52] 
hours it would coft, even in open 
day light, toadminifter an oath to an 
army of 30,000 men? nor how ex- 
tenfive a plain would have been ne- 
ceffary for the purpofe; or at leat 
for the troops who were fworn to 
file off to and form on, while their 
remaining fellows were undergoing 
the ceremony. It is, indeed, not 
impoflible, that Fayette, and thofe 
principal officers who were immedi- 
ately about his perfon, might, at 
the awful appearance of the ealtle, 
to which they were approaching, 
and perhaps fome recollection of 
former greatnefs and {plendour, 
have entered into fame {uch com- 
pact or oath. 
However that was, La Fayette 
certainly fhewed the moft pacific 
difpofition. He prefented himéelf 
firlt before the king, and then before 
the aflembly, and behaved to both 
with every appearance of the great- 
eft refpeé¥and even fubmiffion. He 
lamented to Mounier, the meafures 
which a powerful cabal had forced 
him into; and it was underitood 
from his difcourfe, that by a few fub- 
mifiions from the gardes du corps, 
and their adoption of the national 
cockade, all the exiting differences 
would be reconciled, and all jea- 
loufies removed. This was excel- 
lent, and fpeaking like a man of 
honour; without facrificing’ any 
prt of his principles, or deviating 
in any de¢ree from his duty, with 
refpect to the caufe which he 
efpoufed.. And if it had not been 
for the fubfequent error, miftake, 
imprudence, or whateyer it may be 
called, which he fell into, the event 
might .pofibly have been happy, 
much, if not the whole, of the fuc- 
ceeding evils prevented, and ‘his 
naine long rememberéd with praife.. 
lt was about midnight when La 
a . 
: 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1790. 
Fayette arrived at Verfailles: be- 
tween two and three in the morning, 
he moft unfortunately and fatally 
perfuaded Mounier to break up the 
aflembly and retire to reft; an ad- 
vice which opened the way to all 
the ruin which enfued. It is not to 
be doubted, but that, through the 
bultle, fatigues, and fears ef the pre- 
ceding day, Fayette muit have 
been greatly exhaufted, and fleep 
highly neceffary to him; but he 
fhould have remembered, particu- 
larly asa foldier, that im cafes of 
great emergency, moment, and 
danger, it was his duty to refit 
to the utmoft, and even to over- 
come, if poflible, the calls of nature. 
He well knew the cruel and bloody 
difpofition of that uncountable 
crew of male and female ruf 
fians, who filled and furrounded the 
whole city and its environs; and 
if he thoaght at all, he could not 
but expeét, knowing fo well as he 
did the motives and objeéts of their 
coming, that they would take fome 
fatal advantage of his going to reit. 
Nor were the national affembly at 
all excufable, in purfuing his ad- 
vice; they could not but perceive 
the preffure of the motive on his 
part which produced it; and as 
they had fo lately made no difficulty 
of fitting up and watching a night 
for their own protection, they fhould 
not have hefitated in paying a fimi- 
lar attention to tke fafety of theig 
fovereion at this moment of fuch 
imminent danger, when his own 
life, and the lives of his whole fa-, 
mily, were evidently at ftake. 
Notwithftanding the horrors of 
the fituation, the hearing her lifé 
repeatedly threatened, and * her 
blood howled for, ‘the queen pof- 
feffed fuch a flock of intrepidity and 
cooinefi, that fhe retired to reff at _ 
‘ toe two. 
cee 
