370 FRANCE. 



king's two brothers, and some of the first rank and fortune, took refuge 

 in foreign countries, where they applied themselves indefatigably to 

 the purpose of exciting war against their country. 



Great preparations were made for the celebration of a grand con- 

 federation ; in which the representatives of the nation, the king, the 

 soldiery, and ail who were in ostensible situations, should solemnly, 

 and in the face of the whole nation, renew their oaths of fidelity to 

 the new constitution ; and this confederation was decreed to take 

 place on the 14th of July, 1790, in honour of the taking of the Bas- 

 tile, and of the first establishment of Gallic liberty. The Champ, de 

 Mars, so famous for having been the rendezvous of the troops which 

 in the preceding year were intended to over-awe the capital, was 

 chosen for this solemnity. This piece of ground, which is about 400 

 toises (or 800 yards) in diameter, is bounded on the right and left by 

 lofty trees, and commands at the further extremity a view of the 

 Military Academy. In the middle of this vast plain an altar was 

 erected for the purpose of administering the civil oath ; and round 

 it an immense amphitheatre was thrown up, of a league in circum- 

 ference, and capable of containing 400,000 spectators. The entrance 

 was through triumphal arches. The king's throne was placed under 

 an elegant pavilion in the middle, and on each side of it were seats 

 for the members' of the national assembly. 



The important 14th of July at length arrived. The national guards 

 of the departments, distinguished by their respective standards, the 

 battalions of infantry, and the different troops of cavalry, the marine 

 of France, and the foreigners who served under its banners, being 

 arrange d in military order, the king and the national assembly took a 

 solemn oath to maintain the constitution ; the armed citizens repeated 

 it amongst the applauses of innumerable spectators. They swore to 

 live free, or die ; and this oath was taken on the same day through 

 the whole extent of the kingdom. <$ 



The escape of the king and queen with their infant children, and 

 monsieur and madame, on the 20th of June, 1791, menaced France 

 with the convulsions of anarchy and the horrors of civil war. The 

 route of the royal fugitives, which had been expected to have been 

 towards the Austrian Netherlands, the nearest frontier of the king- 

 dom, was in fact directed towards Metz ; from the presence of so 

 gallant and accomplished a royalist as M. de Bouille in that quarter, 

 from its vicinity to the prince of Conde's army in Germany, and from 

 the probable reluctance of Leopold to hazard the tranquillity of his 

 Netherlands by permitting any incursion from them into France.— 

 They reached St. Menehould, a small town about 150 miles from 

 Paris. The king was there recognised by the postillion, who said to 

 him, " Mon roi, jc voits cannais, ?nais je ne vous trahirai fias." "I 

 know you, my king, but I will not betray you." But the post-master, 

 M. Drouet, less full of monarchic prejudice, adopted a different con- 

 duct. He avoided, with great dexterity and presence of mind, betray- 

 ing his knowledge of the rank of the royal travellers, being much 

 struck with the resemblance which his majesty's countenance bore 

 to his effigy on an assignat of fifty livres. The carriages taking the 

 road to Varennes, he went a cross road to rejoin them ; and arriving 

 before them at Varennes, he alarmed the town and assembled the 

 national guards, who, notwithstanding the detachment of hussars by 

 which they were escorted, disarmed them, and the King was then 

 made a prisoner ; and at six o'clock in the afternoon of the 25th of 



