ed the coach of Pethion, the mayor of Paris, with his Confessor
and two Gendarmes. His route lay along, the Boulevards, which were
lined with above two hundred thousand men in arms. All the way Louis
was deeply engaged in reading the prayers appointed for persons at
the point of death.

Being, arrived at the _Place de Louis XV._ which was the place of
execution, about ten o'clock in the morning, he alighted from the
carriage with calmness, took off his clothes himself, remaining in
his white under-waistcoat, untied his cravat, and opened the collar
of his shirt; he then threw himself upon his knees to receive the
last benediction of his Confessor, got up immediately after, and
ascended the scaffold alone. At that moment his Confessor cried out
to him, "Son of St. Louis, you are going up to Heaven!" [Footnote;
Other accounts state, that it was when the King had just prepared
himself for the stroke of the fatal instrument, that Mons. Edgeworth,
his confessor, called out (in the imperative) with a loud voice,
"Enfant de Saint Louis, montez au Ciel." "Son of St. Louis, mount up
"to Heaven."]

Far from opposing those who came to cut off his hair, and bind his
hands, " Do with me," said he, "what you will, it is the last
"sacrifice." He then made a motion with his hand to obtain
"silence.--"I die perfectly innocent of all the pretended crimes laid
"to my charge--I forgive all those who have had any hand in my
"misfortunes, and I pray that my blood may be of use in restoring
"happiness to France--and you, unhappy people!" ......

At these words, the unfeeling Santerre gave orders that the drums
should beat, crying out to the King, "that he had not brought him
"there to declaim, but to die." At that instant his head was severed
from his body! ......

The corpse was immediately conveyed to the Magdalene
burying-ground, and thrown into a pit twelve feet deep, into which a
considerable quantity of quicklime was cast.

It is said, that after crying out, "_Vive la Nation!_"
"_Vive la Republique!_" some volunteers dipped their pikes, and
others their handkerchiefs, in the blood of the victim. One person
alone had the courage to cry out, _Grace_, and was instantly cut down
with a sabre.

Thus died Louis XVI. King of France and Navarre. He was born the
23d of August, 1754, ascended the throne the 10th of May, 1774, and
reigned eighteen years and three months.

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The following dates relative