Burgundy had always been restless and easily excited.  It was at Dijon that the insurrection began; on the 20th of April, the peasantry moved upon the town and smashed the furniture of a councillor in the Maupeou Parliament, who was accused of monopoly; they were already overflowing the streets; exasperated by the cruel answer of the governor, M. de la Tour du Pin:  “You want something to eat?  Go and graze; the grass is just coming up.”  The burgesses trembled in their houses; the bishop threw himself in the madmen’s way and succeeded in calming them with his exhortations.  The disturbance had spread to Pontoise; there the riot broke out on the 1st of May, the market was pillaged; and the 2d, at Versailles, a mob collected under the balcony of the castle.  Everywhere ruffians of sinister appearance mingled with the mob, exciting its passions and urging it to acts of violence:  the same men, such as are only seen in troublous days, were at the same time scouring Brie, Soissonnais, Vexin, and Upper Normandy; already barns had been burned and wheat thrown into the river; sacks of flour were ripped to pieces before the king’s eyes, at Versailles.  In his excitement and dismay he promised the mob that the bread-rate should for the future be fixed at two sous; the rioters rushed to Paris.

M. Turgot had been confined to his bed for some months by an attack of gout; the Paris bakers’ shops had already been pillaged; the rioters had entered simultaneously by several gates, badly guarded; only one bakery, the owner of which had taken the precaution of putting over the door a notice with shop to let on it, had escaped the madmen.  The comptroller-general had himself put into his carriage and driven to Versailles:  at his advice the king withdrew his rash concession; the current price of bread was maintained.  “No firing upon them,” Louis XVI. insisted.  The lieutenant of police, Lenoir, had shown weakness and inefficiency; Marshal Biron was intrusted with the repression of the riot.  He occupied all the main thoroughfares and cross-roads; sentries were placed at the bakers’ doors; those who had hidden themselves were compelled to bake.  The octroi dues on grain were at the same time suspended at all the markets; wheat was already going down; when the Parisians went out of doors to see the riot, they couldn’t find any.  “Well done, general in command of the flour (general des farina),” said the tremblers, admiring the military arrangements of Marshal Biron.

The Parliament had caused to be placarded a decree against street assemblies, at the same time requesting the king to lower the price of bread.  The result was deplorable; the severe resolution, of the council was placarded beside the proclamation of the Parliament; the magistrates were summoned to Versailles.  The prosecution of offenders was forbidden them; it was intrusted to the provost’s department.  “The proceedings of the brigands appear to be combined,” said the keeper of the seals; “their