Old and New Paris: Its History, Its People, and Its Places, v. 1Edwards, H. Sutherland (Henry Sutherland)
History
Old and New Paris: Its History, Its People, and Its Places, v. 1
Edwards, H. Sutherland (Henry Sutherland)
Paris (France) -- Description and travel; Paris (France) -- History
"After breakfast," he writes in diary form, "walk in the gardens of
the Tuileries, where there is the most extraordinary sight that either
French or English eyes could ever behold at Paris. The king, walking
with six Grenadiers of the _milice bourgeoise_, with an officer or two
of his household, and a page. The doors of the gardens are kept shut
in respect to him in order to exclude everybody but deputies or those
who have admission tickets. When he entered the palace, the doors of
the gardens were thrown open for all without distinction, though the
queen was still walking with a lady of her court. She also was attended
so closely by the _gardes bourgeoises_ that she could not speak but in
a low voice without being heard by them. A mob followed her, talking
very loud, and paying no other apparent respect than that of taking
off their hats whenever she passed, which was, indeed, more than I
expected. Her Majesty does not appear to be in health; she seems to be
much affected and shows it in her face; but the king is as plump as
ease can render him. By his orders there is a little garden railed off
for the Dauphin to amuse himself in and a small room is built in it to
retire to in case of rain; here he was at work with his little hoe and
rake, but not without a guard of two Grenadiers. He is a very pretty,
good-natured looking boy, five or six years old, with an agreeable
countenance; wherever he goes all hats are taken off to him, which I was
glad to observe. All the family being thus kept close prisoners (for
such they are in effect) afford at first view a shocking spectacle, and
is really so if the act were not absolutely necessary to effect the
revolution. This I conceive to be impossible; but if it were necessary
no one can blame the people for taking every measure possible to secure
that liberty they had seized in the violence of a revolution. At such
a moment nothing is to be condemned but what endangers the national
freedom. I must, however, freely own that I have my doubts whether
this treatment of the royal family can be justly esteemed any security
to liberty; or on the contrary, whether it was not a very dangerous
step that exposes to hazard whatever had been gained. I have spoken
with several persons to-day and started objections to the present
system, stronger even than they appear to me, in order to learn their
sentiments, and it is evident they are at the present moment under an
apprehension of an attempt toward a counter revolution. The danger of
it very much, if not absolutely, results from the violence which has
been used towards the royal family. The National Assembly was before
that period answerable only for the permanent constitutional laws
passed for the future; since that moment it is equally answerable for
the whole conduct of the government of the State, executive as well
as legislative. This critical situation has made a constant spirit of
exertion necessary amongst the Paris militia. The great object of M. La
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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