The life of Napoleon Buonaparte, emperor of the French. By Sir Walter Scott.

106 LIFE OF NAPOLEON BONAPARTE.
and with its monarchical executive government. lowed to enjoy the society of his son, though his inThe more wise and sensible of the girondists began tercourse with the other members of the family had
to suspect that they had been too hasty in erecting been much abridged. He was passionately attached
their favourite republic, on growud incapable of to this unhappy son, who answered his affection,
affording a sound and secure foundation for such and showed early token of talents which were
an edifice. Buzot gives testimony to this, dated doomed never to blossom. It was the cruel resolulater, no doubt, than the period we are treating of; tion of his jailers to take the boy from Ihis father on
but the grounds 5f the reasoning existed as much at the very morning 4 when Louis was to undergo an
the king's trial as after the expulsion of the giron- interrogatory before the Convention. In other words,
dists. The passage is remarkable. " My friends," to give the deepest blow to his feelings, at the very
says this distinguished gironloist, " preserved a long moment when it was necessary he should combine
time the hopes of establishing a republic in France, his whole mental powers for defending his life against
even when all seemed to demonstrate that the en- his subtle and powelrful enemies.
lightened classes, whether from prejudice or from This cruel measure produced in some respect the
just reasoning, felt indisposed to that form of govern- effect desired. The king testified more deep afflicmnent. That hope did not forsake my fiiends when tion than he had yet manifested. The child was
the most wicked and vilest of men obtained posses- playing at the game called Siam with his father, and
sion of the minds of the inferior classes, and corrupted by no effort couid the dauphin get beyond the numthem by the opportunities they offered of license her sixteen. "That is a very unlucky number;"
and pillage. My fiiends reckoned on the lightness said the child. " True, indeed, my child. I have
and aptitude to change proper to the French cha- long had reason to think so, my son," answered the
racter, and which they considered to be peculiarly king. This petty omen seenled soon accomplished
suitable to a republican nation. I have always con- by the conmissioners of the assPmbly, who, without
sidered that conclusion as entirely false, and have deigning further explanation than that Louis must
repeatedly in my heart despaired of my darling wish prepare to receive the Mayor of Paris, tore the child
to establish a republic in my country." In another from his father, and left him to his sorrow. In
place he says, " It must not be dissembled that the about two hours, during which the trampling of
majority of Frenchmen earnestly desired royalty, many horses was heard, and a formidable body of
and the constitution of 1791. In Paris, the wish troops with artillery were drawn up around the
was general, and was expressed most freely, though poison, the mayor appeared, a man called Chambon,
only in confidential society, and among private weak and illiterate, the willing tool of the ferocious
friends. There were only a few noble and elevated community in which he presided. He read to the
ninds who felt themselves worthy to be republicans, king the decree of the Convention, that Louis Capet
and whom the example of the Americans had en- should be brought to their bar. " Capet," answered
couraged to essay the project of a similar govern- Louis, "is not my name-it was that of one of my
ment in France, the country of frivolity and muta- ancestors. I could have wished that I had not been
bility. The rest of the nation, with the exception of deprived of the society of my son during the two
the ignorant wretches, without either sense or sub- hours I have expected you-but it is only of a piece
stance, who vomited abuse against royalty, as at an- with the usage I have experienced for four months.
other time they would have done against a common- I will attend you to the Convention, not as acknowwealth, and all without knowing why-the rest of the ledging their right to summon me, but because I
nation were all attached to the constitution of 1791, yield to the superior power of my enemies."
and looked on the pure republicans as a very well- The crowd pressed much on the king during the
meaning kind of madamen." Ipassage from the Temple to the Tuileries, where
In these lines, written by one of the most sincere the Convention had now established their sittings,
of their number, we read the condemnation of the as men who had slain and taken possession. Loud
girondists, who, to adventure the precarious experi- cries were heard, demanding the life of the tyrant;
ment of a republic, in which they themselves saw yet Louis preserved the most perfect composure,
so many difficulties, were contented to lend their even when he found himself standing as a criminal
arms and countenance to the destruction of that very before an assembly of his native subjects, born most
government, which they knew to be desired by all of them in a rank which excluded them from judicial
the enlightened classes of France except themselves, offices, till he himself had granted the privilege.
and which demolition only made room for the dread- "Louis," said the president (the versatile, tiful triurnvirate,-Danton, Rohespierre, and Marat. morons, but subtle Barrere), " you may be seated."
But we also see, from this and other passages, The king sat down accordingly, and listened without
that there existed feelings, both in Paris and in the apparent emotion to a long act of accusation, in
departments, which, if the convention had made a which every accident that had arisen out of the Remanly appeal to them, might have saved the king's volution was gravely charged as a point of indictlife, and prevented the reign of terror. There began ment against the king. He replied by short laconic
to arise more obvious signs of disaffection to the answers, which evinced great presence of mind
rulers, and of interest in the king's fate. These and composure, and alleged the decrees of the Nawere increased when lie was brought before the tional Assembly as authority for the affair of Nancy,
convention for examination, an occasion upon which and the firing on the people in the Chnmp de Mars,
Louis was treated with the same mrarked appearance both of which were urged against him as aggressions
of premeditated insult, which had been offered to
him when ini his dlungeon. He had as yet been al- 11th December.