Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1871-11-25
AN ESCAPE FROM TIE BASTILg.

AN EONAIE EhUM ElIE BASIlIE,
NJ Masers Henri dc Ia Tudc, the
son OF a Knight Of St. Louis, the
Lieutenant. Colonel of the Orleans
dragoon regiment, was born in the
year l725 at the chateau of CroisiaiI,
near Montagnac, in Langucdoc, in
the diocese of Agde. La Tude's Ia
ther, made Kings Lieutenant of Sc
dan in 1888, brought him up as bV-
came the son of an old soldier ofrank
aud position. In l7I9 la Tude was
sent to Paris to complete his educa-
ton as an engineer.
Louis the Fifteenth had sue
ceeded to the throne in l7I5.
The European war, which had ended
at AiX-la-C -Chappelle in l747, left the
French with a shattered fleet, and
twelve hundred millions added to
their debt. The debased king, wal
lowing in pleasure at the Pare aux
Ccrfs, abandoned everything to his
vain andambitious mistress, Madame
De Pompadour, the dlughter of u
government contractor, whom the.
mobiles of the court hated, despiscd,
and yet feared. The clergy, intent
on hotly prosecuting the Jansenistsy
were exercising the most despotic.
power, encouraged by this Roxana,
OF the hour, no had just dismissed
NJ. MaChault, an honest and enlight-
ened minister, who had Cndcavored
to cQuaizc taxation, and to encour-
age free internal trade in corn. TIE
king had already began TO act on the
fatal principal laid down by him
selfin n subsequent speech to hfs
Parliament: "We hold our crow II
from God alone; legislative power
belongs to the king only, without de-
pendencc and without partition"
1t was at this period of corruption
that the young military STUDENT ca
ger to plunge into the struggle of
life, arrived in Paris. Clever, smbi-
tious, and not overscrupulous, La
Tude resolved to climb the hill of
fortune bya short and dangerous cut.
A smile of Madame De Pompadour
secured gold, rank, favor, snccess to
him on whom it rested. By a wild,
| ill-planncd scheme, as daring as it
was rash, La Tude resolved to win
that smile, and to secure a place at
the sultana's side. The proud no.
bles, the Janscnists, and the strict
and religious OF all parties hated her
with nm intense and Unsuitable ma
lignity. One day La Tude hcard
some young men over their wine
gasconading tlat they would rid
France of The harpy. La Tude had
been told that the fear of poison i'm
bittcred the lie OF this woman, who
declared that every day at Versailles
was "batte.' lie at once devised
an incoherent project, full of shallow
and short sighted cunning. lie fill
ed a letter with some harmless pow
der, and posted it TO Madame DE
Pompadour. He then rode to Yer
sailles, obtained an audience OF the
favoritc, revealed the conversation
he had heard, informed her he had
seen a parcel posted to her, commit
nicated his suspicious respecting IT.
cautioned her to be on her guard, aHd
assured her in lavish terms OF she
anxiety he felt, and the great salts
faction he experienced in being able
to give her intelligence so important
to herself and all France, to whom
she was so dear. The vain woman,
| living amidst false friends and open
enemies, was pleased with the zeal
ofthe young student, and, after eX-
pressing her gratitude for the atten-
ton. politely offered him her SER
vice. He left the palace, and turn
ed his face toward Paris, enraptur-
ed at the success of his stratagem.
He had won that smile that secured
wealth, power, and all that which ne
lonped. Mathematics were only for
dusty pedants; for him now, by day,
the perpetual sunshine that gold-lace
forever spreads through Versailles
corridors; by night the sparkling
starlight of court diamonds, and an
open heaven of fair and welcoming
faces. So youths dreams arise; SO
they pass away. The next post
| brought the alarming packet. Inc
supposed poison was tried 6y the
court physicians on several old court
lavorites, grown old and useless
The Ptmpadour, with Diatcrious,
and some other of MOlieras medical
friends, stood round in breathless
expectation to see the creatures drop
dead; but no-by all the saints OF
Paris, no! on the contrary, they
waddIed, gambolled, crawled, and
fawned upon the cruel hands heid
ont TO them, and no harm resulted IN
any wav-no harm but to the young
FIlan0u6doe student. lie had won
4 NE smile, now he felt the frown'
The sky over Versailles darkencd as
he rode to Paris eXulting; then the
lightning struck him. 800
Onuthe 1st of May, l749, a stern
Knocking came at Ia Tudc's door
rough hands snatched away hi'
sword, sharp cords tied his wrists
the next morning the poor unsmc'
cessful, detected cheat awoke i'll the
Bastile. The fools paradise hat
.cbaugcd,t to a dark cell, whence Ut
Avoice cottld reach the ears of justice
The world was dead to him, and III
TO the world. At three-and7twenly
with a brain full of hope aud amDi
(! tion, he was bHried alive.
I In the September Of the samc yea
!, La Tude, treated as mere inolscree
lad, was removed to the castle Q
fVincennes, whore NJ. Berrier TN
'T,ieulcnant-0eneral of the Police
showed him every possible indpl
genoe. IIe was allotted the pcs
room, and permitted to walk tw
hours each day in the gardens OF III
chateau. From his windows d
could see over all Parie. Below NJ
rooms stretched a private garden, l
which another favored prisoner,