ecree against the priests: that is death!"
Other persons in the crowd, although armed with drawn swords, pistols,
and pikes, made no violent gestures, and warded off every attempt on the
life of the king. There were even seen expressions of respect and grief
in the countenances of a great many. In this review of the Revolution,
the people displayed themselves as very terrible, but did not identify
themselves with assassins. A certain order began to establish itself in
the staircases and apartments: the crowd, pressed by the crowd, after
having seen the king, and uttered threats against him, wandered into
other apartments, and went triumphantly over this _palace of despotism_.

Legendre the butcher drove before him, in order to find room, these
hordes of women and children accustomed to tremble at his voice. He made
signs that he desired to speak, and silence being established, the
national guard separated a little in order to allow him to address the
king. "Monsieur!" he exclaimed, in a voice of thunder: the king, at this
word, which was a degradation, made a movement of offended dignity;
"yes, Sir," continued Legendre, with more emphasis on the word, "listen
to us; you were made to listen to us! you are a traitor! you have
deceived us always--you deceive us again; but beware! the measure is
heaped up. The people are weary of being your plaything and your
victim." Legendre, after these threatening words, read a petition in
language as imperious, in which he demanded, in the name of the people,
the restitution of the Girondist ministers and the immediate sanction of
their decrees. The king replied with intrepid dignity, "I will do what
the constitution orders me to do."

XXI.

Scarcely had one sea of people gone away, than another succeeded. At
each new invasion of the mob, the strength of the king and the small
number of his defenders was exhausted in the renewed struggles with a
crowd which never wearied. The doors no longer sufficed to the impatient
curiosity of these thousands of men assembled in this pillory of
royalty; they entered by the roof, the windows, and the high balconies
which open on to the terraces. Their climbing up amused the multitude of
spectators crowded in the gardens. The clapping of hands, the cheers of
laughter of this multitude without encouraged the assailants. Menacing
dialogues in loud tones took place between the malcontents above and the
impatient who were below. "Have they struck him?