Palais
Royal. All minds were uneasy, most were foreboding, many of the people
used threatening language.

At first, indeed, they were doubtful whether the king's visit to the
parliament had been in order to lighten or increase their burdens; but
scarcely was it known that the taxes were to be still further increased,
when cries of "Down with Mazarin!" "Long live Broussel!" "Long live
Blancmesnil!" resounded through the city. For the people had learned
that Broussel and Blancmesnil had made speeches in their behalf, and,
although the eloquence of these deputies had been without avail, it
had none the less won for them the people's good-will. All attempts
to disperse the groups collected in the streets, or silence their
exclamations, were in vain. Orders had just been given to the royal
guards and the Swiss guards, not only to stand firm, but to send out
patrols to the streets of Saint Denis and Saint Martin, where the people
thronged and where they were the most vociferous, when the mayor of
Paris was announced at the Palais Royal.

He was shown in directly; he came to say that if these offensive
precautions were not discontinued, in two hours Paris would be under
arms.

Deliberations were being held when a lieutenant in the guards, named
Comminges, made his appearance, with his clothes all torn, his face
streaming with blood. The queen on seeing him uttered a cry of surprise
and asked him what was going on.

As the mayor had foreseen, the sight of the guards had exasperated
the mob. The tocsin was sounded. Comminges had arrested one of the
ringleaders and had ordered him to be hanged near the cross of Du
Trahoir; but in attempting to execute this command the soldiery were
attacked in the market-place with stones and halberds; the delinquent
had escaped to the Rue des Lombards and rushed into a house. They
broke open the doors and searched the dwelling, but in vain. Comminges,
wounded by a stone which had struck him on the forehead, had left a
picket in the street and returned to the Palais Royal, followed by a
menacing crowd, to tell his story.

This account confirmed that of the mayor. The authorities were not in a
condition to cope with serious revolt. Mazarin endeavored to circulate
among the people a report that troops had only been stationed on the
quays and on the Pont Neuf, on account of the ceremonial of the day, and
that they would soon withdraw. In fact, about four o'clock they were
all concentrated abo