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shal Luckner, whom the Jacobins had so long represented CHAP. as the destined saviour of France; General Biron, whose amiable qualities, notwithstanding the profligacy of his character, had long endeared him to society; General Lamarlière, whose successful war of posts had so long covered the northern frontier, and many other distinguished warriors, were sent to the scaffold. All showed the same heroism in their last moments; but not greater than was displayed by pacific citizens and young women, who had been totally unaccustomed to face danger. It was in the class of nobles that the greatest courage was shown: they firmly protested their devotion to their God and their king, and their readiness to die in their service. The priests died like worthy martyrs of their faith, bestowing, to their last moments, the succours of religion on the captives about to suffer, with whom they were surrounded. Many of the peasants and poorer classes piteously bewailed their fate in being cut off, they knew not why, and condemned, they knew not with whom. Dietrich, mayor of Strassburg, one of the most ardent friends of liberty, wrote to his son the night before his execution" As he valued his last blessing, never to attempt to revenge his death." One prisoner alone excited the contempt of the spectators, by raising piteous cries on the chariot, and striving in a frenzy of terror with the executioners on the scaffold it was Madame du Barri, the associate of the infamous pleasures of Louis XV. She had made her escape to London, but returned to France to disinter her diamonds and jewels, which she had secretly buried under a tree in her park, at Luciennes, near Versailles. She was there betrayed by Zamoro, a black page, on whom she had long lavished the most unbounded kindness. Her cries on the chariot, when going to the scaffold, resounded through the crowd. "Life! life!" she exclaimed: "life for repentance and devotion to the Republic." Her fine black hair behind was cut off, but that in front remained; and she shook

XV.

CHAP. her head in the hope of softening the people by the display of her still beautiful ringlets. Some among the bystanders shuddered, others laughed. Instead of answering, the

1794.

Russie en executioner pointed out, smiling, the block on the guillo1839, par le Marquis tine on which her head was to rest. When lifted on the Custine, i. 42. Deux Scaffold, being unable to stand, she piteously prayed for a

Amis, xii.

Souv. de la

169, 175. Lam. Hist.

277, 278;

viii. 114.

50.

of the young

Verdun and

tre.

91. Duval minute's respite, and uttered shrieks when bound to the Terreur, iv. plank which froze every heart with horror. Yet was this lamentable spectacle not without a beneficial effect; it des Gir. vii. recalled the people to a sense of the horror of the punishment, which, from the general heroism or resignation of the victims, had come, strange to say, to be almost forgotten.1* While prostituted beauty was thus evincing a fearful Execution picture of the weakness of splendid guilt in its last women from moments, the courage with which a number of young Montmar Women, supported by the recollections of virtue and the influence of religion, underwent the same fate, excited universal astonishment and sympathy. Two cases in particular, at the very close of the Reign of Terror, attracted general notice, and contributed in no small degree to produce a general heart-sickening at the reign of blood. They are thus described by an eyewitness of these melancholy scenes: "On the 28th of May, fourteen young women of Verdun were brought out for execution together, for no other crime but that of having presented bouquets of flowers to the King of Prussia, when he entered the town in 1792. They were all alike dressed in white, as if they had been going to a marriage. Their youth, their beauty, their innocent air, touched even the

* "C'est dans la classe des nobles, que j'ai vu," says an eyewitness, "le plus de courage ils vantaient hautement leur attachement inaltérable pour la royauté, et leur dévouement sans bornes pour leur roi; ils repandaient avec joie leur sang sur l'échafaud pour la cause de la monarchie. Mais ce qui était un objet général d'attendrissement c'était la résignation touchante des ministres de la religion Chrétienne. Ils assistaient dans leur dernier moment les malheureux prisonniers ; ils leur prodiguaient toutes les consolations célestes, et leur faisaient envisager la mort comme l'asile de l'homme juste et persécuté : eux-mêmes donnaient l'exemple de toutes les vertus, et pratiquaient la morale évangélique dans toute sa pureté." — Tableau des Prisons de Paris pendant la Terreur, par un Témoin Oculaire, i. 41, 42.

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1794.

most savage hearts with pity, and many tears were secretly CHAP. shed at the sight of so many innocent human beings being taken together to the scaffold. It was generally observed, after they had been guillotined, that it was like cutting the spring out of the year. A few days after, the whole nuns of the Abbey of Montmartre, with the lady-abbess at their head, were executed together. They began to chant the Salve Regina as they left the doors of the Conciergerie, and continued singing during their whole passage along the streets; and the mournful June 1. strain had not ceased, though they were eighteen in number, till the head of the last had fallen under the guillotine. Their constancy, piety, and resignation produced a profound impression on the multitude, long unaccustomed to impressions of that description, and for once silenced the furies of the guillotine,* who usually danced round the loaded chariots, singing revolutionary songs, from the time they left the doors of the Conciergerie till they reached the scaffold in the Place de la Revolution. It was chiefly in consequence of the mournful impression produced by this execution, that the place of punishment was removed, first to the Place St Antoine on the 2d June, and on the 7th to the Barrière du Trône, in the Faubourg St Antoine." The furies of the guillotine, paid for their insults, at an early hour stationed themselves round the chariots which awaited the victims in the court of the Palace of Justice, while the executioners were drinking in the neighbouring wine-shops; and, when the prisoners were seated, danced round them without ceasing, mocking their sufferings, till they reached the scaffold. Dreadful as were these scenes at Paris, the ebullitions of revolutionary revenge were, if possible, more strongly Cruelties marked in the provinces than even in the metropolis. A vinces. Lefull account of these atrocities would fill many volumes; bon at but a few details, in addition to those contained in the

* "Les lécheuses de la guillotine," alluding to their passion for licking up blood which fell from the scaffold.

