Wine　runs　down　into　the　gutter；　and　the　scent　of　it　fills　the　air；〃
  it　is　a　drinking　bout：　meanwhile　they　carry　away　the　grain　and　flour
  which　the　monks　kept　on　hand　according　to　law；　fifty…two　loads　of　it
  being　taken　to　the　market。　　Another　troop　comes　to　La　Force；　to
  deliver　those　imprisoned　for　debt；　a　third　breaks　into　the　Garde
  Meuble；　carrying　away　valuable　arms　and　armour。　　Mobs　assemble
  before　the　hotel　of　Madame　de　Breteuil　and　the　Palais…Bourbon；　which
  they　intend　to　ransack；　in　order　to　punish　their　proprietors。　　M。　de
  Crosne；　one　of　the　most　liberal　and　most　respected　men　of　Paris；
  but；　unfortunately　for　himself　a　lieutenant　of　the　police；　is
  pursued；　escaping　with　difficulty；　and　his　hotel　is　sacked。
  During　the　night　between　the　13th　and　14th　of　May；　the　baker's　shops
  and　the　wine　shops　are　pillaged；　〃men　of　the　vilest　class；　armed
  with　guns；　pikes；　and　turnspits；　make　people　open　their　doors　and
  give　them　something　to　eat　and　drink；　as　well　as　money　and　arms。〃
  Vagrants；　ragged　men；　several　of　them　〃almost　naked；〃　and　〃most　of
  them　armed　like　savages；　and　of　hideous　appearance；〃　they　are　〃　such
  as　one　does　not　remember　to　have　seen　in　broad　daylight；〃　many　of
  them　are　strangers；　come　from　nobody　knows　where。＇39＇　　It　is　stated
  that　there　were　50；000　of　them；　and　that　they　had　taken　possession
  of　the　principal　guard…houses。
  During　these　two　days　and　nights；　says　Bailly；　〃Paris　ran　the　risk
  of　being　pillaged；　and　was　only　saved　from　the　marauders　by　the
  National　Guard。〃　Already；　in　the　open　street；＇40＇　〃these　creatures
  tore　off　women's　shoes　and　earrings；〃　and　the　robbers　were　beginning
  to　have　full　sway。　　　Fortunately　the　militia　organized　itself　and
  the　principal　inhabitants　and　gentlemen　enrolled　themselves；　48；000
  men　are　formed　into　battalions　and　companies；　the　bourgeoisie　buy
  guns　of　the　vagabonds　for　three　livres　apiece；　and　sabers　or　pistols
  for　twelve　sous。　　At　last；　some　of　the　offenders　are　hung　on　the
  spot；　and　others　disarmed；　and　the　insurrection　again　becomes
  political。　　But；　whatever　its　object；　it　remains　always　wild；
  because　it　is　in　the　hands　of　the　mob。　　Dusaulx；　its　panegyrist；
  confesses＇41＇　that　〃he　thought　he　was　witnessing　the　total
  dissolution　of　society。〃　There　is　no　leader；　no　management。　　The
  electors　who　have　converted　themselves　into　the　representatives　of
  Paris　seem　to　command　the　crowd；　but　it　is　the　crowd　which　commands
  them。　　One　of　them；　Legrand；　to　save　the　H？tel…de…Ville；　has　no
  other　resource　but　to　send　for　six　barrels　of　gun…powder；　and　to
  declare　to　the　assailants　that　he　is　about　to　blow　everything　into
  the　air。　　The　commandant　whom　they　themselves　have　chosen；　M。　de
  Salles；　has　twenty　bayonets　at　his　breast　during　a　quarter　of　an
  hour；　and；　more　than　once；　the　whole　committee　is　near　being
  massacred。　　Let　the　reader　imagine；　on　the　premises　where　the
  discussions　are　going　on；　and　petitions　are　being　made；　〃a　concourse
  of　fifteen　hundred　men　pressed　by　a　hundred　thousand　others　who　are
