MGE. DE SALAMON.
MGR. DE SALAMON.
OF
THE INTEKNUNCIO AT PAEIS
DURING THE REVOLUTION,
1790-1801.
WITH PREFACE, INTRODUCTION, NOTES, AND DOCUMENTS,
BY
THE ABBE BRIDIER,
f tf)C Cltrgn of 13arts.
BOSTON:
LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY.
1896.
Copyright, 1896,
BY LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY.
JOHN WILSON AND SON, CAMBRIDGE, U. S. A.
INTRODUCTORY NOTE.
MGR. DE SALAMON, the author of these Memoirs, was
indebted to his position as a clerical councillor in the
Parliament of Paris for the favor with which he was
regarded by Pius VI., who appointed him internuncio at
Paris toward the end of the year 1790. The Memoirs
are divided into three parts, the first treating of the inter-
nuncio's imprisonment at the Abbaye with a number of
Catholic priests, nearly all of whom perished in the terri-
ble September massacres. The second portion deals with
the Chambre des Vacations, of which Mgr. de Salamon
was a member, and before which lawsuits were brought
during the interim created by the suppression of the
Parliaments. The Abbe's connection with this body led
to his being proscribed by the existing government under
Robespierre, and the chapters he devotes to his pursuit
and escape give a vivid impression of the years 1793 and
1794 in the Reign of Terror. The third part is devoted
to events occurring under the Directory, Mgr. de Sala-
mon's correspondence with the Pope having caused his
arrest and trial on the charge of conspiracy against the
government.
The Memoirs abound in anecdotes. " Without any pre-
meditation, in quite an offhand way, just as if he were
merely chatting or telling a piquant anecdote," says a
writer in " Les Etudes," " M. de Salamon causes a numer-
ous gallery of scamps, rascals, tremblers, dastards, in-
grates, and assassins to defile before us; then, with a
vi INTRODUCTORY NOTE.
sudden change of the scenes, a number of admirable
figures, Marie Antoinette, Madame Elizabeth, and so
many intrepid and faithful men and women of the
people."
Mgr. de Salamon's Memoirs a narrative of some of
the most remarkable events in the French Revolution, from
the pen of an eye-witness, one who was also brought into
close contact with the social life of the time remained
unpublished for nearly a century, but the manuscript was
fortunately brought to the notice of its editor, Abbe
Bridier, and published in Paris in 1891.
The volume naturally attracted much attention, and pro-
voked considerable discussion. While there was some
difference of opinion as to the author's appreciation of
the men and events of the Revolution, there was none
whatever as to the interest and charm of the narrative
itself. On this point royalists and republicans of every
shade were equally emphatic.
The Revue Politique et Litteraire made an insinuation
reflecting on the honesty of the editor of the Memoirs,
which it may be right to notice. M. Bridier in his preface
remarked: " Je leur ai fait la toilette." The reviewer
believed that this justified him in calling in question the
faithfulness and sincerity of the editor. But by submit-
ting the Italian text to men of the highest standing in the
literary world, M. Bridier proved that he had neither
betrayed his author nor deceived the public. The French
translation was admitted to be an exact and faithful ren-
dering of the Italian text, and Abbe Bridier's ' ' toilette-
making " consisted in dividing the Memoirs into chapters
and paragraphs, placing summaries at the head of the
chapters, and modifying in a few instances the somewhat
free phraseology of the inter nuncio.
Like Mr. Samuel Pepys, Mgr. de Salamon wrote of him-
self with the utmost frankness, and seems to have with-
held nothing. M. Maxime de la Rocheterie, whose Memoirs
INTRODUCTORY NOTE. vii
of Marie Antoinette were so successful a few years since,
said of the work in the ' ' Revue Bibliographique Univer-
selle " : " Few memoirs are so interesting, because few are
so sincere and so really vecu. Unlike most writers of me-
moirs, M. de Salamon does not pose for posterity; he
paints himself as he is, relates his impressions as he felt
them, without disguising or dissembling the truth." " Les
Etudes" reviewed the work in the same vein, saying:
" He paints himself unconsciously to the life. He was
grand seigneur, frankly attached to his duties, pious and
diplomatic as well, an amiable boaster, like all who have
grown under the sun of Provence, a charming and pictur-
esque causeur. There is a library of volumes on the Revo-
lution, but not one of them is more absorbing than the
three cahiers of the internuncio, and hardly any as in-
structive for the philosophy of history." The " Revue
Encyclopedique " said: "These Memoirs are an unex-
pected contribution to all that we know not on the real
origin of the tragedy ; that, doubtless, we shall never
know but on its shifting scenes and incidents."
A writer in " Questions Historiques" (Jan. 1891), in a
review of the work, occupying thirteen pages, said : u He
draws his own portrait in colors that must forever remain
indelible. . . . His narrative actually throbs and palpi-
tates with sincerity. . . . After reading all the works on
that period which have become classic, I consider the last
comer the most faithful of all." In the same notice the
wish is expressed that " in the next edition the publisher
would be good enough to let the public have a look at
the two portraits : one preserved in the Musee Calvet,
Avignon, representing him as clerical councillor at the
age of twenty-six; the other in the Bishop's Palace at
Saint-Flour." A photograph of the Avignon picture has
been made from the original in France especially for the
present edition, the first translation into English,
and reproduced in photogravure.
PREFACE.
BY ABB BRIDIER.
A FEW years ago, I happened to be in Rome, and was
living in the Via delle quattro Fontane, a charming and
favorite resort of the French clergy, as the guest of
M. Cap tier, the official representative of Saint Sulpice at
the Vatican.
One day my friend received a visit from Signor Alles-
sandro Bossi, a Roman lawyer, who said to him,
"I have in my possession certain memoirs in manu-
script of one of your former bishops, M. de Salamon,
internuncio at Paris during the Revolution. I should like
to dispose of them. Would you care to have them? "
At the same time he handed him three little volumes,
tre piccoli volumi, to speak like Signor Bossi.
At the head of the first was written this classic motto :
" Infandum, regina,jubes renovare dolorem ; "
and beneath it, in large letters :
" To MADAME DE VILLENEUVE, nee COMTESSE DE SE"GUR."
On the last sheet of each volume was the following
declaration :
4 c Certified to be a correct copy of the original.
Louis DE SALAMON, Bishop of Orthozia."
All the rest was written In another hand, and in Italian.
x PREFACE.
M. Captier did not even suspect that a bishop named
Salamon had ever existed, but he thought the document
might be of interest in connection with the history of the
Church of France. He was too busy, however, to follow
the matter up, and he sent Signer Bossi to me.
I received the manuscripts of the internuncio, read
them carefully, and was enchanted with the narrative and
with the personality of the writer. At the same time,
certain parts of these memoirs seemed to me to be, from
an historical point of view, nothing less than a revelation.
In short, M. Captier had not been mistaken : the work
deserved to be made known.
But had it not been published already ? This was the
question I put to myself, on turning again to these words :
44 Certified to be a correct copy of the original." What I
held in my hands was, after all, only a copy. Conse-
quently there existed, or had existed, an original. Where?
In France, no doubt, the narrative having been dedicated
to a Frenchwoman, Madame de Villeneuve-Segur. Had
this original text escaped the searchers? The thing
appeared hard to believe. They are so numerous, so
greedy, and the morsel was so dainty. Hence, doubt
and hesitation. How was I to know that this unpublished
work was not really published, forgotten, perhaps, in the
obscure recesses of our French libraries, or scattered in
the second-hand bookstores along our quays?
I submitted these reflections to Signor Bossi.
" True," he said, " I never thought of that."
u I can easily believe you," I answered ; " these doubts
occur only to the buyers."
It was settled that I should clear up this difficulty, and,
in the mean time, the precious tre piccoli volumi were to
remain in the hands of M. Captier.
A little after, I returned to France, and began my
researches.
I wrote first to the family of Madame de Villeneuve-
PREFACE. xi
Segur, since it was to this lady the work was addressed.
I then visited Avignon, Carpentras, Saint-Flour, and
Rouen, places where the internuncio had lived. I con-
sulted his biographies in the biographical dictionaries. 1
I had recourse to MM. Delisle and d'Auriac, whose
courteous and intelligent co-operation dispensed me from
the necessity of making tedious investigations in the Rue
de Richelieu, and I acquired the certainty that this docu-
ment had never been published, and, in fact, that its
existence was utterly unknown.
I wrote to M. Captier, sending him the stipulated price,
and he forwarded me the manuscripts. Signor Bossi was
happy.
And I was not less happy than Signor Bossi; for,
though I had searched with zeal, it was with the very
ardent hope of finding nothing.
And now, from whom had the seller received the tre
piccoli volumi? From a family, once in easy circum-
stances, who had been the hosts of Mgr. de Salamon.
This was all I could get out of Signor Bossi. He had
pledged himself to secrecy with regard to everything
else.
It is not much, and yet it is enough to enable us to
make a guess, at least, at the truth.
Received into the house of a noble family when he
arrived in Rome, the prelate desired to make some return
which might express his appreciation of this hospitality.
What should he offer? Clearly, nothing could be more
agreeable to his entertainers than these pages, entirely
permeated with his own personality. Moreover, the
thing was easy, the work having already been composed
for the benefit of Madame de Villeneuve.
He employed a skilful scribe 2 to make a fair copy on
1 In those of Barjavel, Feller, Michaud, and Larousse. The best is
that in Feller, enlarged by Perennes.
2 Evidently one of the masters of the craft. Accordingly, he used
xii PREFACE.
fine paper, revised and signed it with his own hand ; and
this was his present.
These three little volumes, preserved with such care,
so pretty and so fresh when they were new were kept
by this rich family for a long time.
But books, as Horace says, have their destinies, the
destinies of their possessors themselves.
Poverty entered and sat down by the hearth. After
many other things had gone, the library was sold, all of
it save these manuscripts, the dear memorials of happier
days and of a much-loved guest. Then, as their wants
grew more pressing, they told themselves that this work,
too, had a venal value. It would tide them over their dif-
ficulties for a time, and so it was decided to offer it for
sale.
But they felt as those feel who are committing some
evil deed ; they enveloped the transaction in mystery, and
took every precaution to hide their secret. Such is, per-
haps, the explanation. It is not novel, it has accounted
for the appearance of many documents of the same kind,
and this fact renders it plausible.
It enables me, at least, to explain to my readers how
the copy of these Memoirs came into my hands.
As for the original, it has undoubtedly disappeared.
But what does it matter? My copy, bearing the signa-
ture of the prelate, and certified by him to be a faith-
ful transcript of the original, is quite as valuable as
the original; and, in this belief, I deliver it to the
public. 1
gold dust ! There are particles of it still adhering to the paper. The
scribe was not very well acquainted with Italian, for the errors are
numerous.
1 I add here a curious fact, communicated to me by M. Boulay de
la Meurthe.
The following passage occurs in Forneron's " Historie des Emigre's,"
Vol. II.:
" When the Abbe Salomon, ex-clerical councillor in the Parliament
PREFACE.
of Paris, was prosecuted as a returned emigre, Merlin of Douai advised
the judges to condemn him, and, when he was acquitted, used several
ingenious arguments to persuade them to transfer him before another
tribunal."
As the author did not give any authority, M. Boulay questioned
him on the subject. He said,
" I have read the Memoirs of this personage, but I cannot tell you
any more, for they were given to me in confidence, and I have taken a
pledge of secrecy respecting them."
This is exactly what Signer Bossi said to me. Was it my copy, or
was it the original, that Forneron saw ?
At all events, he must have read over the manuscript carelessly,
for the internuncio signs himself very legibly de Salamon, and no-
where does he speak of having been prosecuted as a returned emigre'.
CONTENTS.
PAGB
INTRODUCTION , xvii
BOOK I.
MY MARTYRDOM.
CHAPTER PAGB
I. THE ARREST OF THE INTERNUNCIO 5
II. THE POLICE OFFICE OF THE MAIRIE .... 17
TIT, THE DECREE OF THE COMMUNE ON THE FIRST
OF SEPTEMBER, 1792 26
IV. THE FIRST NIGHT IN THE ABBAYE .... 36
V. SUNDAY IN PRISON 44
VI. PREPARING FOR DEATH 51
VII. THE PEOPLE 64
VIII. THE MASSACRE 70
IX. A HAPPY DIVERSION 79
X. THE EXAMINATION 86
XI. IN THE VIOLON 95
XII. FREE! 105
EPILOGUE Ill
xvi CONTENTS.
BOOK II.
MY LIFE DURING THE TERROR.
CHAPTER PAGB
I. THE CHAMBRE DES VACATIONS 117
II. THE WARRANT OF ARREST 130
III. THE COUVENT DES ANGLAISES 141
IV. THROUGH PARIS 150
V. THE INTERNUNCIO LEAVES PARIS 159
VI. IN SEARCH OF A LODGING 165
VII. A WEEK OF CHECKERED FORTUNES .... 180
VIII. THE Two FUGITIVES 191
IX. TOGETHER AGAIN 197
EPILOGUE 204
BOOK m.
MY TRIAL UNDER THE DIRECTORY.
I. PlUS VI. AND THE DIRECTORY 213
II. THE CONSPIRACY OF THE INTERNUNCIO . . . 222
III. THE INDICTMENT 232
IV. AT THE GRANDE FORCE 239
V. THE CONCIERGERIE 249
VI. THE CRIMINAL TRIBUNAL 255
VII. A SECOND SUMMONS FOR THE INTERNUNCIO . 265
VIII. A COUP D'ETAT 270
IX. AT LAST 278
X. THE ACQUITTAL 287
APPENDIX 293
INDEX . 325
INTRODUCTION.
I.
WHY AND WHEN THE MEMOIRS WERE WRITTEN
MGR. DE SALAMON was not at all anxious to write the
story of his adventures. It was not that the task fright-
ened him : he had a fluent pen, an excellent memory ; his
recollections were still vivid, and, besides, he had always
been in the habit of taking notes.
But he had also prejudices that no longer affect our
age : he feared to be considered by his fashionable asso-
ciates a mere scribbler, that is to say, one of those
unhappy people who barter their intellect for hire, and
" compose to live."
Moreover, he was modest, or, at least, was not afflicted
with the modern passion for notoriety, and did not care
that his personality and his sentiments should serve as
food for the curiosity of the public.
Consequently, the hunters after memoirs and they
were numerous at the time, for the game was plenty
were politely shown the door, when they approached him,
among others, the Abbe Sicard, teacher of the deaf and
dumb.
The latter would have given much to have the adven-
tures of his comrade in the violon, as he calls the inter-
nuncio, because both of them were shut up in one of
those little prisons in the Abbaye, called violons.
b
xviii INTRODUCTION.
He desired to join them to his own, and publish them in
the " Annales Catholiques," which he was about to issue. 1
They would create a sensation, and bring in subscribers.
Having failed in his own person, and, indeed, met
with such a reception that he could not very well make
another assault, he sent a bookseller, he himself remaining
in the dark, with an offer of three thousand francs.
But the internuncio was an ex-magistrate; u More
tricks than one he knew full well." He scented this one
immediately: "I know who sent you," he answered;
" go, and take your money with you." The messenger
turned on his heels.
Yet at this moment it was during the Terror the
internuncio had not, to use his own expression, " a sou
in his pocket or a bit to put between his teeth."
Only at the behest of a sovereign, would he depart from
his resolution, and that sovereign was ' i the great, the
immortal Pius VI. ! " as he delights to term him. A few
days after leaving the Abbaye, he sent him an account
of the massacres ; still, it was a sort of diplomatic docu-
ment, brief, concise, and drawn up in Italian. 2
The fortress seemed, then, impregnable, when Madame
de Villeneuve made her preparations to carry it.
She had long been intimate with the internuncio. She
had heard him often relate his adventures. They had
charmed her, 8 he related them so well. But she desired
to enjoy them comfortably, at her ease ; in other words,
she wished to read them.
1 The first number, in fact, contains the narrative of the Abbe
Sicard.
2 I have not been able to lay my hand on it. It would have been
interesting to compare it with the first book of the Memoirs.
8 She was the daughter of Comte de Segur, grand master of cere-
monies to the Emperor, and sister of the author of " Napoleon and the
Grand Army." She married Baron de Villeneuve, treasurer general
of the city of Paris. One of her daughters married Count Balbo, the
Sardinian ambassador at Paris, whose name figures unpleasantly in
the Memoirs.
INTRODUCTION. xix
Still, she was well aware of the scruples of the narra-
tor. She understood and respected them; they were
quite in accordance with her own notions of what was
proper. She therefore gave him her word that the manu-
scripts should never leave her hands. And, if some
accident in the future should render this promise unavail-
ing, there remained another safeguard against eventu-
alities, it was to have the work written in a foreign
language. Now, she spoke and wrote Italian quite as well
as the internuncio himself. The number of Italian poems
of her own composition, still in the possession of her
family, is decisive on this point. Why should he not
write his memoirs in Italian? This would be putting a
barrier, the Alps, so to speak, between himself and the
public. Who should ever hit on the idea of going to
look for him there ?
Add to this, that the fair petitioner was a very virtuous
and amiable woman and a very determined woman as
well.
Resistance was out of the question ! The internuncio
surrendered, and surrendered at discretion. He wrote
his memoirs, then, without reserve or restraint, without
distrust of the future. He lays bare his heart, has no
hesitation in giving the names of persons, quotes friends
and enemies, acts just as he would act if relating his ad-
ventures in the salons, not forgetting to introduce an
odd little calumny now and then.
Evidently, he had determined to bring his revelations
to a stand at the end of the first book; the conclusion
proves this.
But the appetite of Madame de Villeneuve grew with
what she was reading. He had to set to work again, to
add the second book, then the third, in fine, to tell
everything.
This took place during the time M. Pasquier was Pre-
fect of Police. Consequently, the Memoirs were written
somewhere between 1808 and 1812.
xx INTRODUCTION.
Now, in 1812, Madame de Villeneuve died, at the age
of thirty-four. And so, like many other celebrated works,
pardon me for the comparison, this, too, has been
composed to satisfy the desires of a woman, and it is to
Madame de Villeneuve that we owe it.
II.
THE FAMILY OP THE INTERNUNCIO. HE ENTERS THE
PARLIAMENT OF PARIS.
BEFORE entering on the examination of the Memoirs of
the internuncio, it is well to say a few words of his birth
and of his position in the Parliament of Paris ; for to
them he was indebted, partly at least, for the favor with
which he was regarded by Pius VI.
The Salamons (not Solomons, as it is often written)
were long settled in the Comtat Venaissin.
The father of the bishop was a native of Saint-Roman
de Mallegarde. He took up his residence in Carpentras,
where he married Anne Esseyri, the daughter of a printer, 1
and soon occupied the highest offices in the city. As first
consul, 2 he stood at the side of Bishop d'Inguimbert when
that famous benefactor of Carpentras laid the corner-
stone of the magnificent hospital, still to be seen there.
This was in 1750. The following years find him fulfilling
the same functions, which, it may be remarked, by the
way, rendered him second in authority to the rector him-
self, 8 and could be conferred on the noblesse of the robe
alone.
He had two sons: Alphonse, Baron de Salamon, and
Louis-Sifferin, who is no other than our bishop.
1 She was of Italian origin. See Memoirs, p. 196.
2 The municipal magistrates were styled consuls.
8 The rector was the official representative of the Holy See in the
Comtat.
INTRODUCTION". xxi
The first was born in 1747. He was successively Secre-
tary of the Archives of the Legation of Avignon and
Vice-Seneschal of Montelimar, where he settled. He was
mayor of this city when the Revolution broke out. He
was arrested and imprisoned in the Conciergerie, during
the closing days of the Terror, but was liberated on the
death of Robespierre, and became mayor of Lyons during
the Thermidorean reaction. His career, which has been
very differently appreciated, was noisy and stormy enough
to attract almost exclusively the attention of biographers,
and to throw that of his younger brother in the shade. 1
Let us hope that these Memoirs shall assign to each his
proper place, and, without adding to or detracting from
the renown of the baron, whom, by the way, they do not
even mention, 2 show that the internuncio is, after all, the
greatest glory of the family.
Barjavel, in his ' Dictionnaire des hommes illustres de
la Provence et du Comtat," places his birth in 1750. A
more singular fact still is that the same date is found on
the portrait presented by his own nephew 3 to the Musee
Calvet, Avignon. If we are to believe his own testimony
(and why not?) it makes him out ten years older than he
really was. In book i. chapter xi. of the Memoirs he
states that he was thirty-two in 1792. He must, therefore,
have been born in 1760. 4
Besides this date, which is, after all, a matter of little
importance, he tells us that he was taught the rudiments
of Latin at Carpentras. One of his schoolmates was that
1 See, on Baron de Salamon, the " Histoire de Montelimar," by M.
de Coston.
2 It would seem natural that the internuncio should have said some-
thing of his brother, at least in Book III. But their political course
was very different, and the internuncio had less liking for a moderate
politician than even for a terrorist.
3 Ange-Marie-Alphonse de Salamon, who was receiver of indirect
contributions at Montelimar.
4 It is the date given in the biography in Feller.
xxii INTRODUCTION.
amiable Abbe Vitali, whom he was to see again, as he
relates, on the field of slaughter, twenty-three years later,
and who, unlike himself, did not escape the steel of the
assassin.
Then, at the age of nine, he left his native country,
which he was hardly ever to live in again, so to speak, and
entered the College de la Trinite in Lyons, which was in
charge of the Oratorians. What could have been the
cause of this separation imposed on a child of such tender
age? Perhaps the banishment of the Jesuits, who were
forced to leave the splendid establishments they held in
the Comtat and even in Carpentras. Perhaps, also, the
parents of Mgr. de Salamon may have shared the unjust
prejudices most lawyers entertained with respect to the
order, and preferred to send their son where he might
have masters of their own choosing.
At least, when once he had finished his course in the
humanities, an excellent superior education was within
his reach at home. We all know what was then the repu-
tation of the University of Avignon. I imagine that the
young student, while preparing for a clerical life, had
already a judicial career in his eye, as well from taste as
from family tradition. He was obliged to acquire a
certain portion of theology, but the whole bent of his
mind was toward law, and so we find him in 1780 doctor
and fellow of that faculty, which was the brightest glory
of the University of Avignon.
From that moment, honors began to crowd upon him ;
indeed, they would naturally come to the son of a first
consul of Carpentras, and the brother of a man high in
the favor of the legate of Avignon.
It is not probable that the Abba de Salamon ever visited
Rome at this period ; but the position of his family ex-
plains sufficiently the origin of his relations with Pius VI. ,
and the kindness with which that great Pope treated him.
The Pope, in fact, named this young doctor, just fresh
INTRODUCTION. xxiii
from college, Auditor of the Rota, a post formerly created
by Cardinal d'Armagnac with the consent of Rome. It
was already a nice opening, for the holder of the office
was required to be forty years old, and the abbe was
hardly half as much. Then, at twenty-two, a new
favor. The deanship of one of the chapters of Avignon
becoming vacant, the auditor immediately offers himself as
a candidate, and as the new dignitary had to be a priest,
he asks for a dispensation to enable him to be ordained a
priest. The Pope grants it, adding graciously ' ' that he
treated him on this occasion as he would have done a
nuncio or a prince." 1
" The inhabitants of the Comtat and of Avignon are
regnicoles," says Expilly, in his " Dictionnaire des Gaules
et de la France."
This somewhat barbarous term signifies that, although
subjects of the Pope, they had the right, as well as the
Frenchmen of France, to fill all the offices of the realm.
They were not the sort of people to allow such a privilege
to remain a dead letter. A strong current set in from
Avignon to Paris, and ecclesiastics were carried away by
it as well as the rest. One evidence of this is that,
among the seventy priests whom the Abbe de Salamon
met in the Abb aye, he found two of his fellow- townsmen. 2
It is not, then, surprising that when the seat of one of
the clerical councillors in the Parliament of Paris became
vacant, he should have purchased it. A place in the first
judiciary of the kingdom was well worth the bench of an
Auditor of the Rota and the stall of a dean of the chapter.
I have not been able to discover the date of this event,
but it must have occurred previous to 1784, since he says
he took a prominent part in the famous affair of the
Diamond Necklace.
1 See book i. p. 7.
2 The Abbes Vitali and Capparuis.
xxiv INTRODUCTION.
Besides, the portrait in the Musee Calve t, which was
presented in that year, represents him as a member of the
Parliament. This picture was, no doubt, a present from
the young clerical councillor to his parents during his first
vacation. The artist, Jean Baptiste Bourgeois of Avig-
non, has represented him standing, at full length, with
the insignia of his dignity, in a black robe, the sleeves of
which have a purple border, and with the band. The
absence of the traditional cap is explained by the fact
that he holds a sheet in his hand, and seems to be read-
ing some report or otTier before the Chambre des Enquetes.
The abundance of his hair and the care with which it is
powdered are enough of themselves to confirm the con-
fidences of which he is prodigal with regard to this por-
tion of his person. 1
Nothing can be more interesting than the physiognomy.
The regular yet animated features, the sparkling eyes,
which are full of intelligence, the thin, flexible lips, offer
a singular mixture of virile energy and almost feminine
distinction. The latter quality is predominant, and the
one the spectator remembers best. In short, this portrait
is a real illustration of the character of the internuncio,
and explains, at least partially, the magnetism he exer-
cised over all who approached him. 2
The career of the young magistrate in the Parliament
was very short.
In fact, he entered it only to witness the lamentable
spectacle of its closing years, to see it engage in an in-
terminable struggle with the court, oppose an obstinate
resistance to the most wisely democratic measures, make
repeated assaults on the royal authority, and fall at last
beneath the blows of the States-General it had so ardently
desired.
1 He returns often to these details of his toilet. He attached great
importance to them.
2 As is seen everywhere in his Memoirs.
INTRODUCTION. xxv
III.
THE INTERNUNCIO. HIS MEMOIRS. THEIR HISTORICAL
VALUE.
IT is with his memoirs in my hand that I now follow
the career of the internuncio, not with the view of simply
repeating his story, but to detach from them the principal
facts that concern the Revolution in general, and the
Church of France in particular.
The Chambre des Vacations having been established to
fill the interim created by the suppression of the Parlia-
ments, the Abbe de Salamon was appointed a member of
it. He has given a summary of its history at the begin-
ning of the second book of his work. The passage is
interesting; and, under an anecdotal form, contains a
certain amount of valuable information for whoever may
wish to write a detailed history of the Parliament of
Paris.
