History of the Girondists, Volume I eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 709 pages of information about History of the Girondists, Volume I.

History of the Girondists, Volume I eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 709 pages of information about History of the Girondists, Volume I.

The aide-de-camp of M. de La Fayette, M. Romeuf, despatched by that general, and bearer of the order of the Assembly, arrived at Varennes at half-past seven.  The queen, who knew him personally, reproached him in the most pathetic manner with the odious mission with which his general had charged him.  M. Romeuf sought in vain to calm her indignation by every mark of respect and devotion compatible with the rigour of his orders.  The queen then changing from invectives to tears, gave a free vent to her grief.  M. Romeuf having laid the order of the Assembly on the Dauphin’s bed, the queen seized the paper, threw it on the ground, and trampled it under her feet, exclaiming, that such a paper would sully her son’s bed.  “In the name of your safety, of your glory, madam,” said the young officer, “master your grief; would you suffer any one but myself to witness such a fit of despair?”

The preparations for their departure were hastened, through fear, lest the troops of M. de Bouille might march on the town, or cut them off.  The king used every means in his power to delay them, for each minute gained gave them a fresh hope of safety, and disputed them one by one.  At the moment they were entering the carriage, one of the queen’s women feigned a sudden and alarming illness.  The queen refused to start without her, and only yielded at last to threats of force, and the shouts of the impatient populace.  She would suffer no one to touch her son, but carried him herself to the carriage; and the royal cortege escorted by three or four thousand national guards, moved slowly towards Paris.

XXIII.

What was M. de Bouille doing during this long and agonising night the king passed at Varennes?  He had, as we have already seen, passed the night at the gates of Dun, two leagues from Varennes, awaiting the couriers who were to inform him of the king’s approach.  At four in the morning, fearing to be discovered, and having seen no one, he regained Stenay, in order to be nearer his troops, in case any accident had happened to the king.  At half-past four he was at the gates of Stenay, when the two officers whom he had left there the previous evening, and the commanding officer of the squadron that had abandoned him, arrived and informed him that the king had been arrested since eleven o’clock at night.  Stupified and astonished at being informed so late he instantly ordered the royal Allemand regiment, which was at Stenay, to mount and follow him.  The colonel of this regiment had received the previous evening orders to keep the horses saddled.  This order had not been executed, and the regiment lost three quarters of an hour, in spite of the repeated messages of M. de Bouille, who sent his own son to the barracks.  The general was powerless without this regiment, and no sooner were they outside the town than M. de Bouille endeavoured to ascertain its disposition towards the king.  “Your king,” said he, “who was hastening hither to dwell amongst you, has been stopped by the inhabitants of Varennes, within a few leagues.  Will you let him remain a prisoner, exposed to every insult at the hands of the national guards?  Here are his orders:  he awaits you; he counts every moment.  Let us march to Varennes.  Let us hasten to deliver him, and restore him to the nation and liberty.”

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History of the Girondists, Volume I from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.