arded the present accusation.

The Parliament was presided over by Messire Pomponne de Bellievre,
Chancellor of France, beside whom the Marechal was requested to take his
place upon a low wooden stool. Matthieu asserts that, although neither
duke nor peer had obeyed the summons of the Chambers, the number of
Biron's judges nevertheless amounted to one hundred and twelve;[197]
and it is probable that this very fact gave him confidence, as during
the two long hours occupied by his trial he never once lost his
self-possession, but argued as closely and as sagaciously as though he
had yielded to no previous intemperance of language. He urged the pardon
previously accorded to him by the King; earnestly protested that he had
never entered into any cabal against the throne or dignity of his
sovereign; and denied that any man could be proved a traitor, whatever
might be his wishes, so long as he made no effort to realize them. He
admitted that he might have talked rashly, but appealed to his judges
whether he had not proved himself equally reckless in the field; and
required them to declare if so venial a fault had not, by that fact,
already been sufficiently expiated. He then recapitulated the events of
his career as a military leader; but he did so temperately and modestly,
without a trace of the arrogant bombast for which he had throughout his
life been celebrated. So great was the effect of this unexpected and
manly dignity, that many members of the court were seen to shed tears;
and had his fate been decided upon the instant, it is probable that his
calm and touching eloquence might have saved his life; but so much time
had already been exhausted that enough did not remain for collecting the
votes, and the result of the trial was consequently deferred; the
Marechal meanwhile returning to the Bastille under the same escort
which had conveyed him to the capital.[198]

On the 29th, the Chambers having again assembled, they remained in
deliberation from six o'clock in the morning until two hours after
mid-day, when sentence of death was unanimously pronounced against the
prisoner; and he was condemned to lose his head in the Place de Greve,
"as attainted and convicted of having outraged the person of the King,
and conspired against his kingdom; all his property to be confiscated,
his peerage reunited to the Crown; and himself shorn of all his honours
and dignities."

On the following day, the decision of the Parliament havin