to　defend　himself　by　taxing　him　with　cowardice；　lastly；　of　having　never　ceased　to　plot　and　correspond　with　foreigners　since　her　captivity　in　the　Temple；　and　of　having　there　treated　her　young　son　as　King。　　We　here　observe　how；　on　the　terrible　day　of　long…　deferred　vengeance；　when　subjects　at　length　break　forth　and　strike　such　of　their　princes　as　have　not　deserved　the　blow；　everything　is　distorted　and　converted　into　crime。　　We　see　how　the　profusion　and　fondness　for　pleasure；　so　natural　to　a　young　princess；　how　her　attachment　to　her　native　country；　her　influence　over　her　husband；　her　regrets；　always　more　indiscreet　in　a　woman　than　a　man；　nay；　even　her　bolder　courage；　appeared　to　their　inflamed　or　malignant　imaginations。
  It　was　necessary　to　produce　witnesses。　　Lecointre；　deputy　of　Versailles；　who　had　seen　what　had　passed　on　the　5th　and　6th　of　October；　Hebert；　who　had　frequently　visited　the　Temple；　various　clerks　in　the　ministerial　offices；　and　several　domestic　servants　of　the　old　Court　were　summoned。。　Admiral　d'Estaing；　formerly　commandant　of　the　guard　of　Versailles；　Manuel；　the　ex…procureur　of　the　Commune；　Latour…du…Pin；　minister　of　war　in　1789；　the　venerable　Bailly；　who；　it　was　said；　had　been；　with　La　Fayette；　an　accomplice　in　the　journey　to　Varennes；　lastly；　Valaze　one　of　the　Girondists　destined　to　the　scaffold；　were　taken　from　their　prisons　and　compelled　to　give　evidence。
  No　precise　fact　was　elicited。　　Some　had　seen　the　Queen　in　high　spirits　when　the　Life　Guards　testified　their　attachment；　others　had　seen　her　vexed　and　dejected　while　being　conducted　to　Paris；　or　brought　back　from　Varennes；　these　had　been　present　at　splendid　festivities　which　must　have　cost　enormous　sums；　those　had　heard　it　said　in　the　ministerial　offices　that　the　Queen　was　adverse　to　the　sanction　of　the　decrees。　　An　ancient　waiting…woman　of　the　Queen　had　heard　the　Duc　de　Coigny　say；　in　1788；　that　the　Emperor　had　already　received　two　hundred　millions　from　France　to　make　war　upon　the　Turks。
  The　cynical　Hebert；　being　brought　before　the　unfortunate　Queen；　dared　at　length　to　prefer　the　charges　wrung　from　the　young　Prince。　　He　said　that　Charles　Capet　had　given　Simon　an　account　of　the　journey　to　Varennes；　and　mentioned　La　Fayette　and　Bailly　as　having　cooperated　in　it。　　He　then　added　that　this　boy　was　addicted　to　odious　and　very　premature　vices　for　his　age；　that　he　had　been　surprised　by　Simon；　who；　on　questioning　him；　learned　that　he　derived　from　his　mother　the　vices　in　which　he　indulged。　Hebert　said　that　it　was　no　doubt　the　intention　of　Marie　Antoinette；　by　weakening　thus；　early　the　physical　constitution　of　her　son；　to　secure　to　herself　the　means　of　ruling　him　in　case　he　should　ever　ascend　the　throne。　The　rumours　which　had　been　whispered　for　twenty　years　by　a　malicious　Court　had　given　the　people　a　most　unfavourable　opinion　of　the　morals　of　the　Queen。　　That　audience；　however；　though　wholly　Jacobin；　was　disgusted　at　the　accusations　of　Hebert。
