YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY MARIA AFT O N 1 E TT^ OAF vAV'STMIA, V i A~ ^a-.A/AA// ,./ c ''A'tfA/riA A_ /'u/'/M/ii-if FA-'-,.,m, i, Cr, bonne. — A divifion in the council, — Its confequences. TH e affembly, feeing how much the minifters had loft credit by their con duct and by their want of unanimity, be came every day more enterpriflng, Con dorcet being named prefident about the be ginning of February, was ordered by the affembly to write a letter to the king : but as the form in which the prefident was to addrefs letters to the king had not been re gulated by the conftitution, after fome dif- cuffio% 4^ PRIVATE MEMOIRS. cuffion, it Was decreed that the prefident of the national affembly, in writing to the king, fhould lay afide the term Sire, and diredly begin with the fubjed of the letter ; and afterwards finifh and fign it without any of the accuftomed expreffions of refped. Condorcet wrote the letter according to the form prefcribed, which, after being Sub mitted to the affembly, was fent by one of the huiffiers to the king. I was with him in his apartment when the letter was de livered. He appeared to be greatly fhocked on reading it. *' Is it poffible to carry infolence far ther ?" faid he, prefenting the letter to me. " It is from Condorcet." After having read it, I obferved, that if the letter had been addreffed to a clerk of 4 the affembly,. it could not have been written ih a lefs refpedful ftile *. " I hope," added I, " that your majefty will not allow this infolence to pafs un noticed," * Fide the Appen4ix, No. I. "It; PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 45 " It is rather too much to be entirely overlooked," anfwered the king. " But what meafure is to be taken ?" " In your majefty's place, I would im-" mediately fend back the letter to the affem bly. But I will nbt take upon me to give you this advice until I have refleded fur-. ther upon it." " Is npt there to be a minifterial comn inittee this evening ?" refumed the king. " Go you to M. le Garde des Sceaux, and I fhall fend him the letter." " I immediately went to the houfe ofthe Garde des Sceaux, and informed him and my colleagues, who were already there, of what had paffed. Spon after the king Sent Condorcet's letter ; and they were all fo much revolted upon reading it, that Iexped-' ed they would advife the king to repel the, infult in the ftrongeft terms : but upon ex amining the^different articles of the confti tution, they found that the cafe in queftion had not been forefeen, and they therefore concluded that it would be moft prudent for the king to make no anfwer to the letter, which 46. PRIVATE MEMOIRS. which would fufficiently mark his dTf- pleafure. On the contrary ^ my opinion was, that the filence of the conftitution, on this head, only proved that it had never been doubted but that the refped, which had ever been confidered as due to the king, was to be continued. But if they fuppofed that this filence authorized the flighteft deviation from refped to his majefty, they might alfo fuppofe that itauthorifed the greateft enor mities ; for nothing was faid in the confti tution againft infulting or even murdering the king. That befides, the form of corre-: fpondence betwixt the king and the affem bly being already fixed, namely, by pre- fentjng their decrees, or fending verbal meffages by a deputation of the members, he had a right not to admit of any innova- : tion which difpleafed him. That if they imagined there was any energy in the meafure- of not anfwering Condorcet's let- tea, they muft acknowledge that it was an energy of a paffive nature ; and that in the king's fituation, fuch a kind of energy would PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 47 "would prove as hurtful as real weaknefs, as it tended to fhew that he was hurt, without having power to refent the injury. Thefe refledions determined me to write the following letter to the king, on the 8th of February 1 792 : " Your majefty has been advifed to take no notice of the prefident of the affembly 's letter. I, on the contrary, think, that to lerating this infult will draw on many others, much more ferious in their confe quences. It appears to me of the higheft importance for your majefty to write imme diately to the affembly. I fend the copy of a letter ; and if your majefty approves o£ it, the minifters may be inftantly Summon ed, and the letter communicated to them, in your own hand-writing. Mine ought not to appear." Copy ofthe Letter to the Affembly. ** Gentlemen, " When the nation acknowledged me for its king, I was entrufted with the na- tional dignity, which I cannot, in any cir cumftance, 4$ PRIVATE. MEMOIRS. cumftance, allow to be attacked. „ Ithere- fore return the letter which the prefident fent me yefterday by an huiffier-o The con ftitution has' fixed the form of correfpbnd- ence betwixt the national affembly and the king. I ought not and I will not cprre- fpon4;vf>th it in any other manner than by that. form; namely, by meffages. As for that refped which is due to me,. I wiU rely on- the fentiments which the French have always had for their kings *.": il This meafure appeared to his majefty too ftrong,, and -the a negative energy of filerace was preferred.; ! consequently no an* fwer was given to the letter of the prefident, - To augment the' king's popularity was at all times the objed of the minifters, but more particularly on- thofe occafions whets the affembly treated him with infolence j and the letter of Condorcet was the greateft outrage whieh his majefty had- as yet re ceived. He was advifed: to make a tour round the Suburbs on horfeback;.. to ¦' con* verfe affably with the people, , to vifit the JAitk the Appendix, No. 'II. ';*' ¦' • • '- '•* 6 hofpitals, PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 49 hoSpitals* and diftribute alms. Thefe ads of humanity, fo much in unifon with his charader, gained him the applaufe of fome people in the Street, who cried Five le roi.' but no other advantage enfued. The formation of their majefties' houfe hold, which the minifters had hitherto ne- gleded, was now regarded as a meafure of the utmoft importance, particularly as they flattered themfelves that the king would be prevailed upon only to admit perfons of ac knowledged patriotifm ; therefore the com mittee of minifters again took up this affair, and fome of them propofed plans,, and gave in lifts of thofe whom they wifhed to have received into the houfehold. I informed the king, by the following letter, that the minifters were occupied on this fubjed : " In the committee of yefterday, your majefty's houfehold was one fubjed of dif cuffion. A lift has been made of thirty perfons who are to be propofed. The far ther confideration is deferred till Tuefday. The ancient almanack of Verfailles, and vox.. Ii. £ that co PRIVATE MEMOIRS. that of the court of London, are to be con sulted. " As my defire is to prefent your majefty with a plan for that purpofe, and fuch a lift as will be agreeable to you, I take the li berty of requefting that your majefty will let me know your wifhes on both thefe points, and I fhall ufe every means, in the committee, to promote them. This I will endeavour to do in fuch a manner as to prevent all fufpicion of my having received fuch a mark of confidence ; having no view but that of giving to your majefty a frefh proof of my refped and unlimited attach- ment *. The king fent me no anfwer to this let ter : but when J went to the levee, the fame day, he approached the window, where I was ftanding, and while he feemed to be looking at what was paffing in the court of the palace, he faid, in a low voice, " I re ceived your letter. Let them take their Own courfe." I was at this time occupied with the Garde des Sfeaux and M. de Leffart, in a * Vide the Appendix, No. III. meafure PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 51 meafure of far greater importance. We were endeavouring to form, fecretly, a roy- alift party in the affembly, and had already gained over eight or ten members of great ' influence in the cote droit ; that is to fay, among the moderate party ; and it was only neceffary to give,them the means of influ encing that party diftinguifhed by the title ^ ofthe Independants, or the undecided, who> voted fometimes with the Moderes, and fometime with the Enrages, fome of whom were fuppofed to have no other reaSon but to announce that they were to be bought, and would join the party who offered them the beft terms. It was very well known, from the manner in which this affembly was compofed, that there were few ofthe mem bers who were not to be gained either by money, or the promife of. places for their relations and friends. As the power of no minating to places belonged to each mini fter for his own department only, it was neceffary to acquaint them all with this plan, in order that they might all concur in its execution. For this purpofe, we all af- E 2 fembled 52 BRIVATE MEMOIRS. fembled at the houfe of M. de Narbonne, who gave us a dinner, along with a certain^ perfon who was to be a principal agent in this bufineSs, as being intimately acquaint ed with many members , of the affembly. That this dinner might be the more fecret, we met at the petite maifon of M. de Nar bonne. After dinner, this perfon prefented to us the propofals of the principal deputies, with whom he had already begun to treat, and the following articles were agreed upon: Firft, That none of the faid deputies were to have any perfonal communication with the minifters, but were only to nego tiate with them through the above-men tioned agent. Secondly, That they muft never be re quired to propofe or fupport any motion contrary to the conftitution. Thirdly, That as often as the king and council wifhed for their fupport for any particular meafure, the faid deputies muft be informed twenty-four hours beforehand by the agent, through whom they would inftrud PRIVATE MEMOIRS'. 53 inftrud the minifters with their objedions, if they had any, and receive their anfwers. Fourthly, That the means to be uSed for influencing the affembly muft be left en tirely to them ; that their demand as to this article admitted of no reftridion. The fund from which this expence was to be drawn, was, Firft, The fum of 1,500,000 livres, belonging to the depart ment of foreign affairs, for fecret expences, of which the minifter for that department was not obliged to give an account to any body but to the king. Secondly, From the free fund which cer tain minifters had at their difpofal- And, thirdly, From the civil lift. The conference broke up at ten o'clock at night. The minifters agreed, at parting, on the neceffity of keeping this affair pro foundly fecret. Indeed the very nature of the cafe implied as much. Unfortu nately, M. de Narbonae, juft as he went from this meeting, met with Mathieu de Montmorenci, and a member ofthe affenv bly, who waited for him, as he entered the v E 3 Hotel 54 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. Hotel de la Guerre, and informed them of what had paffed. At half paft eleven that fame night, the news had fpread in the af- Sembly, which was ftill Sitting. It was loudly complained of; the members con cerned were enraged ; and thus the affair completely failed, The minifters were in the utmoft furprife and confirmation next day, on hearing this account. They were eager to have an explanation with M. de Narbonne, but he took care to avoid it that day, by not com ing to the council till after it was begun, and hurrying out the inftant it was over. However, he came to the committee of mi nifters next day, and upon being reproach ed for having divulged what had paffed at the conference, he at firft faid that he did not remember having mentioned it : but when Mathieu de Montmorenci and the other member of the affembly were named to him, " Mathieu de Montmorenci," faid he, " is my friend ; and I am certain that he would not fpeak of it to any body. With regard to the member of the affembly, he is of PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 55 of our party, and confequently equally in- terefted with us in keeping the fecret." " It is of very little confequence," an fwered the Garde des Sceaux, " which of them divulged it : but what cannot be de nied is, that we all folemnly promifed to mention it to nobody." ** That is true," returned M. de Nar- , bonne ; " and" I was wrong. But in fhort, gentlemen, I have long perceived that we cannot ad together ; and I will even own to you, that if I knew of five perfons proper to be propofed to the king in your places, I fhould immediately do it, and re main myfelf; becaufe I think' it would be of effential benefit to his majefty's fervice that I continued in adminiftration. But as I cannot make this change, 1 am determined to refign." " Your refignation, or ours, is not the affair in queftion," faid the Garde des Sceaux. " We are perhaps as little attached to our places as you can be : but we are fenfible, that, in the prefent circumftances, the leaft change in the council might be E 4 fatal 56 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. /atal to the king. We therefore wifh to continue to ad with- you ; and nothing will be eafier, if you will fairly come to an understanding with us, and then adhere, without deviation, to what we have once agreed upon." " No," replied M. de Narbonne, " that is impoffible ; becaufe there are fome mem bers in the council with whom I can never agree : for inftance,' M. de Bertrand." ' " Me, Sir !" cried I, greatly aftonifhed. " And upon what account ? What has happened to alter your opinion, fince you made me fo many proteftations of efteem ? Is it my fault that you have been guilty of an indifcretion, which has been at tended with very bad confequences ?" " That is out of the queftion," faid he. ** But I fee very well that we do not go upon the ,fame plan. You refufed me a frigate," *' I refufe you a frigate ! When did you afk for one?" anfwered I. *' Don't you remember," replied he, « what you declared in the council, when I mentioned PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 57 mentioned the poffibility of our having oc cafion for one, when we had under confider ation the affair of M. de la Jaille, at Breft?" " Was I to confider' ', faid I, " an acci dental obfervation, made by you at the time of that infurredion, as the official de mand of a frigate ? You appeared to have no other intention, in the queftion you then put to me, than to know if I would arm a frigate, to cruife along our coaft, in the cafe of our apprehending hoftile intentions in any of the maritime powers ; and I an fwered, that I did not then know an officer to whom I would give fuch a command. Jf you had diredly afked a frigate for yourfelf, I fhould have acquainted the king, and have done as he fhould have ordered." This conversation was followed by fome obfervations from the Garde des Sceaux, upon the neceffity of maintaining, at leaft, the appearance of unanimity in the coun cil: but the committee broke up, without M, de Narbonne having fhewn any difpo- fition to reconciliation, or to ad in a friendly manner with the other minifters ; and 58 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. and the public were foon informed of the divifions in the cpuncil, whieh encouraged the malecontents to attack us ; and no time was loft. The Garde des Sceaux was de nounced in the affembly. Another denun ciation was announced againft M. de Lef- fart ; and the memorial of complaint againft me, which appeared to have been forgot ten, being again revived, was given in to the king. PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 59 CHAP. XVIII. Generals Rochambeau, la Fayette, and Luck ner arrive at Paris. — Their converfation with the king. — They are introduced into the council. — M. de Narbonne abfents himfelf from the minifterial committees. — M. de la Fayette comes to the committee. — - Speaks of the ill confequences which muft attend the mifunderflanding among the mi nifters. — He propofes that I fhould retire from the adminiftration. — '-My letter to M. de Narbonne refpecl'mg an article in Briffot 's journal. — A letter from each of the three generals to M. de Narbonne. Mde Narbonne had fummoned the • three generals Rochambeau, Luck ner, and la Fayette to Paris, upon pre tence of making them give an account of the ftate of the armies, and of the plan of operatipns. They were introduced by M. de Narbonne into the council, on Friday the 60 PRIVATE MEMOIRS, the 2d of March, in fpite of the repug nance which the king had' to fo Unufual a . meafure. Before the council opened, his majefty afked them feveral queftions upon the Slate of the armies. M. de Rocham beau, who was firft interrogated, anfwered, " that his army was in a very bad condition with refped both to clothing and arms ; and as for difcipline, it was almoft entirely overthrown, and out of his power, in the prefent circumftances, to re-eftablifh it ; of courfe, that with fuch troops, all military operations muft be of a defenfive nature only." General Luckher, who had probably > drank ai little freely at dinner, faw things in a much pleafanter point of view than his colleague. " Je dis pas votre majejlef faid the general, addreffing the king in his Ger man French," " quil y a pas auffi quelque petit chofe a dire fur mon armee, quil manque. pas aufft quelque petits obcbets a"armement oud'equipement ; le difcipline il n ef pas non plus trop pan ; mais cefl ecal ; quand je commands PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 6t commande les troupes, ils ont beaucoup cfar- deur, ils me fuivront partout comme je veux, mais je fuis pour le guerre offenfif cef Vof- fenftf qu il faut pour les Fran pais, ils font pas ' pour le deffenff, P offenfif, votre majefe, Fof- fenffK" M. de la Fayette being interrogated in his turn, anfwered in a few words ; he con- tradided neither of his colleagues ; and, although their opinions were quite oppo-? Site, he contrived to accommodate what he faid to both : after which, the king imagin ing that they would immediately retire, feemed pleafed with the thought, that the impropriety of their fitting in the council was thus avoided ; but, when he bowed, in expedation of their withdrawing, they re quefted his permiffion to read a memorial, "*- I do not pretend to deny that Something of the fame nature may not be faid of my army, which are alfo in want of certain little articles refpefting arms and clothing ; and the difcipline, to be fure, is not very ftrift ; but that is of little confequence, for, when I command, the troops always difplay ardour^ they follow me always as I wiih ; but I am for offenfive war ; the French troops excel in the attack ; they are not, fit for the defenfive. Offenfive war, pleafe your majefty, offenfive war for ever. which 62 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. which appearing to be too long to be heard ftanding, his majefty feated himfelf, and defired the generals to do the fame. The memorial was of little or no confe quence ; and, when it was finifhed, he told the generals, that he would confider upon it, and they retired. Next day M. de Narbonne did not ap pear in the committee of minifters ; but his friend M. de la Fayette came in his place, and fpoke much of the bad effed which the diffenfions in the miniftry had on the public mind, and of -the fatal confe quences they might produce to the king, ¦ &c. &c. " You preach repentance," anfwered one of the minifters ; " but is your friend M. de Narbonne of the fame opinion ?" " Yes, undoubtedly he is." " Why then does not he join his col- * leagues, after the defire which they fhewed to be reconciled to him ?" " This was what I wifhed," returned M. i.-. de la Fayette ; " but after what he informed , me concerning what paffed between him and PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 63 and M. Bertrand, at the laft committee, it feems almoft impoffible that one or other fhould not quit the miniftry; and M. Bertrand muft pardon me, if truth forces me to fay, that however eftimable his con dud may be, his retreat, in the prefent cir cumftances, would be as ufeful to the king, as that of M. de Narbonne would be fatal." " Were I of that opinion," faid I, " I fhould moft certainly refign without hesi tation ; but I can with difficulty believe, that it would be advantageous to the king to be abandoned by one of his minifters, merely becaufe fome bafe calumniators have made complaints againft him that are abfurd, and without the fmalleft founda tion. With regard to the attack which M. de Narbonne direded againft me, in order to extricate himfelf, furely that u"oes not en title him to require my retreat ; and, al though I have a better right to irifift on his, So far am I from making any fuch. re queft, that I now join my colleagues in in viting him to a reconciliation : this ought 6 to «4 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. to fatisfy him. You may, affure him, at the fame time, Sir," added I, " that not withftanding his popularity, the term of my miniftry fhall never depend upon his caprice. x I have long fince acquainted his majefty with the particular time when I thought.it would be neceffary for me to quit his fervice — the period is at no great diftance ; but moft affuredly I fhall not haften it a moment to pleafe M. de Nar bonne." The other minifters approved of what I had faid, and fupported me in it ; and M. de la Fayette retired, much diffatisfied at the bad fuccefs of his embaffy. The next day, being the 4th of March, 1792, the following article appeared in Briffot's Journal : " The reports which have been for fome time circulating, of diffenfions in the ca binet council, are well founded — a mifun- derftanding fubfifts betwixt the minifter of war and the minifter of marine : the firft, yrhofe attachment to the conftitution is well known, employs every means of exe cuting PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 65 ing its laws, fo as to render it fucceff- ful ; while the fecond endeavours to exe cute them in fuch a manner as to over-, turn it." As foon as I faw this paragraph, I wrote the following letter to M. de Narbonne ; " Sir, " I have juft read a paragraph in the Patriate Frangais, which I make no doubt has fhocked you as much as it has done me. Being convinced you had no fhare in it, I prefume you are fenfible of the propriety of immediately requiring that the paragraph may be retraded ; which it will be eafy for you to obtain." M. de Narbonne' 's Anfwer. " Sir, " I felt as much uneafmefs as you could on reading the paragraph you mention : in the inferting of which I certainly had no hand ; but, as I am convinced, that the affertions it contains are true, I can neither contradid them, nor require that they fhould be retraded. ; vol. 11, F "I greatly 66 PRIVATE MEMOIRS: " I greatly efteem your talents and vif«* tues ; at the fame time, I have had oCca-> Sion to obferve, that our ideas are not the Same reSpeding the conftitution ; and it appears to me, that our different method of executing its laws, in fuch critical cir cumftances, muft be as hurtful to public affairs as to the king's intereft." Notwithftanding this extraordinary an-* fwer, I wifhed to try every means of being reconciled writh M. de Narbonne. His difmiffion would have been the confer quence of an open rupture ; and, as he was then the moft popular minifter^ this would have been hurtful to the king. The* fame day, therefore, on which I received this letter, finding myfelf Seated next him at the council, I wrote the fubfequent note,, and fhowed it to M. de Narbonne. " If M. de' Narbonne has, a& I wifhr refleded more maturely upon, the letter I fent him this morning, it depends upon himfelf to re-eftablifh perfed unanimity in the council : he has only to complain of the article in the Patriate Francais ; to ex- 5 preTs PRIVATE MEMOIRS. Sf prefs before the council his furprife and uneafinefs on account of its infertion, and to declare that he will immediately write to the editor to defire it may be retraded. I have not communicated the fubjed of this note to any of my colleagues ; and I give my word of honour that I never will, in the hopes that the ftep which I recom mend, may be regarded by them as the fpontaneous effeds of M. de Narbonne's candour, which will certainly reconcile them all to him." M. de Narbonne, after reading this note, wrote the following anfwer under it : " I perfift in the fame opinion, which I fent M. Bertrand this morning. He is at liberty to lay open immediately, before the king, all the circumftances regarding Brif- fot's paragraph. I am ready to explain myfelf upon that article.'' I wrote back upon the fame paper ; " Don't you think it would be more expedient to difcufs this affair in the com mittee, aSter the council, before it is men tioned to the king ?" F 2 M. de 68 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. M. de Narbonne anfwered, by the Single Word, " willingly.'' After" the council, we went to the apart ment in the palace appropriated for the committee. I gave an' account, of my let ter, and M. de Narbonne's anfwer, con cerning the paragraph inferted in Briffot's Journal^ with which all the minifters had been very much offended. Then addref- fing myfelf to M. de Narbonne, I faid, " I now requeft, Sir, that you will frankly explain, before our colleagues, what you mean by the difference of opi nion which, you fay, fubfifts betwixt us concerning the conftitution, and of our different mode of executing it. I ought, and I am convinced I do underftand the conftitution better than you do; becaufe rny department not being fo much over charged as your's, I have had more leifure to ftudy it ; I nevet take a ftep without ¦ conSulting it ; and I am very Sure that it is -not in your power to give a Single inftance •wherein I have deviated from what the conftitution preScribes." " I con- PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 69 " I conteft nothing of all that," replied M. de Narbonne ; " but you ought, with the fame franknefs on your part, to acknowledge that you do not like the con ftitution ; that you do not approve of it" " No Sir," refumed I, "that is what I will not acknowledge ; I will only declare that- \ I do not allow myfelf to decide on the me- ,. rits or demerits of the conftitution. I fhall defer paffing my judgment until that of the nation is manifefted, after having expe-. rienced the effeds which will refult from its execution. Neither you nor I have fworn to love it; at all events, we have only taken an oath to execute it faithfully, and to enforce, it by all the means in, our power : let us content ourfelves with being faithful to our oath." " Yes," replied he ; " but while I ufe every means of making the conftitution fucceed, you endeavour to have it exe* Cuted, in . fuch a n^anner, as may prove to^ the nation that it never can go on." . ;'1 " That is to fay," returned- 1, " ydu fuppofe this to be my intention ; for you certainly ? 3 have. 7q PRIVATE MEMOIRS. have not the fmalleft proof of it; and I never made fuch a declaration to you, nor to any body elfe. Your fuppofition would be more plaufible if I adhered with lefs ftridnefs to the conftitution ; but it is Strange to con clude, from my fcrupulous obfervance of |t, that my defign is to fhew the public that it cannot be executed : thus, Sir, it is Impoffible for me to efcape your cenfure, let me ad as I will. May I afk by what right you affert that I have a defign fo qontradidory to my condud ; and can you ferioufly found your quarrel with me on fuch vague and Inconfiftent SuppoiU tipns." " I don't mean to quarrel with you," he anfwered ; " but you defired me to ex plain mySelS openly : then I muft plainly teU you, that I Sorm my opinion in conSe* quence of what I fee : your department floes not go on." *' My department does not go on ! what do you know, Sir, upon the fubjed ? what dp you find deficient ?n «« This, PRIVATE MEMOIRS. ' 71 " This, Sir ; that you have not com menced the new organization of the navy : you have not an officer ; not a captain of a frigate, while the land force is complete." " It is true, Sir, that the new organization of the navy is not far advanced ; but it cer tainly is not my fault, as the affembly has not yet paffed one of the decrees neceffary to regulate this organization, although I have repeatedly demanded them ; and as I have no right to iffue fuch decrees, nor the power of executing them before they exift, 1 deferve no blame on that head : indeed I have never been blamed on that account by the affem bly, notwithftanding the prevailing preju dice againft me. If I had been as fortu nate as you were," continued I, " in hav ing all my decrees immediately paffed, perhaps I fhould have been as far ad vanced ; particularly if I had fupplied the place of officers by pilots and failors, as you fupplied the officers who were miffing by ferjeants and common foldiers ; perhaps I might have alfo had my Luckner to boaft of; for the famous corfaire Paul F 4 Jones 72 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. Tones prefented himSelf twice at my levee to demand the rank of Admiral." *' Well, well," faid M. de Narbonne, " you fee what a footing you are on with the affembly: you can obtain nothing, while nothing I afk is reSuSed me : It is true, that I frequently attend the affembly, and go almoft every day to the commit tees. If you had purfued the fame plan, you would undoubtedly have had the fame fuccefs ; but you never would have any communication with the committees : this Singularity gave pffence ; and I am not furprifed that it has raifed you many ene mies in the affembly." " I am not furprifed at it neither," faid I ; " but notwithftanding the fuccefs which you owe to your communication with the committees, I perfift in the opinion, that thefe communications- are much more danr gerous than ufeful. But, in fhort, Sir, this is foreign to the queftion ; for certainly it is not for my perfifting in communicating with the affembly only, and reSufing tp at tend the committees," that you fuppofe me to PRIVATE MEMOIRS, 73 to have an intention of fubverting that very conftitution which orders us to com municate diredly with the affembly, and fays nothing of committees." " In fhort, it is to no purpofe," refumed he, " to prolong this difpute, as we may go on till to-morrow without coming to any agreement. What has paffed, only proves that our principles are too oppofite ever to be reconciled ; and this confideration would have determined me to retire from admini ftration, as I informed you at the houfe of the Garde des Sceaux, if I had not been re strained by the intreaties oS the generals." " You will ad as you pleafe, Sir," re plied I. All the minifters were ftruck with the futility of M. de Narbonne's objed ions, and the force of my anfwers. They expoftulated with M. de Narbonne, and endeavoured to bring about a reconci liation ; but all in vain. He flood out with the obftinacy of a perfon who had a fixed plan, from which he was determined not to recede. This condud of M. de Narbonne, 74 -PRIVATE MEMOIRS. Narbonne, at firft appeared inconfiftent with the intention he had announced, of giving in his refignation, but it became a little more intelligible three days after,* by the extraordinary meafure he adopted of pub lishing in the newfpapers three letters he had received from the generals Rocham beau, Luckner, and la Fayette, with his an- fwers. Thofe letters had been written at the requeft of M. de Narbonne himfelf ; they were all three to the fame effed, and very nearly in the fame words. The fubftance, was as follows : " That the report of his retreat gave them the greateft uneafinefs : that it. was his duty to remain in adminiftration, as his talents, adivity, and refources were fo. ufe- ful to his country. That their confidence in him, and the certitude of obtaining, through his diligence, all neceffary fuc- cour, had been their only motive for re taining the command of the armies ; but that, if he perfifted in his determination to retire, they muft, give up a fituation, the duties PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 75 duties of which, they would no longer have the power properly to difcharge." M, de Narbonne's anfwer was conceived in nearly the fubfequent terms ; " It is true, my dear general, that the difference of opinion which fubfifts be twixt M, Bertnind and me, refpeding the conftitution, had determined me to give in my refignation ; but the value you at tach to my fervices, and your earneft de fire for my continuance in adminiftration, make me confider it as a duty to remain as long as the king honours me with his con fidence," The publication of thefe letters, opened the eyes of the three generals, who had probably written them unknown to each other ; and each in thte hope, that his per-* fonal approbation would have fufficient weight with the king, to fix M. de Nar* bonne in adminiftration. They now be gan to fufped that he had fummoned them to Paris, and loaded them with civilities, merely with a view to induce them to take this ftep ; which was the more remarkable^ j, PRIVATE MEMOIRS. as at that time attempts were made to turn him into ridicule by numerous pamphlets and caricatures, in which he was diftin guifhed by the nick name of Mini/Ire Linote *. M. de Narbonne had flattered himfelf,1 that the publication of this correfpondence would confirm his credit in the affembly,' and put the king under the neceffity of re taining him in the adminiftration, left his retiring fhould occafion that of all the three generals ; but the event did not an fwer his expedation ; for thofe gentlemen were fo much offended at the publication of their letters, that they complained of it to his majefty ; and retraded their declaration of having a defign to retire upon his re signation. * Linnet. PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 77 CHAP. XIX. The minifters affemble to examine the condud of M. de Narbonne.— They unanimoufy "agree never more to fit In the council with him. — My refgnation. — Letter from M. de Leffart to the king.—^-My converfation with his majefy. — DifmiJJion of M. de Narbonne. — Violent difcontents in the af fembly. — Decree againft M. de Leffart. — Death of the -Emperor.— The Chevalier de ' Graves appointed minifter of war. The condud of M. de Narbonne raifed the indignation of all the minifters ; and the day on which his correspondence with the three generals was made public, they met in committee to deliberate on the part to be . taken refpeding him. It was unanimoufly decided, in the firft place, that none of the minifters fhould any longer do bufinefs with M. de Narbonne, and therefore it became neceffary that the king 78 PRIVATE MEMOIRS* king fhould immediately decide betwixt him and us. But as the difmiffion of M. de Narbonne, in confequence of a quarrel, which feemed to have arifen from his zeal for the conftitution, might fet the king and council in an unfavourable light in the eyes of the public, we confidered every peffible means of obviating this inconveni- ency, and my refignation was confidered as the moft eligible. I oppoSed this de cision, Sor two reaSons. The firft was, that I thought it difgraceSul for me to retire, before his majefty had given any anfwer to the affembly refpeding the memorial ad* dreffed to him againft me, becaufe my re treat might be conftrued into a tacit ac knowledgement of the juftice of the impu tations it contained. In the fecond place, I earneftly wished to continue in adminiftra tion till the 15th of March, becaufe that day was fixed upon for the review of the new corps de la marine, or rather for the dis organization of the former corps, and therefore I had fixed upon it as the termi nation of my adminiftration ; and I urged that PRIVATE MEMOIRS. y§ that the king could not in juftice, nor the council in honour, haften it a day fooner, as it would be giving M. de Narbonne the fatisfadion of including me in his fall, and exp'ofe me to a mortification I had not merited. Thefe confiderations made no impreffion on M. Cayer de Gerville. He had firft propofed my resignation, and he obftinately infifted upon it; and declared with great violence, that he would give in his the very next day if I did not give in mine. This menace frightened the Garde des Sceaux? who had, till then, warmly efpoufed my caufe ; and I alfo became fenfible, that at an inftant So critical, the popularity of M. Cayer de Gerville would render his retreat more prejudicial to the king than mine. I therefore no longer infifted, but confented to give in my refignation, provided it was not made public till after the king fent an anfwer to the memorial which the affem- ' bly had drawn up againft me ; which could be done early next morning, if the Garden des-Sceaux-y when he waited upon his ma jefty 80 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. jefty with the requeft of the committee, would beg of him to let me have the me morial immediately, in order that I might draw up the fketch of an anfwer before the opening of the affembly. This condefcendance obviated all difficul ties, and gave fuch fatisfadion to M. Cayer de Gerville, that he fuggefted to propofe to the king that I fhould continue in office after giving in my refignation, until my fucceffor was appointed. By this means all myi views were anSwered. I was certain that the king would make no objedipn. I accordingly wrote my refignation, while my colleagues were employed in drawing up the anSwer which the king was to make me ; and they endeavoured to render it as , honourable for me as poffible. Itwas agreed upon that the Garde des Sceaux fhould next morning, prefent my refignation, i and the form of the anfwer, as drawn up by the mi- uifters for his majefty. It was agreed alfo that M. de Leffart fhould that evening-, after the xommittee, write to him an account of what had paffed. The following is a copy 6 of PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 8r ©f that interefting letter, which renders it iuperfluqus for me to give a circiimftantial detail of what paffed at the committee, ef" pecially as the teftimony of a third perfon will have more weight than my own. " I went this evening, betwixt ten and eleven o'clock, to the houfe ofthe minifter of juftice, which I informed your majefty was my intention, and there I not only found M. Bertrand and M. Tarbe, but alfo M. Cayer ; and foon after M. de la Fayette arrive'd, whom the Garde des Sceaux had already feen in the courfe of the day. " M. de la Fayette told us that he had been very defirous of bringing about a re conciliation amongft the minifters ; that this had at all times appeared difficult to him, upoa account of the difference fub- fifting betwixt M, de Narbonne and, M. Bertrand ; but that now things had come to that point, that he could no longer in terfere : he gave as his reafon the publica tion of the three letters from the generals, and, above all, the anfwer which M. de Narbonne had given to him. He declared vol, ii. G that 82 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. that he had never confented to the publica tion, nor had he any idea of fuch a thing till he faw the letters in the newfpapers. After this explanation, which was cold and laconic, he retired. The moment he went out, M. Cayer vented his indignation at v the condud of M. de Narbonne, in the ftrongeft expreffions ; and he ended by faying that he muft never more fet his foot in the council. But at the fame time he added, that the difmiffion of M. de Nar- ' bonne might produce very bad confe quences, unlefs the voluntary refignation of M. Bertrand followed foon after. *¦ .•» " M. Bertrand faid that he could not, at that moment, give in his refignation, but that he wTould do it moft willingly after the 15th of March ; that fuch had always been his fixed intention. , u The Garde des Sceaux fupported M. Bertrand, and faid that it would be beneath the king's dignity, and the credit of th? miniftry, to yield upon fuch an occafion^ ' " M. de Cayer infifted, with force, upon M. Bertrand's immediate refignation. He founded PRIVATE MEMOIRS v 83 , founded his opinion upon the prefent dif- pofition of the people, the public intereft4 and that of the king. " He was feconded by M; Tarbe in fuch a manner, that M. Bertrand condefcended fo far as tO promife to give in his difmiffion as foon as the king fhould have anfwered the memorial of the national affembly. " M. Cayer infifted on his former opi nion with great vehemence, declaring, that if M. Bertrand did not give in his refigna tion immediately after the king had de manded that of M. de Narbonne, he .himfelf would refign, the very next morning. " I had, till then, taken little part in the debate, being, at bottom, entirely of the opinion of M. Cayer de Gerville, which I had hitherto concealed* out of delicacy to M, Bertrand, whofe fituation was extreme ly cruel : but feeing things fo far advanced, I at laft remarked to M. Bertrand, that as he was refolved upon the facrifice, he ought to make it in the manner moft advan tageous for the king, in the prefent ftate ? • j - G 2 of #4 > PRIVATE MEMOIRS. of public affairs ; and that it appeared highly expedient that he fhould give in his refignation next day, in order to diminish the effed which M. de Narbonne's- difmif- fion might produce. " M. le Garde des Sceaux, who had been greatly ftruck With the decifive declaration of M. de Gerville, being fenfible of the im portance of preventing his refignation on the fame day with M. de Narbonne, ranged himfelf on the fame fide. " M. Bertrand conSented; and we drew up the letter which is propo'Sed for your majefty to fend in anfwer to his letter of refignation. " This long and important difcuffion paffed without acrimony, and in a manner becoming perfons who have fentiments of mutual efteem. Your majefty's intereft "and the public good were all we had in view. ' " In the propofed anfwer from your majefty to M. Bertrand, you will require of him to remain in his department till a fucceffor is appointed. 5 « With PRIVATE MEMOIRS. t§ " With refped to M. de Narbonne, we think he ought immediately to be re placed ; and that it is even of confequence that his fucceffor take his place in council this very evening. Upon jnature consider ation, it appeared to us that the Chevalier de Graves is the moft proper perSon to re place him ; and on the prefumption that he would be agreeable to your majefty, the Garde des Sceaux Sounded him yefterday ; and during the committee, he went again to his houSe at one o'clock in the morning, with the Same intention ; but not finding hinl at home, left a note, defiring to fee him as early as poffible.. " We alfo think it very neceffary that your majefty fhould immediately fend for the three generals, in order to prevent them --from giving in their refignation, which they will moft certainly be excited to do by every .poffible means. Your majefty will not fail in perfuafive arguments. On their part, it would certainly be a Sailure in their duty, and even a breach of their oath, to refign at Such a conjundure. But as this Q 3 is ' U PRIVATE MEMOIRS. ,is a point ofthe utmoft importance, your majefty will perhaps think it expedient that the queen fhotild be prefent at this inter- . view, that every circumftance may concur to ehfure fuccefs. ~a " There are alfo precautions to be taken relative to the national guards, as it is very poffible that feditious people may take, adr vantage of the prefent circumftances to ex cite diforder. " It is faid that M. de Boiffieu is not at Paris. By whom is he replaced ? , Might he not be Sent Sor ? ** Your majefty will be informed of thefe particulars, in the morning, by the Gark des Sceaux. It appeared to us proper to give him the preference upon this occa fion, as being the moft ancient minifter, and in fome refpeds the chief of the council. *' Your majefty may then fend for IVI. Cayer de Gerville, to inform him that you have adopted his opinion ; and at the fame time to requeft him to, continue in admi niftration beyond the time he has fixed, 6 which, PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 87 which is the 15th of this month.