the memoirs of marie antoinette-第74部分

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ng　what　was　called　the　noblesse；　but　whose　self…devotion　ennobled　them　at　once。　　They　were　all　so　badly　armed　that　even　in　that　situation　the　indomitable　French　liveliness　indulged　in　jests。　　M。　de　Saint…Souplet；　one　of　the　King's　equerries；　and　a　page；　carried　on　their　shoulders　instead　of　muskets　the　tongs　belonging　to　the　King's　antechamber；　which　they　had　broken　and　divided　between　them。　　Another　page；　who　had　a　pocket…pistol　in　his　hand；　stuck　the　end　of　it　against　the　back　of　the　person　who　stood　before　him；　and　who　begged　he　would　be　good　enough　to　rest　it　elsewhere。　　A　sword　and　a　pair　of　pistols　were　the　only　arms　of　those　who　had　had　the　precaution　to　provide　themselves　with　arms　at　all。　　Meanwhile；　the　numerous　bands　from　the　faubourgs；　armed　with　pikes　and　cutlasses；　filled　the　Carrousel　and　the　streets　adjacent　to　the　Tuileries。　　The　sanguinary　Marseillais　were　at　their　head；　with　cannon　pointed　against　the　Chateau。　　In　this　emergency　the　King's　Council　sent　M。　Dejoly；　the　Minister　of　Justice；　to　the　Assembly　to　request　they　would　send　the　King　a　deputation　which　might　serve　as　a　safeguard　to　the　executive　power。　　His　ruin　was　resolved　on；　they　passed　to　the　order　of　the　day。　　At　eight　o'clock　the　department　repaired　to　the　Chateau。　　The　procureur…syndic；　seeing　that　the　guard　within　was　ready　to　join　the　assailants；　went　into　the　King's　closet　and　requested　to　speak　to　him　in　private。　　The　King　received　him　in　his　chamber；　the　Queen　was　with　him。　　There　M。　Roederer　told　him　that　the　King；　all　his　family；　and　the　people　about　them　would　inevitably　perish　unless　his　Majesty　immediately　determined　to　go　to　the　National　Assembly。　The　Queen　at　first　opposed　this　advice；　but　the　procureur…syndic　told　her　that　she　rendered　herself　responsible　for　the　deaths　of　the　King；　her　children；　and　all　who　were　in　the　palace。　　She　no　longer　objected。　　The　King　then　consented　to　go　to　the　Assembly。　　As　he　set　out；　he　said　to　the　minister　and　persons　who　surrounded　him；　〃Come；　gentlemen；　there　is　nothing　more　to　be　done　here。〃

　　　　　＇The　King　hesitated；　the　Queen　manifested　the　highest　　　　　　dissatisfaction。　　'What！'　said　she；'　are　we　alone；　is　there　nobody　　　　　　who　can　act？''Yes；　Madame；　alone；　action　is　uselessresistance　is　　　　　　impossible。'　One　of　the　members　of　the　department；　M。　Gerdrot；　　　　　　insisted　on　the　prompt　execution　of　the　proposed　measure。　　'Silence；　　　　　　monsieur；'　said　the　Queen　to　him；　'silence；　you　are　the　only　person　　　　　　who　ought　to　be　silent　here；　when　the　mischief　is　done；　those　who　　　　　　did　it　should　not　pretend　to　wish　to　remedy　it。'　。　　。　　。

　　　　　〃The　King　remained　mute；　nobody　spoke。　　It　was　reserved　for　me　to　　　　　　give　the　last　piece　of　advice。　　I　had　the　firmness　to　say；　'Let　us　　　　　　go；　and　not　deliberate；　honour　commands　it；　the　good　of　the　State　　　　　　requires　it。　　Let　us　go　to　the　National　Assembly；　this　step　ought　to　　　　　　have　been　taken　long　ago：　'Let　us　go；'　said　the　King；　raising　his　　　　　　right　hand；　'let　us　start；　let　us　give　this　last　mark　of　self…　　　　　　devotion；　since　it　is　necessary。'　　The　Queen　was　persuaded。　　Her　　　　　　first　anxiety　was　for　the　King；　the　second　for　her　son；　the　King　had　　　　　　none。　　'M。　Roederergentlemen；'　said　the　Queen；　'you　answer　for　the　　　　　　person　of　the　King；　you　answer　for　that　of　my　son。''Madame；'　　　　　　replied　M。　Roederer；　'we　pledge　ourselves　to　die　at　your　side；　that　　　　　　is　all　we　can　engage　for。'〃MONTJOIE；　〃History　of　Marie　　　　　　Antoinette。〃＇

