CHARACTERS. 



777 



more publicly revised, and that in 

 the presence of a numerous multi- 

 tude of people, who (all v.ere in 

 favour of the accused,) loudly' mur- 

 mured against the prosecuting at- 

 torney-general, and with enthusi- 

 astic fervour applauded the o.Ticial 

 defender of Plervagault. The judges, 

 however, would not sutler them- 

 selves to be misguided, and con- 

 firmed the original sentence. While 

 they were deliberating on the sub- 

 ject in another room, the most pain- 

 ful anxiety was depicted in the 

 countenance of every spe6tator in 



court. Hervagault heard his 



sentence witli composure, with a 

 smile of contempt ; and his partisans, 

 instead of giving credit to the juri- 

 dical decision, obstinately persevered 

 in their former pre-conceived opi- 

 nion. They continued to wait up- 

 on him with royal .service in the 

 place of his detention. lie had by 

 him, amongst otiier effe6ts, a silver 

 cup, on which were the letters L. C, 

 (Louis Charles) engraved and deco- 

 rated with an antique French crown. 

 This he pretended to the jailor Avas 

 his cypher. None of his adherents 

 deserted his cause; on the contrary, 

 their zeal redoubled, and the vene- 

 rable bishop V always headed 



them. Nay, the latter did not con- 

 fine his zeal to presents and good 

 advice, he even resolved most ac- 

 tively to exert himself; and being 

 informed that it was intended to 

 bring his illustrious pupil fromRheims 

 to Soissons, he determined to res- 

 cue him on the road from the hands 

 of his persecutors. This youthful 

 proje6t of an old head was betrayed ; 

 the bishop and his papers were 

 seized ; and it evidently ap|)carcd, 

 upon proof, that it was his intention 

 to make the taylor's son of St. Lo 

 'd<:t the part of the dauphiu. The 



government, however, had compas- 

 sion on t!ie hoary dotard, and gave 

 him his liberty. Hervagault him- 

 self had fared better, if the least 

 ])rospcc't of amendment had appear- 

 ed in his conduct ; but as he Iprmed 

 another junto of partisans at Sois- 

 sons, it was thought proper to 

 make him disappear. 



In order to render it conceivable 

 how so many persons of rank and 

 knowledge of the world, should 

 have sufiered themselves to be made 

 the dupes of tliis raw youngster; 

 people themselves ought to have 

 heard him tell his story. With great 

 emotion he Mould remember how 

 Louis XV [. his father, used to giva 

 •him lessons in history and geography 

 in the temple. In the tone of 

 the most ingenuous simplicity he 

 would talk of a little bitch called 

 Fidele, of which Marie Antoinette, 

 his mother, was very fond. 



The most minute details he de- 

 scribed with infantile vivacity, nor 

 did he forget that Simon, his jailer, 

 used to wake him in the dead of night, 

 to convince himself that he had not 

 been carried off. " I was obliged," 

 said lie, " to perform the meanest 

 drudgery, which alfefted my health. 

 The ninth Thermidor alleviated the 

 miseries of many victims of the re- 

 volution as well as mine ; they gave 

 me better clothes, more wliolesome 

 victuals, and even allowed me the 

 diversions suitable to my age. Mj 

 j;ister was permitted to come to me, 

 to eat and play. What a moment 

 was the first of our re-union ! (he 

 always wept bitterly when speaking 

 of this interview.) Meanwhile my 

 health became continually more im- 

 paired, and the prison air must have 

 killed nie, had not the Lord decreed 

 to send me relief. One day about 

 the latter end of May, 1795, as I 



Mas 



