ixed the same day for commencing his fire on the
place, and caused the first gun to be discharged by his own concubine, a
female born in Lyons. Bombs and red-hot bullets were next resorted to,
against the second city of the French empire; while the besieged
sustained the attack with a constancy, and on many parts repelled it
with a courage highly honourable to their character. But their fate was
determined. The deputies announced to the convention their purpose of
pouring their instruments of havoc on every quarter of the town at once,
and when it was on fire in several places, to attempt a general storm.
"The city," they said, "must surrender, or there shall not remain one
stone upon another, and this we hope to accomplish in spite of the
suggestions of false compassion. Do not then be surprised when you hear
that Lyons exists no longer." The fury of the attack threatened to make
good these promises.

The sufferings of the citizens became intolerable. Several quarters of
the city were on fire at the same time, immense magazines were burnt to
the ground, and a loss incurred, during two night's bombardment, which
was calculated at two hundred millions of livres. A black flag was
hoisted by the besieged on the Great Hospital, as a sign that the fire
of the assailants should not be directed on that asylum of hopeless
misery. The signal seemed only to draw the republican bombs to the spot
where they could create the most frightful distresses, and outrage in
the highest degree the feelings of humanity. The devastations of famine
were soon added to those of slaughter; and after two months of such
horrors had been sustained, it became obvious that farther resistance
was impossible.

The parylitic Couthon, with Collot D'Herbois, and other deputies were
sent to Lyons by the committee of public safety, to execute the
vengeance which the Jacobins demanded; while Dubois Crance was recalled,
for having put, it was thought, less energy to his proceedings than the
prosecution of the siege required. Collot D'Herbois had a personal
motive of a singular nature for delighting in the task intrusted to him
and his colleagues. In his capacity of a play-actor, he had been hissed
from the stage at Lyons, and the door to revenge was now open. The
instructions of this committee enjoined them to take the most
satisfactory revenge for the death of Chalier and the insurrection of
Lyons, not merely on the citizens, but on the town itself. The princ