And now, a man of head being at the centre of it, the whole matter gets vital.  Swift, to Camp of Sablons; to secure the Artillery, there are not twenty men guarding it!  A swift Adjutant, Murat is the name of him, gallops; gets thither some minutes within time, for Lepelletier was also on march that way:  the Cannon are ours.  And now beset this post, and beset that; rapid and firm:  at Wicket of the Louvre, in Cul de Sac Dauphin, in Rue Saint-Honore, from Pont Neuf all along the north Quays, southward to Pont ci-devant Royal,—­rank round the Sanctuary of the Tuileries, a ring of steel discipline; let every gunner have his match burning, and all men stand to their arms!

Thus there is Permanent-session through night; and thus at sunrise of the morrow, there is seen sacred Insurrection once again:  vessel of State labouring on the bar; and tumultuous sea all round her, beating generale, arming and sounding,—­not ringing tocsin, for we have left no tocsin but our own in the Pavilion of Unity.  It is an imminence of shipwreck, for the whole world to gaze at.  Frightfully she labours, that poor ship, within cable-length of port; huge peril for her.  However, she has a man at the helm.  Insurgent messages, received, and not received; messenger admitted blindfolded; counsel and counter-counsel:  the poor ship labours!—­Vendemiaire 13th, year 4:  curious enough, of all days, it is the Fifth day of October, anniversary of that Menad-march, six years ago; by sacred right of Insurrection we are got thus far.

Lepelletier has seized the Church of Saint-Roch; has seized the Pont Neuf, our piquet there retreating without fire.  Stray shots fall from Lepelletier; rattle down on the very Tuileries staircase.  On the other hand, women advance dishevelled, shrieking, Peace; Lepelletier behind them waving its hat in sign that we shall fraternise.  Steady!  The Artillery Officer is steady as bronze; can be quick as lightning.  He sends eight hundred muskets with ball-cartridges to the Convention itself; honourable Members shall act with these in case of extremity:  whereat they look grave enough.  Four of the afternoon is struck.  (Moniteur, Seance du 5 Octobre 1795.) Lepelletier, making nothing by messengers, by fraternity or hat-waving, bursts out, along the Southern Quai Voltaire, along streets, and passages, treble-quick, in huge veritable onslaught!  Whereupon, thou bronze Artillery Officer—?  “Fire!” say the bronze lips.  Roar and again roar, continual, volcano-like, goes his great gun, in the Cul de Sac Dauphin against the Church of Saint-Roch; go his great guns on the Pont Royal; go all his great guns;—­blow to air some two hundred men, mainly about the Church of Saint-Roch!  Lepelletier cannot stand such horse-play; no Sectioner can stand it; the Forty-thousand yield on all sides, scour towards covert.  ’Some hundred or so of them gathered both Theatre de la Republique; but,’ says he, ’a few shells dislodged them.  It was all finished at six.’