* It is to be wifhed that his refignation could be de ferred at leaft eight days beyond that pe riod. It would be well if the queen would join her invitation to M. de Gerville to that of your majefty, by which means fuc cefs would be more certain. " Your majefty and the queen ought to fhew every mark of favour and regard to M. Bertrand, fo unjuftly facrificed ; and who, in yielding to the force of circum ftances, gives the ftrongeft proof of attach ment and duty. He is a man of merit, who muft not be looked upon as entirely loft to your majefty's fervice. " I fhall end by obferving, that the con dud of M. de Narbonne is fo ferioufly re-* prehenfible, that his difmiffion feems abfo- lutely neceffary, unlefs your majefty prefers giving him your entire confidence. But in cafe you fhould adopt the firft of thefe meafures, no time is to be loft. All expla nation will be fuperfluous, and derogate from your dignity. It is even of confe quence to prevent M. de Narbonne from g 4 coming 88 PRIVATE MEMOIRS, ' coming to the council this evening, Sts he will not fail to bring a very patriotic dif-t courfe, which he will propofe that. your ma jefty fhould addrefs to the national affem bly ; and, if he receives his difmiflion next day* he will fay that it is upon account of thi* difcourfe that he has fallen into difgrace. -,. " I take the liberty to remind your ma jefty of the three generals. It appears to me that you, fhould fee them: that you fhould receive them all three together,; and, if poffible, before any of them have been tampered with. In talking of their letters, your majefty, without informing them of your intentions, may afk them, If, after fwearing to be faithful to the na tion and the king, they can ferioufly, de termine to ferve no longer than M. de Narbonne remains in adminiftration? Your majefty may add, that even fuppof- ing that Some alteration fhould be made in •the miniftry, you will certainly choofe none , but men diftinguifhed for patriotifm and abilities. " Friday morning, 5 o'clock *.'* * Vide Appendix, No. IV. On PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 89 : Oh leaving the committee, (about three in the morning,) I immediately fent a copy of my refignation to the editor of the Journal de Paris, earneftly requefting him to infert it in that day's paper ; in order that the retreat of the minifter, who dif- pleafed the affembly, might be made pub lic at the fame time with the difmiffion of him who had more partifans »in it, a cir cumftance, however, that did not prevent him from being fometimes infulted, which never happened to me. Vr To give an idea of the manner in which M. de Narbonne was fometimes treated in that hall, I fhall Only relate the words which the deputy Albitte addreffed to him at the evening meeting a little before his difmiffion : " That great minifter," cried the depu ty, " Whom you behold there, who has Such vaft talents, and whoSe numerous applauders befiege the affembly and the committees, often makes reports entirely devoid of truth. As for his adivity, fo much vaunted, it 90 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. it is of as little utility as the adivity of one who walks in his fleep." M. de Narbonne heard this rhetorical flaurifh with a fmile of contempt, which wal the "only reply he ever made to thofe indecent attacks, for which a lefs enduring minifter would have obliged the affembly to have done him juftice. I had not feen the memorial which the affembly had addreffed to the king againft me ; but as it could contain little elfe be sides a repetition of the former reports made by the marine committee* I prepared, a form of the anfwer the king was to make, all but a refutation of the new accu- fations which the memorial might contain, I therefore addreffed a letter to his ma* jefty, begging that he would fend me the memorial, and informing him that my re signation was to be' prefented to him. My letter was as follows : " I entreat your majefty will fend me the memorial of accufation againft me, as it ought to be anfwered as foon as pof fible. PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 91 fible. The minifters, affembled laft night in committee, deliberated till three in the morning upon the letters which M. de Narbonne caufed to be printed in every journal. His condud being highly dis approved of by all, they intend to propofe that your majefty fhould difmifs him ; but, as the dangerous woman who governs him might take advantage of the prefent crifis, to excite an inSurredion, on pretence that a patriotic minifter is difmiffed for having denounced an ariftocratic one, my unbounded attachment to your ma jefty, and regard Sor your intereft, have de termined me to give in my refignation as Soon as M. de Narbonne has received hi& diSmiffion, But I fhall ever remain in violably devoted to your majefty's Service 3 and my chief ambition will ever be, to have it in my power to prove my refpedful attachment *." The king received this letter an hour before the Garde des Sceaux went to him from the committee. * Yide Appendix, No, V. 92 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. At ten o'clock I received two letters from his majefty : one was that which the committee had drawn up, in which the king, while he accepted of my refignation, exaded that. I ' fhould continue the func tions of my office until my fucceffor fhould l be appointed. The other letter was en tirely, from himfelf, full of expreffions of kindnefs, and in the true ftyle of Henry the Fourth. I would wifh to tranfcribe it entirely ; but I valued it too highly to run the rifk of lofing it in my flight ; it re mains . at Paris, with feveral other letters from the king and queen : the box which contains them is buried fix feet under ground in a garden. I hope that this pre cious depofit will be one day reftored to me, or at leaft that it will not be loft to my children. In the mean time, I muft con tent mySelf with only tranfcribing part of his majelly's letter, which is deeply en graven in my heart. " I am forry that circumftances oblige you to give in your refignation : from what I have learned, I believe you aded wifely ; but I do not feel the lefs regret. I had PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 93 had determined to exert myfelf in fupport- ing you ; but that abfurd man has brought things to fuch a pafs that it feems. impof fible. I hope your fervices will not be al ways loft to me and to the ftate ; I may, one day, perhaps, be in a Situation to derive ad vantage from them*." The perfon who brought this packet, defired me to go to the king as Soon as pof fible. I waited upon his majefty before I had recovered the emotion occafioned by his letter ; and he received me with an air of fadnefs, which fo thoroughly overcame me, that I burft into tears. He turned away to the window, where he remained fome time Silent, to give me time to cpmpoSe mySelS ; then approaching me with a look of kindnefs : * " Je fuis bien fache que les circonftances vous ayefifc force de donner notre demiffiori ; ce que j'anprends me prouve qu'en effet vous atfez prit le bon parti ; je n'en ai pas moins de regret. J'etois bien refolu a deployer tout l'energie pof fible pour vous foutenir ; mais ce diable d'homme a telle- ment.tout brouille qu'on n'y connoit plus rien. — J'efpera que vds fervices ne feront pas perdus pour moi ni pour l'etat, «t je compte bien les retrouver un jour." «« You 94 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. " You always wifhed," faid he, "to give in your refignation on the 15th of this month. You fhall continue in your department, at leaft, till then ; and we muft fee next what can be done. Have, you feen the Garde des Sceaux ?" " No, fire," anfwered I. " I thought he had gone to tell you of Narbonne's difmiffion. He faid, when he parted from me, that he was going to your houfe." " He probably went dire4dly," anfwered I, " with your majefty's orders to M. de Narbonne." " Not at all," anfwered the king. " I fent them by a footman. There, read the letter I wrote to him ; it is not long." The letter contained thefe few words: " I hereby inform you, fir, that I have appointed M. de Grave to the war depart ment ; you#will therefore give him accefs to the papers belonging to your office." - .. * " Jevous previens, monfieur, que je viens de nommer M. de Graves au department de la guerre ; vous lui re'tnettra votre portefeuille." ** I have PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 95 *' I have not fent you the memorial ofthe affembly," refumed the king, " becaufe I wifhed to anfwer it immediately. It con tains nothing new, and was even very ill written ; fo that the anfwer was not dif ficult." " I am forry," faid I, " that your ma jefty has taken fo much trouble. I have -been employed in drawing up an anfwer, which I have brought to fhew your ma- jefty." " That is much too long," faid the king, when he faw four pages of writing, " and therefore ufelefs. Mine is ten times fhorter. See if it won't do much better." " Perfedly well, fire," Said I, aSter having read it. I would not change a word." " I am glad," anfweied he, " that you approve. Go, then, to the Garde des Sceaux, to have it copied in his office ; and after I have figned it, he will counter sign it, and fend it to the affembly." This anfwer was, in fubftance, as follows : " That the king did not -find an article of .accufation, in the memorial addreffed to him. 56 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. him againft me, that had not been included in the former accufations, which the affera-* bly had rejeded by paffing to the order of the day ; and that therefore having no rea fon to adopt a different opinion of me from what the affembly entertained, he did not think proper to withdraw his confidence from me *.'* , . I had this letter expedited for the afiem- bly with all poffible diligence, and it was fent at the moment when the unexpected news was received of M. de Narbonne's difmiffion. Moft unfortunately my refig nation was not then known, having been fent too late to be inferted in the newf papers of that day ; and no more was re quifite to inflame the Briffotines, the Gi- rondifts, and the whole Gote Gauche of the affembly. At that very fitting, Briffot, availing himfelf of the prefent difpofition of the affembly, made a furious declama tion againft M. de Lefiart, whieh produced * Vide Appendix, No. VI. a decree PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 97 a decree of accufation againft that mi nifter. Without giving him time to make his defence, or examining into the truth of any of the aceufations fo fuddenly brought forth againft him, this unfortunate and honeft man was, in confequence of this de cree, conduded to the national court efta- blifhed at Orleans. After remaining fix months in the prifon of that court, without being brought to trial, he was transferred to Verfailles, the September following, by a detachment from Paris, and there mafla- cred with the other prifoners. In addition to the king's forrow on ac count of the affiidive events of this day, particularly the unjuft accufation of M. de Leffart, a courier arrived the fame evening . from Vienna, who brought intelligence of the death of the emperor Leppold. The jQhevalier de Graves, now appoint ed minifter of war, topic his place in the council that day. His manners, although popular, were not of the oftentatious, ca- vol. 11. h refling 98 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. reffing naturq of thofe that diftinguifhed M. de Narbonne, but his condud and writings fince the revolution, and his at tending the popular affemblies in the dif ferent towns where he happened to be with his regiment, made him-pafs for a zealous conftitutionalift amangft the Jacobins, and for an enraged Jacobin amohgft the Arifto- crat^s; therefore ¦ his nomination did not hurt the king's popularity; In fad, the chevalier was neither a zealous conftitution alift nor a Jacobin ; but he was, what many well-meaning people in France were at that time, milled by the attradion of new fyf- tems, by perfonal difcontent, or by views of ambition. People of this defcription had formed a little fyftem of reformation fuit able to their own fancies and fituations ; and as long as they had hopes that their own plans would be adopted, all was well. In "the progrefs of the revolution, however, they became alarmed, and heartily regretted that they had everaffifted it in the fmalleft degree : but being unwilling to retradt, partly PRIVATE MEMOIRS, 99 partly from mame, and partly from:: fear, they yielded to the torrent./ Whatever were-the tootives which actu ated M. de Graves, before he came into the council, he certainly fhewed great 'attache ment to the king, during his fhort admini ftration; which would have been ftill fhorter, had not his majefty for fome time refufed to accept of his refignation. If the royalifts had placed more confi dence in him, he would certainly have ferved them as far as was confiftent with the timidity of his charader. The king was reduced to the fatal necef fity of forming a new miniftry at a time when he had not the power of appointing a Single individual in whom he qould place confidence. Senfible of the dangers which Surrounded him, he now fhewed evident anxiety about his fituation. Inftead of the contempt and indifference with which he had fupported the outrages which he had hitherto been expofed to, forrow and con firmation were ftrongly marked on his H 2 coun- ioo JPRIVATE MEMOIRS. countenance during that {pi council of the 9th of March, which was the laft at which, I was -faeeifent, and from which I retired, my heart impreffed with the d^ejpeft mz~ lannjioly. JPRIVATE MEMOIRS; tot CHAP. X& An impertinent letter which I received from M. Cayer.de Gerville. — My explanation with him, and its confequences. A—M. La~ eofle called to the miniftry .— His character, —M. Duport de Tertre, Cayer de Ger ville, and Tarbe, thdr characters and difmifftxm. — Dumourier called by M. de Leffart.- — Supplants him. — CharacJer of M. de Leffart. \t7% were all finfcerely vexed at the de- * ™ cree of accufation iffued againft M. de Leflart j but M. Cayer de Gerville^ al ways carried away by his violent and fuf- . picious temper, took it into his head that t was the voluntary caufe of this uriisfortunei and that I had prevented my difmiffion from appearing in the Journal of the 9th Of March. I did not give frnyfelf the trou ble to combat his notion, as I hoped he H J WOuld 102 A PRIVATE MEMOIRS. would become fenfible of its injuftice, upon cool refledion : but I found, by the receipt of the following note, a few days after, that he ftill continued in the fame difpofition of mind : "Sir, " After what has paffed, you ought no longer to attend the council ; and 1 give you notice, that if you appear there this evening, I Shall immediately leave it." I knew him to be very capable "bf this - ad of intemperance, and even of giving in his refignation, on this pretext, with a patriotic oftentation, which might have injured the king's affairs. This con fideration hindered me from taking any notice of the rudenefs of M,. de Gerville's -note, which, being didated by a man blinded by paifion, did not merit the atten tion of a reafonable perfon. I carried my moderation to the length of a even going to his houfe, in order to find out if he had not a more reafonahle motive -for his intemperate behaviour than I had fuppofed. PRIVATE MEMOIRS, 103 fuppofed. My appearance rather furprifed him. *' You feem not to have expeded this vifit, fir," Said I, Smiling. " I acknowledge I did not," anfwered he : " but I had no doubt of your being offended; and Since you are come, I am willing to give you what Satisfadion you pleafe." u You imagine, perhaps," faid I, " that I am come with an intention to challenge you?" " If it be fo," replied he, " I am at your commands." " Explain to me, in the firft place, fir," faid I, afledV His majefty approved of my eonduft, and obferved, with fome truth, S that- ¦io6 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. that it was lucky my temper was lefs vIcn lent than M. Cayer de Gerville's. Lacofte, formerly firft clerk of the ma rine in the department of the colonies, and afterwards fent, in quality of the king's commiffary, to eftablifh the new conftitu tion in the Ifles du Vent, fucceeded me in the marine department. His difpute with M. de Behague, relative to their re fpedive powers, was the caufe of his being recalled into France. His denunciations againft that governor, in the affembly and in the club of Jacobins, where he went upon his firft arrival, and his low birth, gave to his nomination all the popularity which5 the circumftances required. This man, fo violent in his temper, and coarfe in his manners Aought never to have been raifed from the Sphere in which he had before paffed his life, as It was moft cer tainly that in which he feemed beft fitted to ad. Like others of his rankj the circum-. fiance which he moft admired in the revo lution was, that it cleared the way to the firft offices of the ftate to al J, -without any other PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 107 other diftindion than thofe of talents and of virtue ; two qualities in which few men are fenfible of a deficiency. His at tachment to the Jacobins, or rather his de fire to preferve their good graces, led him into the indecent abfurdity of placing a pike irt his hall, with a red cap Upon it : but, with all that was faulty or ridiculous in his manners, Lacofte was, at bottom, an honeft man : he tletefted the cruelties of the revolution ; he always behaved refped-* fully to the king, and gave his majefty fome proofs of attachment which required courage. The three minifters who remained in place from the 9th of March, were M. TarbeV minifter of finance ; Cayer de Ger ville, minifter of the home department; and M. Duport du Tertre, Garde des Sceaux, who, after the decree of accufation againft M. de Leffart, was entrufted with the bufinefs of the foreign department till another minifter fhould be appointed. M. Duport du Tertre, whom the revo lution had raifed from the fituation of clerks io8 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. clerk, with a falary of twelve hundred livres, to the firft dignity in the kingdom* was, from the beginning, and with good reafon, the zealous partifan of a revolution Which had been fo advantageous to himr M. de la Fayette, by whofe influence he had been appointed minifter, and all that part of the firft aOkmblj which went by the name /of Cote Gauche, placed great confidence in him. Even after the -diffolution of that affembly, he continued in intimacy with fome of the principal perfons who had compoSed it ; namely, the Lameths, Bar- nave, and Adrian du Port, who were every day at his houfe : he did nothing without consulting thenu The conftitutionalifts who formed the CHi [Gauche * of the firft affembly, became the CSte Droit of the fecond, in which the CUe Gauche was compofed of the moft violent Jacobins, who aimed at the overthrow of monarchy, <:onftitutionaI or not j and * Cote Gat/che and Cote Droit were names given to the two parties in the affembly ; the fecond denoting -die fup- yorters of government j the firft the-oppofitfon. there- PRIVATE MEMOIRS. !©$ therefore attacked, with equal fury, the conftitutional minifters, and thofe whom they fufpeded of being attached to the. an cient government. On this account M. Duport du Tertre had .nearly as many -ene mies in the affembly as myfelf. He was obliged to give in his refignation a week after my retreat, in Spite of all his efforts to fupport the conftitution, to which he was more attached- by gratitude than by efteem. Meffrs. Tarbe and Cayer de Gerville were obliged to do the fame, becaufe they had adopted the fatal idea, that a miniftry entirely compofed of Jacobins, was the only one which was proper for that pe riod ; , and they perSuaded the king and queen of this. My nomination to the marine depart ment had given great uneafinefs to M. Du- pprt du Tertre., who has- fince owned to me,, that he looked upon me with an evil eye for Tome time, as he was convinced that I had. only accepted, of the marine de partment as a ftep tp the chancellorship. But he became one of my moft zealous parti- iio PRIVATE MEMOIRS. partifans when he found that itrwas not frorn. ambition that I entered adminiftra* tion ; and, that fo far from defiring the place of any of my colleagues, I only thought of difengaging myfelf frorri my dwri as foon as I could with honourl - ATarbe, formerly a clerk of 'the0 finances; was an- intelligent, adive, laborious, honeft man, and entirely devoted to the king : he might have kept his place in adminiftra tion, with the conSent of all parties, as he had never taken a ftep, or uttered an ex- preffion which could poffibly give offence to any one.^ He had no great talents for Speaking, and drew up papers but indiffer ently ; but he was mild, modeft, and po lite. He feemed much more impreffed with the recolledion of what he had been, than elated by the fituation he had rifen to, and was no way anxious to imprefs others with the idea of his own importance; Entirely occupied with the duties of his office, which he was thought to be more capable of discharging than any other, it would have been fortunate that ho had 6 . con- PRIVATE MEMOIRS. m continued in office ; becaufe, in fo doing, he would have rendered the king the effen- tial fervice of keeping out Claviere, who afterwards proved one of the moft wicked and dangerous men of the revolution. Cayer de Gerville was in his heart a, re publican ; he detefted and defpifed kings ; and equally abhorred priefts of all deno minations, whom he accufed of having, in all ages, been the apoftles of falfehood, the propagators of fanaticifm, and the pro moters of civil wars and perfecution. " I wifh from my foul," faid he one day to us, coming out of the council, " that I could hold betwixt my finger and thumb that curfed race of vermin, and an nihilate them with one crack." Notwithftanding this ftrange fpeech, he fhewed no propenfity to cruelty in his adions : but he might really be confidered as a very hot-headed man. In his opinion, the conftitution had one very great fault ; namely, that it retained fomething of monarchy; but, as he had fworn to ob serve 112 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. Serve it, he was fcrupuloufly faithful to his oath. He was a member of the municipality of Paris ; and the exercife of municipal Sovereignty over-heated his naturally ar dent brain : the people was his inceflant theme ; and he declaimed, with peculiar violence and volubility, againft ariftocracy, nobility, emigration, and priefts. He Saw every where, but particularly at court, tr^eaSons, plots, conspiracies : in a word, he poffeffed all the charaderiftics of a ftern republican ; and, in this -quality, enjoyed great popularity. Soon after he entered the miniftry, he did juftice to the king's good qualities ; and became fo fenfible of that prince's probity, the reditude of his intentions, his mode ration, and humanity, that he almoft for- gavehim for being a king. The only fault he found in him, was his attachment to the Catholic faith, and to non-conftitu- tional priefts. But Cayer de Gerville's ©pinion of the queen w&s far from being fo advan* Private memoirs, h3 advantageous; he looked upon her as a haughty, perfidious, and wicked woman, who thought of nothing but of re-efta-* blifhing defpotifm; and his idea of her majefty was fuch, that when thfe mini fterial committee Was held in the pa* lace, he never would fpeak with freedom, from a notion that the queen, or fome of her Spies, liftened at the door, or behind the wainfcot :- the fmalleft noife Was fuffi cient to confirm him in his fufpicions, and prevent his uttering another Syllable du ring the whole time of the committee. He was one day extremely .offended by an anfwer which the king inattentively made him in the old regal ftyle, which was now exploded. M. Cayet de Gerville had fpontaneoufly undertaken a very labo rious piece of bufinefs, merely in the view of being ufeful to his majefty. After the , council, he came and gave an account of it : on which the king faid, " / permit you; , fir, to prefent your memorial to me." The minifter was fo much fhocked with this anfwer, that he took up his pocket- vol. ii. I book, U4 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. book, and abruptly left the king, without faying a fingle word. He came immedi ately to pour forth his bad humour in the committee ; and, after telling his colleagues what had juft paffed, he continued to re peat with indignation : " / permit you to render me an effential fervice ; a pleafant manner indeed of thanking a man ! If 1 bad had the memorial in my hands, I would have thrown it into the fire* However, he fhall never fet eyes on it." The minifter's infolence had. not efcaped the king ; but he was forced to bear with this, as with the other marks of difrefpedl which he daily received. Two days after, his majefty defired Cayer de Gerville to bring him the memorial : he did this in fuch an obliging accent and manner, as en tirely to overcome the minifter's anger. He immediately brought the memorial y and the king was again- reinftated in his good graces. Upon another occafion, he treated Ma dame Elizabeth with great rudenefs. This- virtuous priacefs, whofe life was dedicated to PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 115 to piety and benevolence, had continual applications from the unfortunate. An unhappy nun had been particularly recom mended to her protedion ; fhe defired to See Cayer de Gerville beSore he went to the council, intending to Speak to him in favour of the nun. He waited upon the princefs ; but, before fhe had finifhed what fhe had to fay, interrupting her abruptly, he faid, " It is aftonifhing, madam, that you fet fo little value upon the time of a minifter, as to make him lofe half an hour in hearing the hiftory of a nun : 1 have other bufi nefs on my hands than the affairs of nuns ; and you will forgive me, madam, when I tell you frankly, that I fhall give myfelf as little trouble about this one as about others. The mild princefs, whofe ears had never been wounded by fo harfh an expoftulation, was fo much Shocked and confounded, that fhe fuffered the minifter to leave the apart ment without attempting to reply. Cayer de Gerville, finding that the po pularity of the miniftry daily decreafed, faw no other means of retaining the little 12 he ttS PRIVATE* MEMOIRS, he ftill pofieffed perfonally, but that of giv ing in his refignation. > His retreat was fol lowed by that ofthe Garde des. Sceaux, who, having been chiefly fupported by Cayer de Gerville's friendfhip and popularity, did not choofe to remain alone expofed to the at tacks of his enemies, whofe number every day augmented. He therefore announced, that he would give in his refignation as Soon as the accuSation againft him was ex amined into. This determination, which his friends took care to fpread, accelerated the bring ing of this bufinefs before the affembly; the accufation was rejeded, which, as his enemies obferved, was rearing a golden bridge for his efcape. A month after he was eleded, by a great majority of votes, Accufateur Public of the criminal tribunal, in place qf Robe spierre, /who refigned the office without having ever Sulfilled its fundions. The condud of this monfter . has but too well Shewn, that humanity was not his motive ; the power of accufing was no fatisfadion, $ - , unlefs PRIVATE MEMOIRS. XIy unlefs he had alfo the power of deftrpying his vidims. * Meffrs. Duport du Tertre, Tarbe', and Cayer de Gerville, all gave in their resig nations between1 the 15th and 20th of March. The new miniftry was compofed of M. Duranthon for the department of juftice, M. de Graves for that of war, De la Cofte for the marine, de Claviere for that of the finances, and Dumourier for foreign af fairs. The laft, a month before his nomi nation, was at Niort, where he had been forced to take refuge from his creditors. M. de Leffart being informed that he was the intimate friend of Genfonne, imagined that Dumourier'sgood offices might be of fervice to him with this deputy, who was a mem ber of the diplomatic committee, and one of M, de Leffart's moft inveterate perfe- cutors. In this hope, he wrote a minifte rial letter to Dumourier, who had long fo licited: an- employment in the diplomatic line, and defired him to come immediately to Paris', where he would be informed of 1 3 the ii8 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. the king's intentions ; and, at the Same time, Sent fix thouSand livres to enable him to dear off the debts which he might have contraded in Poitou. Dumourier haftened to Paris, not doubt ing but the fituation of minifter plenipo tentiary, at leaft, was intended for, him. Upon his arrival, he flew to M. de Leffart. The minifter told him, that nothing was yet decided ; but that a change would foon take place in the diplomatic body ; and, as he intended to propofe him to the king, for one of the places which was to be va cated, he wifhed to have fome converfation with him firft, that he might be able to judge in what fituation his Services would be moft uSeful. M. de Leffart then Spoke to him of the opposition he experienced in the affembly from fome of the principal de puties. At the name of Genfonrte, Du mourier interrupted the minifter. " As for him," faid he, " he is my inti mate friend, and entirely at my difpofal ; I not only take in hand to put an end to his attacks againft you, but even to bring him PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 119 him to receive your commands to-morrow morning, if you pleafe." M. de Leffart readily agreed to this pro- pofal. Accordingly Genfonne' accompanied Dumourier next day ; exprefled much re gret at having mifunderftood the minifter's intentions, which had led him to oppoSe his meaSures ; and, at length, promifed en tirely to change his condud. M. de Leffart was very well fatisfied with this interview ; conceived great hopes of benefit from it, and exulted in the lucky idea which had ftruck him of calling Du mourier to Paris. The general was not long of perceiving this, and did not fail to avail himfelf of it, with his ufual addrefs. On his third vifit to the minifter, he ex prefled a fear of being arrefted by his cre ditors if he remained longer in Paris. There was no means of retaining him, but by paying his debts, which were pretty confiderable ; and the neceffary fum was taken from the fund of fecret expences, which was at the minifter's difpofal. I 4 Some no PRIVATE MEMOIRS. Some days after, Genfonne and the other friends which Dumourier had in the af fembly, gave him to underftand that it would be an eafier matter for him to fitc-. ceed M. de Leffart than to fupport him ; and, in this inftance, as in many others,, ambition triumphed over gratitude. M. de Leffart's talents, without being ftriking, were greatly above mediocrity; he had a penetrating and juft underftand- ing, and an upright mind, notwithftanding his ambition, which fometimes milled him. Perhaps he would have had energy of charader, had he enjoyed a better ftate of health ; for he was capable of adopting vigorous meafures ; but, unlefs they were put in execution immediately, a nervous attack, to which he was extremely fubjedij was fufficient to "get the better of them. He haddong been the friend, the favour ite, and admirer of M. Necker : he ac knowledged, however, and bitterly lamented the faults of that minifter's laft adminiftra tion ; but thofe very faults appeared in the eyes of friendfhip the errors of virtue. « M. Necker," PRIVATE MEMOIRS. isi '*' M. Necker," faid he, " does not know mankind ; and his great miftake is in judg ing of the hearts of others by his own." M. de Leffart was neither a republican, nor a conftitutionalift, but fincerely at tached to the king, whofe virtues he re vered ; and, to the laft moment, he gave' his majefty every mark of zeal and fidelity that was in his power. He may be re proached, like all who compofed the mi niftry at that* time, with having continued to difcharge the functions' of his depart ment after the king's departure for Va rennes, and during his captivity. But it is prefumable, that his majefty was fatisfied with the motives which had induced- the- minifters to that condud, though contrary to the orders he had left at his departure j , becaufe he reftored them all to his confi dence afterwards, and was very much af- feded on account of the decree of accufa tion iffued againft M. de Leffart, 122 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. CHAP. XXI. Tbe account of my adminiftration given in to the affembly. ,< — ft is printed, and diftri- buted over tbe kingdom. — Difcontent bf tbe Jacobins. My firft care, on retiring from the mini ftry, was to get ready the account of my adminiftration, whieh the affembly had a right to exad, and which the conftitu-. tion allowed a month to prepare. I was earneftly folicitous to fhew, by an authentic ad, and in a manner which would no way commit the king, all the err ors pf the new conftitution, and the evils which arpfe from them in the department entrufted to me ; therefore, far from taking advantage of the delay which the conftitu* tion granted, I laid my account before the affembly on the 28th of March, thirteen days after my refignation. I added to this account an extrad of the verbal proceffes of 6 the PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 123 the principal infurredions and mutinies which had taken place in the fea-ports, and On board the veffels, none of which had been punilhed. I Subjoined copies oSthe let ters which I received Srom navy officers, con taining their motives of refignation. I regard ed this fupplement as a neceffary and proper refutation of the calumnies which were fpread againft the marine body, accufed of ariftocracy, and of favouring defpotifm. I fuppreffed the fignatures, that no indivi dual might be brought into danger. Six thoufand copies were immediately printed, and one fent to every member of the af fembly ; a certain number to all the differ ent departments, and to the principal muni cipalities of the kingdom. The remainder was diftributed in Paris. In this publication, I laid open, without: t eferve, the fatal confequences of the unre- ftrained power arrogated by the clubs. The \ Jacobins were the more violently irritated as I brought fuch inconteftible proofs of every circumftance, that the truth could not be doubted, This publication was not ne ceffary I24 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. ceffary to draw upon me the animadverfion of the Jacobins, whofe anger I had long before incurred ; and I fhould certainly have felt the effeds of their rage, if the marine committee had been able to dis cover the leaftrrerror in my calculations : hut luckily they were equally exad with my narrative. I Shall here give this me morial, not only as being the moft import ant ,ad of my miniftry, but as it is alfo the only piece of the kind which has been published. Afiatement, addreffed to the national affembly by M. de Bertrand de Moleville, late mini- fier of the marine, on the i yth of March 1792. " I might limit myfelf, by prefenting to the national affembly an account of thofe particulars only which they have the right of exading from me ; but I have refolved to lay before them all the particulars of my condud, and the motives of my adion£, during the whole time that. I was entrufted with the marine department. « The PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 125 " The expenditure of money, which is generally the principal objed of refponfibi- lity, was, I muft fay* during my admini ftration, the circumftance of fmalleft im portance ; I fhall therefore, in this memo rial, give what regards accounts feparately. Thofe of a minifter of marine are extremely Simple, becauSe he does not dired the ex penditure at the ports ; he is only refpon- fible for the contrads which he makes per- fonally, or for thofe which he agrees to. He muft likewiSe account Sor all expenses which he anthorizes to be made, and for the" quarterly diftribution of the funds. The adminiftrators who refide in the ports, in the fleet, and in the colonies, are, refpon- fible that the Sunds which they are entruft ed with fhall be exadly diftributed. I here lay beSore you the accounts which I have Settled, and thoSe oS the contrads which I have concluded. All are conSormable to the eftimate which was fixed, according to the ordinary and extraordinary valuations of the different articles, and of the funds which were affigned. I have not only never 12& PRIVATE MEMOIRS. never exceeded the eftimate, but, on the contrary, have expended leSs than I was authorized to do, upon all thoSe articles on which a Saving could be made. At a time when the diSpoSition oSthe maritime powers could give us no uneafineSs, and when the demands of the war department were im- menfe, this meafure, which was prompted by the pureft patriotifm, and approved of by the king, produced, during the five months I was in office, an important faving. " I fhall fay no more upon a fubjed which can fo eafily be verified by an exa mination of the fads. I come now to the moft effential parts of my adminiftration ; and this fhall form the laft anfwer I fhall make to the reproaches which have been thrown out againft me ; for having now acquired the right to fpeak the whole truth, I fhall conceal nothing. " From the moment I entered into ad-^ miniftration, and during the fhort time which I continued in it, I have Seen the Sources of the wealth of the nation drained, our principal colony laid wafte, the others in PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 117 in a ftate of difcontent or infurredion, our trade decreasing, our navy disorganized, our docks, arSenals, and fhipping present ing the frightful appearance of want of dif- I cipline, of anarchy, and contempt of the laws. " The caufe of thefe evils was known to all. Thofe, who ought to obey, had dared to threaten j and thofe who ought to com mand, were deprived of all authority, and were loaded with infults with impunity. I fay with impunity, becaufe there is no example of any one having been punifhed on account of the infurredions in the fleet or in the harbours, or for the mutinies ex cited againft the naval officers. This will be proved, to your convidion, by the papers which are annexed to my account ; and you will find that the moft lawful ads of autho rity were confidered as infults by thofe who had fuddenly paffed from- a ftate qf neceuary fubjedion to one of entire in- dependance. The clubs, which are cor-\ .porations of a kind much more powerful than thofe which the conftitution abolished, -J have ti8 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. have exercifed, in all our harbours, a fatal influence which none of the conftituted au thorities can refift ; for the workmen who receive daily pay, the clerks, the fuper- intertderits, and the fubordinate officers, in ftead of being entirely occupied by their bufinefs, have ceafed to obey the govern ment which employed them, and have be come dangerous itiftruments Of fedition. What muft be the confequence, when fuch perfons are at once converted into reform ers, political orators, and cenfurers of the adminiftration ? What muft become of public authority, when each individual ex- ercifes it I How are orders to be iffued> when the inferiors profcribe, infult, and pui* to flight their fuperiors ? " All thefe fads are of Such public no* toriety, that I have no fear of being accufed of exaggerating them. I fhall add to the papers which prove the truth of this me morial, fome of leffer note, becaufe it is my duty to conceal nothing. " It will not be forgotten, that between the two remarkable revolts againft the prin cipal PRIVATE MEMOIRS; 129 eipal officers^ between the period at which M. d' Albert was infulted, and when M. de la Jaille was imprifoned, at the arrival of the Leopard at IBreft, a navy clerk, who was then prPcureur of the municipality, pronounced a public difeourfej in which he bafely calumniated and menaced the whole navy, which was then entire, none 6f the officers having at that time aban-4 doned the fervice. This fcandalous fpeech was denounced in the conftituent affem bly, but the man who pronounced it be came afterwards a member ofthe legiflative body ; and in the beginning of laft Decem ber he wrote to the municipality of Breft in thefe terms, on mentioning me : " ' We wait for the impoftpr without fear. You did well to accufe and denounce him. . . . You will foon fee how we fhall treat him. . . . We defpife the Marignys and Bertrands,' &c. &c. * ' «* li * This letter was communicated by the municipality: of Breft to M. de Marigny, who informed""me of it ; and I re ceived likewife, at the fame time, two copies of it. I have toij ii. k beea i30 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. " It is this man * who, after fuch a let ter, has not heSitated to become the reporter of thefe denunciations, which he himfelf encouraged and procured. " In entering into the miniftry, I found the navy in this wretched condition. The patience of the officers was exhaufted, but they continued brave, zealous, and patri otic. What ought I to do ? Was it proper for the king's minifter to increafe the dif- been reproached for not mentioning this ( I ) : but how is it poffible to miftake the motive of my filence ? Being com pletely-convinced that the accufations againft me were un founded, I naturally wifhed that the reporter (hould be a perfon whom no one could fufpeft of being too favourable to me. Such was my wifh. Was it not accomplifhed even beyond 'my hopes 1 * This violent patriot, whofe name was Cavelier, came fecretly to London in the year 1794, with the defign of ob taining \mohey from the Englifh government, offering to have the port of Breft burnt, or delivered up to the Eng lifh. I was informed of his arrival and of his intention, and gave immediate notice of it to Mr. Windham, who ex- preffed the fame horror which I had felt at this intimation. I allured him of the infamous charader of this fellow, upon whom no dependence could be put ; the confequence of which wa«> that Cavelier was ordered to quit the kingdom. (1) Vide Appendix, No. VII. fatis- PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 131 fatisfadion, hy encouraging informations, calumnies, and infurredions ? Was it his duty to obey the infurgents in the fea-ports, or to conform himfelf to the fpirit and let ter ofthe conftitution,- and to endeavour to re-eftablifh order and difcipline, by putting the laws in execution againft all who in fringed them ? This is what I have done ; j and thofe who reproached me with break-' ing the laws, by granting furloughs, have forgotten that I have juftlfied each by the very words of thofe laws ; and the three which were thought moft reprehenfible, were found, on examination, to be as conform able to the laws as the reft. In fad, there is no example of a knight of Malta being re- fufed, in time of peace, leave of abfence to execute the fervice of his order, becaufe the cruifing of Maltefe veffels in the Mediter ranean was found of ufe to our trade in* that fea ; and M. de Nieul, infpedor of the marines, never having been employed fince the year 1789, and it not being poffible to employ him till the new organization ofthe army had taken place, he had no occafion for K 2 a written ij2 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. a written permiffion to abfent himfelf; for he was in the fituation of an unemployed ge neral officer, therefore the leave of abfence which I gave him was neither requifite not written with all the forms, and was only re quefted by him that I might know where he was^ in cafe of my having occafion to tranfmit the king's orders to him. " I have likewife been reproached for not having informed the legiflative body of the difordered and abandoned ftate in which the harbour of Breft was ; and with hav ing written to the editor of the Moniteur, on the 14th of November, that no naval officer had quitted his poft. It was, with out doubt, forgotten that my letter was an anfwer to the editor, who had made a falfe allegation in his paper. He had ftated, in the preceding number, that I had requefted to be heard in the affembly, to mention the new meafures which the king had adopted, relative to the deSertion of the officers in my department. I anfwered, as I ought, that I had not accufed the naval officers* of any new emigration, becaufe the fad wa&, that. PRIVATE MEMOIRS. i33 that fince my being in adminiftration, not one of them had quitted his poft. And if the author of the obfervations addreffed to the king, upon my condud, had taken the trouble to look over the papers which were annexed to the report of the naval com mittee, he would have found, in page 2$, an extrad of the review of the ift of Odo- ber, and in the laft page, an extrad of that ofthe 20th of November, in' both of which the number of officers abfent without leave was ftatedto be two hundred and feventy- one. He muft then have been convinced that I was fully authorifed to affert, upon the 1 4th of November, that fince ' my en trance into adminiftration, no naval officer had quitted his poft. He might haVe re membered, thr.t one of the firft ads of my adminiftration was to propofe to the king tp recall all abfent officers, by a letter ad dreffed to the commandants of the fea-* ports, beginning with thefe words : *' / am informed, fir, that th? emi grations among the naval officers iycreafe daily, K 3 ?