In Wraxall there is the following graphic account of the scene we have mentioned:

"As Lady Clermont enjoyed so distinguished a place in Marie Antoinette's esteem, it was natural that she should endeavour to transfuse into the Prince's mind feelings of attachment and respect for the French Queen similar to those with which she was herself imbued. Making allowance for the difference of sexes, there seemed to be indeed no inconsiderable degree of resemblance between their dispositions. Both were indiscreet, unguarded, and ardent devotees of pleasure. But the Duke of Orleans, irritated at her successful opposition to the marriage of his daughter with the Count d'Artois' eldest son, had already prepossessed the Prince of Wales in her disfavour. He was accustomed to speak of her, on the Duke's report, as a woman of licentious life, who changed her lovers according to her caprice. She, indignant at such imputations, which soon reached her, expressed herself in terms the most contemptuous, respecting the heir-apparent, whom she characterised as a voluptuary enslaved by his appetites, incapable of any energetic or elevated sentiments. About this time Count Fersen, who was well known to be highly acceptable to Marie Antoinette, visited London; bringing letters of introduction from the Duchesse de Polignac to many persons of distinction here, and in particular for Lady Clermont. Desirous to show him the utmost attention, and to present him in the best company, soon after his arrival she conducted him in her own carriage to Lady William Gordon's assembly in Piccadilly, one of the most distinguished in the metropolis. She had scarcely entered the room, and made Count Fersen known to the principal individuals of both sexes, when the Prince of Wales was announced. I shall recount the sequel in Lady Clermont's own words to me, only a short time subsequent to the fact.

"His Royal Highness took no notice of me on his first arrival; but, in a few minutes afterwards, coming up to me, "Pray, Lady Clermont," said he, "is that man whom I see here Count Fersen, the Queen's favourite?" "The gentleman to whom your Royal Highness alludes is Count Fersen; bu, so far from being a favourite of the Queen, he has not yet been presented at Court "-"G-d d-n me!" exclaimed he," you don't imagine I mean my mother?" Sir," I replied, "whenever you are pleased to use the word queen without any addition, I shall always understand it to mean my queen. If you speak of any other queen I must entreat that you will be good enough to say the queen of France or of Spain." The Prince made no reply, but, after having walked once or twice round Count Fersen, returning to me, "He's certainly a very handsome fellow," observed he. "Shall I have the honour, sir," said I, "to present him to you ?" He instantly turned on his heel, without giving me any answer:* and I soon afterwards quitted Lady William Gordon's house, bringing Count Fersen with me." "

The

In 1788 Count Fersen returned to Sweden and accompanied his sovereign on his campaign against Russia, which ended so unfortunately, owing to the disaffection of the Finnish troops. He also was with Gustavus at Gothenburg when besieged by the Danes. King was only saved from destruction by the conduct of Hugh Elliot, then minister at Copenhagen, who crossed the water and prevailed on the Danish commander to accept a truce. Count Fersen then returned to France, and we are now approaching the most interesting part of his career. He was now appointed the secret envoy of Gustavus, to watch over his interests at the Court of Versailles. The opening scenes of the French Revolution naturally filled his mind with dismay. Talleyrand used to say that those who were not in society before 1789 could not realise "la douceur de vivre." Its utter destruction must have been

The Prince afterwards made a most graceful apology to Lady Clermont for biş conduct to her.

appalling to one of its brightest ornaments. The count was present at the dreadful scenes of the 5th and 6th of October at Versailles, and accompanied the King and Queen when they were dragged in triumph to Paris by the victorious populace.

It is a great misfortune that the whole of the journal of the Count Fersen from 1780 until June 1791 was destroyed by the friend to whom it was confided on the eve of the flight to Varennes. Fortunately there is in the "Auckland Memoirs " an account of this eventful enterprise which we believe we can state was drawn up by Lord Auckland himself, when ambassador in Holland, from information derived from Count Fersen and his confederate, Mr. Quintin Craufurd, who was Lord Auckland's friend and correspondent.

The following is the account given in the Auckland papers:

"From intelligence communicated to the Queen, on the 7th of October, 1789, the day after the royal family had been brought from Versailles to Paris, she thought some attempt on her life was still intended. That evening, after she had retired to her apartment, she called Madame de Tourzel to her, and said, 'If you should hear any noise in my room in the night, do not lose any time in coming to see what it is, but carry the Dauphin immediately to the arms of his father.' Madame de Tourzel, bathed in tears, told this circumstance, two days afterwards, to the Spanish ambassador, from whom I learnt it.

"The Count de Fersen was the only person at Paris to whom the King at this time gave his entire confidence. He went privately to the palace by means of one of those passports that were given to some of the household and others who were supposed to have business there, and had therefore liberty to enter at all hours. He saw their Majesties in the King's closet, and by his means their correspondence was carried on, and the King's intentions communicated."

