1804:) _ 
Dauphin, who was feverifh, and much 
fatigued with the journey. The Queen, 
whole prefénce of mind and fenfe of dig- 
nity never forfook her, catched the packet 
in the air, and exclaiming, ‘* What, Sire, 
‘would you flain the Dauphin with this 1” 
threw it on the floor. 
The packet was picked up, and again 
prefented to the King, who, on opening 
it, after a moment’s filence, {aid aloud— 
“« The perjured monfters! they dare to 
arreft their King—(Quot, les parjures ! 
ils ofent arreter leur Rot.) 
Then turning to the people afflembled 
about him, he pronounced, witha feeling 
and an air capable to have touched a 
heart of ftone, thefe words, ‘4. Your King 
a prifoner !—(Votre Roi prifonnier 1)” 
Addrefling himfelf next to the aides-du- 
camp of La Fayette, he faid, «* J well 
dnew that there were in my kingdom 
traitors aud prodigies of uickednefs ; but 
{ could newer have believed xor imagined 
that any body of men could have been fa 
fofi to every thing that is facred amongft 
men, as to hie arrefied their Sovereign.” 
The aides-du-camp were afkected, even 
to tears, at this {peech; and, with the 
ftrongeft expreflions of dutiful refpeét and 
attachment to the Royal Family, declared 
that at that very moment, perhaps, Paris 
was a prey to fire and fword, when the 
people began to fear that they had loft the 
mott upright, the beft of kings ; and urg- 
ed the abfolute neceffity for the King’s 
inftant return to the capical.* 
Their Majetties, untouched by the art- 
ful language of thefe gentlemen, turned 
away ; obferving, that the tears and pro- 
teftations of men who had broken every 
engagement, even the molt facred oaths, 
were bur litt!e calculated to move them : 
adding, that a'l that thefe officers had now 
todo, was to pay due retpect tothe orders 
of their King ; for that he was determin- 
ed inftantly to proce-d te. Montmedy, 
The King immediately direed M. de 
Mouftier to put the hortes to his carriage; 
but the national guards endeavoured, with 
their arms, to obitruét his paffige, ufing 
at the fame time the moit unbecoming 
language, 
M. de Mouflier, feeling too ftronsly 
theduty he had te difeharge tor his unfor- 
tunate mafter, and {peaking to the guards 
in that tone which a fenle of dury can 
* Thefe two aides-du-camp were, Bailion, 
formerly. an officer in the corps of engineers, 
and Romeufs, a young man of great property, | 
whofe exterior was as fair and handfeme, as 
bis interior was foul and deformed, - 
rb 
Journey of Louis XVI. from Paris to Varennes. 327 
alone in{pire, forced his way through the 
crowd, ard made for the ftables of the 
poft-houfe. He entered two, where no 
horles were to be found: and after hav- 
ing in vain infifted that they thould be 
produced, he returned to the King, to ac- 
quaint him with what had pafled, but coc. 
cealing the abominable difcourfes he had 
heard without doors. 
Their Majeftics, who appeared to be 
much more anxious for the welfare of 
thofe perfons who had the happinefs to 
belong to them, than for their own {afety:, 
when they faw that it was impoflible to 
continue the journey, were folely occu- 
pied in devifing means to favour the efcape 
of the three Couriers. 
Thefe officers, on the other hand, had 
no other with than that, by thedding their 
blood in the caufe of their royal matter, 
and his afflicted family, they might un- 
equivocally demonftrate to the world, thae 
unhappy France ftill poffefled fome men 
who lrad_ not renounced their duty and al- 
legiance to the belt of princes. 
Princefs Elizabeth contrived, in a way 
not obferved by the crowd in the cham- 
ber, to flip into M. de Movftier’s pocket 
fome rouleaux of Louis-d’or, together 
with her own purfe. 
M. de Mouftier could neither return 
the money to the Princefs, nor even afk 
why it was thus given to him. He fear- 
ed, indeed, that he or his companions had 
had the misfortune unknowingly to give 
fome offence to the Royal Family, and 
that therefore they wifhed him and the 
others tobe gone. In copfequence ef this 
he took the firft opportunity that prefent- 
ed itfelf to conjure their Majetties to 
giant him yet one faveur. , 
ss Alas! (faid they,) «what can we 
now do for you; fay, what do you 
wifh ?” ; 
“ The favour (rejoined M, de Mow™ 
tier,) of being permitted fill to hold even 
the meaneft fituation about -your facred 
perfons—among your houfehold fervants— 
never more to leave you. As it is nO 
longer in my power to ferve you in my an- 
lizary capacity, I hall confider myfplf ten- 
Sold happter in the moft bumble pation, 
than I fhould be in fling the moft exalted, 
in other times and tn other circumpfances.’” 
Their reply was, after a fhort paufe, 
*€ No, 20, you /ball never leave us.” 
The national guards during all this , 
time, notwithftanding repeated orders to 
withdraw, had the indecent infolence to 
remain, not at the door, but in the middle 
of the room where the Royal Family were 
detained. ; 
Fe M. de 
