46 MEMOIRS OF 



successor could be appointed. On the public- 

 ation of the famous ordonnances of Charles X. 

 and his ministers, an universal silence in public 

 was observed, as if the first person who ventured 

 to talk about them, was to set fire to a train of 

 gunpowder. Even M. Cuvier, though so clear- 

 sighted on other occasions, was completely taken 

 by surprise in this instance, and partook of the 

 general opinion, that " this stroke of policy on 

 the part of the state would lead to a lengthened 

 resistance of taxes, and to partial disturbances, 

 but not to any violent crisis ; " and deceived, as 

 so many others were, by the profound tranquil- 

 lity which reigned in every part of the capital, 

 he started for England on the appointed day. 

 Five hours after his carriage had passed the bar- 

 rier the firing commenced in Paris, and he and 

 his daughter-in-law quietly pursued their route 

 by easy stages. They were overtaken on the 

 road near Boulogne by the flying English, who 

 gave them vague reports, and they pressed on to 

 meet their letters at Calais. There, after two 

 days of the deepest anxiety, during which time 

 they formed twenty projects for immediate re- 

 turn, and were as often retained by the certainty 

 of not being able to re-enter Paris, or even pro- 

 ceed on the road back, with passports dated in 