For a long time the King had determined to escape from Paris, and Count Fersen arranged with the most consummate skill all the details of this enterprise. He had two friends in whom he trusted implicitly: Mr. Quintin Craufurd, an English gentleman well known in Parisian society, and Mrs. Sullivan, who resided in Mr. Crauford's house, and was afterwards known as Mrs. Craufurd. Fersen had the greatest contempt for the levity of the French character, and seems to think that the moment a Frenchman is in possession of a secret he writes about it or confides it to his mistress. Three of the garde-de-corps, however, were called in to assist in the final arrangements. The Count had procured a passport in the name of a "Baroness de Korff," and had ordered a travelling coach in her name. Madame de Tourzel* was to personate Madame de Korff travelling with her family to Frankfort. Count Fersen assumed the whole responsibility of the safe conduct of the royal party as far as Châlons. After that the Marquis de Bouillé, who commanded the troops on the eastern frontier, was charged to protect the travellers by escorts of cavalry.

The night of the 20th of June was finally selected for the attempt at escape, and the travelling carriage was placed at Mr. Quintin Craufurd's house, and a little before midnight Fersen's coachman, a Swede, who

* Governess of the children of France.

did not talk French, and one of the garde-de-corps, mounted as postilions, took the coach with its four Norman horses, and a saddle horse, and halted on the road near the Barrière St. Martin, with orders, in case of seeing any one, to move forwards and return again to their station. Count Fersen went to see the King on the evening of the 20th, and the King determined to depart, although he thought some suspicions were entertained. Count Fersen departed, and at the appointed time arrived with a job coach and horses which he had purchased.

The following is the account of the escape as related by Lord Auckland:

The Dauphin was put to bed at the usual hour, but about half past eleven o'clock Madame de Tourzel woke him and dressed him in girl's clothes. About the same time Fersen, dressed and acting as a coachman, came with the other coach to the court at the Tuileries called La Cour des Princes, as if to wait for some one who was in the palace. He stopped at the apartment of the Duc de Villiquier, that had a communication with the one above it. Soon after he arrived, Madame de Tourzel came out with the two children. Fersen put them into the carriage. Neither of the children spoke a word, but he observed that Madame Royale was bathed in tears. She had all along shown great sensibility, and a degree of prudence and understanding beyond what might be expected from her years. Fersen drove at a common pace to the Petit Carroussel, and stopped near the house that was formerly inhabited by the Duchesse de la Vallière. Neither that house nor the houses near it have a court to admit carriages, and it is common to see them waiting in the street there. Madame Elisabeth came, attended by one of her gentlemen, who, as soon as he put her in the coach, left her. The King came next; he had a round brown wig over his hair, a greatcoat on, and a stick in his hand. He was followed at some distance by one of the garde-de-corps. They waited for the Queen a full quarter of an hour. The King began to be apprehensive, and wanted to go back to look for her, but Fersen dissuaded him. While they waited for the Queen, Lafayette passed twice in his carriage, followed by two dragoons, once in going to the Rue de Honoré, and again in returning from it. On seeing him the King showed some emotion, but not of fear, and said, loud enough for Fersen to hear him. Le scélérat !'

The

"The Queen at last arrived, followed by the other garde-de-corps. She had been detained by unexpectedly finding a sentinel at the top of the stairs she was to descendby. He was walking negligently backwards and forwards, and singing. Queen at last observed that as he went forward from the stair, the pier of an arch must prevent him from seeing her. She took that opportunity quickly to descend without noise, and made signs to the garde-de-corps to do the same. As soon as the Queen was in the carriage, the two garde-de-corps got up behind it, and Fersen drove away."

Mr. Croker, in his " "Essays on the French Revolution," originally published in the "Quarterly Review," observes "that the journey to Varennes is an extraordinary instance of the difficulty of ascertaining historical truth. There have been published twelve narratives by eyewitnesses of, and partakers in, these transactions, and all these narratives contradict each other on trivial, and some on more essential, points, but always in a wonderful and inexplicable manner." In the account by Madame Royale, it is positively stated that the Queen conducted the children to the carriage. This assertion very much exercised the mind of Mr. Croker, and it now appears it was incorrect, for the

* Madame Royale gives the time as half past ten, and we think this was the real time.

journal of Count Fersen of the 20th gives the same account of the order in which the royal family escaped as Lord Auckland.

In one of the accounts it is stated that Count Fersen did not know the streets of Paris, which seems very unlikely; but it appears that such was the Count's caution that he first drove to Mr. Craufurd's house, to see if the travelling-carriage had started, and then drove rapidly to the Barrière St. Martin. In the statement by Madame Royale, it is averred that Count Fersen took leave of the royal family there, and this account is adopted by Mr. Croker; but it is an error, for both Count Fersen and Lord Auckland agree that it was at or near Bondy that the parting took place. It will be seen that the King refused to allow Fersen to accompany the royal family in their flight. We think that if he had consented, the escape might have been effected. All that was wanted was a cool head in danger, and that was lamentably wanting.

