The Insurrection of October, IJ89 53 



taken as evidence against Mirabeau, on the ground that he "con- 

 founds the cause of the Duke of Orleans with his own." 1 



The testimony of La Marck, that Mirabeau objected to the 

 exile of the Duke of Orleans because he feared Lafayette's dom- 

 ination and the triumph of republican ideas, 2 is called into ques- 

 tion by Mathiez, who claims that La Marck was not a disinter- 

 ested witness, but a "confidant and in some sort an accomplice," 

 and "in defending his old friend he was merely defending him- 

 self." 3 



"Mirabeau's conduct during the days of the 5th and 6th of 

 October," says Lomenie, "was of an equivocal character, at least, 

 and afforded matter for suspicion." 4 Yet "even his enemies 

 confess that he was too indiscreet to conceal his plans," 5 he was 

 "as prompt to write as to speak, and all his negotiations, all his 

 secret plots found expression in continued correspondence that 

 has been gradually coming to light for a hundred years." "Would 

 it not be astonishing," asks Lomenie, "if his intrigue with the 

 Duke of Orleans should be the only one that left no written 

 trace?" 6 



It is true that Mirabeau wanted to get into the ministry at this 

 time, and that Lafayette was his confidant in the matter. 7 He 

 was ambitious and needed the income that the ministry alone 

 could pay. 8 He was also capable and could see what he might 

 do for France. It is also true that he was engaged, not long 

 after, in an "intrigue to displace Necker for Tallyrand." 9 Doubt- 

 less a man of his ability chafed under Necker's incompetence. 



I can do no better than reproduce Lomenie's conclusion of the 

 matter: "Mirabeau, like many others, had the thought of plac- 



1 Revue hi storique, LXVIII, 280. 



2 Correspondent ce de Mirabeau et de La Marck, I, 127. 

 3 Revue historique, LXVIII, 281, 282. 



4 Lomenie, Les Mirabeau, IV, 483. 



5 Ibid., 503; Correspondance de Mirabeau et de La Marck, I, 112, 113. 



6 Lomenie, Les Mirabeau, IV, 506. 



7 Morris, Diary and Letters, I, 193; De Stael-Holstein, Correspondance 

 diplomatique, 42, Duquesnoy, Journal, 462, 463. 



8 Correspondance de Mirabeau et de La Marck, I, 129. 



9 Duquesnoy, Journal, I, 370, 335, 355. 



319 



