FRA 
hundreds of the moft licentious and daring of the rabble, 
chiefly women, collefted from the markets and public 
halls, armed with flaves, pikes, and every weapon that 
their fury could fupply, poured forth from their fecret 
lurking places. They fnrrounded the Hotel de Ville, 
forced the doors, and p.ofTefled themfelves of the arms. 
Their numbers were foon (welled to feveral thoufands, 
furnifhed with fufils and piftols, fwords and poignards, 
lances and hatchets, and dragging two pieces of cannon. 
Thefe lawlefs infurgents, animated by a furvey of their 
flrength, took the road to Verfailles. On their route 
they compelled the different paflengers whom they met, 
and efpecially the women, to mingle in their train. Ter¬ 
ror and difmay preceded their van ; the villages through 
which they paflVd were deferted ; the (hops and houfes 
were flint on their approach ; and the few inhabitants 
who remained were happy to redeem themfelves from 
pillage by a liberal diftribution of bread and wine. In¬ 
toxicated with rage and liquor, the frantic crowd about 
half after three o’clock precipitated themfelves on Ver¬ 
failles. The king that morning was engaged in the 
amufements of the chace, when lie was firlt informed of 
the march of the infurgents; he inftantly returned to the 
caflle, and arrived a quarter of an hour before the appear¬ 
ance of the hoftile rabble ; yet far from regarding their 
difpofitions as really dangerous ; to the prince of Lux¬ 
embourg, the captain of the guard, who enquired if his 
majefly had any orders to give; he replied with a fmile, 
“ What, for women f you furely jeft.” 
The national aflembly w>as engaged in difcufling the 
anfwer of the king to the articles of the conflitution. His 
majefly had acceded to them, on the condition that the 
executive power fltould remain whole and undiminiflied 
in his hands. But this refervation was far from meeting the 
general approbation. It wasobferved, that though the king 
had acceded to them, he had not accepted them ; it 
was propofed, that lie fliould (wear to obferve them in the 
prefence of the aflembly ; and, amidlt this diverfity of opi¬ 
nion, the fatal entertainment of the firft of October, the 
fource of fo many fufpicions, was introduced into debate. 
While the deputies were agitating this queflion, M. Mou- 
nier, the prefident, communicated the intelligence that an 
armed mob of thirty or forty thoufand people were on 
their march from Paris. On this news the affembly re- 
folved that the prefident fhould inftantly wait upon the 
king to obtain a pure and fimple acceptation of the ar¬ 
ticles of the conflitution ; and were already prepared to 
break up, w hen they were interrupted by the unwelcome 
prefence of the infurgents. They prefented themfelves 
with loud cries and imprecations at the doors of the af¬ 
fembly, and threatened to force the guards that defended 
them. To avoid this extremity, it was decreed by a ma¬ 
jority of voices to permit them to enter; they immediately 
prefled forwards, and the benches were inftantly occu¬ 
pied by a crowd of women ftained with dull and fweat, deaf 
to reafon, inflamed with liquor, and infatiate of blood. 
Two men, who afl'ume-d the tone of authority, ap¬ 
peared at their head. They firftaddrelfed the aflembly, 
and informed them that they were come from Paris 
for bread and money ; and at the fame time to punifh 
the gardes-du-corps, who had infulted the national 
cockade. That like good patriots they had on their route 
taken away all the white and black cockades that they 
had meet with; and, drawing one out of his pocket, 
he concluded with oblerving, “ that he would have the 
pieafure of tearing it to pieces in the prefence of that af¬ 
fembly.” His allociate added, that they would compel 
every one to wear the national cockade. A murmur of 
difcontent at this expreflion fpread itfelf through the af¬ 
fembly ; which only produced from the lawlefs orator 
the exclamation of “What! are we not all brethren?” while 
the prefident, fenfible of the danger w hich impended over 
him, condefcended Jto anfwer in terms of the mildefl ex pof- 
tulation. This dialogue was interrupted by the tunuiItu- 
cus cries of the women, who demanded will) menacing 
Vol. VII. No. 467. 