  forcing　an　entrance；〃　the　wainscoting　cracking；　the　benches　upset
  one　over　another；　the　enclosure　of　the　bureau　pushed　back　against
  the　president's　chair；　a　tumult　such　as　to　bring　to　mind　'the　day　of
  judgment；〃　the　death…shrieks；　songs；　yells；　and　〃people　beside
  themselves；　for　the　most　part　not　knowing　where　they　are　nor　what
  they　want。〃　　Each　district　is　also　a　petty　center；　while　the
  Palais…Royal　is　the　main　center。　　Propositions；　〃　accusations；　and
  deputations　travel　to　and　fro　from　one　to　the　other；　along　with　the
  human　torrent　which　is　obstructed　or　rushes　ahead　with　no　other
  guide　than　its　own　inclination　and　the　chances　of　the　way。　　One　wave
  gathers　here　and　another　there；　their　strategy　consisting　in　pushing
  and　in　being　pushed。　　Yet；　their　entrance　is　effected　only　because
  they　are　let　in。　　If　they　get　into　the　Invalides　it　is　owing　to　the
  connivance　of　the　soldiers。　　　At　the　Bastille；　firearms　are
  discharged　from　ten　in　the　morning　to　five　in　the　evening　against
  walls　forty　feet　high　and　thirty　feet　thick；　and　it　is　by　chance
  that　one　of　their　shots　reaches　an　invalid　on　the　towers。　　They　are
  treated　the　same　as　children　whom　one　wishes　to　hurt　as　little　as
  possible。　　The　governor；　on　the　first　summons　to　surrender；　orders
  the　cannon　to　be　withdrawn　from　the　embrasures；　he　makes　the
  garrison　swear　not　to　fire　if　it　is　not　attacked；　he　invites　the
  first　of　the　deputations　to　lunch；　he　allows　the　messenger
  dispatched　from　the　H？tel…de…Ville　to　inspect　the　fortress；　he
  receives　several　discharges　without　returning　them；　and　lets　the
  first　bridge　be　carried　without　firing　a　shot。＇42＇　　When；　at　length；
  he　does　fire；　it　is　at　the　last　extremity；　to　defend　the　second
  bridge；　and　after　having　notified　the　assailants　that　he　is　going　to
  do　so。　　In　short；　his　forbearance　and　patience　are　excessive；　in
  conformity　with　the　humanity　of　the　times。　　The　people；　in　turn；　are
  infatuated　with　the　novel　sensations　of　attack　and　resistance；　with
  the　smell　of　gunpowder；　with　the　excitement　of　the　contest；　all　they
  can　think　of　doing　is　to　rush　against　the　mass　of　stone；　their
  expedients　being　on　a　level　with　their　tactics。　　A　brewer　fancies
  that　he　can　set　fire　to　this　block　of　masonry　by　pumping　over　it
  spikenard　and　poppy…seed　oil　mixed　with　phosphorus。　　A　young
  carpenter；　who　has　some　archaeological　notions；　proposes　to
  construct　a　catapult。　　Some　of　them　think　that　they　have　seized　the
  governor's　daughter；　and　want　to　burn　her　in　order　to　make　the
  father　surrender。　　Others　set　fire　to　a　projecting　mass　of　buildings
  filled　with　straw；　and　thus　close　up　the　passage。　　〃The　Bastille　was
  not　taken　by　main　force；〃　says　the　brave　Elie；　one　of　the
  combatants；　〃it　surrendered　before　even　it　was　attacked；〃＇43＇　by
  capitulation；　on　the　promise　that　no　harm　should　be　done　to　anybody。
  The　garrison；　being　perfectly　secure；　had　no　longer　the　heart　to
  fire　on　human　beings　while　themselves　risking　nothing；＇44＇　and；　on
