autobiography-第22部分

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anied　by　the　assembly。　　They　sent　off　a　deputation　to　quiet　Paris；　at　the　head　of　which　was　the　Marquis　de　la　Fayette　who　had；　the　same　morning；　been　named　Commandant　en　chef　of　the　Milice　Bourgeoise；　and　Mons　Bailly；　former　President　of　the　States　General；　was　called　for　as　Prevot　des　marchands。　　The　demolition　of　the　Bastile　was　now　ordered　and　begun。　A　body　of　the　Swiss　guards　of　the　regiment　of　Ventimille；　and　the　city　horse　guards　joined　the　people。　　The　alarm　at　Versailles　increased。　　The　foreign　troops　were　ordered　off　instantly。　　Every　minister　resigned。　　The　king　confirmed　Bailly　as　Prevot　des　Marchands；　wrote　to　Mr。　Neckar　to　recall　him；　sent　his　letter　open　to　the　assembly；　to　be　forwarded　by　them；　and　invited　them　to　go　with　him　to　Paris　the　next　day；　to　satisfy　the　city　of　his　dispositions；　and　that　night；　and　the　next　morning　the　Count　D'Artois　and　M。　de　Montesson　a　deputy　connected　with　him；　Madame　de　Polignac；　Madame　de　Guiche；　and　the　Count　de　Vaudreuil；　favorites　of　the　queen；　the　Abbe　de　Vermont　her　confessor；　the　Prince　of　Conde　and　Duke　of　Bourbon　fled。　　The　king　came　to　Paris；　leaving　the　queen　in　consternation　for　his　return。　　Omitting　the　less　important　figures　of　the　procession；　the　king's　carriage　was　in　the　center；　on　each　side　of　it　the　assembly；　in　two　ranks　afoot；　at　their　head　the　M。　de　la　Fayette；　as　Commander…in…chief；　on　horseback；　and　Bourgeois　guards　before　and　behind。　　About　60。000　citizens　of　all　forms　and　conditions；　armed　with　the　muskets　of　the　Bastile　and　Invalids；　as　far　as　they　would　go；　the　rest　with　pistols；　swords；　pikes；　pruning　hooks；　scythes　&c。　lined　all　the　streets　thro'　which　the　procession　passed；　and　with　the　crowds　of　people　in　the　streets；　doors　&　windows；　saluted　them　everywhere　with　cries　of　〃vive　la　nation；〃　but　not　a　single　〃vive　le　roy〃　was　heard。　　The　King　landed　at　the　Hotel　de　Ville。　　There　M。　Bailly　presented　and　put　into　his　hat　the　popular　cockade；　and　addressed　him。　　The　King　being　unprepared；　and　unable　to　answer；　Bailly　went　to　him；　gathered　from　him　some　scraps　of　sentences；　and　made　out　an　answer；　which　he　delivered　to　the　audience　as　from　the　king。　　On　their　return　the　popular　cries　were　〃vive　le　roy　et　la　nation。〃　He　was　conducted　by　a　garde　bourgeoise　to　his　palace　at　Versailles；　&　thus　concluded　an　amende　honorable　as　no　sovereign　ever　made；　and　no　people　ever　received。

