History of the Girondists, Volume I | Page 3

of Simoneau. Duc d'Orleans. His peculiar Position. The Duchesse d'Orleans. Duc disliked at Court. Forms the Palais Royal. Madame de Genlis. Her Talents. The Duke Citizen. Mirabeau's Estimate of the Duke. La Fayette's Interference with the Duc d'Orleans. Plans of the Girondists. Duc d'Orleans made Admiral. His Declaration. Details. Avoided by the King's Friends. Becomes a Jacobin. Vergniaud's great Eloquence. His powerful Appeal. Its Effects 352
BOOK XII.
The Emperor Leopold. De Lessart's Despatch. His Impeachment. De Narbonne's Dismissal. Death of Leopold. Supposed to be poisoned. His Vices and Virtues. Conspiracy. Assassination. Ankastroem. Death of Gustavus. Joy of the Jacobins. Brissot's Policy. Accusation of M. de Lessart. Roland and the Girondist Ministry 377
BOOK XIII.
Dumouriez's Talent and Aptitude. Education and Acquirements. Favier. Corsica. Paoli. Dumouriez sent to Poland. Stanislaus Policy. Dumouriez at Cherbourg. His Tact; Appearance. Dumouriez and Madame Roland. Roland's Vanity. His Opinion of the King. His Wife's Sagacity. Dumouriez in favour with the King. His Interview with the Queen. His Advice. Bonnet Rouge. Dumouriez and Robespierre. Pétion and the Bonnet Rouge. The King's Letter. Treachery of the Girondists. Roland's Letter to the King. Letter of the Girondist Chiefs. Dumouriez's Policy. Danton. Hatred of Robespierre and Brissot. Camille Desmoulins. Brissot's Attack on Robespierre. Guadet. Robespierre's Defence 396
BOOK XIV.
Quarrel between Girondists and Jacobins. Violence of the Journals. Marat's atrocious Writings. Duke of Brunswick. Mirabeau's Opinion of him. Dumouriez's Plan. The King himself proposes War. Slight Opposition. Condorcet's Manifesto. War declared. State of Belgium. Revolt. German Confederation. French Nobility and Emigrés. Comte de Provence. Comte d'Artois. Mallet-Dupan, the King's Confidant 436
BOOK XV.
Dumouriez's Tactics. Servan's Proposition. Change of Ministry. Dumouriez's Infidelity. Another Change of Ministers. Dumouriez quits Paris. Barbaroux. Madame Roland's Plans for a Republic. Increase of the Girondists. Buzot. Danton: his Origin and Life. Progress. Hostilities in Belgium. Duc de Lauzun. Luckner. State of France 459
BOOK XVI.
King Pétion. His Policy. Murder of De Brissac. Another Phase of the Revolution. Santerre, Legendre, Instigators of 20th June. Preparation. Disposition of Lower Orders. The Mobs excited. The Alarm of the King. The Assembling of the People. St. Huruge. Théroigne de Méricourt. Her Fate. The Procession. Roederer's Courage. Huguenin's Declaration. The Mob admitted. Defence at the Tuileries. Movement of the Populace. The Troops faithless. Fury of the Mob. The King's Defenders. Madame Elizabeth. Legendre's Insolence. The Bonnet Rouge. "Vive le Roi." The Dangers of the Queen. Princesse de Lamballe. Queen and Royal Children. Santerre. Deputation to the King. Pétion's Duplicity. Retirement of the Rebels. Merlin's brutal Remark. The Marseillaise. Its Origin and Popularity: universally adopted 478

HISTORY
OF
THE GIRONDISTS.

BOOK I.
I.
INTRODUCTION.
I now undertake to write the history of a small party of men who, cast by Providence into the very centre of the greatest drama of modern times, comprise in themselves the ideas, the passions, the faults, the virtues of their epoch, and whose life and political acts forming, as we may say, the nucleus of the French Revolution, perished by the same blow which crushed the destinies of their country.
This history, full of blood and tears, is full also of instruction for the people. Never, perhaps, were so many tragical events crowded into so short a space of time, never was the mysterious connexion which exists between deeds and their consequences developed with greater rapidity. Never did weaknesses more quickly engender faults,--faults crimes,--crimes punishment. That retributive justice which God has implanted in our very acts, as a conscience more sacred than the fatalism of the ancients[1], never manifested itself more unequivocally; never was the law of morality illustrated by a more ample testimony, or avenged more mercilessly. Thus the simple recital of these two years is the most luminous commentary of the whole Revolution; and blood, spilled like water, not only shrieks in accents of terror and pity, but gives, indeed, a lesson and an example to mankind. It is in this spirit I would indite this work. The impartiality of history is not that of a mirror, which merely reflects objects, it should be that of a judge who sees, listens, and decides. Annals are not history; in order to deserve that appellation it requires a conviction; for it becomes, in after times, that of the human race.
Recital animated by the imagination, weighed and judged by wisdom,--such is history as the ancients understood it; and of history conceived and produced in such a spirit, I would, under the Divine guidance, leave a fragment to my country.
II.
HISTORY OF THE GIRONDISTS.
Mirabeau had just died. The instinct of the people led them to press around the house of his tribune, as if to demand inspiration even from his coffin; but had Mirabeau been still living, he could no longer have given it; his star had paled its fires before that of the Revolution; hurried to the verge of an unavoidable precipice by the very chariot he himself had set in motion, it