M. Redon de Belleville, one of the postmasters, gave evidence nearly similar to that of M. Forie. The trial was adjourned at six o'clock, to be resumed on the following day.

The sitting resumed at half-past two o'clock on the 21st; when M. the Baron Pasquier, the first witness for the defendant, was introduced. He justified M. the Count Lavalette against the charge of having held intelligence with Bonaparte, and declared, that he considered him a stranger to the return of the usurper.

Witnesses employed in the post-office proved that M. de Lavalette had protected them, notwithstanding their refusal to sign Bonaparte's constitution, &c.; and that he issued a circular, stating, that no person should be disturbed for his opinion.

The advocate-general summed up the evidence.

M. de Lavalette then rose, and, in a firm tone, stated, that though he felt a repugnance in speaking of himself, he thought it his duty there to give an account of his life. He then proceeded to recapitulate the facts of his military career since 1789. His having served under Custine in 1795. Afterwards, in the army of Italy, he was ap. pointed Bonaparte's aide-de-camp; to him he was indebted for the hand of Mademoiselle Beauharnois, the niece of the Empress Josephine.

After M. Tripier had spoken for the accused, the court adjourned, and met again at half-past

six.

The president concluded a very able summing up, in these words,-" You will judge whether the fact of being an accomplice on the day preceding the consummation of the conspiracy, induces a belief that there had been criminal practices anterior to this. You will also judge whether it is true, that an act of participation, which took effect only on the last day of crime, is, in fact, a participation?”

The president, then put the questions to the jury.

M. Tripier objected to the form of the questions, but the court decided that they had been properly put.

At eight o'clock, the accused was taken out of the hall of audience, and the jury retired to the chamber of deliberation.

The audience awaited with calmness the decision which, was to fix the fate of the accused.

Near four hours elapsed, but, at length, M. de Villafosse, foreman of the jury, pronounced the following verdict:

"On my honor and my conscience, before God and man, the verdict is,-Yes, the accused is guilty of the crime, with all the circumstances included in the questions put to us."

At this awful moment, M. Lavalette displayed the same firmness he had evinced in the course of the trial. When he was brought back to the hall of audience to bear the decision of the jury, he bad removed all his decorations.

The public accuser required the application of the 86th, 87tb, 59th, and 60th articles of the penal code; and the court, after a deliberation in the council-chamber, pronounced the punishment of death upon M. le Comte de Lavalette, an nouncing to him that he was allowed three days for his appeal.

When sentence was pronounced, be bade adieu to his advocate.

"I shall see you again," said M. Tripier. "What do you wish, my friend?" observed M. Lavalette. "It is a cannon-shot.”—“ Farewell, gentlemen of the post," he added, waving his hand to the administrator and officers who had appeared as witnesses on the trial. It was past midnight when the sitting terminated.

Against this sentence Lavalette made a formal appeal. This attempt, however, proved unavailing; and, on the 15th of December, he received

a notification of the sentence which confirmed the decision of the court of assize. But as he was not executed on the following day, an idea went abroad that it was intended to commute his punishment; and Madame Lavalette, whose health had been dreadfully impaired by her suf ferings since the arrest of her husband, resolved, with the assistance of Marshal Marmont, to endeavour to throw herself into the way of the king, and implore his mercy. The following account of this affair was transmitted from Paris:

Just previous to the king's going to mass, no person is permitted to enter from the great starcase into the Salle des Marechaux, through which he passes from his own apartments to the chapel. At this moment a gentleman and lady, in mouraing, presented themselves to the national-guard. who was on duty at the door, and wanted to go in. They were prevented. "Do you know me! said the gentleman; "I have not that honor.' replied the guard, "but my orders are to adm no one."-" Call your officer," said the other. "He is in the guard-room, and it is impossible for me to quit my post."-" Pray, then, call ec one of the garde du corps from the hall." The national-guard knocked at the door, and one the king's guard came out." Can I not go inf” said the gentleman." It is impossible,” replei the officer. "Do you know who I am?" said the

former. "I have the honor to know you very well, mareschal," added the garde du corps, "but I also know that no one is permitted to enter at this door now." The mareschal then took the officer aside, and, after about a minute's conversation, he, the officer, and the lady, went into the hall. The officer, who was the Marquis de Bartillac, left the mareschal in the hall, and went into the adjoining room; and while he remained there, there seemed to be something in agitation. When the same officer came back, he addressed himself to the mareschal, who was Marmont, and said, "Mareschal, it is impossible for you to remain." -"Have you received orders to turn me out?" he asked. "Indeed, you must not remain."— -"Tell me," repeated Marmont," have you been ordered to turn me out?"-" Certainly not," replied the officer, "but yet I cannot permit you to stay."- "Then," said the other, "I will not go."" Mareschal, you have not kept your promise to me," said the Marquis de Bartillac, and turned upon his heel.

