M. de Seze then made an energetic appeal to the convention, in the name of himfelf and his colleagues, to confider with what a finall majority the punishment of death was pronounced against Louis, and conjured them not to afflict France by fo terrible a judgment. He concluded by invoking eternal justice and humanity to determine the convention to refer their judgment to the people.

M. Malefherbes defired till the next day to make fuch reflections, as rufhed upon his imagination.

M. Tronchet declared it extraordinary, that whilft most of the voters quoted the Penal Code to juftify their judgment, they forgot that the law requires 、 two thirds of the voices for the decifion.

Notwithstanding these just and humane obfervations of the king's counfel, the previous question being called, the appeal to the people and the obfervations of the counfel were rejected.

Louis then requested a refpite of three days, to prepare his foul for God; that he might be left uninterrupted with his confeffors; that he might fee his family; and finally to recommend the latter to the nation.

The convention, however, ordered him to be executed within twenty-four hours.

CHA P.

CHAP. LXXXI.

EXECUTION OF LOUIS XVI.

THE following are the particulars of the king's

execution.

On Monday the 21st of January, at fix o'clock in the morning, the king went to take farewell of the queen and royal family. After staying with them fome time, and taking an affectionate farewell of them, the king, agreeable to the procla mation of the provifional executive council, at eight o'clock in the morning, was conducted from the tower of the Temple, and entered the carriage of the mayor of Paris, accompanied by Mr. Edgeworth, an English pricft of the Catholic perfuafion, and two members of the municipality, and attended by the commiffioners of the departiment of Paris, the commiffioners of the municipality, the members of the criminal tribunal, and general Santerre, with a strong detachment of national guards. They paffed flowly along the Boulevards, which led from the Temple to the place of execution. All women were prohibited from appearing in the streets, and all perfons from being feen at their windows.

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The greatest tranquillity prevailed in every street, through which the proceffion paffed. About half K

past

past nine, the king arrived at the place of execu tion, which was the Place de Louis XV. between the pedestal, which formerly fupported the ftatue of his grand-father, and the promenade of the Elysian Fields.

On his approaching the place of execution, at the appearance of the fcaffold, and the guillotine, the fatal inftrument of death, each covered with black, he fhrunk back with horror. But collecting himself, he ftepped with firmness and compofure from the carriage, and afcended the scaffold with feeming intrepidity, amidst the brutal huzzas of the populace, the trumpets founding and drums beating during the whole time.

He made a fign of wishing to harangue the multitude, when the drums ceafed, and Louis spoke thefe few words. "I die innocent; I pardon my enemies; I only fanctioned, upon compulfion, the civil conftitution of the clergy." He was proceeding, but the beating of the drums drowned his voice. His executioners then laid hold of him. He laid his head on the block; the fignal was given, and in an inftant after, the fatal inftrument falling, his head was feparated from his body. This was about a quarter past ten o'clock in the morning.

The fcaffold was furrounded by foldiers, and one of the people were permitted to approach it.

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His hair was dreffed, and rolled up behind, as theirs. He wore a brown furtout coat, white waistcoat, with black breeches and stockings, and his appearance altogether was majestic. The king was attended on the scaffold by an English prieft as his confeffor, not choosing to be accompanied by one who had taken the national oath.

After the execution, the people threw their hats up in the air, and cried out Vive la Nation! Some of them endeavoured to feize the body, but it was removed by a strong guard to the Temple.

Those who were nearest the scene, forced themfelves between the horses of the military that formed a fquare round the scaffold, and dipped their handkerchiefs in the king's blood, which ran in copious streams upon the ground. Others fmeared the points of their pikes, fwords, and "bayonets with it, crying out, "Behold the blood of a tyrant!-Thus perifh all the tyrants of the earth!" Many of the furrounding spectators at a distance, however, uttered no other founds, but groans and fighs.

Thus ended the life of Louis XVI. after a period of four years detention; during which, he experienced from a great number of his subjects every fpecies of ignominy and cruelty, which a people could inflict on the most fanguinary tyrant. Louis XVI.

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XVI. who was proclaimed at the commencement of his reign the Friend of the People, and by the conflituent affembly, the Reftorer of their LibertiesLouis, who but a few years fince was the most powerful monarch in Europe, has at last perished on the fcaffold. Neither his own natural goodness of heart, his defire to procure the happiness of his fubjects, nor that ancient love which the French entertained for their monarch, have been fufficient to fave him from this fatal judgment.

He died in the meridian of life, being only 38 years and near five months old.

CHAP. LXXXII.

FURTHER PARTICULARS RELATING TO LOUIS AND HIS FAMILY.

'HE proclamation of the provisional executive

THE

council of France, relative to the king's execution, had hardly been notified to Louis, before he requested permiffion to confer with his family. The commiffioners testifying their embarrassment

at