I confess I was much touched, but I did not yield to this violent manifestation of public favour, and I myself persuaded them to return to their allegiance.

Advantage has been taken of this voyage and my absence to impute to me, without refutation on my part, the most odious crimes.

It was I who wished to force the king to fly with the Dauphin from Versailles,--but Versailles is not France; the king would have found his army and the nation when once he left this town, and the only result of my ambition would be civil war, and, a military dictatorship given to the king.

But the Count de Provence was alive; he was the natural heir to the throne thus abandoned.

He was popular; he had, like myself, joined the commons,--thus I should only have laboured for him.