This is from the Auckland MSS. :

"When they came to the other coach, the one that brought the royal family from Paris was driven to some distance and overturned into a ditch. They got into the travelling coach. Fersen rode before and ordered post-horses at Bondy. It is common for persons who live at Paris to come the first stage with their own horses. The post-horses, on showing the passport, were therefore given without any hesitation. Two of the garde-de-corps mounted on the seat of the coach, the other went before as a courier. The coachman was sent on with the coach-horses towards Brussels, and Fersen accompanied the royal family about three miles beyond Bondy, when he quitted them to go to Mons, and from thence to Montmédy. Though he pressed the King very much to permit him to go along with him, he positively refused it, saying, 'If you should be taken it will be impossible for me to save you; besides, you have papers of importance. I therefore conjure you to get out of France as fast as you can.' He joined his own carriage that was waiting for him near Bourgette, and arrived at Mons at two in the morning of the 22nd, without meeting with any sort of interruption."

The following account from the journal of Count Fersen was written in pencil on scraps of paper, but it will be seen that with the exception of some difference in time it agrees substantially with Lord Auckland's paper.

"20

(1).

"Conversation with the King on what he wished to do. Both told me to proceed without delay. We agreed upon the house, &c., &c., so that if they were stopped I should go to Brussels and act from there, &c., &c. At parting the King said to me, M. de Fersen, whatever happens to me I shall never forget all that you have done for me.' The Queen wept bitterly. At 6 o'clock I left her; she went out to walk with the children. No extraordinary precautions. I returned home to finish my affairs. At 7 o'clock went to Sullivan to see if the carriage had been sent; returned home again at 8 o'clock. I wrote to the Queen to change the rendezvous' with the waiting-woman, and to instruct them to let me know the exact hour by the garde-de-corps; take the letter nothing moving. At a quarter to 9 o'clock the gardes join me; they give me the letter for Mercy.* I give them instructions, retnrn home, send off my horses and coachman. Go to fetch the carriage. Thought I had lost Mercy's letter. At quarter past 10 o'clock in the Cour des Princes. At quarter past 11 the children taken out with difficulty. Lafayette passed twice. At

Formerly Austrian ambassador at the Court of Versailles.

a quarter to 12 Madame Elisabeth came, then the King, then the Queen. Start at 12 o'clock, meet the carriage at the Barrière St. Martin. At half past one o'clock reach Bondy, take post; at three o'clock I leave them, taking the by-road to Bourgette."

On arriving at Mons the Count wrote to his father a letter acquainting him with the triumphant success of his attempt.

All had gone well when the directions were in the hands of the brave and cautious Swedish officer, but the moment the French commanders took the affair into their own hands at Châlons, everything was lost through their levity and want of common-sense. Baron de Goguelat, an engineer officer who superintended the details of the expedition from Châlons, already had given offence to the inhabitants of St. Menehould, and had quarrelled with Drouet, the postmaster there, through employing another man's horses which were cheaper to take his own carriage back. The Duc de Choiseul, who commanded the first detachment at Somme-Velle, near Châlons, because the travelling carriage was late, retreated not by the main road, where the royal family could have overtaken him, but across a country he did not know, and he did not arrive at Varennes till after the arrest of the royal family, having previously sent a message to the other commander that the "treasure" would not arrive that evening. On the carriage arriving at St. Menehould, the commanding officer of the hussars there foolishly went to speak to the King, who put his head out of the window and was instantly recognised by Drouet, who immediately after the departure of the King rode off to Varennes and procured his arrest. Everything there was in confusion. The young Count de Bouillé was in bed; his hussars with their horses unsaddled. The Duc de Choiseul, the Count de Damas, arrived with men enough to rescue the prisoners, but nothing was done. would give no orders, and the officers were afraid of responsibility. Count de Damas told Mr. Charles Ross, the editor of the Cornwallis Correspondence, "that he asked leave of the King to charge with the men the mob who interrupted him. The Queen urged him to do it, but Louis would take no responsibility, and would give no order till it was too late. M. de Damas added he had ever since regretted not acting without orders." The Count de Bouillé fled from Varennes to acquaint his father, who was at the next station, Dun, with the misfortune that had befallen the King. The Marquis hastened with the Royal Allemand regiment to rescue the royal family, but he arrived too late. They had already left for Paris, escorted by the National Guard.

The King

It was at Arlon, on his journey to Montmédy, the fortress on the French frontier where the King intended to set up his standard if successful in his attempt at escape, that Count Fersen heard the news of the failure.

The Count writes in his journal :

A village on the high-road to Mons.

The pretext for presence of the troops was that they were to escort treasure to the army.