FRANCE. 369 



midnight, however, all appeared tolerably still and peaceable ; when 

 the beating of drums, and the light of innumerable torches, announced 

 the approach of the Parisian army. 



The day began to break at about half past five ; and at this period 

 crowds of women, and other desperate persons, breathing vengeance, 

 and thirsting for blood, advanced to the castle, which, in an hour of 

 fatal security, was left unguarded in several places. An immense 

 crowd found its way into every part. The queen had been awakened 

 a quarter of an hour before by the clamours of the women who as- 

 sembled upon the terrace ; but her waiting woman had satisfied her, 

 by saying "that they were only the women of Paris, who, she sup- 

 posed, not being able to find a lodging, were walking about." But 

 the tumult approaching, and becoming apparently more serious, she 

 rose, dressed herself in haste, and ran to the king's apartment by a 

 private passage. In her way she heard the noise of a pistol and a 

 musquet, which redoubled her terror. " Mr friend," said she to 

 every person she met, " save me and my children 1" In the king's 

 chamber she found the dauphin, who had been brought thither by 

 one of her women ; but the king was gone. Awakened by the tumult, 

 he had seen from a window the multitude pressing towards the stair- 

 case ; and alarmed for the queen, he hastened to her apartment, and 

 entered it at one door at the moment she had quitted it by the other. 

 He returned without loss of time ; and having with the queen 

 brought the princess-royal into the chamber, they prepared to face 

 the multitude. 



In the mean time the noise and tumult increased, and appeared at 

 the very door of the chamber. Nothing was to be heard but the 

 most dreadful exclamations, with violent and repeated blows against 

 the outer door ; a pannel of which was broken, and instant death was 

 expected by the royal company. Suddenly, however, the tumult 

 seemed to cease — every thing was quiet, and a moment after a 

 gentle rap was heard at the door. The door was opened, and in an 

 instant the apartments were filled with the Parisian guard. The 

 officer who conducted them ordered them to ground their arms. 

 " We come," said he, " to save the king ;" and turning to such of the 

 gardes-du-cor/is as were in the apartments, " We will save you also, 

 gentlemen ; let us from this moment be united." 



The royal family now ventured to show themselves at the balcony, 

 and received the most lively acclamations of respect from the soldiers 

 and the people. A single voice, or a few voices, exclaimed — " The 

 king to Paris 1" and this was instantly followed by an universal accla- 

 mation enforcing the same demand. The king addressed them : — 

 " You wish me to go to Paris : — I will go, on the condition that I am 

 to be accompanied by my wife and children." — He was answered by 

 reiterated acclamations of " Five le Roi .'" It was two in the after- 

 noon before the procession set out. During the progress all was 

 gaiety and joy among the soldiers and spectators : and such was the 

 respect in which the French nation still held the name and person of 

 their king, that the multitude were superstitiously persuaded that 

 the royal presence would actually put an end to the famine. On 

 his arrival, the king was congratulated by the municipality, and de- 

 clared his approbation of che loyalty which the city of Paris mani- 

 fested. 



The spirit of the nation was so entirely averse from the principles 

 of the high aristocratic party, that numbers of them, particularly the 



Vol. I. 3 B 



