marie antoinette and her son-第71部分

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longer　a　kingdom；　but　they　are　together；　they　can　speak　with　looks
one　to　another；　they　can　seek　to　comfort　one　another　with　smiles；
they　can　cheer　each　other　up　with　a　passing　grasp　of　the　hand；　that
escapes　the　eye　of　the　sentries！　We　only　suffer　half　what　we　bear　in
common　with　others；　and　every　thing　seems　lighter；　when　there　is　a
second　one　to　help　lift　the　load。

Perhaps　the　enemies　of　the　king　and　queen　have　an　instinctive
feeling　of　this；　and　their　hate　makes　them　sympathetic；　in　order　to
teach　them　to　invent　new　tortures　and　new　sufferings。

Yes；　there　are　unknown　pangs　still　to　be　felt；　their　cup　of　sorrows
was　not　yet　full！　The　parents　are　still　left　to　each　other；　and
their　eyes　are　still　allowed　to　rest　upon　their　children！　But　the
〃one　and　indivisible　republic〃　means　to　rend　even　these　bonds　which
bind　the　royal　family　together；　and　to　part　those　who　have　sworn
that　nothing　shall　separate　them　but　death！　The　republicwhich　had
abolished　the　churches；　overthrown　the　altars；　driven　the　priesthood
into　exilethe　republic　cannot　grant　to　the　Capet　family　that　only
death　shall　separate　them；　for　it　had　even　made　Death　its　servant；
and　must　accept　daily　victims　from　him；　offered　on　the　Place　de
Liberte；　in　the　centre　of　which　stood　the　guillotine；　the　only　altar
tolerated　there。

In　the　middle　of　October　the　republic　sent　its　emissaries　to　the
Temple；　to　tear　the　king　from　the　arms　of　his　wife　and　his　children。
In　spite　of　their　pleadings　and　cries；　he　was　taken　to　another　part
of　the　Templeto　the　great　tower；　which　from　this　time　was　to　serve
as　his　lodgings。　And　in　order　that　the　queen　might　be　spared　no
pang；　the　dauphin　was　compelled　to　go　with　his　father　and　be
separated　from　his　mother。

This　broke　the　pride；　the　royal　pride　of　Marie　Antoinette。　She　wrung
her　hands；　she　wept；　she　cried；　she　implored　with　such　moving；
melting　tones；　not　to　be　separated　from　her　son　and　husband；　that
even　the　heart　of　Simon　the　cobbler　was　touched。

〃I　really　believe　that　these　cursed　women　make　me　blubber！〃　cried
he；　angry　with　the　tears　which　forced　themselves　into　his　eyes。　And
he　made　no　objection　when　the　other　officials　said　to　the　queen；
with　trembling　voices；　that　they　would　allow　the　royal　family　to
come　together　at　their　meals。

One　last　comfort；　one　last　ray　of　sunshine！　There　were　still　hours
in　these　dismal；　monotonous　days　of　November；　when　they　could　have
some　happinesshours　for　which　they　longed；　and　for　whose　sake　they
bore　the　desolate　solitude　of　the　remaining　time。

At　breakfast；　dinner；　and　supper；　the　Capet　family　were　together；
words　were　interchanged；　hands　could　rest　in　one　another；　and　they
could　delight　in　the　pleasant　chatter　of　the　dauphin　when　the　king
told　about　the　lessons　he　had　given　the　boy；　and　the　progress　he　was
making。

They　sometimes　forgot；　at　those　meetings；　that　Death　was　perhaps
crouching　outside　the　Temple；　waiting　to　receive　his　victims；　and
they　even　uttered　little　words　of　pleasantry；　to　awaken　the　bright；
fresh　laugh　of　the　dauphin；　the　only　music　that　ever　was　heard　in
those　dismal　rooms。

