uniform, and be called the National Guard. One day the Dauphin's
footmen all appeared in this uniform, and the king's porters, and almost
every man about the palace. What displeased the king yet more was, that
the singers in the royal chapel appeared in the same dress. It was
absurd and shocking to see their part of divine service performed by men
in the uniform of grenadiers. The king said so, and forbade that any
person should appear in his presence again in that dress. But the time
was past for the king's orders to be obeyed. He was destined to grow
weary enough of the sight of this uniform.

A great part of the king's own guard had joined the revolutionary party;
but one company remained, whose commanding officer was proud of their
loyalty, and declared he could answer for its continuance. He was
mistaken, however. One morning, at the end of July, when the royal
family rose and looked out from their windows, they did not see a single
sentinel anywhere about the palace. Such a sight had never been
witnessed before as the palace of Versailles without a guard. On
inquiry, it turned out that the whole company had marched away in the
night, to join their former comrades in Paris.

During the month of August, crowds had at various times assembled in
Paris, with the declared purpose of going to Versailles, to separate the
king from his bad advisers, and to bring the little Dauphin to Paris, to
be brought up better than he was likely to be at home. One would think
that such assemblages and such declarations would alarm the king and
queen, and cause them to make some preparations for putting themselves,
or at least the Dauphin, in safety. Because these crowds were several
times dispersed, however, the royal family appear to have thought
nothing of the danger: and in September they committed an act of
imprudence which brought upon them the worst that was threatened. The
truth is, they were ignorant of all that it most concerned them to know.
They did not understand the wants of the people, nor the depth of their
discontent; nor had they any idea of the weakness, ignorance, and
prejudice of the gentlemen and ladies about them, whose advice they
asked, and on whose narrow views they acted. There were a few wise and
good men in the nation who understood both sides of the question, and
who were grieved for the hardships of the people, and for the sufferings
of the royal family; and happy would it have been for all i