98 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



the New Revolution, a signal cannon was fired. 

 Augereau instantly marched his troops to the doors 

 of the two Houses. Cannon were pointed at the 

 entrance of the Council of Elders, to blow to the 

 moon any politician foolish enough to talk of laws or 

 liberty. Troops were posted in all the avenues, and 

 the Council was placed in the midst of a force of 

 twelve thousand regenerators, with muskets on their 

 shoulders. The guard at the doors of the Council of 

 Five Hundred still kept the gates shut ; and the 

 members, who had already assembled to know 

 whether they were to be hanged, sabred, or shot, 

 were suffered to remain in their happy pre-eminence 

 for exactly an hour and a half from the time of the 

 extinction of their brother branch of legislation. But 

 at the end of this time the blow fell duly. An officer 

 made his appearance in the hall, informing them that 

 he was going to lock the doors, and carry the keys 

 to the Directory. Murmurings arose, but the officer 

 was a personage of few words. He recommended it 

 to them, to look to their own safety in the event of 

 delay ; and finding that they still murmured, he 

 locked the doors, and carried the tale to his masters. 

 The next process was to nullify the guards of the 

 two Houses. Augereau walked at the head of a gang 

 of the ruffianism of the Revolution, Santerre, Trenck, 

 the widow Rousin, dressed a PAmazone for the 

 ladies are everything in France at all times and 

 others, who had notoriously been galley-slaves ! called 



