Star.
London, England, 1820-10-13 00:00:00

nis liot t 77 OP MAttStlAt

After Marshal Brune had submitted to the 'tom
JovernMent, he" resigned the command* of Mar-
seilles, and or the Sth military division, about the
end of July, bill, to, the Marquis de Riviere, the
present Ambassador of France to the Ottoman Porte, ,
who furnished him with passports to retetn to Path.
A certain presentiment, which Mitt of high spirit are
often too proud to follow, determined the Marshal
to embark at Toulon fck some part of Bretagne; and
thence to proceed to the capital. His effects had
been already conveyed on board, as well as those of
Bedos, the Chief of his Staff. False shame, And
the fear lest he should be thought to betray some
weakness by those who urged him to travel by land,
and who described the road as perfectly safe, in-
duced the Marshal to change his mind. Escorted
by a squadron of horse, he pursued his way through
Provence, followed by his Aides-de-Camp. M.Bedos
embarked according to the original plan, and the se-
quel but too well justified hit caution.
On reaching the Durance, the Marshal, impelled
by a kind of fatality, dismissed his escort. On
Tuesday, the 2d of August, 1815, about ten in the
morning, he arrived at Avignon, never to leave it
again alive. He alighted at the Palais Royal hotel,
where he and his Aides-de-Camp breakfasted in a
room by themselves. One hour, one unfortunate
hour, had elapsed. The Marshal was just going to
remount his carriage, when he was recognised ; a
soldier, standing with some other persons at the door
oi; a coffee-house on the opposite side of the street,
atintioned his name. The appearance of the veteran
Officer excited among the spectators a respectful.
curiosity, which was converted by a word into a very
different feeling. A wretch, who joined• the popu-
lace, assembled round the carriage, exclaimed, a Ad..
mire the murderer of the Princess Lambelle!"
At these words, legions of banditti seemed to
spring up, as if by enchantment. Confused cries
-were heard. The carriage proceeded, but was de-
tained at the gate, where a post of the National Guard
assumed an air of no small importance at having to
examine the passport of a Marshal of France. The
Officer on duty insisted that this passport, which was
"wholly in the' hand-writing of the Marquis de Ri-
viere, ought to be submitted to the inspection of
Major Lambot, the Provisional Commandant of the
Department of Vaucluse. Every moment's delay
augmented the danger ; an infuriated multitude ob-
structed the way ; a shower of stones was thrown at
the carriage, which had already passed the gate, when
some of the maddened mob seized the reins, and con-
ducted the Marshal back to the hotel which he had just
quitted, the doors of which were immediately closed..
The dauntless soldier endeavoured to cheer his
Aides.cle-Camp, who trembled for his safety alone;
they were parted from him, and he was kept by him-
self in a room, where, with the firmness of a hero,
he awaited the catastrophe which he foresaw. The
inhabitants of the whole city were assembled before
the house : the atrocious calumny, first broached in
the infamous publication of -, passed from
mouth to mouth. Persons, whose names are known,
were seen running about among the populace, re.
pealing and commenting upon the slanderous report.
A cry was soon raised, demanding the death of the
veteran,-whose blood had so often flowed for France,
though it is but justice to observe, that some of the
Officers of the National Guard exerted themselves to
the utmost to prevent violence.

In the first moments of the uproar, the Marshal
wrote a note in the following terms to the Austrian
General, Nugent, who was then at Aix You know
our engagements ; I am a prisoner at Avignon, and.
trust that you will hasten to release me." What be-
came of this note is not known.
• M. de Saint Chamans, the new Prefect of Van-
cluse, had arrived in the preceding night, and was
incognito at the same hotel. Roused by the tremen-
dous noise, he rose, and sheaved himself to the peo-
ple. His authority was not recognized, and one of
the ringleaders of the tumult had even the effrontery
to declare that he was invested with the functions of
Prefect. The generak was beaten ; the Mayor, the
worthy and spirited M. Puy, assisted by a company
of the National Guard and some gens-d'armes, re-
pulsed the furious populace for a moment. He went
to the Marshal, and sought in vain to favour his
flight. He again addressed the rabble, but the latter
endeavoured to force their way through the national
guard, who opposed the most determined resistance.
The Mayor, at their head, cried out to the rioters—
" Wretches! it is only over my lifeless body that ye
can reach the Marshal r and placed himself in the
midst of the bayonets, by which the door of the house
was defended.
In the meantime, others of the banditti scaled the
walls in the rear, and penetrated into the hotel. The
Marshal heard them approachin, and desired the
sentinels before his door to return him his arms; they
were denied him, and in vain he offered one of the
soldiers a purse of gold for his musket. Some of the
assassins forcibly entered the apartment. The Mar-
sbal, who was standing before the fire-place, unco-
I noed his breast, without uttering a word. A voice
repeated in his presence the calumnious accusation,
which served as a pretext for the rage of the depraved
populace. "My blood has flowed for my country,"
replied he, to his executioners ; " I have grown old
-under the banners of honour. I was 60 leagues from
Paris, when the crime of which I am accused was
perpetrated."—"You must die," cried one of the vil-
lains, interrupting him. "I have learned to brave
death," replied ire General, " and would fain spare
you 4 crime; give me arms, and allow me five
mites to make my Death !" shouted the
murderer, discharging a pistol at him : the ball
grazed his forehead, and tore off a lock of hair. The
undaunted Brune folded his arms, and awaited. the
second shot. The pistol bung fire. " You have
missed," said another of the assassins; "make room;
'tis my turn now," and with a carbine the wretch ex-
tended on the floor 4 warrior, whom glory had ac-
companied in twenty battles, and crowned with the
laurels of Mincio, Verona, and Tavernelle.
It was two o'clock. The murderers burst into the
apartment and plundered the effects of their victim ;
they found, among other things, a sabre of great
value, which the Gland fieignior had presented to the
Marshal. After the •cOpopktion of the bloody deed, I
doe of the murderers appeared on the balcony,
adorned with the wbite feathers from the General's •
bat, The savages under the window set up a hideous.
•