his crown, and not to lufter the

smallest diminution of his prerogatives. The perfuafion of the latter, however, prevailed; and while a fyftem of moderation was adopted in appearance, a secret plan was laid for diffolving the national affembly, or, at leaft, for rendering it wholly fubfervient to the will of the fovereign.

During thefe tranfactions, the fermentation increased in the metropolis, where the riots of the populace afforded a specious pretext for the collection of troops. When fuch a number, therefore, had affembled in the vicinity of Versailles, as were deemed fufficient to over-awe the decifions of the states, and to fupport the measures of the court, the king, on the eleventh of July, at the inftigation of his artful confort and his imperious brother, difmiffed M. Neckar, ordering him to depart the kingdom without the smallest delay: the rest of the miniftry were alfo obliged to refign their places; and were fucceeded by men, whofe principles were known to be friendly to the favourite doctrine of paffive obe

dience.

Intelligence of Neckar's difmiffion did not reach the capital till the next morning, when it excited a general confternation throughout the city; the inhabitants affembled in tumultuous throngs, and lamented the departure of the minifter, as the fure prefage of their own deftruction. Having armed themselves with fuch weapons as they could find, they at length determined to proceed to Versailles; but hearing that all the

during

the populace were

joined by the regiment of French guards; (who were probably actuated rather by the hope of gain, than by any motives of patriotifm): but it was fpeedily terminated, with the lofs of a few lives on either fide. In the evening, the people again affembled in the Ruc St. Honore, where they broke open the fhops of all the armourers and cutlers, and feized all the arms they contained; they likewife ftopped all paflengers who were able to bear arms, and compelled them to join the throng. During the night, the toll-houfes were plundered and burnt. The alarm-bells were rung at the town house, the cathedral, and at all the parish churches; while every inhabitant of Paris took up arms in order to oppofe the troops, now pofted at the gates, and momentarily expected to enter the city. On the following day (Monday the thirteenth of June) the people fearched the country for corn, and brought to market what they had found. On that day alfo the burgeffes difarmed the rabble, and they regularly enrolled themfelves in voluntary corps, at the churches of their refpective parishes, to the amount of forty-eight thoufand effective men, who were fupplied with arms from the arfenal, the hofpital of invalids, and the barracks of the French guards, which were now in their poffeffion.

As foon as the news of the commotions in Paris, occafioned by the difmiffion of Neckar, reached the national affembly, it was refolved to fend a deputation to the king,

lofs of that minifter, and to request his majesty's permiffion to fend fome of their members to Paris, to endeavour to appease the tumults. But the king replied, that he was the fole judge of the propriety of thofe measures which he had chofen to adopt, and in which he fhould not confent to make the smallest alteration; that the care of his capital was a trust of too great importance to be delegated to any one; that their prefence in Paris could not be attended with any good, but was ab. folutely requifite at Verfailles.

In confequence of this answer, the national affembly immediately came to the following fpirited and decifive refolutions-That this affembly, fpeaking the language and expreffing the fentiments of the nation, do declare, that M. Neckar, and the other minifters who have been removed, carry with them the esteem and regret of the nation; that this affembly, dreading the fatal confequences which his majetty's aufwer may produce, must infift on the removal of the troops collected, in an extraordinary manner, in the vicinity of Paris and Verfailles, and upon the establishment of armed bodies of citizens; that the communication between this affembly and his majesty, ought to be direct, and not through any medium whatever; that all perfons employed in civil or military capacities, are refponfible for every act done by them contrary to the rights of the nation, and the refolutions of this affembly; that the actual minifters, and the advifers of his majesty, of whatever rank or condition they may be, are perfonally refponfible for the prefent cala mities, and for thofe that may be the confequences of them; that the national affembly do declare, that the national debt having been put under the fafeguard of the honour and good faith of the nation, and the people being willing to pay the

intereft upon it, no power has a right to give to the nation the intamous name of bankrupt, no power has a right to violate the public faith, under any form, or in any fhape whatever; that this affembly do perfift in its former refolutions of the feventeenth, twentieth, and twenty-third of June laft; and, finally, that thefe refolutions be communicated to his majesty, and addreffed to the minifters whom the nation has juft loft, and that they be printed for the information of the public.