« If 134 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. " If he had recolleded this letter, of which the national affembly were informed, and which was printed in the public newf papers, he muft, without doubt, have per» ceived, that the reproach of having con cealed the emigration of the naval officers was too palpably unjuft, even to have been pronounced againft me by the legiflative body *. " I flattered myfelf, that by checking all disturbances, by punifhing all difobedience of orders, and by -preventing thofe ads of violence, which made the prefence of the naval officers in the fea-ports dangerous to themfelves, and ufelefs for the fervice, that I fhould at length enable them to do their duty with the fame firmnefs, with which, for two years, they had endured the re* preaches, the fufpicions, and threats with * Thefe are not the only mistakes which the author ofthe observations addreffed to the king lias fallen into. He ac- cufes me of having granted permjpons of abfence, although my predeeejfor had ' pofitively fufpended them on the \$th of Augujl, But the fa& is exa&ly the reverie ; for in one month trom the 15th of Auguft, my predeceffor granted leave of ab fence, or a prolongation of abfence, to twenty-two officers. which PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 135 which they were lpaded. I was thoroughly fenfible ofthe difficulties of fuch an under taking, but I was not to be difconcerted by perfonal abuSe or by Secret plots. TheSe attacks I confidered as honourable proofs of my zeal for the public fervice : but my courage and my exertions were ineffedual ; for I could only ad by the power of go vernment, and according to the law. But government was no longer refpeded, and the laws were violated with impunity ; it was therefore impoffible for me to attack a fingle abufe, without exciting outcries and accufations which were always ftrongly fupported. The firft impreffion is ever againft the accufed, efpecially when he is a minifter; and in thefe wretched times, no man can be a minifter without being in ftantly fufpeded of error, of wilful wrong, and of want of patriotifm. " In vain I invoked the vengeance ofthe laws againft thofe who attacked and wounded M. de la Jaille. All Breft knew thofe who committed this outrage, which was perpe trated at mid-day, in the prefence of a thou- K 4 Sand 136 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. Sand witneffes. The proceedings againft the criminals commenced, and decrees were paffed ; but the execution of thofe decrees was fufpended. The villains were prote&r ed by powerful demagogues, who terri,. fied and controuled the minifters. " I attempted to fupprefs the infolence, .diforder, and want pf fubordination, which reigned in our arfenals ; but every effort was ineffedual ; for the fadious Spirit of, party and licentioufnefs annihilates all authority. All ceconomy and regularity is at an end ; and the lofs of time, and the wafte of materials, may be computed at feveral millions, from the impoffibility of punifhing or difmiffing thofe wprkmen, pverfeers^ fubordinate officers, and clerks, who were turbulent orators, and who were proteded by the clubs. " In the Shipping, the confufion was of a, different kind^ but equally impoffible to be remedied, " A new form of trial ]has been eftablifhed for thofe who commit offences on board 3. Ship. This form will, perhaps, an- c fwer PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 137 fwer very well in other times, when light is more generally diffufed, and when the true principles of a free conftitution are fami liarly known by all. But experience has, demonftrated, that, where the minds of men are new to liberty, and confequently nnable to diftinguifh it from licentioufnefs, a maritime jury will not fucceed in the manner expeded by the conftituent affem bly. The appendix, which is added to this memorial, containing many decifions of juries, will leave no doubt upon this fad. " We need feek no other caufe for the na val officers abandoning the fervice. Thofe who have fent in their refignations, and yet remain in France, have alleged no other motives in their letters to me j copies of which I think it my duty to lay before the national affembly. It appears by the fentiments expreffed in thefe letters, that there is not one officer who is not ready to fhed the laft drop of his blood for his country, if he did not dread the lofs of his honour, ever conneded with the honpur pf the French flag. " The; 138 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. " The legislative body will diffipate this well grounded apprehenfion, by taking im mediate and effedual meafures to eftabliflj order, difcipline, and fubmiffion to the laws : this is the only means of faving die French navy from the deftrudion with which it is threatened, and of preventing the epoch of its new formation being that of its total diffolution. " In the merchant fervice, there will be found all that can be effeded by zeal and patriotifm; but, unfortunately, it is only by great labour and long experience, that the talents requifite in the different ranks can be acquired. Tourville and Duguai- trouin were not the work of a day ; they were formed by dangers and battles. " But let us fuppofe, that the merchant fervice was able to furnifh the ftate with a fufficient number of able officers, without obftruding commerce and endangering the fafety of the merchant fhips. How are thefe new officers to be obeyed, if the af- Sembly does not adopt the neceffary means to reprefs mutiny? How can the com manders, PRIVATE MEMOIRS. i3g manders, whoever they are, be refponfable, in this profeffion, if there is not the moft immediate implicit obedience? The flighteft hefitation in executing an order, or in obeying a Signal, may be Sufficient to en danger the Safety of the ftate ! It is un- neceffary for me to obferve, that the firft meaSure to be taken is, to Supprefs, in all the Sea-port towns, thoSe deliberating cor porations, which were proScribed by the conftituent affembly, which have had the power of annihilating all that confidence^ refped, and fubmiffion, which are due from the inferior towards the fuperior officers. " I fhall not enlarge upon the fhare I have had in the government ofthe colonies. The affembly already know the dif afters which have taken place there, and the melancholy confequences which have followed. Both at St. Domingo, and at Martinico, as in France, all the evils have arifen from the diforganifation of the go vernment, from the audacity of fadious j nien, and from infurredions being un punished. i4o PRIVATE MEMOIRS. punifhed. I have exerted myfelf, by mak ing repeated demands and complaints to. this affembly, even to importunity, to have the misfortunes of the colonies remedied ; and I have at leaft the confolation of knowing, that they were not owing to me. *' Laftly, there is another truth, which is- important, though little known, that I Ought to atteft and publifh. During the five months and a half in which I have been in the miniftry, I have never feen the king vary one moment from his fidelity to the principles of the conftitution. I fhall mention, in fupport of this affertion, a fad which recently occurred, and which made fo great an impreffiqn upon my colleagues, that they cannot have forgotten it. " Towards the end of laft month, a very delicate and important affair was brought before the council. There were two ways of ading ; the one would occafion a very confiderable increaSe of the power of the crown, without exciting any difcontent,- becauf§ PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 141 becaufe it was agreeable to the general wifh. The other was the way more exadly con formable to the letter and fpirit of the con ftitution. The king, without waiting for the advice of his minifters, did not hefi- tate a moment in deciding for the latter ; and he fignified his opinion in theSe re markable words : The conftitution is to. be faithfully executed, and we are never to attempt to increafe the powers of the crown. What an example to the conftituted authorities I And how much is it to be wifhed for the good of the public, that all of them Should confine their powers asfcrupuloufly within the bounds that are prefcribed ! " I Submit theSe refledions to the wiSdom. of the national affembly. They are fug- gefted to me by the pureft love of my country. May my fucceffor, happier than me, See true patriotism triumph over the paffions and falfe opinions which I had to combat * ! (Signed) De Bertrand." * Vide Appendix, No. VIII. This i42 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. This declaration, which was printed and direded to each member of the affembly, contains the meft pofitive contradidion of all the accufations thrown out againft me in the memorial addreffed to the king. It was induftrioufly fpread through the whole kingdom as a challenge to any of my ene mies to anfwer it : but as no one attempted its refutation, the abfurd calumny of my having-favoured the emigration of the na val officers, by paying them their appoint ments at Coblentz, and by granting to many the liberty of abfenting themfelves, was forgotten for a time. The Jacobins, however, ftill honoured me by their animadverfions. My name was never pronounced in the club without being accompanied with the epithets of infamous or villainous. The fole crime which they accufed me of was being a member of the chimerical Auftrian com mittee; and to make the exiftence of this committee credited, fadious men publifhed daily pretended difcoveries of treafonable 6 defigns PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 143 defigns and imaginary plots, in order to en rage and miflead the people. It was not till the September following that the infamous Hebert, in the account which he publifhed of the maffaeres of the prifoners at Orleans and~Yerfailles, renewed the charges againft me which had been be gun by Cavelier, Rouhier, &c. ; and he had the effrontery to fupport them by a public confeffion, which he afferted I made at the moment of my death; for I was in cluded by him among the vidims of this horrid maffacre ; and the relation of my punifhment, accompanied with my lafl will, was not the leaft interefting part of his Journal. It will appear, in the courfe of thefe Me moirs, that there was a ftrong reafon for this falfehood *. * An old French navy officer, who was cafhiered by a court-martial, and declared unworthy and incapable o£ ferving the king, was condemned to be imprifoned for twenty years, has juft publifhed a work, thevabjeft of whiclk is, without doubt, to prove that he is worthy and. capable of ferving the republic, not only in the rank of cantre-arrara.lt which he now holds, but in that of admiral in chief, of which he appears la be ambitious. This, work is entitled Precis del *44 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. des Evenemens de la Guerre Maritime, des Caufes de la De* jtrudAian de la Marine Francaife, et des Moyens de la retallir. The author's name is Y. J. Kerguelin. This admiral Worthy, by his impoftures, of being the echo, and even the contlnuator of the journalift Hebert ( i ), repeats, from the re lation ofthe maffacres of Verfailles, " that I facilitated the emigration of the general officers, and the other naval offir ' cers ; and that I had prefented a barren lift of a corps, the individuals of which were at Coblentz, though they were paid as if at Toulon, Breft, Rochefort, or Paris." He adds, ** that being the Slave of a corrupt court, I was only fitted to promote Its criminal views, in refilling the progrefs of the revolution, and in restraining the courageous efforts of the friends of liberty." Finally, he imputes to me " the rapid rife of General Truguet, an inexperienced youth, who' was fuddenly promoted to the rank of contre-amiraL" If I chofe to make ufe of fome notes which I had occafion to- perufe, rtefpedting Y. J. Kerguelin, amidft thofe which were kept in my office, concerning naval officers, who had been likewife cafhiered, though for fmaller offences, I could eafily fhew that it is prudent to diftrufi his affertiongj even, when official. I Should only have to quote fhe report which he made of his firft expedition to Terra Auftralis, of which he gave a moft feducing defcription, although he never faw the country, except through a fpying-glafs. Every thing which he narrated, relative to the rich culture ofthe lands* the induftry, intelligence, and mild manners of thtf inhabitants, is flatly contradicted by M. de Rofily the elder, who commanded the armed cutter with twenty men, which was fent there, and who afferts, that he had difcovered, on this dry rocky country, no marks of cultivation, and no inhabit ants ; and that there were only found fome fea-birds, which were fo tame, that they allowed themfelves to be taken by the hand, and the marks of one quadruped of the fmalleft ( j ) Writer of a Journal known under, the title of Le Eire Daebene. Species. PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 14.5 Species. This defcription, which is rprecifely conformable to that of Captain Cook, will determine in what man ner the reports and affertions of Y. J. Kerguelin areata be explained- by thofe who' wifh to arrive at the truth. Thus, when he afferts, " that as the Slave of a corrupt court, I was only fitted to promote its criminal view^s," that meansi that at the time when I entered into adminiftration, there was no court ; and that the moft virtuous and beft-intentioned . king was, in his own palace, as is known to all Europe, the only Slave. When he advances, " that the emigrated offi cers were paid at Toulon, Breft," &c. &c. we muft conclude that none were paid. Indeed it was impoffible that Spy could be paid, without fending a certificate of tkeixirfjdence to_the ' paymafter, who was perSonally refponfible, and who never could receive any orders upon this fubjeft from the minifter. When he reproaches me " with having prefented a barren lift of naval officers, and of having promoted Truguet prema turely to the rank of contre-amiral," thofe affertions mean, that the lift publifhed during my adminiftration had been drawn up and ordered by my predeceffor, and that General Truguet was not named to the rank of contre-amiral till fome months after my retreat. Finally, when he accufes me " of having deftroyed the navy," it is then clear that I had no fhare in it ; and that it ought to be imputed to the caufes which I have explained in my Statement, and to the negligence of the naval committee, in not framing fuch de crees as were neceffary for re-eftablifhing order and difcipline in this department. This was affirmed by the minifter him felf, in his report upon the ftate of France, pronounced be fore the affembly July io, 1792, that is to fay, four months after my 'retreat. The minifter of juftice, fpeaking in the name of all his colleagues, announced, " that every thing was unfettled in the naval department, when M. La Cofte enter ed into it ; and that things were ftill in the fame ftate, be caufe, in fphe of the efforts of the minifter and of his prede- yol. 11. h ceSTprs, 146 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. ceffors, to obtain' from the affembly fupplementary laws, to regulate the organization of this department, none had yet been decreed." After having demonstrated, that in believing the contre- amiral Kerguelin, you are farther from the truth than in be lieving the very reverfe of what he affirms, I cannot help congratulating myfelf upon his having abufed my adminiftra tion. With regard to minifters oblige the king to declare. war, much againft his inclination. THE appointment ofthe king's, houfe hold was a meafure which could be delayed without any inconveniency : but it was not fo with regard to the appointment' of a governor to the h 2 Dauphin, 148 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. pauphin, or, to fpeak in the con ftitutional ftile, the Prince Royal. The firft, or conftituent affembly, had fhewed an inclination to arrogate this power to themfelves, or to render it null in the hands of the king, by tranfmitting a lift- made up by them, out of whieh he was to choofe one for that office : but the nume rous and abfurd lift which they formed ap peared fo ridiculous in the eyes of the pub lic, that they thought it beft to adjourn the exercife of this pretended right; from which period,1 to that of their diffolution, the mul tiplicity and importance of the affairs brought before them, had prevented the affembly from renewing their pretenfions on this head. But as they never had formally abandoned them, it was highly probable that the fecond affembly might havs made this claim, if the king, by de ferring the appointment of a governor to the Prince Royal beyond the period fixed, had given reafon to fufped that he har boured doubts of his own right, ATewr PRIVATE MEMOIRS. i49 A few days before my refignation, there fore, I gave it to the king4 as my opinion, that he ought to name the governor with out farther delay. His majefty felt the force of this ; but; ftill he was embarraffed how to ad. " Who can I choofe?" faid he. " Do you know any perfon, proper for the fitu ation, whom the Jacobins would not de- teft ? And I would rather that my fon re mained without a governor, than expofe the worthy main, whom I fhould appoint, to the infults of the people, and perhaps to affaffination. On the other haad," conti nued he, " I am fenfible, that if, I do not appoint a governor myfelf, the Jacobins may probably propofe Condorcet, the Abbe Sieyes, or fome other fuch unprin cipled perfon. Have you any one in view ? " No, fire," anfwered I ; " I thought that you had already confidered the mat ter, and that your choice was fixed. I ought, however, to inform your majefty, that at the time the minifters were occupied l 3 in :56 PRIVATE MEMOIRS, in forming your houfehold eftablifhment, M. de Fleurieu appeared to them the moft eligible perfon, as he was favourably looked upon by the Jacobins, upon account of the moderation of his condud to the clerk Bonjour." " M. de Fleurieu, I think, would fuit us," faid the king. " He is very well in formed, arid he is a man of probity, on whom I could rely. There is nothing againft him but his timidity and eXceffive gentlenefs. But is it certain that he would accept of the fituation ?" " I do not imagine," replied I, " that the minifters informed themfelves of that : but if you defire it, I will fee M. de Fleu rieu, and find out his own inclinations, without letting him know that I am com- miffioned by your majefty." " Do fo," faid the king; " and do not delay to inform me." I went diredly from the palace to M. de Fleurieu. I gave, as a pretext for my vifit, the defire I had to talk to him concerning his penfion, which I told him I 'hoped to have PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 15s have fixed before I quitted adminiftration. I then infenfibly led the converfation to the fubjed ofthe Prince Royal's governor. I faid that he ought to have a view to that fitua tion, for whieh he was very well qualified. He anfwered, with modefty, that it was the place in the kingdom which would moft flatter his ambition ; but that he, was fo far from thinking himfelf qualified, that fie would not prefume to place himfelf in the lift of candidates. By all he faid, it was eafy to perceive that he would accept of the offer with great pleafure ; and I returned immediately to the king, who was very well pleafed with this intelligence. The nomination of M. de Fleurieu to ' the place of governor to the Prince Royal was deferred till the end of March ; and the king informed the affembly of it by a letter, which they immedi ately referred to a committee. The opi nion which I tranfmitted to his majefty was, that without waiting for the report of thg committee, M. de Fleurieu fhould be* L 4 inftalled i52 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. irtftalled in his new fituation, and begin to difcharge the duties belonging to it, that the affembly might not imagine its right in this nomination was different from what the conftitution allotted them, refpeding the king's nomination of minifters, in which they had no negative. I reprefented alfo to M. de Fleurieu, that if he did not take poffeffion immediately, the king's prerogative would be attacked ; for any hefitation on fuch a point would en courage the pretenfions of the affembly. My advice, however, was not followed. A.t M. de Fleurieu had no uneafinefs on this fubjed. He had caufed fome of the mem bers of the committee to be fpoken to, who, as he heard, were favourably difpofed to him ; he was convinced, on the whole, that the report would be made in the courfe of the week, and that he had no obftacles to ap prehend. However, the report, as I had fore feen, was put off from week to week, upon various pretences, and was never made ; fo that no other advantage was derived from 6 the PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 153 the nomination of M. de Fleurieu but that of preventing the affembly from appointing a governor to the Prince Royal. It is for tunate that M. de Fleurieu was not invefted in that office before the 10th of Auguft, as in that cafe he would probably have augmented the numberof illuftrious vidims facrificed on that fatal day ; and France would have loft in him a man, eftimable for his learning and talents, and for the purity of his principles. On quitting the miniftry, I expreffed my regret that I could not pay my duty to his majefty with the fame affiduity I wifhed, without creating fufpicions that might be dangerous to him ; I therefore propofed only to attend his levee every Sunday; and this I thought would be expedient, becaufe, if I never appeared there at all, it would be immediately believed that he faw me in fecret. The king approved of this, and at the fame time gave me the fuperintendance of an operation which was firft contrived and fet a-going by Alexander Lameth, after wards direded hy M. de Leffart, and in the prefent *54 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. prefent circumftances feemed more necef fary than ever. The objed of this was to obtain a minute knowledge of the public difpofition, by the means of certain perfbrrs called obfervers, who were chofen and em ployed for that purpofe. At this time they were in number thirty ¦'five. Some attended the tribunes of the affembly, others the Jacobin club and that of the Cordeliers, whilft others were ordered to mix in the various groups who attended in the Palais Royal, the Thuilleries, the principal coffee-houfes, and the cabarets. Their bufinefs was to fup port, by their applaufe, all conftitutional and royalift motions, and to hifs, and even infult, whoever propofed a meafure con trary to the intereft of the king and the conftitution. Their cuftom was, to give in a daily report of whatever they faw ot heard. It was the province of the moft in telligent, who werehigheft paid, to combat every feditious motion in the various fo*- cieties. Giles, a fubaltern officer in the gard nationale, entirely devoted-to the king, 5 took PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 155 took in the above reports, and delivered them to M. de Leffart, from whom he re ceived diredions refpeding the operations of the following day. Thefe men were alfo employed to ftick up, during the night, placarts of a conftitutional or royalift na ture, according to the circumftances. The king, by this- means, knew all that paffed in Paris, and might have derived ad vantages from it at leaft equal to the ex- pence of the whole operation, which amounted to 8000 livres a month, had it not been for his averfion to thofe vigorous meafures which the prefent emergence re quired : but that averfion was fo great, that the information he received only ferved to alarm and torment him. . At the time, however, that the king made this propofal to me, I was fo fully convinced that his having timely notice of the dangers which threatened him might fave the royal family, that I accepted it with out hefitation, although I could not but be fenfible of the perilous nature of fuch aa employment; for had it been difcovered, or even 156 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. even furmifed, I fhould not merely have run the rifk of being fent a prifoner to Or leans, like M. de Leffart, but of being torn in pieces by the populace. But that the danger I was willing to in cur might prove as ufeful as poffible, I propofed to the king that the obfervers above mentioned fhould be commiffioned to inveftigate and point out to the tribunals of police the names and abodes of the moft feditious and dangerous vagabonds, from all countries, who at that time infefted the capital. His majefty having approved of this, I immediately made it my bufinefs to fearch for a fenfible and well-intentioned juftice of peace of the police department, and I found one of this defcription in M. Buob, an Alfacian by birth, who, before the revolution, had been in partnerfhip with Duvernois the banker, and had fince been ' appointed juftice of peace and one of the fix who compofed the tribunal de la police correclionelle, in which his indefatigable adivity gave him great influence. I com miffioned a perftm, in whom I could con fide, PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 157 fide, to endeavour to find out how Buob flood inclined. He was found to be as fa vourably difpofed as we could wifh, and he came to me next night about nine o'clock, I told him that the king, being informed of the zeal and adivity with which he at tended to the police of Paris, had defired me to. exprefs his approbation to him. This greatly flattered him. He boafted much of the fervices which had been rendered by the tribunal of police, and likewife affured me that it was in his power to render much greater, provided he was affifted. " But unluckily," faid he, " we have no other fund from which we can pay our agents, except the produce of the confifca- tions and fines." Unwilling to let him fufped that the king had any knowledge of the plan re fpeding the obfervers, •" You fhall not want money," faid I, " if I fucceed in gaining you the confidence of a fociety of rich citizens, who, for their per fonal fecurity, have raifed a pretty confi derable fund, for the purpofe of keeping in pay 158 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. pay a. certain number of perfons, who in form them of all that paffes in the capital ; and I have no doubt of their agreeing, at my requeft, to put thofe perfons under your command." ' - . ." Oh !" faid he; " but thefe, people can not be depended upon fo much as thofe which the police have already engaged, but whom we have no fufficient fund to pay them from," "Well," anfwered I, " I fhall propofe to the fociety to grant a reward of one hun dred livres for the difcovery of each fech> tious perfon ; which money fhall be imme diately paid, on the legal convidion of the. criminal." *' Cannot the king," faid he, " throw that expence upon the civil lift ?" " I certainly fhall not propofe fuch. a thing to him," anfwered I. " M. de la Porte, who is fcrupuloufly exad, would not fail to infert the article in his regifter, and the confequence might prove as dif» agreeable to you as prejudicial to the king," This PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 159 This anfwer feemed to fatisfy Buob, whom I did not think proper fully to truft, until I knew more about him. The denunciations began the following" week; and betwixt that period, to the end of July, fifty-eight of the moft feditious were taken up and tried. Part of them/ were condemned to three years' imprifon- ment, and others to two years, in the caftle of Bicetre, where they remained in con finement till after, the 10th of Auguft, when the, mob forced the doors of that prifon, and fet them at liberty. One of thefe rafcals, named Fournier, afterwards commanded the detachment which was fent from Paris, forced the prifon at Orleans, and conduded the pri foners from thence to Verfailles, and there gave them up to the affaffins who waited for them. His majefty likewife entrufted me with the diredion of another eftablifhment of the fame kind, much more expenfive, at the head of which was a man of an in triguing fpirit, whom particular reafons prevent 160 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. prevent me from naming. M. de Mont- morin had begun to employ him, during the firft affembly, as a fecret agent of aft the private negotiations of the miniftry, in order to make particular motions be fup ported or rejeded in the affembly or in the Jacobin club. He had pretty well fulfilled this employment, and his fervices had not paffed unrewarded ; for befides the avowed. recompence he received from the minifter, he probably retained a fmall gratification out of the money which he was commif- fioned to diftribute. This fubtle man, dextrous and infinuating, always of the opinion of the perfon he converfed with; was, in reality, attached to no party. He perfuaded M. de Montmorin, that from his intimacy with the popular charaders of the revolution, it was in his power to be of effential fervice to the king, efpecially by infpiring and keeping up a fpirit of loyalty in the garde nationale of Paris, by affociating himfelf with the officers and foldiers who had the greateft influence in their particu lar battalions ; but he obfcrved, that for this PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 161 this purpofe he muft have it in his power to invite about twenty of them every day to dinner, and alfo to diftribute little pre fents, from time to time, amongft them, ac cording as circumftances feemed to require ; that upon an exad calculation he found that 34,000 livres a month would be fuffi cient for thefe purpofes ; and by this means he hoped in a fhort time to fecure a majo rity in all the fedionsv The minifters, fo far fromhefitating to grant him the fum he demanded, were con vinced that they had made a moft advan tageous bargain ; and* in order to remove the fufpicion which his expenfive manner of living might give rife to, M. de Leffart, then minifter of the home department, at the defire of M. de Montmorin, named him to a place of 10,000 livres a year, which-, together with his own perfonal property, might be fuppofed to enable him to fupport the expence which his plan required him to keep up. On due inveftigation, I found that no advantage had refujted from this meafure, either by conciliating the national VOL. 11. M guards \6i PRIVATE MEMOIRS. guards or the fedions, who continued a$ ill difpofed as ever. And befides, as thd expence, which amounted to 400,000 li vres a year, could now only be defrayed from the funds of the civil lift/ 1 perfuaded the iring to referve this fum for a more ufeful purpofe ; and it may occafion fur prife to many, when they are informed, that it was through the means of this very agertt, that the noify patriot Dantoh re-« ceived more than a hundred thoufand crowns under the miniftry of M. de Mont- morin, for propofing or fupporting the various motions in the Jacobin club. He faithfully fulfilled his engagement, always1 referving to himfelf the liberty of employ ing the means he thought would beft fuc ceed in making his motions pafs. His ufual method was to feafon them with violent declamations againft the court and minifters, that he might not be fufpeded ef being fold to them. After the retreat of M. de Montmorin, M. de Leffart, who continued to employ the fame agent, being in a committee at the houfe PRIVATE MEMOIRS. i6j houfe of the Garde des- Sceaux, fuddenly broke it up, faying he had appointed a perfon to meet him upon an affair of con fequence. I myfelf fet him down at his own houfe ; and, in our Way, he told me, that the bufinefs for which he , had been called out was to advance twenty-four thoufand livres to a perfon who was to re mit this fum to Dartton, in order to engage him to carry a particular motion in the Ja cobin club. " The fum appeared to me exorbitant j and, as I had a perfon of con fidence irt the jacobift club, I told NI. de Leffart, that unlefs it was a matter of great- importance, and of a very delicate nature, I probably could get it brought on and paffect, without cofting him a farthings Upon his telling me the objed of fhe mo- ti6n, I thought it might be of fome utility ; and, by having it prefented in the popular ftyle of the times, might very probably be carried. Accordingly, by the addrefs of the perfon I ufually employed in the club,- the motion was next day made by Dubois de Crance, and paffed without oppofition. M a The i64 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. The agent, whom I have avoided to name, when he underftood from M. de la Porte, that the, king had entrufted me with the fuperintendency of the fecret bufinefs in which he was employed, called on me about this time ; and, vaunting his own fervices, he affured me, that he had been commiffioned by M. de Leffart, towarda the end of December 1791, to make propofals to the deputies Briffot, Verg- niaud, Guadet, the Abbe Fauchet, and another ftill alive, and at prefent in the affembly, whofe name I fupprefs on that account: in confequence of which, thefe deputies had agreed to give their voices and infiuence irt the affembly, to the mi nifter, for the fum of fix thoufand livres a month, to be paid to , each ; adding, that M. de Leffart thought they required too high a price ; and, as they would not abate the leaft in their demand, the nego tiation ended, and only produced the effed of irritating thefe five deputies againft the minifter. If PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 165 If it fhould be thought furprifing that thefe deputies fhould entruft a man of this kind with a fecret of fuch importance, all that I can fay from my own certain know ledge is, that the deputies in queftion fhewed the greateft rancour againft the minifter; but, with regard to the other fad, I have only the man's authority. At this time M. Servan having been ap pointed minifter of war inftead of M. de Grave, the whole cabinet was compofed of Jacobins, who, being fupported by the Cote Gauche ofthe Affembly, loudly called for a declaration of war againft the emperor and the king of Pruffia. The king was perfuaded, that their chief motive was, that they might have more plaufible pre texts of accufing him of having a fecret in telligence with the courts of Vienna and Berlin ; he therefore deferred the final de termination of the council as long as poffi ble, and only confented to propofe the de claration of war to the affembly, after each of the minifters had feparately given him M 3 his. i66 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. his opinion and motives in writing figned by them. The affembly received this meffage with travnfport, and decreed > with acclamations the declaration of war. The eneniies of the king and queen were much lefs occupied in putting France in a fituation {a fuftain it, than in endeavouring to take advantage -of the critical fituation in which this new order of things placed their majefties, The fcrupulous exadhefs with which the king, faithful, to his oath, adhered to the conftitution, had hitherto difeoncerted the projeds of the Jacobins, arid difcredited the affertions they continually repeated, of the, king's diflike to the conftitution,- andi of his feeking to overfet it, This vague itfxufation being given up, as having eeafed to ruake any impreffion, the Jacobins novvi fubftituted in its ftead, the accufation - of betraying the nation ; and his majefty was attacked for purpofely negleding, as Was boldly afferted, to give neceffary orders to th plots, and confpiracies, dilpenfed the jour- nalifts and club orators from the neceffity (g>f fuppouting them with the flighteft proof. M 4 s68 PRIVATE MEMOIRS* CHAP. XXIII. 5T#£ critical fituation^ in which the king was, r — Impqfture of an Auftrian committee renewed. — Carra denounces M-. de Mont- morin and me in the' Jacobin club as members of that pretended committee.— We give iy a complaint againft him, and againft feveral Journalifts.- — Propofal fent to me by the Jacobins.- — Imprudence ofthfi Jqdge Ljbriviere. — Decree of accufation againft i bim. — Briffot and Genfonne under take to prove the truth of the Auftrian. Committee. Th e king had never before been placed in fo dangerous a fituation : his coun cil was entirely compofed of Jacobin mi nifters ; and, the confequence of this meafure, which he had been made to think would render him popular, was to render every ad of popularity fruitlefs for him felf, while the whole merit devolved upon - the PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 163 the minifters. Forthey were at pains to imprefs on the public, that every popular meafure proceeded from them ; and that thofe ads of government which, though abfolutely neceffary, were difpleafing to the multitude, proceeded from the king. So that this unfortunate prince, deftitute of all fupport, of every refource, had nothing to oppofe to the ferocity of his enemies, their plots and their calumnies, but the mildnefs of his charader, and his in- exhauftible patience ; unfortunately,' the king's enemies were too well acquainted with his being poffeffed of thofe qualities, which are always hurtful to a tottering throne, and often weaken the foundation of the beft eftablifhed. The ridiculous ftory of the Auftrian committee was again revived, and moft fliccefsfully employed in Irritating the people againft the court. The moft fub- tile and criminal methods were made ufe of in order to convince the public of the exiftence of this committee. One IT© PRIVATE MEJ\JOi$$. QneJSieur Richer de. Serify went ;tp> |hf houfe of Renaut St. Jean d'Apgely, and -invitgd -him, ui.the name ofthe princefs de Larntjalle, to a committee which was to be held at her houfe on .Friday evening at fix o'clock ; and told him, that he would find there, amongft others, Meffrs* de Mont- morin, Bertrand, ?nd Malouet. Renaut fell into the fhare. _, All his ^ doubts, refped ing the Auftrian committee vanifhed?; and he; was endowed with vanity fufficient to think it the moft natural thing on, earth- that he fhould, be^, fummoned to a fociety where, fubjed-s of r the higheft; importance were difcuffed^ and in which wifdom was fo requifite : he enjoyed the importance he de rived from an invitation from the princefs, who, he fuppofed, aded in confequence of orders'fxom'the king and queen. He could not help being a little furprifed, however;, how their majeftie.s had divined that he was fo much better a royalift than he had hitherto appeared, or indeed than he had till now conceived himfelf to be. Full of thefe ideas, he waited upon M. Malouet, 6 with PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 171 with whom he had never been in any habits of intimacy, although they had been, both members of the firft affembly. M. Malouet was rather furprifed at his vifit; but ftill more fo, on his exprefling great fatisfadion at the frequent opportunities he fhould now have of meeting with him. u Where are we to meet fo often ?" faid M. Malouet. " In the committee at Madame de Lam- balle's," anfwered Renaut. " Upon my honour, fir, I don't know what you are fpeaking of," faid M, Ma louet ; " I am not acquainted with Ma dame de Lamballe, neither am I of any committee," " I do not mean a public committee,'* replied Renaut, " but the fecret one which is held at the princefs de LambaHe's, who, has done me the honour to fend Richer de Serify to invite me to attend on Friday evening ; and I was informed by him, that I fhould meet you and Meffieurs Mpnt- morin ^nd Bertrand, So you need not keep any longex upon the xeferve," " I can 172 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. " I can only repeat, fir," faid M. Ma louet, " that I am entirely ignorant of what you mean : I never fet my foot within the princefs de Lamballe's door ; I hardly know herhy fight, and I am not of any commit tee, public or fecret." *' What then am I to think," faid Re naut, aftonifhed, " at the meffage I received by Richer de Serify ?" " I fufped," replied M. Malouet, " that it is either done by way of a joke, or that it is a fnajre laid for you ; therefore, I ad- vife you to be upon your guard." Upon this they feparated. t M. Ma louet came diredly to my houfe, and gave me an account pf what had juft paffed." This appeared to require the more atten tion, as for feveral days paft, the Jour- nalifts, and thofe who made motions in the Palais Royal and public places, had been endeavouring to raife the people by the moft violent declamations on the fubjed of plots, afferted- to be carried on by the fuppofed Auftrian committee. - A lift of the 5 namea PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 173 names of all the members compofing this committee was announced to be publifhed foon : in the mean time, all true patriots were pathetically called upon to revenge r the atrocious cpnfpiracies formed againft their liberty. On the Sunday before, two orators hacf been taken up irt the Palais Royal, who were haranguing to a crowd of people againft the court and the Auftrian com mittee. Their- vehement declamations, and patriotic fentiments, excited fuch ad miration, that the agents of police durft not have feized upon them, if they had not been, at the fame time, deteded pick ing the pockets of their admiring auditors. Upon examination, thofe two patriots were found to carry the marks of the .whip and .burnt iron on their fhoulders : patents of their affociation with the Jacobin cldb* were found at the fame time in their pockets. Poffeffed of fhe above fads, I went to confer with M. de Montmorin, who was equally interefted with myfelf; and I was- then 174 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. then informed, that Carra had, the day be fore, denounced the Auftrian committee irt the Jacobin club ; arid that both M. de Montmorin and myfelf were pointed out in the denunciation as the principal mem bers of that committee. I thought I could not find a more favour able opportunity of unmafking the malice of thofe unprincipled men, and of expofifrg their atrocious motives for inventing this calumny. M. de Montmorin 'thought, on the contrary, that the wifeft plan was to defpife this clamour, and let it fall to the ground of itfelf ; but, as he faw that I was not difpofed to adopt that opinion* he earneftly befought me not to venture to ad in a matter fo extremely hazardous? without having calmly refleded upon it. My refledions were not long! aad the re- fult of them was, to give in a Complaint to the criminal tribunal againft Carta and his accomplices ; particularly the Journalifts, who contributed to fpread the belief of the fable of the Auftrian committee"; namely, Briffot arid Condorcet, the writers* of tU& Chro- PRIVATE "MEMOIRS. 