　　　　　　　　And　here　again　was　lost　another　precious　occasion　of　sparing　to　France　the　crimes　and　cruelties　thro'　which　she　has　since　passed；　and　to　Europe；　&　finally　America　the　evils　which　flowed　on　them　also　from　this　mortal　source。　　The　king　was　now　become　a　passive　machine　in　the　hands　of　the　National　assembly；　and　had　he　been　left　to　himself；　he　would　have　willingly　acquiesced　in　whatever　they　should　devise　as　best　for　the　nation。　　A　wise　constitution　would　have　been　formed；　hereditary　in　his　line；　himself　placed　at　it's　head；　with　powers　so　large　as　to　enable　him　to　do　all　the　good　of　his　station；　and　so　limited　as　to　restrain　him　from　it's　abuse。　　This　he　would　have　faithfully　administered；　and　more　than　this　I　do　not　believe　he　ever　wished。　　But　he　had　a　Queen　of　absolute　sway　over　his　weak　mind；　and　timid　virtue；　and　of　a　character　the　reverse　of　his　in　all　points。　This　angel；　as　gaudily　painted　in　the　rhapsodies　of　the　Rhetor　Burke；　with　some　smartness　of　fancy；　but　no　sound　sense　was　proud；　disdainful　of　restraint；　indignant　at　all　obstacles　to　her　will；　eager　in　the　pursuit　of　pleasure；　and　firm　enough　to　hold　to　her　desires；　or　perish　in　their　wreck。　　Her　inordinate　gambling　and　dissipations；　with　those　of　the　Count　d'Artois　and　others　of　her　clique；　had　been　a　sensible　item　in　the　exhaustion　of　the　treasury；　which　called　into　action　the　reforming　hand　of　the　nation；　and　her　opposition　to　it　her　inflexible　perverseness；　and　dauntless　spirit；　led　herself　to　the　Guillotine；　&　drew　the　king　on　with　her；　and　plunged　the　world　into　crimes　&　calamities　which　will　forever　stain　the　pages　of　modern　history。　　I　have　ever　believed　that　had　there　been　no　queen；　there　would　have　been　no　revolution。　　No　force　would　have　been　provoked　nor　exercised。　　The　king　would　have　gone　hand　in　hand　with　the　wisdom　of　his　sounder　counsellors；　who；　guided　by　the　increased　lights　of　the　age；　wished　only；　with　the　same　pace；　to　advance　the　principles　of　their　social　institution。　　The　deed　which　closed　the　mortal　course　of　these　sovereigns；　I　shall　neither　approve　nor　condemn。　　I　am　not　prepared　to　say　that　the　first　magistrate　of　a　nation　cannot　commit　treason　against　his　country；　or　is　unamenable　to　it's　punishment：　nor　yet　that　where　there　is　no　written　law；　no　regulated　tribunal；　there　is　not　a　law　in　our　hearts；　and　a　power　in　our　hands；　given　for　righteous　employment　in　maintaining　right；　and　redressing　wrong。　　Of　those　who　judged　the　king；　many　thought　him　wilfully　criminal；　many　that　his　existence　would　keep　the　nation　in　perpetual　conflict　with　the　horde　of　kings；　who　would　war　against　a　regeneration　which　might　come　home　to　themselves；　and　that　it　were　better　that　one　should　die　than　all。　　I　should　not　have　voted　with　this　portion　of　the　legislature。　　I　should　have　shut　up　the　Queen　in　a　Convent；　putting　harm　out　of　her　power；　and　placed　the　king　in　his　station；　investing　him　with　limited　powers；　which　I　verily　believe　he　would　have　honestly　exercised；　according　to　the　measure　of　his　understanding。　　In　this　way　no　void　would　have　been　created；　courting　the　usurpation　of　a　military　adventurer；　nor　occasion　given　for　those　enormities　which　demoralized　the　nations　of　the　world；　and　destroyed；　and　is　yet　to　destroy　millions　and　millions　of　it's　inhabitants。　There　are　three　epochs　in　history　signalized　by　the　total　extinction　of　national　morality。　　The　first　was　of　the　successors　of　Alexander；　not　omitting　himself。　　The　next　the　successors　of　the　first　Caesar；　the　third　our　own　age。　　This　was　begun　by　the　partition　of　Poland；　followed　by　that　of　the　treaty　of　Pilnitz；　next　the　conflagration　of　Copenhagen；　then　the　enormities　of　Bonaparte　partitioning　the　earth　at　his　will；　and　devastating　it　with　fire　and　sword；　now　the　conspiracy　of　kings；　the　successors　of　Bonaparte；　blasphemously　calling　themselves　the　Holy　Alliance；　and　treading　in　the　footsteps　of　their　incarcerated　leader；　not　yet　indeed　usurping　the　government　of　other　nations　avowedly　and　in　detail；　but　controuling　by　their　armies　the　forms　in　which　they　will　permit　them　to　be　governed；　and　reserving　in　petto　the　order　and　extent　of　the　usurpations　further　meditated。　　But　I　will　return　from　a　digression；　anticipated　too　in　time；　into　which　I　have　been　led　by　reflection　on　the　criminal　passions　which　refused　to　the　world　a　favorable　occasion　of　saving　it　from　the　afflictions　it　has　since　suffered。