The author, indeed, was the only one of his colleagues
who escaped the scaffold, and I do not believe there ex-
ists another authentic narrative of the last moments of
this celebrated assembly.
At the moment when it was about to separate, that is
to say, toward the end of 1790, Mgr. Dugnani had to
leave Paris, where there was no longer either honor or
safety for the representative of the Holy See. The Abbe
de Salamon was appointed by Pius VI. internuncio in his
place. The reasons for this selection will be seen in the
Memoirs themselves.
But what the author does not tell us is that he had
been for a long time before a candidate for this important
post. The letters which I give at the end of the volume
leave no doubt as to this. From 1786, he keeps the
Cardinal Secretary of State informed of the events, both
xxvi INTRODUCTION.
political and religious, that succeed each other with such
rapidity. He notes carefully the progress and changes of
public opinion, condemns or praises the conduct of the
higher dignitaries among the clergy, and takes very good
care that his own services shall not be forgotten. He
even goes so far as to advise the adoption of such and
such a measure. In short, he assumes the mission of
official informant to the Holy See. He takes this mission
so seriously that he is in dread of being compromised,
should his letters be opened. So, to guard himself against
the u Black Cabinet," an old institution it would seem, he
is careful not to sign his letters dating from 1788.
All that Pius VI., therefore, had to do was to give his
mission an official character.
The Memoirs throw a full light on this mission, about
which little has been known until now, although it had
considerable importance ; for it does honor to the Pontiff,
who wished to show to the end, even under the Terror, the
deep interest he took in the French Catholics and the
French clergy, and to Mgr. de Salamon himself, who, by
accepting these delicate functions at such a time, exposed
himself to the greatest peril.
One of his first acts was to transmit to the metropoli-
tans and to publish among the people the famous Briefs
on the Civil Constitution of the Clergy.
It was a direct blow aimed at the partisans of this con-
stitution. They tried to parry it, and found it was
necessary to find something that these briefs were
spurious. Hence a very vigorous quarrel between them
and the faithful clergy. A word from the internuncio
might have put an end to it, at least for men of good will.
But he did not utter it, for a very excellent reason, he
would thereby have pointed himself out to the execu-
tioner.
However, in 1821, he had occasion to explain his con-
nection with the Briefs in a letter to the " Ami de la Reli-
INTRODUCTION. xxvii
gion." 1 This important declaration, contained in a few
lines, is, as it were, lost in the one hundred and sixty
volumes of the review, and, doubtless, that is why it has
escaped the notice of historians.
Well, he renews it in his Memoirs, and thanks to them,
it can now take its place on the firm ground of history.
Henceforth, there can be no doubt as to the authenticity
of these Briefs. They were received, forwarded in due
canonical form to the metropolitans, confided to the printer,
and scattered among the public by Mgr. de Salamon, the
internuncio, the official representative of the Holy See.
The publication of the Briefs had no effect. Pius VI.
knew this well, and this knowledge explains his long
silence. The schismatic clergy were more and more
favored, the orthodox clergy more and more persecuted.
Then the internuncio, who was never given to specula-
tion, but always a man of action, drew up an address,
had it signed by the Catholics of Paris, and placed it in
the hands of the king. At the same time, he transmitted
a copy of it to the Pope. It is a fine page, honorable
alike to the writer and to the signatories. It fully proves
the official character of Mgr. Salamon, and, notwithstand-
ing its length, I think it right to give it in full.
Address of the Catholics of Paris presented to the king on the Qth
of October, 1791, and sent by the INTERNUNCIO to the Sover-
eign Pontiff, Pius VI.
SIRE, The Catholics of Paris have, for more than a month,
been exiled from their temples, deprived of their worship, and
exposed to all the outrages of fanaticism, without uttering a
single word in protest.
Disciples of a Master who, when dying on the cross, prayed
for his executioners, children of a religion whose first law is
charity and whose chief benefit to the world is peace, they
believed for a time that it was their duty to stifle their com-
plaints and hide their sorrows in the depths of their own
1 See Appendix, p. 298.
xxviii INTRODUCTION.
hearts. But now that the promulgation of the constitutional
laws must have calmed the public excitement, we venture, sire,
to speak of our rights to the common liberty, and to demand
for the exercise of our worship the protection of the laws.
We shall not say to your Majesty that our religion existed in
France before the monarchy, and that we have received it from
our fathers, who themselves received it from their ancestors.
But we do say :
We are Frenchmen, obedient to the political laws of the state,
and ready to contribute to its needs, not from compulsion, but
from conscientious principle. We wish, we desire only peace.
The Constitution of the kingdom gives us rights ; it is time that
we enjoy them. The nation depends on you, sire, for the execu-
tion of the laws. It is to you, then, that we must henceforth
carry our grievances, and to your justice and to your energy do
we denounce the persecutions of which we are the daily victims.
Your Majesty is not ignorant that even on the very day of the
acceptance of the Constitution, the outrages of fanaticism have
been of a character to dishonor a free nation, and the cradle of
the Constitution has been sullied by infamous deeds. 1
But it is not enough for us that we should be permitted to
worship clandestinely, nor does the Constitution itself exact
such a condition of things. Law and good order require that
our worship be public, and this we demand.
To those who cry " Purchase temples of your own, then," we
answer, sire:
" These temples were built by our ancestors, by the disciples
of our worship forming the greater portion of the inhabitants
of the capital, and, in their totality, the greater portion of the
inhabitants of the nation."
We place, besides, under the eyes of your Majesty the im-
mense sacrifices we have made for the Revolution, and the enor-
mous mass of taxation that overwhelms us, on account of the
property we possess.
Yes, sire, we proclaim, without fear of contradiction, that
every hundred of the Catholics of Paris pay more in taxes than
ten thousand of those who wish to hamper us in the exercise of
our worship.
1 The women who attended service at the glise des Irlandais were
whipped on leaving the church.
INTRODUCTION. xxix
In view of these considerations, we demand, sire, that the
temples in each parish in Paris be placed at the disposal of the
dissident or non-conforming Catholics. Your Majesty will thus
confer a benefit of the very highest nature on your subjects.
By thus tranquillizing consciences, you will dry the tears and
prevent the despair of multitudes of unfortunate people.
On the other hand, nothing in our worship will be out of har-
mony with the laws of the state, and the nation will have no
truer patriots, and your Majesty no more loyal subjects.
But if we are so unhappy as to be the only slaves in a free
realm, we do not wish to hide from you, sire, that the neighbor-
ing kingdoms will offer us an asylum where our rights shall be
respected ; and the love of our faith is strong enough to induce
us to seek elsewhere both laws that give us liberty arid chiefs
powerful enough to guarantee us its enjoyment. 1
We are, with respect, sire, of your Majesty the very faithful
and humble servants,
THE CATHOLICS OF PARis. 2
Such a daring step could not fail to expose the Abbe
Salamon to the hatred of the revolutionists. They took
good care, then, that he should be in the draught taken
in the first net cast before the September massacres. He
was arrested as internuncio of the Pope, thrown into
prison, and finally conducted to the Abbaye. 3
His account of those terrible days is certainly the most
circumstantial, the most full of details, the most vivid
and vigorous that has ever been written. Moreover, it
breathes everywhere a great air of sincerity, and agrees
in all important particulars and we cannot expect more
with contemporary narratives. 4 Certainly, it must
command the attention of all historians of the Church
and of the Revolution.
What an admirable figure the internuncio brings before
1 An evident allusion to the emigration.
2 See Theiner, " Unpublished Documents relative to the Religious
Affairs of France," t. i. ch. cxix.
8 See Picot, vi., p. 216.
4 Those of the Abbe Sicard and M. de Chamois.
xxx INTRODUCTION.
us in the Abbe Royer, the cure of Saint-Jean en Greve,
the type of priest he loved, with his simplicity and hero-
ism, and his tenderness and compassion for the weak-
nesses of others ! Sicard has merely given a vague out-
line of the portrait, here we have it at full length.
What an angelic profile is that of the young Minim
monk, the eldest brother of Paul Seigneret, whose sole
fear is that he may not be put to death, who resists
his preservers and joyously gives himself up to his
murderers !
Next, we have a spectacle which recalls and confirms
that of the Carmes and of Saint-Firmin. Sixty priests
witness the approach of the most frightful of deaths.
They can escape; they have but to utter a word. Not
one utters it, because it would be contrary to the
truth.
Without doubt there are some shadows in the picture. 1
But the author frankly confesses his weaknesses, and this,
too, is an additional evidence of his veracity. Let those
cast the first stone, who, placed in a similar position, feel
assured that they would have done better.
The explanation of the massacre, that " Saint Bar-
tholomew of the French Revolution," as Napoleon called
them, 2 is also found in the Memoirs of the internuncio.
It was the Commune of Paris that originated, prepared,
1 The Abbe Godard, grand vicar of Toulouse, escapes through a
window, and forgets to point out to his companions this path of safety.
The Abbe Sicard hides where he can, and the internuncio himself has
recourse to a piece of strategy which is, indeed, marvellous, but has
nothing heroic about it. See " Memoirs," pp. 64 and 80.
2 " One evening at Saint Helena, Napoleon remembered that it was
the anniversary of the massacres of September. He said to us, awak-
ing from a kind of revery : ' To-day is the anniversary of a hideous
event, the massacres of September, the Saint Bartholomew of the
French Revolution, a bloody stain, the work of the Commune of Paris,
that infamous rival of the Legislative Assembly, which drew all its
strength from the passions of the dregs of the people.' " See " Corre-
spondance de Napoleon," xxxii., p. 343.
INTRODUCTION. xxxi
and organized this abominable butchery. It was a band
of assassins, the dregs of the people, enrolled and paid
by it, that executed the deed of horror. The people was
always the people : it followed the lead of others ; it was
misguided, but not naturally bad. It seeks for the
innocent among those prisoners, who have been pictured
to its eyes as great criminals, defends and protects them,
tears them even from the arms of the relentless butchers
and blood-drinkers. Hence the singular mixture of
ferocity and mildness, of justice and fury, which keeps
pace with every step of the narrative and surprises the
narrator himself.
On the other hand, a certain number of fiery revolu-
tionists, Manuel, Torne, Sergent, Dugazon, and Maillard,
the legendary Maillard, owe him a debt of gratitude. He
shows that there was something good left in the hearts of
even the most sanguinary of these men. This is not the
least pleasing of the characteristics of these Memoirs.
After all, it is well to think that monsters are rare. I
may add that the best biographical accounts of these
individuals do not contradict the narrative of the inter-
nuncio. Petion is the only one who fares ill at his hands.
Has he been innocently calumniated by him? I am in-
clined to think so. Otherwise, this Petion was a mon-
ster of hypocrisy.
However this may be, the Abbe de Salamon escaped
from the snare he says Petion laid for him, with the loss
only of his hair. 1
But there were two persons in the abbe, the internuncio
and the magistrate, and both had their quarrel with the
Revolution. The internuncio had escaped, at least for
the moment. It was now the turn of the magistrate.
He had, in fact, been a party, like all his colleagues, to
the famous protest of the Parliament against the acts of
1 There is still great uncertainty as to the part played by Pe'tion,
who was mayor during these three days.
xxxii INTRODUCTION.
the National Assembly. This document was discovered in
1794. At the bottom of it was read the name de Salamon.
The members of the Committee of General Safety at once
issued a warrant for his arrest.
His usual luck did not forsake him, he escaped. The
reader will see how, and will read with eagerness this
curious Odyssey of an outlaw under the Terror.
Assuredly, this portion of the Memoirs is almost every-
where purely anecdotical, and has but little importance in
connection with general history.
Nevertheless, I gather a more lively impression from it
of the terrible years 1793 and 1794 than I do from any
other work on the subject. What a time that must have
been, when an honorable man, an ex-member of the
Parliament of Paris, the official representative of the
Holy See, saw himself reduced to such a condition that
he had to wander in the woods, sleep on straw or leaves,
live without shelter and without food, as if he were the
vilest of vagabonds, or, as he says himself, a wild beast !
Some pages may give us the idea of the Terror ; these
give us the sensation of it.
And yet the Abbe de Salamon does not lose his head ;
in fact, he never loses it. He continued still to exercise
his functions, not, indeed, those of internuncio, now
without an object, but those of vicar apostolic. It is the
title given him by Pius VI. after the massacres, and it
perfectly describes the situation of France, fallen back,
so to speak, into the savage state.
He surrounded himself with priests, proscribed like
himself, and, at the very gates of the capital, in the
teeth of the Convention, he organized his council, gave
his decisions, granted dispensations, and, thanks to a
thousand expedients suggested by his subtle and indus-
trious mind, he found means to continue his correspond-
ence with Pius VI. and Cardinal Zelada.
Oh ! if I could only have laid my hands on that cor-
INTRODUCTION. xxxni
respondence, that diplomatic correspondence, of which
the Memoirs contain so many delicious fragments ! What
remorse, or rather, what regrets, my failure has caused
me ! For remorse I have not, and cannot have. I
have searched and questioned and set in motion all
whom I could persuade to help me, those for whom the
Vatican Archives have no secrets, and those at whose
will all their doors fly open. The result will excuse me
from making further investigations. My agents have
been referred back to me, for I had kept in the shade,
as being the only person in France or in Rome who
was thoroughly acquainted with the career of Mgr. de
Salamon !
Undoubtedly, it has been mislaid, lost, or destroyed. 1
This is a real misfortune for my volume; it would have
been the gem of the work. It would also have been all
important for the internuncio, for it would have proba-
bly furnished proofs in support of the first chapter of the
third book, that chapter so curious and suggestive for
those who believe that history, like the web of Penelope,
is always to be remade.
In this chapter, in fact, the Concordat of 1801 dates
from 1796! It is ascribed to Pius VI. and the Directory
rather than to the First Consul, and was negotiated by
the Abbe de Salamon rather than by Consalvi!
All this is very astonishing and very little in harmony
with what we know of the five Directors. 2 There is no
trace of it anywhere except in our Memoirs. Even a
fragment from the Archives of Foreign Affairs, quoted
by M. Sciout, is far from corroborating it. 8 Moreover,
1 Perhaps burned. A part of the Archives in the Quirinal were
consumed when Pius VI. was arrested in 1798.
2 La Reveillere-Lepaux, Rewbell, Le Tourneur, Barras, and Carnot.
Certain documents quoted by Theiner would lead us to suppose that
the only man who thought of a Concordat, at this time, was the young
general of the Army of Italy.
3 In " Rome, le Directoire, et Bonaparte en Tan IV. et V. " the
c
xxxiv INTRODUCTION.
there is a certain amount of incoherence in this chapter,
regarded from a chronological point of view. At least,
this is the impression it makes on me now. It may be
different if ever the diplomatic correspondence is
discovered. 1
A crowd of anecdotes, from which much may be
gleaned, concerning the prisons, prisoners, and victims of
the Revolution, form interludes between the thrilling acts
of the dramatic trial that composes the remainder of the
book. The adversaries of the Directory will find here a
new charge levelled against it. The truth of this portion
of the narrative, in nearly all its details, is fully confirmed
by the journals of the period.
But they have condensed where the abbe has enlarged.
The latter speaks of three summonses, the former of only
two. The Memoirs date the final judgment on the 3d of
March, the newspapers in January. It is a curious fact
that it is the narrator himself who has suggested to me
the thought of examining the journals, and thereby estab-
lishing the discrepancy between him and them.
But, to resolve the question fully, it would be necessary
to examine the jail registers of the Conciergerie and the
archives of the Criminal Tribunal of the Seine. They
were all burned by the Communists !
However, I must not forget the author ; if I did so, he
would consider that he had good ground for dissatisfac-
tion, for he certainly never forgets himself. The thing
question relates to the Abbe Evangelist!, secretary of legation. Evan-
gelisti, strange to relate, is the pseudonym used by the internuucio
in his correspondence with Rome.
1 There is, however, one document that would seem to me to have
a natural connection with such a negotiation ; it is the famous Brief
of Pius VI. to the Catholics. We know what angry protests it raised,
and how its authenticity was contested, because it appeared too favor-
able to the Directory. It was published in 1796, that is to say, during
the time of the assumed negotiations of the internuncio with the
Directory.
See Picot, vii., p. 26.
INTRODUCTION. xxxv
is very natural besides, for he was writing his own adven-
tures. In addition to this, he always saw himself, while
writing them, in the midst of a sympathizing circle of
auditors, male and female: that he should dwell on his
own personality as much as possible was their eager
desire.
Perhaps even the illusion, I was going to say the mir-
age, common to lively imaginations, to talkers who talk
of themselves, to the authors of memoirs, has led him to
embellish a little here and there. This is a simple suppo-
sition of mine; it occurred to me while reading these
pages ; I give it for what it is worth ; and, with this par-
enthesis, I come to my concluding observations.
When we speak of the clergy of the eighteenth cen-
tury, we always have in our minds two extreme types,
both represented in these Memoirs, the one by the heroic
cure of Saint-Jean en Greve, the other by that abbe of
the second book whom the author very correctly describes
as his lamentable compatriot.
Well, the Abbe de Salamon has nothing in common
with this poor scapegrace, but neither does he quite re-
semble the first. He represents a new type, which stu-
dents of the eighteenth century ought not to forget, the
magistrate priest, the abbe who is at once a priest and a
man of the world.
He associates very little, or not at all, with his brother
clerics; he would rather draw up reports than preach
sermons; he takes more interest in the perplexities of
a legal investigation than in hearing confessions, and
is better acquainted with the customs of France than
with the Holy Scriptures. He frequents the company
of distinguished jurists and of persons noted for rank
or talent. Living in their midst, he adopts their tastes
and habits, secularizes himself, if I may venture to use
the term. This is easily seen in the Memoirs, but we
need not be scandalized at it.
xxxvi INTRODUCTION.
For it is right to remark that all this concerns only the
outward seeming; at bottom, in heart and soul, the inter-
nuncio remains, to use the expression of Saint Paul, the
model of the flock.
When he believes that he is about to be massacred in
the Abbaye, he makes his examination of conscience, and
says to God, to strengthen himself against the terrors of
his judgment: "You know that I have never spoken
against your holy religion," a confidence characteristic
of the man and of his environment. The priest to-day
has not the duty nor even the opportunity of frequenting
the society of those who ridicule his beliefs. When he
appears, politeness itself produces a certain self-restraint.
But it was not so in the eighteenth century, and if the inter-
nuncio refused to enter every salon which took its tone from
Voltaire, he would have been constrained to live like a
hermit : and this was not at all to his taste. But, unlike
certain abbes who have become only too celebrated, he
kept silence, and protested by his attitude.
Such as he is, and as he artlessly paints himself, I like
him much for his beautiful warmth of soul, his devotion to
Pius VI. and to the Church, and his filial tenderness for
the poor woman of the people, Blanchet, his faithful old
housekeeper, who is the pearl of these Memoirs, although
they contain a good many others.
IV.
THE BISHOP OF ORTHOZIA. THE CONCORDAT OF 1817.
RELIEVED of his functions in 1801 by the arrival in
France of the Legate a latere, Mgr. Caprara, the Abbe
de Salamon was immediately named administrator general
of the dioceses of Normandy. This province was then in
a state of great agitation. The ill feeling that existed in
INTRODUCTION. xxxvii
all the rest of the country between the non-juring and con-
stitutional priests was there complicated by a great quarrel
between the sees of Rouen and Seez. As the government,
which had not yet signed the Concordat, and the cardinal,
who had not yet been recognized, could not act officially,
the affair was intrusted to the Abbe de Salamon. 1
The latter travelled through the dioceses of Normandy,
appointed grand vicars, and succeeded in restoring peace.
At least, such is the testimony he renders to himself in
the closing pages of his work. But it would seem that
he flatters himself a little, as the author of the " Memoirs
on the Ecclesiastical Affairs of France " affirms that he did
not obtain much success.
However this may be, he did not lose his time.
The Abbe de Salamon, as a lawyer, preserved a very
strong liking for documents. It is a characteristic of
which De Pradt speaks with much severity in his " His-
toire des Quatre Concordats," but it must be acknowledged
that the troubled times in which he lived rendered it very
valuable. It enabled the internuncio to send to Pius VI.,
on his demand, detailed biographies of all the constitu-
tional bishops. He also collected, as he tells us himself, 2
information in Normandy on the non-juring and constitu-
tional priests of the different dioceses of this province,
thinking that some time or other it might be turned to
account. He was not mistaken. Fifteen years later, in
1 See " Memoires sur les Affaires Ecclesiastiques de la France/' 1.
Paris, 1823.
2 " As for myself, I have always been obliged to live in Paris or in
its neighborhood, and I know everybody. Any information your Ex-
cellency may require with respect to such or such a person I am ready
to supply. When I was Apostolic Administrator of Normandy, I
gathered correct information on the priests of the different dioceses,
and, in a very impartial manner, even on the intruded priests. And so
I was able to send true and correct biographies to Pius VI." (a collec-
tion we should be very glad to discover!) "of all the constitutional
bishops he wished to learn something about." Part of a letter quoted
by De Pradt.
xxxviii INTRODUCTION.
fact, we see him place it at the disposal of Cardinal de
Perigord. 1
When his mission was finished, Mgr. de Salamon retired
for a long time into private life. Did he do so voluntarily ?
I do not think so, and I believe that, in spite of his attach-
ment which he is rather fond of parading to the
ancient order of things, he would have gladly accepted
one of the sees erected by the Concordat, of which, for
that matter, his devotion to the Church rendered him
quite worthy. Two rather curious letters, exchanged
between him and Cardinal Gerdil, which I give at the
end of this volume, will be likely to influence the reader's
opinion upon this subject.
However, he had to content himself with the episcopal
consecration he received at Rome in 1804, as titular
Bishop of Orthozia in partibus infidelmm.
Still, there were writers who envied him even this
reward. 2 Witness De Pradt, who, in the work already
cited, sneers at this honor " as one of those favors of
which Rome is not sparing."
It will be admitted that this criticism is in rather bad
taste, levelled as it is at a man who twice risked his
head for the Church. De Pradt, who was successively
Bishop of Poitiers and Archbishop of Malines, never
did as much.
It was in connection with the Concordat of 1817 that
Mgr. de Pradt encountered Mgr. de Salamon, whom he
has so badly treated.
The latter, in fact, returned on the stage with the
Restoration. Being a decided reactionary, he was one
1 De Pradt, ibid.
2 Not only writers, but Napoleon himself. The Abbe de Salamon
had been nominated by Pius VI. proprio motu. The emperor com-
plained loudly, refused to acknowledge the bulls, and caused an
organic decree to be added to the Concordat, forbidding any French
ecclesiastic to be named bishop without the consent of the government.
See " Memoires sur les Affaires Ecclesiastiques de France/' ii.
INTRODUCTION. xxxix
of those who regarded Napoleon as an usurper, the
empire as an interregnum, and all its acts, even the
most important, as null and void. Therefore, when he
was appointed by the king Auditor of the Rota at
Rome, in 1815, he did not feel the slightest hesitation
in going and taking possession of the post. There was,
however, one difficulty. The office had been already
filled for several years by Mgr. Isoard, a prelate of
spotless character. The result was that Mgr. de Sala-
mon found himself in a delicate and somewhat ridicu-
lous situation, the bitterness of which he felt deeply.
It is only thus that the violent passages in two singu-
lar letters, quoted by De Pradt, can be explained. 1
These letters were sent to one of the secret negotiators
of the Concordat of 1817, Cardinal de Talleyrand-Peri-
gord, ex-Archbishop of Rouen, and subsequently Arch-
bishop of Paris. They show that their author felt as
little respect for the Concordat of 1801 as he did for the
nomination of Isoard. And, in fact, the two acts were
closely connected. The question, at bottom, was to de-
cide which party should triumph, the extremists or the
moderates, and whether the contracts made by the Court
of Rome with a sovereign who had reigned twelve years
over France were valid or not.
The wise Pius VII. judged that they were. The Con-
cordat of 1817 was only a renewal of that of 1801. Iso-
ard was maintained, and Mgr. de Salamon would have
remained an Auditor of the Rota in partibus as well as a
bishop, had not the king insisted that the Pope should
appoint him Bishop of Belley, one of the forty-eight new
sees lately erected.
But, for reasons I cannot discover, he never occupied
1 "The philosophes," says De Pradt, in "Les Quatre Concordats/'
" have never spoken worse of the Court of Rome." Then Mgr. de
Pradt read very little of the philosophes ! Moreover, Mgr. de Sala-
mon wrote ab irato, and in a confidential communication. All this
makes a difference between him and the philosophes.
xl INTRODUCTION.
this see, and had to wait until 1820, when he was nomi-
nated to the bishopric of Saint-Flour. After so many
agitations and checkered fortunes, he anchored in port
at last.
V.
THE EPISCOPATE OF MGR. DE SALAMON.
IT cannot be said, nevertheless, that Mgr. de Salamon
was destined to enjoy the sweets of repose.
For a long time, Saint-Flour had been without a bishop.
Mgr. de Belmont had died during the quarrel of Napoleon
with Pius VII. ; his successor, Mgr. Joubert, was unable
to take possession of his see, and, in spite of the efficient
administration of a grand vicar such as M. de Roche-
brune, the diocese suffered in consequence.
Happily, the new pastor bore his sixty-two years lightly.
His portrait in the Episcopal Palace of Saint-Flour, taken
at this period, is a visible testimony to the fact.
The top of the head, entirely divested of hair, leads the
mind of the spectator back to the massacres of Septem-
ber ; for it was after, and in consequence of, that long
agony that it began to fall as he himself tells us. All
that is left are two long, white tufts, which adorn the
temples and set off the face agreeably.
But, apart from this, it is astonishing to see him again,
with head erect and firmly planted on the square shoulders,
a complexion glowing with animation and color, eyes
bright and clear, in short, breathing in his whole person
a fire and activity that only need an opportunity for their
display. 1
1 In the absence of his Lordship, Mgr. Baduel, Bishop of Saint-
Elour, Mgr. Lamoureux and Canon Boyer, my friend, have kindly
allowed me to study this portrait. I transcribe here our common
reflections.
INTRODUCTION. xli
You cannot take a step at Saint-Flour without meeting
some memorial of this fruitful episcopate.
Here, at the entrance of the town, you see the fine
monastery of the Visitation, which owed, in great part,
its erection to his encouragement and generosity, a fact
recalled by his arms sculptured above the principal en-
trance ; there, not very far away nothing is very far
away at Saint-Flour ! the congregation of Notre Dame,
whose development he favored, and which, under his
episcopate, sent a swarm to found at Salers a boarding
academy, still in a flourishing condition. But the Petit
Seminaire and the Grand Seminaire were his works of
predilection, because they were at that time the most
necessary of all.
