44 Julia Crezvitt Stoddard 



day, were in that extremely sensitive state where any indiscretion 

 on the part of the court would precipitate an outbreak. The ban- 

 quet given by the body-guard to the officers of the regiment of 

 Flanders furnished the provocation, and the insurrection fol- 

 lowed. 



There had not been at all times the best of feeling between the 

 body-guard and the court. The occasion of the banquet given to 

 the regiment of Flanders was seized by the court to conciliate 

 the guard and restore their loyalty to the king. The feast was 

 made an affair of unusual magnificence. The theater of the 

 chateau, heretofore reserved for court festivities, was granted 

 them for their repast. 1 



The list of invited guests included not only the officers of the 

 regiment of Flanders, but also those of all the other troops at 

 Versailles. 2 They drank the health of the king, the queen, the 

 dauphin and the royal family; but no toast was drunk to the 

 nation. Whether purposely omitted or expressly rejected it is 

 impossible to know because of conflicting testimony. 3 



In the midst of the festivities, the queen appeared, and made 

 the round of the tables, leading the dauphin, 4 eliciting the en- 

 thusiastic applause of the delighted soldiers. The king also 

 graced the banquet by his presence, the orchestra played the fa- 

 mous air, "O Richard, O my king! the world abandons thee," 

 and loyalty expressed itself in enthusiastic cheers and applause. 5 



1 Deux amis de la liberie, Histoire de la revolution de France, III, 129. 



2 Revolutions de Paris, No. XIII, 5; Courrier de Provence, No. XXXI; 

 Weber, I, 422; Duquesnoy, I, 397; Campan, II, 295. 



3 Deux amis de la liberty, Histoire de la revolution de France, III, 129; 

 De Stael-Holstein, Correspondancs diplomatique, 129. 



4 There are several versions of this. I have followed Weber (I, 423) who 

 says: " Marie- Antoinette, par un movement irresistible imitant son auguste 

 mere, prit M. le dauphin par la main et le promena autour des tables." This 

 is the version followed by the Revolutions de Pari<; (No. XIII, 5) . According 

 to Ferrieres ( I, 281 ) , the queen " prend le dauphin dans ses bras, et fait le tour 

 de la table au milieu des acclamations les plus bruyantes." This seems 

 highly improbable and is doubtless a reminiscence of the famous act of 

 Maria Theresa. Morris states (I, 168) that "Her Majesty descended from 

 her box, and with her son and husband, graceful and tall, with a truly 

 queenly dignity, walked through the ranks of the soldiers." De Stael- 

 Holstein gives (p. 129) yet another version. See also Courrier de Provence, 

 No. XXXI. 



5 Campan, Memoires, II, 71. 



3ro 



