e now armed themselves with such
weapons as they could find in armorers' shops, and private houses, and
with bludgeons; and were roaming all night, through all parts of the
city, without any decided object. The next day (the 13th), the Assembly
pressed on the king to send away the troops, to permit the Bourgeoisie
of Paris, to arm for the preservation of order in the city, and offered
to send a deputation from their body to tranquillize them: but their
propositions were refused. A committee of magistrates and electors
of the city were appointed by those bodies, to take upon them its
government. The people, now openly joined by the French guards, forced
the prison of St. Lazare, released all the prisoners, and took a great
store of corn, which they carried to the corn market. Here they got
some arms, and the French guards began to form and train; them. The
city-committee determined to raise forty-eight thousand _Bourgeois_, or
rather to restrain their numbers to forty-eight thousand. On the 14th,
they sent one of their members (Monsieur de Corny) to the _Hotel des
Invalides_, to ask arms for their _Garde Bourgeoise_. He was followed
by, and he found there, a great collection of people. The Governor
of the Invalids came out, and represented the impossibility of his
delivering arms, without the orders of those from whom he received them.
De Corny advised the people then to retire, and retired himself; but the
people took possession of the arms, it was remarkable, that not only the
Invalids themselves made no opposition, but that a body of five thousand
foreign troops, within four hundred yards, never stirred. M. de Corny,
and five others, were then sent to ask arms of M. de Launay, Governor of
the Bastile. They found a great collection of people already before the
place, and they immediately planted a flag of truce, which was answered
by a like flag hoisted on the parapet. The deputation prevailed on the
people to fall back a little, advanced themselves to make their demand
of the Governor, and in that instant, a discharge from the Bastile
killed four persons, of those nearest to the deputies. The deputies
retired. I happened to be at the house of M. de Corny, when he returned
to it, and received from him a narrative of these transactions. On the
retirement of the deputies, the people rushed forward, and almost in an
instant, were in possession of a fortification, of infinite strength,
defended by one hundred men, which in o