But　December　took　this　last　consolation　from　the　queen。　The　National
Assembly；　which　had　now　been　transformed　into　the　Convention；
brought　the　charge　of　treason　against　the　king。　He　was　accused　of
entering　into　a　secret　alliance　with　the　enemies　of　France；　and
calling　the　monarchs　of　Europe　to　come　to　his　assistance。　In　an　iron
safe　which　had　been　set　into　the　wall　of　the　cabinet　in　the
Tuileries；　papers　had　been　discovered　which　compromised　the　king；
letters　from　the　refugee　princes；　from　the　Emperor　of　Germany；　and
the　King　of　Prussia。　These　monarchs　were　now　on　the　very　confines　of
France；　ready　to　enter　upon　a　bloody　war；　and　that　was　the　fault　of
the　king！　He　was　in　alliance　with　the　enemies　of　his　country！　He　was
the　murderer　of　his　own　subjects！　On　his　head　the　blood　should
return；　which　had　been　shed　by　him。

This　was　the　charge　which　was　brought　against　the　king。　Twenty
members　of　the　Convention　went　to　the　Temple；　to　read　it　to　him；　and
to　hear　his　reply。　He　stoutly　denied　haying　entertained　such
relations　with　foreign　princes；　he　declared；　with　a　solemn　oath；
that　he　had　declined　all　overtures　from　such　quarters；　because　he
had　seen　that；　in　order　to　free　an　imprisoned　king；　France　itself
must　be　threatened。

The　chiefs　of　the　revolution　meant　to　find　him　guilty。　Louis　Capet
must　be　put　out　of　the　way；　in　order　that　Robespierre　and　Marat；
Danton；　Petion；　and　their　friends；　might　reach　unlimited　power。

There　may　have　been　several　in　the　Convention　who　shrank　from　this
last　consequence　of　their　doings；　but　they　did　not　venture　to　raise
their　voices；　they　chimed　in　with　the　terrorism　which　the　leaders　of
the　revolution　exercised　upon　the　Convention。　They　knew　that　behind
these　leaders　stood　the　savage　masses　of　the　streets；　armed　with
hatred　against　monarchy　and　the　aristocracy；　and　ready　to　tear　in
pieces　any　one　as　an　enemy　of　the　country　who　ventured　to　join　the
number　of　those　who　were　under　the　ban　and　the　sentence　of　the
popular　hate。

Still　there　were　some　courageous；　faithful　servants　of　the　king　who
ventured　to　take　his　part　even　there。　Louis　had　now　been　summoned　to
the　bar　as　an　accused　person；　and　the　Convention　had　transformed
itself　into　a　tribunal　whose　function　was　to　pass　judgment　on　the
guilt　or　innocence　of　the　king！

In　order　to　satisfy　all　the　forms　of　the　law；　the　king　should　have
had　an　advocate　allowed　him；　and　the　benefit　of　legal　counsel。　The
Convention　demanded　that　those　who　were　ready　to　undertake　this　task
should　send　in　their　names。　It　was　a　form　deemed　safe　to　abide　by；
because　it　was　believed　that　there　would　be　no　one　who　would　venture
to　enter　upon　so　momentous　and　perilous　a　duty。

But　there　were　such；　nevertheless。　There　were　still　courageous　and
noble　men　who　pitied　the　forsaken　king；　and　who　wanted　to　try　to
save　him；　not　willing　to　see　him　atone　for　the　debts　of　his
predecessors；　and　bleed　for　the　sins　of　his　fathers。　And　scarcely
had　the　consent　of　the　Convention　been　announced；　that　Louis　Capet
should　have　three　advocates　for　his　defence；　when　from　Paris　and　all
the　minor　cities　letters　came　in　from　men　who　declared　themselves
ready　to　undertake　the　defence　of　the　king。

Even　from　foreign　lands　there　came　letters　and　appeals　in　behalf　of
the　deposed　monarch。　One　of　them；　written　in　spirited　and　glowing
language；　conjured　France　not　to　soil　its　noble　young　freedom　by　the
dreadful　murder　of　an　innocent　man；　who　had　committed　no　other
offence　than　that　he　was　the　son　of　his　fathers；　the　heir　of　their
crown　and　their　remissness。　It　was　written　by　a　German　poet；
Frederick　Schiller。　＇Footnote：　Schiller's　defence　of　the　king　is
preserved　in　the　national　archivesSee　Beauchesue　vol。　i。；　p。　366。＇