Saint-Flour had, in fact, like the other dioceses of
France, seen the vocations of the young nobles exhausted,
at least generally, on account of the suppression of eccle-
siastical benefices. Hence a sensible lowering both in
the number and in the intellectual level of the clergy, for
poor families, or families in moderately comfortable cir-
cumstances and from them, almost alone, could the
clergy be recruited, now that the career was one of self-
sacrifice only could not afford their children adequate
means of education and intellectual culture. The bishop
had a disheartening proof of this in the style, and even in
the orthography, of the letters he received. 1
Is there any need of adding that he keenly deplored a
deficiency which seriously impaired the prestige of the
clergy ?
" Vainly," said he, in one of his pastorals, " would you
possess a solid training in theology and ecclesiastical
subjects. Men do not judge priests by standards which
they are themselves incapable of appreciating. It is of
1 See the collection of his pastorals. I have been able to examine
them in the library of the Grand Seminaire, thanks to the courtesy
of the Lazarist Fathers.
xlii INTRODUCTION.
the greatest importance that the people should regard the
priest as belonging to the learned class," words as
good in themselves as they are worthy of repetition,
and which find their best commentary in the efforts of
sectaries in all ages to shut out the clergy from the
sources of human science. They explain the efforts and
sacrifices of Mgr. de Salamon in favor of the seminaries.
Any one wishing to know them in detail has only to run
over the collection of his pastorals. It is from it I have
gathered the little information on this subject I now lay
before the reader.
Let me confine myself to stating here that he succeeded
in winning the favor of Charles X. for the Maison de
Pleaux, already of some antiquity, prevailing on him to
create it a Petit Seminaire, with nine burses and eighty
half burses, gifts, alas! destined to be ephemeral; 1 that
he widened the curriculum by inscribing mathematics and
natural philosophy in it ; that he created examinations in
literature, rudimentary enough, for that matter, which
students had to stand before entering the Grand Semi-
naire, in presence of the bishop and grand vicars ; and that,
finally, he founded, with the assistance of a holy and ex-
cellent priest, the Abbe Tripier, an ecclesiastical boarding
academy at Saint-Flour.
This institution had a somewhat modest beginning : the
pupils attended the courses of the College Royal, to-day, I
believe, the College National. But when the law of 1850
brought us freedom of secondary teaching, it decided to
use its own wings, and soon attained a degree of pros-
perity that does honor to the foresight of its founders. It
is to-day, in its full development, a worthy rival of its
sister in Pleaux, and giving to the diocese of Saint-Flour
distinguished men and virtuous priests.
As for the Grand Seminaire, Mgr. de Salamon restored
it to its ancient masters, the Lazarists, who had held pos-
1 I think there is nothing left of them at present.
INTRODUCTION. xliii
session of it from 1676 up to the Revolution, when they
were banished. Then, to guarantee a fuller supply of
priests, he aided indigent students out of his own purse,
and left them in his will a hundred thousand francs, 1 in
order to assure to them after his death, as he had done
during his life, food, clothing, and wood to warm them.
The rest of his property he bequeathed to the poor.
The good sower cast his seed on a fruitful soil. The
harvest was abundant, and he had the happiness of seeing
it with his own eyes. In his lenten pastoral of 1828,
which we may regard as his Nunc dimittis, he throws a
satisfied glance over all his diocesan works, and salutes
particularly the hundred and fifty pupils of his Grand
Seminaire, " the joy," he says, " and crown of my epis-
copate." It was better than the reward of his generosity,
it was the fruit of God's benediction on a father who
freely surrendered his children to Him.
No one can, in fact, read without a lively emotion his
pastoral instruction of the 1st of January, 1826, by which
he established in his diocese the work of the Propagation
of the Faith, founded at Lyons, in 1822.
After enumerating the difficulties of the missions and
mentioning among other slight and familiar details that
" a bottle of wine for saying mass costs a hundred and
twenty francs, when it reaches Tong-King," he declares
that he will gladly welcome any young cleric who asks his
permission to go on the foreign mission, and orders his
pastoral instruction to be read twice a year in the Grand
Seminaire. Considering how much Saint-Flour suffered
from lack of candidates for the ministry, this was pushing
his confidence in Divine Providence to heroism. It seemed,
indeed, for a moment, as if Mgr. de Salamon had been
1 According to what M. Coston tells me, his family gave him
little comfort. It would seem that they attacked the will, and, to
avoid scandal, the authorities of the diocese consented to a com-
promise.
xliv INTRODUCTION.
guilty of imprudence. In the year 1827, twenty-one of
his priests died. But this was a passing trial, and, in
balancing accounts, God was as generous as he.
Mgr. de Salamon died on the llth of June, 1829. Thus
God spared him the grief of seeing another revolution,
and the final ruin of that dynasty he loved so well, in the
storm of 1830.
He was buried, by his express wish, as a pauper in the
common grave.
When a stop was put to interments in the garden of the
Visitation, then used as a burying ground, Mgr. de Pom-
pignac, one of his successors, but at that time canon, had
his remains exhumed.
They rest, it appears, in the present cemetery, in the
vault reserved for the members of the chapter. I say,
" it appears," for this great benefactor of Saint-Flour has
not even a tomb, not even a cross, upon which his name
might be read.
His humble wish has been faithfully obeyed !
There is, however, one house that desired Mgr. de
Salamon to have something more than a place in the
memory of grateful hearts. Need I mention that it is his
house of predilection, his Grand Seminaire ?
Over the entrance to the chapel and class-room are two
marble slabs, on which are engraved these words, words
expressive and delicate in their sobriety :
A. LA ME"MOIRE
DE
MONSEIGNEUR DE SALAMON,
E"VEQUE DE SAINT-FLOUR,
De'ce'de' Le 11 Juin, 1829.
Par La Reconnaissance du Grand Seminaire,
Envers Son Illustre et Ensigne Bienfaiteur.
INTRODUCTION, xlv
Such is the man and such the prelate whose Memoirs I
present to the public. I have, as the nature of things
sometimes required, dressed them up a little. But I do
not care to say any more ; there are secrets between them
and me which would interest nobody.
I wish only to say that I have removed to the two
extremities, the Introduction and the Appendix, all that
seemed to wear an appearance of erudition.
In this way, I have succeeded in rendering the cur-
rent of the narrative limpid and easy. The reader will
sail down it without effort. He will be captivated by the
charm of all the amiable faces he sees reflected in it,
one after another, 1 and will become the better for see-
ing; and, doubtless, Mgr. de Salamon, looking down from
his heavenly home, will pardon me for having published
his Memoirs. 2
PARIS, the 14th of May, 1890.
1 It reflects here and there some ugly physiognomies also; but
that is nothing in comparison with the Blanchets, the Dellebarts,
the Colins, with Mile. Grandin, the Cure of Saint-Jean en Greve,
Richard, etc. In short, these Memoirs show us human nature at its
best, and this is not so common at the present time.
2 I beg to offer my sincere thanks to all who have kindly aided
me ; but my thanks are especially due to my two colleagues, MM.
Lamarche and Daix. The latter has afforded me the help of his
ripe experience for the most thankless and arid part of the work.
BOOK I.
MY MARTYRDOM
Lasting from two o'clock in the afternoon of Sunday, the
2d of September, 1792, until eight in the morning of
Monday, the 3d of the same month, in the garden of the
Abbaye of Saint-Germain des Pres.
Infandum, regina, jubes renovare dolorem.
Cruel to be told, great queen, is the sorrow you bid me revive.
AENEAS TO DIDO VIRGIL, Aeneid, ii. 3.
TO
MADAME DE VILLENEUVE,
Nle COMTESSE DE SEGUE.
AFTER nineteen years of misery and distress,
years during which I have suffered every kind of ill
fortune, and been exposed to every kind of perse-
cution, I bow with submission to your expressed
desire, madame, and I promise to recount, for your
own eyes, one of the most terrible scenes in the Revo-
lution, that scene which preceded and foreboded
another more tragic still, when a funeral pall was
stretched over France, and consternation took hold
of all Europe. 1
You wish me to write the lamentable story of the
September massacres, at which I was present, having
been dragged to the field of slaughter as the repre-
sentative of the Pope, and where I witnessed the
murder of seventy of my unhappy companions, escap-
ing myself only by the visible grace of that Divine
Providence which twice rescued me from the scaffold
afterward.
Yes, madame, you shall be obeyed. Such amia-
bility and virtue as yours have a compelling power,
and I do now what I refused to do when compliance
1 The execution of Louis XVL
4 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
would have relieved my own dire distress. 1 Do not,
however, expect from me a flowery and brilliant
style. I shall write all the details of the horrible
drama I can remember, with simplicity, without orna-
ment, and, perhaps, without connection.
My heart is still too much agitated whenever I re-
call this hideous massacre, and my mind is too much
enfeebled by years and anxieties to permit me to
hope that there may be much order and clearness in
this narrative.
1 The Abbe Sicard, instructor of the deaf and dumb, frequently
solicited me to give him my memoirs, and he even sent a bookseller to
me with an offer of three thousand francs for them, at a time, too,
when I actually was in want of food. (Note by the author.)
MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
BOOK I.
MY MARTYRDOM.
CHAPTER I.
THE AKKEST OF THE INTERNUNCIO.
THE ABBE DE SALAMON is NAMED INTERNUNCIO. LETTERS FROM
Pius VI. AND CARDINAL ZELADA. THE EDICT IN FAVOR OF
THE PROTESTANTS. THE INTERNUNCIO BEFORE Louis XVI.
His ARREST. MADAME BLANCHET. MARAT AND HIS MEDI-
CINES.
I WAS born a subject of Pius VI., of holy memory,
and the favors I received from him were of a nature
to excite the strongest feelings of devotion to his
person. It was not surprising, therefore, that, when
Dugnani, his nuncio at the French court, frightened
out of his wits by having the bleeding head of a
life-guard flung into his carriage, abandoned the
capital and fled to the baths of Aix, in Savoy, his
Holiness should wish to appoint me in his place, with
the title of internuncio to Louis XVI., then residing
at the Tuileries. I was informed of the intentions of
6 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMOK
the Sovereign Pontiff by Cardinal Zelada, his Secre-
tary of State.
Alarmed at the idea of undertaking such a mission,
and having a secret presentiment of the dangers to
which I was likely to be exposed, I refused the
honor, but offered to act as adviser to Quarantotti,
who remained at Paris after the flight of the nuncio.
He was secretary of the papal embassy, or, to give
him his real title, auditor of the nunciature. But
Pius VI., a great Pope if ever there was one, was
fond of having his own way, and was not satisfied
with Quarantotti. He ordered him to quit the capi-
tal at once, after sending the archives of the nuncia-
ture to my residence. The Pope informed me, by
his Secretary of State, that he declined to accept my
excuses. To cut short all protests on my part, he
deigned to give me my orders under his own hand.
They were contained in a long letter of six folio
sheets with gilt edges. The letter had this pecu-
liarity, that it was written in three languages. It
began in French with " mon cher abbe" was continued
in Italian, and ended with the words, " Pontificatus
nostri anno decimo septimo" and the signature, " Pius
Sextus"
The letter was of the most affecting nature. His
Holiness reminded me, with paternal affection, of all
he had done for me. And, in fact, he had done a
great deal. At the age of twenty-one, I was ap-
pointed Auditor of the Rota, although the rules of
that eminent office required that its holder should be
forty. I was also made Dean of the Chapter of Avi-
gnon, and, as this dignity can only be conferred on a
THE ARREST OF THE INTERNUNCIO. 7
priest, the Pope granted me a dispensation, enabling
me to be ordained at the age of twenty-two, 1 and
added to the dispensation this formula : more princi-
pum et nuntiorum, which means " a privilege reserved
to princes and nuncios."
His Holiness, in his letter, was graciously pleased
to instruct me himself as to the manner in which I
should act. He also told me what he thought of cer-
tain ministers, and especially of M. de Montmorin,
minister of foreign affairs, whom he did not at all
like. His Holiness, however, said nothing of his
reasons for distrusting this statesman. He was pro-
fuse in his eulogies of my conduct in the Parliament
of Paris, particularly in the famous case of the
Queen's Necklace, 2 in which Cardinal de Rohan was
implicated. But, above all, he praised me for my
efforts to prevent the edict in favor of the Protestants
from being registered. I had, indeed, been very
zealous in opposing it, and it would never have been
passed had not Mgr. de Juigne*, the Archbishop of
Paris, taken the side of the Protestants. His defec-
tion led to that of many others, and the edict became
law. 3
I kissed with reverence the letter of the great Pon-
tiff, and devoted myself unreservedly to his service,
resolved to suffer death rather than abandon it. My
reply, marked by the deepest submission and loyalty,
moved him profoundly. He testified his satisfaction
1 Instead of twenty-four, the canonical age.
2 1786.
8 It was registered on the 9th of January, 1788. It placed Protes-
tants on an equality with other citizens.
8 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMOK
with me through the medium of Cardinal Zelada, a
minister in every way worthy of such a sovereign.
In obedience to the wishes of the Sovereign Pon-
tiff, I carefully avoided the presence of M. de Mont-
morin, and sought an interview with the Due de
Brissac, a French peer with whom I had been politi-
cally connected from 1787 to the beginning of 1789,
during the sessions of the Parliament. I asked him
what was the best method of obtaining an audience
with the king.
M. de Brissac received me. with open arms, saying :
" It will delight me to be of service to you." Then
passing to another subject: "Ah, my dear abbe*,"
he exclaimed, " what are we coming to ! If we had
not allowed the edict to pass, all this would not have
happened."
" I am as sorry for what has occurred as any one
could be, M. le Due," I replied ; " but at least it is
neither your fault nor mine."
After a short conversation, he said,
" Return at noon to-morrow."
He had apartments in the Tuileries, on the ground
floor. I was punctual to the minute. As soon as
he saw me he said : " The king will receive you at
one to-morrow. I will introduce you myself."
I expressed the lively sense I entertained of his
kindness.
I was presented to his Majesty on the next day.
The king was by himself in his study, which seemed
very small. He smiled when he saw me, and said :
" I recollect your name, for you were once at Ver-
sailles (I had been there twice as a member of a
THE ARREST OF THE INTERNUNCIO. 9
deputation from the Parliament), but not your face.
What can I do for the Pope ? "
" Sire," I answered, " at present the only order I
have received from his Holiness is to express to your
Majesty the deep interest he takes in your situation,
his affection for your sacred person, and his assur-
ance that the Church may always rely on your pow-
erful protection. In the present condition of affairs,
he cannot give a greater proof of his confidence than
by appointing a member of your own Parliament to
represent him at your Majesty's court; and," I
added, "your Majesty may rest assured that the
fidelity I owe the Pope as his subject cannot in any
degree lessen the loyal allegiance I owe your Majesty,
and which I have sworn as a member of your Parlia-
ment. You will have every day proofs of my zeal for
your service in administering justice to your subjects
in the Chambre des Vacations, 1 under the presidency
of M. de Rosambo."
The king was graciously pleased to express his
gratitude to the Pope for the evident good-will im-
plied in the selection of myself as his representative.
My residence at this period was in the Cour des
Fontaines, Palais Marchand. 2
I had refused to abandon the ecclesiastical habit
and mount guard, before the 10th of August. After
that fatal date, I was constantly insulted and threat-
ened in the streets. On one occasion, five men pur-
1 Established by a decree of the National Assembly on the 29th of
November, 1789, to perform certain legal functions in the absence
of the Parliament.
2 Near the Palais-Royal, Rue de Valois.
10 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMOK
sued me through the Rue Saint-Eustache, shouting :
" Look out for the aristocrat ! look out for the aristo-
crat of the Palais I " I walked along quickly, keep-
ing close to the shops, and so escaped. I could not
help turning round now and then, however, and say-
ing to my persecutors : " Why are you attacking a
pei-son who is doing you no harm ? "
From that moment, I was on my guard, although
there was no change in my mode of living. For,
mild and gentle as you may think me now, my nat-
ural disposition is never to yield to fear, and never
to do anything on compulsion.
At length, a massacre was resolved on at a secret
meeting, and the several sections searched every-
where for priests, and even for laymen who had be-
come objects of suspicion.
I was not troubled for seventeen days afterward,
and was beginning to have a pleasant feeling of
security. Still, as I had heard some talk of a domi-
ciliary visit, I cautioned my housekeeper the most
devoted of servants, but an aristocrate, in the parlance
of the times, to the tips of her fingers to be very
polite and humble with the commissaries of my sec-
tion, in case they did me the honor of calling on me.
This admirable woman had been an attendant of
my mother for over thirty years, and had been
specially intrusted by the latter with the manage-
ment of my domestic affairs, for they are matters
with which I never meddle.
It was fortunate I warned her, for, on the night
following, at two in the morning of the 27th of
August, there were loud and repeated knocks at my
THE ARREST OF THE INTERNUNCIO. 11
door. My poor housekeeper, in her hurry to execute
my orders to the letter, ran her head against the
corner of a door in the dark, and was painfully hurt.
In spite of this, she threw open the door, and ushered
five men, dressed in tricolor scarfs, into my bed-
room. They were the commissaries of my section,
and were followed by twenty armed men.
I had been indisposed for some days, and was at the
time so feverish that I was obliged to rest my elbow
on the pillow while drinking a glass of lemonade.
"You see before you, gentlemen," I said, as they
were entering, "a man with a high fever, lying in
bed. What do you want ? "
" Oh, do not be uneasy ! " answered one of them,
who seemed to be the leader. " We do not intend to
cause you the least annoyance; we know you are the
Pope's ambassador : give up your correspondence."
" Indeed 1 " I returned. " Then, if you know I am
the Pope's ambassador, you know also that my person is
sacred ; and yet you have forcibly violated my domicile.
As to my correspondence, it has so little value in my
eyes, that I am in the habit of using it to warm my
shirts before putting them on. You will, perhaps,
find a few scraps of it in torn -envelopes on the floor
of my study. For that matter, you can go and try."
And I let my head fall back on my pillow.
Still, I was anything but easy in my mind. I did
not know, at the time, that my poor housekeeper,
always full of wise forethought and anxiety in my
regard, used to be on the watch for the moment when
I had finished my letters on Wednesday and Satur-
day. She would then take my correspondence from
12 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SAL AMOK
the portfolio, in which I had placed it with my other
papers, carry it to the garret, and hide it under the
dove-cots. She never gave me a hint of these pre-
cautions, because she well knew that measures dic-
tated by fear were not to my fancy, and that I would
never have been a consenting party to her little strat-
agem. I may as well acknowledge, by the way, that
this ill-timed courage of mine has often got me into
awkward scrapes. The prudent circumspection of
this poor woman was infinitely more estimable, for
courage does not exclude prudence. But in those
days I was young I
And now I may as well tell you the name of this
admirable woman, it was Blanchet. She became
afterward the object of the respect and affection of
my friends and of all who heard me speak of her.
She well deserved their sympathy, for she shared my
dangers, and was imprisoned three times : in the
Couvent des Anglaises, Rue Saint- Victor, for eight
months, and in the Grande Force and the Madelon-
nettes for three. M. de Malesherbes, who was after-
ward guillotined for defending the king, used to
leave his carriage occasionally behind him on the
banks of the Seine, and walk to my lodging in the
Rue des Augustins, where I lived after the massacre.
Whenever he did not find me at home, he would
spend a full hour talking with her. She did not
know how to read or write, but M. de Malesherbes
said : " She is a woman of wonderful natural intelli-
gence and sensibility, and has all the vivacity of her
native Provence." She was known to the queen, and
was not a stranger to the munificence of Pius VI.
THE ARREST OF THE INTERNUNCIO. 13
The commissaries of my section, after seeking and
not finding, drew up a report. They requested me
to rise and sign it. It was about six in the morning.
I called their attention to the fact that, as I was ill, I
could not rise ; but a man whom I recognized as an
ex-soldier of the guard attached to the Parliament,
said to me : " You had better get up, monsieur ; they
are quite capable of compelling you to do so." I im-
mediately jumped out of bed, and was dressed in the
twinkling of an eye. "I am quite ready to follow
you," I exclaimed, " but I refuse to sign your report."
These words seemed to embarrass them for a little.
I followed them. When I came to the head of the
staircase, I perceived a considerable number of armed
men about the door. I told the leader that, when I
surrendered at discretion, I had no notion I was about
to be led along in the middle of such a band, and
flatly refused to stir until it was dismissed ; we had
an angry dispute on the matter, but at last I gained
my point.
Then I noticed that they were carrying a big chest
with them. It contained the archives of the nuncia-
ture, which I had been unable to conceal.
I was immediately brought before the committee
of the section, where a fresh report was drawn up,
verifying my appearance before it, and ordering me
to be conducted to the Committee of Surveillance
of the famous Commune of the 10th of August. I
insisted again that I should be allowed to proceed
without an escort. But this time I failed, and so I
had to march like a criminal between my ruffianly
guards, who shouted every minute : "Down with the
14 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMOK
calotin (white-choker)! Take a look at the Pope's
minister ! "
We passed through the street which runs along the
Seine, then across the Place de Greve, all the time
surrounded by the vilest of the rabble. It was now
a little after eight o'clock.
When we reached the Hotel de Ville, I was ushered
into a very small apartment, filled with wretches who
had scarcely the form of humanity. Tricolor scarfs
were passed over the dirty rags that covered their
bodies, and they were amusing themselves, with an
air of great triumph, by knocking my chest about
and handling it so roughly that I expected every
moment to see it open of itself.
My poor Blanchet, bathed in tears, her little son,
aged thirteen, and a young man, the only male ser-
vant I had at the time, indeed, these three com-
posed my entire household, had followed me sadly
at a distance.
I had scarcely entered this den of cannibals, when
one of them cried : " This is a rascal fit for the
guillotine I " I answered without emotion : " And
this is the language of a people which boasts of being
free ! "
After threatening me with all kinds of horrors,
they decided to question me on the nature of my
correspondence with the Pope. I firmly refused to
answer, telling them that they had neither authority
nor jurisdiction to try me. Then they ordered me to
be led to the police-station of the Mairie ; 1 it was
1 To-day the Prefecture de police.
THE ARREST OF THE INTERNUNCIO. 15
formerly the court of M. Brocard de Saron, ex-Presi-
dent of the Parliament, my venerated friend, who
had been expelled from it in less than twenty-four
hours by the Due de la Rochefoucauld and Pastoret,
the one president and the other attorney-general of
the department.
I set forth anew, then, attended by the same
body-guard, and was marched as a criminal into
that building which I had so often entered as a
respected magistrate.
This time, the chest containing my archives did
not form a part of the procession, but remained at
the Hotel de Ville.
I was brought before a little committee composed
of five members. Among them I recognized that
Marat who was to become so celebrated and so ter-
rible, and from whom a fearless young girl, Charlotte
Corday, worthy of a better fate, delivered France.
This monster, who had received the appointment
of veterinary surgeon to the stables of the Comte
d'Artois, had, on a certain occasion, been consulted
by me as a physician. The wretch already bore in
his soul, a soul as hideous as his face, the germ of
his future atrocities, for he wrote out a prescription
for a medicine that would have surely killed me, if
the famous druggist of the Rue Jacob had made it
up for me. "Why," he said, "it is pretty evident
this medicine cannot be for you. It is horse medi-
cine. I recognize the signature of your doctor. He
is a madman." Apparently, Marat had looked on
me as a subject from the stables he physicked, and
good to try an experiment on!
16 MEMOIRS OF MGB. SALAMON.
The scoundrel burst out laughing as soon as he
saw me, but did not insult me, as the other ruffians
had done.
It was this same Marat who, on meeting me later
on, after the massacre, in the stone gallery 1 of the
Palais-Royal, shouted to me: "Take good care of
your ears!"
1 The other galleries were of wood up to 1829.
THE POLICE OFFICE OF THE MAIRIE. 17
CHAPTER II.
THE POLICE OFFICE OF THE MAIRIE.
THE PRISON AND THE PRISONERS. THE ABBE SICARD. THE
GRAND VICARS OF TOULOUSE, BOURGES, AND STRASBOURG.
THE CURE OF SAINT-JEAN EN GREVE. THE ABBE GERVAIS,
SECRETARY TO THE ARCHBISHOP OF PARIS. A " KNIGHT OP
THE PONIARD!"
I WAS then hurried across the yards next the
stable, and forced to enter a sort of garret on the
second story. It was an immense apartment, but
the ceiling was so low that a man of five feet six
inches could hardly stand upright. It was full of
prisoners, numbering, as I learned afterward, eighty.
They were huddled together on straw. They did not
pay much attention to me at first, but were loud in
their complaints of the state of the litter, which
had not been changed for four days. The light that
penetrated into this gloomy abode came from a few
narrow windows crossed by iron bars; it was not
sufficient to dispel the darkness, which was simply
appalling. Truly this was the vestibule of death.
At first I was stunned by the ghastly nature of
my surroundings, and my eyes wandered hither and
thither without resting on any particular person,
until one of the prisoners recognized me and ap-
proached. I also recognized him. He had held a
18 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
legal office in the Parliament, and was named Fe*ron.
As he was stretching out his arms to embrace me,
he exclaimed,
" Can a man such as you are be here ! "
" My dear friend," I answered, " my presence here
is not as strange as that of yourself, for I well know
what a thoroughly honest man you are; but the
thought that I am in your company gives me some
pleasure."
Directing my attention to a wretched mattress,
which I had not observed, he added: "As I am ill,
I have obtained this mattress, although with the
greatest difficulty. Do me the favor to accept it;
otherwise, you will have only a little straw for your
bed, and not clean straw either. You can imagine
the condition it is in when people have been sleep-
ing, spitting, and lying on it for the last four days."
I was deeply affected by his generosity, for it is
my nature to be moved by all unselfish deeds, and I
have never forgotten his. Nevertheless, I refused
his disinterested offer. I did not care to deprive
him of the little comfort comfort I good Heaven !
he had in his dreary imprisonment; and, shall I
confess it? I was afraid of catching his fever, espe-
cially as my own had suddenly left me. But when
I saw afterward that my refusal gave him great pain,
I determined to accept, be the consequences what
they might.
He left me, and went to converse with several
other persons, who thereupon came to salute me with
the most respectful deference. Among them was
the cure* of Saint-Jean en Grdve, a man as vener-
THE POLICE OFFICE OF THE MAIRIE. 19
able for his virtues as for his years ; he was eighty.
