Marie Antoinette and the Downfall of RoyaltyImbert de Saint-Amand
History
Marie Antoinette and the Downfall of Royalty
Imbert de Saint-Amand
France -- History -- Revolution, 1789-1799; Marie Antoinette, Queen, consort of Louis XVI, King of France, 1755-1793
At seven o'clock in the evening, Count François de la Rochefoucauld
succeeded in approaching the box of the _Logographe_. He thus
describes its aspect at this hour: "I approached the King's box; it was
unguarded except by some wretches who were drunk and paid no attention
to me, so that I half-opened the door. I saw the King with a fatigued
and {321} downcast face; he was sitting on the front of the box, coldly
observing through his lorgnette the scoundrels who were talking,
sometimes one after another, and sometimes all together. Near him was
the Queen, whose tears and perspiration had completely drenched her
fichu and her handkerchief. The Dauphin was asleep on her lap, and
resting partly also on that of Madame de Tourzel. Mesdames Elisabeth,
de Lamballe, and Madame the King's daughter were at the back of the
box. I offered my services to the King, who replied that it would be
too dangerous to try to see him again, and added that he was going to
the Luxembourg that evening. The Queen asked me for a handkerchief; I
had none; mine had served to bind up the wounds of the Viscount de
Maillé, whom I had rescued from some pikemen. I went out to look for a
handkerchief, and borrowed one from the keeper of the refreshment-room;
but as I was taking it to the Queen, the sentinels were relieved, and I
found it impossible to approach the box."
We have just seen what occurred at the Assembly after the close of the
combat. Cast now a glance at the Tuileries. What horrible scenes,
what cries of grief, how many wounded, dead, and dying, what streams of
blood! What had become of those Swiss who, either in consequence of
their wounds, or through some other motive, had been obliged to remain
at the palace? Eighty of them had defended the grand staircase like
heroes, against an immense crowd, and died after prodigies of valor.
Seventeen {322} Swiss who were posted in the chapel, and who had not
fired a shot since the fight began, hoped to save their lives by laying
down their arms. It was a mistake. They had their throats cut like
the others. Two ushers of the King's chamber, MM. Pallas and de
Marchais, sword in hand, and hats pulled down over their eyes, said:
"We don't want to live any longer; this is our post; we ought to die
here!" and they were killed at the door of their master's chamber.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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