250 LOUIS PHILIPPE. 



of Paris he resigned his post, and after the " hundred days " returned 

 to England, where he lived in disgrace and exile. 



However, through the entreaties of the young duchess of Berry, his 

 niece, Louis XVIII. recalled the duke of Orleans to France, where, 

 for several years in his apparent conduct, he was neither more nor 

 less than an industrious speculator, a secret usurer, an artful Macenas, 

 and the greatest shopkeeper of France ; but, concealedly and under- 

 hand, he was incessantly preparing the downfal of the elder branch 

 of the Bourbons, and his own elevation to the throne. 



Under the infatuated and imbecile administration of Polignac, 

 Louis Philippe, with his gold and through his creatures of the press, 

 almost forced the government to have recourse to the subversive or- 

 dinances of the 25th of July ; while, at the same time, he was instigating 

 the court to that unconstitutional and fatal attempt. It is reported as a 

 fact that, a few days before Charles X. signed the warrant of expul- 

 sion from the throne of France for himself and for his family, the 

 duke of Orleans said to that old fool, who was complaining of the 

 great obstacles he met with to govern his dissatisfied subjects, " Sire, 

 tirez votre epee, montrez la a votre peuple, et tout rentrera dans 

 1'ordre." 



During the " three glorious days," uncertain of the result of that 

 sudden revolutionary eruption, Louis Philippe, acting according to 

 his principles, kept himself aloof both from the court and from the 

 people, ready however to side with the conquering party after all 

 had been settled. In fact, when the people of Paris had defeated and 

 expelled Marmont and the troops under his command, when old 

 Lafayette, placed at the head of the provisional government, was 

 humbugged by his colleagues, the creatures of the duke of Orleans, 

 and foolishly consented to appoint Louis Philippe lieutenant-general 

 of France, the present citizen-king was found by Sebastiani and 

 Dupin near the forest of Bondy, still unwilling to declare his exulta- 

 tion in having at last obtained what he most ardently had wished for, 

 because Charles X. was still at St. Cloud, and because the sentiments 

 of the army and of the departments were not yet known. 



However, on the 1st of August, pale as a ghost, with tears in his 

 eyes, with an enormous tricoloured cockade to his hat, and shielded 

 by Lafayette, Lafitte, Odilon Barrot, Manguin, Dupont de PEure, 

 Gerard, and Sebastiani, Louis Philippe presented himself to the 

 people from the balcony of the Hotel de Ville, and was at first re- 

 ceived with mingled applause and groans ; and, had not Lafayette 

 placed himself before him, he would have been, probably, shot by the 

 heroes of July, who, apprehending what has since happened, gave 

 manifest signs of their murderous intention. It was on that occasion 

 that Lafayette, in order to appease the republicans, embracing Louis 

 Philippe, said, "My friends, behold the best of republics." 



From that day to the 9th of August Louis Philippe became the 

 most generous man of France, the most humble adorer of the mem- 

 bers of the provisional government and of the most influential de- 

 puties. As for the heroes of July, the lowest of them were courted 

 by him, and they were also appointed to be his body guards. 



