The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-06-27 00:00:00

THE FRENCH REVOLUTION.-THE DUCHESS

OF ORLEANS.

(From a Sermon by the Rev. W. Cat-us Wilson)

Amidst this dark and frightful picture of anarchy and
revolution, one bright spot presents itself for our refresh-
ment and relief, and one well calculated to illustrate the
pitAlege and blessedness recognised in our text.
The King c,f the French, naturally anxious for the
future welfare of his kingdom, proposed his grandson as
his successor, and the Duchess of Orleans, his daughter.
in-law, for the regency during her son's minority.
At first, appearances are favourable for the recognition
of the appointment. The Duchess takes two of her
little sons, one in each hand, and presses through the
crowd into the Chamber of Deputies. How perilous her
position ! Before she was seated her little ones were
severed from her grasp by the pressure of the lawless
mob; and there could not but be a mother's pang and
apprehension as to what might be their fate while con-
cealed from her view. Moreover, there was no ignorance
as to the extremely critical condition of the King and
Queen, who, in their Sight, were far more likely to fall
into the hands of enemies than friends. She saw, too,
the Chamber packed with an infuriate and blood-thirsty
rabble, who were bent on the annihilation of royalty, and
were already exhibiting hands newly stained with blood ;
for the massacre had been fearful in and around the
Palace. And what could she and her little ones expect
when such was the maddened haste and impatience of the
assassins, that they would not 'tolerate the spectacle of a
portrait of their exiled monarch which hung against the
wall, but one of them must needs level his pistol at it,
and tear it into disguise ! But there is the Duchess, not
shrinking from an exposure to which every sense of duty
to her country, and her sovereign, and her son, prompted
her. -There she is seen, seated before her enemies—calm,
and dignified, and collected—how is this ? We admit
that it was a heroism which has its parallel in instances
where the possession of Christian principles and Christian
resources could not for a moment be supposed to exist;
but admitting this, it is a refreshment amidst this dark
tragedy to know that the Duchess of Orleans had not to
rely on a natural fortitude, or to turn to the uncertainty
and precariousness of her own sufficiency; but that she
went down into this scene of tremendous extremity under
the shelter of a spiritual refuge, and the sufficiency of a
spiritual strength which she had not then to seek, but
with which she had been long acquainted.
I will give you some extracts of a letter from Paris
which I received some time ago, little thinking that I
should then have to connect it with so melancholy a
sequel. _ _

Since I came to Paris I have been deeply interested in
the Duchess of Orleans and her little boys. Surely there
never was a more fearful tragedy than the heir of France
—the beloved husband, and the tender father, in a moment
dashed from his carriage, and brought almost lifeless to a
neighbouring house, where he in a few hours expired.—
The Duchess was most deeply attached to him and he to
her. * * The Duchess is a monument of stricken
grief. But yet, she says, 'My only refuge is in prayer.'
Her Sabbaths are passed in our humble Lutheran chapel ;
and lately, when the Tuileries were brilliant on the Lord's
day with the festive scene, she and her excellent mother,
the Duchess of Mecklenburgh, were seen kneeling
amongst our humble flock, and receiving the Lord's sup-
per. The chapel she attends has an excellent pastor,
Mons. Valette. He visits the Duchess constantly. Ah,
Mr. Valette (she said one day), you are come, and you are
welcome ; speak to me of my soul—speak to me of my
soul.' The Bible is her study, and her noble parent
delights to be her companion in reading its holy pages.
' My children (she says), oh how shall I bring them up
for God !' I h6rd the above, and much more from a
very intimate friend of the Duchess of Elchingen, who is
the favoured friend of the poor Duchess of Orleans.
The Duchess of E., though still a Roman Catholic, is a
devoted Christian, reading constantly the Word of God,
and building up in the true faith the Duchess of Orleans.
It is very interesting to hear of their happy intercourse.
The Duchess of E. is accustomed to pay several visits
during the week to the Tuileries, and being once pre-
vented by illness from ministering as she was wont to the
royal widow, she received from her a note, directing her
to read the 76th Psalm, and saying, "we cannot meet
to-day, as we are accustomed, let us meet at a throne of

grace.' "
How wonderful are the dealings of God with his child-
ren, and what evident marks of covenant love and faith-
fulness rest upon all his' dispensations towards them,
however wrapt up in mystery for a season ! We have
only to tarry the Lord's leisure, and be will bring us
forth to the light, and we shall behold his right-
eousness. It might seem a frowning Providence which
so suddenly deprived this excellent woman of an affec-
tionate husband, and at once marred her prospects
of coming to the throne ; but he who knows the end from
the beginning, knew full well that a throne, in this world,
was not to be her portion, even if her husband had sur-
vived; and the grief which became her widowed portion,
proved the best discipline and preparative for the troubles
which have now so thickly accumulated upon her.