The walls of the church were covered with placards, calling on the people to revolt against the provisional authority of the municipality.

There were bruited about rumours of absurd miracles, which demanded in the name of Heaven vengeance for the assaults made against religion.

A statue of the Virgin worshipped by the people in the church of the Cordeliers had blushed at the profanations of her temple.

She had been seen to shed tears of indignation and grief.
The people, educated under the papal government in such superstitious credulities, had gone in a body to the Cordeliers to avenge the cause of their protectress.

Animated by fanatical exhortations, confiding in the divine interposition, the mob, on quitting the Cordeliers, and increasing as it went, hurried to the ramparts, closed the doors, turned the cannon on the city, and then spread themselves through the streets, demanding with loud clamours the overthrow of the government.