  ＇Can　there　be　a　more　infernal　invention　than　that　made　against　the。　　　　　　Queen　by　Hdbert；…namely；　that　she　had　had　an　improper　intimacy　with　　　　　　her　own　son？　　He　made　use　of　this　sublime　idea　of　which　he　boasted　　　　　　in　order　to　prejudice　the　women　against　the　Queen；　and　to　prevent　　　　　　her　execution　from　exciting　pity。　　It　had；　however；　no　other　effect　　　　　　than　that　of　disgusting　all　parties。PRUDHOMME。＇
  He　nevertheless　persisted　in　supporting　them。
  ＇Hebert　did　not　long　survive　her　in　whose　sufferings　he　had　taken　　　　　　such　an　infamous　part。　　He　was　executed　on　26th　March；　1794。＇
  The　unhappy　mother　made　no　reply。　　Urged　a　new　to　explain　herself；　she　said；　with　extraordinary　emotion；　〃I　thought　that　human　nature　would　excuse　me　from　answering　such　an　imputation；　but　I　appeal　from　it　to　the　heart　of　every　mother　here　present。〃　　This　noble　and　simple　reply　affected　all　who　heard　it。
  In　the　depositions　of　the　witnesses；　however；　all　was　not　so　bitter　for　Marie　Antoinette。　　The　brave　D'Estaing；　whose　enemy　she　had　been；　would　not　say　anything　to　inculpate　her；　and　spoke　only　of　the　courage　which　she　had　shown　on　the　5th　and　6th　of　October；　and　of　the　noble　resolution　which　she　had　expressed；　to　die　beside　her　husband　rather　than　fly。　Manuel；　in　spite　of　his　enmity　to　the　Court　during　the　time　of　the　Legislative　Assembly；　declared　that　he　could　not　say　anything　against　the　accused。　　When　the　venerable　Bailly　was　brought　forward；　who　formerly　so　often　predicted　to　the　Court　the　calamities　which　its　imprudence　must　produce；　he　appeared　painfully　affected；　and　when　he　was　asked　if　he　knew　the　wife　of　Capet；　〃Yes；〃　said　he；　bowing　respectfully；　〃I　have　known　Madame。〃　　He　declared　that　he　knew　nothing；　and　maintained　that　the　declarations　extorted　from　the　young　Prince　relative　to　the　journey　to　Varennes　were　false。　　In　recompense　for　his　deposition　he　was　assailed　with　outrageous　reproaches；　from　which　he　might　judge　what　fate　would　soon　be　awarded　to　himself。
  In　all　the　evidence　there　appeared　but　two　serious　facts；　attested　by　Latour…du…Pin　and　Valaze；　who　deposed　to　them　because　they　could　not　help　it。　　Latour…du…Pin　declared　that　Marie　Antoinette　had　applied　to　him　for　an　accurate　statement　of　the　armies　while　he　was　minister　of　war。　Valaze；　always　cold；　but　respectful　towards　misfortune；　would　not　say　anything　to　criminate　the　accused；　yet　he　could　not　help　declaring　that；　as　a　member　of　the　commission　of　twenty…four；　being　charged　with　his　colleagues　to　examine　the　papers　found　at　the　house　of　Septeuil；　treasurer　of　the　civil　list；　he　had　seen　bonds　for　various　sums　signed　Antoinette；　which　was　very　natural；　but　he　added　that　he　had　also　seen　a　letter　in　which　the　minister　requested　the　King　to　transmit　to　the　Queen　the　copy　of　the　plan　of　campaign　which　he　had　in　his　hands。　　The　most　unfavourable　construction　was　immediately　put　upon　these　two　facts；　the　application　for　a　statement　of　the　armies；　and　the　communication　of　the　plan　of　campaign；　and　it　was　concluded　that　they　could　not　be　wanted　for　any　other　purpose　than　to　be　sent　to　the　enemy；　for　it　was　not　supposed　that　a　young　princess　should　turn　her　attention；　merely　for　her　own　satisfaction；　to　matters　of　administration　and　military；　plans。　　After　these　depositions；　several　others　were　received　respecting　the　expenses　of　the　Court；　the　influence　of　the　Queen　in　public　affairs；　the　scene　of　the　10th　of　August；　and　what　had　passed　in　the　Temple；　and　the　most　vague　rumours　and　most　trivial　circumstances　were　eagerly　caught　at　as　proofs。
