THE LAST HOURS OF LOUIS XVI.

(Clery's Journal of what happened in the Tower of the Temple during the captivity of Louis Sixteenth.)

A.D. 1793.

only here." They entered, and I shut the door, which was a glass one. The king sat down, the queen on his left, Madame Elizabeth on his right, Madame Royale almost in front of him, and the young prince stood between the king's legs; all of them bent forwards towards him, and often held him in their embraces. This scene of grief lasted for an hour and three quarters, during which it was impossible to hear anything; it could only be seen that at everything the king said, the sobs of the princesses redoubled and lasted for some minutes, and then the king would begin to speak again. It was easy to guess by their behaviour that he himself had informed them of his condemnation.

At a quarter past ten the king got up first, and they all followed his example: I opened the door; the queen was holding the king's right arm. Their majesties each gave a hand to M. le Dauphin; Madame Royale on the left held the king round his waist; Madame Elizabeth, on the same side but a little farther back, had seized the left arm of her august brother; they made some steps towards the door, sending forth the most sorrowful moans. “I assure you," | the king said to them, "that I shall see you to-morrow morning at eight o'clock." "You promise us that," they all replied together. "Yes, I promise." "Why not at seven o'clock?" said the queen. "Eh! well, yes, at seven," replied the king; 66 adieu !"

He pronounced this adieu in such an

impressive way, that their sobs
redoubled. Madame Royale fell
fainting at the feet of the king,
which she held clasped in her
arms; I lifted her up and helped
Madame Elizabeth to support her.
The king, wishing to put an end
to this heartrending scene, gave
them the most tender embraces,
and had the strength to tear him-
self from their arms.
"Adieu ..
adieu !" he said, and re-entered
his chamber.

The princesses went upstairs to their own rooms; I wished to continue to support Madame Royale ; the municipals stopped me at the second step and obliged me to return.

Although the two doors were closed, we continued to hear the sighs and groans of the princesses on the staircase. The king rejoined his confessor in the cabinet of the tower.

Half-an-hour afterwards he came out, and I served the supper; the | king ate little, but with appetite.

After supper his majesty having re-entered his cabinet, his confessor came out a moment afterwards and asked the municipals to take him to the council chamber; it was to request the ornaments and all that was necessary for performing mass next morning. M. de Firmont had difficulty in getting this request acceded to. They sent to fetch the things required for the divine service from the Church of the Capuchins du Marais, near the Hotel de Soubise, which had been erected into a parish. On his return from the council chamber M. de Firmont went back into the

king's room; they both passed | then, drawing from his finger a into the tower, and remained there ring, which he gazed at several till half-an-hour after midnight; | times, he put it in the same pockthen I undressed the king, and as et where the seal was; he changed I was going to do up his hair for his shirt, put on a white waistcoat him, he said to me, "It is not which he had worn the day before, worth the trouble;" then when and I handed him his coat; he going to bed, as I was drawing the took out of the pockets his portcurtains, "Clery, you will awake folio, his glass, his snuff-box, and me at five o'clock." some other articles; he laid also his purse on the chimney-piece, all this in silence and in the presence of several municipals. His toilet finished, the king bade me inform M. de Firmont; I went to tell him; he was already up: he followed his majesty into his cabinet.

Scarcely had he gone to bed, when a deep sleep took possession of his senses; he slept till five o'clock without awaking. M. de Firmont, whom his majesty had urged to take a little repose, threw himself on my bed, and I passed the night on a chair in the king's chamber, praying God to keep up his strength and courage.

I heard five o'clock strike, and I lit the fire; at the noise I made the king awoke, and said to me, drawing back his curtain, "Has five o'clock struck?" 66 Sire, it has struck on several clocks, but not yet on the timepiece." The fire being lighted, I drew near the bed. "I have slept well," said this prince to me; "I had need of it; yesterday had fatigued me ; where is M. de Firmont ?" "On my bed." "And you, where have you passed the night?" "On this chair." "I am sorry for it," said the king. 66 Ah, sire can I think of myself at this moment?" | He gave me one of his hands, and pressed mine affectionately.

