ey had only taken that course to avoid interfering with the
relays which were required by the king, and had intended to rejoin him at
Montmedy. The king's own statement tallied with hers in every respect,
though it was naturally more explicit as to his motives and intentions;
and his innocence of purpose was so irresistibly demonstrated, that,
though Robespierre, in the most sanguinary speech which, he had ever yet
uttered, demanded that he should be brought to trial, not concealing his
desire that it should end in his condemnation; and though Petion, and a
wretch named Buzot, a warm admirer and intimate friend of Madame Roland,
demanded his deposition and the proclamation of a republic, Barnave had no
difficulty in carrying the Assembly with him in opposition to their
violence; and it was finally resolved that nothing which had happened
furnished grounds for taking proceedings against any member of the royal
family. It was ordered at the same time that De Bouille should be arrested
and impeached; but when he found that nothing could be effected for the
deliverance of the king, he had fled across the frontiers, and was safe
from their malice.

Meanwhile, the unconstitutional and unprecedented violence which had been
offered to the king naturally created the greatest excitement and
indignation in all foreign countries. A month before the late expedition,
the emperor had addressed a formal note to M. Montmorin, as Secretary of
State, declaring that he would regard any ill-treatment of his sister as
an injury done to himself;[4] and now[5] the chivalrous Gustavus of Sweden
proposed to address to the Assembly a joint letter of warning from all the
sovereigns of Europe, to declare that they would all make common cause
with the King of France if any attempt were made to offer him further
violence. But even the Austrian ministers regarded such a declaration as
more likely to aggravate than to diminish the dangers of those whom it was
designed to serve; and the queen herself preferred waiting for a time, to
see the result of the strife between the rival parties in the Assembly.

The Assembly was at this time fully occupied with the completion of the
Constitution, a work for which it had but little time left, since its own
duration had been fixed at two years, which would expire in September; and
also with the consideration of a question concerning the composition of
the next Assembly which had been lately brought forward, and on