New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-06-09
FRANCE IN 1889.
LETTERS FROM AN ENGLISH TRAVELLER


DAY. JULY 12-THE CAPTURE OF THE BAs1iE
Avn ,rs DESTRUCTION By THE roPULACE-DE
LAUNAY's HEAD-RELEAsKD PRISONERS - HE
x,No ~ p.RIs-PUT1ING on THE CoCKArB.
The nersona records lett by many men
who travelled in France about ninety years aRO
have been Of great service to the historian ana perhaps
few documents that survived that extraordinary ue
have been more highly valued and freely USED OF az
cepted with greater confidence. The mass OF them 10
large and though the publication OF them mas pc'n
scattered along tie century each volume has been fes
with an interest scarcely less than that whlch al
tended the earliest There are certain topies
which It absolutely lmpOss'"ie "
haust the interest, and this one no 'ess mo,
Napoleon, Shakespeare ana the cn'p
of Christianity, is one Of them. AihOhg 'ne EnS
travellers in France at that time was Dr. hl""i H''
who had as compsnions three other Engi'h gehIeeu'
The marty arrived Paris the 7th o. Juy' A'o3
naming until the 19h-dates when cover soc VI '"o
most memorable events In the Revolutionary per'ou.
Durn0 his absence Dr. Rigby wrote several letters 10
his wife and dau ghters III England and Lady East"Ne'
h,s daughter by second wife, has just given them 10
the world under the title DR.. Rcbys Letters Hoin
France etc., In 1889 (Scrhner Welfordl. More 'nah
tyo.thirds of the volume pertains to France ID general
the condition Of the country and personal experience
I'm travel through itaud its chief interest lies III sse
letter sxty.fve pages long narratlhK Tue e'eu'S'' ~
twelve DAYS passed in Paris.
Dr. Rigby and bis friends had not been long III r"ls
when they saw that the centre OF all pohttal lhttl-
eence was the Palais Royal. TIE earliest commune"
lions from the National Assembly, then sitting III YER
sales arrived there and it there, aso that news
Dapers Of kind before unknown under the monarchy
heran to show then selves. Accordingly they TOOK
lodgings at q me- ghboing hotel The hrSl m"ih"S u'
arose early and found the Palais ROYAL iht"hSeu VIA
an eager and excited crowd al the HrSt GAVIN Oh u'
Newspapers were in great demand ana morley g'o"is
here and there were bong addressed by various
,neoEes As he entered the square the address OF the
Assembly to the King and the spirited debate on 'he
Kings answer had just bee read The whOIe pace re-
sounded with praises OF Miraheau and tile "arnlest
tributes Of applause paid to the Assembly
for its flrmness. On the morning OF saturday,
July H. Dr. RgGy went to Versailles aud entered the
Assembly" glorious sight" ne was in tune to hear
La Fayete make the motion for de'iar"-
ton of rights his speech being snort o"l
animated and expressive III the afternoon "
Sunday he and his friends walked about the pai"N
and gardens belonging 20 the palace, where 'eS 81"
many members of the Third Estate in black gowns CON
versiug apparently with much carnestncss Ii re-
minded him of the Athcnian groves MICA W'th pm
osophcrs During these walks they Glanced 10 sec t"e
King and QUEEN. To Marie AntoneIte he refers Us ''f
lows:
Nor cou'd we see the splendor of the Palace nor wit
ness ihC NJ and Queen going to mass, GaZed UPON u,
sncb n my, II multitude WitnOu; HdvertmS IN thought
10 Inc peculiar situation OF The CUun'rF nor couli We
Cehuld tie of Marie Antonrttc ana nor Sc - mp
IONS OF no common anxiety marked on t. The d'gny
VI countenancc which, ACCORDING 10 various dr;cri-
Mons formed 1t TN earlier period ~ h'r e a mes
t.tInr uduitlon charms OF natural AMY 50
srofusey bestowed Oh her, UNCUT be sad, moo" TO re-
Gain it Lad assumed more Of me e2ai@ctcr "l Sc
vcry. The forehead WIS cGrruEaeu tlr rnt" ,r
thrown forward and the eyes out l'tr o ci, duC t'
Ing with caution from side To Sc' discovered
steld of clycty serenity cXpcS~iUn OF al'
biciOn care which necessarily anu uuch W .i'
beauty for watch she had once with tut" been e'c
DRAFTED.
