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The Bibliothèque Nationale
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Historical SummaryBY JUNE 1791 the throne of France became so hot that Louis XVI decided to flee from the violence and danger to which he was continually exposed in Paris. A plan was made for the flight of the whole royal family to Montmédy on the northern frontier, about two hundred miles from Paris, and eventually to Austria, native land of Marie Antoinette, where she could count upon help from her brother, Emperor Leopold II. The queen was disguised as a Russian lady and the king as her valet. The attempt to reach the border miscarried. Much time was lost in starting, and the progress of the royal party was so slow that the convoys which were supposed to meet it did not wait. Moreover, the obstinate monarch could not be persuaded to make use of common carriages, but had a special coach built for his own use, which was certain to attract attention. Besides he refused to conceal himself and eventually was recognized by a village postmaster. At Varennes, about one hundred and fifty miles from Paris, the royal party was stopped by the National Guard and detained, pending orders from Paris. The next day word came to bring the king’s party back to Paris. On the return journey crowds assembled along the way to hurl imprecations and insults at the royal family, especially the queen, who was detested by the people. The king and his family arrived in Paris on June 24, where they were received in silence by a large crowd. Thereafter the city which had been their capital now became their prison. Below are four eyewitness accounts by Englishmen concerning varying circumstances of the Varennes flight. 1. The first account is from the diary of Lord Gower who describes the discovery of the flight in Paris. At first it was thought that the king and his family had taken the road to Brussels. 2. The second account by Stephen Weston, antiquary and man of letters, describes the effect of the news of the attempted flight on the people of Lisle on June 24, 1791. This type of reaction was typical of the provinces. 3. Miss Miles tells of the return of the royal family to Paris on June 26. The king was received in complete silence, with no sign of either insult or respect. 4. An obscure postmaster, J. B. Drouet, recognized Louis at St. Méné-hould when his coach stopped there on June 21, and rushed by short cut to Varennes, just in time to stop the fugitives there. The maître de poste was received in Paris on the 24th as a conquering hero. J. G. Millingen describes the dramatic welcome.
Key Quote"Every woman the mob met was obliged to kiss the supposed savior of his country."
Paris
The Flight of Louis XVI
[1791]
I
In Paris: Lord Gower
June 22, 1791. I take the first opportunity of informing your Lordship of the surprising event which happened yesterday, no person whatever having till this moment been permitted to leave Paris.
Between seven and eight in the morning it was discovered that the king and all the royal family had left the Tuileries unknown to the Guard. It is supposed that they quitted the palace between one and two o’clock, and it is imagined that they have taken the route through the forests of Compiègne and the Ardennes to the Low Countries but nothing certain is as yet known. Monsieur and Madame have also left the Luxembourg.
June 23, 1791. The most recent account of the king’s situation was brought this afternoon by a Mr. Mangin, son to a member of the Assembly, who resides at Varennes, a small town between Stenay and Clermont in Argonne. He says that early on Wednesday morning the king and royal family passed through Sainte Ménéhould in a Berline with six homes but with only two attendants on horseback. The postmaster of that place suspected that they were not common travellers and questioned them particularly about their route. They said that they were going to Verdun, the first town on the great road. He followed them, but seeing them take the bye road which leads to Varennes, he rode in haste to that town and gave the alarm. When the king arrived at the inn the inhabitants insisted that he should not proceed on his journey until they knew for certain who he was and the motives of it. His Majesty was therefore obliged to enter the inn where he was seen by Mr. Mangin who, being acquainted with his person, informed the astonished multitude that they possessed their king.
The way in which the royal family contrived to leave the Tuileries is not yet known. The thing is wonderful and the more so because the Mayor and Mr. la Fayette had been apprised of their intention for some days before and had accordingly taken all possible precautions to prevent it. They both stayed with his Majesty till one o’clock, when they retired perfectly secure that no attempt of the sort could be made that night; having left a double guard and an extraordinary number of officers upon duty against whom there is no suspicion of corruption.
Lord Gower, June 22, 23, 1791.
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Chicago: Ronald Gower, "The Flight of Louis XVI—I," The Bibliothèque Nationale in History in the First Person: Eyewitnesses of Great Events: They Saw It Happen, ed. Louis Leo Snyder and Richard B. Morris (Harrisburg, Pa.: Stackpole Co., 1951), Original Sources, accessed December 3, 2024, http://originalsources.com/Document.aspx?DocID=EV4NP9KMQGH2XK7.
MLA: Gower, Ronald. "The Flight of Louis XVI—I." The Bibliothèque Nationale, in History in the First Person: Eyewitnesses of Great Events: They Saw It Happen, edited by Louis Leo Snyder and Richard B. Morris, Harrisburg, Pa., Stackpole Co., 1951, Original Sources. 3 Dec. 2024. http://originalsources.com/Document.aspx?DocID=EV4NP9KMQGH2XK7.
Harvard: Gower, R, 'The Flight of Louis XVI—I' in The Bibliothèque Nationale. cited in 1951, History in the First Person: Eyewitnesses of Great Events: They Saw It Happen, ed. , Stackpole Co., Harrisburg, Pa.. Original Sources, retrieved 3 December 2024, from http://originalsources.com/Document.aspx?DocID=EV4NP9KMQGH2XK7.
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