Thefe proceedings were by no means calculated to calm those commotions which were now encreasing in every part of the kingdom; the fpirit of the people was roused, and the ftates perceived that this was the moment of decifion: if fuffered to efcape, it might never return. Certain of fupport from the people, whofe caufe was fo intimately blended with their own, that a feparation of interefts was impoffible; they boldly determined to renovate the ancient conftitution of the country, or, rather, to terminate the reign of defpotifm, and establish a new government, founded on the broad bafis of univerfal freedom. The king, ftimulated by the queen, and her party, which we may venture to call (without, however, daring to include the facred perfon of majefty, in our cenfure) as profligate and defpotic a junto as ever difgraced even a French court, conftantly rioting in licentioufnefs, yet determined foes to liberty;-the king, thus powerfully urged, refolved to oppofe the claims of his fubjects, and to preferve that exercite of arbitrary power, which education-if not experience-had taught him to believe, was the fummit of a monarch's felicity. With this view, the command of the troops had been given to marcfchal Broglio, an old officer, trained, from his infancy, in the

fchool

fchool of war, and who regarded obedience as the fureft teft of honour, of virtue, and of patriotifm.

The king's refusal to comply with the requifitions of the flates, was regarded as the fignal of hoftilities, Broglio's army was hourly ftrengthened by the arrival of fresh forces; while at Paris, detachments fent out to fcour the neighbouring country, were continually returning with corn and ammunition intended for the royal troops. Even waggons that were deftined to fupply the king and his houshold were intercepted, and brought triumphantly into town, each of them drawn by fix royal horses.

But the most important tranfaction of this memorable day-Tuefday the fourteenth of July-was the fiege of the Baftille: this difmal for trefs was fummoned to furrender by a large body of citizens headed by the grenadiers of the French guards; and the marquis de Launay, the governor, difplayed an intention to ca pitulate, by holding out a white flag, and opening one of the gates, upon which a party of young citi zens incautioufly entered. The governor instantly drew up the draw bridge, and his troops, confifting of invalids and fome auxiliary Swifs, fired through the loop-holes, and killed or wounded the whole party. About thirty (including two of the French guards) were flain. Four times he attempted the fame ftrata gem, but not with the fame fuccefs; at laft the ditches were filled with ftraw, and the fortrefs regularly attacked and cannonaded for three hours; when, notwithstanding a vigorous fire kept up by the befieged, a practicable breach was effected about fix in the evening, and first mounted by a grenadier. The of ficers and all the garrifon, confifting of about one hundred men, were taken prisoners; and thofe victims of defpotifm, who had been imLVOL, II.

merged for years in the dark dungeons of this horrid prifon, were reftored to that liberty, which they had long ceafed to expect. Among thefe was Lord Mafareene, an Irish nobleman, who had been confined for debt near thirty years; and the fingular caufe of whofe detention may be feen in a book, published about that time, entitled La Quin zaine Anglaife, or The English man's Fortnight in Paris.

In the fiege of the Baftille, only three hundred of the befiegers are faid to have perifhed; but this affertion appears incredible, when we confider the fituation of that fortress, placed at the extremity of the Rue St. Antoine, which it commands precifely in the fame manner as one of the baftions of the Tower commands the Minories; and the Rue St. Antoine was crouded with people, who were expofed to the fire of the Baftille for feveral hours. The lofs, therefore, of the affailants, without the intervention of a mi racle, muft have greatly exceeded the number admitted.

The governor, with fome of the inferior officers, were now conducted by the victorious citizens to the Place de Greve, (the Tyburn of Paris); but refufing to afcend the fteps of the town-hall, whither they intended to lodge him, the furrounding populace rushed upon him, and, with fury that we fhould term favage, had its motives been lefs powerful, fevered his head from his body. Thus perifhed the marquis de Launay, a man long infamous, not fo much from the ignominious poft he enjoyed, as from the inhuman abuse of his extenfive authority. In the prefent inftance, had he confined himself to a strict discharge of his duty, by defending the fortrefs entrufted to his care, with firmness and courage, though we could not have pitied his fate, we fhould have regarded his executioners as lawless

affaffins;