On the 10th of August, the populace instigated, and upheld by bands of pretended Marsellois, kept in pay for the purpose of massacres, by the factions of Chabot and Danton, covered the Carrousel, and attacked the palace. They even pointed cannon against the Tuileries. In this critical situation it only remained with the king to fly or perish at his post. He resolved for himself and family to seek an asylum in the bosom of the legislative assembly, He dispatched an order to the Swiss guards, and to the small number of his faithful subjects who had assembled in his defence, not to make further resistance, and in a few moments he heard pronounced the suspension of his power, and his imprisonment in the temple, while the rabble pillaged his palace, and put the Swiss guards to the sword If Louis XVI. had been weak and irresolute upon the throne, he was great and dignified under misfortune, Shut up in the tower of the temple, deprived of every thing except a few books, employed in the education of his son, in affording consolation to his wife, and in strengthening his own mind by the duties of religion, surrounded on all sides by witnesses, and exposed to every species of vexation and outrage, he presented at all times an example of the most affecting resignation. History has preserved many details of his captivity, which we cannot here repeat. He at times appeared to forget his misfortunes, and to pardon the authors of them. Soon after being put upon his trial by the convention, he appeared at the bar of the assembly, defended himself with dignity, and heard with philosophical composure the sentence of his condemnation. The zeal, the ability, and respectful attachment of his advocates are well known, but all their eloquence and their efforts were of no avail. His death had been resolved upon before a word had been uttered in his justification. M. de Malesherbes, who had been formerly the minister of Louis XVI. and who considered it a duty to quit his retreat, and defend his master, disclosed to the unfortunate monarch the destiny that awaited him. The prince, whom in that moment he discovered in an attitude of meditation, turned to him, and said, “I have for these two hours been endeavouring to recollect whether, in the whole course of my reign, I have merited the slightest reproach from my subjects: I swear to you, in all the sincerity of my heart, as a man who must shortly appear before my God, that I have constantly desired the welfare of my people, and that I never formed a wish which had a contrary tendency." This testimony which Louis rendered to himself was just but he had but an imperfect knowledge of mankind, and the weakness of his character gave rise to evils of a more serious description than would have resulted from the most violent passions in another prince. On the 20th of January, 1793, Louis heard his sentence read to him with great composure, and communicated it himself to his family, to arm them with resignation. At midnight he heard mass: immediately afterwards he threw himself upon a bed, and slept soundly. In the morning he was still asleep when the faithful Cléry came to awake and dress him for the last time. At eight o'clock he quitted his apartments to be conducted to the scaffold. Placed in a coach, with his confessor the Abbé Edgeworth, and two gend'armes, he was two hours before he reached the square of Louis XV. Having ascended the scaffold, he refused to have his hands tied, saying, "Je suis sur de moi," and turning round, attempted to address the populace, when the beating of drums overpowered his voice, and prevented his' proceeding. "Allez fils de St. Louis, montez au ciel," exclaimed at that instant his confessor, with enthusiasm, and immediately after his head was severed from his body. His remains were then conveyed to the burying ground of the Magdaleine, and consumed with quick lime, according to an order of the Convention. His will, which was read in the sitting of the commune, on the day of his execution, is no less admirable for simplicity and dignity of expression than for the grandeur of the sentiment, and the pious resignation with which it abounds. This amiable prince terminated his earthly career on the 21st of January, 1793. If Louis possessed all the private virtues incident to humanity; if he was a good husband and a good father; it must be confessed he was often too confident with respect to his ministers, who frequently abused the authority with which they were invested. Simple in his habits, he was fond of labour and rational enjoyment as free from ostentation as from inordinate passions, the exercise of hunting, and the study of the mechanical arts formed his sole delight. He possessed a perfect knowledge of history, and was, perhaps, the best geographer in France: he spoke the Latin language with purity, and had attained considerable fluency in the English. His style of writing was easy and natural, and not destitute of force. This prince presents an example, that personal qualities, however amiable, are not sufficient to govern well, and that the desire of doing good is a mere negative virtue, without the power of carrying it into effect. |