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: “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.” 
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 