The king, monsieur, madame, and the usual escort, now entered the hall in their way to the chapel. The lady who came with Marmont, and who was Madame Lavalette, now rushed forward, seized the hand of the king, and, falling at his feet, exclaimed, "Pardon, pardon, sire." The king could not refrain from tears. But, after Cooking very severely towards Marmont, he said o Madame Lavalette," I had hoped, madam, to have been spared this painful scene. In thinking you could save your husband, you have done your luty. But I must also do mine, as a king." "He hen disengaged himself, and passed on, evidently much distressed. Madame Lavalette then atempted to get to the Duchess d'Angouleme to ntercede; but, overcome by the poignancy of her eelings, she fainted on the floor, and was carried ut of the hall. The whole of this scene had uch an effect upon the Duchess d'Angouleme, hat she was ill for near two hours, and did not ecover the shock of it for some time.

The next morning Marmont and some other fficers had to transact some business with the ing, in regard to the garde-royal. Previous to is, he had sent a letter to the king, explaining e motives for his conduct; and saying, he did ot think himself wrong in trying to save the fe of Lavalette, as it had not been forbidden. During the arrangement of this business, and hile the other marshals were present, the king ok no notice of any thing; but, as they were 1 " retiring, he called Marmont back: Sire," id the mareschal," have you deigned to read e letter I took the liberty of addressing to your ajesty?"-"I have, mareschal," replied the king, and I called you back to tell you so now, that I ght never have to mention the subject to you ain."

CHAP. IV.

Notwithstanding the ill-success of this attempt, BOOK XVII. however, Lavalette escaped the infliction of the sentence passed upon him, by a stratagem which reflects everlasting honor upon the affection, constancy, and fortitude of his wife.

It has been already stated, that Madame Lavalette's health had been seriously impaired; in fact, she had been delivered of a dead child; and, therefore, for several weeks, in order to avoid the movement of her carriage, she had made use of a sedan-chair. She was accustomed to be carried in this vehicle into the prison, when it was constantly deposited in the passage of the underturnkey's room; thence passing through a door, the yard, and corridor, leading to the prisoner's apartments. At four o'clock on the afternoon of the 20th, Madame de Lavalette arrived, as usual, with a bonnet à la Française and a large veil, accompanied by her daughter, a young lady eleven years of age. She was assisted up-stairs, and dined with her husband. About half-past five, M. de Lavalette, arrayed in his wife's clothes, taking his daughter by the arm, and supported by one of the turnkeys, slowly descended to the chair. No uncommon circumstance occurring to excite suspicion, he passed before all the inspectors and guardians of the prison, and, at the unbarring of the last gate, was restored to his friends and liberty. In the mean time, Madame de Lavalette, who had thrown over her the large cloak of her husband, was seated, almost breathless, in his arm-chair, with a book in her hand, and the candle burning behind her on the table. At halfpast six, the gaoler entering the room, spoke to her, but met with no reply: he repeated the question, and astonished at the continued silence, he approached nearer to the lady, when, with a smile, succeeded by strong convulsions, she exclaimed, "He is gone!" The confusion may be easily imagined. The prefect of police was acquainted with the fact at a quarter before seven; estafettes were dispatched in every direction, and the barriers were instantly closed.

The police traced the chair two streets distant; there, it appears, M. de Lavalette alighted, and stepped into a carriage that was waiting for him. This well-conducted plan was executed with peculiar felicity, and at the decisive moment; for M. Barbe Marbois, after several invitations, was reluctantly obliged to send, on the evening of the day before, to his majesty's attorney-general, the papers which ex officio passed through his hands from the court of cassation. It was even rumoured that he, in some degree, committed himself, by keeping those important documents two days longer in his possession than the law authorizes. The attorney-general, bad he received these papers before, must bave done his duty immediately, and Lavalette would have been no more.