　　　　　　　　M。　Necker　had　reached　Basle　before　he　was　overtaken　by　the　letter　of　the　king；　inviting　him　back　to　resume　the　office　he　had　recently　left。　　He　returned　immediately；　and　all　the　other　ministers　having　resigned；　a　new　administration　was　named；　to　wit　St。　Priest　&　Montmorin　were　restored；　the　Archbishop　of　Bordeaux　was　appointed　Garde　des　sceaux；　La　Tour　du　Pin　Minister　of　War；　La　Luzerne　Minister　of　Marine。　　This　last　was　believed　to　have　been　effected　by　the　friendship　of　Montmorin；　for　altho'　differing　in　politics；　they　continued　firm　in　friendship；　&　Luzerne；　altho'　not　an　able　man　was　thought　an　honest　one。　　And　the　Prince　of　Bauvau　was　taken　into　the　Council。

　　　　　　　　Seven　princes　of　the　blood　royal；　six　ex…ministers；　and　many　of　the　high　Noblesse　having　fled；　and　the　present　ministers；　except　Luzerne；　being　all　of　the　popular　party；　all　the　functionaries　of　government　moved　for　the　present　in　perfect　harmony。

　　　　　　　　In　the　evening　of　Aug。　4。　and　on　the　motion　of　the　Viscount　de　Noailles　brother　in　law　of　La　Fayette；　the　assembly　abolished　all　titles　of　rank；　all　the　abusive　privileges　of　feudalism；　the　tythes　and　casuals　of　the　clergy；　all　provincial　privileges；　and；　in　fine；　the　Feudal　regimen　generally。　　To　the　suppression　of　tythes　the　Abbe　Sieyes　was　vehemently　opposed；　but　his　learned　and　logical　arguments　were　unheeded；　and　his　estimation　lessened　by　a　contrast　of　his　egoism　（for　he　was　beneficed　on　them）　with　the　generous　abandonment　of　rights　by　the　other　members　of　the　assembly。　　Many　days　were　employed　in　putting　into　the　form　of　laws　the　numerous　demolitions　of　ancient　abuses；　which　done；　they　proceeded　to　the　preliminary　work　of　a　Declaration　of　rights。　　There　being　much　concord　of　sentiment　on　the　elements　of　this　instrument；　it　was　liberally　framed；　and　passed　with　a　very　general　approbation。　　They　then　appointed　a　Committee　for　the　reduction　of　a　projet　of　a　Constitution；　at　the　head　of　which　was　the　Archbishop　of　Bordeaux。　　I　received　from　him；　as　Chairman　of　the　Committee　a　letter　of　July　20。　requesting　me　to　attend　and　assist　at　their　deliberations；　but　I　excused　myself　on　the　obvious　considerations　that　my　mission　was　to　the　king　as　Chief　Magistrate　of　the　nation；　that　my　duties　were　limited　to　the　concerns　of　my　own　country；　and　forbade　me　to　intermeddle　with　the　internal　transactions　of　that　in　which　I　had　been　received　under　a　specific　character　only。　Their　plan　of　a　constitution　was　discussed　in　sections；　and　so　reported　from　time　to　time；　as　agreed　to　by　the　Committee。　　The　first　respected　the　general　frame　of　the　government；　and　that　this　should　be　formed　into　three　departments；　Executive；　Legislative　and　Judiciary　was　generally　agreed。　　But　when　they　proceeded　to　subordinate　developments；　many　and　various　shades　of　opinion　came　into　conflict；　and　schism；　strongly　marked；　broke　the　Patriots　into　fragments　of　very　discordant　principles。　　The　first　question　Whether　there　should　be　a　king；　met　with　no　open　opposition；　and　it　was　readily　agreed　that　the　government　of　France　should　be　monarchical　&　hereditary。　　Shall　the　king　have　a　negative　on　the　laws？　shall　that　negative　be　absolute；　or　suspensive　only？　　Shall　there　be　two　chambers　of　legislation？　or　one　only？　　If　two；　shall　one　of　them　be　hereditary？　or　for　life？　or　for　a　fixed　term？　and　named　by　the　king？　or　elected　by　the　people？　　These　questions　found　strong　differences　of　opinion；　and　produced　repulsive　combinations　among　the　Patriots。　The　Aristocracy　was　cemente