56] 
leaders, by certain prefixed marks 
or fignals; that the principal fer- 
| vice which: he intended was, from 
his intimate knowledge of the in- 
. terior of the palace, to lead the 
banditti by the neareft way to the 
royal apartments, in which cafe it 
is fuppofed, that all that part of the 
royal family would have been in- 
ftantly facrificed. That fortunately 
his heart, according to its ufual cuf- 
tom, failed when he arrived at the 
fcene of action; and that he accord- 
ingly flunk away from his affociates, 
whofe numbers, violence, and fero- 
city, were poflibly among the caufes 
of his terror. It is likewife told, 
as a part and confirmation of the 
fame ftory, ‘that Mirabeau, in his 
rage at what he confidered fuch 
fhameful conduét, threw out the 
following © extraordinary farcafm: 
4 That man conftantly carries a 
* cocked piftol loaded with mifchief 
«in his hand, but his cowardice is 
“se {9 extreme that he never can draw 
« the trigger.” 
Mounier, who had relied too 
much upon La Fayette’s vigilance, 
and upon the order of fafety which 
had he eftablifhed for the night, when 
2wakened late by an account of the 
horrid tranfactions which were tak- 
ing place, at ‘once augured the 
downfall both of liberty and mo- 
narchy, to each of which he was 
moft zealoufly attached. He haf- 
tened to the aflembly, and propofed 
that they fhould immediately pro- 
ceed to the palace, hold ‘their meet- 
ing in the grand faloon of Verfailles, 
and aft the king with their advice, 
as well as with their affiftance and 
protection, at this momentous cri- 
fis. But it did not ‘at all fuit the 
views of the patriots in any degree 
to impede, much lefs to prevent, 
the difmal preceffion to Paris: Mi- 
. 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1799. 
rabeau anfwered, in his ufual cha- 
racter, that it was beneath their 
dignity to meet in the king’s palace; 
and this anfwer was received by the 
reft of the party, as a full and fuffi- 
cient reafon for continuing as they 
were. 
joy of Mirabeau, Barnave, and others 
of the moft violent leaders, was fo 
extreme, as to become indecently 
apparent; whilft the members on 
ee other fide, expe€ting every mo- 
ment to be furrounded by an armed 
rabble, trembled for their lives, 
and dared not utter a word. To 
while away time it was voted, that 
the national affembly was infe- 
parable from the king; after which 
any trifling bufinefs that could be 
thought of was brought forward, to 
afford fome appearance of debating 
antil the bufinefs at the palace was 
entirely over. 'y 
The broken remnants of the mid- 
dle or moderate party, of whom 
Mounier was the head, and who 
had ever endeavoured. to: eftablifh, 
what they conceived to be the fafeft 
and moft permanent fyftem of liber- 
ty for the people, under the form 
of a limited monarchy, to be regu- 
lated and kept within proper bounds 
by a conftitution fomewhat refem- 
bling that of England, held a meet- - 
f 
to themfelves, difcharged ~ 
ing in the evening, at which it was 
ftated, that having long, with great 
peril 
their duty as honeft men, in en- 
deavouring to ftem the torrent of 
republicanifm, to defeat the una- 
vowed, and therefore more dange- 
rous defigns of fome of the factious - 
leaders,. to eftablifh the liberty of 
the people, and at the fame time 
to preferve the proper and neceflary 
rights of the monarchy inviolate; 
that after this long and virtuous 
ftruggle, it was now a matter of 
grievous © 
Mounier declares, that the — 
A 
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