Hrs TORY OF | EUR OPE; 
fullacceptance, pure and unmixed, 
without comment or referve, to all 
the decrees of the aflembly. 
The ferment in Paris had rifen to 
its higheft pitch on that very day, 
and the flame which had for fome 
days been rather {mothering than 
lighting, burft out in its utmoit vio- 
lence. There are the ftrongeit rea- 
fons for fuppofing, that the Orleans 
cabal, though affifted and fupported 
by the republicans on very different 
grounds, were the immediate and 
principal authors of the prefent 
» difturbances ; none other could, in 
any degree, equally influence and 
_ command the rabble of that city, as 
the faction in queftion. An univerfal 
cry was raifed in the morning to go 
to Verfailles, to demand bread of 
_ the king and the affembly, and to 
take vengeance on the gardes du 
corps. It was deemed fitting that 
the women fhould take the lead in 
this infurreGtion; and fitter inftru- 
ments could not have been chofen. 
_ Befides the Dames du Halle, and all 
the other clafles of female auxilia- 
Ties to Parifian liberty which we 
have heretofore defcribed, and of 
which the lanes, allies, cellars and 
_garrets, poured out fo vaft an 
abundance, they are faid to have 
prefled every woman they met with 
into the fervice. It may be confi- 
dered as fome fort of concurrent 
teftimony that this {cheme was pre- 
concerted, and that the cabal had 
more prudence than to truft the bu- 
finefs entirely to the conduét of 
thefe heroines, that a great number 
of men, difguifed in women’s clothes, 
ere intermixed in the ranks of this 
fipota female army. Bread, was 
at firft the watch word and the uni- 
Werfal cry of this ftrange aflemblage, 
Which Rabautdefcribes as compofed 
@f mothers frantic with deipair, 
- 3 . 
[47 
through the dreadful circumftance 
of not having bread to give to their 
famifhed children. 
Arms were, however, thought ne- 
ceffary, as affording more effectual 
means for the obtaining of bread 
than mere fupplication. ‘T'hey ac- 
cordingly proceeded to the Hotel 
de Ville, or Town Houfe, which 
they broke open and plundered ; 
and gave an early fpecimen of their 
courage in paffing thither, by mak- 
ing their way boldly through feveral 
battalions of Parifian guards who 
were drawn up armed in the open 
{pace before that building. Having 
met on the ftairs of the Town 
Houfe an unfortunate ecclefiattic, 
they, as an eflay in the bufinefs of 
death, immediately hung him up by 
the neck. Some of their miale fol- 
lowers, whether it was through mer- 
cy, or by way of varying the paftime, 
cut the prieft down before he was 
quite dead; and then {fo effectually 
kicked and tofled his carcafe about, 
that in a fhort time he fully reco- 
vered his fenfibility, and was moft 
unexpectedly permitted to get home 
ashe could. After plundering the 
Hotel de Ville, feizing a magazine 
of arms, gathering the artillery to- 
gether, and forcing open the prifons, 
with tumult undefcribable, this her- 
maphrodite army fet out about- 
noon, for Verfailles, the cannon be- 
ing dragged behind as a rear-guard. 
The vociferous cries for bread were 
now changed into loud threats and 
horrid imprecations againft the 
queen, the, life guards, and the 
clergy, all of whom they devoted 
as victims to their vengeance. One 
Maillard, in the proper garb and 
characcer of a man, appeared now as 
their leader; on whom Rabaut be- 
{tows hig praife for the difcipline, 
order, and government which he 
: eftablifhed 
