History of the Girondists, Volume I

History of the Girondists,
Volume I, by

Alphonse de Lamartine This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere
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give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg
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Title: History of the Girondists, Volume I Personal Memoirs of the
Patriots of the French Revolution
Author: Alphonse de Lamartine
Translator: H. T. Ryde
Release Date: April 1, 2006 [EBook #18094]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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[Illustration: Portrait of Robespierre]

HISTORY
OF
THE GIRONDISTS;
OR
Personal Memoirs of the Patriots
OF
THE FRENCH REVOLUTION.
FROM UNPUBLISHED SOURCES.
BY
ALPHONSE DE LAMARTINE,
Author of "Travels in the Holy Land," &c.
* * * * *
IN THREE VOLUMES. VOL. I.
* * * * *
TRANSLATED BY H. T. RYDE.
LONDON: HENRY G. BOHN, YORK STREET, COVENT GARDEN.
1856. LONDON PRINTED BY SPOTTISWOODE AND CO.
NEW-STREET SQUARE
+--------------------------------------------------------------+ |Transcriber's
Note: You may notice some inconsistencies in | |accentation. These
have been left as they are in the original.|
+--------------------------------------------------------------+

ADVERTISEMENT.
We have not thought it necessary to preface this recital by any
introduction of the preceding epochs of the Revolution.
We have not re-produced, with the minute elaboration of an annalist,
the numerous parliamentary and military details of all the events of
these forty months. Two or three times we have, in order to group men
and circumstances in masses, made unimportant anachronisms.
We have written after having scrupulously investigated facts and
characters: we do not ask to be credited on our mere word only.
Although we have not encumbered our work with notes, quotations,
and documentary testimony, we have not made one assertion
unauthorised by authentic memoirs, by unpublished manuscripts, by
autograph letters, which the families of the most conspicuous persons
have confided to our care, or by oral and well confirmed statements
gathered from the lips of the last survivors of this great epoch.
If some errors in fact or judgment have, notwithstanding, escaped us,
we shall be ready to acknowledge them, and repair them in sequent
editions, when the proofs have been transmitted to us. We shall not
reply one by one to such denials and contradictions as this book may
give rise to; it might be a tedious and unprofitable paper-war in the
newspapers. But we will make notes of every observation, and reply en
masse, by our proofs and tests, after a certain lapse of time. We seek
the truth only, and should blush to make our work a calumny of the
dead.
As to the title of this book, we have only assumed it, as being unable to
find any other which can so well define this recital, which has none of
the pretensions of history, and therefore should not affect its gravity. It
is an intermediate labour between history and memoirs. Events do not
herein occupy so much space as men and ideas. It is full of private
details, and details are the physiognomy of characters, and by them
they engrave themselves on the imagination.
Great writers have already written the records of this memorable epoch,

and others still to follow will write them also. It would be an injustice
to compare us with them. They have produced, or will produce, the
history of an age. We have produced nothing more than a "study" of a
group of men and a few months of the Revolution.
A. L.
Paris, March 1. 1847.

CONTENTS.
BOOK I.
Introduction. Mirabeau. Marries. Enters the National Assembly. His
Master Mind. His Death and Character. Glance at the Revolution. The
New Idea. Revolution defined. Revolutions the Results of Printing.
Bossuet's Warnings. Rousseau. Fénélon. Voltaire. The Philosophers of
France. Louis XVI. The King's Ministers. The Queen. Her Conduct and
Plans. The National Assembly. Maury. Cazalès. Barnave and the
Lameths. Rival Champions. Robespierre. His Personal Appearance.
Revolutionary Leaders. State of the Kingdom. Jacobin Club. Effects of
the Clubs. Club of the Cordeliers. La Fayette. His Popularity.
Characters of the Leaders. What the Revolution might have been 1
BOOK II.
State of the Assembly. Discussions. The Periodical Press. The King
and his Brothers. He meditates Escape. Various Plans of Flight. The
King's embarrassed Position. Marquis de Bouillé. The King and
Mirabeau. Preparations for the King's Escape. Fatal Alterations.
Anxiety. Rumours. Count de Fersen. A Faithless Servant suspicious.
Mode of Escape. Dangers of the Route. The Passport. Hopes of Success.
Drouet recognises the King. Narrowly saves his own Life. Varennes.
Capture of the Royal Family. Entreaties of the King and Queen.
Refusal of the Syndic and his Wife. Conduct of the Soldiers