zo) ANNUAL REGI STER, 1790. 
money which Lewis XIV. {quan- 
dered in raifing its fuperb palace,, 
and ‘in forming thofe prodigious 
gardens and water - works, whoie 
magnificence and greatnefs long ex- 
cited the admiration and aftonifh- 
ment of all Europe. The fupere 
- fluity and watte which neceflarily at-, 
tended the expenditure of two hun- 
dred millions of livres, difpofed of 
in fuch a manner, and under the 
conduét ef fuch a man, could not but 
afford abundant means for nourifh- 
ing and foftering the growth of a 
young city. ‘The continual, refi- 
dence, for more than a century, of 
the moft magnificent, expentive, and 
by many degrees the moit munifi- 
cent court in-Chriftendom, as well 
as of all the firft nobility in that vaft 
kingdom, effectually completed what 
was thus begun; and Verfailles, with 
a population of 60,000 perfons, had 
rifen to fuch a degree of confidera- 
tion and opulence, as to ftand at the 
head of what may be called the fe- 
¢ond-rate cities of the kingdom. 
Yet this people, thus originating, 
growing, thriving, and arriving at 
maturity, who it might be faid, 
without much hyperbole, had for 
more than a century palt been con- 
ftantly fed by the court, and all 
wearing its livery, had, from the 
commencement of his troubles, been 
among the foremoft of the prefent 
fovereign’s moft implacable ene- 
mies, extending their malevolence 
to every part of the royal family, 
“and feeming emulous to exceed the 
Parifians in their animofity and ma- 
lice. Like them too, they had con- 
ftituted themfelves fole judges, dif- 
penfers, and executors of the laws. 
So that the fame men being judges, 
accufers, witnefles, and executioners, 
much time was faved in all criminal 
profecutions. It remains, however, 
to be lamented, that this career of 
patriotif{m in purfuit of fummary, 
juttice, was, in Verfailles, productive, 
of fome horrid murders, although 
the voice and majefty of the people. 
gave them the fanction of legality ; 
and thefe feemed the more unlucky, 
as they occurred in private family, 
cafes, where no party or political 
motives could fiave any concern. 
The felicity of the Verfaillians 
received a mortal blow by the re-. 
moval of the court to Paris; the 
danger of which they feemed totally. 
blind to until it was given, By that 
they not only lof the conftant butt 
and object of all their amufements, 
along with the delicious pleafure.of 
continually infulting fallen majetty; 
but they loft thereby their eftablith- 
ed ground and pretext for riots and 
tumults, without which it was fearce- 
ly poffible for them now to exift. 
They likewife felt, with inexpref- 
fible mortification, that they had in- 
ftantaneoufly loft all their paft con- 
fequence; that inftead of being 
looked up to as competitors in alé 
deeds of renown with the proud Pa- 
rifians, they were now no longer 
either named or thought of; while 
the voracious capital, along with the 
king, would gorge itfelf with all the 
praife and fame appertainmg to 
others, 
In fuch a ftate of difcontent, and 
with fuch inherent difpofitions, they 
could never want pretences for riots 
and tumults; the dearnefs of bread, 
and {carcity of all kinds of provi- 
fions, independent of all the other 
grounds of complaint which inge- 
nuity coald be at no lofs in devifing, 
afforded an abundant ftock of com- 
buétible matter to feed the rage of 
an enflamed populace; who were at 
the fame time peculiarly agitated by 
a hidden fource og difcontent which 
they 
