The Chevalier de Boufflers (French Edition)

Livre peut avoir de nombreuses fautes de frappe, le texte manquant, des images ou des index. Les acheteurs peuvent télécharger une copie gratuite scannée du livre original (sans fautes de frappe) de l'éditeur. 1916. Non illustré. Extrait: ... CHAPTER II THE STORM BREAKS All through the hot night of July 13 the Chevalier de Boufflers sat in the vast and dimly lighted hall where in stoic calm the deputies of the Assembly awaited death, for the Salle des Menus Plaisirs was surrounded with rioting troops and at any moment the raging sea of Paris might burst upon Versailles. On the evening of the 14th messengers arrived from the city to tell the Assembly the terrible story of the day's doings. And at the news that the fury of the populace had been turned against the Bastille--that "symbol of despotism "--the "representatives of the People" heaved a sigh of relief, the insurgents that they had regarded as "brigands" now became "heroes," and the destruction of the state prison was acclaimed as an act of popular justice. For the benefit of the Assembly, however, as for posterity, the true facts regarding the " pitiable enterprise," as Monsieur Louis Madelin describes it, had been carefully suppressed. The Governor of the Bastille, the humane Monsieur de Launay, was represented as having called a truce before firing on the people; in reality precisely the opposite had occurred. De Launay, anxious to avoid bloodshed, had withdrawn the cannons from the battlements and on the insurgents' word of honour that no injury would be done to its defenders,1 had admitted them to the prison, whereupon they immediately proceeded to murder de Launay, Major de Losme, known for his humanity as the "consoler of the prisoners," two other officers, and three "invalides." After this infamous act of treachery came the liberating of the prisoners--four forgers,1 two lunatics (whom it was found necessary to shut up again at Charenton a few days later) and the Comte de Solages,8 a Sadie debauche...