speediest measures to rescue their Majesties from the perilous situation to which they were reduced, and to avert the calamities with which France was menaced.

Mantua was the place appointed by his Imperial Majesty for the interview, whither the Prince repaired on the 20th of May, accompanied by M. de Calonne, M. Descars, and Count Alphonse de Durfort. He was invited to dinner by the Emperor; who, to his great joy and surprise, acquainted him, that a powerful coalition was forming for the relief of the King and Queen; that the German Circles, Switzerland, Spain, Sardinia, and other powers, had already signified their concurrence; and that it only remained to determine the best manner of employing these forces, and the measures to be adopted in the interior, to insure the success of their movements, without reducing their Majesties to the necessity of executing the project of retreating to Metz, of which M. de Mercy had informed the Emperor.

A plan was drawn up the same evening by M. de Calonne, in which the Emperor made some alterations with his own hand; and he assured Count Alphonse of his firm resolution to execute the plan of which he was to be the bearer. On the following day the Count set off for Paris, and upon his arrival, presented to their Majesties the plan with which he was charged. It proposed, that the Emperor would order 35,000 men to march towards the frontiers of Flanders and CHAP. XIII.

VOL. I.

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Hainault, and at the same time the troops of the Circles, to the number of 15,000 men, should proceed to Alsace. An equal number of Swiss were to appear on the frontiers of the Lyonnois and Franche Comté; while the King of Sardinia marched upon that of Dauphiné with 15,000 men, and Spain threatened the Southern Provinces with 20,000. To these armies were to be joined the regiments remaining loyal, and all the malcontents of the provinces. The Emperor gave assurances of the good disposition of the King of Prussia, and the neutrality of England. These movements were to be preceded by a declaration, signed by all the Princes of the House of Bourbon, and a manifesto of the powers engaged in the coalition.

The parliaments of France were to be restored, as necessary for the re-establishment of forms; and their Majesties were advised to employ every possible means to increase their popularity, to take advantage of it when the time should come, so that the people, alarmed at the approach of the foreign armies, should find their safety only in the King's mediation, and their submission to his Majesty's authority. It was also recommended to the King, to abandon the idea of quitting Paris.

The experience of the last twenty-five years sufficiently proves the folly of this project for intimidating the French nation with 100,000 men.~ After having heard the reading of the plan, their Majesties observed, that with respect to the parliaments, they could not and ought not to be more

than judges. The King conceived it would be satisfactory, if the declaration of the 23d of June were resorted to: But Count Alphonse remarked, that the opinion of the Emperor and his very words were these: That the King ought to re

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sume all his authority, and regulate it himself “as he should judge proper; with a reasonable "consideration of the desires stated in the majo

rity of the instructions given to the Deputies. "That the King of France had done more than any other monarch in favour of his people, who, "in return for his kindness, had loaded him with

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outrages.' "That is true," said the King; nothing of the kind would have happened, if "the States General had been convoked in 1787, "instead of 1789: but that idea did not occur to

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me; and none of the ministers thought of it." With respect to the last article of the plan, the King made no observation, but the Queen appeared displeased at it, and said with warmth"We ought to attempt every thing in order to "leave Paris; but to go only to the frontiers-for "a King ought never to leave his kingdom." It appears evident, that a civil war was the event his Majesty dreaded most; and his impatience to quit Paris was so great, that even before the return of Count Alphonse, he informed M. Bouillé, by a letter dated the 27th of May, that he had finally -fixed on the 19th of June, at midnight, for his departure, and that a travelling coach was provided for the purpose.

CHAPTER XIV.

Secret departure of the Royal Family from the Capital on the 21st of June-They are detained at Varennes-Consternation of the Parisians on discovering the King's flight-Measures adopted by the National Assembly for the maintenance of order-Violence of the Democrats--Commissioners appointed to attend the Royal Family on their return to Paris-Sufferings experienced by the King and Queen in their journey-Murder of M. Dampierre— Honours conferred by the Assembly on Drouet and others, who had assisted in the King's arrest-The King makes a declaration relative to the motives which induced him to leave Paris-Efforts of the Republican Party for the abolition of Monarchy-Declaration published by the King's friends-Letter of the Abbé Sieyes-Note of the King of Spain-Report on the events of the 21st of June-Powerful effects produced by a pamphlet, entitled, "The Reign of Louis XVI."-Triumph of the Constitutional Party-Rage of Robespierre and the Republicans--Insurrection and murder in the Champ de Mars-The insurgents routed by M. de la Fayette-Funeral honours decreed to the memory of Voltaire, Rousseau, Helvetius, and other infidel phi losophers.

THE

HE moderate men, who sincerely desired the establishment of a government equally removed from regal despotism or popular licentiousness, having almost disappeared from the public stage, few obstacles remained to counteract the machinations of the republican faction. They had not, indeed, dared, as yet, to avow their ultimate designs, but they proceeded, with consummate artifice to deprive the crown of every prerogative of

royalty, till they left their sovereign nothing more than an empty title. The royalists, reduced in number by the continued emigrations, and alarmed for the safety of the King's person, were compelled silently to meditate their plans for his deliverance, hoping that the majority of the nation were still attached to monarchy, and ready to manifest their sentiments when they could do so with any probability of success. The emigrants, who had already begun to assemble on the frontiers under the Prince de Condé, indulged the same fallacious expectations. These projects, however well intended, proved destructive of the cause they wished to maintain. Royalist plots and emigrant conspiracies became the daily objects of denunciation in the clubs and political coteries. The most frantic measures were proposed every day against religion and government; while spies infested the very palace of the unhappy sovereign, who with malignant ingenuity tortured all his words and actions into crimes.

The period at length arrived which his Majesty had so impatiently expected, when he was to put in execution the plan of escape from this state of bondage. The departure of the Royal Family had been fixed for the 19th of June, and detachments of troops were accordingly stationed on the road from Chalons to Montmedy. But the Marquis de Bouillé received a letter from his Majesty, stating, that their journey was put off for four-andtwenty hours, and that the Marquis d'Agoult, in