1830.] The French Revolution of July, 1830. 259 



except for the evidence that the King was about to make his retreat from 

 the neighbourhood. Charles X., previously to leaving St. Cloud, abdi- 

 cated the crown, for himself and his son, in favour of the Due de Bour- 

 deaux. 



The Deputies had been active in the mean while, for they had drawn 

 up a form of provisional government, and appointed the Duke of 

 Orleans Lieutenant- General of the kingdom. The doubts now were, 

 which direction the King would take : if by the great northern road, he 

 might be presumed to be turning towards Holland or England, a harm- 

 less direction ; but if by the west, he would have the road to the Vendee 

 open, and by the south, the garrisons of those towns where the Bourbon 

 interest was still supposed strongest. The southern provinces were 

 apparently his first object, for he moved to Versailles. There, however, 

 he found the spirit of the people against him, and he removed still 

 further, to Rambouillet. The fugitive troops had now considerably 

 increased in number, and were supposed to amount to fifteen thousand. 

 The confidence of the exiles now grew again, and they prepared to make 

 a stand; the King withdrew the stipulations offered on Sunday, the 1st; 

 the Parisian commissioners, the Dukes of Treviso and De Coigny, the 

 Sieurs Jaqueminot, Barbot, de Schemer, and O'Dillon, however, proceeded, 

 on a second message from the King, and the result was a letter to the 

 Duke of Orleans, and a formal abandonment of the throne. This mea- 

 sure was universally attributed to the known intention of the Parisians 

 to march forty thousand men to Rambouillet, and teach the exiles the 

 reality of their fall. 



On Thursday, August 3, the Duke of Orleans, in his new capacity of 

 Lieutenant-General, opened the Chambers, accompanied by his son, his 

 Duchess, and the rest of his family. The Duke's speech touched gene- 

 rally on the affairs of France. 



" Peers and Deputies, Paris disturbed by a deplorable violation of the 

 charter and the laws, defended them with heroic courage. The wishes 

 of my fellow citizens turned towards me. The cause appeared to me 

 to be just, the dangers immense, the necessity imperative, my duty 

 sacred. I think it right immediately to call your attention to the 

 organization of the National Guards, the application of the jury to the 

 crimes of the press, the formation of the department and municipal 

 administrations, and to the 14th article of the Charter, which has been 

 so shamefully misrepresented." 



Such are the heads of this compact which the Duke of Orleans entered 

 into with the nation, as lieutenant-general, or temporary governor. 



A not less important document was, immediately after, transmitted by 

 the commissioners sent to treat with the King. 



te TO THE DUKE OF ORLEANS. 



" Rambouillet, Aug. 2, 1830. 



" MY COUSIN I am too profoundly grieved by the evils which afflict or 

 might threaten my people, not to have sought a means of preventing them. I 

 . have therefore taken the resolution to abdicate the crown in favour of my 

 grandson the Duke de Bordeaux. The Dauphin, who partakes my sentiments, 

 also renounces his rights in favour of his nephew. You will have, then, in 

 your quality of Lieutenant-General of the kingdom, to cause the accession of 

 Henry V. to the crown to be proclaimed. You will take besides all the mea- 

 sures which concern you to regulate the forms of the Government during the 

 minority of the new King. Here I confine myself to making known these 

 dispositions ; it is a means to avoid many evils. You will communicate my 



2 K 2 



