"My God,' said he, how happy I am in the possession of my religious principles! Without them, what should I now be? But with them, how sweet death appears to me. Yes, there dwells on high an incorruptible judge, from whom I shall receive the justice refused to me on earth.'

"The sacred offices I performed at this time, prevent my relating more than a few sentences, out of many interesting conversations which the King held with me, during the last sixteen hours of hs life; but by the little that I have told, it may be seen how much might be added, if it were consistent with my duty to say more.

Morning began to dawn, and the drums sounded in all the sections of Paris. An extraordinary movement was heard in the tower-it seemed to freeze the blood in my veins; but the King, more calm than I was, after listening to it for a moment, said to me without emotion, "Tis probably the national guard beginning to assemble.'

"In a short time detachments of cavalry entered the court of the Temple, and the voices of officers, and the trampling of horses, were distinctly heard. The King listened again, and said to me, with the same composure, They seem to be approaching.'

"On taking leave of the Queen, the evening before, he had promised to see her again next day, and he wished earnestly to keep his word, but I intreated him not to put the Queen to a trial under which she must sink; he hesitated a moment, and then, with an expression of profound grief, said, You are right, sir, it would kill her. I must deprive niyself of this melancholy consolation, and let her indulge in hope a few moments longer.

"From seven o'clock till eight, various persons came frequently under different pretences to knock at the door of the cabinet, and each time I trembled lest it should be the last. But the King, with more firmness, rose without emotion, went to the door, and quietly answered the people who thus interrupted us. I do not know who these men were, but amongst them was one of the greatest monsters that the revolution had produced; for I heard him say to his King, in a tone of mockery, I know not on what subject, Oh! that was very well once, but you are now no longer King.' His Majesty did not reply a word, but returning to me, satisfied himself by saying, See how these people treat me. But I know how to endure every thing.'

"Another time, after having answered one of the commissaries who came to interrupt us, he returned, and said with a smile, "These people see poniards and poison every where, they fear that I shall destroy myself. Alas! they little know me, to kill myself would indeed be weakness. No! since it is necessary, I know how I ought to die.' We heard another knock at the door-it was to be the last. It was Santerre and his crew. The King opened the door as usual. They announced to him (I could not hear in what terms,) that he must prepare for death. I am occupied,' said he, with an air of authority, wait for me. In a few minutes I will * return

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return to you.' Then having shut the door, he kneeled at my It is finished, sir,' said he, give me your last benediction, and pray that it may please God to support me to the end.' He soon arose, and leaving the cabinet, advanced towards the wretches: who were in his bed-chamber. Their countenances were embarrassed, yet their hats were not taken off, and the King perceiving it, asked for his own. Whilst Clery, bathed in tears, ran for it, the King said, Are there amongst you any members of the Commune? I charge them to take care of this paper!' It was his will. One of the party took it from the King. I recommend also to the Commune, Clery, my valet de chambre. I can do no more than congratulate myself in having had his services. They will give him my watch and clothes; not only those I have here, but those that have been deposited at the Commune. I also desire, that in return for the attachment he has shewn me, he may be allowed to enter into the Queen's-into my wife's service:' he used both expressions. No one answering, the King cried out in a firm tone, • Let us proceed,' at which words they all moved on; the King crossed the first court, formerly the garden, on foot: he turned back once or twice towards the tower, as if to bid adieu to all most dear to him on earth; and by his gestures it was plain that he was then trying to collect all his strength and firmness. At the entrance of the second court, a carriage waited, two gen-d'armes held the door: at the King's approach one of these men entered first, and placed himself in front, the King followed and placed me by his side *; at the back of the carriage, the other gen-d'arme jumped in. last, and shut the door.

