FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   2407   2408   2409   2410   2411   2412   2413   2414   2415   2416   2417   2418   2419   2420   2421   2422   2423   2424   2425   2426   2427   2428   2429   2430   2431  
2432   2433   2434   2435   2436   2437   2438   2439   2440   2441   2442   2443   2444   2445   2446   2447   2448   2449   2450   2451   2452   2453   2454   2455   2456   >>   >|  
rybody knows that the moment of calm in Paris was that in which the unfortunate sovereign received the tricoloured cockade from M. Bailly, and placed it in his hat. A shout of "Vive le Roi!" arose on all sides; it had not been once uttered before. The King breathed again, and with tears in his eyes exclaimed that his heart stood in need of such greetings from the people. One of his equerries (M. de Cubieres) told him the people loved him, and that he could never have doubted it. The King replied in accents of profound sensibility: "Cubieres, the French loved Henri IV., and what king ever better deserved to be beloved?" [Louis XVI. cherished the memory of Henri IV.: at that moment he thought of his deplorable end; but he long before regarded him as a model. Soulavie says on the subject: "A tablet with the inscription 'Resurrexit' placed upon the pedestal of Henri IV.'s statue on the accession of Louis XVI. flattered him exceedingly. 'What a fine compliment,' said he, 'if it were true! Tacitus himself never wrote anything so concise or so happy.' Louis XVI. wished to take the reign of that Prince for a model. In the following year the party that raised a commotion among the people on account of the dearness of corn removed the tablet inscribed Resurrexit from the statue of Henri IV., and placed it under that of Louis XV., whose memory was then detested, as he was believed to have traded on the scarcity of food. Louis XVI., who was informed of it, withdrew into his private apartments, where he was found in a fever shedding tears; and during the whole of that day he could not be prevailed upon either to dine, walk out, or sup. From this circumstance we may judge what he endured at the commencement of the Revolution, when he was accused of not loving the French people."--NOTE BY THE EDITOR.] His return to Versailles filled his family with inexpressible joy; in the arms of the Queen, his sister, and his children, he congratulated himself that no accident had happened; and he repeated several times, "Happily no blood has been shed, and I swear that never shall a drop of French blood be shed by my order,"--a determination full of humanity, but too openly avowed in such factious times! The King's last measure raised a hope in many that general tranquillity would soon enable the Assembly to resume its, labours, and promptly bring its session to a close. The Queen never flattered herself so far; M. Bailly's speech to the King had equally wounded her pride
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   2407   2408   2409   2410   2411   2412   2413   2414   2415   2416   2417   2418   2419   2420   2421   2422   2423   2424   2425   2426   2427   2428   2429   2430   2431  
2432   2433   2434   2435   2436   2437   2438   2439   2440   2441   2442   2443   2444   2445   2446   2447   2448   2449   2450   2451   2452   2453   2454   2455   2456   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

people

 

French

 
tablet
 

raised

 

flattered

 

statue

 

Cubieres

 

Resurrexit

 

memory

 

moment


Bailly

 

EDITOR

 

return

 

Versailles

 

accused

 

loving

 
filled
 

family

 

children

 

congratulated


accident

 

sister

 

inexpressible

 

Revolution

 
endured
 

prevailed

 

shedding

 
apartments
 

happened

 
circumstance

commencement
 
repeated
 

general

 

tranquillity

 

equally

 

wounded

 

measure

 
enable
 
Assembly
 

session


promptly

 
resume
 
rybody
 

labours

 

factious

 

avowed

 
Happily
 

private

 

humanity

 

openly