yed it yourself? you would commit a revolting
injustice; you would resemble that Roman emperor who, in order to find
more guilty persons, caused the laws to be written in letters so obscure
that no one could read them."

The deputation of the insurgents entered at these last words, amidst the
bursts of applause and the indignant murmurs of the Assembly.

XIV.

The orator of the deputation, Huguenin, read the petition concerted at
Charenton. He declared that the city had risen ready to employ every
means of avenging the majesty of the people, whilst he deplored the
necessity of staining their hands with the blood of the conspirators.
"But," said he, with apparent resignation, "the hour has come; blood
must be shed. The men of the 14th of July are not asleep, they only
appeared to be; their awakening is terrible: speak, and we will act. The
people is there to judge its enemies: let them choose between Coblentz
and ourselves; let them purge the land of their enemies--the tyrants;
you know them. The king is not with you: we need no other proof of it
than the dismissal of the patriot ministers and the inaction of the
armies. Is not the head of the people worth that of kings? Must the
blood of patriots flow with impunity to satisfy the pride and ambition
of the perfidious chateau of the Tuileries? If the king does not act,
suspend him from his functions: one man cannot fetter the will of
twenty-five millions of men. If through respect we suffer him to retain
the throne, it is on condition that he observe the constitution. If he
depart from this he is no longer anything. And the high court of
Orleans," continued Huguenin, "what is that doing?--where are the heads
of those it should have doomed to death?" These sinister expressions
threw the constitutionalists into alarm, and caused the Girondists to
smile. The president, however, replied with a firmness which was not
sustained by the attitude of his colleagues. It was decided that the
people of the faubourgs should be allowed to defile before them under
arms.

XV.

Immediately after this decree was voted, the doors, besieged by the
multitude opened, and admitted thirty thousand petitioners. During this
long procession the band played the demagogical airs of the _Carmagnole_
and the _Ca Ira_, those _pas de charge_ of revolts. Females, armed with
sabres, brandished them at the tribunes, who loudly applauded, and
danced before a table of stone, on which were engraved th