fects a terrible blow to the thrones
of despotism throughout Europe is shown by the following quotation from
the Encyclopaedia Britannica: "We are coming to the verge of the French
Revolution, which _surpasses all other revolutions the world has seen_
in its completeness, the largeness of its theatre, the long preparation
for it ... its _influence on the modern history of Europe_." Art.
France.

[Footnote 11: Pepin and Charlemagne were, properly speaking, simply
German princes reigning in Gaul. The kingdom of France is usually dated
from the accession of the first of the Capetian kings, late in the tenth
century, 987. However, the Frankish nation, of whom the Carlovingian
kings were leaders, laid the foundation of the French kingdom and gave a
new name to Gaul--France.]

This revolution commenced on the fifth of May, 1789, in the Convocation
of the States General, for the redress of grievances and the extrication
of the government and nation from the difficulties under which they were
laboring. A conflict had been going on between despotism and popular
rights, the throne and nobility contending for absolute power, and the
people, for freedom. But when in this encounter the popular party
triumphed, there was no fear of God before the eyes of those who seized
the reins of government. The infidelity of Voltaire and his associates
had removed the last restraint upon human passion, and the scenes of
terror that followed are without a parallel in history. The king was
condemned to death and executed. The barbarous execution of the queen,
Marie Antoinette, followed in about six months, and this was immediately
succeeded by the decree of the National Convention, of the most infamous
character, that of the violation of the tombs of St. Dennis and the
profanation of the sepulchres of the kings of France. I will quote from
Sir A. Alison's noted History of Europe:

"By a decree of the Convention, these venerable asylums of departed
greatness were ordered to be destroyed.... A furious multitude
precipitated itself out of Paris; the tombs of Henry IV., of Francis I.,
and of Louis XII., were ransacked, and their bones scattered in the air.
Even the glorious name of Turenne could not protect his grave from
spoilation. His remains were almost undecayed, as when he received the
fatal wound on the banks of the Lech. The bones of Charles V., the
savior of his country, were dispersed. At his feet was found the coffin
of the faithful Du G