6. Procès-Verbal of the General Assembly of the Commune of Varennes, June 27, 1791.

The same day, the twenty-first, about a quarter after eleven at night, there arrived at the tavern Bras d’Or, M. Drouet, of the horse-post at Sainte-Menehould, accompanied by M. Guillaume, inhabitant of the same town, both on horses, and who, without stopping to get their breath, informed M. Blan, the tavern keeper, that two carriages were coming down behind them and were going to pass at once, and that they suspected that the king was in one. The tavern keeper, an Officer of the national guard, ran to the house of M. Sauce, procureur of the commune, whom he aroused at once and told him what he came to announce. He then returned home, armed himself and his brother, and went on guard. The procureur of the commune notified the municipal officer who represents the mayor, deputy at the national assembly. Having met M. Regnier, a lawyer, who was equally informed, he begged him to go quickly and inform the other officers. The procureur of the commune, returning home, made his children get up, and told them to run into the street and cry "Fire!" in order to give the alarm. He took a lantern and went to the passage. Meanwhile MM. Regnier and Drouet dragged up a loaded wagon and barred the bridge. It was at this moment that the carriages appeared. The two brothers Blan had stopped the first, which was a cabriolet, in which were two ladies. The procureur of the commune, having approached the carriage, asked for the passports; they replied to him that the second carriage had them. He went to that. This carriage was loaded in an extraordinary way, was drawn by six horses, with three riders on three of the horses, and three persons dressed in yellow on the seat. The two brothers Le Blan, together with MM. Regnier, Coquillard, Justin George, Pousin, all national guards, Thenevin des Ilettes, and Deslion de Monfaucon, who were lodged at the tavern Bras d’Or and armed, put on a firm and brave front. The procureur of the commune, going up to the door, asked the persons in the carriage where they were going and raised his lantern to look at them. They replied they were going to Frankfort. . . . The procureur of the commune, who had lodged these strangers in an upper chamber in the rear of his house, already well surrounded, ran to M. Detez, judge of the tribunal, that he might come down and see if it really was the king and his family. . . . He returned to his house with the said M. Detez and went up into the apartment where the king, the queen, the dauphin, Madame Royal, Madame Elizabeth, and other persons of their suite were, and they were recognized by the said M. Detez.