175 Chronique de Paris and the Patriote Fran cois ; but, before I adually prefented this accufatiort, I thought proper to fubmit it to the king and queen ; and accordingly fent a copy for their confideration : I then difpatched a courier to Anet, where the princefs of Lamballe was, to inform her of what had happened ; and to enquire if fhe was acquainted with Richer de Serify, and had fent him to irtvite Renaut St. Jean d'Angely to attend a committee at her houfe ; or if fhe knew of any committee either held at her own houfe or in her apartment In the palace. -¦• : The next day the king returned the copy of my complaint, with the following. words written on- the margin with his own hand: " I read to the queen the complaint you propofe giving in. We cannot miftake the motive which impels you ; and we are fenfibly* touched with this proof of your attachment ; but we fear that it will ex- pofe you to danger ; have a care * !" That * " J'ai lu a.la reine le projet de plainte. Nous ne pouvons yas.aaus me prendre fur le motif qui fuggere- cette demarche ; et tfS PRIVATE MEMOIRS. That fame day, I received exadly fuch an anfwer as I expeded from the princefs de Lamballe : fhe knew neither Richer de Serify, nor Renaut St. Jean Angely ; and had never in her life been of any com mittee. I wrote to the kingj u That no apprehenfiort of perfonal, danger would ever influence me to defer one moment any meafure which I thought would be advantageous for his majefty." In confequence of my determination, I went to Bueb, Juge de Paix, who advifed me to carry this affair before the tribunal de Police CorreBionelle, which was then in force ; and to make my complaint be heard by the Juge de Paix Larfviere, who was the moft intelligent and beft difpofed member of that tribunal. I took his advice ; and, on my application* Lariviere ordered the cafe to be brought before him, and witneffes to be heard* tf. nous en fommes bien vivement touches ; malt nous craig- Sons l'un et l'autre qu'elle ne vous Compromette j prenez y bien garde." The PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 177. The next day my complaint was pub lished in the journals, and fix thoufand copies were fold in the capital. This ftep made a very great impreffion ; and ex cepting the Jacobins, who were enraged at being thus publicly expofed, ridiculed, and debafed, all parties were pleafed ; but thofe royalifts, above all, who had continued to attend at the palace, and affiduoufly to pay court to their majeftiesj and who, upon that account, had reafon to fear that their names would be inferted in the lift of the Auftrian committtee, announced to be pub lifhed* On the folldwing Sunday, there^ fore, as foon as I appeared at the king's levee, I received the compliments and thanks bf many for what I had donei After having heard the depofitiori cf tlie princefs de Lamballe, M. de Malouet, and Renaut St. Jean d' Angely, and having in vain endeavoured to find out Richer de Se- rify *, M. Lariviere iffued a decree' that Carra * Richer de Serify called on me about a month after this affair was entirely over, and affured me that the invitation he had given to Renault was a mere pleaSantry of his own, to 17* PRIVATE MEMOIRS. Carta mould appear before him. He pre fented himfelf accordingly, and declared, in his own defence, that he had been autho- rifed by Merlin, Bazire, and Chabot, mem bers of the committee of public fafety, to bring forward the accufation againft M. de Montmorin and M. Bertrand, which had given occafion for this complaint. Upon this occafion, a Jacobin, whom I bad formerly been acquainted with, called on me, and endeavoured, in vain, to alarm me upon the confequences of this affair. " Thofe who perfuaded you to under take it," faid he, " have given you very bad advice. I dare not tell you the extent of the danger which threatens you." , " 'Then I will tell you," anfwered I. " I am threatened with affaffination, am I not? It is what I expeded," continued I, " and I am prepared accordingly. Here is an ex cellent blunderbufs^ charged with twenty- expofe the credulous vanity of the man, in which the Ja cobins, had no part. This may be true ; but the contrary might naturally enough be believed by thofe who were not in Serffy's confidence, or who had' no great opinio** of his ve racity. » ¦" - ' " ' • ¦>¦¦ ,; live PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 179 five balls ; and befides, here are four pair of piftols, not to mention my fword. My brother is as well prepared ; and I leave the reft to Providence : but whatever may be the confequences, I can blame nobody, for I had no counfellors." ': « \Vell, it is altogether very unlucky bu finefs," faid he : " but you might ftill turn it to advantage, and gain as many friends among the Jacobins as you have among the ariftocrates." ¦" That would be curious indeed," an fwered L " Do you ferioufly imagine it poffible?" " Not only poffible," faid he, " but very eafy, I will anfwer for it." • " But how is it to be done ?" replied I j *c for I fhall never be able to guefs." *' You have only to withdraw your complaint, declaring that your attack was originally direded againft a few individu als : but finding that it might involve many good patriots, whofe intentions are honeft and praife-worthy, you therefore defift from all further profecution. By this N 2 ... ..-;-•' means- i8o - PRIVATE MEMOIRS. means your objed will be effedualiy ful filled, without danger to yourfelf; for you may be affured that the Auftrian committee will never more be heard of." " So this is your advice ?" replied I. " To which I anfwer, that were it in my power to follow it, I would not ; and were it now in my inclination, I could not, becaufe the information is already given in to the court, and the judges have only to pafs fentence." " Oh ! as for that," faid he, " means might be fallen upon to flop the pro ceedings." " No more, if you pleafe, on this fub jed," faid I, a little out of humour. " I beg," replied he, " that you may take great care, , fir, of what you are about. This is a very ferious matter. It is only my attachment for you which leads me to give you this advice ; for nobody defired me to fpeak to you upon the bufinefs. I once more beg you will re- fled." " Yes, PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 181 " Yes, yes," interrupted I, " I fhall re- fled. Give yourfelf no uneafinefs. I wifh you good morning." And fo ended our converfation. M. de Montmorin, , feeing the good ef fed my meafure produced, added his com plaint to mine ; and a few days afterwards we jointly gave in an accufation againft Merlin, Bazire, and Chabot, who, accord ing to Carra's teftimony, were the real in- ftigators of our denunciation in the Ja cobins. Upon this new complaint, La riviere iffued an order to arreft Merlin, Ba zire, and Chabot : but unluckily he was car ried away by the defire of ading a great part, and of making himfelf remarkable j and in defiance of. every confideration of prudence, he drew upon himfelf the indig nation of the affembly, by executing the law in the moft difrefpedful manner againft thefe popular members, whom he caufed to be raifed out of their beds, and brought before his tribunal at five o*clock in the morning. His pretence fox this inconfi- derate condud " was, that he wished to n 3 avoid x 82 PRIVATE MEMOIRS, avoid interfering with their attendance on the affembly, and fummoned them at that early hour, that they might be at liberty when the affembly met. This bold attack on the dignity of na tional reprefentation might naturally be ..fuppofed to excite the animadverfions of the affembly, and accordingly Lariviere was fummoned to the bar to anfwer for his condud. , He prefented himfelf with fteadi-? nefs, and juftified his proceedings by an ap peal to the conftitution, which had not eftablifhed any diftindion in the manner of arrefting perfons in different fituatioiis, and therefore he could not prefume to intro-s duce any new form. This tribute to the equality of rights conciliated the tribunes and part of the af fembly: but unfortunately for him, he drew upon himfelf the hatred of the man jority, by the contempt which his account of the depofitions and examination raifed agajnft the fable of the Auftrian committee* Briffot and Genfonne' could not endure that an invention, which they had em-. ' ployed PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 1&3 ployed fo fuccefsfully againft the court, fhould be treated as a ridiculous chimera. They did not fcruple to affert, that the circumftances ftated in the procefs were falfe ; and they engaged to bring before the affembly the moft evident proofs of the reality of the Auftrian committee, and of the plots which were there planned. This. report was adjourned for eight days. His majefty, in the mean time, af- feded with, the danger which the in- judged, though well-meant, zeal of M. La riviere had drawn upon him, was defirous to affift him by every means in his power ; for which purpofe, he commiffioned the M'miftre de Juftice to fend an order to the Accufateur Public for profecuting the in ventors and propagators of the calumny re garding the Auftrian committee ; and he fent a letter to inform the affembly of what he had done *. But this did not prevent the affembly from paffing a decree againft M, Lariviere, who was accordingly fent to the * Vide Appendix, No.. IX. ^4 prifon »84 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. * prifon at Orleans, for having failed in re-e fped to the nation in the perfon of its re prefentatives. This truly honeft man fhared the fate of the prifoners who were fent to Orleans. All were maffacred on the September fol lowing, excepting fome domeftics, and an officer of artillery named Loyauty, who was grievoufly, but not mortally wounded. / The report of Briffot and Genfonne drew an immenfe concourfe to the affembly. Each of the reporters fpoke a long while, and were liftened to with attention : but inftead of the evident proofs they had an nounced, their fpeeches confifted of de clamation and affertions unfupported by any proof at all. " Thefe are but words," was repeated from all fides. " To the proofs, to the proofs. Where, then, are your proofs ?" The filence of the deputies, upon this fummons, raifed a general hifs and burft of laughing ; and here the affembly broke up. A few days after, M. de Montmorin and I publifhed feparately our anfwers to thefe 5 reports, PRIVATE MEMOIRS. xt$ reports, which we fet in fuch a ridiculous point of view, that from that time forward no journalift or motion-maker ventured to mention the Auftrian committee j and if any perfons afterwards, in private, attempt ed to fpeak of it ferioufly, they were laughed at. ;jS6 .PRIVATE MEMOIRS; 'chap. xxrv.: •\ A fecret meffage te foreign courts, with which M. Malletrdu-Pan is. entrufted. — I advife the king to recommend him to the Baron, de Breteuil. — His majefty s anfwer. — The ef fe £1 which the unhappy iffue of his journey to Varennes had produced on the king's mind, with refped to the Baron de Bre teuil. — The powers with which his majefty had entrufted that minifter. — The period and motives of their revocation. — Caufe ofthe quarrel between Mefifrs. de Breteuil and Calonne. — The king orders me to re commend Mallet-du-Pan to the Marechal de Caflries, and to correfpond with the former. — MalleUdu-Pan being arrived in Germany, receives a credential under the king's hand. — Exhaufedfiate ofthe civil lift. — Secret loan. The campaign was going to open ; and although the king did not forefee all the ill confequences which would follow, yet PRIVATE MEMOIRS. ig7 yet he looked forward to the war with very great inquietude. Above all, he apprehended that the vidories, which he did not doubt would be gained by the Auftrians and Pruffians, would rekindle the fury of the Jacobins againft the priefts and nobles who remained ftill in France. The fears which his majefty expreffed in his letters to me, were the occafion of my propofing to him to fend a perfon of confi dence to the emperor and the king of Pruffia, to endeavour to prevail on them not to allow their armies to ad offenfively„ againft France, until they fhould be under the laft neceffity of fo doing; and even in that cafe to make the entrance of their fr armies into France be preceded by a mani- fefto, in which ,they fhould declare, " that, forced to take arms by an unjuft attack, they did not impute that aggreffion either to the king or to the French nation, but to a criminal fadion which oppreffed both ; confequently, far from departing from the fentiments of amity which united them to. France, that their intention, on the con trary, 188 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. trary, was to deliver that nation from ty ranny, and reftore it to legal order and tranquillity ; that they had no view of in terfering with the form of government, but merely to fecure to the nation the right of adopting that which fuited it the beft ; that all idea of conqueft was foreign to their thoughts ; that private property fhould be by them equally refpeded as national pro perty; that their majefties took all peace able and faithful fubjeds under their pro- tedion ; that they confidered as their ene mies thofe only who were the enemies of France, namely, the fadion of Jacobins and all its adherents," &c, In confequence of the manner in which I had often heard M. Malouet fpeak , of Mallet-du-Pan, with whom I was not my felf acquainted, I advifed the king to em ploy him on this occafion, which could be done with the more fafety, becaufe he had never been at court, and was little known to thofe who frequented it ; and he might proceed to Germany by the way of Geneva, to which city he was in the ufe of making frequent PRIVATE MEMOIRS, 189 frequent journies, and of courfe his depar ture would create no fufpicion. The talents and probity of Mallet-du- Pan were not unknown to the king, who immediately agreed to my propofal. It would have been imprudent to have given him letters of credit, but at the fame time it was abfolutely neceffary that he fhould have, the means of convincing the emperor and the king of Pruffia that he was really fent by Lewis XVI. In my letter to his majefty I therefore propofed to addrefs Mallet-du-Pan to the baron de Breteuil; and I gave, as my reafon for this propofal, the powers which, as I had heard, that mi nifter had received from the king. In an fwer to this article of my letter, the king wrote in the margin, " Not at all. . He has no longer arty powers from me : but you may addrefs Mallet-du-Pan, in my name, to the Mare chal de Caftries, with the precautions you propofe, which are very neceffary *." * " Point du tout. II n?en a plus, vous pouvez adrefler Mallet-du-Pan, de ma part, au Marechal de Caftries, avec les precautions que vous propofez; elles font neqgffaire6." This i$o PRIVATE MEMOIRS. This anfwer recalled to my memory" marks of difpleafure which I had obferved in the king's countenance, when the baron de Breteuil's name was mentioned in his prefence. One day, in particular, before M. de Leffart and me, the following fen tence, pronounced, in an angry tone, efcaped him: " It was he that prompted us to take that curfed journey to Varennes." Having frequently fince had the oppor tunity of converfing with the marquis de Bouille, I once afked an explanation bf this expreffion of the king, becaufe it feemed to difagree entirely with the letter which the marquis wrote to the affembly, "after the king's return, in which he took on himfelf the whole blame of that journey* M. de Bouille told me that he had written that letter, to turn the ftiry of the affembly from the king and others, by arrogating the whole contrivance of the plan to him felf. At the fame time he pofitively affured me, that the projed of Varennes had been <5 firft: *9* PRIVATE MEMOIRS. anfwered to all this* that the king was abfolutely refolved to follow this plan, but that he would defer its execution until thfe Ipring, that M. de Bouille might have time to prepare every thing heceffary tb infure fticcefs. After this, M. de Bouillg told me that he correfponded with the king arid queen, by the means of the baron de Ferfen and of the baronefs de Korpf • that he had frequently rehevfred his ffeirtbn- ftrances to their majefties and to M. de Breteuil himfelf, againft this perilou* en terprife. M. de Bouille attributed its failure* Firft, To the fufpicibns which arofe from the troops detached to proted the king, re maining too long on the road. This was owing to his departure from Paris having been deferred twenty-four hours longer1 than had been intended, of which M. de Bouille was not informed till after the de parture of the different detachments. Secondly, To the king's having forgotten to order a courier or two, as had been agreed on, to fet out two hours before the carriage in which the royal family were, ort PRIVATE MEMOIRS. i93 en purpofe to inform the commanding of ficers of the detachments and 'pofts that were eftablifhed on the rout. Thirdly, To the flop occafioned by an accident that happened to one of the car riages between Paris and Chalons. Fourthly, To the detachment at thefirft poft after Chalons having been removed before the royal family arrived. The of ficer who commanded, having waited an hour beyond the time he had calculated for the king's arrival, imagined that the fcheme had been abandoned, and therefore re moved his troop * » With refped to the powers given fcp the baron de Breteuil, I fhall report, word for word, what I was affured of by two gen tlemen, members of the council formed in Germany by the princes, the king's bro- thersj in the, year 1792. Both of thefe * M. de Bouille's affertions refpe£ting the failure of this plan for the king's efcape are confirmed, or at leaft ftrongly fupported, by a Statement which that general made from the reports of ali the officers employed in its execution ; a piece equally curious and authe'nti c, which I fliall give at length at the end of this chapter* vol. 11. o gentlemen j94 ' PRIVATE MEMOIRS. gentlemen enjoyed the confidence of then* royal highneffes. When the baron de Breteuil left Ver failles, at the period" of M. Necker's recall, he was invefted with the power of treating with foreign courts, and of propofing any meafure in the king's name, which, in his opinion, tended to promote the re-efta- blifhrftent of the royal authority, or of good order in the kingdom. No advantage appears to have been derived from this power, while he had a right to make ufe of it: but it will appear, by what follows, that he continued to employ it when he was no longer authorifed to do fo, unlefs he received new powers from his majefty pof- terior to the period in queftion, namely, the month of May 1792, in which cafe he will be able to juftify himfelf completely, when he fhews the fecond, or renewed powers, as well as the firft, which were re called. In July 1789, when the king was obliged to go to the Hotel de Ville, he had .given a paper to his brother Monfieur, in which he named PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 195 ii&med him lieutenant-general of the king dom, and entrufted him with the govern ment, in the cafe of his being out of a fituation to exercife his authority. That paper was afterwards returned by Monfieur to the king, in the year 1 790. But when the royal family were preparing to fet out for Varennes, in June 1791, the king told M. de Ferfen, who was in the fecret of the; journey, that he would give to him a writing, to the fame effed with the former, to be delivered to his brother Monfieur, to be made ufe of by him in cafe the king himfelf fhould be flopped, and de prived of his authority. The hurry of his departure having prevented his majefty from writing this paper, he charged M. de Ferfen, who accompanied him part of the way, to go to Monfieur, wherever he might be, and inftrud-him verbally of his pofitive intentions ; and to affure him, that he (the king) would fend the paper in queftion, figned by hhnlelf, as foon as he fhould have, it in his poorer to tranfmit it. o z M. de 196 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. ;- M. de Ferfen fulfilled his commiffion^ when he joined the princes at Bruxelles, after the king was flopped, on which Mon fieur wrote to the baron de Breteuil. The • letter was dated July 2, 1791. ' That he had received pofitive information that- it ^was the king's intention, that he, in con- jundion with his brother the count d'Ar tois, fhould treat with foreign powers re fpeding the means of procuring the king's liberty, and whatever might concern there- eftablifhment of order artd was for the good of the ftate ; confequently that the baron de Breteuil muft now confider the powers, which he had formerly been invefted with, as reyoked ; and ih future he muft take no fteps, for the king's fervice, but thofe pre- fcribed by the king's brothers.' A few days after, Monfieur received thofe powers, in writing, from the king, dated July '],'ifj^i. The baron de Breteuil anfwered Mon fieur, that he would foon join the princesj, and would ad conformably to their inten tions. He accordingly met them at Bonn, in PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 197 in their way to Coblentz. He did not then hefitate to acknowledge " that his powers were revoked ;" but he intreated Monfieur to leave him in poffeffion of the writing containing them, which he valued ' as the moft honourable recompence of his long fervices. At the fame time he gave his word of honour to make no farther ufe of it, and never to interfere in the affairs of France or of the princes, but in conformity with the orders he might hereafter receive from them. Notwithftanding all this, and in fpite of the frefh orders from ' the king, de livered to the baron by M. de Viomenil, in the end ofthe year 1791, not to ad in any refped but in concert with the king's brothers and the marechal de Caftries, it is afferted, that after the fatal 10th of Auguft 1 792, he recommenced a correfpondence, in the king's name, with the different courts, as if he had been invefted with frefh powers; and that, without confuting the princes, he fent the vifcount de Caraman to Berlin,and the, marquis de Bombelles to Peterfbui'gh ; 03., but 198 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. but the emprefs formally refuted to ac* knowledge him, and continued, to treat with M. d'Efterhazy, who reprefented the princes at the court of Ruffia, as the baron de Roll did at the court of Pruffia. When the baron de Breteuil found that the king of Pruffia and the emperor were determined to acknowledge Monfieur re gent of the kingdom, he wrote to their majefties, that he was in poffeffion of very- important papers Upon that fubjed ; and that he would join them at the armies, if they would fufpend their refolution till his arrival. At the fame time he gave Mon-? fleur to underftand, that he would throw no obftacle in the way of his regency, pro-! vided he would entruft him to fulfil the king's intentions refpeding the choice o£ the members of his council. However, he indiredly informed both their majefties and the princes, that it was the prefence pf M. de Calonne only which prevented his immediately concurring in their views, the PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 199 The princes were embarraffed how to ad, when M. de Calonne, who had always declared that he would retire as foon as the princes were ready to enter France, faid to their highneffes, " That fince his at tendance, which proceeded from motives of difinterefted attachment only, was fup pofed to form the leaft obftacle to Mon- fieur's affuming the title of regent, he would,, with their* permiffion, retire for the prefent ;" adding, " that he was forry to find, that in fpite of the difpofition he had manifefted to conciliate the baron de Bre teuil, that gentleman ftill continued inimi cal." M. de Calonne then fet off, carrying with him the gratitude of the royal bro thers, and the efteem of many officers of the army. Baron de Breteuil arrived foon after at Verdun ; and immediately began to ad as if invefted with the whole autho rity. He difregarded his former engage ment ; and, in the name of the king and queen, oppofed • the regency which was about to be declared. That minifter's hatred againft M. de Ca lonne, and the prejudice which he raifed in the queen's mind againft him, contri- ... VOL. II. * o 4 buted 2OG PRIVATE MEMOIRS. buted but too much to the revolution; therefore, the origin of this fatal quarrel cannot be confidered as foreign to thefe Memoirs. I received a general account of it, at the time it happened, from M. de Montmorin, who was an intimate friend pf M. le Noir ; . and the particulars were fince communicated to me by M. de Calonne himfelf ; and are as follows : In the year 1783, the*baron de Breteuil and M. de Calonne, being called to the miniftry about the fame time, formed be twixt themfelves a treaty of alliance-; the ftrid obfervance of which would have been for the advantage of both. It was agreed, among other articles, that in cafe one of them fhould, at any time, imagine that he, had juft caufe of complaint againft the other, he was diredly to come to an explanation. This good underftanding was kept up nearly two years, and contributed to give frefh vigour to the governmenr, which had fuffered great relaxation under an almoft uninterrupted fueceffion of weak minifters ever fince the reign of Lewis the Four teenth. This PRIVATE MEMOIRS. aoi This union was broken by a mifunder- ftanding which took place between the two minifters, on occafion of an intrigue that was fet on foot to overturn M. de Calonne, and put M. Foulon in his place. This fcheme was contrived by fome of the prin cipal members of the parliament ; fome meetings about it were held at the hotel de Choifeul ; the duchefs of Grammont feemed to connive at it, being eager to promote whatever might effed a general overturn of the miniftry, in the hope of feeing her brother re-eftablifhed in his for mer fituation. This muft appear the more fhocking, becaufe M. de Calonne had lately perfuaded the king to advance three mil lions of livres to the duke de Choifeul, for . two years, without intereft, on condition of his giving a fufficient fecurity, that be ing the only means of faving him from bankruptcy : the queen had firft fuggefted this, and afterwards promoted it by her in fluence, in gratitude to the duke, to whom fhe confidered herfelf as indebted for her fituation of queen of France. M. de Calonne had notice of Foulon's fcheme, through fome of- his friends ; and o 5 all 2oa PRIVATE MEMOIRS. all the particulars were afterwards dif- covered by the agents of police. M. le Noir, then lieutenant of police, gave an account in his daily reports, addreffed to the baron de Breteuil, of every new circum ftance relating to this affair. The king was, or ought to have been informed of it, as it was the duty of the baron, in quality of minifter of Paris, to lay thefe reports before his majefty. Several days elapfed after the difcovery of the plot, without the king's taking any notice of it to M. de Calonne, who was furprifed on that account ; at laft, his ma jefty not only fpoke of it, but reproached M. de Calonne for not having mentioned the affair to him, and particularly the in trigues which were carried on at the hotel de Choifeul. He anfwered, in his juftifi cation, that being convinced that the king muft be informed of every circumftance of it by the reports of M. le Noir, he had re frained from fpeaking, in the hopes that his majefty would fpeak firft, and condefcend to fhew fome intereft in a thing which con cerned him lb much. 9 " There PRIVATE MEMOIRS, 20;} " There is not a word of it in the reports ' of M. le Noir, prefented to me by the baron de Breteuil," faid the king ; u and my rea fon for not mentioning the affair till to day, is merely becaufe I was ignorant of it yefterday." M. de Calonne, never imagining that the baron de Breteuil could have any motive for concealing this plot from the king, fup pofed that his majefty had not read the re ports with attention : he happened to have fome of them in his pocket, which he gave to the king, who, on reading them, was equally furprifed and difpleafed to find fads there, of which he was erttirely unac quainted. He compared thefe with the reports of the fame date given him by the baron de Breteuil, and was extremely irriA tated on perceiving them entirely different. M. de Calonne endeavoured to juftify his colleague, who, he faid, could not in* tend to deceive his majefty, but had pro bably only deferred mentipning the affair, till it was cleared up, "That lo-f PRIVATE MEMOIRS. " That is no excufe," anfwered the king, haftily ; " he ought never to give me a falfe, or an unexad report ; and I defire you will order M. le Noir, in my name, to fend the reports . henceforward diredly 55 to me. M. de Calonne, after having in vain re- prefemed to the king how very much this would, mortify the baron, who muft look upon it as a difgrace, excufed himfelf from undertaking the commiffion, faying.it, was not the province of the minifter of finance to tranfmit his majefty's orders to the lieu tenant of police : if, therefore,- he were to be the carrier of that order, the baron would accufe him of being the fuggefter of it. But if his majefty perfifted in his Intention, it would be better that he gave the order himfelf to M. le Noir, either ver bally or in writing. " Well," faid the king, " only defire le Noir to addrefs one of his reports to me 5 and, after- receiving it, I fhall write to him to continue to fgnd them always to me. In the mean time, I'll fpeak to the baron PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 20s jbaron de Breteuil ; but, until then, do you fay nothing to him of what has paffed." M. le Noir, in obedience to the king's orders, notified by M. de Calonne, next day addreffed the report of the police di redly to his majefty. On the fame day,, the king wrote to le Noir the letter which he had agreed upon with M. de Calonne, enjoining him. to continue to addrefs the reports diredly to him," till farther orders. The valet charged with this letter,, not -finding Mv le Noir at home, unluckily went to the baron de Breteuil's hotel, where he made himfelf be announced de la part du Roi, on which the folding doors of the apartment where the baron was were thrown open, accord ing to cuftom, and the meffenger entered. (.- The minifter was tranfading bufinefs with the lieutenant of police : he advanced with eagernefs to receive the king's letter ; but was told that it was for M. le Noir : M. le Noir topk it, and modeftly put it into his pocket. « Read toS PRIVATE MEMOIRS. " Read it, read your letter," faid fhg baron, in an imperious tone. " I fhall read it at home, fir," anfwered M. le Noir. . " No, no, fir, when a lieutenant of police receives a letter from the king, he ought to read it inftantly ; and every thing elfe muft be poftponed." M. le Noir no longer hefitated ; and, having read the letter, he was again going to put it into his pocket, when the baron afked him drily what the contents were. " I am not authorifed to communicate them, fir," anfwered M. le Noir. " And pray, fir," faid the baron, " how long is it fince you began to receive letters from the king ?" " This is the firft." " And has the king forbid you to com* municate it to me ?" " No, fir, but- " " But, but," faid the baron, «* a letter from the king to the lieutenant of police ought not to be a fecret to the minifter of Paris."; Saying PRIVATE MEMOIRS, 407 Saying this, he fnatched the letter from M. le Noir, before he was aware, and read it. " How long, fir," faid the baron, " have you been in the habit of fending your re ports to his majefty ?" " I have only fent one," anfwered le Noir. " And for what reafon, if you pleafe, fir, did you fend that one I" " Becaufe I received an order from his majefty for fo doing." , " By whom did you receive the order r". " I am not atjiberty to mention it." " Ah ! it is a fecret, is it ? Very well, fir, that's fufficient : we fhall fee." M. le Noir put up his papers and with drew, leaving the minifter violently agitat ed and in very bad humour. As foon as M. le Noir was gone, the^ baron ordered his carriage, and drove to Verfailles. He alighted at the hotel of M. de Vergennes, whom he firmly believed to have been the "inftigator of the mortifica tion he had received ; and he complained 6 of s©S PRIVATE MEMOIRS. of the injury in the moft vehement terms. But as the king had not faid a fingle word to M. de Vergennes on this fubjed, that minifter was aftonifhed at the baron's emo tion, and could not give him the leaft ex planation ; fo that he returned to Paris as much in the dark, and more diffatisfied than when he left it. M. de Calonne being informed of this fcene by M. de Vergennes, on whom he called a few minutes after the baron had . M. de Calonne had reprefented it to him. The Private memoirs. 303 The baron, who had been for two days a prey to doubts and furmifes, was now fully convinced that a plot had beervfdrmed for his ruin ; and, however clear and na tural- the relation which M. le Noir made to him was, he could perceive nothing in the whole of it but what his prejudice and refentment was in fearch of, namely. treachery and an enemy. From that -moment, the baron breathed hatred and rengeance againft M. de Calonne. In ftead of defiring an explanation accord ing to their mutual agreement, he only thought of. the means of revenglrig this fuppofed treachery. With this view, he reprefented the affair to the queen as a piece of malice levelled at her majefty t that M. de Calonne, from his intimacy with M; le Noir, and having the diredion of the reports of the police all . addreffed to the king, would have the queen herfelf, in a great meafure, in his power; and might give fijch a reprefentation of even her moft innocent adions as would entirely ruin her in the king's efteem. Vol. n, ]? The .PRIVATE MEMOIRS. .191 firft propofed by. the baron de Breteuil; that the bifhop of jPamiers* being .fent to him by that minifter $vith a letter from the king, on the 22d, of Odober 1790, had in formed him of the plan for the efcape of the' royal family to Montmedi, affuring M, do Bouille, that, this was the only condition ©n which the emperor would take an adivp part in favour of the king ; and that the baron was the chief manages of the projed j that he (the marquis de Bouille) had ftrong ly objeded to it,: reprefentingthe-difmal confequences that fo very dangerous a ftep might hare^th^t it would be more advife- ahleato wait until the people, in general, and,, the Army in particular,- were entirely difabufed, and until the opinion of nboth fhould become more favourable . for. i the king, which it was doing every hour ; that' by the influence which the famous af fair at Nancy had given to him over the troops, and inhabitants of Alface and Lor raine, he was convinced that he could have made them adopt the white cockade, had he not been prevented by exprefs. orders from his majefty; th.at the bifhop of Pamiershad anfwered 2to PRIVATE MEMOIRS. The queen, who had no knowledge of the motives for the order given to M. le Noir, yielded implicit faith to the baron de Breteuil's fuggeftions. Of courfe fhe was extremely irritated againft M. de Calonne; and went diredly to the king's apartment, where fhe complained. to his majefty, with great bitternefs, of that minifter, and of M. le Noir. The king fell a laughing ; and af fured her, " that there was not a word of truth in the abfurd ftory which fhe was fo fimple as to be alarmed at." This affurance was far from undeceiving the queen ; fhe inflexibly repelled every explanation tending to juftify M. de Ca lonne ; and remained firmly convinced that he had formed the rafh defign of which the baron de Breteuil accufed him. In this manner, that princefs was made the inftrument of an unjuft vengeance ; and, from that period, fhe took every op portunity of injuring -M. de Calonne. Ah! could' fhe have forefeen the fatal confe quences of his difgrace which fhe was fo earneft in accelerating. Return- PRIVATE MEMOIRS; aii Returning to the commiffion of Mallet du Pan, I muft now relate the precautions which the king had defired me to ufe re fpeding the letter I was to give to him for the marefchal de Caftries : this letter was open, without addrefs ; and fo contrived, that in cafe of his being arrefted,- and the letter found on him, and fent to the affembly, nothing in it would have be trayed that it was intended for any other than Mallet du Pan himfelf. This letter was of eourfe very vague, and apparently infignificant, particularly as I knew very little of M. de Caftries, and had never written to him before ; it was conceived nearly in the fubfequent terms : " The bearer of this letter^ fn^ is in trufted by, and acquainted with the views of a family to whom you are much at tached. With the fulleft reliance on your Zeal, I recommend him to you : he has undertaken this journey for the fervice of that intereft%ig family ; and, I am con vinced, that when he acquaints you with p 2 the 21a PRIVATE MEMOIRS. the affair in queftion, you will fupport his views by every means in your power." M. Mallet du Pan was particularly de fired to recommend to the foreign powers never to place the emigrants in the fore moft ranks, but rather to employ them in garrifon. This recommendation was at tributed to the apprehenfions which they fuppofed had been fuggefted to the king of the extravagant claims which the emigrants might make if his majefty was reduced to the humiliation of owing the re-eftablifh- ment of his authority to their fervices. Although I am not ignorant that arts were ufed to infpire both the king and queen with this odious jealoufy, I muft do them the juftice to declare, that I never obferved the flighteft trace of it in their majeftieSr On the contrary, I always remarked in them every indication of friendfhip for the princes, and the warmeft concern for the French nobility : above all, they evinced the utmoft horror at the idea^f a civil war. The king's moft ardent defire was, that the emigrants PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 213 •v s emigrants might return into France without bearing the reproach of having fhed a drop of their countrymen's blood. I had contrived a cypher, which it was quite impoffible to make out, without the key, which was known only to Mallet du Pan, myfelf, and M.Malouet,with whom the former was direded occafionally to corre- fpond, to prevent the fufpicion which might have arifen from a great many letters from Germany being addreffed to me. It was agreed, that as foon as M. Malouet fhould receive a letter, he was diredly to com municate it to me ; and that I fhould tranfmit a copy of it to the king, as well as of all the letters from Mallet du Pan that came addreffed to myfelf, A few days after the arrival of Mallet du Pan in Germany, and after his firft con ferences with the duke of Brunfwick, and with the minifters pf the courts of Vienna and of Berlin, he wrote to me, that he had reafon to be fatisfied with the reception he had met with from M. de Caftries, who had given him very favourable letters of P 3 recom- 2i4 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. recommendation ; but, as his commiffion was only fupported by a letter from me, and as my intimacy with the king was not known in Germany, he feemed only to be attended to from deference to M. de Caf tries ; and, that there was fo much circu'm- fpedion and referve maintained, that he could promife himfelf no fuccefs unlefs I could contrive to fend him, by a fafe con veyance, a few words written by the king himfelf. He did not require this paper to. be figned, as the king's writing was known by thofe for whom it was intended. I fent the contents of this letter to his majefty, and propofed to him to write the following words on a very fmall flip of paper : " The perfon who prefents this paper, knows my intentions, and credit may be, given to what he fays in my name." The poft was a fafe enough conveyance at that time," as the cuftom of flopping and opening letters was not yet introduced. The letter intended to contain this writing was not folded or fealed in any way which cpuld attrad the attention of the fpies which' PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 215 which the aflembly kept ih the pod-offices : it was not to be, fent to Mallet du Pan un der his own name, but under the affumed name of a German banker. My letter was not in cypher, and did not contain a word of public affairs, or of the king's, but only the circumftantial account of a conteft fup pofed to have taken place betwixt the part ners, of a commercial houfe ; the matter in queftion was to bring the affair to an ami cable conclufion, through the mediation of the German banker, to whom this letter was fuppofed to be written. When the king read the above letter, he no longer apprehended any danger from fending the few lines I defired ; he accord ingly wrote them, and the letter was dif- patched to Mallet du Pan. It produced the defired effed ; for when the duke of Brunfwick and the minifters from the courts of Vienna and Berlin faw the writ ing attefted by M. de. Caftries, to be in the king's own hand, they no longer hefitated to explain, themfelves refpeding the plan, p 4 o( 216 PRIVATE MEMOIRS, of a manifefto which Mallet du Pan pro* pofed to them. Every article of it was difcuffed with him, and the firft intention was to adopt it ; but, at the opening of the campaign^ !the duke of Brunfwick made confiderable alterations in the manifefto ; the effed of which did not anfwer his intentions. His menaces were laughed at, except by the few who had the fimplicity to imagine that his triumphant army would be at the gates ¦ of Paris in eight days. But, in