The　Queen　said　to　me　as　she　left　the　King's　chamber；　〃Wait　in　my　apartments；　I　will　come　to　you；　or　I　will　send　for　you　to　go　I　know　not　whither。〃　　She　took　with　her　only　the　Princesse　de　Lamballe　and　Madame　de　Tourzel。　　The　Princesse　de　Tarente　and　Madame　de　la　Roche…Aymon　were　inconsolable　at　being　left　at　the　Tuileries；　they；　and　all　who　belonged　to　the　chamber；　went　down　into　the　Queen's　apartments。

We　saw　the　royal　family　pass　between　two　lines　formed　by　the　Swiss　grenadiers　and　those　of　the　battalions　of　the　Petits…Peres　and　the　Filles　Saint　Thomas。　　They　were　so　pressed　upon　by　the　crowd　that　during　that　short　passage　the　Queen　was　robbed　of　her　watch　and　purse。　　A　man　of　great　height　and　horrible　appearance；　one　of　such　as　were　to　be　seen　at　the　head　of　all　the　insurrections；　drew　near　the　Dauphin；　whom　the　Queen　was　leading　by　the　hand；　and　took　him　up　in　his　arms。　　The　Queen　uttered　a　scream　of　terror；　and　was　ready　to　faint。　　The　man　said　to　her；　〃Don't　be　frightened；　I　will　do　him　no　harm；　〃　and　he　gave　him　back　to　her　at　the　entrance　of　the　chamber。

I　leave　to　history　all　the　details　of　that　too　memorable　day；　confining　myself　to　recalling　a　few　of　the　frightful　scenes　acted　in　the　interior　of　the　Tuileries　after　the　King　had　quitted　the　palace。

The　assailants　did　not　know　that　the　King　and　his　family　had　betaken　themselves　to　the　Assembly；　and　those　who　defended　the　palace　from　the　aide　of　the　courts　were　equally　ignorant　of　it。　　It　is　supposed　that　if　they　had　been　aware　of　the　fact　the　siege　would　never　have　taken　place。

　　　　　＇In　reading　of　the　events　of　the　l0th　of　August；　1792；　the　reader　　　　　　must　remember　that　there　was　hardly　any　armed　force　to　resist　the　　　　　　mob。　　The　regiments　that　had　shown　signs　of　being　loyal　to　the　King　　　　　　had　been　removed　from　Paris　by　the　Assembly。　　The　Swiss　had　been　　　　　　deprived　of　their　own　artillery；　and　the　Court　had　sent　one　of　their　　　　　　battalions　into　Normandy　at　a　time　when　there　was　an　idea　of　taking　　　　　　refuge　there。　　The　National　Guard　were　either　disloyal　or　　　　　　disheartened；　and　the　gunners；　especially　of　that　force　at　the　　　　　　Tuileries；　sympathised　with　the　mob。　　Thus　the　King　had　about　800　or　　　　　　900　Swiss　and　little　more　than　one　battalion　of　the　National　Guard。　　　　　　Mandat；　one　of　the　six　heads　of　the　legions　of　the　National　Guard；　　　　　　to　whose　turn　the　command　fell　on　that　day；　was　true　to　his　duty；　　　　　　but　was　sent　for　to　the　Hote1　de　Ville　and　assassinated。　　Still　the　　　　　　small　force；　even　after　the　departure　of　the　King；　would　have　　　　　　probably　beaten　off　the　mob　had　not　the　King　given　the　fatal　order　　　　　　to　the　Swiss　to　cease　firing。　　（See　Thiers's　〃Revolution　Francaise；〃　　　　　　vol。　　i。；　chap。　　xi。）　Bonaparte's　opinion　of　the　mob　may　be　judged　　　　　　by　his　remarks　on　the　20th　June；　1792；　when；　disgusted　at　seeing　the　　　　　　King　appear　with　the　red　cap　on　his　head；　he　exclaimed；　〃Che　　　　　　coglione！　　Why　have　they　let　in　all　that　rabble？　　Why　don't　they　　　　　　sweep　off　400　or　500　of　them　with　the　cannon？　　The　rest　would　then　　　　　　set　off。〃　　（〃Bourrienne；〃　vol。　i。；　p。13；　Bentley；　London；　1836。）　　　　　　Bonaparte　carried　out　his　own　plan　against　a　far　stronger　force　of　　　　　　assailants　on　the　Jour　des　Sections；　4th　October；　1795。＇

