memoir of fleeming jenkin-第7章

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gave　blows　with　the　back　of　the　sword；　which　hurt　but　did　not　

wound。　　I　was　as　close　to　them　as　I　am　now　to　the　other　side　of　the　

table；　it　was　rather　impressive；　however。　　At　the　second　charge　

they　rode　on　the　pavement　and　knocked　the　torches　out　of　the　

fellows'　hands；　rather　a　shame；　too　…　wouldn't　be　stood　in　England。　

。　。　。



＇At＇　'ten　minutes　to　ten　。　。　。　I　went　a　long　way　along　the　

Boulevards；　passing　by　the　office　of　Foreign　Affairs；　where　Guizot　

lives；　and　where　to…night　there　were　about　a　thousand　troops　

protecting　him　from　the　fury　of　the　populace。　　After　this　was　

passed；　the　number　of　the　people　thickened；　till　about　half　a　mile　

further　on；　I　met　a　troop　of　vagabonds；　the　wildest　vagabonds　in　

the　world　…　Paris　vagabonds；　well　armed；　having　probably　broken　

into　gunsmiths'　shops　and　taken　the　guns　and　swords。　　They　were　

about　a　hundred。　　These　were　followed　by　about　a　thousand　（I　am　

rather　diminishing　than　exaggerating　numbers　all　through）；　

indifferently　armed　with　rusty　sabres；　sticks；　etc。　　An　uncountable　

troop　of　gentlemen；　workmen；　shopkeepers'　wives　（Paris　women　dare　

anything）；　ladies'　maids；　common　women　…　in　fact；　a　crowd　of　all　

classes；　though　by　far　the　greater　number　were　of　the　better　

dressed　class　…　followed。　　Indeed；　it　was　a　splendid　sight：　　the　

mob　in　front　chanting　the　〃MARSEILLAISE；〃　the　national　war　hymn；　

grave　and　powerful；　sweetened　by　the　night　air　…　though　night　in　

these　splendid　streets　was　turned　into　day；　every　window　was　filled　

with　lamps；　dim　torches　were　tossing　in　the　crowd　。　。　。　for　Guizot　

has　late　this　night　given　in　his　resignation；　and　this　was　an　

improvised　illumination。



'I　and　my　father　had　turned　with　the　crowd；　and　were　close　behind　

the　second　troop　of　vagabonds。　　Joy　was　on　every　face。　　I　remarked　

to　papa　that　〃I　would　not　have　missed　the　scene　for　anything；　I　

might　never　see　such　a　splendid　one；〃　when　PLONG　went　one　shot　…　

every　face　went　pale　…　R…R…R…R…R　went　the　whole　detachment；　＇and＇　

the　whole　crowd　of　gentlemen　and　ladies　turned　and　cut。　　Such　a　

scene！　…　ladies；　gentlemen；　and　vagabonds　went　sprawling　in　the　

mud；　not　shot　but　tripped　up；　and　those　that　went　down　could　not　

rise；　they　were　trampled　over。　。　。　。　I　ran　a　short　time　straight　on　

and　did　not　fall；　then　turned　down　a　side　street；　ran　fifty　yards　

and　felt　tolerably　safe；　looked　for　papa；　did　not　see　him；　so　

walked　on　quickly；　giving　the　news　as　I　went。'　　＇It　appears；　from　

another　letter；　the　boy　was　the　first　to　carry　word　of　the　firing　

to　the　Rue　St。　Honore；　and　that　his　news　wherever　he　brought　it　was　

received　with　hurrahs。　　It　was　an　odd　entrance　upon　life　for　a　

little　English　lad；　thus　to　play　the　part　of　rumour　in　such　a　

crisis　of　the　history　of　France。＇



'But　now　a　new　fear　came　over　me。　　I　had　little　doubt　but　my　papa　

was　safe；　but　my　fear　was　that　he　should　arrive　at　home　before　me　

and　tell　the　story；　in　that　case　I　knew　my　mamma　would　go　half　mad　

with　fright；　so　on　I　went　as　quick　as　possible。　　I　heard　no　more　

discharges。　　When　I　got　half　way　home；　I　found　my　way　blocked　up　by　

troops。　　That　way　or　the　Boulevards　I　must　pass。　　In　the　Boulevards　

they　were　fighting；　and　I　was　afraid　all　other　passages　might　be　

blocked　up　。　。　。　and　I　should　have　to　sleep　in　a　hotel　in　that　

case；　and　then　my　mamma　…　however；　after　a　long　DETOUR；　I　found　a　

passage　and　ran　home；　and　in　our　street　joined　papa。



'。　。　。　I'll　tell　you　to…morrow　the　other　facts　gathered　from　

newspapers　and　papa。　。　。　。　Tonight　I　have　given　you　what　I　have　

seen　with　my　own　eyes　an　hour　ago；　and　began　trembling　with　

excitement　and　fear。　　If　I　have　been　too　long　on　this　one　subject；　

it　is　because　it　is　yet　before　my　eyes。





'Monday；　24。





'It　was　that　fire　raised　the　people。　　There　was　fighting　all　

through　the　night　in　the　Rue　Notre　Dame　de　Lorette；　on　the　

Boulevards　where　they　had　been　shot　at；　and　at　the　Porte　St。　Denis。　　

