parties acknowledge
his influence, in a momentary fit of resolution marched a body of his
National Guard down to save the old fortress, in which he succeeded,
though not without much difficulty, and even some danger. He found he had
greatly miscalculated his influence, not only over the populace, but over
his own soldiers. The rioters fired on him, wounding some of his staff;
and at first many of the soldiers refused to act against the people. His
officers, however, full of indignation, easily quelled the spirit of
mutiny; and, when subordination was restored, proposed to the general to
follow up his success by marching at once back into the city and seizing
the Jacobin demagogues who had caused the riot. There was little doubt
that the great majority of the citizens, in their fear of Santerre and his
gang, would joyfully have supported him in such a measure; but La
Fayette's resolution was never very consistent nor very durable. He became
terrified, not, indeed, so much at the risk to his life which he had
incurred, as at the symptom that to resist the mob might cost him his
popularity; and to appease those whom he might have offended, he proceeded
to insult the king. A report had got abroad, which was not improbably well
founded, that Louis's life had been in danger, and that an assassin had
been detected while endeavoring to make his way into the Tuileries; and
the report had reached a number of nobles, among whom D'Espremesnil, once
so vehement a leader of the Opposition in Parliament, was conspicuous, who
at once hastened to the palace to defend their sovereign. It was not
strange that he and Marie Antoinette should receive them graciously; they
had not of late been used to such warm-hearted and prompt displays of
attachment. But the National Guards who were on duty were jealous of the
cordial and honorable reception which those Nobles met with; they declared
that to them alone belonged the task of defending the king; though they
took so little care to perform it that they had allowed a gang of drunken
desperadoes to get possession of the outer court of the palace, where they
were menacing all aristocrats with death. Louis became alarmed for the
safety of his friends, and begged them to lay aside their arms; and they
had hardly done so when La Fayette arrived. He knew that the mob was
exasperated with him for his repression of their outrages in the morning,
and that some of his soldiers had not been well pleased at b