I dressed the king and did his hair; during his toilet he took off his watch a seal. He put it in the pocket of his waistcoat, laid his watch on the chimney-piece;

During this time I placed a chest of drawers in the middle of the room, and prepared it in the fashion of an altar for saying mass. All that was necessary had been brought at two o'clock in the morning. I carried the vestments of the priest into my chamber, and when all was in readiness, I went to inform the king. He asked me if I could serve the mass; I answered yes, but that I did not know the responses by heart. He was holding a prayer-book in his hand; he opened it, looked out the service of the mass, and gave it to me; then he took another book. In the meanwhile the priest was robing himself. I had placed an arm-chair before the altar, and set a large cushion on the floor for his majesty. The king made me take away this cushion; he went himself into his cabinet to find a smaller one stuffed with horsehair, which he ordinarily used for saying

66

his prayers. As soon as the priest | your person." I was still at his entered, the municipal withdrew feet, holding one of his hands; in into the antechamber, and I closed this posture he granted my prayer, one of the folding-doors. The gave me his blessing, then he mass began at six o'clock. Through- raised me up, and pressing me out this august ceremony a deep against his bosom, said: “ Commusilence prevailed. The king, al-nicate it to all persons who are ways on his knees, listened to the mass with the most holy devotion, in the most noble attitude. His majesty communicated: after the mass, the king passed into his cabinet, and the priest went into my chamber to take off his sacerdotal attire.

I seized this moment to enter his majesty's cabinet. He took my two hands, and said to me in a touching tone: "Clery, I am pleased by your attention." "Ah, sire!" said I to him, throwing myself at his feet, "would that by my death I could disarm your executioners, and preserve a life so precious to good Frenchmen. Hope, sire! they will not dare to strike you." "Death does not dismay me; I am quite prepared for it. But you," continued he, "do not you expose yourself. I am going to request that you remain by my son; give him all your care in this frightful abode; remind him, tell him all the pain I suffer from the misfortunes which he feels; one day, perhaps, he will be able to recompense your zeal." “Ah, my master! ah, my king! if the most absolute devotion, if my zeal and my attention have pleased you, the only reward I desire of your majesty is to receive your blessing; do not refuse it to the last Frenchman remaining near

attached to me; tell Turgy also that I am pleased with him. Return," added the king; " do not give any cause of suspicion against yourself." Then, calling me back, he took up from the table a paper which he had laid there: “Stop, here is a letter which Petion wrote me when you came into the Temple; it will be useful in procuring you leave to stay here.” I

again seized his hand, which I kissed, and went out. "Adieu !" he said to me again, “adieu !" ..

I

I re-entered my chamber, and found there M. de Firmont praying on his knees beside my bed. “What a prince!” he said to me as he rose. "With what resignation, with what courage, he goes to death. He is as calm, as tranquil, as if he had just been hearing mass in his own palace, in the midst of his court." have just been receiving from him,” said I, "the most touching adieus ; he has deigned to promise me to ask that I may remain in this tower with his son. When he comes out, Monsieur, I beg you to remind him of it, for I shall not | have the happiness of seeing him in private again.” "Be at ease," M. de Firmont replied to me, and rejoined his majesty.

At seven o'clock the king came out of his cabinet, called me, and

drawing me into the embrasure of | jesty replied, "It is for Clery to the window, said to me: "You cut my hair." The municipals will give this seal to my son—this | withdrew; one of them went to ring to the queen. Tell her that the council chamber, where, after I am sorry to part with it. This half-an-hour's deliberation, the little packet contains locks of the scissors were refused. The munihair of all my family, you will cipal returned and informed the give it also to her. Tell the king of this decision. "I should queen, my dear children, my sis- not have touched the scissors," ter, that I had promised to see said his majesty; "I should have them this morning, but I wish to desired Clery to cut my hair in spare them the pain of such a cruel your presence. See again, Monseparation; how much does it sieur; I beg you to join in my cost me to leave without receiving request." The municipal returntheir last embraces !" He dried ed to the council, which persisted a few tears, then he added in the in its refusal. most sorrowful tone-"I leave it to you to say farewell to them." He then entered his cabinet.

The municipals who had come near heard what his majesty said, and saw me receive the different articles which I still held in my hands. They told me to give them up; but one of them proposed to let me be the custodian of them till the decision of the council. This opinion prevailed.

A quarter of an hour afterwards the king came out of his cabinet. Ask," he said to me, "if I can have a pair of scissors," and he re-entered. I made the request of the commissaries. 66 Do you know what he wishes to do with them?" "I don't know at all." "We must see." I knocked at the door of the little cabinet; the king came out. A municipal, who had followed me, said to him: "You have asked for some scissors, but before making the request of the council, we must know what you wish to do with them." His ma

It was then I was told that I must be ready to accompany the king in order to undress him on the scaffold. At this announcement I was seized with terror; but, summoning up all my courage, I was preparing myself to do this last duty for my master, who could not bear that this office should be performed by the executioner, when another municipal came to tell me that I was not to go, and added: "The executioner is good enough for him.”

Paris was under arms since five o'clock in the morning; we heard the générale beating; the clash of arms, the trampling of horses, the rolling of the cannon which were being constantly placed in position and moved away-all resounded in the tower.

At nine o'clock the noise increases, the doors are opened with a crash. Santerre, accompanied by seven or eight municipals, enters at the head of ten gendarmes, and posts them in two lines.

At