A SAD PAGE IN FRENCH HISTORY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2433, 31 October 1900, Page 64

A SAD PAGE IN FRENCH HISTORY.

(Gentleman's Magazine.)

Louis Charles, the second son of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, Avas born in the ■year 1785. When he Avas four years old his elder brother, the Dauphin,, died, and little Louis succeeded to his honours and to the -prospects of as bright and happy a future as any mortal, AvhateA^er his station in life^ can expect. __ His years of happiness ■were, however, few, for at the age of six 3ie was compelled to accompany his parents and sister 'in theii vain attempt to escape to Montmedy and there to join the Marquis de Bouillej AYho was at the head of a

large army. They were overtaken at Varennes and brought back to Paris. After a short interval the whole of the Royal Family was confined in the temple, a former fortress ot the Knights Templars. Here the King devoted himself to the education of his children, while the child, older in troubles than in years, attempted to com* fort his parents. Before leaving for tht scaffold on January 21, 1793, Louis XVI made hi.s little son swear never to attempt to avenge his death. On July 1 the Committee of Public Safety passed a decree, afterwards confirmed by the Convention : " That the son of Capet be separated from his mother and committed to the charge of a tutor, to be chosen by the Council-general of the Commune." Two days later this decree was carried into effect. Late at night six municipal guards entered the apartments of the Queen and tore the child from the arms of his mother. Ho was conveyed to that part of the tower where his father had been confined, and put into the charge of Simon ths shoemaker, the tutoi appointed by the Commune. Under the care of Simon and his wife the little prince soon became acquainted "with the depths of brutality to which a human being can descend. -Simon and his wife beat him daily with whatever implement happened to be handy, and, not satisfied with this, caused him intense mental agony by their taunts and obscene references to his parents. In fact, Simon had been instructed to get rid of the child, but -not toe openly, and he had d^ermined to destroy him by slow degrees.

The Convention was, however, not satisfied. The boy was a source of great expense to them. Simon, who 1 had been paid five hundred francs a month, was discharged, and four members of the C&uncilgeneral agreed to superintend the prisoners of the Temple. The child was placed in a back room without windows, and his only communication with -the outside world was through a low doorway that led into another room. Halfway up this door a shelf was placed, and above this shelf bars took the place of the woodwork. On this shelf little Capet's coarse food was placed, and through the grating shone the lamp that just served to show the bareness vi the cell. The room was warmed by a stove-pipe, and, occasionally during the cold weather, through the carelessness of the attendant, the fire either went out and the child was left to freeze, or the stove was plied with too much fuel and the cell became a- furnace. The nine-year-old boy was ordered to keep his prison clean, but his fast-ebbing strength no longer permitted him to do so, and soon all he could do was to creep into his little bed. Even here he was hot allowed to rest. Frequently he would be suddenly aroused by cries of "Capet, Capet, are you asleep? Where are you? Get up, young viper!" and the young child would crawl to the grating and say in his gentle voice : "I am here, Citizens! What, do you want with me?" " Only to see you," would be the surly reply. And this might happen two or three times a night. His clothes hung in rags ; his bedding remained unchanged for months ; loathsome creatures crawled over his person and the scanty furniture of his den.

With the fall of Robespierre the Daitphin'& lot improved. The new Dictator, Bar-" ras, determined that the child should be better treated. He and his sister were put in the charge of Laurent, a more humane man than Simon. Laurent, however, had no idea of the, condition of the child. When he paid his first visit to his charge lie found him in an indescribably loathsome condition. His body was covered with sores and vermin. His face expressed unintelligence, almost imbecility. To every question he had but "one answer : " I wish to die." Latirent removed the boy to a habitable room, had his sores attended to, and clothed and tended him so carefully that his own health broke down. He had to apply for an assistant. Citizen Gomin, the son of an upholsterer, was compelled to leave his shop and become imder-gaoler. Gomin, a kind-hearted fellow, was horrified when he saw the captive. He would have resigned but for the fear of being considered a suspect. He eagerly seconded Laurent's kind efforts, and by a happy thought introduced some flowers into the •prison. At last the child was moved from his stolidity and broke into tears. He did not speak to Gomin for some days ; but then his first remark was> : "It was you who - gave me some flowers : I have not forgotten it." Laurent was compelled to resign his appointment on account of the urgency of his private affairs, and his place warf taken by Lasne. Despite all the efforts of these two men the condition of the little prisoner became gradually worse. He became seriously ill. After some delay aphysician was sent, but nothing could avail. The Dauphin passed away in the arms of Lasne on June 8, 1795, in his eleventh year. The body was shown to some officers of the Guard aalio had known the Dauphin at tlie Tuileries. It was Mly recognised

by them, and 20 of them signed ar attestation to that effect. The body Avas buried in a corner el the Sainte Marguerite Cemetery tAvo days later.