rsailles--their captivity--their sufferings in the
dungeon and on the scaffold. Another and an immediate retreat was
decided upon to Rambouillet, a celebrated royal hunting-seat, about
thirty miles from Paris. It was midnight when the king and his
family, in the deepest dejection, under escort of the Royal Guard,
ten thousand strong, reached Rambouillet.

The Duke d'Angouleme still earnestly advocated the most determined
resistance. But the king, an old man who had already numbered his
threescore years and ten, was thoroughly disheartened. After a few
hours of troubled repose he, on the following morning, assembled his
family around him, and communicated his intention of abdicating in
favor of his grandson, the Count de Chambord. His son, the Duke
d'Angouleme, renouncing his rights as heir to the throne, assented to
this arrangement. The king announced this event in a letter to Louis
Philippe, duke of Orleans, appointing the duke lieutenant-general of
France--requesting him to proclaim the accession of the Count de
Chambord, as Henry V., to the throne, and authorizing him to act as
regent during the minority of the king.

The act of abdication--drawn up informally as a letter to the Duke of
Orleans--contained the following expressions:

"I am too deeply distressed by the evils that afflict, or
that may seem to impend over my people, not to have sought a
means to prevent them. I have, therefore, resolved to
abdicate the crown in favor of my grandson. The dauphin (the
Duke d'Angouleme), who participates in my sentiments,
likewise renounces his rights in favor of his nephew. You
will therefore have, in your quality of lieutenant-general
of the kingdom, to cause to be proclaimed the accession of
Henry V. to the crown. You will, furthermore, take all
measures that befit you to regulate the forms of the
Government during the minority of the new king.

"I renew to you, my cousin, the assurance of the sentiments
with which I am your affectionate cousin, CHARLES."

But in the mean time an army of uncounted thousands was hastily
organized in Paris to march upon Rambouillet and drive the king out
of France. This formidable array of determined men was crowded into
carriages, cabriolets, omnibuses, and vehicles of every kind, and
was pushed forward as rapidly as possible. General Pajol commanded
the expedition. General Excelmans was intrusted with the
advance-gu