40] 
among the guards, abused and threa- 
tened their reluctant fellow-soldiers, 
and dragged them along with them 
in their retreat, by force. 
But about five hundred of the na- 
tional guards remained at their post, 
with equal fidelity and courage. 
These were placed indiscriminately 
with the Swiss guards, within the 
palace, at the different stair-cases, 
and at all the entrances, The com- 
mand of this united force, accord- 
ing to their several stations within 
the palace, was given by the King 
to Mareschal de Mailly, the Dukede 
Chatelet, the Count de Puvsegar, 
the Baron de Viomeuil, the Count 
d’ Hervilly, the Marquis dePujet, and 
other faithful officers. These troops 
having spent the night without tak- 
ing any refreshment, the King’s 
household servants, and other atten- 
dants of the court, were eagerly em- 
ployed in administering to those ho- 
nourable men bread and wine, and 
encouraging them not to desert the 
royal family. ‘The virtues of this fa- 
mily in this extremity of danger, 
were emphatically displayed in that 
anxious concern which animated 
every human being of every condi- 
tion within the palace for their safe- 
ty, and that generous indignation 
which overcame the suggestions of 
personal fear, and exalted and unit- 
ed the minds of all in a firm and re- 
solute purpose to resist and repel 
the threatened violence, and to 
abandon their posts only with their 
last breath. (This generous band 
within the palace, had many friends 
without ; and the contagion of their 
‘virtue and bravery might very pro- 
‘bably have encouraged some diver- 
sions in their favour in the depart- 
ment of Paris, had time been given 
for the advancement of the troops 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1792. 
at Courbevoye, and turned a tide 
that was impelled by the uncertain; 
gale of a tumultuous and animal, 
phrenzy, if the King had remained 
in the palace- in the midst of his: 
faithful adherents, and at the mercy, 
not of any one junto or set of men. 
in Paris and the environs, but at the » 
disposal of the whole. He proved, 
in this precipice of fortune, how 
much the fate of man is indepen- 
dent of extrinsical circumstance, | 
and how intimately connected with | 
that physical or constitutional com=\; ~ 
plexion and character which is pro- 
bably impressed on every individu-' 
al, even before the period of birth, 
and the result of combinations and: 
influences far beyond the limits of 
human research or comprehension. 
The King wanted not courage; he. 
was not appalled at the approach of ; 
danger, but he was averse to all 
bustle and vigorous exertion, espe- 
cially when likely to be attended 
with any degree of suffering or pain 
to any human creature, Giving ; 
way to solicitations perhaps perfi-; 
dious, certainly unfortunate, he 
sought an asylum among those who 
were preparing for himself and his 
family a prison, chains, and death. 
A little after seven o'clock, M.de . 
Rheederer, solicitor for the munici- 
pality of Paris, with other officersof | 
the department, entering the room 
where the King was, declared that, 
the palace was surrounded by an ir- 
resistible number of armed men; )} 
that the national guards who had, 
come early in the morning, were, _ 
corrupted, and more ready to assist 
than oppose the assailants; that the 
King, Queen, their children, and) — 
attendants, were on the point of be-) — 
ing slaughtered, and that there was, 
no other means of safety left but) y 
imme- — 