"It is said that one of these men was a priest in disguise; for the honour of religion I hope that this may be false. It is also said, that they had orders to assassinate the King on the smallest murmur from the people; I do not know whether this might have been their design, but it seems to me, that unless they possessed other arms than those that appeared, it would have been difficult to accomplish their purpose; for their muskets only were visible, which it would have been impossible for them to have used. These apprehended murmurs were not imaginary, a great number of people devoted to the King had resolved on tearing him from the hands of his guards, or at least on making the attempt. Two of the principal actors, young men whose names are well known, found means to inform me the night before of their intentions; and though my hopes were not sanguine, I yet did not despair of rescue, even at the foot of the scaffold. I have since heard, that the orders

* The Abbé Edgeworth has here, with admirable modesty, omitted, what his private letter to his brother mentions, that Louis the Sixteenth thought that the attendance of his confessor had closed when he quitted the Temple, and was equally astonished and consoled by his accompanying him to the place of execution. Note by the Editor."

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for this dreadful morning had been planned with so much art, and executed with so much precision, that of four or five hundred people, thus devoted to their prince, twenty-five only succeeded in reaching the place of rendezvous. In consequence of the measures taken befale day-break in all the streets of Paris, none of the rest were able to get out of their houses.

The King finding himself seated in the carriage, where he could neither speak to me or be spoken to without witness, kept a profound silence. I presented him with my breviary, the only book I had with me, and he seemed to accept it with pleasure he appeared anxious that I should point out to him the psalms that were most suited to his situation, and he recited them attentively with me. The gend'armes, without speaking, seemed astonished and confounded at the tranquil piety of their monarch, to whom they doubtless never had before approached so near.

"The procession lasted almost two hours, the streets were lined with citizens, all armed, some with pikes and some with guns, and the carriage was surrounded by a body of troops, formed of the most desperate people of Paris. As another precaution, they had placed before the horses a great number of drums intended to drown any noise or murmur in favor of the King; but how could they be heard, nobody appeared either at the doors or windows, and in the street nothing was to be seen but armed citizens. Citizens, all rushing towards the commission of a crime, which perhaps they detested in their hearts.

"The carriage proceeded thus in silence to the Place de Louis XV. and stopped in the middle of a large space that had been left round the scaffold; this space was surrounded with cannon, and beyond, an armed multitude extended as far as the eye could reach. As soon as the King perceived that the carriage stopped, he turned: and whispered to me, We are arrived, if I mistake not.' My silence answered that we were. One of the guards came to open the carriage door, and the gensd'armes would have jumped out, but the King stopped them, and leaning his arm on my knee, Gen tlemen,' said he, with the tone of majesty, I recommend to you this good man, take care that after my death no insult be offered to him, I charge you to prevent it.' The two men answered not a word, the King was continuing in a louder tone, but one of them stopped him, saying, Yes, yes, we will take care. Leave him to us-and I ought to add, that these words were spoken in a tone of voice which must have overwhelmed me, if at such a moment it had been possible for me to have thought of myself. As soon as the King had left the carriage, three guards surrounded him, and would have taken off his clothes, but he repulsed them with haugh-tiness: he undressed himself, untied his neckcloth, opened his shirt, and arranged it himself. The guards, whom the determined countenance of the King had for a moment disconcerted, seemed to recover their audacity, They surrounded him again, and would have seized his hands. What are you attempting?' said the King, drawing

drawing back his hands. To bind you,' answered the wretches. To bind me,' said the King, with an indignant air, No! I shall never consent to that, do what you have been ordered, but you shall never bind me.' The guards insisted, they raised their voices, and seemed to wish to call on others to assist them.

"Perhaps this was the most terrible moment of this most dreadful morning; another instant, and the best of Kings would have received from his rebellious subjects, indignities too horrid to 'mention-indignities that would have been to him more insupportable than death. Such was the feeling expressed on his countenance. Turning towards me, he looked at me steadily, as if to ask my advice. Alas! it was impossible for me to give any, and I only answered by silence; but as he continued this fixed look of enquiry, I replied, Sire, in this new insult, I only see another trait of resemblance between your Majesty and the Saviour who is about to recompence you.' At these words he raised his eyes to heaven, with an expression that can never be described. You are right, said he, " nothing less than his example should make me submit to such a degradation.' Then turning to the guards, Do what you will, I will drink of the cup even to the dregs.'