general, fo far from infpiring terror and repreffing fe- ditipn, this ill-judged manifefto excited the moft lively indignation ; and the king was, fuppofed to have fuggefted thofe articles which regarded the fafety pf his own per fon and family. ^ If Mallet du Pan had been prefent when the alterations in the manifefto were pro pofed, he would have certainly reprefented all the ill effed they were likely to pro duce ; but he was then in Switzerland, having confidered his miffion as entirely con- PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 217 concluded whert his plan of a manifefto had been approved of and apparently adopted. When I heard of his departure from Germany, I wrote to him by the king's orders, defiring him to return to Frankfort ; but neither that letter, nor one which I wrote a few days after, with frefh inftrudipns, ever were received by him ; and I am ignorant what be came of them. But into whatever hands they fell, nothing could be made of them, being both written in cypher, and ad-s dreffed to one of his affumed names. As it was by no means proper to allow Mallet du Pan tp make fo long a journey at his own expence, the king authorifed me to give him the fum of two thoufand crowns, which he thought too much, and would only receive on condition of his keeping an account of his expences, and returning the remainder. The civil lift was, at this period, greatly exhaufted by the enormous expence which the clothing, &c. of the king's new guards pccafioned ; alfo by the affiftance granted to 2i 8 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. to feveral gentlemen who had been ruined by the revolution, and by M. de la Port's daily payments for fecret fervices. His majefty having - expreffed to* me fome uneafinefs upon the impending failure of the civil, lift, I confidered in what man ner I could procure a fum of money, which was by' no means an eafy matter in the prefent pircumftances, becaufe the king could not then take up money by any public ad without extreme danger. Luckily, I was informed by one of my brothers, who was a knight of Malta, that the order to which he belonged ftill -re tained in their poffeffionthe eight hundred thoufand livres which they had engaged to pay for the contribution, pairiotique, on condition that the national affembly would decree the invidlability ofthe property be longing to that order ; but as this decree never had been paffed, and very probably never would, that money was ftill at the difpofal of the order. Thefe confiderations appeared to me fufficient to induce the prdet of Malta to fend his majefty part of 5 the PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 219 the fum deftined for the payment of the patriotic contribution; and I commiffioned my brother to make the propofal to the commander, who was procureur general of the order. He very readily agreed to it, and it met with no obftacle from -the baillie de Virieu, wThofe confent was alfo ne ceffary, as he was at that time ambaffador of the order in France. In fhort, after a negotiation of two days, I had it in my power to fend the king a fum of five hun dred thoufand livres, at the moment when he leaft expeded it. His majefty gave me a receipt, made out in my name, under which I wrote, " that the fum was lent me by the order of Malta, according to my agreement with the procureur general." This paper I kept with great care, in a fe^ cret and fafe place, till the 10th of Auguft. I then returned it to that brave arid loyal chevalier, M*d& 220 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. M. de Bouille s fiat ement of the king s jour ney from Chalons to Varennes, when his majefty and the royal family left Paris to go to Montmidi. " In confequence of the king and queen's order, M. de Bouille informed M, de Goguelas, an officer of rank, of their majefties' intention to go to Montmidi, and the arrangements he had made to receive - them. That officer had been fent to Paris a little before the king left it, and brought , his majefty's definitive orders to the gene ral ; in obedience to which he had ordered M. de Goguelas to reconnoitre the different pofts on their route, and to wait perfonally for their majefties at Pontfommeville, the firft poft after paffing Chalons, and three leagues beyond that town. M. de Go guelas carried a written order from the king, for the commander of the detach ment at Chalons to obey M. de N , who was to arrive there twelve hours be fore the royal family. M. de N himfelf was authorifed by his majefty to deliver the orders of M. de Bouille' to each officer commanding a detachment on this fervice, PRIVATE MEMOIRS. *« fervice, and at the fame time to give them particular orders conformable to any new circumftance which might have occurred fince that general had formed his plan. " M. de N- or M. de Goguelas were to arrive at each poft from Pontfomme- ville, at a proper time previous to the royal family, to give the commanding officers timely notice that thetroops, and everything elfe neceffary for the fpeedy and fafe paflage of the carriages, fhould be in readinefs all the way ; M. de Bouille, in the mean time, being in a central pofition, that he might have it In his power to prcted the royal family, in cafe of neceffity. " Agreeable to this plan, M. de Gogue las had left Varennes to -go to Poritfomme- ville on the 20th of June, with forty huf- farsof the regiment of Laufun, on the pre text of efcorting a large fum of money ex peded for the ufe of the troops. Thefe huffars Were under the command of M. Boudet, -a lieutenant. They paffed the night of the 20th at St. Menehoult, and ar rived on the 2 1 ft at Porttfommeville. Forty dragoons of the regiment royal, command- 6 ed 222 PRIVATE MEMOIRS; ed by M. d'Andouin their captain, arrived on the fame day at St. Menehoult- A detachment of a hundred dragoons of the regiment of Monfieur, and fixty of the regiment royal, came on the 20th to Cler mont, on pretence of going into canton* ments at Moufon on the Me ufe, but with orders to remain, on the 21ft, at Clermont. They were under the command of M. de Damas. Sixty huffars of the regiment of Laufun, commanded by M. Rodwel a lieu tenant, were polled -at Varennes ; a hun dred of the fame regiment, under the com mand of M. Deflong, at Dim^ fifty of the regiment of Royal Allemand, under M. Guntzer, were placed at Moufe, a village between Dun and Stenaii This laft were intended to have efcorted the royal family ' all the way to Montmidi, where his ma jefty would have found feveral regiments ready to form an encampment, which fome others, already on their march, were to join on the 21ft and 2 2d. Some of the commanding officers of thofe detachments were privy to the plan ; the others were, in hourly expedation of meeting with the mi litary 'PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 223 litary cheft with the money. They had orders to hold their troops in conftant readinefs, to watch attentively over every occurrence that Should take place at their refpedive pofts. A courier, who preceded the carriage of the royal family fome hour% was to give thefe commanding officers timely notice of the king's arrival. , "The orders figned by the king, and to be prefented fucceffiyely to each detachh ment by M. de N — ; and M. de Goguelas, enjoined the officers and fol diers to efcort the king and his family, and to ufe every means in their power for their ^protedion. Thofe two gent tlemen were to inform, the king,, when he arrived at Pontfommeville, of the dif pofition of the troops intended for his efcort, and his majefty was then to give them orders refpedingthe manner in which he wifhed to continue his route. " In cafe the king thought proper to let himfelf be known, each detachment was to keep clofe to the carriage all the way, till it was relieved by fhe fucceeding detachment at 224 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. at the new poft : but if the king preferred remaining incognito, his carriage was to pafs for that which carried the military cheft. The detachments were to fall behind at convenient diftances, to give the king's party time to change horfes without fuf picion ; at the fame time not to lofe fight, or to be at too great a diftance for giving affiftance in cafe of need. In either of thofe fuppofifions, the officers who com manded the detachments were to be inform ed by M. de Choifeuil or Goguelas, at the king's arrival at each poft, that his majefty was in the carriage : but it was only in cafe he did not think it neceffary to preferve the incognito that the private men of the de tachments were to be informed. All the detachments were to proceed to Montmidi, after the king's paffage, with all poffible ex pedition, except that at Pontfommeville, which was to flop at St. Menehoult for eighteen or twenty hours, on purpofe. to prevent any perfon, ' of whatever defcrip- tion, from proceeding during that time. M. de Bouille was to take meafures, during the fame PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 22$- fame period, for preventing any intelli- * gence from arriving at his camp ; and by this means fecured to the detachment at St. Menehoult a fafe retreat to Montmedi. " As the crofs road from Varennes to Dun was bad, M. de Bouille had the pre caution to place a fufficient number of horfes at the former, that the king, on his arrival, might find no difficulty or retardment to prevent his proceeding to Dun. Thofe horfes belonged to M. de N , and were fent on the pretext of carrying his camp-equipage, to Moufon. When M. de N • went to Paris to receive the king's orders, he had given diredions to an officer of his regiment refpeding thofe horfes, which were to fet out on the 1 7th of June, that they might be at Varennes on the 20th, and there re main till farther orders. This arrangement had been fettled, on the fuppofition that the king would leave Paris on the 19th, as was at firft intended : but a woman in the fer vice of the Dauphin, and known to be a violent democrate, being to finifh her vol. 11. q_ weekly sa6 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. Weekly attendance on the 20th, it was thought prudent to defer the departure of the royal family till fhe fhould be out of the palace ; of courfe they did not fet out till the 20th, at midnight. M. de Bouille was informed of this alteration by a letter from the king, which, however* he did not receive before the 15th, in the evening, and immediately fefit orders to the regi ment royal and that of Monfieur, both dragoons, to begin their march a day later than had been formerly direded,' ontpur- pofe that they might be at Clermont only one day previous to the arrival ofthe royal family ; but unfortunately the officer, en<> trufted with the diredion of the horfes, which wefe faid to tranfport M. de N 's camp equipage, negleded to give frefh orders to thofe who conduded them to Varennes, and of courfe they arrived at that town one day fooner than was intend ed. The prolongation of their ftay created thofe fufpieions which afterwards proved fo fatal. Thofe horfes were not placed where it had been agreed upon they fhould; and PRIVATE MEMOIRS* 227 and when thofe who were charged with the placing them arrived at Varennes, the fufpicions which had arifen on their ac count had excited fuch a fermentation, that it would not have been prudent to have at tempted any alteration." The report of M. Boudet, " The detachments arrived in precife time at the place of their deftination. The huffars of the regiment of Laufun came to St. Menehoult on the 20th of June ; the officer quartered them at the inn, but he negleded to give the ufual information to the magiftrates of the place relative to their route arid quarters. This occafioned a good deal of furprife and fpeculatiort in the town, which were augmented by the arrival of a detachment of the king's regi ment of dragoons in the morning of the 2 1 ft. The impreffion which the condud of the officer commanding the huffars left on the minds of the inhabitants, made them watch the dragoons with jealous eyes. 0^2 They 228 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. They even attempted to take their arms from them. " The king left the Thuilleries on the 20th, at midnight. His carriage broke down near Chalons. That accident detain ed him feveral hours. The royal family were expeded at Sommevelle about three o'clock in the afternoon of the 2 ift. Al though M. de N and M. de Goguelas had calculated that they would arrive about that hour, it was certainly their duty to re main there all that day with the detach ment of huffars, the inftrudions to whofe commanding officers bore, that the convoy they were to efcort would pafs in the courfe of that day : neverthelefs, when thofe two gentlemen faw no appearance of any cou rier, or of the arrival of the royal family, they left Sommevelle at five o'clock in the evening, carrying the whole detachment from that important poft, from whence the diredions to all the others were to originate. It is to be hoped that thofe two officers had very ftrong reafons for coududing them felves PRIVATE MEMOIRS. *%% t • ' fclves in this manner, which, however, have never been fully made known. , It has been faid, that what chiefly determined them was certain marks of inquietude and commotion which began to appear among the people in the country, the confe quences of which they thought, might prove dangerous to the king and roya} family. , . , . " Meffrs. de N — • r and Goguejas Withdrew the troops fromSommevelle at five o'clock in the evening, and their majefties arrived there, an hour after, finding neither the troops they expeded, nor the two per fons who had been entrufted, with their in- ftrudions, who were to ad^W couriers, and togiye orders, fignals, and diredions to the troops diftributed at the different pofts. Their majefties, however, proceeded with out any retardment tp St* Menehoult, while the detachment which had left Sommevelle fell back to Varennes. By a fatality ^hat feems to have invariably accompanied the king, the commanding officer of the de-, tachment, not' choofing to return to St.} 0^3 Menehoultt ' 330 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. narchy, becaufe it is irt the conftitution, as we are, becaufe it is in our hearts and ou? reafon, of what importance is this difference to us, fince he proceeds with us to the fame end ? It is his adipns, not his motives, we Hand in need of,'' Though by no means convinced by this reafoning, I could not refufe to tranfmit it to the king, with a long memorial which M, Malouet gave me on the part of M, de Lally, Some days after, M. de la Fayette wrote from the army his famous letter of the 1 6th of June, addreffed to the affembly againft the Jacobins, and demanding the fuppreffion of their meetings. This letter was greatly applauded by the majority pf the affembly and the tribunes ; but it irri tated the Jacobins to fuch a degree, that to prove that they were not intimidated by his attack, they excited the infurredion of the 20th of June. The horrible circum ftances of that day filled the army with in dignation, and encouraged M. de la Fayette to, PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 331 to appear at the bar of the affembly on the 28th of the fame month. In the name of all the officers and foldiers of his army, he demanded the punifhment of the authors and accomplices of the crimes and exceffes committed on the 20th. When the king heard, on the morning ofthe 28th, that M. de la Fayette was ar-? rived from the army, and of the demand he was to make at the bar of the affembly, his expedations were very high refpeding the fuccefs of that meafure : but they were not pf long duration ; for, although the dif- courfe, pronounced by the general, was as ftrong as the circumftances exaded, and was heard with applaufe by the audience : and although he was invited to the honours of the fiance ; yet fcarcely had he taken his feat, when his condud was violently attacked by feveral deputies, particularly by Vergniaud and Guadet. They reproached him for having quitted his poft without leave, and for attempting to intimidate the affembly in the name of the 232 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. de Damas, without returning an anfwer, fet fpurs to his horfe, ordering his dragoons to follow him : but they, yielding to the threats and intreaties of the national guards; bafely deferted their commanding officer. M. de Damas purfued alone the road to Varennes, and arrived a few minutes after their majefties. " The fon ofthe poftmafter of St. Mene- hoult got the ftart of the king by fome hours. His departure from that town had been obferved by one of the quarter- maf- ters of the regiment royal, who was in the fecret, and who, fufpeding the young man's intentions, found means to efcape the watchful obfervations of the populace, and of his own companions, and purfued the fellow, in order to prevent his fatal defign. He followed him for about a league : but being afraid to pufh his horfe, which had a great way to go, he did not overtake him ; and the fellow, perceiving himfelf purfued, fuddenly quitted the high road, efcaped into the woods, and through unbeaten tracks, known to himfelf, proceeded to Va rennes. PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 233 rennes. He arrived betwixt ten and eleven o'clock at night, and, with as little noife as poffible, he awaked every perfon he thought neceffary for his projed, and barricaded with carts and waggons the bridge of Va rennes, which feparated the ville haute from the ville bajfe. " In the midft of thefe preparations their majefties arrived at the ville haute, and flop ped at the firft houfe, in hopes of finding frefh horfes ready for them : but in this they were difappointed ; the horfes intended for them were ftill at an inn on the oppofite fide ofthe bridge. M. de Bouille' had fent his youngeft fon and M. de Raigecourt to Varennes on the morning ofthe 21ft, with orders to make the neceffary preparations for the king's arrival. They had not fuf ficient confidence in the officer who com manded the detachment at Varennes to truft him with the fecret, but they defired him to hold his troops in readinefs to efcort a convoy. They anxioufly expeded the ar rival of the courier, as their orders were to make no preparation till he came. Befides, their 234 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. their very appearance in the town had ere* ated fufpicions, and the fear of increafing them prevented their removing the horfes from the ville baffe to the ville haute, until they Should receive notice of the king's ar rival. The officer who commanded the de tachment at Varennes had orders to efcort a convoy which was of fo much importance, that in cafe he perceived any difpofition in the people to obftrud it, he was to order his troops to mount, make himfelf mafter of all the paffages, and enforce the advancement of the convoy. But as none of thefe mea fures were executed, the poft-mafter had full time to make all his criminal arrangements, without encountering the leaft obftacle. " Their majefties were very uneafy on being informed, on their arrival, that there were no horfes in readinefs, and faw no ap pearance of the troops they expeded for their protedion. To add to their vexation, their poftiftions threatened to leave them. The queen alighted, and called at feveral houfes to obtain information refpeding the horfes. Nobody knew her. She walked fo? PRIVATE MEMOIRS, &3t for fome time in the ville haute with the king, in expedation that fome perfon would appear who would give them the informa tion they flood fo much in need of, but all in vain. They were obliged to return to their carriage without the expeded fatisfacT tion ; and all they could do was to intreat the poftillions to proceed with the fame horfes. As they paffed under an arch-way near the bridge, a band of ruffians, who lay in wait, ftopped the carriages, feized upon the king, and forced him and his family to alight, and they were conduded prifoners to the houfe of the procureur de la com mune. The king expoftulated againft this violence with equal firmnefs and dignity, but to no purpofe. In a moment the flreets were barricaded, the ftables of the huffars furrounded, the national guards drawn up under arms, and the tocfin founded to alarm the country. The young de Bouille and M. Raigecourt, on hearing the tumult, haftened towards the hotel pf the com-r mandant, but found the ftreets barricaded. They had time only to mount on horfe- back, t36 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. back, to pufh through the armed crowds that oppofed them, and to go with all pof fible expedition to inform general de Bouille of what had happened. " In lefs than an hour after the king was ftopped, Meffrs. de N and de Gogue las arrived at Varennes with the detachment from Pontfommevelle. At the gates of the town they found fome pieces of cannon and a party of the national guards, who at firft difputed their entrance. They defired to be made known to the fixty huffars in the town, who belonged to their regiment. M. Rodwell, who commanded thofe huffars, came to meet them alone. M. Boudet, the commanding officer of the detachment from Pontfommevelle, informed him that the company which had been ftopped was adu ally the king and the royal family, and or dered him to take every neceffary meafure for the defence and furety of their majef ties : but Rodwell, in place of obeying his commanding officer, immediately left Va rennes, on pretence that he muft go and inform M. de Bouille of what had hap pened j , PRIVATE MEMOIRS. $37 pened ; and he left the command of this im portant poft to one of the quarter-mafters, who was extremely ill-affeded to the king* as appeared by his keeping the huffars in total inadibn. " The detachment of Pontfommevelle being the only troops well difpofed to the king in the town, reached the* houfe where the royal family were detained, which they found furrounded by a number of na tional guards. M. de Goguelas, inftead of attempting to difperfe them by any orders to the detachment, addreffed himfelf to the procureur de la commune, who ftill affeded not to know who the people he detained were, defiring to be introduced to them. He was introduced accordingly, and on his return affured the people that it was unqueftionably the royal family. -This information rendered the multitude more obftinate for detaining the royal family. '•* " M. de Goguelas, wifhing to afcertain whether the minds of the troops had not- been corrupted by the town's-people, du- * 5 rmS i3i ' PRIVATE MEMOIRS. ring his abfence, ordered them to prepare their arms *, and then very inconsiderately afked whether they were for the king or thd nation. They anfwered* " Vive la nation ! Nous tenons et tiehdrons toujour s poiir elle." " This anfwer* which the furrounding crowd had infpired them with, plainly fhewed no affiftance could be expeded for1 his majefty in this feditious town. M. de Goguelas therefore, feeming to adopt the prevailing fentiment, refolved quietly to wait the arrival of a fufficient force, to affift him in delivering their majefties, " While thefe events were paffing at Va rennes, M. de Bouille' was extremely un- eafy at receiving no intelligence. He had paffed the night on horfeback betwixt Dun and Stenai. At laft he rode to the high-* way which leads to Monthiedi, that he might be at hand to give affiftance, if ne ceffary. He was at the gates of Stenai about four in the morning, whert M. de Raigecourtj the chevalier de Bouilltf, and M» de Rodwell brought him the unwelcome * Met/re haul les armes. 6 news PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 23$ news of the king being ftopped. That in- ftant, orders were given for the regiment royal Allerhand to mount, but the horfes were not faddled, although their- command ing officer had received orders the pre ceding evening to hold himfelf in readinefs by day-break, and although it was known in. the regiment that the king was to pafs during the night. M. de Bouille fent, at the fame time, to Montmedi, an order to M. de Klinglin, marechal de camp, to fend one of the battalions of Naffau towards Dun, and to expedite orders to the Swifs regiment of Caftellas, then on its march to Montmedi, to detach one of its bat talions to Stenai, and there to attend his farther orders. M. de Bouille alfo fent orders to the detachments of Moufe and Dun to march with all diligence to Varennes, giving them to know that he would foon follow with the regiment royal Allemand, and enjoining them, im mediately upon their arrival, tp ufe every means in their power for the deliverance of the royal family. " M, de 240 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. " M. de Bouille waited till the regiment of royal Allemand were quite ready, and then put himfelf at its head ; after which, that he might affure himfelf of its difpofi tions, he read the king's orders, informed the men of the occafion of this march, and diftributed money amongft them. He found them extremely well difpofed, and they followed him with an alacrity which promifed fuccefs : but it was five o'clock in the morning when they fet out." Extract of M. de Long's report. " M. de Long, who commanded, at this time, the detachment of Dun, occupied, with his huffars, all the flreets and avenues of that town. On being informed, by M. Rodwell, of the diftreffing fituation of the royal family, he marched to Varennes with his troops, without waiting the general's or ders, leaving twenty-four men and an offi cer at Dun, in order to fecure a free paffage through that town. He was only an hour and a half in going five leagues betwixt Dun and Varennes. He arrived before this laft PRIVATE MEMOIRS. a#r laft town at five o'clock in the morning. His projed had been to begin the attack immediately, and to make his way by force to the king ; but when he reached the tpwn, he perceived the barricades, which forced him to renounce his plan. The ad vanced poft of the national guard required of M. de Long to attend them to the mu nicipality, and explain the motives of his journey to Varennes. This he pofitively re- fufed, artd demanded entrance with his de tachment, in order to join that which was in the town. They anfwered, that his demand was contrary to the king's orders. M. de Long being affured, by this anfwer, that the king was at Varennes, requefted permiffion to pay his refpeds to his ma jefty. This was agreed to by M. Seigne- mont, commander of the national guards and chevalier de St. Lewis, who promifed him protedion, and gave his word of ho nour that he fhould be allowed to fpeak to the king, without any witnefs. For the greater furety that this promife would be ad hered to, M. de Long exaded that an hoft- vol. ii. r age 242 PRIVATE MEMOIRS* age fhould be delivered to his huffars. This was done. His fcheme was to inform the king of the fuccours that were arrived and expeded, and to obferve whether it would be poffible to force the barricades fword in hand. He found them fo ftrong, particu larly on the bridge, that he had no hopes of fucceeding, unlefs he was joined by the huffars under the command of M. Boudet. Having arrived at the houfe in which the royal family were confined, ^he faw, to his aftonifhment, thirty huffars before it, com manded by one ofthe national guards ; and this certitude of their defedion deprived him of all hopes of his detachment's being allowed to enter the town. After waiting half an hour, he was introduced to the king. Seignemont, contrary to the word he had pledged, entered with him. When M. de Long reproached him in the prefence of his majefty, his only apology was, that the citizens would not allow that he fhould have any private conference with the king ; yet he afterwards permitted M. de Long to talk a little, in the corner of the room, with 5- 1 his PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 243 his majefty, who was then informed of his real fituation, and of the unfurmountable obftacles which the barricades, and the de- fedion of fome of the troops, formed to the zeal of M. de Long. He was informed, at the fame time, of the march of M. de Bouille, at the head of the Royal Alle- mand. tk The king feemed in fuch a ftate of confufion, that M. de Long repeated this information three times, from an apprehen- fion that his majefty had not heard what he had faid. At laft he begged to have his majefty's orders for M. de Bouille. " 'You may acquaint him,' faid the king, * that I am a prifoner • that I doubt much whether he can do any thing for me, but that I defire he may do what he cart.' " M. de Long fpoke alfo to the queen : but as fhe ftood very near to the commander of the national guards, he gave her the fame information in German, that he had given to the king. That unhappy R 2 princefs 244 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. princefs complained bitterly of her perfe- cutors, and particularly that they would not permit her to proceed to Verdun, where fhe and the children could more commodioufly repofe themfelves, " The king defining M. de Long not to prolong the converfation in German, to prevent fufpicions, he took leave of their majefties, afking their orders aloud. The king replied, \ " * I am a prifoner, and have no orders to give.' " M. de Long having arrived at his'de- tachment, fent a non-commiffioned officer with an order td M. Boudet to attack thofe who confined the royal family, while he ftiouldforce thebarricades,and advance with his troops to their affiftance. After a con fiderable interval, the non-commiffioned of ficer returned, without having been able ta fpeak to M. de Boudet, who, with his de tachment, was blocked up in the convent and garden of the Cordeliers. " In thofe circumftances, M. de Long had no other refou'rce but to wait for the 6 arrival PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 245 arrival of the regiment of Royal Allemand: but he foon underftood that the royal fa mily, having been obliged to go into their carriages, were on the road to Paris, guarded by an armed multitude. He was joined by the chevalier de R — — , and they endeavoured to crofs the river, in the in tention of attacking the efcort and deliver ing the king. They adually paffed the firft branch, but found the fecond too deep ; and feeing no poffibility of fuccouring the 'royal family, they determined to join M. de Bouille ; which they did, about nine o'clock in the morning, near Varennes. Greatly fhocked at the information they brought, he was ftill inclined to continue his march, and make a laft attempt, but no perfon among the troops knew of any ford by which they could pafs the river which fe- parated them from the king. The horfes were nearly exhaufted with the long march they had already made, Stenai being more than five leagues from Varennes ; befides, the king having fet out about an hour and B 3 a half 246 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. a half before, all purfuit feemed ufelefs. There was therefore an abfolute impoffibi lity of delivering the royal family; and M. de Bouille, overwhelmed with grief, marched back with his troops to Stenai." Befides the above ftatement, M. de Bouille' drew up a particular account, ex-; planatory pf the failure of this plan, for proteding the royal family in their journey from Paris to Montmedi, for the inform? ation of their majefties *. * Vide Appendix, No. X. PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 247 CHAP. XXV. The decree of accufation iffued againfi Lari viere intimidates his colleagues. — Madame de Lamothes Memoirs are fecretly burnt atSeves. — Confequences. — A band of ruf fians, in the pay of the Jacobins, are em ployed to excite popular commotions. — The affembly pafs a decree for difbanding the kings conftitutional guards ; and on the fame day, one of accufation againfi the duke de Briffac. — The minifters oblige the king to fanclion the decree fir difbanding tbe guards. — My letter, advifing his ma jefty to refufe his fanclion, arrives too late. After the decree of accufation againft the judge Larivie're, none of his col leagues durft venture to continue the legal proceedings on my complaint and that of M- de Montmorin. But one principal ob jed we had in view was accomplifhed, namely, to render the jmpofture of the R 4 Auftrian a43 PRIVATE MEMOIRS, Auftrian committee manifeft to the public. This fable had been invented foon after the opening of the firft affembly, with a defign to exafperate the people againft the king, the queen, and all their faithful fervants., The Jacobins, enraged at being deprived of that ground of calumny, watched for an op portunity of reviving it, and for that pur pofe they made a handle of a piece of imr prudence committed by one of the clerks of a public office. M, de la Porte had purchafed, hythe king's orders, the whole edition of the Me moirs of the famous madame de Lamothe, fo full of calumny againft the queen. He ordered them to be burnt with all the pre caution and fecrecy poffible. The clerk who received the order had the imprudence to confide the execution of it to one named Rifion, an intriguing and feditious man^ v formerly an advocate at Nancy, who had committed feveral forgeries, and even fa bricated the king's feal, for which he had been profecuted before the tribunal of -Re-, quetes de F Hotel, where I myfelf, as a maitre des PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 249 des requites, Was employed in his crofs exa-» mination. On that occafion I ran con^ fiderable danger, not only from the popu lace, who, being convoked by his hand* bills, filled the court, but alfo by the fury of the fellow himfelf, who attempted to afT fault me during the trial, and was with fome difficulty prevented by the huiffters. He was acquitted, in confequence of the new principles of patriotifm then in vogue, but every body was convinced of his guilt. This fame Rifton, finding himfelf entruft ed with a commiffion which interefted the king, and appeared of the more importance ort account of the myfterious manner in which it was ordered to be executed, was lefs folicitous to perform it effedually, than to make an oftentatious difplay of the con fidence that had been placed in him. On, the 30th of May, at ten o'clock in the morning, he ordered the Memoirs to be conveyed in a waggon, which he himfelf accompanied, to the china manufadory at Seves, where he caufed a large fire to be made, and burnt the Memoirs in the pre fence §5o PRIVATE MEMOIRS. fence of all the workmen of the manufac tory, who were exprefsly forbid to ap proach the fire. His oftentatious pre cautions awakened curiofity, and gave rife to a thoufand different conjedures. The fire kindled at Sevcs was immediately made ufe of to inflame the minds of the Parifian populace. That very day it was mentioned in the affembly, that ftate papers had been carried at M. de la Porte's office, and burnt at Seves. Briffot and the Jacobin party in fifted vehemently that the papers burnt with fo much myflery were the regifters and letters of correfpondence of the very Auftrian committee, of whofe exiftence they had fo long endeavoured to convince the world. M. de la Porte was fummoned to the bar, and gave a faithful account of the affair as it flood. " Rifton was alfo called, who con firmed the depofition of M. de la Porte. But thefe explanations, fatisfadory as they were, did not quiet the ferment which that affair had excited irt the affembly. the Gironde party, who for fome time had in PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 251 in view the decheance, or abdication of the king, and of placing the prince royal on the throne, under a regency compofed of their own party, feized eagerly this oppor tunity to prepare and facilitate the accom? plifhing their purpofe. The courage and fidelity ofthe conftitu tional guards, formed an Qbftacle to their plan which they wifhed to remove, al though they could have oppofed to thofe guards many thoufand armed ruffians, be fides a chofen band adually in the pay of the Jacobins, Buob (the juftice of peace before men tioned) gave me the following information on this head : " The men, thus retained, received, at firft, five livres a day: but as their numbers increafed, their pay was reduced to forty fous. Deferters, and foldiers who had been turned out of their regiments, were chofen in preference to any others. Their num ber, in the beginning of March, was feven hundred and fifty, as appeared by an extrad from the account of their laft payment. This -52 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. This band was commanded by a chevalier of St. Lewis, to whom they were forced to take an oath of unlimited obedience on their admiffion. He himfelf received his orders from the fecret committee of the Jacobins. This new corps mixed with the fpedators inthe tribunes of the affembly, at the clubs, in the meetings of the fec- tions, and with the groups in the Palais Royal : but their principal fervice confifted in exciting and fupporting popular tu mults," To pave the way to the king's de- ; cheance or abdication, the Girondifts wifhed j' to intimidate him by an infurredion of the populace againft the palace ; and to render i this effedual, they thought it neceffary to i obtain a decree of the affembly for difband ing the conftitutional guards. They made a handle of the fermentation occafioned by the fcene at Seves, to affert that thofe, guards were in a ftate of counter-revo lution ; that they had adually received from the king and queen a white flag, to be ufed PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 253 ufed on fome proper occafion ; but which at prefent was concealed in a cavern under the Ecole Militaire. The place was fearched, and no fuch flag found. Nothing was found that had any connedion with the imaginary committee ; yet a decree of accufation was on the point of being paffed againft all the officers of the king's guard ; but the apprehenfion of exciting the whole corps againft the affem bly, reftrained this ; and the decree was confined to the brave and unfortunate due de Briffac, who was next day conduded to the prifon at Orleans, and afterwards maf- facred with the other prifoners. The king was perfedly fenfible, that the motive of the decree for difbanding his guard, was no other than to deprive him of the protedion of thofe brave men whom it was well known would defend his life at the hazard of their own. He was ex tremely agitated ; and the morningafter the decree paffed, he fent for his minifters at an early hour, and communicated a letter to them, which he intended to fend to the affembly? 254 PklVATE MEMOIRS. affembly, announcing his refufal to fandiori the decree : but they all refufed to counter- fign his letter ; and cortfequently it cPuld not be fent. His majefty then propofed to go irt perfon to the affembly, and pro nounce a difcourfe, in which he would give his reafons for not fandioning the decree ; but all the minifters refufed to attend him to the affembly : they even Carried their bafenefs or perfidy the length of afferting, that every man of the guard would be ihaffacred by the people if they were not immediately difbanded, and that every individual in the palace would be endangered by his majefty's deferring to fandion the decree. In fhort, the un happy prince, without taking time to re- fledj confented to fandiort that fatal de*- cree. An hour after having figned his fandiort, he received my letter: in which, not knowing what had paffed, I ftrongly urged the neceffity of his forcing the affembly to adhere to the conftitution ; which, in al lowing the king to have a guard of 1800 men, PRIVATE MEMOIRS, 255 men, had not given the leglflative body any authority over it ; reminding him that it was to the king alone that all com plaints ought to be carried or addreffedv againft the guard in general ; and that the - authority of the affembly was limited to the receiving complaints, and to iffuing decrees of accufation againft any individual of that guard who might give grounds for them ; and who would of courfe be tried by the proper courts. Before I received the king's anfwer, I heard, with equal regret and furprife, that the decree was already fandioned ; and that the duke of Briffac had been fent as a prifoner to Orleans. He had refilled the earneft entreaties of his family and friends, who fuggefted to him the means of efcape, and thought he could have no fecurity for his life but by flight. I received the king's anfwer that even ing ; it was written with his own hand on the margin of my letter, which was our eftablifhed form of correfpondence. With every letter I wrote, I fent him back that which 256 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. which I received from him the day before, only taking notes frbm it ; fo that his let ters never remained twentyrfour hours in my hands. I propofed this method to the king, to prevent his having arty uneafinefs"" 'about his letters. Mine were delivered to the king or queen, "and their anfwers brought to me* by one of the captains of the guard, whofe zeal and attachment were known to them. It would have been imputed to their ma jefties as a crime to carry on any kind of correfpondence at this time with me ; I judged it highly improper therefore to fub jed them to the leaft rifk or uneafinefs by keeping even copies of the letters which paffed on this occafion. Independent of this confideration, it is to be regretted that , I did not keep copies pf them all, becaufe they would have teftified his fcrupulous fidelity to the conftitution, hig affedion for his people, and the abfolute falfhood of the various calumnies invented for the bafeft f purpofes againft both him and the queen. M. Malouet is the only perfqn now alive Who Private memoirs. 