The Insurrection of October, 1789 45 



The guests, with drawn sword in hand, drank to the health of 

 their royal visitors, who accepted this homage and withdrew. 1 

 "From this time the feast degenerated into an orgy." Intoxica- 

 tion took the place of enthusiasm, and amidst the wild and fool- 

 ish excesses that followed, the tri-colored cockade of the nation 

 was insulted,- and the nation itself made the object of most fright- 

 ful imprecations. 3 



The most alarming feature of this whole matter was that the 

 banquet of the body-guard was no mere accident, no unforeseen 

 outburst of loyalty. There is evidence to show that it had all 

 been planned beforehand for dramatic effect, to dazzle and win 

 the allegiance of the troops to the court party. D'Estaing's let- 

 ter to the queen speaks specifically of a premeditated purpose not 

 to drink the health of the nation. 4 



The effect of the demonstration on the court party was to re- 

 move all restraint. They seem to have thought the cause al- 

 ready won, and that there was no longer necessity for conceal- 

 ment. After the banquet, ladies of the court exerted themselves 

 openly to win proselytes in the chateau. National guards wear- 

 ing the tri-colored cockade were accosted and asked to change 

 it for the white, emblem of the ancient regime, or the black, the 

 color of the queen. 5 Several officers of the national guard ap- 

 peared with white cockades ;° men presented themselves at the 

 review wearing this badge ; 7 and a gentleman wearing the na- 

 tional uniform was refused admittance to the chateau and in- 

 formed that the insult was due to his dress. 8 As if to cap the 

 defiance to the friends of the revolution, Marie Antoinette, on 



1 Campan, Memoires, II, 296; Deux amis de la liberte, Histoire de la re- 

 volution de France, III, 131. 



2 De Stael-Holstein, Correspondance diplomatique, 130; Courrier de Pro- 

 vence, No. XXXI; Duquesnoy, I, 397. 



3 Revolutions de Paris, No. XIII, 5; Duquesnoy, Journal, I, 397. 



* Revue histori que, LXVIII, 289. 



b Revolutions de Paris, XIII, 5; Weber, I, 426; Courrier de Provence, No. 

 XXXI; Pieces justificatives du rapport de la procedure du chdtelet, No. IX. 



*Ibid. 



''Revolutions de Paris, No. XIII, 6. 



8 Deux amis de la liberte, Histoire de la rtvolution de France, III, 136. 



3ii 