Like the Abbe* Godard, grand vicar of the Arch-
bishop of Toulouse, he had to keep always in a
stooping position, for they were both six feet high.
Besides many other well known persons, the Abbe*
de Bouzet, grand vicar of Rheims, a grand vicar of
Strasbourg, the Abbe* Sicard, and the Abbe* Gervais,
secretary to the Archbishop of Paris, paid me their
respects.
I was about to thank them, and was congratulat-
ing myself on having so many distinguished com-
panions in misfortune, when I heard the voice of my
poor Blanchet at the door, crying in heart-broken
accents: "Monsieur, monsieur, won't you come and
speak to me ? " I drew near her. She said : " Here
I am, monsieur, what do you want ? what would you
have me do ? " She was all in tears. I did not see
her, but I heard her sobs. " I would have you keep
quiet,'* I answered. "I am here among persons of
my own rank, and am perfectly satisfied. The fever
has left me, and I am quite well. Get my chocolate
ready, and bring with it a few peaches and a decan-
ter of lemonade/'
In fact, I was as punctual in drinking my cup of
chocolate as I was in reading my breviary, I fear, a
little more so, perhaps ; for, I confess to my shame,
my occupations made me sometimes forget to recite
it fully. In short, the little repast I have mentioned
had been a habit with me since childhood.
I requested her also to tell my servant to bring
with him whatever was necessary for my toilet.
Without being excessively particular, I have from
20 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
my youth been fond of neatness. I always had my-
self shaved and my hair dressed almost as soon as I
jumped out of bed. Never was this omitted, even in
prison, except when I was placed in solitary confine-
ment, under the Directory. 1 After the massacre,
however, I cut my hair close, and, since then, no one
has ever touched my head.
I also said to Madame Blanchet, " Remember that
to-morrow is Thursday, and that I expect a basket to
be sent to my lodgings. You will carry it to my
friend in the Rue Sainte-Croix de la Bretonnerie.
Tell him to open it, eat the contents, and be sure
to write a letter of thanks, unless he hits on a more
convenient method of expressing his satisfaction."
My Blanchet might not know how to read and
write, but she was as sharp as a razor. A hint from
me was always enough for her. She understood me
perfectly. These words meant : " Remember that
to-morrow is Thursday, and that I expect a courier
from Rome. You will carry my despatches to my
friend in the Rue Sainte-Croix de la Bretonnerie.
Tell him to read them, and be sure to send Guillaume
the private courier placed at my disposal by the
Court of Rome to Italy to inform the Pope and
his Secretary of State of my sad position." Every
order I gave Blanchet was executed to the letter.
I added: "Send Lafrance to me." He was my
valet. To dress my hair and wait on me when I
dined in the city embraced all his duties. He came
shortly afterward, but the only order I gave him was
to obey Madame Blanchet implicitly.
* See Book III.
THE POLICE OFFICE OF THE MAIRIE. 21
When I returned to my companions, I threw my-
self on the mattress, for I had been on my legs since
two in the morning. Reflecting on what was likely
to become of me, I became very melancholy for a
time.
The curd of Saint-Jean en Grve was a saintly
man, but very lovable, gay, and even jovial. He
made an effort to dispel my sad thoughts and to
make me laugh, and sometimes succeeded. Then my
companions joined me, one after another, and related
their adventures. One of them especially attracted
my attention. He was a wonderfully little man, but
very handsome and dainty. He had been grand
vicar to Cardinal de Rohan.
However, as I foresaw clearly the misfortunes that
were about to overwhelm us, their efforts to amuse
me had only very poor success, and, do what I could,
I was not able to shake off the profound depression
that had taken hold of me.
The hour for breakfast brought me some relief.
Every one ate what he liked, and some took their
meals in common. The dishes were in many cases of
the choicest kind, and even the pastry left nothing to
be desired.
But, as a foil to all this luxury, I saw a priest in
a corner, wretchedly clad and anything but clean,
eating a piece of dry bread.
The reason for this was, because, as we were not in
a state prison, we had to furnish our own meals.
He appeared to be rather ashamed of making such
poor cheer. I am always affected by the sight of
misfortune, and when that misfortune is undeserved,
22 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
my emotion becomes very painful indeed. But
priests inspire me with more compassion than other
men, when they fall into misery. Nor is this a tran-
sitory feeling. When I visit the country parishes in
summer, the spectacle of priests who lack the neces-
saries of life excites the same poignant anguish in my
soul that it aroused in the days of my youth.
If I enumerate the things that, perhaps, tell in my
favor, it is not from vanity ; for I shall also confess
to many acts of mine that you would hardly call
creditable. I am determined to be candid in any
case. I cannot, however, madame, shake off the ap-
prehension that the very sincerity of my efforts to
give you a full and accurate narrative of a crisis in
my life may be the occasion of my partially losing
that esteem in which you have been good enough to
hold me, and depriving me of the kind regard you
have so quickly conceived for me ; for you will see
that I did not ambition martyrdom, that I made very
little preparation for death, and that all my courage
consisted in presence of mind and inventing methods
of escape. Still, after all, I think God has forgiven
me my terrors, since I have been able to be useful to
the Pope, at least for a short period, and to do some
slight service to the Church.
I approached the priest, and said,
"M. 1'Abbe*, you have evidently no relatives to
look after your wants. Pardon my curiosity, it
springs from a feeling heart ; tell me who you are."
My presence apparently caused him some embar-
rassment; but, quickly recovering his calmness, he
replied,
THE POLICE OFFICE OF THE MAIRIE. 23
"I was one of the chaplains of the H6tel-Dieu.
On my refusal to take the oath, I was expelled
from the hospital, with nothing but the clothes
I had on. I have been here three weeks; I was
arrested near the Tuileries, the day after the 10th of
August, by persons who called me a rascal and a
4 Knight of the Poniard.' "
At these words of the good priest, I confess I
could hardly keep from laughing, and I murmured
to myself as I contemplated him : " A Knight of the
Poniard!"
I asked him what province he came from, and if
he had any money. He answered that he was from
Gascony, and had been paid so poorly at the Hotel-
Dieu that all he had about him was a few sous to buy
bread.
"Well," said I, "you can keep your bread. I
think my breakfast will soon be here, for I do not
live a great way off, and there will surely be enough
for you and me."
He was so well pleased that he took my hand
and tried to kiss it, saying,
" I know now who you are, and your charitable
conduct is enough of itself to tell me that you are
the worthy minister of the common Father of the
Faithful."
My own emotion was great, and I pressed his hand
affectionately.
The next moment, a covered basket was brought
to me by a turnkey. It was my breakfast, and,
among other things, contained an excellent soup d la
Borghese. My poor Blanchet was very clever and
24 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMOST.
skilful in most things, especially in sewing, but, as a
cook, she was hardly a success. When I dined at
home then, which occurred very seldom, she used to
give me only soup and roast beef. And I found both
in the basket, as well as some fine peaches, which she
knew I was very fond of. She had added a silver
spoon and fork to the provisions.
I gave the spoon to the abbe", who ate all the soup,
and kept the fork for myself. He made such a
hearty meal that I sent the turnkey for more bread ;
in fact, it was a pleasure to see him eating, he did it
so well. As for myself, I managed to dispose of two
mutton cutlets and the wing of a chicken.
I shared my basket with the abbe* every day. But
I had not the opportunity of continuing my hospi-
tality long, for we left this infectious and horrible
place on the 1st of September, as you will soon learn.
I have said " infectious,'* and you will find it easy
enough to believe me when you know that there were
eighty of us packed together in a sort of garret that
was quite too small for such a number. The roof
was so low that, as I mentioned before, most of us
could not stand up ; the air was foul, and we slept,
ate, and walked on straw, which was often not changed
for several days. The fastidiousness of modern man-
ners would revolt at other details, and therefore I feel
a certain hesitation in saying, although the truth of
history requires me to be somewhat explicit, that we
were obliged to satisfy all the needs of nature in a
barrel, placed in a corner of this hideous den, which
was emptied only every twenty-four hours, and not
always then.
THE POLICE OFFICE OF THE MAIRIE. 25
A tall, fine-looking young man was suffocated by
the stench, and did not recover, although he was
immediately carried into the yard.
Such was the spot, then, where we tried to snatch
an interval of repose when night came on ; that is to
say, we flung ourselves on the straw, but courted
sleep in vain.
The venerable cure* of Saint-Jean, who was as gay
as a lark and as saintly as an anchorite, did a good
deal to keep up our spirits. And here I may remark,
in passing, that he was a shining example of God's
predilection for the kind of piety that does not ex-
clude amiability and cheerfulness ; it is far superior,
in His eyes, to the variety that is always pulling long
faces and censuring one's neighbor. The good priest
related comical stories that made us fairly roar, so
that, in spite of the numerous reasons I had to feel
melancholy, I laughed till the exercise became really
painful. A person hearing but not seeing us might
be excused for fancying that we were reclining on
couches of down and purple. This lasted till one in
the morning, and I was obliged to put a stop to it.
44 Come, come ! M. le Cure*," I said, " we have had
enough ; let us try and sleep ! " He halted in the
middle of his last story, and was silent for the re-
mainder of the night. But God lost nothing by the
mirthfulness of our vivacious comrade, who was up
at four, or rather on his knees (for, on account of his
height, he could not stand straight) praying to God
and reading his breviary, as soon as he had sufficient
light for the purpose.
26 MEMOIRS OF MGB. SALAMOK
CHAPTER III.
THE DECREE OF THE COMMUNE ON THE FIRST OF
SEPTEMBER, 1792.
MANUEL. THE ABBE GODARD, GRAND VICAR OP TOULOUSE.
MESSAGE FROM THE BISHOPS SHUT UP IN THE CARMES TO THE
INTERNUNCIO. THE ABBE SIMON, CANON OF SAINT-QUENTIN,
AND REVOLUTIONARY LOYALTY. ARTFULNESS AND ARTLESS-
NESS. THE ABBE SICARD AND THE WATCHMAKER MONOTTE.
How WILL IT END ? WHERE ARE WE GOING ?
AT length, Manuel, the attorney of the Commune,
came to announce to us on Saturday, the 1st of Sep-
tember, that day of horrible memory, a decree passed
by the municipality, according to the terms of which
we were to be transferred that same evening. He
did not venture beyond the threshold, as if he had to
do with plague-stricken creatures ; and, no doubt, he
was afraid of being suffocated by the stench. He
added that his object in coming was to give us notice.
He left the decree behind him; it was a printed
sheet, about the size of the posters affixed to the
city walls.
The news drove nearly all my companions wild with
joy. They thought they were at last to see the end
of their misery. Some said : " We are sure to leave
this evening ; very likely we shall be deported, and
we must collect money for the voyage." Others ex-
THE DECREE OF THE COMMUNE. 27
claimed : " They will probably send us to the Cannes,
and we shall be much better off there."
But I did not share their confidence. I was lean-
ing against one of the loop-holes that supplied the
place of windows, and when I heard these words :
"You are to be transferred," I gave up all hope.
" Why," I said to myself, " that means, in the lan-
guage of the law, that we are to be incarcerated in a
state prison, for here we are only in a police-station.
They are going to lock us up, and the end will be
that we shall be tried for a criminal offence."
I was absorbed in these reflections when the Abbe*
Godard, a man well versed in ecclesiastical science,
but very credulous and somewhat cowardly, went up
to where the decree was hanging, and said : " Come
here, I am going to read it out aloud." And as he
could not stand for he was over six feet without
knocking his head against the roof, he knelt down.
I confess I was full of pity for their simplicity;
and, as in certain emergencies I find it absolutely im-
possible to conceal what I think, I said : " I do not
wish to discourage you, but how can you expect
mercy from the Commune of the 10th of August?
You will have no chance of getting out of prison."
I added : " You are simply going to be transferred
from one prison to another ; I know the meaning of
judicial terms, and you, too, as men of education,
ought surely to be aware that to be 4 transferred '
does not mean to be released. I believe it would be
much more to our advantage if we remained some
time longer in this prison, which, notwithstanding all
its horrors, is still but a police-station, than to enter
28 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
a state prison, where we shall have to endure the
sickness of heart that springs from justice delayed."
"You are a visionary," answered the Abbd Godard,
" and everything assumes a sable hue in your eyes."
And he broke out laughing.
Manuel, with an affected air of kindness, had told
us that we might receive our relatives and friends
during the day.
But, as far as I was concerned, I must acknowledge
that I paid little attention to what was passing around
me. I was again sunk in a deep revery, and had
almost lost all consciousness of my situation, when
the jailer entered abruptly and pronounced my name.
I recovered my self-possession immediately, and ran
to the door, which remained open. There I found a
man who was poorly clad and very advanced in years.
He saluted me respectfully and inquired whether I
was the Abb6 de Salamon, internuncio of the Pope.
" Hush ! " I said quickly ; " do not utter those words.
What can I do for you, in the sad position in which I
am placed ? "
Still, my appearance was by no means calculated
to inspire pity. I had not changed my habits in
prison, and continued to act just as I had done in
my own chamber after rising ; by this I mean that I
was fresh shaved, and had my hair powdered in pre-
cisely the same fashion in which it is to-day, except
that in those days, alas ! I had a good deal more of
it. Madame Blanchet had taken care that I should
not want for clean linen. Consequently, my external
appearance afforded a strong contrast to that of my
companions, who were as wretched looking a body
THE DECREE OF THE COMMUNE. 29
of human beings as can well be imagined, with their
stubby, neglected beards, and their skull-caps, which
they never took off night or day, all covered with
down. They resembled those convalescents in the
public hospitals who wander listlessly along the cor-
ridors, not knowing what to do with themselves.
" I am a priest," said this individual ; " but I have
not been imprisoned, and I am sent to you by the
Archbishop of Aries, the bishops of Saintes and
Beauvais, 1 and the priests incarcerated in the
Carmes. They have learned with the liveliest sor-
row that you, the representative of the Pope and so
necessary to the welfare of the French Church, are
a prisoner. As they are unable to communicate
with the Sovereign Pontiff, they have ordered me,
should I meet you, to express the profound respect
they entertain for you, and to ask your advice, es-
pecially as to the line of conduct to be adopted with
regard to the new oath of liberty and equality which
has been decreed, and which every one is obliged
to take."
It was, indeed, a lamentable fact that the new
legislative assembly had begun its labors with the
proclamation of the Republic, and had then decreed
the oath of liberty and equality.
My answer to the worthy priest was as follows:
" I am moved to tears by the excessive kindness of
the Archbishop of Aries and his illustrious breth-
ren." And in this I said nothing but the truth. I
was, in fact, penetrated with fear and respect at the
spectacle of those great prelates, as eminent for vir-
1 Mgr. Dulau and the two Rochefoucaulds.
30 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMOX.
tue as for knowledge, coming to seek counsel from
me, a young priest simply, and a person who, though
invested with an exalted dignity, was far from being
on a level with these mirrors of the Church. For a
few moments I was incapable of uttering a word;
but, recovering my presence of mind, I continued:
"Convey to them the expression of my humble and
fervent veneration and gratitude. But what am I
except a mere priest, although honored with the
confidence of the Sovereign Pontiff? How could I
presume to offer advice to the Archbishop of Aries,
that new Chrysostom, or to the Abbe* de Rastignac
and the Abbe* Bonnaud, those distinguished clergy-
men who have lately published works on those very
subjects of the most luminous and elevated char-
acter? It is for them rather to enlighten me on
these questions."
"Monsieur," he answered, "your modesty does
you honor, and it will give me great pleasure to
make it known to those who have sent me to you.
But have the goodness to tell me what you think of
the new oath of liberty and equality. I entreat you
to do so."
"I cannot have any idea as to the intentions of
the Pope, as this oath is quite recent. But I ven-
ture to assert that he will not regard it with favor,
and, since you persist in asking my opinion, I have
only this to answer : I shall not take the liberty of
blaming those who take the oath, but, as for myself,
I am fully determined to refuse to do so. Tell
those gentlemen we shall go over the matter care-
fully when we meet again."
THE DECREE OF THE COMMUNE. 31
Alas! it was fated that we should never meet in
this world!
While I was in the little ante-room of our prison,
a priest named Simon, canon of Saint-Quentin, came
in. He was over eighty years old, and wanted to
see his brother, who was seventy-five. He was al-
lowed to enter; but, when he was about to leave,
one of the jailers said to him: "You are a priest;
since you have entered the prison you must remain.
You will be led before the tribunal with the rest in
a few minutes." He was massacred at the Abbaye,
and his brother, who was imprisoned before him,
escaped. Strange capriciousness of human destiny!
or rather, immutable decrees of Divine Providence,
before which we must bow in adoration!
After returning to my prison, I bathed my head
with aromatic vinegar. Blanchet had managed to
hand me a bottle of it secretly, so that I might have
some way of overcoming the foul odors and keeping
up my courage.
My poor, dear Blanchet, whose devotion was al-
ways on the watch, and always searching for oppor-
tunities of serving me, used to remain in the vestibule
of the prison, in order that she might at least hear
the sound of my voice, or get a few words from me
betimes. She never stirred from her post until night-
fall, when the turnkeys hunted her away.
One morning I heard her weeping bitterly, and
said,
" What is the matter with you now ? "
"Oh, monsieur," she replied, between her sobs,
"I was at the Grand-March^ this morning, looking
32 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
out for the nicest peaches I could find for you ; the
agitation in Paris is more frightful than ever, and
the execrations of the rabble against the priests are
so terrible that I am sure we are on the eve of some
great misfortune. And you will not let me do some-
thing to get you out of prison ! "
" No," I answered, " don't be discouraged, I must
share the fate of my brave companions. Remember,
if anything happens, that all my house contains is
yours."
" Indeed ! " she rejoined, with a mixture of tears
and indignation, " and what good will what is in
your house do me, if I lose you ? "
Too much affected to continue the conversation,
I turned away abruptly.
When I re-entered the room, I found my com-
panions in a state of great excitement. Many were
already making up their parcels as if they were about
to leave in a few moments. Others were writing
letters to their friends and relatives, announcing the
good news, and asking money for the voyage, in case
they were deported. In fact, I saw two hundred
louis handed to the vicar general of Strasbourg, of
whom I have already spoken. It was such things as
this that gave occasion to the reports spread after the
massacre and I have often heard them myself
since that the priests had their pockets stuffed
with gold to pay the Prussians and bring about
a counter-revolution ! 1
We remained in a state of uncertainty until Satur-
1 It was also said in 1870 that the priests had carriages filled with
gold, which they were sending to the Prussians !
THE DECREE OF THE COMMUNE. 33
day, the 1st of September, 1792. On that day, at
eleven in the evening, a member of the Commune of
the 10th of August, draped in his tricolor scarf, said
to us in a loud voice : " Sixty-three of those who
have been longest here will be transferred ; let them
come forward until I take down their names."
Although I was one of the newest arrivals, I
hurried forward and presented myself I really
cannot tell why I did so. My name was entered
without any question being put to me. It must
assuredly have been an inspiration from Heaven ; for
if I am now in the land of the living, it is owing
to the step taken by me then, as you will soon
learn.
We were ordered to descend, one after the other,
to the yard of the Palais.
Fifteen or eighteen of our companions remained
behind us in prison. The most celebrated of them
was the Abbe* Sicard, the teacher of the deaf and
dumb. He was, however, transferred with the rest
on the following day at two o'clock, just at the very
moment when the massacre began, and when the
others were being butchered, without even the pre-
tence of an examination, as they were getting out of
the carriages.
The Abbe' Sicard was the only one saved, and
owed his escape to a watchmaker of the Rue des
Augustins named Monotte, who was a notorious
patriot and a great revolutionist, but, in his way,
a sort of philanthropist as well. He threw himself
in front of the assassins, and, baring his breast,
shouted : " Kill me, but spare this man, whose life is
34 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
so necessary to suffering humanity." The assassins,
seeing the abb protected by so renowned a patriot,
lowered their pikes and sabres, and let him go,
slightly wounding him, though, as I have heard, in
the ear. Unfortunately, he did not at once avail
himself of his liberty, and was soon afterward again
incarcerated in one of those little lock-ups, known
in the slang of the day as "violons."
Have the goodness, madame, to excuse this slight
digression. I have made it with the object of show-
ing you that Divine Providence had already begun
to shield me, by inspiring me with the happy thought
of writing down my name among those who were
to be transferred. If I had remained at the Mairie,
I was inevitably doomed to a death of horror. I was
sure to be butchered as I alighted from the carriage,
with no hope that another Monotte would interpose
to save my life. But I return to my subject.
As I have already stated, we descended to the
yard ; we were then hustled into the little carriages
that were brought for us, six into each.
As I was stepping into mine, I happened to turn
my head, and perceived my whole household assem-
bled on my right. Blanchet was sobbing as if her
heart would break. She called to me to tell her
where we were going. I answered, with a rough-
ness of which I repented immediately after : " Why
do you come to disturb me with your tears and make
me lose courage ? How can I tell where they are
dragging me ? Follow the carriage, if you like, and
you will learn." But all the reply the poor woman
made to my harsh words was to seize my hand and
THE DECREE OF THE COMMUNE. 35
kiss it. I drew it back sharply and entered the
carriage.
The doleful procession began its march. An ob-
server might have fancied we were going to execu-
tion by torch-light. We were guarded on every side,
and had all the appearance of criminals being con-
ducted to the scaffold. A dismal silence, as well as
a darkness rendered more intense by a sky covered
with clouds, gave additional horror to the sort of
funeral procession in which we were taking part.
We passed along the Quai des Orfvres, across the
Pont-Neuf, and through the Rue Dauphine and the
Carrefour de Bussy. "Why, they are not driving
us to the Carmes I " said some one in my carriage;
" we are leaving the street to the left of it, and going
in the direction of the Abbaye." In fact, we were
passing in front of the tower which is used as a mili-
tary prison, and in which my friend, President de
Champlatreux, was detained at the time. He escaped
the massacre in which so many of us were to be
victims, but only to die on the scaffold afterward.
We went on further. "Where are we going?"
I said in my turn. I had hardly spoken, when we
entered the Rue Sainte-Marguerite, which leads to
the yard of the Benedictines.
We were escorted, along the whole way, not only
by a multitude of armed men, but by crowds of the
common people also. However, they kept silence,
and seemed to be following us from curiosity merely.
36 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
CHAPTER IV.
THE FIRST NIGHT IN THE ABBAYE.
CANAILLE ! THE REFECTORY OF THE MONKS. THE MILITARY
PRISONERS. AN UNPLEASANT BED-FELLOW. THE ABBE
VITALI, VICAR OF SAINT-MERRI. MADAME BLANCHET is NOT
IDLE. TORNE, CONSTITUTIONAL ARCHBISHOP OF BOURGES,
AND PETION, MAYOR OF PARIS. M. CLEMENT DE SAINT-
PALAIS. THE EX-LIEUTENANT-GENERAL OF THE ARMIES OF
THE KING.
WE were ushered into a large hall, which was used
as a guard-house by the National Guard. The fact
that they wore the uniform of the nation did not pre-
vent some among them from receiving us with the
coarsest insults. Besides, we had no place to sit
down, for there were neither chairs nor benches.
This unfriendly reception, and the idea that I
should have to spend the night in such a dreary
abode, upset my courage completely. I was seized
with a cold perspiration, and my fever returned. I
staggered, and had to lean on the shoulder of one of
my companions, saying to him ; " And so, this is the
place in which we must pass the night ! I am afraid
I am going to faint."
" I cannot be of much service to you," he answered;
"we are all equally helpless in the midst of this
canaille. The only thing for us to do is to suffer,
THE FIRST NIGHT IN THE ABBAYE. 37
and not indulge in any womanish lamentations.
Lean on me."
At this moment I saw a man enter who appeared
to be giving orders. I approached him and said :
" Monsieur, shall we have to stay here the whole
night?"
" It looks like it," he answered. " You were not
expected; this place was intended for soldiers, and
we made no preparations to receive you."
"For Heaven's sake, monsieur, conduct me to a
room where I can sit down. You can see I am in a
fever, or, if you cannot, please feel my pulse."
He paused a moment before replying. Then he
said : " Well, I will see what can be done," and went
out.
He returned soon after it was about one o'clock
and told me to follow him.
I did so, and was led into a very large prison, lit
only by a single lamp. The roof was supported by
pillars. I learned afterward that I was in what had
once been the refectory of the monks.
There were eighty-three prisoners, all soldiers or
gentlemen, arrested on the 10th of August, or the
days following it, with one exception.
This exception was a priest named Vitali, cure* of
Saint>Merri, a fine-looking man of charming manners.
On the next day we had some conversation, and I
found we had once known each other. He belonged
to my native country, and we were, in fact, taught
the rudiments of Latin together ; but I had lost sight
of him ever since I was nine years old, having been
sent at that period to continue my studies at the
38 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
oratory in Lyons. Indeed, the rest of my life, I may
say, has been passed far away from the home of my
fathers. I was delighted at this happy meeting,
which was not to last very long, however, as you
will soon discover.
All these prisoners were stretched on mattresses
lying on the floor.
You can easily conceive that the noise made by the
prison door, opened abruptly without warning, at one
in the morning, awoke every one. Each raised his
head; some sat up on their wretched beds, to see
who was coming at such an hour. Many recognized
me at once, and said: "Ah, it is the Abbe* de Sala-
mon, ex-Councillor of the Parliament of Paris ! "
And then there was a dispute as to who should offer
me a share of his couch.
But I did not recognize any of them such a crowd
of people in cotton nightcaps were not easily recog-
nizable ; and, thanking them from my heart, I said :
" I think I shall borrow a part of his mattress from
the gentleman who is next to me, and who has had
the kindness to invite me to do so, although he is not
acquainted with me."
Scarcely were the words out of my mouth, when
I perceived that this gentleman was a negro, who
was about to be tried for desertion, as I learned
subsequently.
In spite of this discovery, I lay down beside him,
without undressing ; after a time, however, the odor
became unendurable. I turned on the other side,
and tried to sleep ; I succeeded, but the noise made
by my companions awoke me before daylight. They
THE FIRST NIGHT IN THE ABBAYE. 39
were nearly all sitting on their mattresses, chattering
away as loud as they could, complaining of the man-
ner in which they were treated by the commissaries,
who had not put in an appearance for the last three
days, and lamenting that they were not allowed to
purchase the things absolutely necessary for them in
the city.
I have been in five prisons during the Revolution,
twice in the Mairie, then successively in the Abbaye,
the Grande Force, the Grande Police, and the Con-
ciergerie, and I have noticed in every case that the
prisoners were always inclined to make complaints,
and even to revolt. 1
When the day was a little advanced, the jailer
entered and said to me,
" There is a woman yonder who wants to speak to
you, but you cannot see her ; you may go to the
door."
