FRA 
commons on the 17th of the f.ime month, when they fird 
took the oaths, as illegal and unconditutional; and it 
fini(hed by declaring that the faloon, which hitherto had 
been opened, fhould be clofed to the public in general. 
A fecond declaration followed the firtt, in which the king 
announced all the favours which it was his intention to 
grant to his people; and concluded with, “ I may truly 
day that no king has ever done fo much for any nation 
whatfoever ; but what l'ubjefts can have merited fo much 
from their natural difpofition as my own ?” This decla¬ 
ration confided of thirty-five articles, all of the utmoft 
importance ; taxes, loans, the aftual date of the finances, 
the fums allotted to different departments for the 
maintenance of the king’s houfehold, the confolidation of 
the public debt ; and the abolition of the pecuniary pri¬ 
vileges of the clergy and nobility ; lettres de cachet, li¬ 
berty of the prefs, of commerce, code civil and criminal, 
perfonal liberty, equality of impods, with the edabliih- 
ment of provincial dates, were points on which his ma- 
jedy exprefled his wifhes and his will. In addrefiing the 
adembly, he added, “If you abandon Me in this honour¬ 
able enterprife, I alone will edablilh the happinefsof thy 
people ; it is feldom perhaps that the foie ambition of a fove- 
veign is to prevail on his liibjefts to receive his favours.” 
On retiring, the king commanded the three orders to 
feparate immediately, and the next morning to aflemble 
each in its refpeftive chamber. The clergy, with the 
exception of a few, and the nobility, in obedience to the 
royal injunction, quitted indantly the falcon ; but the 
commons dill remained, and debated with firmnefs on the 
meafures likely to avert the dedruftion with which they 
declared themfelves menaced from the intrigues of the 
court. Hence the interpofition of the royal authority was 
not attended with the eftefts that had been fondly ex- 
pedted ; and every circumdance, however trifling, ferved 
to agitate and inflame the minds of the people ; the court 
and the capital began to divide into two parties; thofe who 
adhered to the pretenfions of the clergy and nobility were 
didinguiflied by the title of ariflocra.ts ; while thofe who 
declared themfelves on the fide of the people were digma- 
tized by the name of democrats. The lowering coun¬ 
tenances of the Parifians foretold the horrors of the im¬ 
pending dorm ; while the prifons were forced, and the 
mod daring felons let loofe upon the public. Thus the 
threatening clouds gathered on every fide ; the vveaknefs 
of the royal councils, the boldnefs of the commons, and 
the frantic rage of the people, all demanded indant inter- 
podtion, and tfie mod decitive magnanimity : but it was 
the misfortune of the court of Verfailles no longer to in- 
fpire confidence among the higher orders, or terror 
among the people. To add to the mifchief, the ungene¬ 
rous duke of Orleans, in concert with about fifty of the 
nobility, on the 25th June, joined the national adembly ; 
and endeavoured to take a decided part in thofe violent 
commotions which threatened to diake the kingdom to its 
very foundation. The people were not indifferent to this 
untimely indance of his proffered zeal ; and they be¬ 
llowed on him the title of Prince of Patriots. In the 
mean while the clergy and nobility publifhed their refo- 
lution to adhere to the royal declaration of the 23d ; but 
whether the influence of M. Necker prevailed, or that the 
king yielded to his natural timidity and defire of peace, 
in a letter that his majedy addreffed to the two privileged 
orders, after adoring them how fendble he was of their 
fidelity in accepting his declaration, he added, that in the 
prefent fituation of affairs, it was his wifh that they fhould 
accede to the refolution of the tiers etat. This celebrated 
junftion took place on the 27th of June; and the re-union 
of the different orders infpired the court, then at Ver¬ 
failles, with the mod lively hopes of tranquillity ; but 
thofe hopes were foon bladed by the uncontroulable li- 
cer.tioufnefs of the people. Large bodies of troops were 
directed to march towards Paris ; a confiderable camp was 
formed near the gates of the capital ; the avenues to Ver¬ 
failles were guarded by a train of artillery ; numerous fecu 
N C E. 767 
tinels were planted round the palace ; and marefchal 
Broglio, grown grey in the wars of Germany, was fum- 
moned to < umtnand the forces aflembled in the didrift of 
the Ide of France. But thefe hodile preparations neither 
eluded the vigilance of the national adembly, nor were 
beheld with indifference by the citizens of Paris. The 
former contented themfelves with addreffing his majedy 
to withdraw thofe troops which filled with apprehenfions 
the minds of his faithful fubjefts; but the latter, impa¬ 
tient of controul, had already proceeded to afts of vio¬ 
lence, and liberated by force fome foldiers of the French 
guards, who had been confined for diforderly behaviour. 
