ssins who would have destroyed them. But even his great
popularity was ineffectual to prevent the massacre of innocent citizens,
and more than once, overwhelmed with grief and disgust, he threatened to
throw up his command.

On that celebrated day when sixty thousand of the people of Paris poured
in a tumultuous flood into the park of Versailles, and surrounded the
palace of the king, La Fayette was compelled to join the throng, in
order, if possible, to control its movements. He arrived in the evening,
and spent the whole night in posting the National Guard about the
palace, and taking measures to secure the safety of the royal family. At
the dawn of day he threw himself upon the bed for a few minutes' repose.
Suddenly, the alarm was sounded. Some infuriated men had broken into the
palace, killed two of the king's body-guard, and rushed into the
bed-chamber of the queen, a minute or two after she had escaped from it.
La Fayette ran to the scene, followed by some of the National Guard, and
found all the royal family assembled in the king's chamber, trembling
for their lives. Beneath the window of the apartment was a roaring sea
of upturned faces, scarcely kept back by a thin line of National Guards.
La Fayette stepped out upon the balcony, and tried to address the crowd,
but could not make himself heard. He then led out upon the balcony the
beautiful queen, Marie Antoinette, and kissed her hand; then seizing one
of the body-guard embraced him, and placed his own cockade on the
soldier's hat. At once the temper of the multitude was changed, and the
cry burst forth:

"Long live the general! Long live the queen! Long live the body-guard!"

It was immediately announced that the king would go with the people to
Paris; which had the effect of completely allaying their passions.
During the long march of ten miles, La Fayette rode close to the door of
the king's carriage, and thus conducted him, in the midst of the
tramping crowd, in safety to the Tuilleries. When the royal family was
once more secure within its walls, one of the ladies, the daughter of
the late king, threw herself in the arms of La Fayette, exclaiming:

"General, you have saved us."

From this moment dates the decline of La Fayette's popularity; and his
actions, moderate and wise, continually lessened it. He demanded, as a
member of the National Assembly, that persons accused of treason should
be fairly tried by a jury, and he exerted all his power, while