Of course, you have guessed it was poor Blanchet,
come to take my orders.
Then, reflecting that our imprisonment might be
long and even dangerous, I began, for the first time,
to think seriously of my situation, and to consider
what was the best means of recovering my liberty.
" Go and see M. TorneY' I said to her.
The Abb6 Torne was an ex-preacher of the king;
he was now a constitutional bishop, and a member of
the Legislative Assembly, a very bad man, a furious
revolutionist, and, what is worse, an immoral priest.
Before I became acquainted with him, I had rendered
1 Mgr. Salamon must have been easily satisfied if he did not feel
inclined to complain himself of the prisons he describes.
40 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMOK
him certain services. He owed his success in gaining
a suit at Rome, in reference to a benefice, to my inter-
vention; he was not the more grateful to the Pope
on account of that, however.
" Tell him," I added, " that I am in prison, and
that I depend on him to have me released."
I ordered her to take a carriage, as the jailer had
said : " The old woman who wants to see you seems
to be quite fatigued and exhausted."
I learned afterward that, during the five days that
elapsed since my arrest on Wednesday, she had never
eaten a morsel, and had had nothing to keep up her
strength, during her many wearisome journeys, but a
bottle of Martinique, which she found in my cellar.
She remained most of the time at the door of the
prison, except when she went to market to buy me
the finest peaches she could find, and a fat chicken,
and to busy herself with the preparation of my simple
repast.
Blanchet obeyed, and returned after two hours.
She informed me that Torne, who, doubtless, was no
stranger to what was about to occur, appeared thun-
derstruck on hearing that I was in prison. " Is your
carriage still outside?" he asked. "Let us go to
Potion " And he muttered, as he was descending :
" He must be saved ! "
They started at once for the mayor's residence.
Torn6 was an intimate friend of Potion, who was a
horrible man, but so much worshipped by the popu-
lace of Paris that they used to carry slips of paper
in their hats, bearing these words in large letters :
" Potion or death ! "
THE FIRST NIGHT IN THE ABBAYE. 41
The efforts of Tome* to see Potion were unavailing.
All he could obtain from the mayor was a note, which
was sent out to him and brought to me by Madame
Blanche t, containing those words : " The person in
whom you are interested will be liberated at three
o'clock."
What cool perfidy! It was Sunday, the 2d of
September, and the massacres were to begin at two !
Yes, indeed, it was very possible I might be liberated,
but liberated to be assassinated. Not being in the
secret of the horrors that were preparing, I felt elated
by the note, and endeavored to calm the excitement
of Blanchet, for the poor woman also believed that
the cause was won, and was beside herself with joy.
" Come, come, Blanchet," I said, " all is turning out
well. I insist on you going and taking some rest.
I have need of nothing at present."
I left her and walked into the centre of the hall,
to get a good look at my fellow-prisoners.
The Abbe' Vitali, as I mentioned before, was a fine-
looking man, with the most amiable expression of
countenance imaginable. He came up and made
known to me the pleasure he felt in my society. He
begged me to accept a cup of cafe a la crime, which
I did, on seeing that my refusal to do so at first gave
him pain.
This prison, as I have said already, contained sol-
diers of all ranks, and he was the only ecclesiastic
among them.
However, I recognized also an ex-magistrate of the
Cour des Comptes, M. Clement de Saint-Palais, after-
wards one of the commandants of the National Guard.
42 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
But I refused to address a single word to him, for I
regarded him as a deserter of the good cause.
A very old soldier, once lieutenant-general of the
armies of the king, on hearing my name, approached,
and, saluting me with great politeness and respect,
said,
"You are an ex-Councillor of the Parliament.
Would you be so kind as to tell me how I ought
to answer the questions that will be put to me when
I am brought to trial ? "
" But why are you here ? " I asked.
" I was arrested at the Tuileries on the 10th of
August."
"Well, then, you must say quite the contrary. 1
You must answer that, being an old man, almost an
octogenarian, you were in the habit of taking a walk
in the Champs-Elyse'es almost every day; that you
had gone there on the 10th of August, according to
your usual custom, being utterly ignorant of what
was occurring in the Chateau, and that a patrol
arrested you, while innocently strolling around."
Just when I had finished my little discourse, the
man who had conducted me to this prison during the
night, entered and said,
" Come along with me."
" Please, monsieur," I replied, " let me stay here ;
I have met a priest whom I knew in childhood, be-
sides some other acquaintances, and I feel quite com-
fortable where I am."
Alas ! I was unconsiously resisting that Divine
Providence that had for twenty years been leading
1 Mgr. Salamon was evidently something of a casuist.
THE FIRST NIGHT IN THE ABBAYE. 43
me as it were by the hand ; I was rushing to de-
struction! I was fated to learn, on that very day
even, that all those worthy men, with whom I did
my best to remain, had been butchered between three
and six in the evening, and my poor vicar of Saint-
Merri among them, in spite of his youth.
But the man would take no refusal, and I followed
him, after thanking everybody, and particularly my
negro, to whom I gave an assignat of five francs,
called a corset. I had to borrow it from my vener-
able military friend, for I had not a sou at the time
in my pocket.
44 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
CHAPTER V.
SUNDAY IN PRISON.
THE INTERNUNCIO JOINS HIS COMPANIONS AGAIN. THE LAST
BEPAST. A MONSTER.
WE passed across a large yard in silence, and then
I was shown into a very dark hall. It had been used
as a chapel by a guild of artisans during the times
when these corporations existed. Such chapels were
quite common formerly in religious houses, especially
in those of the Jesuits. I was agreeably surprised to
find all my companions, whom I had left in the
guard-house, assembled here. They seemed to be
very glad at seeing me, and told me how grieved
they were on account of my absence.
After we had exchanged many polite and friendly
questions, I turned my attention to the place in
which I now found myself.
It was a vast apartment, and had evidently not
been inhabited for a long time. It was lighted by a
large stained-glass window, like those you see in
churches, broken in a hundred places, soiled with
dust and rain, and covered with cobwebs.
There were neither beds, chairs, nor tables. The
furniture consisted of one small bench with a very
high back, capable of accommodating twelve or fif-
teen people at the most. It was what the Italians
SUNDAY IN PRISON. 45
call an archibanco. As for the floor, it was hidden by
two or three inches of dirt.
The careful examination I made of this prison led
me to the conclusion that we should not have to re-
main in it very long, and I said : " Clearly, it is the
intention of our persecutors to send us to other quar-
ters soon. You see there is no bed, no chair, and no
straw here. In the mean time, a little cleanliness
would do no harm. Let us ask for a couple of
brooms and some water, and so get rid of all this
filth on which we have to walk." Every one was
pleased with the idea. The jailer was appealed to.
We persuaded him to buy us the brooms, and, in a
short time, the room assumed an appearance of some
little neatness.
But it was now the 2d of September, a day that
will ever remain horrible and shameful in the annals
of France. It was Sunday, I confess I did not think
of it ; but a good old priest a far holier man than
I can ever be the cure* of Saint-Jean en Greve,
thought of it for me. When we had finished sweep-
ing, he said,
" Gentlemen, to-day is Sunday ; it is quite certain
we shall not be allowed to say mass or to hear it ; let
us then kneel down, and, uniting our thoughts with
those who are now celebrating the Holy Sacrifice, let
us raise our hearts to God."
All applauded the proposal, and knelt down at once
to pray.
We had, however, some laymen amongst us, the
first president of the Superior Council of Corsica, an
advocate of the Parliament of Paris, a peruquier, of
46 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
whom I shall have something to say later on, a servant
of the Due de Penthie>re, and five or six soldiers who
had deserted. In short, there were sixty-three of us
all together.
After finishing our devotions, we began to prome-
nade up and down or across the hall, in twos or in
little bands. We discussed our situation, our proba-
ble fate, and the privations of all sorts we were com-
pelled to endure, having no chair to sit on, and
nothing to lean against when we were tired standing
or walking. My companions had passed the whole
night on their feet or stretched on the floor. As for
myself, I had been but little better off, lying along-
side my negro.
After a time, the jailer entered and said,
" After to-day, it will be the duty of the nation to
support you ; but you were riot expected, and there is
nothing ready, so you must provide your own food.
I have brought a caterer with me, who is at the door ;
you had better see him."
The Abbe* Godard and I, as we were less excited
than the others, went to the caterer, and said :
" Have dinner for sixty-three ready in about two
hours at forty sous a head. We will be responsible
for those who cannot pay."
Besides the deserters, who were a wretched-looking
lot, there were two or three priests quite as badly off,
and, as we were altogether uncertain what was going
to become of us, it was not a time to show ourselves
uncharitable.
For that matter, I must say that I have always
remarked the greatest union and generosity among
SUNDAY IN PRISON. 47
the prisoners in the several prisons I have passed
through. Those who had, always shared with those
who had not.
The time that elapsed before dinner was spent
in walking, accompanied, I am bound to say, by a
great deal of noise and disorder. All spoke at the
same time, and it was impossible to hear what any
one was saying. I soon left them, and betook myself
to a corner of the little high-backed bench, from
whence I examined, not very attentively I confess,
what was taking place around me. I remember very
well that my thoughts often wandered, and were
very sad.
Meanwhile, the caterer brought long, narrow tables
into the hall, as well as benches to sit on, and served
dinner at two in the afternoon. I noticed that he had
provided some excellent boiled fowl ; but I did not
take my seat, for, just as I was about to do so, my
peerless Blanchet, who never forgot anything, was at
the door, and with her, a closely-covered basket con-
taining a capital repast : soup & la Borgliese without
bread, radishes, a very tender cut of boiled beef, a
plump chicken, artichokes au poivre (which is a dish
to which I am exceedingly partial), and the loveliest
peaches imaginable. In addition to all this, was a
bottle of wine, as well as a silver fork and spoon.
As the mere sound of my voice was a delight to
my faithful old servant, I went to the door and
shouted,
" Blanchet, I am perfectly comfortable. Your din-
ner is splendid. I am going to dine now, and, if
you don't do the same, I shall be angry."
48 MEMOIRS OF MGB. SALAMON.
" I will dine after three," she answered, " when
M. Petion lets you out. As it is, I could not swallow
a morsel. For, besides the anxiety I am in on your
account, I have observed that the excitement in the
streets through which I have just passed is more
terrible than ever."
" Well, how can I help it ? " I said ; " you must not
let yourself be cast down by such a little thing as
that."
I was far from suspecting that she had been look-
ing on at the preparations for the massacres.
I left her, and said to my companions,
" I regret I cannot join you. An old servant, full
of solicitude for my comfort, has brought me my din-
ner, although I have never thought of asking or
ordering her to do so. But I shall pay for my dinner
like the rest, in order that the caterer may have no
cause of complaint."
Thereupon, all took their seats at table very
joyously.
As for myself, I sat on my little bench and set
about examining the contents of my basket. I also
called the poor priest of the H6tel-Dieu, and said:
"I have enough to eat for two. Do you take the
soup, which I have great pleasure in offering to you ;
here is the spoon, I can manage with the fork."
I ate a slice of beef, the wing of a chicken, some
radishes, an artichoke, and two peaches. All the
rest, except the peaches, which I kept for myself, I
gave to the poor priest, whom I had, in a certain
sense, adopted. The excellent man ate up the whole,
and drank my bottle of fine red wine as well. Very
SUNDAY IN PRISON. 49
likely the poor fellow had not breakfasted. It did
me good to watch him.
We had amongst us a former servant of the Due
de Penthivre. He still wore on the sleeves of his
coat the gold lace of his livery. He was an excel-
lent man. I often relieved the tedium of my impris-
onment by conversing with him. He had conceived
a warm affection for me, and was always ready to
do me every service in his power. His brother-in-
law had just sent him a melon, and a very prime
one it was. When he saw I did not come to table,
he brought me the half of it, and I had all the trouble
in the world to persuade him that a slice was enough.
I went then to the Abbe* Godard. "It seems to
me," I said, "that you have a rather good dinner
there for forty sous a head." And I added : " You
mustn't ask anything from that poor abbe* yonder.
I have invited him to share with me, and he cer-
tainly has n't a sou about him. His self-respect
may be wounded if he has to confess that he can-
not pay."
The Abbe* Godard replied,
"You may be easy; we '11 ask nothing of him."
These gentlemen remained a long time at dinner,
laughed and joked, and made quite a noise. Every
one of them had a good appetite, and showed it.
As for me, I retired to my corner, and, as I contem-
plated them, I could not help murmuring: "Great
heavens! how gay they are!"
Scarcely had I given utterance to this reflection,
when the bolts were shoved back with a loud harsh
report, and the jailer flung the door open,
4
50 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
"Make haste!" he cried; "the people are march-
ing on the prisons, and have already begun massa-
cring the prisoners ! "
It was then half-past two.
You can easily conceive our stupefaction at the
appalling news. Every one hurriedly left the table
without finishing his dinner; and the Abb6 Godard
made a hasty collection to defray the expense of
the half-eaten meal. There was no attempt at count-
ing. Each put into the abbess hat what he liked;
there was even a surplus of fifteen francs, and this
we gave as a gratuity to the jailer, hoping thereby
to gain his good-will.
Now, this man was a monster, as the event proved.
As soon as the tables were all carried out I
should mention that one small one was left behind,
whether through f orgetf ulness or treachery l you will
have an opportunity of guessing the jailer followed
them, shoved his horrible bolts to, and left us to
ourselves.
1 There is nothing in the pages following to explain this remark.
TB.
PREPARING FOR DEATH. 51
CHAPTER VI.
PREPARING FOR DEATH.
HOURS THAT SEEM CENTURIES. THE CRIME OF THE PARLIA-
MENT'S ADVOCATE. THE SHOP- WOMAN OF THE PLACE MAU-
BERT AND THE YOUNG MlNIM MONKS. THE LAST ABSOLUTION.
THE PERUQUIER OF THE FAUBOURG SAINT-ANTOINE : "I AM
AN HONEST MAN, AND THAT IS MY SOLE CRIME!" OPTIMIS-
TIC ABBE GODARD. OH, THAT RASCAL OF A JAILER!
WE were in a dreadful state of agitation. Some
cried, "What is going to become of us?" others,
" Must we then die ! " Many ran to the door to look
through the hole in the lock, although there was no
hole there, for the locks of prisons are only opened
from the outside; while some stood on tiptoe, as if
they could see through windows fourteen feet from
the floor. Others walked this way and that, without
knowing where they were going, and, in some cases,
hurt themselves severely by running against the
bench and the only table left in the room.
For myself, I remained seated in my corner, intent
on all I saw, and counting the strokes of the clock,
which struck twelve times every quarter of an hour.
I was impatient for nightfall, for I thought, when
it came, the massacres would stop. Poor simpleton
52 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMOX.
that I was ! Little did I know yet of the fury and
wickedness of our assassins !
Sometimes I shouted to my companions to keep
silence; I feared the great noise we were making
might attract the attention of people outside, and
hasten our destruction.
The cries of the mob began to reach us. It was
like a low, mighty murmur heard at a distance.
Now and then, the noise made by my companions
ceased in consequence of my appeals for silence ; but
they soon resumed their wild, unreasoning tramping
up and down the hall.
I got up and flung myself among them, in the hope
that my presence might, some way or other, restrain
them.
I approached that poor advocate of the Parliament,
who had given me his mattress with such hearty
good-will at the Mairie. He was the most timorous
of men. He was trembling in every limb, as if he had
a fever, and perhaps he had one, for all I know.
" Try and calm yourself, my dear comrade," I said ;
" you are not a priest, you will probably be spared.
But, by the way, how is it that you have got into
prison?"
" For concealing a non-juring priest in my house, a
man whom I had known for forty years."
" Still, you must not lose your head and get dis-
couraged," I returned. " I only wish I was in your
place. You just tell them you are the father of a
family and have five children, that you are not of
noble birth, and that you are ignorant why you have
been incarcerated."
PKEPARING FOR DEATH. 53
Alas ! it was written in the book of this man's des-
tiny that he was to die ! He was slaughtered about
two in the morning. He had lost his head, as I
feared, and the story he told his murderers was the
very reverse of the one I had invented for him.
I next accosted two young monks belonging to the
order of Minims : the one was a deacon and the other
a subdeacon. The younger had the face of an angel.
They saluted me with the deepest respect.
" Why, how comes it," I asked, " that mere boys
like you have attracted the attention of those who
have put you in prison ? "
" We were hidden," replied the elder of the pair,
" in the house of a shop-woman in the Place Maubert.
She was a pious woman, and not too well liked by
her neighbors ; they found we were staying with her,
and denounced her. She was imprisoned in La Force
and we in the Mairie."
" What a calamity for you ! "
" Oh, no, indeed ! " exclaimed the younger. u I do
not look on it as a misfortune, monsieur, to die for
my religion. I am afraid, on the contrary, they will
not let me die, because I am only a subdeacon."
I was melted to tears on hearing those words,
words worthy of the early martyrs of the church. I
must even confess that they made me blush, and I
was ashamed at witnessing such noble sentiments in
so young & man, while I was anything but disposed
to entertain similar thoughts. My astonishment pre-
vented me from replying for a moment. But I re-
covered from my emotion and said to him : " Thank
God ! if you are not a priest, you are not intended to
54 MEMOIRS OF MGK. SALAMON.
be a martyr. But you wish to be one, and that is
quite as praiseworthy in the sight of God. Perhaps
He reserves you to do great things in His service."
At this moment, I was interrupted by the jailer,
who rushed in to tell us that the people were furious ;
a frightful massacre was going on in the yard next
the street ; all in the prison where M. 1' Abbd had slept
and he looked hard at me as he said these words
had been butchered, and not a single one had escaped.
It was then five in the evening.
This unexpected intelligence sent a shudder through
every one of my veins. When I became a little com-
posed, I returned thanks to God, who, in spite of my-
self, had rescued me from that prison.
We were all in a state of consternation. We turned
by a sort of inspiration to the curd of Saint- Jean en
Greve, that venerable old man of eighty, who en-
joyed a great reputation for sanctity, and begged for
absolution in articulo mortis. This holy priest, who
maintained all the calmness of a stainless soul, an-
swered that the danger did not yet seem sufficiently
imminent, and we ought to prepare for death in a
manner more conformable to the spirit of the Church.
He added that there were several priests among
us with faculties to hear confession, and we should
prepare for every eventuality by a good confession.
What are you going to think, madam e, of my ap-
parent coldness and indifference? To please you,
I am perhaps risking the loss of your good opinion ;
but I have promised, in all sincerity, to give you a
full account of this awful period of my life. I must
not, then, forget any incident in it, or attempt to
PREPARING FOR DEATH. 55
make myself out better than I am. I desire to set
before your eyes my weaknesses as well as my
courage, and to confess to you that, in this supreme
moment, my eyes were riveted on this world rather
than on the next.
Instead of confessing, I went and sat down me-
chanically in my accustomed place, which seemed to
have been given up to me by tacit consent, for I
always found it unoccupied. And there, with my
face in my two hands, I looked on at what was pass-
ing around me through my fingers, without being
able to analyze my own impressions.
I saw several priests still sitting on the bench
beside the table which had been left behind after
dinner, and others on their knees, beginning their
confessions. I continued in this posture for over an
hour without stirring. My eyelids closed, and I
remember I had the greatest difficulty to keep from
falling asleep. Then I said the Pater and Ave, my
favorite prayers, from time to time. I have been so
much in the habit of reciting them that I often feel
myself unconsciously repeating them in my walks.
I also counted anxiously the strokes of the clock.
" Ah ! " I murmured at length, " it is seven ; it
will soon be night, and the ruffians will go away ! "
At this moment, the thought came to me that I
was not acting like the others. I rose suddenly and
threw myself at the feet of the curd of SainWean en
Greve, who was not then hearing anybody's confes-
sion. As he was an exceedingly tall man, he knelt
down in order to listen to me.
My sad confession was interrupted by that horrible
56 MEMOIRS OF Man. SALAMON.
jailer, who took a pleasure in bringing us false tid-
ings, and who cried, in his coarse voice,
" The people are in a greater rage than ever ; there
are more than two thousand of them now in the
Abbaye."
And, in fact, the howls and roars of the mob,
which as yet had only reached us indistinctly, were
now more audible and menacing.
The jailer added :
" I have just learned for certain that all the priests
in the Carmes have been massacred."
We were afterward informed that some of them
had escaped by climbing the walls that separate the
Carmes from the neighboring gardens. You will
remember that I called your attention to these walls
the time we visited the Carmes together.
No sooner did we hear this agonizing intelligence,
than all my companions, priests and laymen, fell
on their knees before the cure* of Saint-Jean, and
begged him, with every sign of compunction and re-
pentance, to give them absolution in articulo mortis.
This holy man, who had been kneeling beside me,
then rose up with impressive solemnity. His tall
figure lent additional dignity to his attitude, and
everything in him betrayed the messenger of God.
After praying silently for a few minutes, he exhorted
us to recite the confiteor, and to make acts of faith,
hope, and charity. This every one did with much
devotion, and then he gave us the absolution in ar-
ticulo mortis, which we all had so ardently desired.
He next turned to me and said : " I am myself a
great sinner. It did not belong to me to absolve
PREPARING FOR DEATH. 57
those present, but to you, monsieur, who are the
minister of our Divine Saviour's Vicar on earth, and
now I beg you to give me the absolution I have
given to you."
I confess I was overwhelmed with confusion at
these words, and I had some difficulty in recollecting
the formula which I had to pronounce. Then I
arose and blessed the old man rather than absolved
him.
Meanwhile, all had remained on their knees. The
curd said:
"We can regard ourselves as persons in the last
agony, but yet in full possession of our reason, and
perfectly conscious of what we are doing ; we ought,
therefore, to omit nothing that may obtain for us the
mercy of God. I am about to recite the prayers for
those in the last agony; unite in them with me, so
that God may pity us."
He began the usual litanies, to which we responded
with fervor. The tone in which the saintly priest
uttered the first orison, commencing with these words :
" Depart from this world, Christian souls, in the name
of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost," etc., melted
almost the whole of us into tears.
Some of the laymen, however, complained, in a
loud voice, of dying so young, and others invoked
maledictions on our assassins. The good curd in-
terrupted them, representing that we must forgive
if we would be forgiven, and that God, in that case,
would be pleased with our submission to His will,
and would receive us into His salvation.
This act of our holy religion being accomplished,
58 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
we went back to our own places in the hall. And,
indeed, we were truly like men in the last agony,
like creatures who have had every spring in their
mechanism broken by a long and wasting disease.
It was a lamentable spectacle ! The floor was inun-
dated: sixty-three of us in this apartment ever
since eight in the morning, and none allowed out-
side to satisfy the needs of nature. Consequently,
the stench diffused around us was appalling.
Night came on. We were left without taper or
candle. Fortunately, a bright moon arose resplen-
dent in the heavens, and lit up the darkness that
enveloped us. But I had to acknowledge my self-
deception in imagining that night would put a stop
to the massacres. They were continuing, and the
shrieks of the victims and the howls of their assas-
sins were growing more distinct in the silence of
the night. Then the striking of the clock produced
in me a revulsion of feeling, and the sounds which,
a few hours ago, gave me pleasure and hope, now
filled me with dismay and despair.
At this moment a young man accosted me. He
was a perruquier. He raised his hat and said,
" I have not the honor of knowing you, but I have
been so much impressed with the courage you have
shown since the morning, that something or other
tells me you are not likely to die. I have come,
therefore, to ask you to do me a little service, when
you leave prison."
" You are mistaken," I answered ; " I am a priest,
and in far more danger than any one else."
"In any case, monsieur, do me the favor to give
PREPARING FOR DEATH. 59
this letter to my wife. As for myself," he added,
weeping, "I know the persons who have sent me
here ; they are among the assassins, and waiting for
my death. I live at No. 22 Rue des Amandiers in
the Faubourg Saint-Antoine. I am an honest man,
and that is my sole crime."
" If it does you any pleasure for me to take charge
of your letter, I shall be happy to do so, and, if your
prediction turn out correct, I will carry it to her as
soon as I possibly can, after leaving prison."
The letter was not sealed, and I read it. It was
instinct with all the tenderness and delicate sympa-
thy a husband should experience for his wife. It
was full of the wisest advice, and gave her special
instructions as to the manner in which he wished his
son to be brought up, whom, by the way, he did not
want to belong to his own trade, that of a perruquier.
This unhappy man was massacred, as he had fore-
seen, and I executed the commission intrusted to me.
I carried the letter to his wife, whom I found to be a
very charming young woman. She was dressed in
mourning when I saw her. She had been informed
of the death of her husband before my visit, as I was
unable to go near her for a fortnight after I left
prison. She seemed profoundly affected, questioned
me at length, and repeatedly kissed her husband's
letter.
The jailer made his appearance again about ten at
night, with two boys, who brought several baskets of
wine. He said,
"M. Pe'tion, mayor of Paris, will be here shortly
with a battalion of the National Guard; he will ex-
60 MEMOIRS OF MGK. SALAMON.
amine you in person, and those who are not guilty
will not be put to death. I have a few bottles of
wine here, which will refresh you, and also some
candles. We forgot to leave you any until now."
These tidings revived the courage of my compan-
ions at once. They questioned this cruel man, whose
every answer was a falsehood, as he was arranging
the bottles on the table. Their faces shone with joy.
They were no longer the men who, a moment before,
beat their breasts with compunction, prostrated them-
selves on the floor, and besought God's mercy. A
melancholy example of the dying sinner who recovers
unexpectedly! They surrounded the table, and be-
gan drinking their wine and eating their crusts of
bread, as if nothing had happened.
But I was far from being a party to such self-
deception, and I said to the Abbe* Godard, from
whom a little self-restraint might have been ex-
pected :
" Why, how can you, abbe*, on the mere word of
that man, who wants only to sell his wine and get
paid for it, become all at once so elated? I do not
envy you whatever pleasure you may derive from
drinking it, but surely this fellow is not speaking the
truth. He was always telling us we were on the
point of being murdered before ; what value can you
attach to the hopeful words he brings us now ? "
" You are a very queer man," retorted the Abbe*
Godard ; " you see assassins and executioners every-
where. What the jailer has told us is very probable."
I did not answer, and turned my back on him.
Recollecting that I had left a few peaches on the
PREPARING FOR DEATH. 61
corner of the bench, where I had sat almost the whole
day, I went thither, picked them up, and ate them.
