil was at Verfailles; that they mult go and find out the king, and bring him to Paris." While the marquis de la Fayette reafoned, infifted, threatened, the tumult increafed from all quarters; an immenfe crowd armed with fticks, pikes, guns, &c. rufhed from the fuburbs; and though the national guard appeared not in the moft tractable difpofition, the mayor

and municipality probably conceived it the only means of preventing mifchief at Verfailles, to permit their departure with their commander at their head. The marquis therefore received an order to depart for Verfailles, and it was moft cheerfully obeyed by the national guard.

The reprefentatives of the nation, totally unconscious of what was paffing in Paris, were affembled on the 5th, in expectation of receiving back the conftitutional articles fanctioned by the king. M. Mounier was then prefident. The fitting opened with reading a letter from the king, in which he pleaded "the difficulty of judging partially of the conftitution; adding, however, that in the confidence that the new articles were calculated to establish the happiness and profperity of the kingdom, he accepted them; but with one pofitive condition, that from the fpirit of the whole fyftem the executive pow er fhould have its entire effect in the hands of the monarch. He concluded with obferving, that though these constitutional articles did not all indifcriminately prefent him with the idea of perfection, yet he thought it proper to pay this refpect to the wifh of the affembly, and to the alarming circumflances which fo ftrongly preffed him to deGre the re-eftablishment of peace, order, and confidence."

This letter by no means proved acceptable to the affembly; the patriotic members marked in ftrong terms their disapprobation of this provifional affent, which only feemed to be given in confequence of the alarming circumftances of the nation. In the course of the debate many allufions were made to the indecent feftival of the military which difgraced Verfailles on the preceding week. The infults offered

to the nation and the national cockade were pointedly mentioned, as well as the menaces of the foldiery. A motion was at length made, that the guilty perfons on that occafion fhould be delivered up to the rigour of the law, and that the accufations which had been now infinuated fhould be formed into a criminal procefs. At thefe words the count de Mirabeau rofe. "I begin,” said he, "by declaring that I confider the motion as fupremely impolitic; nevertheless, if it is perfifted in, I am ready to produce the details, and to fign them with my own hand. But this affembly muft firft declare that the perfon of the king alone is facred, and that all other individuals, whatever their ftation, are equally fubjects, and refponfible to the laws." The prudence of the prefident and the affembly prevailed over the rafhnefs of both parties. The motion was withdrawn; and it was decreed, that the prefident fhould wait on the king to request a fimple acceptance of the conflitutional articles.

The affembly was frequently a. larmed, during the courfe of this difcuffion, by repeated intelligence that all Paris was advancing to Verfailles. Maillard conducted his tumultuous troop with uncommon addrefs. When he came within fight of Verfailles he arranged them in three ranks; and advertised them, that as they were entering a place where they were not expected, they must be careful, by the cheerfulncfs of their appearance and the regularity of their conduct, to excite no alarms in the inhabitants. When arrived at the gate of the national affembly, Maillard undertook to fpeak for them, that he might prevent their fpeaking for themfelves. He entered attended by fifteen of the wo men, and perfuaded the reft to wait

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