20] 
for the escape of the royal family 
from the Thuilleries: particularly 
one for their retreat to the castle 
of Gallion, in Normandy, near 
Rouen. The building was spacious, 
and the park very extensive: it 
was exactly at the distance pre- 
scribed by the constitution for the 
royal residence, being just twenty 
leagues from Paris ; and presented 
in its moderate distance from the 
sea, the loyalty of the inhabitants 
of that part of Normandy, as well 
as of the commander of the troops, 
the Duke of Liancourt, and of the 
commissary of marine at Havre de 
Grace, a secure retreat, if neces- 
sary, from the pursuit of the Jaco- 
bins. The Duke of Liancourt, 
who had on former occasions given 
the strongest proofs ef attachment 
to his Majesty’s person, made a 
tender to the King, on the present 
occasion, of all his interest and 
fortune. The plan for escaping 
was as plausibly arranged as the 
place of retreat was well chosen: 
but the King, always averse to ac- 
tive measures, and more passive 
than ever since his arrest at Varen- 
nes, refused to adopt it. The ob- 
jection of the Queen, who was very 
far from being defigignt in either 
decision or energy, Meseties to be 
recorded; it opens a clear vista into 
the mind of her Majesty, from 
which it may be presumed, that of 
the King was not very dissonant on 
the subject of the new constitution ; 
and indicates an unfortunate inve- 
teracy against even the friends of 
limited monarchy.—Her Majesty, 
speaking of this plan that had been 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 
1792. 
adopted by M. de Montmorin, and 
supported by M, Bertrand, said, 
«« They do not consider that they 
are throwing us into the hands {of 
the constitutionalists.”’ It is in 
truth to this unrelenting pride and 
raneour against correction of abuses 
and improvement in the constitu- 
tion, on the part of the court, and 
its adherents, as well as to the un- 
governable and base passions of 
the people, that the calamities of 
France are partly to be ascribed. 
It would appear that the hatred 
otf the court towards the consti- 
tutionalists was even greater than 
that which it bore to the republi- 
can party. From the violence of 
the latter, it looked for a confusion 
that should involve in its conse- 
quences a restoration of the ancient 
monarchy: from the stability of 
the constitution it saw nothing but 
vexation, and royalty in fetters, 
There was a party about court, of 
whom the chief was the celebrated 
Abbé Maury, one of the greatest 
favourites at court, who were of 
opinion that the best way for re- 
storing the power and dignity of 
the crown, was, to permit, and 
even to encourage and forward 
the eruption of those evils which 
they were convinced must sooner 
or later arise from the constitution. 
In the Constituent Assembly, on 
the question for the abolition of 
tythes, the Abbé Maury, in oppo- 
sition to Tallyrand Perigord, then 
bishop of Aulun, and the Abbé 
Sieyes, voted for the abolition !* 
On the same principle, when a new 
muyor of Paris was to be eleeted in 
* On that occasion the Abbé published a pamphlet with the following motto, 
“« Ils veulent etre libres, et ils ne savent pas etre justes!” ‘* They would be free, and, 
vet they know not what it is to be just!” 
the 