N C E, 773 
geflures, bread for themfelves, and for Paris. In vain 
did M. Mounier reprefent the conftant attention of the af¬ 
fembly to their dirtrefs; in vain did he hold up the flat¬ 
tering profpedf of future relief, and intreat them to retire 
in peace ; his promifes and folicitations were equally dis¬ 
regarded ; and the national aflembly, difmayed by the 
menacing voice of the infurgents, fought only to avert 
deftruftion by the moft degrading compliances. 
The majority confirmed again the decree refpedfing the 
articles of the conflitution ; they appointed once more the 
prefident, accompanied by a deputation, to wait on the 
king to obtain not only bis acceptation of thofe articles, 
but alio his afliftance in relieving Paris, and allaying that 
fcarcity which threatened the moft fatal confequences •. 
but at the moment that the prefident rofe to depart, the 
women who furreunded him proclaimed their intention 
of accompanying him to the king; and it was with the 
greateft difficulty that he could prevail on them to limit 
their de/nand to fix of their number. 
The picture which this motley deputation prefentedj, 
and the embarraffments which attended it, cannot be bet¬ 
ter defcribed than from the pen of tlie prefident himfelf : 
“ We were,” fays he, “ on foot, expofed to the mud and 
a heavy rain. A crowd of the inhabitants of Verfailles 
lined on each fide the avenue that conducted to the caftle; 
the women from Paris were formed into different groupes, 
mingled with a number of men, for the moft part covered, 
with rags, their countenances fierce, their geftures me¬ 
nacing, and raifing the moft terrible howlings. They 
were armed with fufils, old pikes, hatchets, ftavesguarded 
with iron, and long poles, having at the end the blades of 
fwords or knives. Small detachments of the gardes-du- 
corps formed the patroles ; and palled on full gallop, 
amidft the cries and hides of the populace. We ad¬ 
vanced,” continues M. Mounier ; “ and another party of 
men, armed alfo with pikes, and hatchets, and ftaves, 
approached to elcort the deputation. The ftrange and 
numerous train by which the deputies were followed, 
was miftaken for a crowd of the infurgents. The 
gardes-du-corps charged acrofs us. We were iifperfed 
in the mud ; vve however rallied again, and proceeded 
towards the caftle. We there found the gardes-du- 
corps, a detachment of dragoons, the regiment of Flan¬ 
ders, the Swifs guards, the invalids, and the militia of 
Verfailles, ranged in order of battle. We made ourfelves 
known, and were received with refpeft ; we traverfed the 
lines ; and it was with difficulty that we could prevent 
the crowd that had followed us from entering with us ; 
but in the place of fix women, to whom I had promifed 
admittance into the caftle, I was obliged to introduce 
twelve.” 
It was halfpaft five, and a day the moft wet and dreary, 
which had given place to a night the moft dark and inauf- 
picious ; when the prefident of the national affembly, 
efcorted by fifteen deputies, and twelve women of the 
dregs of Paris, entered into the royal prefer,ce, and paint¬ 
ed to his majefly the diftrefs of his capital. The king 
anfwered in the language of fenftbility, and with every 
alfiirance of prompt and effectual fuccour. Satisfied on 
thisfubje£t,M Mounier ft ill folicited that fome hour might 
be appointed to underftand bis majefty’s definitive anfwer 
to tlie articles of the conflitution, and the rights of men 
and citizens. The king named nine; and retired to his 
cabinet to confult with Iris minifters on tIre difficulties 
which prefented themfelves. It was not till ten that this 
important deliberation was brought to a conclufion ; M. 
Mounier, who remained in waiting, was then called m, 
and received from the hands of his fovereign his accepta¬ 
tion pure and fimple. 
But the triumph of the prefident was of fliort duration.; 
the multitude, whofe fury had been excited by the flings 
of hunger, felt themfelves but little interefted in the prof- 
pet! of future freedom, while the diftrefs of the moment 
threatened inevitable deftruifion. Famine ftill appeared 
before their eyes in its moft hideous form. And when 
