FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   2527   2528   2529   2530   2531   2532   2533   2534   2535   2536   2537   2538   2539   2540   2541   2542   2543   2544   2545   2546   2547   2548   2549   2550   2551  
2552   2553   2554   2555   2556   2557   2558   2559   2560   2561   2562   2563   2564   2565   2566   2567   2568   2569   2570   2571   2572   2573   2574   2575   2576   >>   >|  
ere alive with gazers, and all eyes were fixed on the King. He was much changed since his people last beheld him. The beard he had been compelled to grow after his razors were taken from him covered cheeks, lips, and chin with light-coloured hair, which concealed the melancholy expression of his mouth; he had become thin, and his garments hung loosely on him; but his manner was perfectly collected and calm, and he recognised and named to the Mayor the various quarters through which he passed. On arriving at the Feuillans he was taken to a room to await the orders of the Assembly. It was about half-past two when the King appeared at the bar. The Mayor and Generaux Santerre and Wittengoff were at his side. Profound silence pervaded the Assembly. All were touched by the King's dignity and the composure of his looks under so great a reverse of fortune. By nature he had been formed rather to endure calamity with patience than to contend against it with energy. The approach of death could not disturb his serenity. "Louis, you may be seated," said Barere. "Answer the questions that shall be put to you." The King seated himself and listened to the reading of the 'acte enonciatif', article by article. All the faults of the Court were there enumerated and imputed to Louis XVI. personally. He was charged with the interruption of the sittings of the 20th of June, 1789, with the Bed of Justice held on the 23d of the same month, the aristocratic conspiracy thwarted by the insurrection of the 14th of July, the entertainment of the Life Guards, the insults offered to the national cockade, the refusal to sanction the Declaration of Rights, as well as several constitutional articles; lastly, all the facts which indicated a new conspiracy in October, and which were followed by the scenes of the 5th and 6th; the speeches of reconciliation which had succeeded all these scenes, and which promised a change that was not sincere; the false oath taken at the Federation of the 14th of July; the secret practices of Talon and Mirabeau to effect a counter-revolution; the money spent in bribing a great number of deputies; the assemblage of the "knights of the dagger" on the 28th of February, 1791; the flight to Varennes; the fusilade of the Champ de Mars; the silence observed respecting the Treaty of Pilnitz; the delay in the promulgation of the decree which incorporated Avignon with France; the commotions at Nimes, Montauban, Mende, and Jales; the continuance of their pay to the
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   2527   2528   2529   2530   2531   2532   2533   2534   2535   2536   2537   2538   2539   2540   2541   2542   2543   2544   2545   2546   2547   2548   2549   2550   2551  
2552   2553   2554   2555   2556   2557   2558   2559   2560   2561   2562   2563   2564   2565   2566   2567   2568   2569   2570   2571   2572   2573   2574   2575   2576   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Assembly

 
silence
 

seated

 

scenes

 

conspiracy

 

article

 

gazers

 

constitutional

 

Rights

 

Declaration


national

 

cockade

 

refusal

 

sanction

 

articles

 

lastly

 

speeches

 

October

 

offered

 

Guards


Justice

 

sittings

 

interruption

 

imputed

 

personally

 

charged

 

entertainment

 

reconciliation

 
insurrection
 

aristocratic


thwarted

 

insults

 
succeeded
 

respecting

 

observed

 

Treaty

 

Pilnitz

 

flight

 

Varennes

 

fusilade


promulgation

 

decree

 
continuance
 

Montauban

 

incorporated

 
Avignon
 

France

 

commotions

 

February

 
secret