On the 8th of December, the day after the ex

1815.

In the mean time, the rage of bigotry at Nisines and its vicinity rose to a height which obliged the French government to interpose with a strong hand. The Duke of Angouleme, whose devoted attachment to the catholic religion had rendered him suspected of conniving at the persecution of the protestants, had redeemed his character on a visit to Nismes, by a gracious reception of the protestant deputation, and an order for the reopening of their places of worship. On leaving the place, he had directed General de la Garde to see that this promise was fulfilled. While executing his duty on Sunday, November 12, a furious mob assembled to oppose him, and a villain levelled a pistol and shot him through the breast. The wound was very severe, but not mortal; and the assassin was seized by the military, but afterwards escaped. Other violences were subsequently committed by the populace. When this atrocity was made known at Paris, an ordinance was issued by the king, which, after recognizing the liberty of worship granted by the constitutional charter to dissentients from the religion of the state, directed that proceedings should be commenced against the authors of the assassination of General de la Garde; that troops should be sent to Nismes, and remain there at the expense of the inhabitants, till the criminal and his accomplices should be brought to justice; and that such of the inhabitants should be disarmed as were not entitled to form part of the national-guard. The Duke of Angouleme returned to Nismes, but such a spirit was prevalent there, that it was not thought prudent to open the protestant churches. The national-guard, which had been ordered to disband, refused to lay down their arms; and no prospect then appeared of the restoration of tranquillity. Before the termination of the year, however, the interference of government seems to have been effectual; and on December the 25th, the protestant churches in Nismes were re-opened, and their congregations assembled with all the isual publicity.

The persecution of the protestants in the south of France excited a considerable interest in Briain, especially among the protestant dissenters. Resolutions were passed, and subscriptions raised, their favor; and, though the protestants in France were instructed, or rather ordered, to state bat they did not need the countenance of their rethren in foreign countries, yet there is no doubt

Britain contributed greatly to the amelioration of BOOK XVп. their condition.

Towards the close of the year, the foreign troops in France began to make preparations to quit that country. Previous to this, however, they were assembled according to their different nations, and reviewed by their respective sovereigns, accompanied by the other sovereigns and chiefs of Europe, assembled in France. The Russians were the first collected for that purpose. The number of troops brought forward by this power was immense. Two hundred thousand had entered, France, with 700 pieces of artillery; 100,000 under Wittgenstein were on the frontiers; 60,000 under Beuningsen, and 70,000 reserve guards and grenadiers, were either ready or marching to the same point. On this occasion 160,000 were assembled on the plains of Vertus. On an elevated spot, from which the eye could take in the whole army, the sovereigns, the sovereigns, the generals, and their attendants stood. The army went through the manoeuvres to the satisfaction of the beholders; and were thanked by their emperor, for their bravery and good conduct. On the following day a solemn thanksgiving took place; and at which all the army, the sovereigns, and the generals assisted. On the declivity of Mount Cormant, at a little distance from the spot where the troops had manoeuvred on the preceding day, were erected seven altars; that where the sovereigns were, was more elevated than the others, which stood nearer to the plain of Etrechy. The army having formed in seven squares, one side of which was open, the infantry without arms and the cavalry on foot, and with the feelings and look of humility befitting men when they approach the almighty, advanced to these altars. At a general signal all the squares put themselves in motion, and marched in the order in which they were formed, each towards its respective altar; which, when the troops had halted, was on the open side of the square. Divine service began, and ended at the same moment, at all the altars. The whole ceremony was grand and affecting. This done, these brave men commenced their march, in columns, to re-cross the Rhine. The Emperor Alexander, after having visited Brussels, the immortal field of Waterloo, and then the review of the Austrian troops at Dijon, set out for Berlin, where he was received with enthusiasm and respect; and from whence he proceeded to Warsaw, where he was welcomed as King of Poland, with general joy and satisfaction. From this he continued his march to Petersburgh, where he arrived on the 13th of December. Before entering his palace,, he went to the church of Casar to return thanks. to heaven for his happy return. The Emperor of Austria, having in a similar manner reviewed the principal part of his forces assembled at Dijon,. set out to visit his Italian dominions, and the

СНАР. ГѴ.

1815.