"The path leading to the scaffold was extremely rough and difficult to pass, the King was obliged to lean on my arm, and from the slowness with which he proceeded, I feared for a moment that his courage might fail; but what was my astonishment, when arrived at the last step, I felt that he suddenly let go my arm, and I saw him cross with a firm foot the breadth of the whole scaffold; silence, by his look alone, fifteen or twenty drums that were placed opposite to him; and in a voice so loud, that it must have been heard at the Pont Tournant, I heard him pronounce distinctly these memorable words. I die innocent of all the crimes laid to my charge; I pardon those who have occasioned my death; and I pray to God, that the blood you are now going to shed may never be visited on France:

"He was proceeding, when a man on horseback, in the national uniform, waved his sword, and with a ferocious cry, ordered the drums to beat. Many voices were at the same time heard encouraging the executioners. They seemed reanimated themselves, and seizing with violence the most virtuous of Kings, they dragged him under the axe of the guillotine, which with one stroke severed his head from his body. All this passed in a moment. The youngest of the guards, who seemed about eighteen, immediately seized the head, and shewed it to the people as he walked round the scaffold; he accompanied this monstrous ceremony with the most atrocious and indecent gestures. At first an awful silence prevailed; at length some cries of Vive la Republique !' were heard. By degrees the voices multiplied, and in less than ten minutes this cry, a thousand times repeated, became the universal shout of the multitude, and every hat was in the air." P. 69.

This

This interesting volume is edited by Mr. Sneyd Edgeworth, the brother of the Abbé, to whom we offer our best thanks for these original memoirs, which we consider as no small addition to the history of the events of the present age.

ART. XIV. Succisiva Opera, or Selections from antient Writers, Sacred and Profane, with Translations and Notes, by the Rev. H. Meen. 8vo. pp. 124. 5s. Rivingtons. 1815.

AS the production of a worthy and respectable scholar of the old school, we trust that this volume will meet with its due share of public attention. It is a publication, from which many of our readers may derive amusement, and some even instruction. Part of its contents are dedicated to the elucidation of that poet, the obscurest of the obscure, Lycophron. Mr. Meen has already published his remarks upon this ancient, whose fate it is to be little read and less understood. We lament this the more, as he certainly contains very splendid passages. We wish that Mr. Meen had persevered in his labours and given us a perfect edition. The following is a specimen of the scholarship displayed in the volume before us:

"LYCOPHRON'S CASSANDRA.

L. 815.

« Ω σχέτλι, ὥς σοι κρεῖσσον ἦν μίμνειν πατρᾳ

"Imitations of Lycophron are seldom sought, and seldomer found. Yet he, like other poets, has had his imitators. Some of these imitations may have been casual; but the resemblance, now to be noticed in these Latin Iambics, was intended. The marks of imitation, impressed on the lines here selected, are not equivocal, -but clear. These lines are taken from a Latin poem, written by Petrus Molinæus, i. e. by Peter Du Moulin; who was one of Salmasius's most learned friends, and one of Milton's most bitter enemies. This poem, which is a virulent invective, pus et fel merunk, is published with other poetical pieces, in one small volume. The title is; Petri Molinæi. P. F. Пάρsрya. Poematum Libelli Tres. Cantab. 1670. I never saw any other copy of this book, than that which I possess. It was once in the possession of W. Baskerville. The Inscription is, In impurissimum Nebulonem Joannem Miltonum. Should the reader, in his progress through this scurrilous rhapsody, be disposed to compare the Latin lines with the corresponding Greek, he will find the points of resemblance betwixt them to be prominent and striking.

Cassandra, as her custom is, has foretold the various fortunes,

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