The Duchess of Gontaut thus relates the first interview of the young Prince with his new governor:  “Monseigneur was a little intimidated, when the Baron, coming up near to him, made a profound bow, and said:  ‘Monseigneur, I commend myself to you.’  To which Monseigneur, not knowing what to say, said nothing, and as no one spake a word, the King dismissed us.  When the Duke of Bordeaux learned that M. de Damas had six or seven boys nearly his age and only one girl, and that the girl would not be any trouble, his gaiety returned.”  The little Prince got used to his new governor, who had the most solid qualities, and who performed his task with the same devotion and zeal as his predecessor.

XX

THE REVIEW OF THE NATIONAL GUARD

Charles X. was always much beloved by the court, but less so by the city.  In vain, in his promenades, he sought the salutations of the crowd, and exerted himself by his affability to provoke acclamations; the public remained cold, and the monarch returned to the Tuileries, saddened by a change in his reception which he charged to the tactics of the liberal party and the calumnies of the journals.  The anti-religious opposition went on increasing, and tried to persuade the crowd that the King was aiming at nothing less than placing his kingdom under the direction of the Jesuits.

The person of the sovereign was still respected, but the men who had his confidence were the object of the most violent criticisms.  A coalition of the Extremists and the Left fought savagely against the Villele ministry, which was reproached particularly for its long duration.

From 1827, Orleansism, which Charles X. did not even suspect, existed in a latent state, and sagacious observers could perceive the dangers of the near future.  A review of the National Guard of Paris was a forerunner of them.

Each year the 12th of April, the anniversary of the re-entrance of Monsieur to Paris in 1814, the National Guard alone was on duty at the Tuileries.  This privilege was looked upon as the reward of the devotion it had then shown to the Prince, whose sole armed force it was for several weeks.  In 1827, the 12th of April fell on Holy Thursday, a day given over wholly by the sovereign to his religious duties.  In consequence, he decided that the day of exceptional service reserved to the National Guard should be postponed to Monday, the 16th.  The morning of that day, detachments from all the legions, including the cavalry, assembled in the court of the Chateau, and were received by Charles X. He received a warm welcome, such as he had not been used to for a long time, and the crowd joined its shouts to the huzzas of the Guard.  Charles X., filled with delight, said to the officers who joined him as the troops filed by:  “I regret that the entire National Guard is not assembled for the review.”  Then the officers replied that their comrades would be only too happy if the King would consent to review the whole Guard.  Marshal Oudinot, Duke of Reggio, who was the commandant-in-chief, warmly supported this desire, and the sovereign responded by promising for April 29 the review thus urged.