258 The French Revolution of July, 1830. [SEPT. 



bivouacked closely round the Tuilleries. It is still difficult to ascertain 

 the slaughter of this bloody day. But it has been said that the attack and 

 defence of the H6tel-de-Ville alone, costs upwards of a thousand lives. 

 The troops were now completely worn out by excessive fatigue, and 

 evidently dispirited by the hopelessness of success, if not by the more 

 honorable disgust to the horrid nature of the service. Two regiments of 

 the line showed this aversion nobly, by first refusing to fire on the 

 people, and then by walking over and joining them. A number of 

 peasantry from the neighbouring villages joined the citizens in the 

 course of the day, and by night-fall there were supposed to be fifty 

 thousand men in arms against the Government, with every point in 

 their possession, (except the H6tel-de-Ville, and the Tuilleries) with the 

 Boulevard blocked up with trees, waggons, and omnibuses ; and the 

 interior streets completely inaccessible by troops. 



At this time, Marmont appears to have justly looked on the prospect 

 as hopeless, and orders were given for moving the military to St. Cloud, 

 to protect the King. But Thursday had scarcely dawned when the 

 people were once more in motion, and now elated by their triumph, 

 they rushed to complete it by the storm of the Tuilleries. They found 

 the Swiss and the Life Guards still there, and the firing was sustained 

 with some briskness for awhile. But the troops were gradually with- 

 drawn, the people pushed on, and at length the tri-coloured flag 

 hoisted on the palace gave the crowning proof that the day of the 

 Bourbons was done ! 



The seizure of the palace afforded another instance of the singular 

 spirit of moderation which guided the people through the whole of 

 those transactions. The troops had remained for a considerable time in 

 the Tuilleries, and the assailants might be supposed to feel some exas- 

 peration from their defence ; yet there was none of the barbarity that 

 belongs to the passions of the multitude. There was no cold-blood 

 slaughter, and but little slaughter of any kind. Though the palace 

 might be presumed obnoxious, as the residence of the King ; and an 

 object of popular cupidity from its precious furniture and other valu- 

 ables ; yet no plunder took place, no destruction, and even scarcely any 

 of that mob mischief which might be committed in sport ; the chief 

 sign of havoc being the cutting up of Marmont's picture in the Hall of 

 the Marshals, which was pierced with innumerable swords, a few 

 window curtains divided into stripes, to decorate the persons of the 

 warriors of the Faubourg St. Antoine, and a few bottles of wine gaily 

 drunk by the visitors. 



When we contrast this trivial injury with the horrid homicides and 

 plunder of the 10th of August, 1792, or of any of the periods of the 

 Revolution, we must either believe that the French have changed their 

 character, or, take the more probable solution, that they were under 

 careful and attentive guidance. 



The King was now undone : the events of Thursday, the 29th, decided 

 the question of his remaining on the throne but still he could not 

 comprehend the nature of his situation. About four thousand troops 

 were concentrated round St. Cloud, and the King and the Due d'An- 

 gouleme rode among their ranks, and probably conceived some hope of 

 restoration but their Parisian victors were not inclined to slumber on 

 their victory. On Friday they made a reconnoissance of the position of 

 St. Cloud, and would have probably stormed it on the next morning, 