257 who faw the originals of the greateft part of thofe letters by the king's permiffion : that gentlemart can atteft the truth of what I, have now faid. As I retained notes which could riot be urtderftood by thofe into whofe hands I was afraid of the origi nals falling, I am enabled to fubjoin his majefty's anfwer to my letter refpeding the difbanding of the guards, which was in the following terms : " Unfortunately it is no longer time to do -.as you propofe ! the minifters affured me, that the ferment of the people is fo Violent, that the fandiort of the decree could not be deferred without expofing the guards, and every perfon in the palace, to the greateft danger. Lgave this fandiort much againft my will j but the evil cannot be remedied." No remedy indeed remained after the decree was fandioned ;- and I was the more diftreffed at what had happened, as in fpiW of the defedion of the minifters ort this occafion* I was .'convinced that great ad vantage might have been taken of the- vol. 11, s affembly, 258 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. affembly, could the king have been pre vailed upon to have aded with energy ; . and my letter might have had fome weight with him, had he received it before he fandioned the decree. My intention was to propofe to his ma jefty to go to the affembly, accompanied by fix principal officers of his guard, and a hundred guards on horfeback ; part of which would have remained at the en trance, by the gate of the Feuilans, and part at the Place, de Vendome, while the re mainder would have gone by the quay to the Place de Lewis XV. I would have propofed to his majefty to announce his intention of going to the affembly only a quarter of an hour before he went ; and, that on his arrival, he fhould pronounce the following difcourfe : " Gentlemen, we have all taken an oath to the conftitution ; by your's, you are bound to infringe it in no point ; and mine obliges me to maintain it by all the power which the conftitution has delegated into my hands, I come here in the execution of PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 259 of that duty to ftate to yourfelves the irre gularity of that decree by which my con ftitutional guards are ordered to be dif- banded on account of certain accufations, which, however ferious in themfelves, and however well-founded, can only criminate a few individuals. That decree is diredly in contradidion to the fpirit of the conftitu tion, which has ordered and regulated that guard. This article of the conftitution is equally binding with all the others : they were all, without exception, adopted by yourfelves, and confecrated by the oath of the majority of the nation ; and that oath, you as well as' me have fworn to adhere to inviolably. By this folemn engagement, it is my duty to declare to you, that I never can fandion the decree for difbanding my guard ; and it is your part to repair your error by a fpeedy revocation; for, if you ad here to that decree, you ufurp a power which you have not received from the conftitution, and thereby make your own opinion pre vail over that of the nation ; in which cafe s 2 you 160 PRIVATE MEMOIR'S. you can no longer be regarded as its repre fentatives. " If there is juft caufe of complaint againft any of the officers or foldiers which the conftitution has attached to my perfon, you are authorized to iffue a decree of accufation againft them • but that decree cannot extend farther. Haften then to re turn within the limits of your legal power, which I am fo far from, intending to cir- cumfcribe, that to fecure to you the full exercife of it, even at this moment, and to prevent any criminal from efcaping, I have ordered all my guards to be affembled, and fo to remain until you give orders to ap prehend for trial every individual among them, againft whom you have any proofs." Previous to his majefty's going to the affembly, I fhould have taken care to have filled the tribunes with a confiderable num ber of the friends of the conftitution, to applaud the king's difcourfe, and to re- prefs, by marks of difapprobation, every 5 contrary PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 261 contrary motion. Numerous placards pafted up the preceding day ; hand-bills diftributed in profufion ; intelligent emif- faries mixing in the groups, coffee-houfes, and public walks, fhould have prepared the minds of the people for this meafure, by reprefenting the decree for difbanding the conftitutional guards in its true colours, namely, as a violent infringement of the conftitution, and an ufurpation of the law ful right of his majefty. It would have been prudent, at the fame time, to have ordered the three thoufand Swifs, who were then at Courbevoye, to advance to the heights of Paffy, under pre tence of being reviewed. This corps, with their brethren, at that time on duty in the Thuilleries, and thev conftitutional guards, commanded by fuch a brave and intelligent officer as M. d'Hervilly, would have com pofed, in cafe of need, a fufficient force to fupprefs any infurredion which the Jaco bins might have raifed. S3 I very 262 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. I very inconfiderately communicated the above plan to the king, of which I after,. wards repented, as it could, only ferve to augment his regret for having fandioned the decree. This unfortunate monarch was already fo much to be pitied, that it was barbarous not to fpare him whatever tended ufelefsly to aggravate his uneafinefs. The anfwer which he wrote, as ufual, on the margin of my letter, made me fenfible of my indifcretion : it was as follows : " You know, I cannot undo what is done ; my foul is full of forrow. What can I do, furrounded as I am, and with no perfon near me in whom I can truft ?" This fad truth was confirmed by the fatal confequences of the difbanding the guards, which renewed with bitternefs the king's regret for having fo precipitately gone into the fimdion of that decree. But by a fatality which feemed attached to him, and which was always moft remarkable on the moft critical occafions, thpfe meafures which required the greateft deliberation, 6 and .PRIVATE MEMOIRS, 263 and on which he ought to have confulted the perfons moft worthy of his confidencei were fometimes thofe which he adopted moft haftily ; whereas, on meafures whofe fuccefs depended on celerity, he often de liberated until his adopting them became ufelefs, and even hurtful. V t S 4 264 PRIVATE MEMOIRS* e HA P, XXVI, The decrees againfi tbe nonjuring priefis, and for forming a camp in the neighbourhood of Paris. — Divifion in the cabinet on that occafion. — Dumourier prevails on the king to difmifs three of his minifters. — Miac- zen/ki. — The king prevents a pamphlet from being publifhed againfi Dumourier, — Fabrication of affignats in the prifon. —Jmportant difcoveries refpe&ing the troubles in St. Domingo.-*— The Mulatto Raimond. — Refignation of Dumourier. — A fingular letter from h'm to M. de Larofiere. THE affembly, whofe ufurpatioris in-- creafed. in proportion as the king's powers of refiftance were weakened, paffed two moft atrocious decrees in the begin ning of June 1792, The firft was for the banifhment ofthe priefts who had, refufed to take PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 265 take the oath ; and the fecond was for the formation of a camp of twenty thoufand men in the environs of Paris, to confift of volunteers from every department of the kingdom. It was very well known, that thofe volunteers would every where be chofen by the Jacobins, whofe power was univerfally felt, and had impreffed fuch ge-r neral terror as gave them complete fway in every eledion ; fo that this army muft of courfe have been made up of their crea tures, the moft feditious and defperate villains in the kingdom. The motive given for this decree, was the fafety of the capital. Upon that pretence, Servan the minifter, in connivance with the Girond party, with out an order from the king, or without communicating his intentions to his col leagues, propofed the meafure in a letter to the prefident of the affembly. His real view was to fecure a fufficient force againft the royalifts who remained in Paris, and that portion of the national guards who were known to be attached to the king and 266 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. and to the conftitution, which the Ja cobins, as was now evident, intended to overturn. The king fhewed the utmoft repugnance to fandion either of thefe decrees, in. fpite of the threatening intimations he daily re ceived from his minifters Rolland, Claviere, and Servan, At that time a quarrel fubfifted betwixt thefe minifters and their colleagues, who, Jacobins as they were, feemed touched with the king's misfortunes, and always behaved to him with refped. They were fhocked with the condud of Rolland, Cla viere, and Servan, and determined to take this opportunity to get them difmiffed. Dumourier, with the approbation of his colleagues Duranthon and la Cofte, under took to propofe three new minifters to the king. His fnajefty accepted the propofal with the joy of a perfon who feels himfelf fuddenly relieved from a heavy Joad under which he was ready to fink. Soon after the meafure was determined on, I was in formed PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 267 formed of it by a letter from the king, in anfwer to one I had written the day be fore, in whieh I begged to receive his or ders refpeding a virulent pamphlet againft Dumourier, which the author would not publifh without his majefty's confent. In the margin of my letter, the king wrote the following words : " Prevent any thing from being pub lifhed againft Dumourier, who conduds himfelf well at this moment; and has helped to free me from three minifters, who endeavoured to force me to fandion the two decrees." I had had a very extraordinary conver fation, two days before, with a Polifh nobleman, marechal de camp in the French fervice, an intimate friend of Dumourier, ^nd at that time employed in the northern army; his name was Miaczenfki. That man, with whom I was till then wholly unacquairited, ' fent a certain perfon to re queft a meeting with me betwixt eleven and twelve o'clock at night, as he wifhed t© 268 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. to talk upon fubjeds of the utmoft im- portance. It was near midnight when he entered my houfe : he began by apologizing for having kept me waiting ; but faid, that being po sitively informed that my houfe was watched, he had walked three quarters of an hour in the ftreet, and did not flop at my door until he was certain of not being obferved, He then afked, with an air of inquietude, if my clofet did not communi cate with any other apartment from which our converfation might be heard ; and, after I had made him eafy on that point, he laid open the important fecret. I heard every thing he had to fay without inter ruption, becaufe I remarked a certain ex- preffion of low cunning in his counter nance, which prejudiced me againft him, and put me on my guard, I fufpeded this man to be a fpy of Dumourier's, or an agent of the committee des recherches. He began by talking to me of his birth and fortune ; of the motives which at tached PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 269 tached him to the French fervice, and of a very ferious conteft he had had with M. de Vergennes, of which he had published a long and circumftantial account. He laid that publication on my table, after having read fome paffages of it to me, irt order to convince me that he was neither an adventurer, nor a perfon to be at ali fufpeded. " I have the honour of being related to the queen," added he, " to which I owe my advancement in the fervice. Affuredly their majefties have not a more faithful oi" zealous fervant than myfelf: it was only with a view of being ufeful to them that I remained in France, that I have fought to be employed in the army, deceived that knave Dumourier, have paffed on him for his friend, and obtained his whole confi dence ; for there was no other means of watching him narrowly. He is more dan gerous than can be imagined by perfons unacquainted with his ambition and want of principle. Every morning I fpend an hour or two tete-a-tete with him : he is extremely talkative j 270 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. talkative ; he conceals nothing from me j and, if you have any curiofity, I can give you a regular account of his plans, his pro- jeds, and all his fecrets." " I know not any purpofe that would anfwer, fir," faid I ; " and, as it is what I have no concern in, I have not the leaft curiofity to know : but are not you going foon to join the army ?" " Yes, fir ; and that is the fubjed on which I wifhed to talk with you ; becaufe it is an occafion in which I can render the king an important fervice. I am to com mand the van-guard ; and, as I know the country better than any of the general of ficers, they place great confidence in me. I am certain they will not hefitate to make the army take whatever pofition I fhall point out. There is one pofition which feems very fafe and advantageous; in which,. neverthelefs, by informing the gene ral of the enemy, I may be attacked in fuch a manner, that the van-guard muft be cut in pieces ; the confequences of which, you will readily believe, will be, that the whole army PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 271 army muft, of neceffity, be either killed on the fpot, or made prifoners." *' You will arrange matters, I hope," faid I, " in fuch a manner, that you your felf will be in the latter predicament." " Unqueftionably, fir !" anfwered he. " Have you no kind of doubt of the complete fuccefs of this complicated oper ation ?" " Not the leaft," anfwered he ; " and you can have no doubt of the confufion which fo unexpeded a defeat muft make at Paris. It would at once produce the ruin, perhaps the maffacre, of all the Jaco bins, and of the national affembly, and create fuch a deteftation of the new confti tution as will foon bring back to the king his ancient authority. There is but one fmall difficulty," continued he ; " jou know that all difcipline and fubordination is deftroyed in the army : there is no means of fecuring the obedience of the foldiers, but by gaining their affedions by regaling them with brandy and wine. This 272 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. This method I did not negled as long as t had the means; but now my money is exhaufted, and I cannot continue it, fo as to retain the confidence of the foldiery, to that degree that is requifite for fo decifive a meafure, without the fum of about 200,000 livres, which I am perfuaded the king will readily advance, provided you Will lay my plan before him, and fupport it by your credit." " I fhould be very forry, fir4" faid Ij " to propofe fuch a fcheme to his majeftyj as I know it would be the means of lofing his confidence for even How is it poffi ble, that, knowing the king's charader, you could imagine that fuch a projed could be agreeable to him? and I am no lefs aftonifhed at your choofing me, who have not the honour of being acquainted with you, for your confident on fuch an occafion." " I addreffed myfelf to you, fir, as being* pf all the former minifters, the moft fin- cerely attached to the king, and the moft capable PRIVATE MEMOIRS. aft capable of appreciating the fervice I wiflV to render him ; the importance of whkhy perhaps, Upon mature confideration,- yoCt will come to be more fenfible of." "It requires no confideration at all," an fwered I. *' Refledion could' only ferve to confirm me in niy ©pinions I am in*- dined to believe in the fincerity of your* profefuons of attachment to the king ; you may therefore rely on my prudence. I fhall endeavour to forget! the projecT: which you have revealed to me ; I advife you to do the fame,, and^. above; all, never to^ men tion it to another perfon on earth." The next day I acquainted his majefty with this converfation. He approved of the manner in which I had received Miac- zenfki's propofal; and added^ that he knew him to he a worthlefs fellow, and' was convinced that his fole object was. to obtain money. I fhould never have done,, were I to re late1 all the fingular viflts which my known attachment to the king at: this time? pro cured- me. I was aware, that under colour* vol.. ii- T of 274- PRIVATE MEMOIRS.' of zeal for his majefty, many propofals \yere made to me for the purpofe of dis covering if I ftill interfered in his affairs, what my intentions were, and if I had the difpofal'of any part ofthe civil lift. Fortu nately 1,-had acquired the habit of regarding; every prppofal as a fnare, . and I adopted - only fuch as I thought advantageous, for his > majefty; and even; thefe with fuch precau-- tions^that whatever might happen, I rifked nothing.';: Of this I fhall only give one irt- ftanCe; ; The chevalier de Langle, a gentle man of Brittany, whofe family I had known ; while in that, province, one day prefented' himfelf before' me in a ftate of the utmoft wretchednefs. He had juft got out of the' prifon de la Force, where he had been fix ¦ months confined, through the miftake, as he faid, of the police correclionelle. However lie did not by any means make that clearly out, in the account he gave me of '. the affair. ' He had to fpeak to me, he faid, on a fubjed of the utmoft importance, but' firft begged that I would order him fome thing to eat, as he was ready to die of hunger. PRIVATE MEMOIR'S. 275 hunger. He afterwards talked to me of his literary talents, and, as a fpecimert, he offered me a copy of his travels through Spain. He next read fo me tlie two firft: pages of a journal which he intended pub- lifhingj irttitled, Pofiillon de la Giierfe. It ivas tolerably well written, and in favour of conftitutional royalty. I did hot hefi- tate to advartce him three hundred livres which he required for the expence of the1 firft impreffion. He informed me, that while he was in prifon he had feen feveral thoufand falfe' aflignats fabricated by the prifoners, who fold them, at a very Ipw price, to perfons who came to fee them-j that the cdmmif- faries of the municipality, who vifited the prifohs once a Week, always feized on all the aflignats they could difcover, but that they never made the leaft fearch after the inftru- mertts ufed in making them. Convinced?, as I was, that forged affig-^ nats were the principal refource of the Ja cobins for the immenfe expellee which their fchemes requrreuV I faid fo the chevalier/ T 2 that 276 v PRIVATE MEMOIRS. that it would be an ad pf patriptifm, greatly for h,is intereft, to publish the account he had juft give.n me, in the form of a petition, addrefled to tbe national affembly ; and. that he might claim the reward promife,d to every one who denounced falfe aflignats, The inftances. mentionecL, of cprtfi~derable gratifications granted on. fuch occafions, at once determined him, to fqllpw my advice. ; and he gave in his petition next day : but the committee to which it^ was referrecl being, without dpubt, apprehenfiye pfr its producing the, qffed f hoped for, would not report it, and. prevented the, chevalier: fropt obtajning permiffion to fpeak during a^ fortnight that he daily prefented himfelf at the bar of the affembly. I advifed him to publish the petition, addreffed to. the m^m-, bers of th$; affernbly, under the, title of a, plot, againft the nation. He was. the mpre , inclined to follow this advice, as I enforced it by an affignat. of, twp, hundred livres, given irt advance fprthe- expence of t^e„ impreffiort. He promifed tp repay mt bqths fums out of the reward he had, a, 5 right PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 277 right to exped from the affembly. Whether he ever received any I know riot. What I do know is, that he never repaid me. There affuredly never exifted a more inde fatigable walker than this chevalier. Every mornings as foon as his paper was drawn up, he went over the town, the fuburbs, through all the public walks, into the clubs and coffee-houfes, and was the firft to give me an account of every interefting occur rence ; and on comparing his reports with* thofe I received from my other Agents, I ufually found them exad. Orte day, in converfing with the ort the troubles pf St. BomihgO, he entered info details, of which I fhould never have con ceived him to have any knowledge. On my exprefilrtg f6me furprife, he told me, that nobody had ai better opportunity thari himfelf of being informed of every circum ftance relating to that colony, as he was intimately acquainted with the miftrefs of the mulatto Raimond, who was agent ofthe mulattos ©f St. Domingo ; that this man T 3 had 4?8 PRIVATE MEMOIRS: had the greateft confidence in her, and alT lowed her to read al A his .papers; that pf cpurfe fhe knew, every particular of his correfpondence with 'Domingo, all which fhe divulged to de Langle, being diffatis- fied with Raimond for not paying her fe. liberally as, fhe expeded. " - , This intelligence was the more interfil ing, as the troubles of the colonies had been o excited, and were at this time kept up by the manoeuvres of a ' party known, by the name of les amis des noirs, at the head of which were Briffot and Con dorcet. It wasalfo known that a confider able contribution had been raifed from the rieheft mulattos of St. Domingo, and fent to Paris : but the precife manner in which this money had been employed had nevei? been afcertained ; and I hoped that this correfpondence would thrpw light upon the fubjed, and furnish powerful arms againft the king's moft dangerous enemies. That confideration alpne was fufficient to make me ardently defire, at any rate, to j: get PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 279 get poffeffion of papers of fuch import ance : but before I expreffed this defire to the chevalier de Langle, I wifhed to be more clearly informed of the particulars of the correfpondence ; and I commiffioned him to ufe all his addrefs to engage Raimond's miftrefs to examine anew thefe papers the firft convenient opportunity,' and to read thofe of the oldeft date with fuch attention as would enable her to repeat the heads of what they contained. This commiffion was fulfilled in a few days, with all the intelligence I could de fire. The chevalier read me a nPte of the woman's didating, by which it appeared, that the firft parcel contained minutes of in- ftrudions and plans fent to St. Domingo in the year 1790 and 1791, for the purpofe pf exciting, conduding, and fuppbrting the infurredion of the negroes; and alfo copies of printed pamphlets and hand-bills, which were to" be diftributed in the colony. T4 The 58o. PRIVATE MEMOIRS. Tbe fecond parcel contained the draught of a plan, and the regifter of a contribution, to be raifed upon the mulattos of St Do mingo, the fum tptal of which amounted to above feven millions of livres. To thefe papers was joined a memorial refpeding the manner in which tbe money was to be employed, Great part of it was to he fent to Paris, to reward the paft, and purchafe new fervices of feveral members of the af* fembly and of the Jacobin clubs, to pay lawyers, writers of pamphlets, and journal- ifts, to defray the expence pf printing pla cards, 6?Cl The third contained a great number qf original letters, addreffed to Raimond by his correfppndents of St. Domingo, and nptes of h^s anfwers. One of the letters announced, that nearly a million had been fent to Paris, " en attendant micux.** And it appeared, by one pf his letters, that Briffot had been entrufted with the fum of 300,000 livres ; Condorcet with* 150,000,; the Ahbe Gregoire 80,000; and Petion 60,000 : PRIVATE MEMOIRS, 2*1 $q4qq.g : but Robefpierre would accept of no money, either for the purpofe Pf diftri- bution or gratification, although he fervecl the caufe with equal zeal. The lady had not had time to -read more : but this was fufficient to augment my eagernefs to have the correfpondence in my own hands ; and I afked the cheva lier if it would be poffible to procure me thefe papers for eight days, upon pretence that a perfon, who was writing a hiftory of the trpubles in St. Domingo, defired to fee them. He faid he was fure the lady would be prevailed upon, by my fending her the fum of a hundred louis, which fhe had the moft preffing occafion for at that time. I was afraid that the giving fuch a fum wouli raife fufpicions in her mind detrimental to the fuccefs of the negotiation ; I therefore defired the chevalier to let her know I would not give ber fo much, but fince fhe was in temporary difficulties, I would ven ture to lend her a thoufand crowns, which fhould be put into her hand at the fame time that fhe (delivered up the papers to the perfon ct-i PRIVATE MEMOIRS. perfon I fhould fend to examine and receive them. She eagerly accepted^ my offer, and fertt me word', : -that f' fhe hoped the affair would be concluded by the end of the week. Ihad alfo promifed a thoufand li vres to the chevalier de Langle if he fuc- ceeded in his negociation ; and he had al ready received part of it, Unluckily, be fore the lady could find an opportunity of taking the papers out of Raimond's clofet, he fet off for Auteuil, in the intention of paffing the fummer there. She flattered herfelf that fhe fhould perfuade him to re turn, and have it in her power to fulfil our agreement; and the chevalier, to whom I had by this time paid up the whole fum, kept me in the* fame hopes : but the cataf- trophe of the iothi of Auguft prevented their being ever realized. It is impoffible to defcribe the chagrin I felt at fhe'urilucky iffue of a fcheme, the fuccefs bf which might have been of fo much confequence' to the king, in the un happy fituation he then was. Two PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 283 Two days after the difmiffion of Rolland, Claviere, and Servan, Dumourier perceived that their friends attributed the difgrace of thefe three minifters entirely to him ; that this idea alienated the majority, of the af fembly from him and from the Jacobins ; he therefore determined to facrifice every appearance of confiftency, and all confider ation for the feelings of his fovereign, in prder to regain his popularity. He muft have been very fenfible that the king never. would fandion the decrees refpeding the camp and the priefts, particularly that which regarded the latter; and although, fb far from combating his majefty's repug nance, he had fupported him in it, and in- ftigated the difmiffion of the three minifters who were for paffing thofe decrees, he now had the bafenefs and effrontery to propofe to his majefty either to fandion thefe very decrees, or receive his refignation. He added, that from the bad effed which the difmiffion of the minifters had produced, his fervices would be1 more prejudicial than ufeful, if thefe decrees were npt. paffed/. It was ,2&4 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. viras in Vain that his majefty rembnftrafed againft this unbecoming condud. Du mourier perfifted, and his refignation was accepted. * I received a letter from the king ort this ©ccafiort, ih which he fays, w Only conceive the ftrartge inconfiftency of this mart ; after having perfuaded me to difmifs thofe three minifters, becaufe they infifted on my fandioning the decrees, he now abandons me for perfifting in the meafure which he himfelf urged." This obfervation was certainly Very juft ; but it is ftill more inconceivable, that in fplte ofthe notoriety ofthe above fads, Du mourier has had the affurance to advance, in his Memoirs, that at "the time ofthe dif- ' miffion of the three minifters, the king had folemnly promifed to him to fandion the decree j and that he had given in his re- figrtation for ho other reafon but becaufe the king changed his mihd two days after, and refufed to fulfil his promife. It may feem extraordinary that a man, who is fo unfaithful in relating what is paft, PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 2$$ paft, fhould have come near to, truth in indicating what was to come. Of this there is, an inftance in a letter -which he wrote to M, de Larofiere, dated 16th December 1,789. I copied; the fplhowing extrad from the original, and' now give it as a curiofity to the public : "¦ Cherbourg, I>ec. 1789. cc * *_ *i *.*.*.* * ' * * * •# * * * # * * *, * *,*.>{*-, *'-• * "Your fon-iii-law told me of your ad venture at Rennes. As I have always found you more- of an ariftocrate than my felf, but particularly in Our laft converfa tion with M-.de Montmorin, I was appre- henfive for your fafety in the prefent cir cumftances, but am glad to hear that you have fo happily extricated yourfelf. a " Remain peaceably at your- eftate tirl- fpring ; then I fear you will have occafion to exert your military talents againft fo reigners. Our liberty will be attacked^by a coalition of kings, and the courtiers will' form a light fquadron, prancing backwards and forwards between the parties. It is then that 286 PRIVATE MEMOIRS". that men like us, diftinguifhed for conduct and talents, will become chiefs of the na tion, to defend its freedom. The king himfelf is with us, and will not abandon the good caufe. Every ftep we take in fupport of liberty will be confidered as legal: " My old friend, never lofe fight of this, left you be led"aftray. The revolution is already accomplifhed, by means, perhaps, reprehenfible, if we ftill adhere to the pre judices which exifted two years ago : but npw we are free, although, perhaps, at the expence of our repofe. Your children will be happier than you. Imprefs that idea on their, minds. Render them proud of their liberty. Render them capable of fup-, porting your reputation under mope pro pitious aufpices ; for we were flaves, and enjoy, by anticipation, their approaching happinefs and glory. "Thefe, my friend, are the new fenti ments to which we muft adhere. Should I find them to deaden in the breafts of my countrymen, I would be the firft to revive 6 them.- PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 2&7 them. This patriotic enthufiafm is far from extinguishing in me the mild fenfa- tions which form my felicity. Friendfhip is the fentiment deareft to my heart ; and under that revered title I falute you very cordially. My refpeds to madame Laro fiere. Affure your children that you have in me a fincere friend. Dumourier," a88 feRttPATE MEMOIRS* CHAP. XXVII. The real motive fof the two decrees.— A Je^ cretq.ry of Condorcet's pays a vifit to M. de Leffart in prifon, and informs him of the. projecls agreed upon in the fecret committee ofthe Jacobins* — M. de Leffart writes an account of this to me. — I fend bis letter to the king. — Petitions againft one of the de crees.- — The attempt ofthe loth of June. — > Proclamation.— ~The good efifecl it produces* —-Decree of the department fufpending Petion.'— -The king forced to pronounce on that decree, and to confirm it.— -The af fembly repeals it. — The. king's fatal fore bodings.— An interefiing converfation with him upon tbe event ofthe loth of June.-*— Plan which I propofed to his majefty.— His motives for not adopting it. I always thought that the decrees con cerning the priefts, and for the camp of 30,000 men, were iffued in the hopes that the PRIVATE MEM.OIRS. 289 the king would refufe his fandion, and that this refufal would naturally lead to art in furredion. The Gironde party flattered themfelves by this means to haftert the exe cution of their plan againft the king and the monarchy. A remarkable letter I re ceived from M. de Leffart, fome days before thofe decrees were iffued, and which I had communicated to the king, cortfirmed me in that opinion. It was in fubftance as follows ; " That a perfon, who had been under great obligations to M. de Leffart before the revolution, and who was then fecretary to Condorcet, paffing through Orleans, had gone to the prifon to vifit his bertefador^ and had a converfation of two hours with him ; that in the courfe of this converfa tion, M. de Leffart having queftioned him concerning the projeds of the Jacobins, the man, either from motives of gratitude, or from the idea that he had nothing to fear from the indifcretion of a prifoner, whofe prpcefs Would probably draw to a great length, immediately gave an account of all Vol. 11. u he 290 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. he knew, on promife of fecrecy. This fecre tary told him, that the prefent objed ofthe fecret committee of Jacobins was to form a plan of infurredion for attacking the Thuil- leries, of the fame kind with that of the jth of Odober 1789, at Verfailles, with a view to pufh the king to abdicate the crown, or to take flight ; that in either of thefe cafes they would name a council of regeney, compofed of the principal chiefs of the Ja cobins ; that if the king efcaped this firft infurredion, without either abdicating or leaving the kingdom, it was their determi nation to find fome pretext for exciting a frefh infurredion, with a view to terrify the national affembly, and force them to pronounce his decheance, and afterwards to pronounce the prince royal king, with a council of regency ; all which was to pave the way to what was the great and ultimate objed of the Gironde party, namely, to eftablifh a republic, which they thought the nation was not prepared for at the prefent moment, but were in hopes that it would gradually be brought to relifh that form of 6 govern- PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 291 government, and at laft be brought to adopt it without a ftruggle." I communicated this letter to the king, and burnt it as foon as he returned it to me, according to M. de Leffart's exprefs defire. His majefty wrote to me, in anfwer, " that fuch might be the fcheme of the Jacobins : but all that he could do was to endeavour to evade their machinations, by remaining faithful to the conftitution *." The opinion manifefte.d irt the capital, upon the difmiffion of the three minifters, was calculated to put an end to all in quietude refpeding the refufal of the fandion. A filence was maintained upon the decree againft the priefts, but two petitions were addreffed to the king and the affem bly, for the revocation of that for the camp of 20,000 men. This decree had greatly alarmed the citizens, and was confidered by * At this time the leaders ofthe Gironde party had great influence with the Jacobins : but they abandoned that fo ciety, on account of its violence, foon after. At the idth of Auguft 1792, they intended the execution of this plan only, but they were forced into a republic, long before the time when they judged it would be expedient, by Danton, Robef pierre, Collot d'Herbois, &c. u 2 the 292 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. the national guards as an infult on their fidelity and courage. One of thefe peti tions was figned by twenty thoufand, the other by eight thoufand citizens, great part of whom were conneded with the national guards. The Jacobins were fen- fible how much this coalition might in jure them, if they allowed it to become more formidable ; they therefore haftened to prevent its confequences, by immedi ately bringing forward the plan alluded to in M. de Leflart's letter, which was put 'In execution by the famous infurredion of the 20th of June, in which the king owed his life to his prefence of mind and cool courage, the queen to the dignity of her manners and appearance, and ma dame Elizabeth to the general refped due to her charader, and the admiration in- fpired by the heroic manner in which fhe- cxpofed her own life to fave the queen's*. * When the mob filled the apartments of the Thuilleries, on the 20th of June, fome wretches infulted madame Eliza beth, taking her for the queen. " Do not undeceive them," faid the generous princefs to her attendants ; *< it will pre vent them from attacking the queen." The PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 293 The crimes of that horrible day are fo well known, that it is unneceffary to repeat them here. Hardly had the populace gone out of the palace, when thofe, even of the loweft clafs, who had taken no part in the infurredion, broke out into invedives againft the authors of it, and admired the condud, courage, and moderation of the * king and the royal family. A proclama tion, extremely well written, was next day publifhed. It was drawn up by M. Terrier -de Monciel, who had juft been named minifter of the home department, and it produced a very good effed, not only in Paris, but in all the different de partments, who fent addreffes to the king ; and the affembly demanding that the au thors of the infurredion might be punished with the utmoft feverity. It was in the j Jacobin club they were to be found. The information received by the department of Paris left no doubt on that point. It evi dently appeared that Petion the mayor, and Manuel procureur de la commune, both Ja cobins, might eafily have prevented or dif- u 3 fipated 294 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. fipated this infurredion : but it was pretty univerfally believed that they had favoured it ; and the whole of their, condud was judged fo reprehenfible, that in fpite of their great popularity the department fuf- pended them from their fundions. This decifion produced a great effed in the ca pital. The majority of citizens approved of it; the royalifts thought it too mode rate ; the Jacobins were enraged, and breathed vengeance. According to the conftitution, the decrees of the department could not be executed until they were con firmed by the king, and afterwards they were to be fubmitted to the legiflative, body, who had authority to repeal or confirm them, whatever had been the king's deci fion. This decree, fufpending the mayor, was of, courfe prefented to the king, who refufed to take any.cognizance of it, giving, for his motive, that as it regarded himfelf. perfonally, he, as well as his council, might be fufpeded of partiality, and there fore he chofe to refer the decree to the prefident of the affembly j at the fame time PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 295 time informing him of his reafons for not pronouncing upon it, and declaring that he relied with confidence on the wifdom of the affembly. The Jacobins, too artful to let flip fuch an opportunity of mortifying the king, and being now more indifferent with regard to the general indignation which they had in a great meafure ap- peafed, prevailed on the affembly to de clare that this condud of his majefty was unconftitutional, becaufe the conftitution had not pointed out any one cafe in which the decrees of the departments fhould not be decided upon by the king, before they fhould be fubmitted to . the national affembly. The decree, therefore, was car ried to the king, who being thus forced to decide, immediately confirmed it : but two days after, this judgment was annulled by the affembly, who repealed the decree bf the department, reinftated Petion in his .office, ahd thus re-eftablifhed with triumph the power of the Jacobins, to the great feandal of many who, though indignant, remained paffive for want of leaders. u 4 The 29S PRIVATE MEMOIRS. The fituation of the king and queen be came daily more difficult and perilous : the execution of the plain mentioned in M. - de Leffart's letter, was now purfued with equal fuccefs and adivity. The king could no longer hope to fecure his fafety by means of force ; for, befides that he was by charader averfe to fuch meafures, he was deprived of every refource of that nature by the difbanding of his guards, the union of the Swifs to the troops of the line, and by the emigration of the /"nobility. All that now remained for him, [jwas to fly from the capital ; but the con-: fequences, ever to be deplored, of the jour ney to Varennes, and the many mortifica tions which attended that event, conneded every em^rprife of that kind with reflect tions fo bitter, that nothing could have in- duced him to liften to, any plan of efcape, . but the moft pofitive affurances that the lives of his family were in danger, and that flight alone could fecure them from the fjoniards of affaffins. I fay, the lives of his family, not his own ; for ever fince the S ' day PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 297 day on which he was ftopped at Varennes, the unhappy prince had been deeply ira- preffed with the idea, that he would be af- faffinated ; that all attempts to elude his deftiny, would have no effed, but that of increafing the danger of his family and friends. Under this melancholy impref fion, he waited for death with a refignation fo calmly heroic, that it might have been miftaken for indifference about life. He frequently read the hiftory of Charles the Firft of England : his chief attention was to endeavour in every ad to avoid whatever might ferve as a pretext for bring ing him to a legal trial. The facrifice of his life feemed to coft him nothing. The honour of the nation was the fole objed of his thought. The idea of being publicly murdered, in the name of the people, fhocked him greatly. He wifhed rather to die by the hands of an affaffin, that his murder might be confidered as the crime of a few individuals, and not a national ad. In 298 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. In a converfation with this unhappy prince on the 21ft of June, I difcovered that his mind was deeply impreffed with the moft dreadful forebodings. To my congratulations en his having efcaped the dangers of the preceding day, his majefty anfwered : " My uneafinefs was entirely on account of the queen and my fifter ; for myfelf I had no folicitude." " But it feems to me," faid I, " that it was chiefly againft your majefty that the infurredion was direded." " I know it very well," anfwered he ; *' I faw that their intention was to affaffinate. me; and I can't conceive why they did not do it: but I fhall not efcape them another day; fo that I am not the more fortunate. It is much the fame whether I am murdered two months fooner or later. " My God !" cried I, " does your ma jefty then really believe that you will be affaffinated ?" " I am convinced pf it," replied he, " I have long expeded it ; and I have made UP PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 299 up my mind to it. Do you think I fear death ?" " No, certainly ; but I wifh to fee your majefty lefs convinced that you are near it, and more difpofed to adopt the vigorous meafures from which alone you can exped fafety." " There may be a poffibility of my efcap- ing ; but ftill there are many chances againft it ; and I am not lucky. I might rifk another attempt if I were alone. Oh! if my wife and children were not with me, it would foon appear that I am not fo weak as is imagined ; but what would be come of them if the meafures you allude to fhould fail ?" " But if your majefty fhould be affaffi- nated, do you think that your family would be in greater fafety ?" ".Yes, I think they would* I hope fo, at leaft ; and, if it fhould happen otherwife, I could not be reproached, with being the caufe. .But what do you think I can do ?'