The fcarcity with which France was affiifted, and the 
confequent high price of corn, added to the tumults 
which daily difgraced the dreets of Paris; and it was at 
this moment, when the greated addrefs was necedary to 
footh the difcontented multitude, that the court ven¬ 
tured on a meafure as unpopular as it was impolitic. On 
tlie nth of July, M. Necker, who had fo long enjoyed 
the confidence of the public, received the royal man¬ 
date to quit fuddenly the kingdom. The fird intelligence 
of his departure filled Paris with condernation ; he was 
confidered as a facrifice to the patriotic fentiments he 
had avowed ; the people regarded his exile as the fird 
fiep to the fubverfion of their freedom ; the exchange 
was dint; the public fpeftacles were fufpended ; and 
the crowds that aflembled tumultuoufly in the dreets of 
Paris proclaimed aloud their indignation. Their fury 
blazed out with open violence ; the bells were founded 
on every fide as fignals for the citizens to arm: for the 
licentioufnefs of the rabble, who during the night had 
pillaged feveral houfes, feemed to authorize this meafure. 
The city, to facilitate theeleftionof deputies, had been 
divided into fixty didrifts; and the eleftors, on the fil'd, 
alarm, repaired to their refpeftive departments; they 
were clafled into different regiments, they affumed a 
cockade of various colours which was now fird dignified 
with the title of national-, while the court, whofe verfa- 
tility had provoked the infurreftion, feemed lod in aflo- 
nifhmentat itsprogrefs. 
The national affembly were no fooner informed of the 
diforders which raged through the capital, than they dif- 
patched a numerous deputation to the king, to reprefent 
their concern, and the dangers which threatened the 
date. The favourites, who had defpifed in a moment of 
tranquillity the rage of the populace, now trembled for 
their perfonal fafety ; the anfwer from the throne was 
conceived in terms the mod fatisfaftory ; the king af- 
fured the deputies that he would withdraw the troops 
from the environs of the capital; that he dedred his in¬ 
tentions might be made known to the Parifians ; and 
that, to maintain the public order, he permitted the ci¬ 
tizens to form themfelves into a militia, while he himfelf 
would feleft the proper officers to command them. But, 
before Paris could be affured of the favourable intentions 
of her fovereign, her dreets were ftained with blood; 
the royal regiment of Allemand, commanded by the 
prince de Lambefc, had been dationed in the gardens of 
the Thuilleries ; but the colonel, apprehenfive that the 
increafing numbers of the people might preclude his re¬ 
treat, gave orders to his foldiers to force their way through 
the crowd ; in this attempt, the prince is reported to have 
wounded an unarmed citizen. This incident awakened 
the fury of the people; the regiment of Allemand was 
attacked by every weapon that indant fury could fupply. 
The French guards interpofed; but it was not without 
fome lofs that Lambefc fecured the retreat of his regi¬ 
ment. 
The mob, elated by fuccefs, precipitated themfelves on 
the Hotel of Invalids ; they there poifeded themfelves of 
30,000 fufils; while the guards, that might have defended 
this important dore, waited in vain the orders of their ge¬ 
neral, M. de Bezenval. This delay confirmed the courage 
of the populace ; they now prefled forward to the Raf. 
tile, and devoted to indant dedruction that celebrated 
iortrefs 
