THE COLTON PAPERS. 353 



women were seen running in all directions, and speedily returning-, 

 each bearing her straw mattrass upon her head. The fire was first 

 applied in the rue Plumet, and the dense smoke arising, forced the 

 defenders from the windows, from which their fire had been 

 murderous. M. Joffres then ordered the discharge of his piece of 

 artillery, for which he had only one cartridge. On the sound of this 

 explosion, and the fire increasing, the besieged saved themselves by 

 climbing the walls of a garden which led to the Boulevards. This 

 obstinate combat was one of the most fierce of this day of heroism ; 

 many citizens were wounded, and upwards of forty left dead on the 

 field of battle. A brave young man, a pupil of the Polytechnic 

 School, named Vanneau, was killed while commanding the attack. 

 The national troops rallied in excellent order in the rue de Sevres, 

 and returned victorious to the Place de 1'Odeon. While there, an 

 interesting circumstance added new nerve to every manly heart. A 

 well-dressed youth, who had been observed foremost in every attack 

 on the barracks, fainted from fatigue ; crowds offered their assist- 

 ance ; on tearing open the waistcoat, it was discovered that it was a 

 woman who had thus exposed her life with reckless bravery. The 

 gallant scholar M. Lenoir now proposed to M. Joffres to storm the 

 Palais du Luxembourg: this was instantly done providentially 

 without bloodshed, as the veterans who guarded it refused to fire 

 upon their fellow-citizens. The national flag now floated over the 

 Chamber of Peers, sentinels were established in the gallery of pic- 

 tures, and not an article was pillaged. The two divisions, headed by 

 their commanders mounted on horseback, having accomplished their 

 labours on their side of the city, now marched upon the Louvre, and 

 formed in the court. Cries were heard that the Tuileries were being 

 pillaged ; they immediately marched, in company with a detach- 

 ment commanded by Captain Bachville, to protect the chateau ; but 

 the high sentiments of honour in the people who were in possession 

 rendered this precaution unnecessary. After leaving a guard of a 

 hundred and fifty men at the Tuileries, they presented themselves at 

 the Bourse; and this little army then marched to the Hotel de 

 Ville, where the leaders were warmly embraced by the excellent 

 Lafayette, who in the name of their country thanked them for the 

 skill and bravery displayed on that day. Twelve hours had now 

 passed under arms, in a day without a cloud; the sun poured 

 down his beams with the fierceness of the dog-days, and the party 

 was faint with hunger and exhaustion. They asked for bread ; 

 but none could be procured ; it was proposed to give them money 

 for refreshments, but no sooner was the bag of silver brought out, 

 than with one voice they cried out, " No money ! no money !" nor 

 would they listen to the explanation that it was not for the payment 

 of their services, but for their immediate wants. No prayer or 

 entreaty could induce them to accept a sous. The bag was returned 

 to the Hotel de Ville ; and the neighbouring citizens each took 

 several of these noble-minded men home to dinner with him. Such 

 was the delicacy of sentiment of that class whom " courtiers" call 

 canaille ! such was their horror at being mistaken for MERCE- 

 NARIES ! 