  Marie　Antoinette　frequently　repeated；　with　presence　of　mind　and　firmness；　that　there　was　no　precise　fact　against　her；
  ＇At　first　the　Queen；　consulting　only　her　own　sense　of　dignity；　had　　　　　　resolved　on　her　trial　to　make　no　other　reply　to　the　questions　of　her　　　　　　judges　than　〃Assassinate　me　as　you　have　already　assassinated　my　　　　　　husband！〃　　Afterwards；　however；　she　determined　to　follow　the　example　　　　　　of　the　King；　exert　herself　in　her　defence；　and　leave　her　judges　　　　　　without　any　excuse　or　pretest　for　putting　her　to　death。　WEBER'S　　　　　　〃Memoirs　of　Marie　Antoinette。〃＇
  that；　besides；　though　the　wife　of　Louis　XVI。；　she　was　not　answerable　for　any　of　the　acts　of　his　reign。　　Fouquier　nevertheless　declared　her　to　be　sufficiently　convicted；　Chaveau…Lagarde　made　unavailing　efforts　to　defend　her；　and　the　unfortunate　Queen　was　condemned　to　suffer　the　same　fate　as　her　husband。
  Conveyed　back　to　the　Conciergerie；　she　there　passed　in　tolerable　composure　the　night　preceding　her　execution；　and；　on　the　morning　of　the　following　day；　the　16th　of　October；
  ＇The　Queen；　after　having　written　and　prayed；　slept　soundly　for　some　　　　　　hours。　　On　her　waking；　Bault's　daughter　dressed　her　and　adjusted　her　　　　　　hair　with　more　neatness　than　on　other　days。　　Marie　Antoinette　wore　a　　　　　　white　gown；　a　white　handkerchief　covered　her　shoulders；　a　white　cap　　　　　　her　hair；　a　black　ribbon　bound　this　cap　round　her　temples　。。。。　　The　　　　　　cries；　the　looks；　the　laughter；　the　jests　of　the　people　overwhelmed　　　　　　her　with　humiliation；　her　colour；　changing　continually　from　purple　　　　　　to　paleness；　betrayed　her　agitation　。。。。　　On　reaching　the　scaffold　　　　　　she　inadvertently　trod　on　the　executioner's　foot。　　〃Pardon　me；〃　she　　　　　　said；　courteously。　　She　knelt　for　an　instant　and　uttered　a　half…　　　　　　audible　prayer；　then　rising　and　glancing　towards　the　towers　of　the　　　　　　Temple；　〃Adieu；　once　again；　my　children；〃　she　said；　〃I　go　to　rejoin　　　　　　your　father。〃　LAMARTINE。＇
  she　was　conducted；　amidst　a　great　concourse　of　the　populace；　to　the　fatal　spot　where；　ten　months　before；　Louis　XVI。　　had　perished。　　She　listened　with　calmness　to　the　exhortations　of　the　ecclesiastic　who　accompanied　her；　and　cast　an　indifferent　look　at　the　people　who　had　so　often　applauded　her　beauty　and　her　grace；　and　who　now　as　warmly　applauded　her　execution。　　On　reaching　the　foot　of　the　scaffold　she　perceived　the　Tuileries；　and　appeared　to　be　moved；　but　she　hastened　to　ascend　the　fatal　ladder；　and　gave　herself　up　with　courage　to　the　executioner。
  ＇Sorrow　had　blanched　the　Queen's　once　beautiful　hair；　but　her　　　　　　features　and　air　still　commanded　the　admiration　of　all　who　beheld　　　　　　her；　her　cheeks；　pale　and　emaciated；　were　occasionally　tinged　with　a　　　　　　vivid　colour　at