France -- History -- Louis XVI, 1774-1793; France -- History -- Revolution, 1789-1799
And thus has Sansculottism made prisoner its King; _revoking_ his
parole. The Monarchy has fallen; and not so much as honourably:
no, ignominiously; with struggle, indeed, oft repeated; but then
with unwise struggle; wasting its strength in fits and paroxysms;
at every new paroxysm, foiled more pitifully than before. Thus
Broglie’s whiff of grapeshot, which might have been something,
has dwindled to the pot-valour of an Opera Repast, and _O
Richard, O mon Roi_. Which again we shall see dwindle to a
Favras’ Conspiracy, a thing to be settled by the hanging of one
Chevalier.
Poor Monarchy! But what save foulest defeat can await that man,
who wills, and yet wills not? Apparently the King either has a
right, assertible as such to the death, before God and man; or
else he has no right. Apparently, the one or the other; could he
but know which! May Heaven pity him! Were Louis wise he would
this day abdicate.—Is it not strange so few Kings abdicate; and
none yet heard of has been known to commit suicide? Fritz the
First, of Prussia, alone tried it; and they cut the rope.[255]
As for the National Assembly, which decrees this morning that it
“is inseparable from his Majesty,” and will follow him to Paris,
there may one thing be noted: its extreme want of bodily health.
After the Fourteenth of July there was a certain sickliness
observable among honourable Members; so many demanding passports,
on account of infirm health. But now, for these following days,
there is a perfect murrian: President Mounier, Lally Tollendal,
Clermont Tonnere, and all Constitutional Two-Chamber Royalists
needing change of air; as most No-Chamber Royalists had formerly
done.
For, in truth, it is the _second Emigration_ this that has now
come; most extensive among Commons Deputies, Noblesse, Clergy: so
that “to Switzerland alone there go sixty thousand.” They will
return in the day of accounts! Yes, and have hot welcome.—But
Emigration on Emigration is the peculiarity of France. One
Emigration follows another; grounded on reasonable fear,
unreasonable hope, largely also on childish pet. The highflyers
have gone first, now the lower flyers; and ever the lower will go
down to the crawlers. Whereby, however, cannot our National
Assembly so much the more commodiously make the Constitution;
your Two-Chamber Anglomaniacs being all safe, distant on foreign
shores? Abbé Maury is seized, and sent back again: he, tough as
tanned leather, with eloquent Captain Cazalès and some others,
will stand it out for another year.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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