* " I think," anfwered I, " that your ma jefty could now get out of Paris with lefs difficulty 300 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. difficulty than ever ; becaufe the events of yefterday have made it too clear, that your life is not in fafety in the capital." " Oh ! I will not attempt to efcape a fe cond time ; I fuffered too much on the laft occafion." " I am of your majefty's opinion," re plied I, " that you ought not to think of efcaping fecretly at prefent ; but the ge neral indignation which is raifed by the events of yefterday, offer, in my mind, a, very favourable opportunity for your leaving Paris openly, and without oppofi- tion ; not only with the confent of the great majority of the citizens, but even with their approbation. I beg that your majefty will give me leave to take this meafure into confideration, and afterwards to fubmit my ideas to you refpeding the mode of executing it." " You may do fo; but you will find it more difficult than you imagine." One of the incidents of the 20th pf June, which had given moft vexation to the king's friends, was, that the red cap had re mained PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 301 mained on his head for nearly three hours. I took the liberty to beg of his majefty to explain a circumftance feemingly fo incon- v fiftent with the Cool intrepidity remarkable in his condud on that day. His anfwer was as follows : " When the cry of vive la, nation was redoubled with vehemence, and evidently addreffed to me, I loudly faid, that the na tion had not a better friend than myfelf. Upon which a fellow, of a fanguinary afped, with a pike in his hand, and evi dently drunk, forced his way clofe to me through the crowd, and faid rudely enough, ' If you are telling the truth, prove it by putting on the bonnet rouge.' ¦ "I confent," anfwered I, " and diredly the fellow, with one of his companions, advanced, and placed the cap on the top of my hair ; for it was too fmall for my head. I imagined, I don't know why, that their intention was merely to place the cap, and to withdraw it diredly; I thought no more about it; indeed, I was too much ^ngroffed by the fcenes around me, to think of 302 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. of the cap ; and, after I had returned to my own apartment, when one of my at tendants mentioned it, I was aftortifhed to find it on my headyj indeed, I am con vinced I might have taken it off irt the hall without any danger ; but, I am alfo convinced, that if I had oppofed its being placed on my head, the man in liqubr would have plunged his pike into my bowels." M. le Marechal de Mouchy, and M. d'Hervilly, who were prefent, and faw all that paffed, have both related the fame cir^ cumftances in the fame manner ; from which it appears, that if the king could not prevent the infult of the red cap being placed on his head, he cannot be accufed of allowing it to remain there fo long as it did through fear of taking it off. On the 23d of June I fent his majefty a plan, of which I have preferved the fubfe quent note : :" Article Firft. To re-eftablifh the confti tutional guard, artd inform the affembly of it by a letter to the prefident, in which the king fhould, PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 303 -fliould, at the fame time, give notice, that it was his intention to exclude all the officers and foldiers againft whom any ferious ac cufation has been proved, defiring the af-r fembly to fend him a lift of their names. " Second. To give orders, that the three theufand Swifs, which were at Courbe voye, fliall fet off in detachments, confift- ing of five hundred men, and be placed in the principal villages upon the road to Fontainbleau, to attend the king's paffage. " Third. As foon as the guard is re- eftablifhed, which can be done in lefs than three days, as .the pfficers and foldiers are all at Paris, a letter fhould be written to the national affembly, importing, that the king's health, and that of the royal family, requiring the country air, his majefty in tended to pafs a few days at Fontainbleau ; and that he would take neceffary meafures for preventing this journey from obftrud- ing the public bufinefs. That a letter to the fame effed fhould be written to the municipality, and both fent at • the mo ment when their majefties were ftepping into 304 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. into the carriage; fo that their intention might not be known till they had paffed the barriers. No perfon fhould be in their confidence before the inftant in which they fet off: that they fhould go in the fame carriage in which they ufually take their airing; and every preparation avoided which could poffibly raife fufpicion of a projed to efcape. " Fourth. There fhould be only one car riage, and the fame number of guards which ufually accompany the royal family : that orders Should be given for three hun dred, guards on horfeback, to meet the king, two miles from Paris, on the road to Fontainbleau, in order to overawe all who fhould fhew any difpofition to hinder his majefty from continuing his journey: the reft of the conftitutional guards fhould be diftributed at the various pofts where the detachments of the Swifs guards had, ac cording to the fecond article, been previ oufly placed. " Fifth. That an hour after the de parture of the royal family, M. de la Porte, or PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 305 or any other perfon in the king's confi dence, fhould inform thofe domeftics which the king or queen choofe to attend them ; to fet out feparately,. and at convenient in tervals, left too great a number of carriages appearing at the fame time fhould excite the attention and inquietude ofthe people." The king wrote, in anfwer, on the mar gin of my plan : " A departure fo precipitate without preparations, and before informing the af fembly, has too much the appearance of a flight. If I fhould not fet off till the affembly have received my letter, and de liberated upon it, they would pafs to the order of the day ; and, in that interval, an , infurredion would be raifed to flop me. Befides it will be almoft impoffible to exe cute your plan without taking feveral per fons into our confidence. The re-eftablifh- ment of my guard would alfo, in all ap- , pearance, meet with great oppofition." Upon thefe obfervations, I fubmitted to the king another plan, or rather the form of another letter to the affembly; by which vol. 11. x he 3o6 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. he fhould place them between the alterna tives of approving of his departure by a decree, or of rendering themfelves refpon- fible for every attempt which might be made againft his perfon. This new letter was conceived in the following terms : " M. Prefident, " The health of my family, as well as my own, require that we leave Paris. I propofe going to Fontainbleau, and fhall take the neceffary meafures to prevent the journey from retarding public bufi nefs. Neverthelefs, if the affembly is of opinion that I ought not, in the prefent emergency, to go far from Paris, I can de fer my departure for a few days. " I beg you will trarifinit to me the opi nion of the affembly on this fubjed. . I de fire alfo, that you may inform them, that I am occupied with the new formation of my 'conftitutional guard. " I defire that the affembly may fend me the names of the officers or foldiers againft whom there exifts any ferious accufation, fup- PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 307 fupported by proof, that they may be left out of the new eftabljifhinent." At the fame time that I fent this new plan, I remarked to his majefty, that the affembly could not avoid deliberating upon his letter ; and, that if they approved of his Bjajefty's departure, he had no obftaole to apprehend ; but if, on the contrary, they fhould declare that his prefence was necef fary at Paris, they could not difpenfe with ufing every poffible precaution for the fe curity of his perfon, (that they might mot give juft ground for being accufed of hav ing detained the king for no other reafon than in order to have him affaffinated. The king rejeded this fecond plan, by , the following marginal note : " It is undoubtedly neceffary to provide for our fafety ; but even that muft be done with dignity. I find none in the new plan you propofe *." • - * " II faut fans doute s'occuper de la furet all probability, have had a Very different iffue, if, previous to his ar rival, his friends at Paris- had prepared thofe of the national guards, who were at tached to him, for his coming ; if they had made him be accompanied to the af fembly by a part of thofe guards, and had filled the tribunes with the reft; and if, being thus fupported, M. de la payette, at the very firft fentence of Guadet's fpeech, had called him to order, and addreffed the prefident PRIVATEMEMOIRS. 333 prefident in fome fuch terms as the follow ing: " That member, fir, forgets that I fpeak here in the name of an army, faithful to the conftitution, and ready to fhed .their blood in fighting againft its domeftic, as well as its foreign enemies ; and that, on the petition of this army, of which I am the bearer, "it is the inftant bufinefs of the affembly to deliberate ; more efpecially as I was obliged by my foldiers, when I left them, to promife to difpatch a courier to inform them of the decifion' of the affem bly at the end of this very fiance ; and I muft not diffemble, that if your decifion is not conformable to1 the conftitutional de mand which I have now expreffed in their name, I cannot anfwer for the confe quences." M. de la Fayette, however, feems not to have been quite difcouraged by the ill fuc cefs of his embaffy ; for, on the 10th of July, M. de Lally came again to me, with an air of triumph ; and putting a paper into my hands, he faid, " Read what 334 private Memoirs. What I am authorifed to trartfmit to the* king, artd remain afterwards incredu lous if you can." It was a long letter written by M. de la Fayette from his army j irt which he drew a plan (ready, as he faid, for execution) to open the way to the king through his enemies, and to eftablifh hiiri in fafety either at Gompieigne, or irt the north part of France, furrounded by Jii6 conftitutional guards, and by his faith ful army. All this was to be done confti- tutionally. I tranfinitted this letter to the king, who* notwithftanding that his diftruft of M._ de la Fayette was confiderably abated, could never believe that he had it in his power to accomplish the reftoration of the mo narchy* like another Monk ; and, befides* he deemed the plan now propofed but feebly calculated for that purpofe. His majefty, therefore, fent me an obliging, but a negative anfwer, to deliver to M. de Lally, to be by him, tranfinitted to M. de la. Fayette. It was in thefe words : "Let PRIVATE MEMOIRS. jj$ " Let him know that I am fenfible of his attachment in propofing to incur fo much danger ; but it would be imprudent to put fo many fpring's in motion at once. The beft way he can ferve me is to continue to make himfelf a terror to the fadious, by ably performing his duty as a general." 33S PRIVATE MEMOIRS, CHAP. XXIX. A defign formed by Santerre of murdering the queen. — Prevented. — One of my letters to the queen taken from my table by a journalift. — The arrival of the Mar- feillois at Paris. — Meafures propofed to the king on that occafion. — A club efila- blifhed under the name of National Club. — Lieu tali fs troop. — Mayor of Etampes. Notwithstanding his majefty's ap probation of the plan prefented to him from Meffrs. de Montmorin, Malouet, and myfelf, there was no certainty of its full execution ; becaufe the king and queen never could retain a full confidence in any man or fet of men, they were apt to give a certain weight to the opinion of others, however oppofite. The confequence was, that in the different projeds of letters and proclamations, as well as in the meafures we propofed, the king adopted fome part, but Private' memoirs. 337 but added others, which often deftroyed the effed of the whole. Thus, in fpite of all our efforts, new errors daily augmented the dangers which threatened the king and monarchy. We difregarded thofe which were perfonal, however imminent :- our thoughts and wifhes were wholly engroifed by the defire of faving that auguft and unfortunate fa mily, who were too much abandoned ; and it required all the zeal and attachment which animated us, not to be difcouraged by the continual obftacles which the king's indecifion oppofed to the fuccefs of our- meafures. Towards the end of June, or in the be ginning bf July, a man whom I did not know, whofe name was GratnmOnt Carton, and, by his own account, an officer in the Etat Major of the army, came to my houfe betwixt eight and nine o'clock at night; and told me, that he had a fecret of the utmoft importance to communicate, and which concerned the life of the queen ; but, as I Was not acquainted with him, he "VOL. n. z defired, 33§ private memoirs. defired, that, previous to his explaining himfelf, I fhould confult her majefty, to whom, he faid, he had been perfonally known ever fince the 6th of Odober 1789. I wrote next day to the queen, informing her of this converfation; but fuppreffing what related to herfelf, and defiring to know whether this Grammont Carton was a perfon to whom I might liften with con fidence ; and, to fave her trouble, I begged her majefty would return my letter, with a fimple affirmative, or negative, for anfwer. The fame day, about twelve o'clock, my letter was returned, with the following ver bal anfwer from the queen : " Yes, but with caution." Having laid my letter, which had been' thus returned, upon the table, I continued to converfe for half an hour with the perfon who had brought it ; after which, a journalift of my acquaintance entered my apartment. Before he feated himfelf, he threw down fome papers he had in his hand upon my bureau,, and placed his hat above them ; then he explained 6 the PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 33g the occafion of his vifit, which was to beg I would lend him a thoufand livres to enable him to print a new edition of his account of the infurredion of the 20th of June. His ftatement of that event, while it was perfedly exad, put the condud of his majefty in the moft favourable point of view ; and was, by that means, calculated to make a happy impreffion on the minds of the people. I was the more furprifed at this demand, as, immediately after the publication of that paper, he had come and reprefented to me, that it was his intention to publish a fecond edition, to diftribute gratis all over the ca pital and the Fauxbourgs; but that he could not ort account of the prefent diftrefs of his circumftances. On this reprefenta- tion I gave him 300 livres, which was the fum he required. However, on his repre- fenting that his prefent demand was for a third edition, of which a thoufand copies were to be diftributed through all the prin cipal towns of the kingdom ; and that he expeded only the lend of the money, Z 2 which 340 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. which he would repay from the profits of the fale ; I agreed to his demand ; and, having taken up his hat and papers, he re tired. About half an hour after he was gone, I looked for my letter to the queen ; and not finding it, concluded that I had burnt it, as had been my intention. About a fortnight after, one of my brothers came to me, with an air of confternation, and told me, that my correfpondence with the queen was difcovered ; and that one of my letters to her majefty had been found. As: I was convinced that the queen burnt ail my letters which fhe did not fend back tc* me, I had no doubt but that this was a trick in order to difcover, by my uneafi nefs or my tranquillity, whether I really was in correfpondence with her majefty jo» not ; I therefore defired my brother to be quite eafy on the fubjed ; and begged that he would try to find out from what quarter she calumny came. He returned to me next day, and tohf me that one of his friends, whofe inten tions, with regard to me, could not be fuf- peded, PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 341 peded, had affured him, that his informa tion was from one who had feen the letter ; that it confifted of eight or ten lines, in my hand- writing. Still this did not alarm me. I fuppofed it a counterfeit letter, in which my hand-writing was imitated. On the evening of the fame day, the ba ron de Gillier came to me to obtain fome information for madame Elizabeth. I fppke to him of the ftofy which had gone abroad, of my correfpondence with the queen ; and I afked him if he had heard ©fit. " What is more," faid he, " I have read your letter to the queeu." " Read my letter to the queen ? Im poffible !" " I repeat it," faid he. " I read your letter tp the queen. But make yourfelf eafy, for I made it be burnt in my pre fence. In this letter you , afked the queen if you might liften with confidence to a particular perfon, who faid that he was known to her majefty, and had an import ant fecret to communicate to you." z 3 " But 342 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. " But where was that letter ?" faid I. " In the hands of a journalift, who, the laft time he came to fee you, took it, by mif take, from your table, among fome papers of his own." " You have affuredly rendered me a very great fervice," faid I ; " for fome people took pains to affure me, that the perfon who was in poffeffion of that letter intend ed to make me purchafe it at the price of a confiderable fum of money ; which cer tainly was in his power, becaufe, although there was nothing criminal in the letter, yet at this! period, the difcovery of any correfpondence with the queen might have proved fatal to me." The day on which I received the queen's anfwer, M. Grammont returned to me; and upon my telling him that I was now authorifed by her majefty to hear what he had to fay, he affured me he was pofi- tively informed that Santerre had the pro jed to have the queen affaffinated ; that a grenadier of his battalion had engaged to perpetrate the crime, for a confiderable fum PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 343 /Turn of money, a fmall part of which he had already received; that he had confided the fecret to a girl with whom he lived, and whom he would be enabled to marry, by means of the fum he was promifed. The girl, who was a washerwoman, entrufted the fecret to a female friend, who commu nicated it to her own lover, who happened to be the hair-dreffer of M. Grammont Carton, to whom he communicated the fe cret, informing him, at the fame time, that he knew the grenadier in queftion, whofe figure was fuffieiently remarkable, by a large cicatrice in his left cheek ; and that the 14th of July, the day of fhe federation, was the time fixed upon for execution. In fpite ofthe fufpicious channels through which the intelligence came to me,< it was of too ferious a nature to be negleded. I gave information to M. de la Porte, being convinced that he would take every pre caution the circumftance required. At the fame time I ordered the juftice of peace Buob to place a dozen of fpies about the z 4 palace, 344 PRIVATE MEMOIRS, palace, to watch for the grenadier, of whofe figure a defeription was given, with orders, that as foon as they faw him, to give iior tice to the pfficer commanding the neareft poft ofthe guard ; becaufe I was informed, by M. de la Porte, that all the commanders, of guards had received orders tp arreft that fellow. On the 14th of July, M. Grammont went himfelf to the chateau. The grena dier appeared at eight o'clock at night, dreffed in, a plain coat ; and although he was perceived by the fentiqel pf the^?r^ royale, yet he had the addrefs to make his efcape. He had the impudence, however, to return at eleven the fame night, in his uniform, and was taken up at" the bottom, of the flair leading to the queen's apart ments. He was at firft remarked by having feathers in his cap of a colour different from thofe worn by the battalioii then on guard, and afterwards completely diftin guifhed by the cicatrice on his cheek. He was immediately conduded to the guard room. On fearching him, a cutlafs was found PRIVATE MEMOIRS, 345 found concealed in the lining of his coat. The next morning, juft as he* was going to be brought before the judge of peace, he was carried off by a hand of ruffians^ who came to the gates pf the chateau on purpofe to refcue him, I was informed of this event by M» Grammont, whom I perfuaded to make a formal declaration of the above fads before M. Maingept, judge pf the peace in the fedipn of the Thuilleries, and have the fame verified by the teftimony of the ofn% cers who had been on guard at the queen's apartment. , A verbal procefs of the whole was apcordingly made. ^This ad of duty proved fatal to M- Main gept. That refpedable. man was among the vidims of the 10th of Auguft. San terre, who knew that he had drawn up the proces verbal refpeding the grenadier, fent a band of affaffins to his houfe, who, hav^ ing murdered him, feized his papers, and brought them in triumph tp their worthy chief, Two 346 . PRIVATE MEMOIRS. Two days after the ioth, as Gram- mont himfelf has fince informed me, San terre made a defcription of his face and perfon to be polled on the walls, with a promife of a confiderable reward to any who would deliver him to Santerre, dead or alive. This fad may be true : but as I myfelf was obliged to remain concealed, from the I oth of Auguft till I made my efcape out of France, I had no opportunity of in quiring about it. i- The 14th of July was rendered extreme ly critical, [from the following circum ftances. The camp of £0,000 men, de creed by the affembly, was prevented from being eftablifhed, by the king's refufal to fandion the decree. In order to fupply this, the Jacobins had taken meafures for having all the vagabonds they could en gage brought to Paris, under the title of Federes. Amongft thefe was the famous band of banditti known by the name of Marfeillois, who, on the ve«y day of their arrival in Paris, attacked, in the Champs -,A Elifces, PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 347 Elifies, a detachment of the national guards, who were fuppofed moft devoted to the king, and wounded feveral officers and foldiers. Amongft the meafures of fecurity which thefe dangerous bands rendered neceffary, that which ftruck me as the fafeft and moft pradicable was to eftablifh, at a houfe in the Caroufel, oppofite to the Thuilleries, an affembly, under the title of the National Club or Affociatton, where all the officers and foldiers of the national guard that could be depended on, and other citizens, well difpofed to the king and conftitution, might occafionally meet ; and in cafe of any attack on the palace, affemble in arms, for its defence, on the fhorteft notice. Buob, who firft fuggefted this fcheme to me, propofed, at the fame time, to add fix or feven hundred auxiliaries, chofen out of the manufadory of Perier, of which feve ral ofthe principal workmen were zealous royalifts. Thofe alone were to be in the fecret ; and two of them were to go every " morning to the club, and remain the whole day, 34-S PRIVATE MEMOIRS. day, that they might be ready to give no tice for the others to come with their fol lowers as foon as they were required. The pay of thofe principals was to be five livres a day, and that ofthe workmen forty fois on the d^ys they were employed^ and ten when they were not. The real deftination of this force was to be kept fecret from the under-workmen. It was to be given out to them that they were only required to join the national guard, to affift in maintaining order in the capital. They were to wear red caps, and were to be armed with the pikes previoufly depofited in the club-houfe ; and in order to avoid receiving Jacobin fpies, or perfons whofe principles were not known, into this afibr. ciation, none were to be admitted but by a majority of three-fourths of the club. The king approved of the plan, and de* fired me to defray the expence of it, which amounted to one thoufand livres a day, in^ eluding the other expences of the club, namely, the refreshments, which were given at the loweft price poffible, in ordqr to PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 34^- to attrad the greater number of foldiers* The pikes, bonnets rouges, tables, chairs, benches, and other furniture, coft 9000 livres. The eftablifhment was complete in lefs than four days. About this time another affociation of the fame kind was formed for the fame purpofe. It confifted of a number more or lefs confiderable, chofen out of the po pulace, and commanded by one Lieutaut, formerly officer of the guard national of Marfeilles ; a man equally brave and intel ligent, who had aded a principal part in the, infurredion of that city againft the re volution during the firft national affeinbly. I only knew Lieutaut by reputation ; but I had employed one of his aid-de-camps with fuccefs on the day of the fete given to the foldiers of Chateau Vieux on their recall from the gallies *. Befides * The Swifs regiment of Chateau Vieux having joined with the feditious troops at Nancy, againft whom M. de fiouille had been fent, the moft culpable had been con demned "and fent to the gallies at Breft ; but the Jacobins tad influence with the affembly to obtain a decree to annul their 350 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. Befides being courageous, and entirely devoted to the king, he poffeffed the talents of varying his countenance, and changing the found of his voice, fo entirely, that he was not to be known for the fame perfon. By this means he fometimes made himfelf pafs for one of the Marfeillois ; at other times, for a workman in one or other of the fuburbs of Paris, whofe accent and manners he could affume with wonderful fuccefs. Thus, in thofe various charaders, he gained admiffion into all the patriotic meetings, and groups ; difcovered their projeds, and gave me information. As it was to be dreaded that the Jaco bins, ever on the watch, would feize the occafion of the populace returning intoxi cated from the Champ de Mars, where the their condemnation, and fet them at liberty. Not fatisfied with this, they invited the foldiers to Paris, and then pre pared a triumphant entertainment for them in the Champ de Mars. This entertainment was called le Fete de Chateau- Vieux. So different was the treatment which the Jacobins gave to thofe Swifs who had rebelled, from that which they Shewed on the i oth of Auguft to tha Swifs who were faithful to the king and constitution. fete PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 35,1 fete of Chateau Vieux was to be held, to ex cite them to attack the palace, I inftruded this agent to do every thing in his power to prevent this ; for which purpofe I di- reded him to employ about thirty of his moft fober friends to watch over the differ ent groups, admonish them to moderation, entreating them not to difgrace the patri otic fete by ads of tumult and excefs ; and alluring them, that fuch was the wifh of the Jacobins, of Petion, Marat, Robefpierre, &c. &c. I gave him 600 livres to enable him to treat his principal agents with a good fupper, and five livres each, in the name of a patriotic fociety. 1 told him, at the fame time, if his endeavours to main tain order were without effed, and if any danger was to be apprehended for the Chateau ; in that cafe he was to return before the populace left the Champ de Mars, and to give timely notice of the danger by a fignal from a particular part of the Pont Royal that could be remarked at the Pavillion de Flore, at a window, where a man appointed by M. de la Porte was 352 PRIVATE MEMOIRS. Was ftationed to obferve. But fortunately this precaution was unneceffary, as the day paffed with much greater tranquillity than was expeded. I cannot determine whether this is to be attributed to the vigilance of my agents, or to a plan of the Jacobins* who might poffibly have taken meafures to prevent any tumult on this occafiprt, that the Parifians might be accuftomed to fee the populace affemble without dread. The fete of Chateau Vieux, corttrived by the Jacobins to irritate the people againft the king's pretended tyranny, had all thd fuccefs they could wifh. The foldiers who had revolted, and who juftly merited death, were carried in a triumphal car to the Champ de Mars, where the abfurd popu lace, under the guidance of the infamous Cpllot d'Herbois, proclaimed them martyrs ©f liberty, vidirtis of defpotifm ; artd, as fuch, had careffed, and given them mon y, over and above a confiderable Aim raifed by a general contribution. That criminal farce Was but too well cal culated to familiarife the people with the 5 idea PRIVATE MEMOIRS. 353 idea of revolt ; to encourage them in it ; and by this means entirely extinguish the •faint remairts of refped they had ftill re tained for the king and his authority. Buob, whofe zeal was always adive, propofed to me to obliterate the impreffion of this fete by giving another in honour of the Mayor d' Efidmpes, who had juft been maffacred, by a popular infurredion, while difcharging the duties of his place, and who was very generally regretted. I mentioned the propofal to the king, who approved of it, and fuggefted the means of rendering the fete more folemn and ftriking. " Ttti&fete is Very well imagined," faid his majefty ; " and it will have ftill more effed if the motion comes from the fedions or the municipality." Buob undertook to have the motion made in the fedions, and in the Council de la Commune, by means of his adherents, who would reprefent it as the defire of all good citizens; many of whom had already fubfcribed for defraying the expence of the VOL. ii, A A fe^. 354 PRIVATE MEMOIRS,. fete. In reality, the fum of 10,000 livres^ which the king had authorifed me to give, was prepared as the produce of an anony mous fubfcription * of above 200 contri butors. The fete was accordingly voted by the fedions and the municipality of Paris, in fpite of all the manoeuvres of the Jacobins to prevent it. Nothing was omitted to render the celebration fplendid and affed- ing: the hymns and infcriptions were compofed with great judgment, and nume rous pamphlets were diftributed, execrating the plots and crimes of the fadious. But fuch refources only produced a momentary effed. Thofe were but weak meafures to •opppfe againft ferocious monfters, whofe legal extermination was abfohjtely neceffary for the fafety of the king and of the ftato ;. A r 3ss i APPENDIX* — •>..¦• i — No. I. Lettre de Condorcet au Roi. " Du Lundi, 6 Ferrfer. . r " t ASSEMBLEE nationale, fire, m'a ¦*-' charge de Vous faire connoitre qu'elle fe bornoit a demander 1' execution entiere de la loi du 17 Juin, et qu'elle ne mettoit point de difference dans fes depu tations quel que fut le nombre des membres qui les compofoient, elle fent que rien ne doit interrompre les communications entre elle et Vous, et elle veut faire ceffer tout different a cet egard. Le prefident de l'affemblee nationale, Condorcet." a a 2 356 APPENDIX, No. II. No. II. Lettre au Roi. " /^\N a du propofer au roi de ne faire ^-^ aucune mention de la lettre du pre'- fident de l'affemble'e ; je penfe au contraire tres fortement que cette infulte toleree en annonce et en amenera inceffamentune fuite d'autres beaucoup plus graves, et je crois qu'il eft de la plus grande importance que le roi ecrive aujourdhui a. l'affemble'e la lettre dont j'ai l'honneur de lui addreffer le projet ; fi famajefte'1'approuve, elle pourra faire appeller fur le champ les miniftres et leur propofer cette lettre comme fon avis perfonel ; il feroit bon qu'elle fut ecrite de la main du roi, et que mon e'criture ne pa- rut pas. Projet de lettre du Roi a Vafifcmblee. " Meffieurs, " La nation, en me reconnoiffant pour fon, roi m'a confie le depot de fa dig- nite infeparable de la couronne ; il n'eft aucune APPENDIX, No. II. 357 aucune circonftance ou je puiffe y renoncer ; je vous renvoye la lettre que M. le Pre'fi- dent ma fait remettre hier par un huiffier; la conftitution a fixe la forme de la corref- pondance de l'affemble'e nationale avec le roi ; je ne dois recevoir* et je ne recevrai d'elle que des meffages ou des decrets, m'en rapportant au furplus pour les egards qui me font dus aux fentimens que le peuple Francais atoujours montres pour fon roi." a A 3 358 APPENDIX, No. Ill, No. Ill, Lettre au Rot, ** vir aete fort queftion au comite' d'hier- A au foir de la maifon civile du roi ; on a deja forme un projet de lifte compofe de trente perfonnes ; la difcuffion fur le plan de la maifon civile eft renvoyee au comite de Mardi ; on doit cpnfulter l'ancien alma nac de Verfaillls et celui de la cour de Lbndres. , » " Comine je n'ai d'autre defir a cet e'gard, que celui de prefenter au roi un plan, et des perfonnes qui lui conviennertt, j'ofe fup- plier fa majefte de vouloir bien me faire connoitre fes intentions; je ne negligerai rien pour les faire prevaloir au comite' fans laiffer foupconner le moins de monde que le roi m'ait donne' cette marque de confiance, que je n'ambitionne que pour pouvoir don ner a fa majefte' une nouvelle preuve de mon refped et de mori devouement fan* bornes," APPENDIX, No. IV. 359 No. IV. Lettre de M. de Leffart au Roi. " TE me fuis rendu ce foir entre io et ii heures chez le miftiftre de la juftice, comme j 'avois eu l'honneur d'en prcvenir le roi, j'y ai trouve' non feulement M. de Bertrand et M. Tarbe, mais auffi M. Ca hier de Gerville. Prefque auffitot eft ar rive M. de la Fayette que le Garde des Sceaux avoit deja vu dans la journee. M. de Ja Fayette nous a dit qu'il auroit fou- haite' pouvoir concilier les miniftres, que cela lui avoit toujours paru tres difficile, attendu l'oppofition fubfiftante entre M. de Narbonne et M. de Bertrand ; mais qu'au- jourdhui au point ou les chofes etoient portees, il ne pouvoit plus s'en meler ; il s'eft fonde fur la publicite' donnee aux lettres des ge'neraux, et furtout a la re'ponfe que lui avoit faite M. de Narbonne ; et il a declare qu'il n'avoit aucune part a cette A A 4 publicite j 360 ' APPENDIX, No. IV. publicite ; qu'il n'y avoit point donne fon confentement, et qu'il n'en avoit ete' in- ftruit que par la ledure meme du journal. Apres cette explication qui a e'te'froide et courte, il s'eft retire, " A peine etoit il forti que M. Cahier a fait eclater fon indignation de la conduite de M. de Narbonnt ; il la caraderifee de la maniere la plus forte ; et il a fini par dire, qu'il ne falloit abfolument pas qu'il remit le pied au confeil; mais en meme tems il a dit qiie, ne fe diffimulant point l'effet que pourroit produire le renvoi de M. de Nar bonne, il ne voyoit d'autre maniere de temperer cet effet, que la demiffion volon- taire mais fimultane'e de M. de Bertrand. " M. de Bertrand a obferve' que fa fitua tion ne lui permettoit pas de donner fa de miffion dans le moment aduel ; il a dit qu'il la donneroit volontiers apres l'epoque du 15 Mars : que c'avoit toujours ete fon deffein, et qu'on y pouvoit compter. " M. le Garde des Sceaux a appuye' M. de Bertrand et a dit que, ce feroit compro- mettre la dignite du roi, et la confide'ra- 6 tion APPENDIX, No. IV. 361 tion du miniftere, que de ce'der dans une pareille cireonftance. " M. Cahier a infifte avec beaucoup de force ; il s'eft fonde fur la difpofition adu- elle des efprits, fur l'interet de la chofe publique, fur celui du roi ; il a ete, forte ment feconde par M. Tarbe, de maniere que, M. de Bertrand a cru. devoir condefcendre a offrir fa demiffion auffitot que le roi au- roitrepondu aux obfervations de raffemblee nationale ; mais M. Cahier a infifte de nouveau, et il a declare que fi M. de Ber trand ne donnoit pas fa demiffion immedi- atement apres que le roi auroit demande celle de M. de Narbonne, il fe croiroit, lui Cahier, oblige' de donner la fienne des ce matin. " J'avois pris jufque la. peu de part a ¦ cette difcuffion, e'tant au fonds pleinement de l'avis de M. de Gerville ; mais croyant devoir des menagemens a. la fituation vrai- ment cruelle de M. de Bertrand, ne'anmoins voyant que les chofes e'toient tres avance'es, j'ai obferve' a. M. de Bertrand que, puifqu'il • e'toit determine' au facrifice, il falloit le faire 36% APPENDIX, No. IV. faire 'd'une maniere qui fut profitable au roi et a. la chofe publique ; et qu'il me pa- roiffoit tres utile qu'il donnat fa demiffion dans la journe'e, afin de heutralifer en quelque forte le renvoi de M. de Narbonne. " M, le Garde des Sceaux, qui avoit ete' tres frappe de Ia refolution tres prononcee • de M. de Gerville, *de quitter fur le champ, fi M. de Bertrand ne quittoit pas le mi- niftere le meme jour que M. de Nar bonne ; M. le Garde des Sce'aux, dis-je, s'eft range au meme avis. M. de Bertrand y a confenti, et nous avons redige en commun la lettre qu'il doit e'crire au roi et la re- portfe que nous propoferpns a fa majefte de lui faire. " Cette longue et importante difcuffion s'eft pafiee fans la moindre aigreur, fans au- cun autre inferet que celui du roi et de la chofe publique, et avec les formes et les ex preffions qui conviennent a des gens qui s'eftiment reciproquement, " Je dois obferver que dans la reponfe qui fera propofee art roi pour M. de Ber» trand, fa majefte exige qu'il continue fes ' fondiona APPENDIX, Nd. IV. 36$ fbndionsjufqu'a ce qu'elle lui ait donne un fucceffeur. A I'e'gard de M. de Narbonne, nous avons penfe que rien n'e'toit plus preffant que de le remplacer, et qu'il feroit effcntiel que fon fucceffeur put de> Ce foir prendre feance au confeil. Ce fucceffeur, je dois le dire au roi, nous a paru devoir Stre le chevalier de Graves ; et nous nous fommes d'autant plus attache's a cette idee, qu' apres avoir bien cherche^ nous n'en avons trouve' aucun autre. En confe quence M. le Garde des Sceaux, qui l'a- yoit a tout evenement fonde vaguement hier dans la journe'e, eft alle' chez lui a une heure de matin, mais il n'etoit pas encore rentre. M. le Garde des Sceaux a laiffe un billet a fa porte pour le prier de paffer a la chancellerie de bonne heure afin de s'affurer qu'il accepteroit dans le cas ou le roi jetterpit les yeux fur lui. " Nous avons auffi penfe' qu'il feroit ne-* ceffaire, avant tout, que le roi fit venir les trois generaux, pour les empecher de don« ner leur de'miffion : chofe a laquelle on ne manquera pas de les exciter par tous les nioyens. 364 APPENDIX, No. IV. moyens poffibles. Les bonnes raifons ne manqu eront pas au roi ; et il eft certain que ce feroit de leur part, manquer a tous les devoirs, et meme. a. leur ferment, que de vouloir quitter dans une conjondure pa- reille. Neanmoins comme rien n'eft plus effentiel, le roi jugera peut-etre qu'il fe roit tres utile que la reine affiftat a cet en- tretien, afin de re'unir tous les genres d'in- terets et tous les motifs. " II y aura auffi quelques precautions a prendre relativement a la garde foldee ; car on ne peut pas fe diffimuler qu'il feroit pof fible que les malveillans cherchaffent a. pro- fiter de cette circonftance pour exciter du trouble. On dit que M. de Boiffieu n'eft pas a Paris. Qui eft-ce qui le remplace? Ne pourroit-on pas le faire venir ? " Tous ces details feront portes au roi dans la matinee par le Garde des Sceaux ; il a paru convenable que ce fut lui de pre ference qui traitat cette affaire, comme l'an- cien, et en quelque forte le chef du confeil. " Le roi pourroit faire venir enfuite M. de Gerville, auquel fa majefte diroit qu'elle adopte APPENDIX, No. IV. 365 adopte en tout fon avis ; et auquel elle demanderoit de retarder un peu l'e'poque a laquelle il veut definitivement quitter le miniftere. Cette epoque eft le 25 de ce mois, et il feroit a de'firer qu'elle fut dif- fere'e, ne fut-ce que de huit jours. II fera bien bon que la reine mele fes invita tions a celles du roi : le fucces en fera plus affure'. - -- " Enfin le roi . et la reine devront de -grands temoignages d'interet et de bonte a M. de Bertrand injuftement facrifie, et qui en cedant a; la ne'ceffite' des circonftances, donne au roi une des plus grandes preuves d'attachement qu'il foit poffible de luioffrir: c'eft un homme de merite, et qu'il ne faut pas regarder comme entierement perdu pour le fervice du roi. " Je firiirai en obfervant que la faute de M. de Narbonne eft fi evidente et fi grave, qu'il eft effentiel de la faifir, fi le roi en effet ne prefere pas de lui' abandonner fa confiance : majs alors il n'y a pas lin mo ment aperdre. Toute explicatioq feroit fu- perflue, et manqueroit de dignite, et il y au- roit 366 APPENDIX, No.lV. roit d'autant plus d'inconvenient a. laiffef venir ce foir M. de Narbonne au confeil^ qu'il ne manqueroit pas d'apporter un pro jet de difcours tres patriotique du roi a. l'af femble'e nationale, et qu'il diroit le lender main s'il etoit renvoye, que c'eft a eaufe de ce difcours qu'il eft tombe dans la difgrace du roi. " Je preuds la liberte de rappejlcr au roi. les trois generaux ; il' me femble qu'il faut tacher de les voir enfemble, et de les voir s'il eft ..poffible, avant qu'ils ayent ete circonvenus. Le roi pourroit fe difpenfer de leur faire part de fa refolution ; il fuffiroit en parlantde leurs lettres de leur demander fi en effet, ayant jure d'etre fideles a la nation et au roi, ils ne veulent fervir qu'autant que M. de Nar bonne feroit miniftre ; et le roi pourroit les affurer que* fuppofe qu'il fit quelque changement a. cet egard, fon choix ne tomberoit que fur un homme diftingue par" fon patriotifme et fes talens. " Vendredi, g heurs du matin." APPENDIX, No.V. 36f No.V. Lettre au Roi. M f e fupplie le roi de vouloir bien me reri- voyer les obfervations qui ont dului etre pre'fentees contre moi, par les com- miffaries deputes a la fandion, et auxquelles il eft important de repondre le plut&t poffible. " Les miniftres ont ete' affembles hier en comite' jufqu'a trois heures apres minuit, a. I'oceafion des lettres que M. de Narbonne a fait imprimer dans les journaux. Cette conduite, auffi lache que criminelle, les a tous revoke's; ils doivent propofer ce ma tin a. votre majefte le renvoi de M. de Narbonne, qu'aucun de nous ne peut plus voir ; mais comme la femme dangereufe qui le gouverne pourroit profiter de 1'etat de crife ou nous fommes, pour provoquer une infurredion contre le chateau, fous 5 pretexts 368 APPENDIX, No. V. pretexte qu'on renvoye un miniftre patri- ote, parce qu'il a de'nonce un miniftre arif- tocrate, j'ai penfe que mon attachement fans borne a la perfonne du roi me faifoit un devoir de lui offrir ma demiffion auffi- tot que la retraite de M. de Narbonne feroit determine'e. Je n'en refterai pas moiiis in- violablement de'voue au fervice de votre majefte', et mon unique ambition fera tou- jours d'etre a porte'e de lui donner les preuves les plus effentielles du profond refped, et de tous, les fentimens qui m'at- tachent a fa perfonne. " Ce 9 Mars." APPENDIX, No. VI. 369 No. VI. Lettre du Roi a Vaffemblee nationale, a I'oc* cafton des obfervations qiielle avoit adref- sees le 8 Mars a S. M. contre le miniftre de la marine. " Meffieurs, " Paris, le io Mars 1792. " t'ai examine les obfervations que le zele et la follicitude de l'affemble'e na tionale font portee a m'adreffer fur la con duite du miniftre de la marine ; je recevrai toujours avec plaifir les communications qu'elle croira utile d'entretenir avec moi. Les obfervations qui m'ont ete remifes de la part de l'affemble'e me paroiffent abfo- lument conformes aux de'nonciations fur leiquelles elle avoit declare' n'y avoir lieu de deliberer*. Je m'e'tois fait rendre compte alors des reponfes que M. Bertrand avoit prefente'es contre les diffe'rens griefs, et j'a- vois porte le meme jugement que l'affem ble'e. Depuis, aucune plainte fonde'e ne vol. 11. b B s'eft 370 APPENDIX, No. VI. s'eft fait entendre relativement aux dif- ferentes parties de fon adminiftration, et tout ce qui me revient de la part des co lons, du commerce, et des gens de mer, me prefente des temoignages de fon zele et de l'utilite de fes fervices ; enfin aucune viola tion de la loi ne lui etant reprochee, je croirois manquer a la juftice de lui retirer ma confiance ; au refte les miniftres favent bien que le feul moyen de l'obtenir et de la conferver, eft de faire executer les loix avec energie et avec fidelite. (Signe) LOUIS, et plus bas M. S. F. DupoutA APPENDIX, No. VII. 37! No. VII. Extrait du Mercure Frangais du Samedi, 4 Fevrier 1792. " Paris, 25 Janvier 1794. " xrous rendre's compte furement, mon- * fieur, de l'odieufe attaque dont le miniftre aduel de la marine eft l'objet. Ses difcours a l'affemble'e, l'evidence de fes moyens juftificatifs, de'concertent un in ftant fes ennemis, et ne les laffent-pas. Je vous de'clare que c'eft fa faute ; et que fi l'on pouvoit s'indigner de la patience et de la moderation d'un homme honnete et loyal, tel que M. Bertrand, je 1'appelle- rois un homme foible. Je lui reprocherois amerement fes menagemens pour des fiommes auffi mechants qu'audacieux, et qu'il ne tenoit qu'a lui de de'mafquer aux yeux de l'affemblee. M. Bertrand a. tegn, j'en fuis certain, les pieces que je vous B B 3 enyoye. 