"The founders of Charbonnerie had counted on the support of the troops; hence the double organization given to the system. Each vente was subjected to a military staff, the gradations of which were parallel with those of the civil officership. Corresponding respectively with charbonnerie, the haute vente, the ventes centrales, and the ventes particulieres, there were the legion, the cohortes, the centuries, and the manipules. When Charbonnerie acted civilly, the military officership was in abeyance; on the other hand, when it acted in a military point of view, the functions of the civil officers were suspended. Independently of the force derived from the play of these two powers, and from their alternate government, the double denominations they rendered necessary, afforded a means of baffling the researches of the police.

"The duties of the charbonnier were, to have in his possession a gun and fifty cartridges, to be ready to devote himself, and blindly to obey the orders of unknown leaders.

66

Charbonnerie, thus constituted, spread in a very brief space of time through all quarters of the capital. It made its way into all the classes of the university. An indescribable fire glowed in every vein of the Parisian youth; every one kept the secret ; every one was ready to devote his life to the cause. The members of each vente recognized each other by means of particular signs, and mysterious reviews were held. Inspectors were appointed in several ventes, whose duty it was to see that no member failed to have a musket and cartridges. The members were drilled in their houses, and often was the exercise performed on a floor covered with straw. And all the while this singular conspiracy was extending itself, protected by a silence and reserve without parallel, and surrounding the society with a thousand invisible meshes, the government was tranquilly slumbering in the shade!

Thus far this mystic force was apparently directed by some invisible hand, whether that of Louis Philippe, or not, nothing positive is known. But it is clearly ascertained that upon admitting influential Republicans into the secret, they gave the matter a different turn, and advocated a Provisional Government in case of an outbreak, to consist of Lafayette, Dupont de l'Eure, and three others. Then Manuel and his friends, who had thus far upheld Charbon

nerie, more or less openly, withdrew their support, and endeavored to persuade Lafayette and his colleagues from sanctioning the intended outbreak. When it did burst forth, it was in so feeble a manner that Government easily suppressed it, the "four Sergeants," selected as examples, were beheaded in Paris, and "thenceforth Charbonnerie only dragged on its way through its martyr's gore."

The assassination of the Duke of Berri and this dangerous complot so deprived Louis XVIII. of all courage, that he surrendered his rule to the Count of Artois, whose conduct grew more arbitrary than before. On the 6th of September, 1824, the nominal King, who had drained the cup of voluptuousness to its bitter dregs, and over whose countenance the ghastly pallor of death was fast stealing, was lifted into an arm-chair to die. The Count of Artois was there, with his young grandson, and all the Cabinet minis"Before I die, Charles," said the expiring monarch, "let me tell you that I have dealt with all parties as did Henry IV., and die in my room more fortunate than he was. Do you as I have done, my brother, and you will die as I die. I forgive you all the pain you have caused me." Then beckoning to have the Duke of Bordeaux led to him, he laid his hand on the boy's head, saying: "bless thee, my child, and may my brother husband tenderly your crown."

ters.

Five minutes afterwards, the general officers heard footsteps approaching the royal entrance of their saloon, and held their breaths the doors were thrown open, and the Master of Ceremonies announced "the King, gentlemen!" The Count of Artois, thenceforth Charles X., received the homage of all present, and then repaired to the balcony of the Palace, where the Master of Ceremonies, breaking his rod of office, cried "The King is Dead." His successor then stepped forward to the front of the balcony, and there went up from the assembled populace of Versailles a deafening shout of "Vive le Roi." Foremost among the courtiers who echoed it upon the balcony was Louis Philippe.

CHAPTER XVII.