While I was thus engaged, my eyes fell on the case
containing my silver knife and fork. I put it in my
pocket, saying,
" If they kill me, they '11 find it on me, and if I
escape I shall not have to return here in search of it."
You will be astonished, madame, to learn that, the
veiy moment after I had been exhorting the others to
banish all thoughts of drinking and amusement, and
to prepare for death, I should so far forget my mel-
ancholy position as to fall to eating my two peaches,
instead of awaiting prayerfully the fate reserved for
me. The only explanation I can give of my conduct
at the time is, that it was a singular result of the
levity and inconsistency of the human mind.
When the jailer understood that his wine was
being drunk, he returned to take his bottles and col-
lect his money. Then he added,
" M. Potion was not able to wait, so you will not be
examined until to-morrow ; but he has left some of
the National Guard for your protection."
Every word of this was a lie. M. Pe'tion had never
stirred from the Hotel de Ville for the last three
days, 1 and never came near us, and the National
Guard was as actively engaged in the work of assas-
sination as the populace.
However, the tidings brought by this atrocious
scoundrel were sufficient to dispel all the calmness of
1 There seems to be some discrepancy between what the author says
here and his narrative of the visit of Madame Blanchet and Tornd to
Petion's residence on page 41. TK.
62 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMOK
my poor companions, and they renewed their lamen-
tations and disorderly promenading. After looking
on at their fantastic capers for a while, I joined the
curd of Saint-Jean en Greve, who was walking by
himself, praying and meditating with undisturbed
serenity, as far as I could see. v
" You perceive, M. le Curd," I said, " that this jailer
of ours is a rascal. Was I not right in asking our
companions not to drink his wine ? "
"Alas! monsieur," he returned, "you were right
enough, but you have yet all the fire of youth un-
tempered by experience. If you ever reach my age,
you will also learn to be pitiful and indulgent to
human weakness."
At the same instant, the low, continuous rumble
that came to us from outside increased in volume, and
appeared to be even nearer. I entreated my com-
panions to listen to me. They all immediately ad-
vanced to the place where I was standing. I said to
them :
"You make so much noise that you are very
likely to attract the attention of the mob. We have
been here only since morning. This hall has never
been used as a prison before, and it is quite possible
the populace are unaware of any prisoners being
here."
Little did I suspect that the jailer was a monster,
and was himself coming at the head of a band of
assassins to point out to them their victims.
" You ought, therefore," I added, " to keep as quiet
as you possibly can, so that, should the murderers
happen to approach in this direction, they may, on
PREPARING FOR DEATH. 63
hearing no sound and seeing no light, pass on fur-
ther. Let no one, then, stir from the spot on which
he stands, and let us all await our fate resignedly."
They followed my advice, and some even came and
sat down beside me. Among the latter was the Abbe'
Godard.
64 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
CHAPTER VII.
*THE PEOPLE.
THE PRISON is INVADED. FEAB GIVES WINGS. UNDEB THE
PIKES. "COME FOKWABD, ABBE! AN EXCELLENT WOMAN,
WHO HAS ONLY ONE WEAKNESS. GOING BEFORE THE
TBIBUNAL.
SCARCELY were we in this position, when the two
doors of the hall they were at the extremities, and
exactly opposite each other were assailed with vio-
lent and repeated blows. You can form some idea
of the impression these blows made upon us. Our
hearts stood still, and we seemed like beings turned
to stone.
Suddenly, I heard near me a very loud noise. I
turned my head, and noticed that the Abbe' Godard
was no longer beside me. Raising my eyes, I per-
ceived that one of the panes of the window was
wide open.
I confess I felt furiously angry with the Abbe*
Godard for the moment. " He is," I said to myself,
" anything but charitable and generous, he finds a
place to hide in and never gives me a hint of it ! "
I rose abruptly, placed one foot on the " archi-
banco," and the other on its back, and leaped to the
ledge of the window, which was more than fourteen
feet above the ground. Although I was agile enough
THE PEOPLE. 65
in those days, it is still a mystery to me how I did it.
From my perch I saw the Abbe* Godard in a little
yard that seemed to me to be very low. However, I
had to get there by hook or by crook, and, as I was
afraid I might break my legs if I jumped, I resolved
to hang on by the ledge and slide down along the
wall as well as I could. This succeeded, and I
reached the ground without any damage, except a
slight scratch on my thigh, having torn my knee-
breeches. All this takes long in telling, but was
really executed in less than a minute. " I see you,
Abbd ; what are you doing there ? " I said. " Where
is the door? I see but one." And, indeed, the
one I did see appeared to me to be stopped up with
limestone.
The yard had evidently been long abandoned by
the monks. *
However, thirteen of our companions followed us,
and among them the servant of the Due de Penthikvre,
who was sixty. The fear of death gives wings.
As soon as the mob had broken in the doors of the
prison, they rushed forward, howling, " They have
escaped ! they are escaping ! "
We were soon discovered, and a portion of the
crowd ran round to the little door, which was easily
battered down. Others climbed the walls, which
were not so high on the outside, and began thrusting
at us with their pikes, at the same time uttering vio-
lent outcries and imprecations. Fortunately, the
pikes were very short and did not reach us. But
they were alarming enough for all that, and we
squatted in the angle 'of the wall opposite to escape
5
66 MEMOIRS OF MGK. SALAMON.
them. In fact, we were half-dead with terror, and I
confess I trembled as much as the rest. I murmured
in French the " Our Father," the Angelical Saluta-
tion, and an Act of Contrition. I feared we were
about to be massacred on the spot, in the same man-
ner in which the prisoners at the Cannes, as I learned
afterward, were massacred.
Such was our situation when a gruff voice sud-
denly called out,
" Abbe Godard ! "
You can easily understand that our good abbe* was
in no hurry to show himself, or even to answer the
summons. Dreading that his silence might serve
only to irritate the mob, I said to him :
" Come now, abbe*, they know you ; why do you
not come forward, then? If you hesitate, you are
sure to be massacred on the spot. Perhaps your tall
figure you will remember he was six feet one will
strike them with awe."
These words gave him a little courage, and he ad-
vanced toward the door ; but he had scarcely reached
it when he was seized by the collar by a big, fat
ruffian, who hauled him through it, shouting : " We
have him, the brigand! Come along, you old ras-
cal ! " Then I saw them both disappear in the
crowd.
I felt quite sure that he was led away to be mas-
sacred, and for two weeks I remained certain of his
death. But one fine day I met my abbe', as large as
life, strolling along a street in the Faubourg Saint-
Antoine. I was so astonished that for a few moments
I could not utter a word. " Why," I at length ex-
THE PEOPLE. 67
claimed, " it is the Abbe* Godard ! " He told me that
the men who appeared so ferocious were only there,
in fact, to save him, and it was with the object of
tin-owing dust in the eyes of the others that they
acted in the way I have related, and pretended to
ill treat him. He added that he had not the least
doubt himself but that his last hour was come.
These men had been sent by Manuel, the famous
Attorney-General of the Commune. He did not give
them any written order for fear of becoming "sus-
pect." Even as it was, he was in great dread of being
compromised, as well as of being disobeyed by his
agents.
The abbe* was indebted to the entreaties of Man-
uel's mistress, whom he had known for a long time,
for his safety. Her son was afterward a doctor. She
was as humpbacked as ^Esop, but quite as witty, and
had a very pretty face. Except for her weakness in be-
coming the mistress of a scoundrel, she was an excel-
lent woman. Still, perhaps I am too hard on Manuel,
who perished because he refused to condemn his
august master to death.
This lady owned a house at Meudon, and, as the
king used to visit his chateau there for the purpose
of hunting, during the years preceding his imprison-
ment, she had often opportunities of meeting him in
the adjoining wood. The monarch, being doubtless
charmed by the extraordinary winsomeness of this
lovely person, one day asked her who she was, and
she gained his entire confidence in the end. As I
mentioned before, she was full of wit, and her man-
ners and conversation were equally attractive. She
68 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
gave the king information on all matters with which
she was acquainted, and, in fact, he had made arrange-
ments for her occupying apartments in the Tuileries,
before the 10th of August. Indeed, our unhappy
sovereign had excited her interest to the highest
degree. She had entire control over Manuel, who
would have consented, if a certain illustrious person-
age had adopted his plans, to effect the king's escape
from prison, in the early days of his detention, when
he had still a part of his household with him.
But these details have too little to do with the
massacres that I should dwell any longer on them.
However, I can certify to their accuracy, having heard
them from the lips of this excellent woman herself,
when I had afterward occasion to see her. If I have
ventured on this short digression it is because I am
tired of always talking of myself, and also, madame,
because it gives me an opportunity of mentioning an
incident in the life of that august and too unfortunate
sovereign whose favor and confidence your grand-
father and father have deserved and enjoyed.
Now I return to myself. No one else was called,
after the Abbe' Godard had disappeared. The assas-
sins stood before the door, looking at us curiously,
and without anger, apparently. Then, without pay-
ing much attention to what I was doing, carried
away by my natural impulsiveness, impatient to put
an end to this cruel uncertainty, and thinking that,
perhaps, my action might have some influence on
them, I went quickly toward the door, and said,
" Here I am ; I am not guilty."
The wretches, believing, doubtless, that I was try-
THE PEOPLE. 69
ing to escape, levelled their pikes at me. I do not
know whether it was imagination or reality, but I
thought the point of a pike touched me, and I took
a step backward. At the same time, I cried out, with
all my might,
" Unhappy men, what would you do ! I declare to
you, before Heaven, that I am not guilty ! "
At these words, a middle-aged man, apparently
from the country, his hands all red with blood,
dressed in a wagoner's blouse which dripped with
blood also, and carrying a lighted torch, said to me :
" Come with me, and, if you are not guilty, no one
will do you any harm."
I took his arm immediately. The crowd, which,
at this point, was very closely packed, separated into
two lines, and allowed me to pass through, without
insulting me. During the whole passage, I did not
utter a single word ; however, it was very long, for
we had to cross an extensive yard and part of a gar-
den. We were escorted on our way by an immense
crowd of armed men, our path lit up by numerous
torches and the rays of a bright moon, which shone
serenely over this vile band of cut-throats.
70 MEMOIRS OF MGK. SALAMOK
CHAPTER VIII.
THE MASSACEE.
THE COURT AND THE JUDGES. THE STRATEGY OP THE
INTERNUNCIO. THE PASSING OF THE MARTYRS.
AT length we reached the dwelling of the monks,,
and entered a low hall, opening on the garden, through
a glass folding-door. A large table, covered with a
green cloth, stood in the middle, and on it several
closely-written sheets of paper, and an inkstand with
pen-holders. It was surrounded by a number of per-
sons who were all disputing so hotly that they paid
no attention to me. A man in the centre, dressed in
black and even with his hair powdered, appeared to
preside.
The man who had offered me his arm as far as this
spot now left me, and I found myself stationed at a
window opposite the door. The sill was wide enough
to afford me a seat, and I sat down. Believing that
nobody was heeding me, I looked carefully around
and discovered that I had been followed, not only by
those who escaped into the little yard, but also by
those who remained in the hall. They all came, as
if mechanically, toward the spot where I was, and
then formed a line reaching to the door. I had the
Due de Penthivre's servant just in front of me,
THE MASSACRE. 71
and of course was the farthest away of any of them
from the door. I could not be placed more favor-
ably. If they began with those nearest the door,
as in fact they did, I should naturally be the last
to be massacred.
As far as I could judge, we were not known, and
it would appear from some observations of our cap-
tors that the committee of surveillance of the Mairie
had neglected to forward a list of those prisoners
whose names were not entered on the jail-book.
Such turned out to be actually the case. All that
was said about us was that we were non-juring
priests.
In spite of my dislike to abandoning the ecclesi-
astical habit, I had decided to do so after the 10th
of August. I therefore told Madame Blanchet that,
as she was so anxious to have me cast aside the
robes of my order, I would go the full length, and
she must provide me with a thorough disguise. I
requested her to get me a gray coat, red waistcoat,
and white silk stockings.
As this striking costume was brought to me only
on the eve of my imprisonment, I had forgotten to
tie my hair. But after entering my prison, I tied
it with the white string of my knee-breeches, and,
on the whole, was scarcely recognizable. Moreover,
I was very poorly clad. Arrested at midnight, and
obliged to dress in a hurry, I had seized a miserable
old coat, which happened to be near my hand. I
had a very common-looking appearance too, for,
contrary to my usual custom, I had not got shaved
and powdered since Saturday. Then my face was
72 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
anything but attractive, on account of my fever,
and the moral and physical suffering I had endured
for twenty-four hours.
We were now awaiting our fate, when a violent
quarrel arose among our judges. They were furious
because certain persons, and especially the commis-
saries, were not at their post. Many insisted that
persons should be sent to drag them out of their
beds and bring them there by force, if necessary.
Others said: "So much the worse for them. If
they refuse to take their share in the national ven-
geance, we can denounce them to the Commune."
At length, by repeatedly ringing his bell, the presi-
dent effected some show of order. A man took the
floor and made a little speech, of which the follow-
ing is the substance,
"We are talking and acting like idiots. What
difference does it make whether such and such per-
sons are here or not here? We are intrusted with
the task of avenging the people. You have before
you a heap of wretches who await the just punish-
ment of their crimes. These people are all calotins,
and when I say calotins, you know I mean priests.
They are sworn enemies of the nation, for they have
refused to take the oath. You know, too, that many
of them have tried to escape, thereby showing they
had no confidence in the justice of patriots. They
are all nothing but aristocrats. We should deal with
them at once, then, for certainly they are the most
guilty of all."
As I noticed that only a small number seemed to
approve the words of this wicked man, I advanced
THE MASSACRE. 73
to the table, and raising my hands to heaven, I cried,
in impassioned tones: "No, no, we did not try to
escape ; only, at the noise made by breaking in the
door, some of us lost our heads, and in our terror
jumped into that yard, at the risk of breaking our
legs. We believed assassins were coming to murder
us ; but as soon as we recognized the National Guards,
we ran to meet them."
Here some one interrupted me and said,
" After all, it is natural for man to fly danger. We
had better examine them, and then we shall learn
whether their sole crime is that of flying."
Thereupon, the president rose and asked,
"Do you wish to examine them?" And all an-
swered : " Yes, yes I "
Upon this, the president turned to the right and
addressed the person who was at the head of the line,
next the door. It was the curd of Saint-Jean en
Greve. The poor old man, who walked very slowly,
had not been able, doubtless, to penetrate farther
into the hall. The examination was short, like all
those that followed.
" Have you taken the oath ? " the president asked
him.
The cur6 answered calmly,
"No, I have not taken it."
At the same instant, a sabre stroke, aimed at his
head, but luckily missing it, knocked off his wig and
exposed to view a bald head, which the years had till
then respected, but which assassins were soon to lay
low. But then strokes fell swift and sharp, now
on the head, now on the body, and in a few seconds
74 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
he lay stretched on the floor. He was seized by the
feet and dragged outside. His murderers quickly
returned, shouting : " Vive la Nation I "
This death caused me the prof oundest emotion : I
trembled in every joint ; my knees bent under me,
and I had barely time to sit, or rather fall down, on
the little window-sill. With eyes full of tears, I
murmured to myself : " Pray for me, great saint, pray
for me, happy old man, who are now in Heaven, pray
that the absolution you gave me on earth may not be
unavailing. Obtain for me the favor of dying with
the same calmness and sweetness and resignation you
have just shown."
It was next the turn of the Abbd Bouzet, grand
vicar of Rheims, with whose brother he was a
major I afterwards became well acquainted. The
president asked : " Have you taken the oath? " He
replied in a voice so weak that I scarcely heard
it : "I have not taken it." Then they cried : " Away
with him ! " Immediately, several assassins separated
him from the others, surrounded him, and pushed
him before them into the garden, which was the scene
of the massacre, and on a level with the hall. I
looked mechanically before me, and saw two arms
tossing about in the air, apparently parrying the
blows of pike and sabre. I turned my head away
quickly, saying to myself: "I cannot escape death,
since I have not taken the oath." Then the cry of
" Vive la Nation ! " was anew repeated. The Abbe*
Bouzet was no more.
The poor attorney, for whom I had invented a
plausible little defence, was the next victim. The
THE MASSACRE. 75
unfortunate man forgot all my story. Instead of
declaring that he was no priest, he lost his head and
cried : " I accuse myself of harboring a non-juring
priest in my house." Thereupon, all cried out:
" Oh I the wretch ! he has tried to save a calotin ! "
They even added an insulting epithet which I would
not dare to reproduce here. Then they vociferated :
" Death ! death ! " They struck him down on the
spot. His wig fell off, like that of the poor cure'.
He was dragged out of the hall, and a little after,
hideous yells announced that he was dead.
The Abbe* Capparuis, a townsman of my own, was
the next to fall. He was a man of a very timorous
character. He had at one time done parochial work
in the parish of St. Paul, where he was universally
venerated for his virtues.
At this moment, the worthy servant of the Due de
Penthievre turned to me ; his eyes were full of tears.
" You must endeavor to be calm, my friend," I said
to him ; " they will soon see what you are Why,
what do you imagine they could do to a poor man
like you? But be sure and tell them you are an
unfortunate servant, the father of a family with ever
so many children, and that you were arrested as you
were passing along the Rue des Arts. Above all, do
not lose your head, like the attorney. Now go a little
away from me."
My plan was to isolate myself as much as possible,
so that those nearest the table, seeing me alone, might
at last forget me, and I might succeed in slipping out
at the first favorable opportunity. I do not know if
this excellent man understood me, but he went away
76 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
at once and joined his companions. The number of
them had now considerably diminished. The assas-
sins had murdered, one after the other, the Abb
Gervais, the grand vicar of Strasbourg, my poor
friend of the Hotel-Dieu, and the President of the
Superior Council of Corsica.
It was now, perhaps, about three in the morning. I
say "perhaps," for I no longer paid any attention to
the stroke of the clock. I was becoming indifferent
to the massacres that were going on around me, and
had no longer thought for any one except myself,
although, by the glare of the numerous torches that
lit up this horrible execution, I saw all my compan-
ions perishing one by one. I felt in every part of my
body a deadly chill, and my feet were frozen. All
my blood had flown to my head. Sharp pains tor-
tured my face, and I experienced the same sensations
I might have if it was actually burning. I fre-
quently passed my right hand over my head, and, in
revolving different ways of escaping, I rubbed the
scalp so violently that I unconsciously tore out the
hair by the roots. And so, from that time, my hair
began to fall out in handfuls ; in less than three
months, I became as bald as I am now, and yet, be-
fore that period, few could boast of a finer head of
hair than I had.
Well, I must acknowledge to my confusion that,
in spite of my imminent peril, and although my last
moments were slipping away, I was neither wholly
absorbed in God nor resigned to die. On the con-
trary, all my thoughts were busy with the best means
of avoiding the hideous fate that was on the watch
THE MASSACRE. 77
for me. These sabre-strokes and pike-thrusts turned
the very blood in my veins to ice with the chill horror
of the thing, but failed to penetrate me with the piety
that ought to fill us all at our last hour. I recited,
indeed, the Pater and Ave, and also the Act of Contri-
tion, but without any of that profound emotion which
the approach of death inspires. This idea dominated
every other in my mind : " What should I do to
avoid the question concerning the oath?"
Sometimes the massacres would stop for a few
minutes to give the assassins an opportunity to listen
to the harangues of deputations from other sections,
which handed in reports on the condition of their
prisons and the massacres that were going on in them.
Those of the Homme-Armd and the Arsenal, in par-
ticular, gave lengthy descriptions of the horrors tak-
ing place in La Force and Saint-Firmin.
At last the turn of the perruquier came. He de-
fended himself with much courage, but his destruction
was a foregone conclusion, as he had told me. The
principal charges against him were that he did not fol-
low the Faubourg SaintrAntoine on the 10th of August,
and was an aristocrat ; therefore he must die !
They then examined the two poor Minim monks.
The president asked them if they had taken the oath.
Before they answered, one of those around the table,
who was, doubtless, acquainted with them, undertook
their defence, saying,
" They are not priests, and, therefore, incapable of
taking the oath."
"But they are fanatics," retorted another; "they
are rascals, and ought to be put to death ! "
78 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
These words occasioned a dispute between the
wretches. The vilest among them insisted that they
should be dragged into the garden and massacred.
Others, seizing the arms of the brothers, tried to
keep them in the hall. This struggle attracted my
attention, and I remarked that the young sub-deacon,
who was so anxious for death, opposed much less
resistance to those who wished to drag him outside
than he did to those who were endeavoring to save
him. At last, the baser element was victorious, and
they were massacred.
A HAPPY DIVERSION. 79
CHAPTER IX.
A HAPPY DIVERSION.
THE DEPUTATION OP THE MARSEILLAIS. A BLOOD-DRINKER.
THE INTERNUNCIO AS A JACOBIN ORATOR. TRAGIC DEATH OP
TWO YOUNG GUARDSMEN. A GLEAM OF HOPE.
THEN the Abbe* Simon was massacred. He was
the old priest, you will recollect, who came to the
Mairie to see his brother, and was detained as a
prisoner. "Since you are here," they said to him,
" remain ; this is a place where you are sure to find
yourself in any case before very long." When the old
man was dead, there arrived a deputation from the
committee of the Jacobins, who used to assemble in
the Church of the Cordeliers. These were very blood-
thirsty people, who numbered the famous Marat
among their leaders. They were almost all members
of that celebrated Marseillais band that came to
Paris to take part in the outrages of the 10th of
August.
They were received with great honors. The presi-
dent begged them to approach, and requested them
to speak. The leader of the deputation then read an
order of the day passed by the Union of the Corde-
liers, demanding that two prisoners, who were not
present, being in another hall of the Abbaye, should
be pardoned. The president, after sounding the
80 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
praises of the Marseillais and the Union of Corde-
liers, replied that the request would be taken into
consideration at once. Accordingly, he asked whether
there was any opposition to the motion.
A young man belonging to the Unity section, who
had his hair powdered, but wore a wagoner's blouse
stained with blood, here rose and said,
" M. le President, I am opposed to the demand of
the Marseillais. The prisoners whose release you
ask for are scoundrels, royalist conspirators. I know
them. The time for indulgence is passed. The
moderates are doing us more harm than the aristo-
crats." At length, after uttering a thousand hideous
imprecations, he concluded with this atrocious pro-
posal: "I move that we decree 'cruelty." 1
The fury with which he spoke froze the blood in
my veins. Ah, how could I ever escape the rage
of such a butcher! However, I remarked that the
people had heard him in silence, and that there was
no applause. Encouraged by what looked like a kind
of disapproval, I endeavored to recall all my cour-
age, and making a final struggle for self-control, I
advanced to the table, there was not such a throng
round it now that I could not find room, and with
uplifted arm and clenched hand, I cried in a hoarse
voice, imitating as well as I was able the tones of
these blood-drinkers,
" M. le President, is it possible there can be found
one amongst us capable of rejecting a request pre-
ferred by the Marseillais ? Can there be a man here
who is ignorant that the patriotism of the Marseillais
burns more fiercely than the ardent sun which shines
A HAPPY DIVERSION. 81
above them ? Does any one in this assembly dare to
doubt that, when the Marseillais are interested in two
prisoners, it is because these two prisoners are the
two greatest patriots in Paris to-day? The proposal
that has been brought forward to decree 'cruelty,'
is an insult to a nation as renowned for its mildness
and generosity as ours is. I move, M. le President,
that these two prisoners be led before you at once
and pardoned." And to give force to my last words,
I struck a mighty blow on the green table-cloth with
my fist.
The hall resounded with applause. " Bravo !
bravo ! " was shouted from all quarters. You can
easily imagine that the Marseillais, who numbered
about a dozen, were not backward in their acclama-
tions either. As for myself, I did not judge it quite
convenient to await the result of my audacious apos-
trophe where I was. I withdrew to the recess of the
window and took my seat again on the little sill. I
was in an extraordinary state of agitation. What I
dreaded most was that some opponent of the Marseil-
lais might recognize me, for, of course, in that case,
I was pretty sure to be butchered on the spot. I had
a burning fever, and was steaming with perspiration,
after the effort I had made. I trembled all over, and
although I was seated, my heart beat as fast as if I
had been running a long race at full speed. I gasped
for breath. But I cannot give you any idea of my
condition at this moment.
The uproar continued long ; however, the clanging
of the president's enormous bell at length restored
some sort of order, and he said to the people,
6
82 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMOET.
" I shall now put the motion of the last speaker to
the vote."
All, or at least the majority, shouted: "Adopted I
adopted!"
The president then read the order of the Cordeliers,
after which four men, armed with pikes, and four
others, bearing torches, went in search of the two
prisoners.
While they were absent, an incident occurred that
absorbed all my attention, and filled me with horror.
Two young men, or rather boys, had been arrested
on Sunday and conducted to the Abbaye. They
were recognized as belonging to the new guard of
the king, and the intention was, doubtless, to have
them massacred. But they had found favor for the
moment with their escort, and were placed in the
violon, the little lock-up of the section, opening on
the place of slaughter. It was intended to keep
them in detention until their character was investi-
gated. They had said they resided in the Rue-Saint-
Victor ; it was a false address, and they gave it in
the hope that they might be forgotten. The commis-
saries who had been directed to investigate the matter
returned furious, exclaiming that the wretches had
deceived them ; they had inquired at every house in
the street, and no one knew anything of the two
guardsmen. They added that they were "Knights
of the Poniard," and should be punished immediately.
The appalling tones in which the whole crowd yelled :
" Death ! death ! " would have daunted the bravest.
They were led forward on the spot. They were
both remarkably tall and well-formed, and strikingly
A HAPPY DIVERSION. 83
handsome. I was at considerable pains afterward to
find out something about them, but all I could learn
was that they belonged, as I have stated, to the new
guards of the king.
