These princes were, the Comte de Provence and the Comte d'Artois, the king's brothers; the two sons of the Comte d'Artois, the Duc de Berri and the Duc d'Angouleme; the Prince de Conde, the king's cousin, the Duke de Bourbon, his son, and the Duc d'Enghien, his grandson.

All the military noblesse of the kingdom, with the exception of the partisans of the constitution, had quitted their garrisons or their Chateaus to join this crusade of kings against the French revolution.

This movement--which now appears sacrilegious, since it armed citizens against their country, and led them to implore the assistance of foreign powers to combat France--did not at that time possess in the eyes of the French noblesse that parricidal character with which the more enlightened patriotism of the present age invests it.

Culpable in the eyes of reason, it could at least explain itself before feeling.

Infidelity to their country was termed fidelity to their king, and desertion, honour.
Allegiance to the throne was the religion of the French nobles; and the sovereignty of the people appeared to them an insolent dogma, against which it was imperative to take arms, unless they wished to be partakers of the crime.