From　the　many　requests　to　serve　as　his　advocates；　Louis　chose　only
two　to　defend　him。　The　first　of　these　was　his　former　minister；　the
philosopher　Lamoignon　des　Malesherbes；　then　the　advocate　Trouchet；
and　finally；　at　the　pressing　request　of　Malesherbes；　the
distinguished　young　advocate　Deseges。　To　those　three　men　was
committed　the　trust　of　defending　the　king　against　the　dreadful
charge　of　treason　to　his　country；　to　be　substantiated　by　hundreds
and　hundreds　of　letters　and　documents。

After　the　preliminary　investigations　were　closed；　the　public　charge
was　made　in　the　Convention；　which　still　held　its　sessions　in　the
Manage。　To　this　building；　situated　near　the　Tuileries；　the　king；
accompanied　by　his　three　defenders　and　two　municipal　defenders；　and
surrounded　by　National　Guards；　was　conducted　from　the　Temple。　The
people　danced　around　the　carriage　with　wild　shouts　of　joy　and　curses
of　the　king。　Within　the　vehicle　sat　Louis；　completely　calm　and　self…
possessed。

〃This　man　must　be　filled　with　a　singular　fanaticism；〃　said
Colombeau；　one　of　the　leading　officials；　in　the　report　which　he　gave
to　the　Convention　of　the　ride。　〃It　is　otherwise　inexplicable　how
Louis　could　be　so　calm；　since　he　had　so　much　reason　to　fear。　After
we　had　all　entered　the　carriage；　and　were　driving　through　the
streets；　Louis　entered　upon　conversation；　which　soon　turned　upon
literature；　and　especially　upon　some　Latin　authors。　He　gave　his
judgments　with　remarkable　correctness　and　insight；　and　it　appeared
to　me　that　he　took　pleasure　in　showing　his　learning。　One　of　us　said
that　he　did　not　enjoy　Seneca；　because　his　love　for　riches　stood　in
marked　contrast　with　his　pretended　philosophy；　and　because　it　could
not　easily　be　forgiven　him　that　before　the　senate　he　apologized　for
the　crimes　of　Nero。　This　reflection　did　not　seem　to　affect　Louis　in
the　least。　When　we　spoke　of　Livy；　Capet　said　that　he　seemed　to　have
taken　satisfaction　in　composing　great　speeches　which　were　never
uttered　to　any　other　audience　than　that　which　was　reached　from　his
study…table；　'for；'　he　added；　'it　is　impossible　that　generals　really
delivered　such　long　speeches　in　front　of　their　armies。'　He　then
compared　Livy　with　Tacitus；　and　thought　that　the　latter　was　far
superior　to　the　former　in　point　of　style。〃　＇Footnote：　See
Beauchesne；　vol。　i。；　p。　396。＇　The　king　went　on　talking　about　Latin
authors　while　the　carriage　was　carrying　him　through　the　roaring　mob
to　the　Convention；　which　Desege　addressed　in　his　defence　in　these
courageous　words：　〃I　look　for　judges　among　you；　but　see　only
accusers。〃

The　king　was　completely　calm；　yet　he　knew　that　his　life　was
threatened；　and　that　he　was　standing　before　a　tribunal　of　death。　As
on　the　day　when　he　was　first　taken　to　the　Convention；　he　requested
Malesherbes　to　forward　a　note　to　the　priest　whose　attendance　he
desired；　and　who　he　believed　would　not　deny　his　presence　and
attentions。　His　name　was　Edgewarth　de　Pirmont。　The　time　was　not
distant　when　not　the　services　of　advocates　were　wanted　by　the　king；
but　exclusively　those　of　the　priest。

The　sentence　of　death　was　pronounced　on　January　26；　1793。　Louis
received　it　calmly；　and　desired　merely　to　see　his　family；　to　have　a
confessor　come　to　him；　and　to　prepare　himself　for　his　death。

During　these　dreadful　weeks　Marie　Antoinette　was　separated　from　her
husband；　alone　with　her　children；　who　no　longer　were　a