THE KING S FLIGHT. 207 



usually judges from the event. The king, they said, 

 with the queen and their two children, were freely 

 allowed to go out of the palace. The Mayor of Paris 

 was their accomplice, for he has the means of knowing 

 every thing ; otherwise he might be accused of careless 

 ness, or of the most culpable negligence. 



These attacks were not only echoed in the shops, in 

 the streets, but also in the strongly organized clubs. 

 The Mayor answered in a peremptory manner, but 

 without entirely effacing the first impression. During 

 several days after the king s flight, both Bailly and 

 La Fayette were in personal danger. The National 

 Assembly had often to look to their safety. 



I have now reached a painful portion of my task, a 

 frightful event, that led finally to Bailly s cruel death ; 

 a bloody catastrophe, the relation of which will perhaps 

 oblige me to allow a little blame to hover over some 

 actions of this virtuous citizen, whom thus far it has been 

 my delight to praise without any restriction. 



The flight of the king had an immense influence on the 

 progress of our first revolution. It threw into the repub 

 lican party some considerable political characters who, till 

 then, had hoped to realize the union of a monarchy with 

 democratical principles. 



Mirabeau, a short time before his death, having heard 

 this projected flight spoken of, said to Cabanis : &quot; I have 

 defended monarchy to the last ; I defend it still, although 



I think it lost But, if the king departs, I will 



mount the tribune, have the throne declared vacant, and 

 proclaim a Republic.&quot; 



After the return from Varennes, the project of substi 

 tuting a republican government for a monarchical gov 

 ernment was very seriously discussed by the most 