CHARLES X., who had been most unpopular as heir to the throne, became the very idol of the Parisians on ascending it, and an English writer, who was present when he first entered the capital, speaks of a religious enthusiasm which pervaded it in favor of the Chevalier King. Change itself was no inconsiderable blessing to such a people; and wearied with a decrepid monarch, swathed in flannel, they delighted themselves in the possession of a King who enjoyed the pre-eminent advantage of bearing himself gallantly on horseback. Charles X. courted popularity, and had in his favor all the external circumstances which procure it. Courteous, dignified, with a peculiarly royal air, and a singular grace of expression, his manner and his conversation were very far superior to himself, though it is erroneous, notwithstanding all his errors, to suppose that he did not possess a certain ability. Some generous expressions which were attributed to him on his entry into Paris, and the abolition of the censorship of the press, completed his popularity, and rendered him the idol of the Parisians. Even the Republicans, whom the last reign had inspired with a deep and almost desperate dissatisfaction, paused for a while; but, first doubting, finally disappointed, they added to the list of their wrongs the vainness of those hopes that had been excited, and with a more dark and determined spirit pursued their reveries of revenge.* While they met at the Palais Royal, Louis Philippe was busily engaged in obtaining all that he could from the King, whose downfall he was plotting - even as his father had accepted favors

*Bulwer's France.

from Louis XVI., while engaged in intrigues which he crowned with his fatal death vote.

The new monarch was not forgetful of his uncle's previous adherence, and in less than a fortnight after the old King died, would in person inform Louis Philippe that, by his decree, he was thenceforth to bear the title of "Royal Highness," so long coveted. A letter has found its way into print, giving an account of the interview:

"I hasten, Sir, to inform you that the King having sent me word last night to be with him to-day at noon, I waited on his Majesty a few moments before he went to mass. As soon as I was introduced into his closet, I began by thanking him for his kindness, and added that we had been particularly touched with that he evinced to us the day before yesterday. Then, as I observed that I had never understood the distinction between the Royal Family and Princes of the Blood, and that I did not better understand why there should be any other pre-eminence and distinction among us than that of birthright, and the precedency that was derived from it, the King said that the late King had conceived a wrong notion on the point, which he had been sorry to see; but that we were all one and the same family; that we had but one common interest; and that he wished us to consider him as a father, and ever to be most united. We intend going to-morrow to St. Cloud between eleven and twelve, in order to thank the King for his kindness in granting us the title of Royal Highness. "LOUIS PHILIPPE."

The Duchess of Orleans and her daughters were now constant visitors at the Palace, where they were received with the most marked attention, and greatly beloved. "They are delicious creatures, those demoiselles d'Orleans," said the Duchess of Berri, as they left on one occasion the favorite evening sitting-room of the royal family; "there is not, dear grandpapa, such another family in your Majesty's dominions." Indeed, too much praise cannot be bestowed upon the parental government of Louis Philippe, whose

"Its members,"

home circle was the admiration of Paris. wrote Madame de Genlis in her diary, are charming by their personal attractions, by their natural qualities and education, and by the reciprocal attachment of parents and children."

Under the pretence of providing for his children, the new "Royal Highness" was to have a law substituted for the ordonnance which conferred on him the Orleans appanages. Charles X., who, according to the words quoted by Louis Philippe above, wished all the Princes of his house to consider him as a father, resolved to gratify that wish also. He was obliged to have recourse to authority with a Royalist Chamber, which had inherited the distrust Louis XVIII. entertained against the Orleans family. The majority, which belonged to the droite, wanted to reject the measure, but, according to M. Sarrans, Charles X summoned to the Tuileries the most untractable Deputies, and warned them that they would personally wound him if they rejected the clause relative to the Duke of Orleans; and that he would consider as an attack on his family any attack that, in the debate on the Civil List, might be directed against the former conduct of a Prince, whose fidelity and devotedness were no longer doubtful.

To render the matter certain, Louis Philippe prevailed on Charles X. to order the clause respecting the appanage to be inserted into his own civil list law, so that the one could not be rejected without the other being also rejected. This was what M. de Labourdonnaye, in his lively and picturesque language, called faire la contrabande dans les carosses du Roi. The distrust of the Royalist Customhouse was thus overcome, and the smuggled article passed.

M. Capefigue, a conservative historian, cites several other instances of favors heaped upon Louis Philippe, among them the following, which most people regarded as a direct gift. The patrimonial property of Louis Philippe had lawfully devolved to the State, at least to the amount of