At　ten　o'clock；　they　resigned　the　house　of　the　Minister　of　Foreign　

Affairs　（where　the　disastrous　volley　was　fired）　to　the　people；　who　

immediately　took　possession　of　it。　　I　went　to　school；　but　＇was＇　

hardly　there　when　the　row　in　that　quarter　commenced。　　Barricades　

began　to　be　fixed。　　Everyone　was　very　grave　now；　the　EXTERNES　went　

away；　but　no　one　came　to　fetch　me；　so　I　had　to　stay。　　No　lessons　

could　go　on。　　A　troop　of　armed　men　took　possession　of　the　

barricades；　so　it　was　supposed　I　should　have　to　sleep　there。　　The　

revolters　came　and　asked　for　arms；　but　Deluc　（head…master）　is　a　

National　Guard；　and　he　said　he　had　only　his　own　and　he　wanted　them；　

but　he　said　he　would　not　fire　on　them。　　Then　they　asked　for　wine；　

which　he　gave　them。　　They　took　good　care　not　to　get　drunk；　knowing　

they　would　not　be　able　to　fight。　　They　were　very　polite　and　behaved　

extremely　well。



'About　12　o'clock　a　servant　came　for　a　boy　who　lived　near　me；　＇and＇　

Deluc　thought　it　best　to　send　me　with　him。　　We　heard　a　good　deal　of　

firing　near；　but　did　not　come　across　any　of　the　parties。　　As　we　

approached　the　railway；　the　barricades　were　no　longer　formed　of　

palings；　planks；　or　stones；　but　they　had　got　all　the　omnibuses　as　

they　passed；　sent　the　horses　and　passengers　about　their　business；　

and　turned　them　over。　　A　double　row　of　overturned　coaches　made　a　

capital　barricade；　with　a　few　paving　stones。



'When　I　got　home　I　found　to　my　astonishment　that　in　our　fighting　

quarter　it　was　much　quieter。　　Mamma　had　just　been　out　seeing　the　

troops　in　the　Place　de　la　Concorde；　when　suddenly　the　Municipal　

Guard；　now　fairly　exasperated；　prevented　the　National　Guard　from　

proceeding；　and　fired　at　them；　the　National　Guard　had　come　with　

their　muskets　not　loaded；　but　at　length　returned　the　fire。　　Mamma　

saw　the　National　Guard　fire。　　The　Municipal　Guard　were　round　the　

corner。　　She　was　delighted　for　she　saw　no　person　killed；　though　

many　of　the　Municipals　were。　。　。　。　。



'I　immediately　went　out　with　my　papa　（mamma　had　just　come　back　with　

him）　and　went　to　the　Place　de　la　Concorde。　　There　was　an　enormous　

quantity　of　troops　in　the　Place。　　Suddenly　the　gates　of　the　gardens　

of　the　Tuileries　opened：　　we　rushed　forward；　out　gallopped　an　

enormous　number　of　cuirassiers；　in　the　middle　of　which　were　a　

couple　of　low　carriages；　said　first　to　contain　the　Count　de　Paris　

and　the　Duchess　of　Orleans；　but　afterwards　they　said　it　was　the　

King　and　Queen；　and　then　I　heard　he　had　abdicated。　　I　returned　and　

gave　the　news。



'Went　out　again　up　the　Boulevards。　　The　house　of　the　Minister　of　

Foreign　Affairs　was　filled　with　people　and　〃HOTEL　DU　PEUPLE〃　

written　on　it；　the　Boulevards　were　barricaded　with　fine　old　trees　

that　were　cut　down　and　stretched　all　across　the　road。　　We　went　

through　a　great　many　little　streets；　all　strongly　barricaded；　and　

sentinels　of　the　people　at　the　principal　of　them。　　The　streets　were　

very　unquiet；　filled　with　armed　men　and　women；　for　the　troops　had　

followed　the　ex…King　to　Neuilly　and　left　Paris　in　the　power　of　the　

people。　　We　met　the　captain　of　the　Third　Legion　of　the　National　

Guard　（who　had　principally　protected　the　people）；　badly　wounded　by　

a　Municipal　Guard；　stretched　on　a　litter。　　He　was　in　possession　of　

his　senses。　　He　was　surrounded　by　a　troop　of　men　crying　〃Our　brave　

captain　…　we　have　him　yet　…　he's　not　dead！　　VIVE　LA　REFORME！〃　　This　

cry　was　responded　to　by　all；　and　every　one　saluted　him　as　he　

passed。　　I　do　not　know　if　he　was　mortally　wounded。　　That　Third　

Legion　has　behaved　splendidly。



'I　then　returned；　and　shortly　afterwards　went　out　again　to　the　

garden　of　the　Tuileries。　　They　were　given　up　to　the　people　and　the　

palace　was　being　sacked。　　The　people　were　firing　blank　cartridges　

to　testify　their　joy；　and　they　had　a　cannon　on　the　top　of　the　

palace。　　It　was　a　sight　to　see　a　palace　sacked　and　armed　vagabonds　

firing　out　of　the　windows；　and　throwing　shirts；　papers；　and　dresses　

of　all　kinds　out　of　the