37? APPENDIX, No. VII. envoye. II eft notoire a Breft, que M. de Marigny, commandant de la marine, en a pbtenu la communication de la municipa- lite', et j'ai confronte moi-meme les copies qui m'ont ete adreffe'es, avec celles qui font au bureau de Ia marine. Ainfi je vous en garantis 1'authenticite'. Quelle eft done la raifon qui peut juftifier le filence de M. Bertrand fur cette atrocite' des Sieurs Cave lier et Malqffisf — Un miniftre qui a la preuve des intrigues de club, des provoca tions incendiaires de deux de'pute's, n'ofe pas publier de tels faits ! Et il efpere t'chapper ainfi a de nouvelles perfidies ! Non, il n'y a jamais de compofition a faire avec les medians; ce n'eft pas gene'rofite ; e'eft foibleffe que de leur pardonner ; et tout eftimable qu'eft M. Bertrand, je fuis fachc pour lui, qu'on ait a oppofer a. fa re putation de fermete, de tels me'nagements pour M. M. Cavelier et Malaffis, &c" Extrait APPENDIX, No. VII. 373 Extrait de la lettre e'crite au club de Breft, par les Sieurs Cavelier et Malaffis, de putes a Vafifemblee nationale, et arrivee h Brefi le Vendredi 1 1 De'cembre. " Quant a l'evenement du Sieur Lajaille; malgre que nous prenions inte'ret a. lui, l'in- figne ariftocrate ne l'a que trop me'rite ; ne foye's point inquiet fur fon arreftation, il eft en furete en prifon, il en fortira quand il pourra. Nous ignorons fous quelle cou- leur le rife Marigny aura peint cette cor- redion au Sieur Bertrand; nous fommes e'tonnes que ce dernier n'en ait pas encore rendu compte a raffemblee ; mais nous avons remis les pieces au prefident, et nous attendons 1 'impofteur de pied ferme. Vous ave's raifon de l'accufer, de le denoncer ; nous verrons comment il fe lavera d'avoir dit qu' il ne manquoit aucun officier de la marine dans les ports. Quant au com- mandement qu'il donne au Sieur Lajaille Klerec et autres contre-revolutionnaires, nous ne pouvons malheureufement aller contre ; mais dans peu vous verres cam- B B 3 ment 374 APPENDIX, No. VII. ntent nous les traiterons, et comment nous dejouerons leurs infames complots. Nousi de'teftons les Bertrand, les Marigny ; l'un quitte fa place, parcequ'il voit que vous decouvre's toutes fes menees ; s'il eut e'te a la derniere feance, il eut entendu bien faire fes e'loges : l'autre veut la garder pour mieux fervir les projets de fes complices. Veilles, veille's, il eft un coup funefte com bine, qui, du fein de la capitale, s'etend fur les frontieres, meme au dek du Rhin. Tene's bon plutot que de ceder ; nous pe-' rirons avant vous." Extrait dune autre lettre des memes Deputes, en date du 5 Novtmbre 1791. "Les emigre's redouhjent d'efforts ; les pretres non-affermente's les fecondent dt leur mieux ; tous les ennemis de la patrie fe reuniffent pour confpirer fa perte. Nous verrons dans quatre mois fi les Francais font dignes de la liberte. On ne peut plus fe le diffimuler, il y aura une crife, elle eft ne- ceffaire, elle eft meme de'firable. Nous ne ferons tranquilles, que lorfque nous aurons ex- termine APPENDIX, No. VII. 375 t termine les parjures, les traitres que nous avons epargnes trop long-terns. Paffeun cer tain tems la prudence eft une foibleffe, la pa tience nefi plus de faifon, et la generofite eft une extravagance.''' BB 4 376 APPENDIX, No. VIII. No. VIII. Note fur quelques infurreSiions qui fe font manifeftees a bord des bd- timens de I'Etat, & des Juris qui ont ete tenus a Cette occafion, Juillet 1790*. L'Alcefte, commandee par M. de Beaurepaire t en fia tion dans les mers du Levant. LE nomme Pifard, cuifinier du capitaine, infulte gravement un officier. M. de Beaurepaire le chaffe de fon fervice & veut le faire debarquer. L'e'quipage fe fouleve, prend les armes, injurie le capitaine, & s'oppofe au debarquement de Pifard ; il exige meme qu'on lui donne un certificat de fidelite'. Quelque temps apres, M. de Beaurepaire chaffe un kirlanguich qui paroiffoit fufped ; plufieurs hommes de l'e'quipage fe perrnet- tent d'ordonner la manoeuvre. Le kirlan guich APPENDIX, No. VIII. 377 guich^fe fauve a Saint-Nicolas, il exhibe fes patentes qui font reconnues valables ; l'e'quipage veut couler bas le kirlanguich, et, fans refpeder l'afyle du pavilion, il de mande la mort de deux officiers de ce bati- ment,, et d'un autre, qui s'e'toient rendus a bord de VAlcefie. Prece'demment, dans une relache a Paros, ils s'e'toient permis des exces de tout genre contre les habitans de cette ile. Point de punition. La Capricieufe, commandee par M. ' de Boube'e, a Rochefort. Decembre"' 1 790, & Janvier 1791. M. de Boube'e defcendu a. terre, apprend qu'il fe tient des propos facheux fur la con duite, et que fon e'quipage a le projet de le livrer au peuple. Le prctexte du me'con- tentement eft que cet officier n'a pas voulu recevoir devant la Martinique, un canot portant pavilion national, tandis qu'il en avoit recu deux envoyes avec ce meme pa vilion, par M. de Damas, et que fon chef lui avoit fait depuis le fignal de ne pas com- 378 APPENDIX, No. VIII. eommuniquer avec la terre. M. de Bqmbee, par ordre de M. de Vaudreuil, fe rend a. bord, il y refte un jour: de nouveaux avis l'engagent a quitter Ia fregate ; il veut par- tir, l'e'quipage s'y oppofe, le force a. re- monter dans fa chambre, le fouille, fait une vifite generale, et met un garde a fa porte. Le commandant du port lui ordonne les arrets : la municipalite vient le prendre a bord et le conduire a l'amiral. Juri d'accufation contre l'e'quipage no- tamment contre cinq hommes qui avoient excite le defordre. Ils font decharges d'ac cufation. Sur la plainte d'un pilotin embarque fur la Capricieufe, juri, confeil martial pour juger M. de Boube'e. Cet officier eft e'gale- ment decharge d'accufation. Avril 1 79 1. Le Bricq la Levrette, commande par M. De- niau, Sous-lieutenant a la Martinique. Auguftin Haman,maitre d'e'quipage, don ne a fouper a quelques amis ; il prie le capitaine de lui envoyer deux bouteilles de vin, APPENDIX, No. VIII. 379 * Vin, on les lui donne ; apres fouper il veut reconduire les convives, M. Deuiau s'y . oppofe. Le maitre infifte. Sur de nou veaux refus, il vomit des injures atroces accbmpagnees de menaces ; le capitaine donne ordre de mettre Haman aux fers; l'e'quipage prend parti pour celui-ci : on le debarque le lendemain par ordre du ge neral. Point de juri. Aout 1 79 1. La Flute le Dromadaire, commandee par • M. Sebire de Beauchene, Lieutenant de vaifieau a Rochefort. Les volontaires embarque's a bord de cette flute, demandent qu'un de leurs cama- rades dont la conduite meritoit les plus vife reproches, foit defarme. Ce vceu eft pro- nonce par la prefque totalite de l'e'quipage. Le capitaine d'armes et le maitre d'equi- page excitent une fermentation confider able, pour que le volontaire ne foit pas de- barque. Le batiment eft oblige de rentrer dans le port. 380 APPENDIX, No. VIII. Juri, dont le refultat eft de declarer , les accufe's decharges d'accufation. Aout 1 79 1. La Gabarre la Lionne, commandee par M. Jaubert, Sous-lieutenant de vaiffeau a Rochefort.Une chaloupe eft arretee par les matelots de la gabarre, fous le pretexte que cette embarcation eft chargee de contrebande ; on fe refufe a. I'ordre de la relacher donne par le capitaine. Le Sieur Piechaud, maitre pilote, excite le tumulte, et l'infurredion fe manifefte. L'e'quipage dreffe proc£s-verbal et veut le porter a la municipalite'. Ordre du capitaine de ne laiffer defcendre perfonne a. terre : au mepris de cet ordre, les deputes iiommes par l'e'quipage fe rendent a la mu nicipalite'. Le capitaine ordonne a Pie chaud de fe rendre aux arrets il de'fobe'it. Juri, confeil de juftice. Le maitre pilote eft de'charge d'accufation. Aout APPENDIX, No. VIII. 381 Aout 1 79 1. La Frigate Ia Galathe'e, commandee par M. de Cambis, Major de vaiffeau en rade a Breft.Un officier ordonne l'exercice de la ma noeuvre, les gabiers de'fobeiffent ; douze hommes de l'e'quipage fe montrent les plus infubordonnes et les plus fe'ditieux ; le commandant du port donne ordre de les faire de'barquer. Le maitre de l'equipage demande a defcendre a. terre, et, fur le refus qui lui en eft fait, il fe permet des re flexions deplacees ; on le de'barque. Re prefentations de la part du club ; on n'y accede pas. Point de juri, L'Embufcade. L'Affemble'e Nationale eft inform e'e que l'equipage de cette fre'gate a contraint le capitaine et l'e'tat-major a la ramener en France, & qu'elle eft encore dans le port de Rochefort. Le club de Bordeaux vient recemment d'envoyer des emiffaires pour 3 engager 3&2 A P P E N D I X, No. VIII. engager les membres de la fociete de Ro chefort a s'oppofer au rembarquement du capitaine et de l'e'tat major : auffi ces of- ficiers, bien convaincus qu'ils oppoferoient vainement leur courage a 1'afcendant du club fur l'efprit des matelots, n'ont pas meme tente cette lutte inegale, & fe font retires. On ne parle point des infurredions a bord des batimens ftationnes aux Antilles, parce qu'on ne feroit pas en etat d'en pro- ¦duire les„details ; mais on ne peut les re- voquer en doute. Un depute extraordinaire de la Guade loupe, qui vient d'arriver a Paris, a an- nonce qu'il etoit porteur de lettres origi nates par lefquelles des membres de dif- fe'rens clubs excitoient les equipages a la revoke. Odobre 1791. La Frigate la ,Fidelle, commandee par M. de Rofily, Major de vaiffeau a Breft. Des matelots font convaincus d'avoir vole de l'etamine a pavilion ; on en trouve des APPENDIX, No. VIII. 3%3 des morceaux dans leurs coffres et dans leurs facs. Juri. Tous font de'charges d'accufation. Extrait fommaire des Comptes fuccefiivement rendus de plufieurs infurrections qui fe font • manifeftees dans les Ports. BREST, 26 JUILLET I789. M. le Large, diredeur du port, eprouve une fcene defagreable de la part de la populace, fous le pre'texte qu'il a tenu des propos indifcrets qu'il defavoue. Cet offi- cier eft oblige de quitter Breft, Efcadre de Brefi, commandee par M. d Albert. 1790. Septembre. Le code pe'nal eft lu a bord du vaiffeau VEntrepreriant, et rejete. Infurredion a bord du vaiffeau le Tour- ville, fans motif. L'e'quipage du vaiffeau la Ferme ne veut pas partir, fans avoir recU de nouvelles avancesi Des billets anonymes circulent dans 384 APPENDIX, No. VIII. dans toute l'efcadre pour exciter les equi pages a faire la meme demande. Un matelot du vaiffeau le Leopard tient les propos les plus fe'ditieux a. bord du vaiffeau le Patrhte, & infulte M. Huan, major de ce vaiffeau. M. d' Albert ayant demande fi cet homme e'toit ivre, le ren- voie attendre la fin de fon ivreffe. Fer mentation parmi l'e'quipage. Le patron de canot fe rend chez M. d' Albert, et lui annonce d'uu ton abfolu que le matelot ne doit pas etre puni, & qu'on ne fouffrira pas qu'il le foit : le tumulte augmente. M. d'Entrecafteaux quitte fon vaiffeau. M. d' Albert fe rend a. bord du P at riot e, et cherche en vain a. ramener l'e'quipage. En defcendant a terre, il eft infulte, on crie au patron de faire chavirer fon canot. Un grand nombre de foldats et matelots du Majefiueux s'emparent de la chaloupe ; ils defcendent a. terre, apres avoir refufe' de faire l'exercice de la manoeuvre. A bord du vaiffeau VApollon, on fait la motion de jetter trois officiers a la mer. .> MM, APPENDIX, No. VIII. 385 MM. Hedor, d'Albert, de Marigny, d'Entrecafteaux, et Huon, font" rrtarides a l'hotel-de-ville pour lire publiquement leur correfpondance. On leur demande des copies de leurs lettres, et une atteftation qui certifie que l'arrivee du vaiffeau le Leopard n'avoit pas caufe' d'infurredion en ville. Odobre. Les commiffaires du Roi font mal recus par l'equipage du Majefiueux ; leur fe'ance eft longue, tumultuefe et inutile. On de mande a grands cris le renvoi du general et du capitaine du vaiffeau. Les commiffaires ne croient pas pouvoir, fans fe compromet- tre, aller a bord des autres vaiffeaux de l'efcadre. L'equipagedu vaiffeau la Ferme demande le debarquement de M. du Clefmeur, ma jor, et fur le refus qui lui eft fait, il exige du capitaine la promeffe que cet officier ne fera aucun fervice a bord. Un matelot de la Bellone frappe un offi cier : l'e'quipage ne veut pas fouffrir qu'il foit puni fuivant la loi, et demande a le vol. 11. c c pun-ir 386 APPENDIX, No. VIII. punir lui-meme. Ce matelot eft de'barque, ce qui, dans la circonftance, etoit plut6t une faveur qu'une punition. M. d' Albert donne fa de'miffion. Efcadre de Brefi, fous le Commandement de M. de Souillac. Odobre 1790. Xe plus mauvais efprit regne parmi les e'quipages ; ils infultent grievement tous les ©fficiers qui vont en rade. Infurredion a bord du Jupiter relative ment aux.vivres. Le detachement de Poitou, en garnifon fur la Reunion, veut exiger qu'on lui donne en avance du vin ; il veut forcer la cam- bufe : on s'y oppofe. Les foldats tiennent les plus mauvais propos fur le lieutenant charge' du detail et fur le commis, et de- mandent que celui- ci foit de'barque. Sur la corvette la Perdrix, des matelots s'emparent de la chaloupe, et vont porter plainte contre le capitaine de ce qu'il ne veut pas debarquer un homme qui deplait a l'equipage. ¦Un A P P E N D I Xt No. VIII. 387 Un officier du vaiffeau V America eft gravement infulte. L'e'quipage de I'Augufte erivoie uhe depu tation a MM. les commiffaires du Roi* pour fe plaindre de ce qu'on ne leur don- noit pas affez de legumes. Les commif faires fe tranfportent a bord ; ils menacent Un homme de le faire debarquer : celui- ci interpelle l'e'quipage et fe met fous fa pro- tedion. Tous s'ecrient qu'ils ne fouffriront pas qu'on le debarque : on eft force de laiffer cette infurredion inipUnie. A bord du meme vaiffeau, & forts 1& meme pretexte du manque de legumes, on avoit injurie deUx officiers* on leUr avoit porte le poing au vifage : on prend encore le parti de fupporter ces infultes. L'e'quipage du vaiffeau YAugufie chaffe^ de fa propre autorite, un maitre d'e'quipage^ et fe refufe a le recevoir. M. de Terraflbn, major de vaiffeau, eft 6galement renvoye par les g_ens de Y Ame rica. A bord du Majcfiueux, un cambufier qui avoit battu un foldat, eft mis aux fers. c c 2 Deux APPENDIX, No. VIII. Deux cents, hommes, prefque tous novices matelots, brifent les fers de ce cambufier. Novembre. Une deputation des marins et foldats emV barque's fur l'efcadre, viennent lire a M. de Souillac, une adrefle a I'Affemblee Na tionale, laquelle contertoit des injures contre les officiers de la marine. Les foldats embarques fur V America, difent au commandant qu'ils font affez gros et grands pour favoir ce qu'ils ont a faire, et qu'ils ne demanderont plus la permiffion d'aller a. terre : effedivement, depuis cette annonce, ils vont a terre fans permiffion. Le maitre d'e'quipage du Majefiueux ayant voulii s'oppofer au tumulte qui avoit lieu fur le gaillard d'avant, eft collete' par un matelot : celui-ci eft mis aux fers. Plu- fieurs hommes etant venus pour le mettre en liberte. M. de Marailles, lieutenant de vaiffeau, accourt ; le prifonnier s'elance fur cet officier, qui fe recule et met le fabre a la main ; un matelot arme d'une buche, veut le frapper par derriere ; il dft arrete par i;-. -. un AP P E N D I X A No. VIII. 389 un officier, la garde eft appele'e, les deux matelots coupables font mis aux fers. Efcadre commandee par M. de Bougain ville. Novembre 1790. Un matelot du vaiffeau le Duguai-Trouin fe fait donner du vin a l'aide d'un billet contrefait du lieutenant en pied ; on le fait mettre aux fers. L'e'quipage brife les fers, et s'oppofe a ce que cet homme foit envoys en prifon. • •¦¦ Infurredion a bord du Temeraire, de f 'America et de la Surveillante. L'equi page de V America brife les fers d'un mate- lot quA avoit ete condamne a. cette puni- tion, et les jette a. la mer. 'Dix-fept mutins de ce vaiffeau font de'barque's. Une punition infligee a un matelot du Jupiter, excite une enieute generate a bord de ce vaiffeau ; l'equipage vouloit s'emparer des embarcations, et venir a. terre. c c 3 Decembre. 39® APPENDIX, No, VIIL Decembre. La difette de v'm oblige de donner aux equipages le dejeuner en eau-de-vie : quel- ques-uns la refufent, d'autres la prennent avec des murmures : on punit les plus mu? tins ; l'infurredion eft plus forte a. la ca- ferne d?s matelots que dans la rade. Janvier 1791. Un matelot frappe violemment un maitre d'equipage, et lui demet le bras : le confeil de juftice condamne le coupable a la ealle, Mai. ML de la Porte-Vezins, alors, command-^ ant de la Marine, eft affailli chez lui par yne troupe de foldats armes qui le confti-? tuent prifpnnier dans fa maifon, en placant des fentinelles inte'rieures et exte'rieures, pour empecher a la fois qu'il ne forte* et qu'aucun officier ne communique du dehors- avec lui. Le APPENDIX, No. VIII. 391 Le motif de cette fcene de revoke eft d'obtenir, au profit de la troupe, le paye- ment des fommes qu'elle reclamoit. Ce commandant eft contraint d'en donner I'ordre. Apres cet ade de violence, M. de la Porte-Vezins fentant que fon autorite' et fa perfonne font compromifes, demande et obtient la permiffion de quitter le com- mandement. Au mois de Septembre 1 790, M. de Ma- rigni, major-general, avoit ete grievement infulte, et on avoit plant e une potence de- vant fa porte, fans qu' aucun fujet de plainte, aucun pretexte, euffent paru donner lieu a un auffi fanglant outrage, TOULON. Affaire de M. d Albert. 1" De'cembre 1 789. Le 30 Novembre, M. d' Albert renvoya de l'arfenal deux maitres de manoeuvre non-entretenus,qui avoient donne des fujets de mecontentement, c c 4 Le 3$i APPENDIX, No. VIII. Le Iendemain icr Decembre, on vint an- noncer a ce commandant, qui etoit dans le port, qu'une deputation du Confeil perma nent et de la Municipalite demandoit a lui parler, foit chez lui, foit a. la porte de l'ar- fenal, foit a l'hotel de ville. M- d'Albert fe rendit chez lui, entoure d'une populace nombreufe qui l'injurioit et fe difppfoit a l'attaquer. Rendus a l'hotel du com mandant, les confuls demanderent la grace des deux hommes qui avoient ete' renvoyes la veille, et l'obtinrent a. force d'inftances. Pendant ce temps, deux detachemens de cinquante eanonniers-matelots e'toient en bataille fur la place d'armes ; M. d'Albert confentit a. les faire rentrer dans les ca- fernes, fur l'affurance que les confuls lui donnerent que la milice nationale contien- droit le peuple. Cependant la foule aug- mentoit a. tout moment, on jetoit des pierres aux fenetres, tout annon^oit la plus viplente effervefcence. En vain M. d'Al bert demanda la proclamation de la loi martiale, la Municipalite s'y refufa. Le tumulte alloit toujours croiffantj M. de Bon- APPENDIX, No. VIII. 393 Bonneval fut bleffe' a la main et a la tete ; M. de Saint- Julien, qui avoit de'ja ete' in fulte et defarme, fut affailli fur la place, renverfe' par terre, bleffe' de plufieurs coups ; il alloit perdre la vie, lorfqu'un of ficier de la garde nationale et un volontaire l'arracherent a fes affaffins. M. d'Albert fortit alors de l'hotel, accompagne' de quel ques officiers, pour le degager; et fans avoir employe la force, ni meme la. me nace, ils rentrerent avec M. de. Saint- Julien. , , L'attroupement fembloit alor,sfe diffiper; mais au moment ou tout parpiffoit rentrer dans I'ordre, un certain nombre de volon- taires ayant penetre dans l'hotel, deman- derent a. grands- cris qu'on leur livrat M. de Broves, fous le pretexte qu'il avoit or- donne le raffembleme'nt des canonniers- matelots. On fut oblige de leur abandon- ner pet officier. Bientot apres(ils,.enfon- cerent les portes, et voulurent s'emparer de M. de Villages ; enfin ils fe faifirent de M. d'Albert, et apres lui avoir arrache' fon e'pe'e, 394 APPENDIX, No. VIII. epe'e, apres avoir fait' la meme infulte h. MM. de Bonneval et de Villages, on les traina aux prifons du palais a. travers les huees et les infultes de la populace. M. d'Albert recut deux bleffiires, et fut mis au cachot avec les compagnohs de fon in- fortune. Le peuple, dont la rage n' etoit pas en core affouvie, chercha M. Gautier, di- redeur des conftrudions, pour le conduite e'galement darts les prifons; mais cet of ficier qui avoit couru les plus grands dan gers, fut affez heureux pour s'echapper. Huit jours apres, M. de Caftellet qui avoit ete bleffe' le premier Decembre, et M. d'Albert qui aVoit eu plufieurs acces de fievre, fe rendirent a l'hopital : le peuple s'affembla tumultueufement, on les fit fortir de leur lit, ils furent obliges de traverfer la ville en robe de chambre, foutenus l'un et l'autre par des volontaires, et on les refi- ferraplus etrpitement dans leur prifon. Affaire APPENDIX, No. VIII. 395 Affaire de M. le Commandeur de Glandeves. Mai 1790. Le 3 Mai, un nombreux attroupement fe porta chez M. le commandeur de Glan deves i on lui fit quelques demandes aux- quelles il acceda ; on affeda de ne pas ajoiiter foi a fes reponfes, et on I'entraina avec violence a l'hotel de ville. Pendant le trajet, cet officier general fut fans ceffe menace de perdre la vie. M. de Cholet, lieutenant de vaiffeau, re^ut trois coups de fabre et deux de baybnnette, et courut les plus grands dangers. M. d'Archimbaud, eleve de Ia Marine, voulanf donner du fer coiirs au commandant, fut affailli par une troupe de forcene's, et fut heureufement fauVe par une femme qui le fit entrer chez elle. Le peuple fe porta dans les auberges pu fe trouvoient quelques officiers, avec le projet de les egorger tous. x M. le commandeur de Glandeves fut detenu vingt-quatre heures a l'hotej de yille. 2 Affaire 396 APPENDIX, Nb. VIII. Affaire de M. de Caftellet. *a Aout 1^790. M. de Caftellet, pblige de fuir apres l'evenement du t" De'cembre 1789, s'e'toit retire a. Nice ; il defira de retourner avec surete' dans fa terre de Dardennes, a une lieue de Toulon. La Municipalite de cette ville irtvita cet officier general a rentrer dans fes foyers, en l'affurant d'une entiere prptedion. M. de Caftellet fe rendit a Toulon, et y preta le ferment civique. A peine etoit-il rendu chezM. le commandeur de Glandeves, que les ouvriers fortirent de Parfenal et annoncerent qu'ils en vouloient a M. de Caftellet. Cet officier fortit fur le champ de la ville a. pied, accompagne dp deux officiers et de deux volontaires de Ia garde , nationale, et fe voyant pourfuivi, il entra avec fes compagnons dans une au- berge, et s'y refugia dans un grenier. Les malfaiteurs arriverent ; ils trouvcrent bien- tpt M. dp Caftellet? et malgre la prefence du maire, ils entrainerent cet officier ge- ne'ral, ils le trainerent fur le chemin dans- la APPENDIX, No. Vin. 397 la pouffiere, apres lui avoir vole' tout ce qu'i lavoit fur lui. Cet infortune alloit etre vidime de la fureur du peuple, lorfque deux grenadiers du regiment de Barrois, paffant par hafard et fans armes, prirent M. de Caftellet fur leurs e'paules, et le porterent crible' de bleffures & mourant, a l'hopital de la Charite. Deux de ces affaffins condamne's aux galeres, ont ete mis en liberte' d'apres- le vccude l'amniftie. ROCHEFORT. Dans les premiers mois de 1790, M, Macarty-Madeigne, major-general, fut af failli chez lui par deux mille ouvriers armes, fous pre'texte que c'e'toit lui qui s'oppofoit a ce que la cloche du port fonnat les jours de pluie. II fe pre'fenta a eux, et parvint d'abord, par fa contenance ferme, a en im- pofer a ces revoke's, et a faire tomber les armes de leurs mains ; mais la Municipalite inftruite particulierement que cet officier devoit etre affaffine' pendant la nuit fui- vante, 398 APPENDI X, No. VIII. vante, le pr£vint fecretement, et facilita elle-meme fa fortie de la ville. II eft a obferver que M. Macarty-Mac- teigne avoit toujours e'te' cheri et refpede a. Rochefort ; ce qui eft prouve meme par la premiere impreffion que fa prefence et fes difcours avoient produite fur l'efprit des revokes. II eft done bien prouve' qu'ils etoient excites par des fuggeftions fe- cretes. APPENDIX, No. IX. 399 No. IX. Lettre du roi a Vaffemblee nationale, rela tivement au pretendu Comite1 Autrichien. " Le 20 Mai 1792. " t'ai ordonne, M. le Prefident, au mi-' niftre de la juftice de faire part a. l'af femble'e nationale de I'ordre qu'il vient d'a- dreffer de ma part a. l'accufateur public au fujet du pre'tendu comite' Autrichien. II importe au bien de l'etat que cette affaire foit parfaitement eclaircie. Je penfe que l'affemble'e nationale ordonnera de commtf-' niquer au tribunal les renfeignemens que plufieurs de fes membres ont dit avoir fur cette affaire, elle fentira aife'ment l'incon-v venance qu'il y a de recueillir de pareilles denonciations, de n'en laiffer percer que ce qui peut entretenir les foupcons dans le public, et le danger de me laiffer ignorer les autres. (Signe7) LOUIS." 400 APPEND! X, No. X. No. X. Expose de la conduite du marquis de Bouille, redige par lui-meme pour etre remis au roi. « TE n'avoit jamais cru, qu'il fut necef- faire de juftifier ma conduite a. l'occa- fion du depart fecret du roi pour Mont- medy, et de l'arreftation de S. M. a Va rennes. Entoure d' officiers qui en ont ete tempins, dont plufieurs officiers gene'raux et autres tres-diftingues ont fuivi mon fort en quittant le royaume lors de ce fatal evenement ; ils ont pu et du me juger, et ils n'ont laiffe aucun nuage fur mes inten tions, fur mes demarches, ni fur les caufes du malheur qui m'a enveloppe' avec la fa- mille royale. Si j'ai toujours penfe avec douleur a la cataftrophe de Varennes, j'ai cm ne'ceflaire d'en garder le filence ; et fur- tout inutile d'accufer des perfonnes qui en ont fait manquer la re'uffite, / par l'inexecu- 6 tion APPENDIX, No. X. 4or tion des ordres que je leurs avois donne's, par leur imprudence, et par leur peu de prevoyance, mais, dont les intentions etoient pures, et la bonne yolonte bien- connue. Cependant, depuis que je fais qu'on a cherche a me donner des torts, a me ca- lomnier, et a. me rendre refponfable du non fucces de cette entreprife ; je crois devoir, quoiqu'a. regret, eclairer les perfonnes pour les quelles j'ai du employer tous mes moy- ens ; pour les quelles j'ai tout facrifie, tout ofe' ; pour les quelles enfin j'ai fait tout ce qu'un homme peut faire, dans la feule vue de remplir mes devoirs, et de meriter leur eftime que je prefere a leurs bienfaits, aux quels je renonce pour jamais. " Le roi fait que des le commencement de lare'volution,je voulois quitter laFrance, et fervir des puiffances e'trangeres qui m^of- froient du fervice. II eut la bonte, vers le mois de Fevrieir de l'anne'e 1 790, de m'en- _gager a refter a. fon fervice et a. preter mon ferment, m' affurant que je pouvois lui etre utile. J'executai fes ordres ; et j'eus I'honneur de lui ecrire, que je lui faifois le VOL. II. D D ' plus 4oa APPENDIX, No.X. plus grand facrifice qu'un homme put faire, celui de mes principes et de mes opinions, dans la feule vue de lui prouver mon zele. Au moins de Juillet de la meme annee, toutes les troupes que jecolnmandoisrque j'avois jufqu'alors confervees dans I'ordre et dans la difcipline, ayant fuivi l'exemple du refte de f armee, et s'etant livre'es a tous les exce's du defordre et de la revoke; au point queje fus mis en joue a> Metz par des foldats du re'gi- ment de Salm Salro, et livre a. leur fureur pendant plus de deux heures ; je jugeai que je ne pouvois plus rertdre aucun fervice au roi, ni a la chofepublique j je demandai mon, conge, qui me fut accorde. J'allois partir, et fervir en Ruffie, ou je defirois trouver des occafions d'acquerir de la gloire, quand f infurredion de Nancy furvint, et quand le fils du miniftre de la guerre, Monfieur de Gouverrtey, arriva a Metz, et m'engagea a faire exe'cuter les ordres du roi et le de'cret de Faffemblee, contre la garnifon et le peuple de Nancy revokes. Quelque deli cate que fut cette commiffion, je fufpendis encore une fois mon depart, dans l'efpoir de APPENDIX, No. X. 403 de fervir le roi et ma malheureufe patrie. Apres cet evenement, qui reuffit mieux que je ne pouvois le prefumer, il fut queftion du depart du roi ; et leurs majefte's favent tout ce qui s'eft paffe, jufqu'au moment ou ce projet fut execute, je propofai un raffem- blement des meilleurs regiments en camp fous Montmedi, ce qui fut adopte. II eft vrai que pendant l'hyver et le printems, on m'ota mes meilleurs re'gimens, tels que les Carabiniers, Vigier Suiffe, Royal Lie'geois, qu'on en eloigna d'autres, tels que le regi ment de Saxe Huffard, Royal Normandie Cavalerie, que je comptois employer a pro- te'ger le de'part du roi : ce qui me con- traignlt a en employer d'autres moins bons. Je propofai au roi de fortir par la Flandre Autrichienne, ce qui etoit plus court et plus facile ; et de venir a Montmedi par les Ar dennes. II s'y refufa. Je propofai la route de Rheims par Stenay a Montmedi, comme la plus courte, la plus facile, la plus aife'e a couvrir : on m'objedala crainte que la fa- mille royale ne fut reconnue a Rheims. Enfin, j'indiquai celle de Chalons et de D d 2 Varennes, 404 APPENDIX, No. X. , Varennes, quoique fujette a. des inconve'ni- ens parcequ'il falloit paffer par plufieurs villes, parcequ'il n'y avois pas de pofte eta- blie dans cette derniere ville. Je propofai de ne p'as placer de de'tachemens pour pro- teger la marche du roi, en craignant les in- conveniens. On me dit qu'on en vouloit ; je n'infiftai pas. " Le lieu ou le roi devoit arriver et la route qu'il devoit fuivre, convenus ; je pro pofai au roi de la faire reconnoitre par M. de Goguelas, officier de l'etat major, que je favois lui etre particulierement attache, et d'employer M. de N , qui avoit fon regiment a porte'e, pour faire preparer les relais neceffaires. Le roi y confentit, et il me permit de les mettre dans la confidence. Les reconnoiffances fakes, ainfi que les dif pofitions projettees pour l'emplacement des troupes, et pour leur raffemblement a Mont medi ; j'envoya M. de N a. Paris, pour les communiquer au roi, et pour pren dre fes ordres. M. de N revint, et m'apporta 1' approbation de leurs majefte's. J'envoyai encore M. de Goguelas aupres d'elles, APPENDIX, No. X. 405 d'eiles, pour leur donner une explication plus de'taille'e de fa reconnoiffance et des difpofitions. Je revins peu de jours avant le de'part du roi, qui avoit ete fixe au 19 Juin, et M. de Goguelas me joignit a Montmedi. " J'avois remis a Metz a. M. de N les ordres du roi, pour les de'tachemens que je devois placer a Pont-de-Sommevelle et a St. Menehoult, et il s'e'toit charge* de dif- pofer le relai a Varennes : il avoit du en confequence, donner les inftrudions a un capitaine de fon re'giment. J'avois donne a M, de Damas ceux pour les deux efcar drons qui devoient etre places a. Clermont. M. de N repartit pour Paris, dans l'intention de devancer le roi de quelques heures, de l'attendre a Pont-de-Sommevelle, de prendre le commandement des de'tache mens jufqu'a Clermont, ou M. de Damas devoit fe rcunir a lui, et efcorter la famille royale jufqu'a Stenay, ou je devois etre. Je donnai des ordres pour les difpofitions des de'tachemens, et pour le mouvement des troupes qui devoient fe raffembler a Mont- D d 3 medi 406 APPENDIX, No. X. medi au nombre de 9 bataillons et 26 efca-? drons : l'artillerie y etoit deja. place'e, ainfi- que les effets de campement, et les ap* provifionnemens etpient faits. " M. de Goguelas me quitta a. Stenay le 16 ou le 17, le fur lendemain du jour ou je regus une lettre du roi qui m'annoncok qu'au lieu de partir le 19, il avoit remis fon depart au 20 de Juin, ce qui me contraria et m'obligea de changer les ordres des troupes qui les avoient deja recus. . J'avois, prdohne a M. de; Goguelas d'aller a. Pont- de-Sommevelle avec un detachement de 40 huffards qui devoient y attendre le rpi et l'efcorter. Je lui remis les ordres du roi pour les de'tachemens de Varennes et de Dun : M. de N- — — — , qui devoit l'y join- dre avoit ceux pour les autres, qui tous n'avoient pour objet dans le principe que l'efcorte d'uri convoi d'argent ; ceux pour efcort er le roi, ne devam leur etre dpnne's, que par M M. de N- et de Gogue las au moment ou ils feroient inftruits de fon arrivee par un de fes courriers. Ce dernier devoit done attendre le roi a Pont- de- APPENDIX, No. X. 407 de-Sommevelle, tenir deux relais entre cet endroit et Stenay, afin de pouvoir inftruire plus promptement les commandants de de tachement de l'arrivee du roi avec M. de N- II devoit placer le relai pour le roi qui etoit a Varennes, de maniere qu'il put le trouver en arrivant dans cette ville : et enfin, m'inftruire de bonne heure, foit de fon arrivee prochaine, afin de tout preparer pour le recevoir, ou de fon arreftation : ou m'avertir s'il n'e'toit pas parti, devant en etre inftruit par un courrier qui avoit du etre laifle a Bondy et en partir a quatre heures du matin ft le roi n'avoit pas paffe. Je convins avec lui que je refterois toute la nuit jufqu'a la pointe du jour, entre Stenay et Dun ; qu'il y auroit un detachement de Royal Allemand qui y feroit place' pour ef- corter le roi jufqu'a Montmedi, tandis que le refte de ce regiment refteroit a Stenay pret a monter a cheval. Je lui reccm-? mandai d'attendre le roi jufqu'a la nuit et le plus tard qu'il pourroit, et de me faire avertir a tems des evenemens. II fut en 0 D 4 meme 408 APPENDIX, No. X. meme tems convenu avec lui, ainfi qu'il l'avoit e'te avec M. de N , que fi le roi ne voiiloit pas etre reconnu, les de'- tachements le fuivroient de loin et fe ren- droient a. Varennes : que celui de Pont-de- Sommevelle refteroit a. la croifiere des che- mins de Clermont et de Varennes pendant 1 8 ou 19 heures pour arreter tous les cour- riers.- — Tels etoient les ordres donne's, les precautions prifes et convenues ; et que perfonne n'ofera me nier. " J'arrivai le 20 a. Stenay ; et le 21 au matin je confiai aux officiers ge'neraux, M M. d'Offlize, de Klinglin, et Heymann, le de'part du roi ; je le confiai e'galement aux chefs de corps. Je fis partir pour Mouza, village fitue entre Stenay et Dun, le detachement de 50 hommes de Royal Allemand, pour efcorter le roi ; et j'or- donnai a. ce regiment de fe tenir pret a, monter a cheval, a la petite pointe dujour. J'avois fait tous les preparatifs pour tracer le camp de Montmedi, et les troupes de voient arriver fucceffivement le 21, le 22, et le APPENDIX, No. X. 409 le 23. J'avois dans le plus grand fecret fait acheter la viande, et preparer le pain ne'ceflaire. " J'eus la precaution, le foir du 21, d'envoyer deux officiers a Varennes, dont l'un etoit un de mes fils, pour veiller fur lc relai du roi, et m'avertir : j 'ordonnai a M. de Klinglin de retourner a Montmedi, afin de tout preparer pour recevoir le roi, et a M. Heymann d'aller fur la Sauve pour y re- unir deux regiments d'Huffards et les con- duire au camp de Montme'di. Quant a moi, a la nuit je montai a cheval, et je me plagal aupres de Dun ou je reftai jufqu'a la pointe du jour, ayant eu la pre'caution de me faire fuivre dun attelage de chevaux de voiture pour fervir a. celle du roi. Le jour paroif- fant, et n'ayant pas de nouvelles, je rega- gnai Stenay, afin d'etre a porte'e de donner des ordres a M. de Klinglin et au regiment de Royal Allemand, s'il e'toit arrive' un ac cident au roi, au quel je puffe re'me'dier. J'e'tois a la porte de Stenay un peu avant quatre heures du matin, quand les deux of ficiers que j'avois envoyes a Varennes, et 4io APPENDIX, No.X. (ce qui metonna beaucoup) le commandant du detachement d'huffards qui y etoit place, vinrent m'avertir que la famille royale e'toit arretee a Varennes. Je parus egalement etonne d'avoir e'te averti auffi tard : je m'informai de ce qui avoit donne' lieu a cet evenement. On me dit feule ment que les troupes, foit a Varennes ou a. Clermont, et dans les autres poftes, n'avoient pas fait leur devoir, et qu'elles etoient gagne'es. Je jugeai queje devois m'affurer du regiment Royal Allemand qui etoit ma principale force, et me mettre a fa tete pour delivrer le roi, et que je devois proteger fa marche a Montme'di, contre la ville de Stenay, qui etoit mauvaife, et contre Se'- dan, qui e'toit plus dangereux par les dif pofitions du peuple tres nombreux de cette ville, et celles de la garnifon ou il y avoit un tres mauvais regiment. En confequence, je donnai ordre au regiment Royal Alle mand de monter promptement a. cheval, a M. de Klinglin de marcher a. Stenay, et d'y refter avec deux efcadrons des chaffeurs de Champagne, et d'envoyer un bataillon de Naffau APPENDIX, No.X. 4I1 Naffau a Dun, pour garder le paffage fur la Meufe : en meme tems, de faire avancer a tire-d'aile le regiment Suiffe de Caftella, fur Montmedi. J'ordonnai enfin a un de tachement d'huffards qui e'toit a Dun, et a celui de Royal Allemand qui e'toit a. Mouza de fe porter fur le champ fur Va rennes. Le premier de ces de'tachemens n'attendit pas mes ordres, et partit des qu'il fut l'arreftation du roi. Ces ordres donnes, j'attendis le re'giment Royal Allemand, qui fut une mortelle heure avant que de fortir de la ville, quoi que j'euffe ordonne qu'il fut pret a monter a cheval a la pointe du jour. Ce fut en vain que j'envoyai mon fils ckiq pu fix fois au commandant ppur le preffer, et encore une fois, je ne pouvois rien entre- prendre fans ce re'giment, du quel il fal loit m'affurer; et j'avoue que je n'avois confiance qu'en moi pour l'enlever. Des qu'il fut hors de la ville, j'annoncai aux ca valiers que le roi e'toit arrete' ; je leur'lus I'ordre de fa majefte' qui enjoignoit aux troupes de l'efcorter et de tout employer pour fa furete et celle de fa famille. Je les trouvai 4i2 APPENDIX, No. X, trouvai dans les meilleures difpofitions ; je leur diftribuai trois ou quatre cent lonis, et je me mis en marche a Ia tete de ce re'gi ment. II y a huit tres grandes lieues de Stenay a Varennes, et un chemin de mon- tagnes tres difficile. Je voyois avec regret qu'on m'eut averti auffi tard : je pouvois. 1'etre deux heures plutot fi on n'eut pas per du un inftant a m'envoyer quelqu'un de Varennes des que le roi y e'toit arrive ; j'e'- tois egalement fache de la lenteur, que le regiment Royal Allemand avoit mife a monter a. che val ; et je regrettois d'avoir perdu deux heures et demie ": non que je craigniffe de ne plus trouver la famille royale a. Varennes, ne pouvant imaginer que la municipalite de cette ville ofat forcer le roi a partir pour Paris, et fuppofant qu'au moins, on auroit execute I'ordre que j'avois donne de ne laiffer paffer aucun cour rier fur la route apres le paffage du roi. Toute mon inquie'tude portoit fur les ob ftacles que la lenteur du fecours que je con- duifois au roi augmenteroit foit pourle de liver, fpit pour fa furete' dans fon retour ; et APPENDIX, No. X. 413 et chaque quart d'heure de perdu les mul- tiplioit ainfi que les dangers. Je fis done le plus de diligence poffible. Je rencontrai a. quelque diftance de Varennes, le detache ment de Royal Allemand que j'avois fait partir d'avance, arrete dans un bois par des gardes nationales qui les fufilloient. Je les fis dilperfer, et je me mis a. la tete de ce de tachement, fuivi a peu de diftance du refte du regiment. J'arrivai a. neuf heures un quart aupres de Varennes, et je reconnoiffois l'endroit pour le faire attaquer des que le re'giment feroit arrive', quand je vis un de'- tachement des huffards de Lauzun qui etoit en dehors de la ville dont le com mandant M. Deflong vint a moi, et m'an- nonca que le roi etoit parti depuis une heure et demie. II en e'toit alors neuf et demie, je fus rejoindfe le re'giment Royal Alle mand et M. d'Ofnize, qui etoit a fa tete. Ja propofai de paffer outre. M. Deflong, qui avoit e'te' dans Varennes, et qui avoit parle' au roi, me dit que le pont etoit. em- barraffe', meme rompu, qu'il avoit voulu ' paffer la riviere, mais, qu'il n' avoit pu. trou- ver 4t4 APPENDIX, No. X. ver de gue'. On m'objeda a la tete du re giment que la garnifon de Verdun marchoit fur nous, que nous pouvions tout au plus, faire 4 lieues encore, ce qui e'toit infuffifant pour joindre le roi : le re'giment en avoit, deja fait pres de neuf tres vite, et je ne vis aucune volonte d'aller plus loin, ce qui \6- ritablement devenoit inutile. Je ramenai done Royal Allemand a Stenay, d'ou je partis pour Luxembourg avec les officiers generaux et plufieurs officiers particuliers au moment ou on de'liberoit pour nous ar- reter : I'ordre en etoit meme deja. donne fur la frontiere ou nous paffames de force, en effuyant quelques coups de fufil. " Je demande fi on peut m'imputer d'au- cune maniere, d'avoir e'te caufe de ce mal- heureux e'venement ; s'il a de'pendu de moi, de reme'dier a tous les torts qu'ont eu les perfonnes employees a l'exe'cution de ce projet ; dont aucune, on peut le dire, ex- cepte' M. de Damas, qui eft venu de fa per fonne a Varennes, fa troupe ayant refufe de le fuivre, n'a fait fon devoir- et n'a execute mes ordres. J'ignore pourquoi M. de 8 Goguelas APPENDIX, No. X. 415 Goguelas et M. de N porteurs des ordres du roi, charges de l'execution des miens, et de toutes les difpofitions; n'ont pas attendu le roi a Pont-de Sommevelle : pourquoi ayant quitte ce pofte d'ou de- pendoit le fucces, ils n'ont pas fuivi, ou l'un d'eux au moins, la grande route que devoit prendre le roi : pourquoi arrives a Varennes peu de tems apres le roi, au lieu de perorer la municipalite et la garde na tionale, et de demander aux huffardss'ils etoient pour le roi ou pour la nation, ils ne font pas tombes fur la populace qui etoit alors en petit nombre et ne font pas diffipee : pourquoi ils ne m'ont pas fait avertir fur le champ, devant calculer qu'il falloit * au moins trois heures a un courrier pour faire les huit grandes lieues de Varennes a. Stenay, une demie heure pour preparer le regiment Royal Allemand et fortir de Stenay; et quatres heures et demie ou cinq heures pour le conduire a Varennes, ce qui employoit huit heures et demie. Si on eut fait partir quelqu'un pour m' avertir des onze heures et demie : j'arrivois a fept heures 4i& APPENDIX, No. X. heures et demie ou huit heures, et je pou vois fauver le roi. Pourquoi encore, ne pas prendre les mefures qui avoient e'te' or- donnees pour arreter a St. Menehoult les courriers de Paris, et l'aide de camp de M. de la Fayette qui ont decide le depart du roi de Varennes. Pourquoi, s'ils n'ont pu le delivrer, n'ont ils pas pris tous les moyens pourrempecher.de partir, et il y en avoit mille.' Je dis -toutes ces chofes a. regret,.- et uaiquement parcequ'on m'a affure qu'ils avoient rejette' fur moi les evenemens de cette jpurnee, e't que pour s'excufer ils avoient dit au rqi, que je devois arriver et que j'arriverois pour le fauver. Mais, il falloit que jefuffe averti .a tems, il falloit que j'euffe avec moi des forces fuffifantes pour forcer tous les obftacles. Pouvois-je laiffer le regiment Royal, Allemand dans Stenay ou il pouvoit etre enferme par les gardes nationales et le peuple comme les dragons font e'te' a St. Menehoult et a Clermont? Ne devois-je pas m'affurer de ce re'giment fans le quel je ne pouvois efperer de de- livrer le roi, e'tant informe' qu'il y avoit un i peuple APPENDIX, No. X. 417 peuple immenfe deja raffemble' a Varennes, que les dragons de Clermont avoient refufe de marcher, que les huffards de Varennes etoient mal difpofe's ? Ne devois -je pas prendre des precautions pour affurer la marche du roi de Varennes a. Montmedi contre la ville de Stenay et celle de Sedan ? Et fi on m'eut fait dire qu'il falloit arriver filr le champ fans perdre un moment, avec pe que j'avois dans la main: moi feul, je ferois parti a. l'inftant, et j'aurois neglige' toutes les precautions que j'ai cru indifp en- fable de prendre. Mais, je demandai des nouvelles de M. de Goguelas de M. de N ¦¦ — . A peine put on m'en donner, et je n'en entendis pas parler. " Je crois que fi on veut examiner avec impartialite ma conduite, que je rougis d'etre oblige' de juftifier, on verra que mes difpofitions ont e'te exadement ordonne'es et'que j'ai e'te le feul a ma place. Le re tard qu'on m'accufe d'avoir mis a conduire -le fecours au roi ne peut etre impute' qu'a. ceux qui m'ont fait avertir de fa fituation. De'cide a tout tenter pour le fauver, il m'e'- VOL. 11. e e toit 418 APPENDIX, No. X. toit trop important d'arriver avec des forces fuffifantes pour le delivrer le plutot poffible, chaque inftant de perdu, multipliant les dif- ficulte's et les dangers. " On a ete jufqu'a me reprocher la lettre que j'ai e'crite a l'affemble'e, dide'e, a-t-on dit, par un efprit de fanfaronhade. Dans un moment de fureur et de vengeance, je n'ai eu d' autre objet que de de'toufner celle du peuple qui etoit de'rigee contre le roi et la reine. A-t-on pU s'y meprendre ? Euffe'-je e'te', fans cela, affez in confe'quent pour me mettre dans le eas de faire confifquer mes biens, de me faire profcrire, moi et les miens ; de faire mettre ma tete a prix ; de me faire pourfuivre par les poignards ; fi je n'avois eu le deffein de fauver le roi?" END O? THE SECOND VOLUME. " -1 3 9002 00968 9721