As soon as they made their appearance, the foul-
est insults were lavished on them; then a ruffian,
baser than the rest, if that were possible, struck the
taller of the two a violent blow with his sabre, who
only answered with a shrug of the shoulders. After
this, there was a horrible struggle between these vile
blood-drinkers and the two youths, who, although un-
armed, defended themselves like lions. They threw
several of their assailants to the ground, and I really
believe that, if they had only had a knife, they would
have been victorious. At last, they fell on the floor,
all pierced with wounds. They seemed in despair at
the thought of death, and the words of one of them
reached my ears : " To die so young, and in such a
manner ! "
This terrible death-struggle inspired me with such
dismay that I lost all the calmness and that was
not much I had recovered on seeing the two pris-
oners pardoned. I seemed to behold those sabres
whirling round my head and feel those pikes entering
my body. For the first time, I experienced a real
dread of death, and I believed it inevitable. God
was good enough also to restore all my fervor, and I
murmured with sincere piety, from the bottom of my
heart, and even half aloud, so that I might have been
heard, if any one was paying attention to me, some
such words as these :
"My God, I know well that I must die! If I
84 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
have done nothing to merit Heaven, attribute it only
to the frailty of my youth, and not to any want of
faith and religion. You know that I love you, that
my intentions have been upright, that I have never
spoken against your holy religion, that I like to re-
lieve the poor and to practise charity, that virtue
which, more than any other, pleases you: have
mercy on me, then, according to your great mercy.
And, O Virgin Mary, you whom the dying sinner
never finds deaf to his prayers, pray now for me. I
wear your holy scapular on me ; it will be turned
into derision if it be found there ; do not allow such
a dishonor to religion to occur. Do you, who have
proclaimed yourself our safety in danger, give me
strength to die with courage in the midst of tor-
ments, the very idea of which makes me shudder."
Meanwhile, the assassins had transported the two
young guardsmen into the garden in order to strip
their bodies, a thing they always did, and to
appropriate whatever they happened to possess.
The next prisoner reached was the brother of the
Abbd Simon, the old canon of St. Quentin, who had
been massacred a little before.
He was asked if he had taken the oath. He an-
swered in the affirmative, and, drawing a paper from
his pocket, he presented it in evidence; it was the
oath of Liberty and Equality, which he had at once
sworn when it was first decreed. The ferocious
assassin who opposed the demand of the Marseillais
here rose and said: "This oath is no good; we re-
quire the oath which priests alone are obliged to
take." Another retorted : " You are hard to please.
A HAPPY DIVERSION. 85
This oath is good. You might be satisfied with the
slaughter of the two innocent victims, in which you
have just taken part." He was speaking of the
young Minim monks, and he repeated loudly : " This
oath is good ! "
Many imitated him, crying : " This oath is good ! "
and the old man was saved. Do you, by the way,
remark, madame, the singular mixture of ferocity
and justice that prevailed among these extraordinary
judges ?
He was the first of my companions to escape death,
and his pardon restored a little of my calmness.
At length, the two prisoners who owed their safety
to the intervention of the Marseillais were brought
in, and I was agreeably surprised at recognizing one
of them. I had met him often in the drawing-rooms
of the Comte de Modene, my intimate friend, and the
Marquise de Moulins. It was the Chevalier de Sole-
rac, captain of Swiss. He seemed unluckily to have
also been known to the savage butcher who tried to
have him murdered.
The other was a lawyer, named Huguenin, com-
mandant of the battalion of Saint-Andrd des Arts.
The decree pardoning them was read, and they
were directed to enter the violon.
86 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMOX.
CHAPTER X.
THE EXAMINATION.
THE ACTOR DUGAZON. OH, THAT WEARISOME HUNCHBACK !
" I DEMAND TO BE HEARD/' SOMETHING GOOD EVEN IN MAIL-
LARD. DELIGHTED TO ENTER THE " VIOLON." THAT HUNCH-
BACK AGAIN! THE ABBE SICARD OR HIS GHOST.
IT must have been then about five in the morning.
To my surprise, the actor Dugazon came in at that
very moment, and he came, in the absence of the
president, to preside over this infernal assembly. I
had often met him in drawing-rooms, where he was
invited to give recitations. I was about to advance
toward him and implore his protection, but a mo-
ment's reflection brought me to a standstill. "He
will," I thought, " be, perhaps, confused at being seen
by an honest man in such a wicked place, and that
would only accelerate my destruction." So I very
quickly resumed my customary attitude.
I observed then a little humpbacked fellow in a
corner, who was apparently spying on me. I confess
his presence annoyed me excessively, and I was not
wrong, as you will soon see, in looking on it as a bad
omen.
Dugazon had entered in the midst of a quarrel
among the assassins ; they could not agree upon each
one's share of the clothing and money of the poor
THE EXAMINATION. 87
victims. After giving us the benefit of his shrill
little voice for some time, Dugazon went away. I
must acknowledge, however, that while he occupied
the chair no one was massacred. 1
His successor was an ex-attorney at the Chatelet,
named Maillard. He was dressed in black, and his
hair was powdered. His countenance did not look
repulsive, and this calmed me somewhat, for I was
in such a state that a mere nothing sufficed to raise
or depress my courage. I know not whether this
new president was a blood-drinker or not, I only
know that I heard him say : " Let us finish."
Thereupon, two soldiers of the constitutional
guard were massacred, without any pretence of
trial.
At last the turn of the Due de Penthievre's ser-
vant came. As his hair was cut close, they took him
for a disguised priest, and asked : " Have you taken
the oath ? " He repeated, word for word, everything
I had told him. No sooner had he ended than all
cried out : " Why, he 's a servant ! Pardon ! par-
don I " And he was at once set at liberty, without
passing through the molon.
I was delighted at his escape. He was the second
of my companions who had been saved from death.
This excellent man, although he was quite near
me, never turned his head in my direction, doubtless
for fear of compromising me.
I was now the only one left; it was almost day-
light ; I was in hopes of being able to slip off, with-
out being seen, among the many who were constantly
1 Perhaps this justifies the presence of Dugazon.
88 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
going and coming. The men around the table were
evidently occupied with trifling conversation. How-
ever, I kept an eye on the hunchback, who remained
always in the same place. " What is he doing
there ? " I said to myself, fretfully. " Why does n't
he go away ? "
Still, the butchery was not over, by any means, and
two persons, whom I did not know, were slaughtered
before my eyes.
It was now full daylight ; a large portion of the
mob had left, and the outcries of the people were no
longer heard. The persons who remained seemed
quite weary, and ready to fall asleep. It was, at
least, half past seven ; but the shutters of the win-
dows were still closed, and the hall was lit only by
candles, which no one thought of snuffing, and by
such light as streamed in through the glass door,
through which the victims passed.
I was, therefore, preparing for flight, and was
quietly moving up behind those remaining in the
hall, none of whom noticed me, when that rascal of a
hunchback cried : " There is one of them here still ! "
I remember that I was not at all excited, and, as
I wished to elude the question; "Have you taken
the oath ? " which would most assuredly have been
my death-warrant, I rushed to the table, and, address-
ing the man in black, with powdered hair : " Citizen
President," said I, " before I am sacrificed to the rage
of a deceived people, I demand to be heard."
" Who art thou ? " he said, in menacing tones.
" I was a clerical councillor in the Parliament of
Paris, and am now a lawyer."
THE EXAMINATION. 89
I do not know if my appearance or my courage
impressed him, or whether he may not have recog-
nized me, but his manner was milder, as he said to
the people :
" This prisoner is well known in the law courts
of Paris."
" You are perfectly correct, citizen," I answered.
Abandoning the " thou," he asked :
" Why have you been brought here ? "
I began at once to relate a story half false and half
true. I told him that a police regulation, made on
the 27th of August, required all citizens to be in
their homes by ten o'clock in the evening; this
was true ; but, being ignorant of this regulation,
I remained out beyond the prescribed time, and was
arrested just as I was returning to my lodgings in
the Rue du Palais-Marchand ; all this was false ;
and that I had been brought successively before the
Committee of the section, the Committee of Surveil-
lance of the Cite*, and the Committee of Surveillance
of the Mairie. I was transferred by the latter to the
Abbaye : " And all this occurred," I added, raising
my voice, "without any examination." I also said
that I was led to the scene of the massacre, just at
the very moment when Pdtion was about to order
my release, and I exhibited the little note which poor
Blanchet had brought me on Sunday morning, and
in which he promised that I should regain my freedom
at three o'clock.
Thereupon, the president, perhaps with the view
of helping me, perhaps remorseful for the massacre,
said :
90 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
"You see, messieurs, with what culpable levity
they imprison citizens in the other sections. If we
had arrested this prisoner, we should have examined
him and sent him home."
These words revived all my courage, and, striking
my hand on the table, I cried
" I appeal to my section ! I appeal to the deputies
of the National Assembly ! "
"Oh, the deputies of the National Assembly, in-
deed ! " some one exclaimed ; " we have a list of their
names, and intend cutting their throats as well as
other people's when the proper time comes.
Remarking that I was on the wrong track, I hastily
changed my position,
" Yes, but I am speaking of the patriot Herault, of
the patriot Torne*, of the patriot Rovre ! "
" Bravo ! bravo ! " they all cried.
The president, taking instant advantage of the
current in my favor, said,
44 1 propose that this prisoner be sent to the violon,
until we receive further information regarding him."
I did not wait for their decision, but immediately
hastened to enter the violon, the door of which hap-
pened to be open that very moment. I think I men-
tioned before that this violon opened on the hall.
I could distinguish only nine or ten persons after I
crossed the threshold. Then I perceived a wretched-
looking straw mattress, all full of holes, and a chair.
I sat down on the mattress and rested my legs on the
back of the chair. I had all I could do to keep from
fainting. I was utterly broken down, had a violent
fever, and my pulse was beating madly ; my hands
THE EXAMINATION. 91
were burning. The respite I had gained did not
afford me any pleasure. I was so utterly depressed
that I remained with my eyes fixed on the floor, and
paid no attention to those who were in the prison with
me. Extraordinary physical weakness was added to
my profound sadness. In fact, I had not taken any
solid nourishment since two o'clock on Saturday, and,
since eleven, I had been face to face with death. It
was now eight o'clock on Monday morning.
Although gifted with sensibility and easily affected,
I do not weep readily; but now my courage aban-
doned me entirely, and the hot tears ran down my
cheeks when I contemplated my lamentable situation,
without help or succor in my great need, and without
money.
Such was my sad case, when I saw that detestable
hunchback at my side again. He was clad in the
uniform of the National Guard, and I surmised that
he was the jailer of this little prison. He said to me,
with an air of compassion,
" You are evidently in a state of great suffering,
monsieur ; would you not like to have something to
revive you ? "
Recognizing in the fellow my would-be murderer,
for it was he who pointed me out to the president, I
answered, in a tone that showed him I wanted to be
left alone,
" Pray, how can you expect I should care for any-
thing in my present condition ? "
But he persisted, and, as I did not wish to make him
an enemy, thinking I might have need of him, I said :
" Bring me a cup of cafe, a la cr&me." It was the
92 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
very reverse of what I wanted, and wanted badly, but
I did not know what to ask of him.
He brought me the coffee, and I drank it, though I
had neither taste nor appetite for it.
Notwithstanding the fact that I had certainly little
reason for trusting this man, it was absolutely neces-
sary for me to communicate with somebody outside,
and this necessity induced me to say to him, as I
handed back the cup,
" Would you render me a great service ? Give me
paper, pen, and ink, and carry the letter I am going to
write to a woman named Blanchet, who lives quite
near here, in the court of the Palais. If you comply
with my request, I will give you a piece of a hundred
sous."
At the same moment, I turned to M. de Sole'rac,
whom I had been instrumental in saving, and, without
even bidding him good-day, or saying " How are you ? "
in fact, acting as if I had just been conversing with
him, I said: "Give me a five franc assignat." He
answered immediately, never addressing me directly,
however : " Here are two ! " I gave one of them to
the hunchback, who took my note and vanished.
This prompt compliance with my wishes to some
extent mitigated my sorrows, and the thought that
Blanchet was now to learn of my safety afforded me
wonderful relief, for I dreaded that the news of my
death and, as I heard afterward, there had been a
rumor to that effect might drive her to some des-
perate act.
Having become more composed, I threw myself on
the mattress, and was beginning to fall asleep, when
THE EXAMINATION. 93
I perceived an individual approaching the bed cau-
tiously on the tips of his toes, evidently desirous of
not making any noise.
It was the Abbe* Sicard. Although his life had
been saved at two o'clock the day before, he had not
yet been set at liberty. " How did you manage
to escape?" he asked, and, without waiting for an
answer, disappeared.
Being entirely taken up with my own thoughts, I
barely glanced at him. A few moments after, his face
came back to my mind, but I fancied I must have
seen a phantom. I looked into every corner of our
little prison: there was no Abbe* Sicard anywhere.
Then, remembering that there was a small apartment
adjoining, which was used as a water-closet, I opened
the door, and in it was our abbe', seated on a stone.
He was doubtless afraid that he would be sought
after, and did not dare to remain among the other
prisoners. I like courage in a man, and I confess I
gazed upon him with contempt. I turned on my
heels, and did not address a single word to him.
I do not know whether it was because he resented
my demeanor and wished to show his irritation at it
afterward, or because he was determined to pick
a quarrel with me in any case, but, although I called
to see him twice, he never returned my visits. I
met him once, however, at the house of Madame
Pasquier, where he urged me in the strongest way to
write a narrative of my adventures. He wanted, he
said, to add it to his own. 1 "AbbeY' I answered,
"you have a passion for fame; every one to his
1 It appeared in the " Annales Catholiques," in 1796.
94 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
taste : as for me, my sole ambition is to remain
unknown. It is not, by any means, from timidity,"
I added ; " but I should regard it as beneath my
dignity to rush into print, especially for the sake of
profit."
But he did not give up the fight, for all that, and
he afterward sent a bookseller to me, who offered me
a thousand crowns. I was at the time in pressing
need of money, the Roman bankers of Paris having
refused to cash a bill of exchange, on the ground
that such action on their part might compromise
them. But my reply to the bookseller was: "I
know well who sent you, I do not want your
money."
IN THE VIOLOtf. 95
CHAPTER XL
IN THE VIOLON.
POOR BLANCHET! M. AND MMB. DB ROSAMBO. Two HEEOIC
WOMEN. THAT 's M. SERGENT GOING BY ! M. JOTJRDAN AND
THE CIVIL COMMITTEE. THE SORT OF A PERSON THE HUNCH-
BACK WAS.
BUT I was greatly disturbed at hearing nothing
about the note I had sent to Blanchet, and still more
so when the hours slipped by without bringing her or
any one of my household. This cruel state of uncer-
tainty lasted until evening. Then I saw my hunch-
back again.
"And my note," I said to him, "what have you
done with it?"
" I took it there, all right, monsieur, but there was
no sign of her. She is undoubtedly in prison."
I had no ground for disbelieving him ; neverthe-
less, I continued,
"Here is another piece of five francs; it is all I
have left; carry a second note to the same place."
" I am perfectly willing," he answered, and he dis-
appeared.
Meanwhile, my fellow-prisoners had ordered in a
roast leg of mutton, and pressed me to join them in
disposing of it. I accepted the invitation, and made
a very hearty meal.
96 MEMOIRS OF MGB. SALAMON.
However, as the result will show, my two notes
did not reach their address. On the contrary, Blan-
chet had been told I was dead, and that several per-
sons had witnessed my massacre.
Plunged in the most frightful despair, utterly at a
loss where to turn, in fact, losing her head completely,
she at last thought of running to my good friends M.
and Mme. de Rosambo. The scene that ensued when
she met them was enough to move the hardest heart.
Madame de Montboissier, who happened to be pres-
ent, told me that her grief was simply uncontrollable.
After vain attempts to calm her, M. de Rosambo said
to her : " Do not lose all hope ; things are never as
bad as they are represented. Go and make inquiries ;
you may be able to find out something about your
master. In any case, we promise to take care of
you." And, turning to Mme. de Rosambo, he spoke
these words, which Blanchet never forgot : "If the
good abbd is dead, we shall be only adding another
pensioner to our household."
These words quieted her a little, and, taking a
carriage, she drove to the house of one of her friends
in the Rue Casette. This was a woman quite as
robust as Blanchet and quite as much of an aristo-
crate also, although her husband was a violent
Jacobin. To make certain whether I was dead or
not, she suggested a terrible expedient to Blanchet,
who adopted it on the spot. It was to examine the
corpses, which were piled naked on top of one an-
other, and discover thereby if I was amongst them,
or, if I was, whether there might not be a breath of
life in me.
IN THE VIOLOtf. 97
In fact, the Bishop of Beauvais had been discovered
in the latter condition by his valet ; he still breathed.
The valet drew him from the cart, and he lived for six
months afterward ; he had lost his reason, however.
But only think what an effort this woman must
have made over herself to be able to control her
native sensibility, for my Blanchet was so tender-
hearted that the sight of any suffering or misfortune,
however trivial, filled her with compassion!
That no obstacle might be placed in their way,
Blanchet and her friend said that they were going to
see if their husbands were among the dead ; and, as
they were both bathed in tears, they were believed
without difficulty. Several even aided them in effect-
ing this grisly verification.
At length, after they had turned over about a hun-
dred dead bodies, Blanchet cried out, in tones that
trembled with joy : " He is not there ! " But they
did not venture to make any inquiries of the section,
or give a description of the object of their search.
Blanchet returned to the house, and many of her
neighbors, as was to be expected, came to visit and
console her. But the terrible stories they retailed of
the massacres in the several prisons were anything
but calculated to restore her tranquillity.
This took place on Monday at seven in the evening,
and Blanchet was sitting at the window of my room,
looking into the court of Les Fontaines in the Palais-
Marchand. She was so terribly wrought up at one
time that she was near throwing herself out of the
window, when one of the women cried : " That 's M.
Sergent going by ! " And he was actually going by
7
98 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMOX.
at the time, girt with his tricolor scarf. She added :
" He is very powerful in the Commune of the 10th of
August."
No sooner did Blanchet hear these words than,
without asking further explanation, she darted to
the staircase, ran down the stairs, and was in the
street just at the moment when M. Sergent reached
the fountain. Then, throwing herself at his feet, she
cried to him, in a distracted voice : " Oh, monsieur,
give me back my master; he is one of the best of
men, and the sole support of myself and my child."
At the same time, all the women of the quarter
surrounded Sergent. The sight of this woman at
his feet affected him deeply, and he said,
" What man are you speaking of, your husband ? "
"No, monsieur, he is not my husband; he is my
master, my benefactor, who supports me and my
family."
Then Sergent, addressing the women about him,
asked,
"Are you acquainted with him?"
"Undoubtedly, monsieur, we know him well; he
is an excellent man, not at all proud, and very oblig-
ing to his neighbors. It was the people who dragged
him from his home who ought to have been put in
prison, for he has never done harm to anybody."
Sergent raised Blanchet and said to her: "Cour-
age, my good woman, return to your house; I am
going to the Abbaye, and, if he is not dead, you '11
have him back. What is his name?" The women
told him, and he started at once, saying : " Do not be
anxious ; you '11 have news of him this evening I "
IN THE VIOLON. 99
Very probably he went to the Abbaye and learned
the names of those who escaped the massacre and
were locked up in the violon; for at nine in the
evening a workman, dressed in a tricolor scarf, came
to Blanchet and said : " Take courage ! there is still
some hope ! "
As for me, the non-arrival of my faithful servant
drove me frantic. " She abandons me," I thought,
" or else she has killed herself in despair ; for she is
quite capable of it ! "
At length, being utterly exhausted, and not able to
stand, I threw myself on a mattress that was stretched
on the floor. I might have selected a better place,
for I found myself beside a prisoner who was utterly
unknown to me, but I had become insensible to every-
thing. I never even thought of informing MM. de
Sole'rac and Huguenin that they owed their safety
to my energy and courage, and I left prison without
breathing a word of the matter to them.
I was soon in a deep slumber.
Suddenly I was awakened by the rattling of bolts.
At the same moment the door opened, and a voice
cried,
" Which of you is called Salamon ? "
In spite of the terror that seized me on being
awakened in such a manner, I at once answered,
"It is I."
" Come ! " said the voice.
I confess my emotion was for the moment ago-
nizing. I was even on the point of fainting; but,
making a violent effort to regain my energy, I put
on my wretched coat, saying: "I follow you."
100 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SAL AMOK
I was sure I was going to my death. I recalled
the fate of the two unfortunate guards whom I saw
massacred before my eyes. I feared the result of
the investigation concerning me had been unfavor-
able, and that this summons was but the prelude to
another butchery.
The jailer perceived my uneasiness, and said in a
voice intended to be encouraging: "Try to be
calm, and be sure to keep close behind me, because
we have to cross the hall, and the tribunal is still
sitting. There is a third prison next to the one you
have left, and the massacre is going to continue."
I did as he directed, looking neither to the right
nor left. We went up a great staircase, and I reached
an entresol, forming part of the convent of the
monks.
After I entered, I perceived five men, three of
whom were dressed in black. They all looked like
honest people. They were members of a body styled
the Civil Committee, and I had no reason to be dis-
satisfied with its composition.
The whole five of them rose when they saw me.
"How did you manage, monsieur," said one, "to
escape from that horrible butchery?"
"Ah, messieurs," I answered, "after what I have
seen, that is just the question I am asking myself."
" Pray be seated," said another. " We ' must re-
lieve you from your present trying position."
Then the president, a very honest man named
Jourdan, with whom I afterward had considerable
intercourse, continued: "The order to examine you
immediately has been brought us by M. Sergent,
IN THE VIOLON. 101
member of the Commune ; this is why we have dis-
turbed your sleep and risen so early ourselves. Tell
us, therefore, why you are here, and who has put
you in prison."
I was about to answer, when I perceived my hunch-
back seated in a corner. The sight of him filled me
with distrust, and I did not know very well what
reply to make. After a moment's reflection
"Can I speak in all freedom?" said I to the
president.
" Yes," he returned.
" Well, that man yonder can give you a very good
account of all that has passed ; he might even add that
he is the very person who exposed me to the pikes
and sabres of the assassins."
At these words the hunchback intervened.
" Yes, monsieur," said he, " when I saw you there,
I believed you guilty ; but once I was convinced of
your innocence, I went and offered you my services,
and now I am ready to defend you against all your
enemies. I am a good patriot, and do not wish that
any one should suffer the slightest wrong."
I did not answer him, but, addressing M. Jourdan
directly, I said,
" I have told a certain story to the people, in order
to get out of the predicament in which I was placed;
but I will now tell you the truth. I am an ex-cleri-
cal councillor of the Parliament of Paris, and I was
arrested in my bed, because I was the Pope's min-
ister, on the 27th of August, at two in the morning."
" Well, then," replied M. Jourdan, " as you are a
magistrate yourself, you may conduct your own ex-
102 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
animation ; " and, pointing to a very tall man dressed
in black, " There," lie added, "is a gentleman who
will act as clerk."
I gave my name, surname, etc., and suggested some
questions. The president put many others to me
himself.
" Did you go to court ? "
" Yes, every Tuesday, to the king's levee. It was
my duty as internuncio of the Pope."
"Were you there on the 10th of August? "
"No."
" Have you been especially intimate with any mem-
bers of the ci-devant royal family ? "
" No ; still, I saw Madame Elizabeth of tener than
the others, particularly in connection with religious
affairs, 1 generally on Sunday during dinner, on Tues-
day, and even on other days of the week sometimes.
She was exceedingly pious ; her apartments were situ-
ated in one of the Pavilions de Flore in the garden of
the Tuileries."
" Have you corresponded with the Abbe* Maury ? "
" No ; but, as we came from the same country, I
thought it right to send him a letter of congratula-
tion when the Pope conferred several honors and
dignities upon him. For that matter, he never
answered me. I never wrote to him again, and do
not intend to do so."
" That is well, that is well indeed," said the presi-
dent. " Write," he added, turning to the clerk.
And so the examination was over ; then the presi-
1 She took a great interest in them, and she was not the kind of
person to sign the Civil Constitution ! THE AUTHOR.
IN THE VIOLON. 103
dent said to me : " Retire to a little distance ; we are
going to deliberate."
The deliberation, which was conducted in a low
voice, was soon over.
Then they recalled me, and the president said :
" Monsieur, we should have liked to release you at
once ; but you have seen yourself that the massacres
are still going on, and that it is not in our power to
stop them. The gates of the Abbaye are watched,
and if you were seen to leave under our protection,
you would certainly be killed, for the mob will be-
lieve we are trying to save you. The best thing for
you to do is to return and spend another night in
your prison."
I was utterly crushed at hearing these words ; never-
theless I answered,
" I am ready to comply with your orders ; but I
have one favor to ask of you, it is to allow me to
write a note to my faithful servant; she believes
that I was massacred, and she must be now in the
depths of despair. Perhaps she is dead ; for I have
sent her two letters by this gentleman " and I
pointed to the hunchback " and she has not ap-
peared."
" We are responsible," replied M. Jourdan, " for in-
tercepting your letters. We learned that your section
was very bitter against you, and we thought it better
you should be believed to be dead. Now that we are
entirely of M. Sergent's opinion in your regard you
have nothing to fear. Your servant will be notified
of your safety to-morrow morning. As for the ten
francs you gave this man, here they are."
104 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
I refused to take them, and begged M. Jourdan to
let him keep them.
I immediately wrote three letters, one for Hdrault,
another for Torne*, and the third for Rovere, and
handed them to the president, who promised to for-
ward them to Madame Blanchet. Then, thanking
him, I sadly resumed the road to my prison.
As I was crossing the hall, in the wake of the
hunchback, I saw a poor wretch massacred. This
scene delayed our progress a little. But, for that
matter, the assassins were in such a state of fury that
they did not pay us the least attention.
When I was again in the prison I felt greatly re-
lieved, and, as it was only about two in the morning,
I stretched my aching limbs on the mattress again.
But in a prison, every incident creates excitement.
So, before I could get a chance of sleeping, my com-
panions were around me, asking where I came from,
and one of them even said : " I was sure you were
taking your last journey."
All the answer I gave them was : " I am very tired,
and have need of rest." They left me alone, and I
was soon asleep.
FREE. 105
CHAPTER XII.
FREE!
THIRSTING FOB BLOOD. THE ABBE SICARD'S " COURAGE."
DEATH OF PERE LENFANT, THE KING'S CONFESSOR. ASTONISH-
MENT : HONEST MEN AT LAST. MASTERS AND WORKMEN. A
PEARL AMONG THE TRICOTEDSES.
BUT I did not sleep long. I was suddenly aroused
by a great noise ; it was made by some one repeatedly
knocking at the window of our prison.
" What is the matter? " I cried.
" The mob is approaching ! " was the reply. " They
have learned that there are priests here whom it is in-
tended to save, and they want to break in the windows
to get at them."
I rose at once, saying : " Keep still, and leave the
matter to me."
On my return to the violon, I had perceived there
was a sentinel stationed at the door. I went and
rapped at it repeatedly.
" Qui mm ? " cried the sentinel.