The　Marseillais　began　by　driving　from　their　posts　several　Swiss；　who　yielded　without　resistance；　a　few　of　the　assailants　fired　upon　them；　some　of　the　Swiss　officers；　seeing　their　men　fall；　and　perhaps　thinking　the　King　was　still　at　the　Tuileries；　gave　the　word　to　a　whole　battalion　to　fire。　　The　aggressors　were　thrown　into　disorder；　and　the　Carrousel　was　cleared　in　a　moment；　but　they　soon　returned；　spurred　on　by　rage　and　revenge。　　The　Swiss　were　but　eight　hundred　strong；　they　fell　back　into　the　interior　of　the　Chateau；　some　of　the　doors　were　battered　in　by　the　guns；　others　broken　through　with　hatchets；　the　populace　rushed　from　all　quarters　into　the　interior　of　the　palace；　almost　all　the　Swiss　were　massacred；　the　nobles；　flying　through　the　gallery　which　leads　to　the　Louvre；　were　either　stabbed　or　shot；　and　the　bodies　thrown　out　of　the　windows。

M。　Pallas　and　M。　de　Marchais；　ushers　of　the　King's　chamber；　were　killed　in　defending　the　door　of　the　council　chamber；　many　others　of　the　King's　servants　fell　victims　to　their　fidelity。　　I　mention　these　two　persons　in　particular　because；　with　their　hats　pulled　over　their　brows　and　their　swords　in　their　hands；　they　exclaimed；　as　they　defended　themselves　with　unavailing　courage；　〃We　will　not　survive！this　is　our　post；　our　duty　is　to　die　at　it。〃　　M。　Diet　behaved　in　the　same　manner　at　the　door　of　the　Queen's　bedchamber；　he　experienced　the　same　fate。　　The　Princesse　de　Tarente　had　fortunately　opened　the　door　of　the　apartments；　otherwise；　the　dreadful　band　seeing　several　women　collected　in　the　Queen's　salon　would　have　fancied　she　was　among　us；　and　would　have　immediately　massacred　us　had　we　resisted　them。　　We　were；　indeed；　all　about　to　perish；　when　a　man　with　a　long　beard　came　up；　exclaiming；　in　the　name　of　Potion；　〃Spare　the　women；　don't　dishonour　the　nation！〃　　A　particular　circumstance　placed　me　in　greater　danger　than　the　others。　　In　my　confusion　I　imagined；　a　moment　before　the　assailants　entered　the　Queen's　apartments；　that　my　sister　was　not　among　the　group　of　women　collected　there；　and　I　went　up　into　an　'entresol'；　where　I　supposed　she　had　taken　refuge；　to　induce　her　to　come　down；　fancying　it　safer　that　we　should　not　be　separated。　　I　did　not　find　her　in　the　room　in　question；　I　saw　there　only　our　two　femmes　de　chambre　and　one　of　the　Queen's　two　heyducs；　a　man　of　great　height　and　military　aspect。　　I　saw　that　he　was　pale；　and　sitting　on　a　bed。　　I　cried　out　to　him；　〃Fly！　the　footmen　and　our　people　are　already　safe。〃〃I　cannot；〃　said　the　man　to　me；　〃I　am　dying　of　fear。〃　　As　he　spoke　I　heard　a　number　of　men　rushing　hastily　up　the　staircase；　they　threw　themselves　upon　him；　and　I　saw　him　assassinated。

I　ran　towards　the　staircase；　followed　by　our　women。　　The　murderers　left　the　heyduc　to　come　to　me。　　The　women　threw　themselves　at　their　feet；　and　held　their　sabres。　　The　narrowness　of　the　staircase　impeded　the　assassins；　but　I　had　already　felt　a　horrid　hand　thrust　into　my　back　to　seize　me　by　my　clothes；　when　some　one　called　out　from　the　bottom　of　the　staircase；　〃What　are　you　doing　above　there？　　We　don't　kill　women。〃　　I　was　on　my　knees；　my　executioner　quitted　his　hold　of　me；　and　said；　〃Get　up；　you　jade；　the　nation　pardons　you。〃

The　brutality　of　these　words　did　not　prevent　my　suddenly　experiencing　an　indescribable　feeling　which　partook　almost　equally　of　the　love　of　life　and　the　idea　that　I　was　going　to　see　my　son；　and　all　that　was　dear　to　me；　again。　　A　moment　before　I　had　thought　less　of　death　than　of　the　pain　which　the　steel；　suspended　over　my　head；　would　occasion　me。　　Death　is　seldom　seen　so　clos