France -- History -- Louis XVI, 1774-1793; France -- History -- Revolution, 1789-1799
Towards three in the morning all things are settled: the watches
set, the Centre Grenadiers put into their old Guard-room, and
harangued; the Swiss, and few remaining Bodyguards harangued. The
wayworn Paris Batallions, consigned to “the hospitality of
Versailles,” lie dormant in spare-beds, spare-barracks,
coffeehouses, empty churches. A troop of them, on their way to
the Church of Saint-Louis, awoke poor Weber, dreaming troublous,
in the Rue Sartory. Weber has had his waistcoat-pocket full of
balls all day; “two hundred balls, and two _pears_ of powder!”
For waistcoats were waistcoats then, and had flaps down to
mid-thigh. So many balls he has had all day; but no opportunity
of using them: he turns over now, execrating disloyal bandits;
swears a prayer or two, and straight to sleep again.
Finally, the National Assembly is harangued; which thereupon, on
motion of Mirabeau, discontinues the Penal Code, and dismisses
for this night. Menadism, Sansculottism has cowered into
guard-houses, barracks of Flandre, to the light of cheerful fire;
failing that, to churches, office-houses, sentry-boxes,
wheresoever wretchedness can find a lair. The troublous Day has
brawled itself to rest: no lives yet lost but that of one
warhorse. Insurrectionary Chaos lies slumbering round the Palace,
like Ocean round a Diving-bell,—no crevice yet disclosing itself.
Deep sleep has fallen promiscuously on the high and on the low;
suspending most things, even wrath and famine. Darkness covers
the Earth. But, far on the North-east, Paris flings up her great
yellow gleam; far into the wet black Night. For all is
illuminated there, as in the old July Nights; the streets
deserted, for alarm of war; the Municipals all wakeful; Patrols
hailing, with their hoarse _Who-goes_. There, as we discover, our
poor slim Louison Chabray, her poor nerves all fluttered, is
arriving about this very hour. There Usher Maillard will arrive,
about an hour hence, “towards four in the morning.” They report,
successively, to a wakeful Hôtel-de-Ville what comfort they can
report; which again, with early dawn, large comfortable Placards,
shall impart to all men.
Lafayette, in the Hôtel de Noailles, not far from the Château,
having now finished haranguing, sits with his Officers
consulting: at five o’clock the unanimous best counsel is, that a
man so tost and toiled for twenty-four hours and more, fling
himself on a bed, and seek some rest.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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