1

Duval, Terreur, iv. Lam. Hist.

Souv. de la

376, 377.

des Gir. viii.

105.

51.

in the pro

XV.

1794.

CHAP. former chapters, may serve as an example of the rest. The disturbances on the northern frontier led to the special mission of a monster named Lebon to those districts, armed with the full power of the Revolutionary Government. His appearance in these departments could be compared to nothing but the apparition of those hideous furies so much the object of dread in the times of paganism. In the city of Arras, above two thousand persons, brought there from the neighbouring departments, perished by the guillotine. To add to the tortures of his victim, Lebon kept a man in suspense for a quarter of an hour under the blade of the guillotine, in order to augment the bitterness of death by reading, before it fell, a letter which he knew would distress him. He did the same with two young English women, who, under pretence of being aristocrats, had been sent to the scaffold. "It is well," said he," that the aristocrats like you should hear, in their last moments, the triumph of our armies. Monster," said one of the English ladies, Miss Plunkett, you think to increase the bitterness of death; but undeceive yourself: though women, we can die courageously; and you will die the death of a coward." even these atrocities were palliated in the Convention, when the people of the north implored an investigation into them. "The proceedings of Lebon," said Barère,

66

Yet

may have been a little harsh as to form; but these charges have been suggested by wily aristocrats. The man who crushes the enemies of the people can never be a proper object of censure. What is not permitted to the hatred of a republican against aristocracy? How many generous sentiments atone for seeming harshness in the prosecution of the public enemies! Revolutionary measures are ever to be spoken of with respect." The Convention passed to the order of the day. It is no wonder they did so; for it appears, from a letter of the Committee of Public Salvation still extant, that his proceedings were expressly enjoined by them

XV.

1794.

377. Prud

selves. Mingling treachery and seduction with sanguinary CHAP. oppression, this monster in the human form turned the despotic powers with which he was invested into the means of individual gratification. After having disgraced the wife of a nobleman, who yielded to his embraces in order to save her husband's life, he put the man to death before 1Th. vi. 376, the eyes of his devoted consort; a species of treachery so hom. Viccommon, says Prudhomme, that the examples of it were Révolution, innumerable. Children whom he had corrupted were Chateaub. employed by him as spies upon their parents; and so 102, Préinfectious did the cruel example become, that the favourite face. Moniamusement of this little band was putting to death birds Juin. Lam. and small animals, with little guillotines made for their Gir. vii. 330. use.1 +

The career of Carrier at Nantes, where the popular

"Le Comité, citoyen collègue, vous fait observer qu'investi de pouvoirs illimités vous devez prendre dans votre énergie toutes les mesures commandées par le salut de la chose publique. Continuez votre attitude révolutionnaire. Vos pouvoirs sont illimités. Prenez dans votre énergie toutes les mesures commandées par le salut de la Republique. L'amnestie prononcée lors de la constitution Capétienne (celle de 1791,) et invoquée par tous les scélérats, est un crime qui ne peut en couvrir d'autres; les forfaits contre la République ne se rachètent que sous le glaive. Le tyran l'invoqua-le tyran fut frappé. Secouez sur les traîtres le flambeau et le glaive; marchez, citoyen collègue, dans cette ligne révolutionnaire que vous décrivez avec courage; le Comité applaudit à vos travaux."-Signé, BARÈRE, BILLAUD VARENNES, CARNOT; Paris, 27 jour du neuvième mois, l'an 2 de la République, (18th Oct. 1793.) Histoire de la Convention, iii. 207.

+ This monster was very amorous in his disposition, and mingled lechery with his cruelties. "Il ne caressait sa femme ou sa maitresse qu'il ne dit pas en même temps, 'Cette belle tête sera pourtant coupée dès que j'aurai commandé."" "Lebon est revenu de Paris: tout de suite, un jury terrible à l'instar de celui de Paris a été adopté au Tribunal Révolutionnaire. Un arreté vigoureux a fait claquemurer les femmes aristocrates dont les maris sont incarcérés et les maris dont les femmes le sont. Une perquisition vient d'être faite par une commission ardente de sept patriotes, (j'étais du nombre.) La guillotine depuis ce temps ne désempare pas; les ducs, les marquis, les comtes, les barons, males et femelles, tombent comme grêle."-DARTHE à ROBESPIERRE, No. 83. Pap. trouv. chez. ROBESPIERRE; and Rap. de COURTOIS, Ibid. i. 75.

It is a curious fact, highly illustrative of the progress of revolutions, that this monster in human form was at first humane and inoffensive in his government, and that it was not till he had received reiterated orders from Robespierre, with a hint of a dungeon in case of refusal, that his atrocities commenced. Let no man, if he is not conscious of the utmost firmness of mind, be sure that he would not, in similar circumstances, have done the same.DUCHESSE D'ABRANTÈS, vii. 213, 214.

times de la

iv. 274.

Etud. Hist.

teur, 4

Hist. des