That night the party returned to Paris and found the
city in state OF great agitation An order MA gone
forth orbidlins that any theatre should be opened in
sf1n llSfp al
been a second dismissed. and WAS already on MS
way to .ncva THIS had greatly heightened the indiS
nation of the people At the PLlalS Royal discussion
was loud and camOrOus, while suspicion aud alarm ha1
much Increased. orators were employing the whole
force of their elUquence calm the rising fury wnen
suddenly man dressed green coat appeared among
the crowd saving the Royal Dragons had fired on the
people III the TuIlerCs Gardens, That lie himself had
been wounded i'll the leg, AID crying: ITO arms GU
znus!o Camille Desmoulns there urging the people
TO lie calm. Further testimony proved that tue man
had ted the truth and from that moment nothing cond
restrain the fury of populace There were lOId calls
Tor arms Gunshops were rdnsacked houscs were ell
tered and in very short time the principal streets were
crowded with q umultuOus thrOng armed with guns,
swords pixies aud many other weapons Soldiers aud
the mob filed the streets The ringing OF large beI'
the glare Of torches shouts and the firing of arms CAV"
warning OF approaching danger
OF the determination OF the mob 10 attack the 6ase
the party first learned of a Canadian Frenrhma1 whom
9haVn
at his statement, remembering how the fortress had
held out against the army Henry ", and little
thinking would be actually In the hands O the pen
pie before night During the attack he and his friends
were in distant part Of the city, On returning TO the
Paais Royal they saw mob Fastening TO the place
"with accamatIons Of an extraordinary kind" AS 1t
approached the place they saw above it a flag, some
large KEYS and paper elevated pole on which were
inscribed the words; ala Bastie est prise ct les
portes sOnt Ouvcrtes."
The Intelligence Of this extraordinary event thus com
munlcaicd produced impression upon the crowd
really indescrbabie snddcn the frantic
Joy instanancousy took place. every possible mode IN
Which the most rapiurous feeling o. Joy c9ud Dc rX
pressed fsicl everywhere exh lDlted shouts ana
every sound and every gesture iuclutng even what
he'd nervous aud hyster1ca Affection mani
GUS and unanimous emotion OF extreme gadnesN as
should suppose was never before experienced by human
beings We were recognized az EugllShmen; we were
embraced reemen, "ior Frenchmen SAID they, are
now free as well as yourselves NO r
DIVIDE u.s." We caught the general enthusiast M we
most cordially with freed Frenchmen. For myself
shall ever he proud to remember the emotion that was
raised In IN a the never scene more IN
tensely Interesting never we're my feelings SO truly de-
ghlfn Inc crowu paSseG o o We Its nTrro"6 ws
also announced by lend and triumphant acclahlatlOls
character and though bearing additional testimony to
the fact reported By the first crowd. the IMPRESSION by
hollow mlrner ~ pervaded them, their counte-
nances expressing amazement MINCED with alarm. we
we pressed centre OF the crowd suddenly
parOOk of the general sensation for then. not
IN then, perceived two bloody heads raised on pixies,
which were said TO be the heads OF the Marquis de
Iaunay Governor of the Bastllc aud Monsieur FEES
selcs, Prfr6t des Adrchdnds. IL was Chilling and
horrld sighti
At night the party returned their hotel and the
way heard reports OF attack the city by for
unidsble army under command Of the Count dArtois.
Measures were oppose it, Trees cut down
aud thrown the principal approaches to the city.
md streets unDaved that the stones might be
red 10 the tops Of houses and thrown down upon the
troops as they passed along. All night the guns were
firing and the t0csin sounded increasingly On the fol-
lowing day Dr. RigDy witnessed affecting spec
tacr-ihe liberation OF two unhappy cIptves from the
Dastie.
One of these was a little, feeble old man. He cxdib-
iId an appearance 81 chidshness and faulty. lie tot
NJ. Cd nnnnlnnnlCe eXIlhllr1