  the　other　hand；　they　were　unnerved　by　the　sight　of　the　immense
  crowd。　　Eight　or　nine　hundred　men　only＇45＇　were　concerned　in　the
  attack；　most　of　them　workmen　or　shopkeepers　belonging　to　the
  faubourg；　tailors；　wheelwrights；　mercers　and　wine…dealers；　mixed
  with　the　French　Guards。　　The　Place　de　la　Bastille；　however；　and　all
  the　streets　in　the　vicinity；　were　crowded　with　the　curious　who　came
  to　witness　the　sight；　〃among　them；〃　says　a　witness；＇46＇　〃were　a
  number　of　fashionable　women　of　very　good　appearance；　who　had　left
  their　carriages　at　some　distance。〃　To　the　hundred　and　twenty　men　of
  the　garrison　looking　down　from　their　parapets　it　seemed　as　though
  all　Paris　had　come　out　against　them。　　It　is　they；　also；　who　lower
  the　drawbridge　an　introduce　the　enemy：　everybody　has　lost　his　head；
  the　besieged　as　well　as　the　besiegers；　the　latter　more　completely
  because　they　are　intoxicated　with　the　sense　of　victory。　　Scarcely
  have　they　entered　when　they　begin　the　work　of　destruction；　and　the
  latest　arrivals　shoot　at　random　those　that　come　earlier；　〃each　one
  fires　without　heeding　where　or　on　whom　his　shot　tells。〃　Sudden
  omnipotence　and　the　liberty　to　kill　are　a　wine　too　strong　for　human
  nature；　giddiness　is　the　result；　men　see　red；　and　their　frenzy　ends
  in　ferocity。
  For　the　peculiarity　of　a　popular　insurrection　is　that　nobody　obeys
  anybody；　the　bad　passions　are　free　as　well　as　the　generous　ones；
  heroes　are　unable　to　restrain　assassins。　　Elie；　who　is　the　first　to
  enter　the　fortress；　Cholat；　Hulin；　the　brave　fellows　who　are　in
  advance；　the　French　Guards　who　are　cognizant　of　the　laws　of　war；　try
  to　keep　their　word　of　honor；　but　the　crowd　pressing　on　behind　them
  know　not　whom　to　strike；　and　they　strike　at　random。　　They　spare　the
  Swiss　soldiers　who　have　fired　at　them；　and　who；　in　their　blue
  smocks；　seem　to　them　to　be　prisoners；　on　the　other　hand；　by　way　of
  compensation；　they　fall　furiously　on　the　invalides　who　opened　the
  gates　to　them；　the　man　who　prevented　the　governor　from　blowing　up
  the　fortress　has　his　wrist　severed　by　the　blow　of　a　saber；　is　twice
  pierced　with　a　sword　and　is　hung；　and　the　hand　which　had　saved　one
  of　the　districts　of　Paris　is　promenaded　through　the　streets　in
  triumph。　　The　officers　are　dragged　along　and　five　of　them　are
  killed；　with　three　soldiers；　on　the　spot；　or　on　the　way。　　During　the
  long　hours　of　firing；　the　murderous　instinct　has　become　aroused；　and
  the　wish　to　kill；　changed　into　a　fixed　idea；　spreads　afar　among　the
  crowd　which　has　hitherto　remained　inactive。　　It　is　convinced　by　its
  own　clamor；　a　hue　and　cry　is　all　that　it　now　needs；　the　moment　one
  strikes；　all　want　to　strike。　　〃Those　who　had　no　arms；〃　says　an
  officer；　〃threw　stones　at　me；＇47＇　the　women　ground　their　teeth　and
  shook　their　fists　at　me。　　Two　of　my　men　had　already　been
  assassinated　behind　me。　　I　finally　got　to　within　some　hundreds　of
  paces　of　the　H？tel…de…Ville；　amidst　a　general　cry　that　I　should　be
  hung；　when　a　head；　stuck　on　a　pike；　was