" There are several prisoners here, placed under the
safeguard of the nation and the law. Bad citizens
are about to make a furious attack on our windows
and try to force them. Be so kind as to warn the
National Guards you will be rewarded."
" Do not be alarmed," replied the sentinel.
106 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMOK
A moment after, we could hear distinctly a scuffle
between the soldiers and the assassins, who offered
resistance, but were driven back. We spent the rest
of the night in tranquillity.
As for myself, all hope of sleep was banished, and
I watched eagerly for the dawn.
As I have mentioned before, I wrote certain letters.
Those addressed to the deputies were somewhat as
follows :
"I have been brought to the Abbaye, to the very
place of slaughter, where I have seen sixty of my
companions massacred. I have escaped by a miracle.
Come quickly and have me liberated, for the massacre
is continuing, and I am not yet out of danger."
To Blanchet I said :
" I am safe and in good health. Carry these letters
to their addresses, and get me out of here. Be sure,
above all, to go to the National Assembly, and hand
M. He'rault the letter I have written to him ; he was
formerly attorney general, and you know him well ;
he is the president of the Assembly."
I felt calmer when I had done this. I asked for a
cup of chocolate, but it was detestable. Then I
thought I would take a walk across the prison, and I
entered into conversation with my companions.
The Abbe* Sicard was still there ; I saw him, and I
felt tempted to rally him a little.
" Oho ! abbe*, when are you leaving ? I thought you
were outside long ago ! "
"I ought to be," he answered, "but no one has
come for me. I sent my mute l to the National As-
1 Massieu, one of his best pupils.
FREE. 107
sembly ; he has not returned, however. So I have
decided to write a letter to the president, at the same
time asking him to have it read from the tribune of
the Assembly."
He read it to me. It was the same I have since
seen in the newspapers. You cannot conceive a more
abject l production ; moreover, it was stuffed with
patriotic sentiments. Accordingly, carried along by
my natural frankness, I said to him :
" What ! so that is the road you take to get free !
you, the man of genius ! you, ' the necessary man ! '
I would remain here ten years rather than write such
a letter as that ! Can you not have a little patience ?
The massacre will soon be over, and they will be
forced to restore you to your unfortunate pupils, to
the children who are beseeching them to give them
back their father ! Try and have confidence in
Providence."
"But," he replied, "though Providence helps us,
that does not prevent us from helping ourselves."
" Oh, now," I retorted, " are you really ignorant of
the fact that God is all powerful, you a man of such
noted piety ? Was it not He who inspired the watch-
maker with the idea of saving you ? Was it not He
who gave me the courage to defend myself ? "
And at this point our little dialogue was broken off
by a cry of " There goes the king's confessor ! the
king's confessor ! "
1 Quite too severe. But the internuncio never loses an opportunity
of scoffing at the Abbe Sicard, while Sicard, in his description of the
massacre at the Abbaye, speaks with sympathy and respect of Mgr. de
Salamon. TR.
108 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMOtf.
Our curiosity was at once excited, and we looked
through the bars of the window. It was, indeed, the
Abb Lenfant, preacher to the king. Another priest
was along with him, and both were going to their
doom. He sat down on a chair and confessed the
other priest who was to die with him. He seemed
tranquil enough.
Astonishing inconsistency of the human mind ! I
was very glad to have escaped, and yet I must say
that I envied his lot, and began wishing I might make
as fine an end.
I drew back quickly, not to see him die.
It was now Tuesday, and I had no news of
Blanchet. I could not account for this delay.
"She would surely have come," I thought, "if she
were alive ! " This uncertainty rendered me pain-
fully anxious.
However, she had executed my orders. He*rault
received my note, and went immediately to the Com-
mune and insisted that I should be speedily set at
liberty.
But it was for Blanchet that the consolation was
reserved of freeing me.
As she was returning from the National Assembly,
and crossing the Tuileries Garden, she met the Abb
Tome*.
" Come," said she to him, " come and save your old
friend. He has not been massacred, but may be at
any moment."
" What ! not dead ! " cried the constitutional bishop.
"Well, he must be saved; I will go at once and see
him after the session."
FREE. 109
Madame Blanchet was a tall vigorous woman. She
seized Torne* by the collar of his coat, and said :
" It 's all very well for you to say : ' 1 11 go and see
him after the session.' You 11 go now, and I shall
not let go of you until you promise to come with
me."
Tornd knew of old the temper and resoluteness of
this woman ; he did not care to have an unpleasant
scene in the very middle of the garden, with any
number of people looking on. He decided the best
thing for him to do was to follow her.
On the way, they met another deputy, who saluted
Torne*. Blanchet, whom nothing escaped, said to the
abbe",
" You know that gentleman ? "
"Yes, he is one of my colleagues, and a friend
also."
" Oh,*" monsieur," said Blanchet, addressing the
new-comer, " would you not like to do a good
action?"
This gentleman, having been informed as to what
was expected of him, exclaimed ,
" Very well then, let us all go and rescue him from
his rather unpleasant position."
I saw them arrive on Wednesday, about eleven.
They were accompanied by one of the gentlemen who
had examined me after I was summoned out of the
violon. I was conducted to the same garret I first
entered, and the two deputies having written on the
register that they would be responsible for me, I was
at once set at liberty.
The Abb Tornd said to me : " Go to my house."
110 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
Blanchet called a carriage, and we started for the
hotel of the deputy.
I remained there eight days, and I must say he
showed me the greatest attention.
In the evening, a decree of the Commune of the
10th of August was handed to me. It was signed by
Robert, president, and Tallien, secretary. It declared
me free, and had been granted on the petition of
He"rault de Sechelles. I was to be set at liberty
immediately.
I left behind me the Abbe* Sicard and M. de Sole'rac.
They were not released until Friday, after the mas-
sacres were over.
The Wednesday morning before I left, I noticed
through the window of the molon a member of the
Commune, in his tricolor scarf, with several bags of
money beside him. He was paying the assassins.
The wages of those who had " worked well," that is
to say, " massacred well," was from thirty to thirty-
five francs. A certain number had to be content with
less.
There was one of them who obtained only six
francs. His labor had been considered very insuffi-
cient.
It was a horrible spectacle to see those wretches
arguing which of them had done the most butchery.
I saw also a woman, who must have been whelped
in hell, insult a corpse. She was astride of it, and
shouted : " Look how fat this dog of a calotin was ! "
I turned away, quivering with indignation.
EPILOGUE. Ill
EPILOGUE.
THE INTERNUNCIO is NAMED VICAR APOSTOLIC FOR FRANCE. A
PRESENT FROM Pius VI. TO MADAME BLANCHET. MEA CULPA.
AND now, madame, you have all the details of my
lamentable story, which I have here set down at your
express wish.
Your tender heart will be deeply horrified and
affected by this dismal narrative of an atrocious
butchery.
It is the record of my recollections, which I have
gathered together as best I could, and resembles
the account I sent the Pope after I was released.
I did not, unfortunately, keep a copy of this document ;
besides, in the narrative I wrote for Pius VI., I
described simply what occurred to myself personally,
and made no mention of the Abbe* Sicard. When a
person writes to a sovereign he ought to be terse and
concise, and confine himself to those subjects that
are likely to interest his august correspondent. How
much more necessary was this, when I had the honor
of writing to the greatest of all sovereigns, the immor-
tal Pius VI. !
His Holiness deigned to console me in a letter
written under his own hand. It began with the words :
" Mon cher abbe* ; " all the rest was in Italian. It was
full of affection and tenderness.
112 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
Cardinal Zelada also sent me an important de-
cree, by order of the Pope. It emanated from the
sacred congregation of cardinals instituted at the
beginning of the Revolution for the supervision
of French affairs, and conferred on me the title
of Vicar Apostolic for all France, with the most
extensive spiritual powers.
Pius VII. confirmed these powers, on becoming
Pope. They did not cease until the arrival in France
of a legate a latere? who delegated to me special
powers for the administration of Normandy.
I will add that, a month after the massacre,
Madame Blanchet also received her letter from Rome.
It contained a bill of exchange for three thousand
francs on the brothers Rassuret, bankers, Rue Neuve-
Saint-Augustin, payable to her name.
The Abbe* Maury used to lodge formerly in this
street, and I suspect it was he who addressed her to
these bankers.
This munificence toward a plain woman of the
people is, perhaps, without example in the annals of
the court of Rome. It was the more pleasing to me
inasmuch as it was an evidence of the high value the
Pope placed on my life. Cardinal Zelada, however,
has never alluded to this incident in his despatches,
and so I have never mentioned it to him.
Doubtless, madame, your emotions have been pain-
fully excited by the relation of such misfortunes;
but a lady gifted with your piety must derive great
consolation from the thought that religion alone can
work miracles.
1 Mgr. Caprara, in 1801.
EPILOGUE. 113
All these priests died with heroic resignation.
Not a murmur escaped a single one of them, and none
had the baseness to invent a lie to save himself.
On the other hand, almost all the laymen bewailed
and resisted their fate. There were some even who
died in despair.
As for myself, madame, what will you think of the
odd fancy I had ? At the very moment when I was
within an inch of death, when everything ought to
have become indifferent to me, I kept looking back
at wicked Sodom, and saying to myself: "Shall I
never have the chance to wear my red waistcoat ? "
Now notice that, up to the 10th of August, I firmly
refused to put off my ecclesiastical habit, and it was
only on the evening of my arrest that my gray coat
and red waistcoat were brought home.
Well, after confessing my weakness, I ought to add
that I did my best to banish this bad thought, and, if
I have sinned, you know there is mercy for every
sinner.
BOOK II.
MY LIFE DURING THE TERROR.
BOOK H.
MY LIFE DURING THE TERROR.
CHAPTER I.
THE CHAMBEE DES VACATIONS.
SUBJECT OF THIS SECOND BOOK. THE STATES-GENERAL AND THE
CHAMBRE DBS VACATIONS. USHER, A L'AUDIENCE ! VERY
IMPOLITE OF MANUEL. BAILLY AND THE PROCESSION. THE
AFFAIR OF THE QUARRYMEN OF MONTMARTRE. THE PROTEST
OF THE PARLIAMENT.
You wish me, madame, to continue the history of
my adventures, and relate those which have marked
the second period of my life. Although this period
has not been as terrible as the first, yet I do not know
but that it has caused me more vexation, weariness,
and torment than the former, doomed as I was to
wander from forest to forest around Paris for the
space of nine months, and with no shelter or refuge in
my distress.
I was condemned to death in my absence, with
forty-nine of my associates in the Parliament of Paris,
who all perished on the scaffold on Easter Sunday,
1794. 1 At their head were my two best friends, the
1 On the 20th of April, according to the Moniteur.
118 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMOK
First President de Saron and the President de
Rosambo.
The States-General was convened in May, 1789,
at the urgent and repeated demand of all the Parlia-
ments, and especially of that of Paris. One of its
first acts was to abolish the exalted magistracy which
had given it birth. This was, indeed, the height of
ingratitude. But that France might not be left with-
out courts of law, tribunals called "Chambres des
Vacations " were created in all the Parliaments.
I had the honor of being chosen by the king to sit
in that of the Parliament of Paris, presided over by
the President de Rosambo, the gentlest and most
merciful of men.
We did our work with heroic zeal and courage, in
the midst of the first turmoil and effervescence of the
Revolution. We were constantly threatened with
death, and every effort was made to force us to abandon
our post. Emissaries of the Revolution were ever at
our heels, trying to frighten us. We were told at one
time that we should be attacked in our seats, in the
very presence of the spectators ; at another, that the
assault would take place after we left the Palais and
were getting into our carriages.
There were many old men amongst us, and old men
are as cowardly as women. The stories told by the
court ushers often filled them with dismay, and I
frequently found them deliberating at the luvette,
a little room in which refreshments were dispensed,
whether they should hold court or not. M. de
Rosambo was sometimes undecided how to act. Occa-
sionally the old men got the better of him, when they
THE CHAMBRE DES VACATIONS. 119
would say : " We cannot stay here any longer we
get neither honor nor profit by it ; why should we risk
our lives ? "
I groaned at the spectacle of such irresolution.
But I always waited until M. de Rosambo asked my
opinion, a thing he never failed to do. Then I said :
" I think we should hold court ; the king has placed
us in this perilous post, and the king alone can relieve
us of our functions. If we must perish, it will be a
glorious thing to die on the fleur-de-lis, victims of our
fidelity to the orders of the king. Does a soldier with
any sense of honor abandon the post confided to him ?
A magistrate ought to have as much courage as a
soldier. Do you march first, M. le President, I follow
you."
President de Rosambo did not lack courage, but he
required to be supported. Accordingly, as soon as I
had thus expressed myself with my natural vivacity,
he cried to the usher : " A I 'audience ! " The old fellows
grumbled between their teeth, but ended by following
us, and I must say that we have never been insulted.
Courage always awes rascals.
I ought to add that during the sixteen months we
sat in this chamber, we always showed a firm front,
and never fell into the snares that were laid for us on
all sides.
Manuel, the famous attorney of the Commune, used
to write very impertinent letters to the president,
giving him orders, in fact. He would command him,
for example, to hear such and such a case. The
latter was annoyed at such officious intermeddling,
and would often ask,
120 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMOK
" M. 1' Abbe*, what is to be done ? "
"Nothing, M. le President," was my invariable
answer. "Impertinent people do not deserve an
answer; and, as to the contents of the letter, you will
act as you think fitting."
M. Bailly, the mayor of Paris, also tried to humili-
ate us, or rather to lay a trap for us.
The festival of the Assumption was drawing nigh.
It was usual to have a solemn procession on this day
in memory of the vow of Louis XIII., in which the
Parliament took part. The mayor did not fail to
invite us to be present, which was not at all neces-
sary. His object was to give the Commune preced-
ence over the Parliament. Now, this ancient body
had always had precedence over all others. We took
the matter into consideration. Many were of opinion
that the invitation ought to be accepted, for, in fact,
said they, the Chambre des Vacations was not the
Parliament, and could not have precedence over the
Commune, especially a Commune as illustrious as
that of Paris.
Such a proposal made me flush with indignation,
and, when it was my turn to speak, I said,
" M. le President, we are the Parliament ; we have
all the attributes of the Parliament, and it is a point
of honor with us to sustain its dignity. It is the
first corporation of the realm, and, if it must perish,
let it perish while guarding all its prerogatives.
They are setting a trap for us. M. Bailly," I added
ironically, "that modest philosopher, wishes to see
us in his train. I oppose such a pretension with all
my energy."
THE CHAMBRE DES VACATIONS. 121
" But what excuse can we give for our absence ? "
cried several voices.
"This one," I answered. "I propose that, with-
out making any reference to the mayor's invitation,
we pass the following resolution :
" ' The Chambre des Vacations, having considered
whether under existing circumstances its presence at
the procession in honor of the Assumption of Our
Lady would be advisable, and having reflected that
it has been appointed by order of the king to dispense
justice to his subjects without any interruption,
resolves :
" ' The Chambre des Vacations will not attend the
procession on the festival of the Assumption, in mem-
ory of the vow of Louis XIII., and it will continue,
with zeal and assiduity, to dispense justice to its
fellow-citizens.
" 4 The aforesaid resolution will be communicated to
M. le Maire by M. le President.' "
My proposal was adopted; we did not go to the
procession, and our action met with general approval.
As for M. Bailly, he was very much surprised, but
did not venture to complain.
At other times, we received hints that it would be
just as well for us to imitate all the rest of the great
corporations of the state, and send in our adhesion
to the work of the National Assembly, and also
present it with an address of congratulation. But
we firmly resisted these perfidious suggestions.
As it became evident we could not be shaken in
our resolution, an effort was made to intimidate us,
by exciting a kind of revolt against us.
122 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMOtf.
A certain person, lately deceased, had bequeathed
a sum of two hundred francs to each of his workmen
in some quarries which he owned at Montmartre.
His heir wanted to have the will broken, and had
brought the case before the Chamber. The quarry-
men were present to sustain the validity of the will.
I was appointed to report on this dangerous affair.
The time needed for a thorough examination into
a matter of such importance occasioned one of those
protracted investigations, the necessity of which the
parties to a suit cannot even conceive, much less can
they bear them patiently. Accordingly, the quarry-
men imagined, or rather some mischief-makers put it
into their heads, that we did not intend to decide the
case at all, and that we purposed, by repeated delays,
to deprive them of their legacies for the profit
of the heirs, who were influential. They resolved,
therefore, to compel us to give judgment by force.
A rumor of these machinations reached us. Some
councillors were of opinion that it would be better to
abandon the affair altogether. It was too important,
they said, to be decided by the Chambre des Vaca-
tions. Let us declare ourselves without jurisdiction,
and dismiss it to the Grand Chamber, which would
hear it on the return of the Parliament. " Another
evidence of their weakness," said I to myself. So,
when my turn to speak came, I opposed this cowardly
measure.
" Messieurs," said I, " you will doubtless be irri-
tated because I happen to hold an opinion, although
I am the youngest among you, the very reverse of
that expressed by M. Frddy, who is the doyen of
THE CHAMBRE DES VACATIONS. 123
the Parliament. I respect and honor M. Fre*dy;
but our enemies will regard our adoption of his pro-
posal as a sign of great weakness, and the quarry-
men as a denial of justice, since they know, as well
as you do, that the Parliament will never sit again.
The attacks on us will become more audacious than
ever, when we have shown ourselves so destitute of
manly firmness. As for myself, I am of opinion that
we should use all due diligence in investigating this
affair and bringing it to a conclusion ; and, most as-
suredly, I shall work at my report, in season and out
of season."
I reported the state of the case every day to M. de
Saron, our first president. He entertained a very-
warm regard for me, and I loved him as a father.
Although he died on the scaffold with great courage,
his disposition was naturally feeble and timorous.
After I had spoken as related above, he said to
me:
"M. TAbbe*, I think you have been wrong. We
ought to pluck this thorn out of our foot the best
way we can. If the case turns out badly for these
workmen, you will be the first victim."
" I am willing to run the risk of that," I answered.
" An act of weakness actually turns my stomach with
loathing, and to give way to revolutionists is not at
all to my liking. Besides, what motive have you for
saying that these workmen will lose their case ? My
present belief is that the will is perfectly regular."
" God grant it ! " he replied.
This excellent man used to give us a formal dinner
every week, although he was not the president of the
124 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON".
Chambre des Vacations, in order to lessen the ex-
penses of M. de Rosambo, who was obliged to receive
us twice a week at his table. The banquet was
usually on Tuesday.
Now, some days after the conversation I have re-
lated, we were just sitting down to dinner with M. de
Saron, when word came to us that the quarrymen
to the number of two hundred had gone to the Palais
in search of us, and, not finding us, they were now at
the house of M. de Saron, with the same object in
view.
At this news, there was general dismay, and one of
my confreres turned to me, saying,
" See now what your giddiness and boastful courage
have brought upon us ! "
These words stung me to the quick, and, rising
unceremoniously
" Permit me," I said to the president, " to deal
with this disturbance myself. I am going to put on
my robe, which is in my wardrobe at the Palais. Do
you remain quietly at table, and do not allow this
trouble to interrupt your dinner."
I returned soon, garbed in my black robe. At the
same moment, the servant said: "Here they are!
they are entering the court I " I hastened down,
stopping at the top of the grand staircase, so as to
prevent them from mounting to the apartments of
the First President. I could see there was a great
uproar in the court. The workmen were parleying
with the guard stationed at the door, who refused to
let them go further. But they forced an entrance,
and were already on the first step of the staircase,
THE CHAMBRE DES VACATIONS. 125
when I appeared to view. My presence at the head
of the staircase, clad as I was in my official robe,
seemed to astonish them very much. " What brings
you here ? " I exclaimed. " Who has given you the
perfidious advice to come to this place in a disor-
derly band ? Do you believe you can intimidate the
magistrates of the Parliament? Undeceive your-
selves. They are not a bit afraid of you, and have
given proof of their courage in more difficult circum-
stances than this. As far as I am concerned, I am here
in your presence, and I do not fear anything you can do
to me, and it is on me especially that you ought to
wreak your unjust fury, for unfortunately I am your
reporter. But be assured there will always remain
enough of magistrates to punish your reckless out-
rages, and fling the whole of you into prison. And
besides, what a strange method you are taking to get
justice done you ! Don't you know that if you won
your suit by violence, your opponent would say that
the verdict was null, and it would be set aside by the
king ? Much better off you will be then ! Let four
of you come up here and tell me what you want."
They listened in silence, and four of them mounted
the stairs. I advanced and took my place on the
first step, in order to force these ambassadors to re-
main on the second. Thus I had the advantage of
towering above them. " What do you desire ? " I
said ; " you may speak with perfect freedom."
My own servant stood, with some of the other ser-
vants, behind me, to defend me in case of need. I
recommended them to keep quiet and make no
movement.
126 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SAL AMOK
One of the four quarrymen spoke in behalf of the
others. I noticed that one of his companions kept
his cap on his head. Striking my left arm emphati-
cally with my right hand, I exclaimed : " As long as
I wear this robe, I shall not permit any one to offer
it disrespect. Off with your cap, sir ! "
He doffed it immediately.
Then the other one said,
" We have not come here to show you any disre-
spect, but we have been told you were unwilling to
decide our case, that the Parliament will never
return, and we might as well bid good-by to our
money."
" Those who told you that," I answered, " are
idiots. There is not a word of truth in it ; they are
your enemies. Have confidence in your judges.
Your attorney must have informed you that a suit
of this sort cannot be decided in a hurry; it takes
time, and that is the cause exactly of all those
delays which make you fancy you will not have
justice done you. Retire quietly, and await our
decision calmly and respectfully. The case will be
soon over, I assure you, and I am your reporter.
But remember I have not the slightest fear of you,
and if you do not obey me, I shall have nothing fur-
ther to do with it. Send also two of your comrades
to me in the evening. I shall present them to M. le
Premier President, in order that they may apologize,
in your name, for your audacity in daring to create a
disturbance within the precincts of his court. Now,
trust to me and retire."
The poor quarrymen, who had been simply the
THE CHAMBRE DES VACATIONS. 127
tools of cleverer knaves than themselves, at once
withdrew, after promising to send two of their com-
rades to me in the evening.
I did not take time to pull off my robe, but returned
immediately to the dining-room.
" So there you are, my dear abbe* ! " exclaimed
M. de Saron, when he saw me. "I perceive that
everything has passed off well. Come now and finish
your dinner in peace." But I was still excited, and
had no longer any appetite. I said, with a smile to
M. de Saron,
" This evening it will be your turn to play your
part. I have to present two of our quarrymen to
you ; they are coming to apologize on the part of
their comrades, for pressing their acquaintance on
you without an invitation. You must be prepared,
then, to make them a little speech."
M. le President would have preferred if I had
spared him the visit, but he consented with good
grace to receive them. The quarrymen were faithful
to the appointment; I requested M. de Rosambo to
be present also, and all passed off well.
Six weeks afterward, the court rendered judgment,
and these good fellows got their legacies.
It was this incident that gave occasion for the
report that I had been saved during the September
massacres by the quarrymen of Montmartre : it was
not true.
For sixteen months, we labored without interrup-
tion, and I may add without honor or profit, for no
one deigned to express himself satisfied with our un-
remunerated toil. Yet we got through over twenty-
128 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMOST.
three thousand cases, civil as well as criminal, and it
fell to my share to report three thousand four hun-
dred of them. The president was overwhelmed with
requests from parties who would have no one but me
for reporter, because I was so affable and so quick
in disposing of every affair brought before me. The
effect of such excess of work was to drive me into
a sort of consumption, while, for the entire month
that brought our labors to an end, I was afflicted with
a terrible dysentery. At last, we begged the First
President to tell the king that it was utterly out of
our power to serve him any longer, that we were
nearly all sick, and that, therefore, it was our earnest
prayer he would be graciously pleased to consent to
our separation. He granted our petition on the 1st
of November, 1790.
But before separating, we resolved to leave a mon-
ument that should witness our principles and our
attachment to our sovereign. After deliberating a
whole night in the study of M. de Rosambo, our
chief, we drew up a protest against the subversion of
the laws of the realm, the annihilation of the royal
authority, and the decrees tending to overthrow the
rights of the clergy and nobles. This protest was
signed by all the members of the Chambre des Vaca-
tions present. It was intended to be placed in the
hands of the king at once, and to remain a profound
secret.
But, by a fatality which is to me inconceivable,
M. de Rosambo locked it up in a private drawer in
presence of his valet de chambre, who had been in the
service of his family for forty years.
THE CHAMBRE DES VACATIONS. 129
This old servant became suddenly smitten with
revolutionary principles, and, in the month of Sep-
tember, 1793, he denounced his master and revealed
the secret of the famous protest to the section of
Bondy, in which the Hotel de Rosambo was situated.
No one knows why he did so, for he loved his
master.
The first care of this abominable section was to
get a search-warrant and proceed to rummage the
entire Palais for the important document. Then it
sent its commissaries to Malesherbes in the Loiret,
and the whole family of M. de Rosambo, including
M. de Malesherbes and M. de Chateaubriand, his
son-in-law, were conducted to different prisons.
All the members of the Parliament of Paris com-
posing the Chambre des Vacations were eventually
seized, one after the other, and with them the presi-
dents d mortier, 1 whose names were inscribed at the
head of the document, but who had not signed the
protest ; these were M. Bochard de Saron, First Presi-
dent, M. de Gourgues, M. de Champlatreux, and M.
Noiseau d'Ormesson.
1 So called from the shape of the cap ; it was made of black velvet,
with a gold band around it, and resembled a mortar. TB.
130 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
CHAPTER II.
THE WARRANT OF ARREST.
THE SECTION OF BONDY TRIES TO SEIZE MGR. DE SALAMON. A
LADY OF THE ILE SAINT-LOUIS WHO LACKED COURAGE. A
DEVOTED FRIEND. A DISCOVERY : MM. DE SARON, D'OR-
ME8SON, DE MARCE, AND PASQUIER. THE ABBE CfiAUBRI DE
BEAULIEU : A MAGISTRATE WHO MAKES STOCKINGS. MA-
DAME DELLEBART AND HER DAUGHTER. ON A FALSE SCENT.
LETTER FROM M. DE CHATEAUBRIAND TO MGR. DE SALAMON.
COMMISSARIES of the section of Bondy came to
that of the Unity, where I resided, and asked per-
mission to take me within their jurisdiction.
I had been living in perfect tranquillity since the
massacre, and, as I took my turn at mounting guard,
I passed for a good citizen and felt that I was quite
secure. The revolutionary committee of my section
were unwilling to have any part in my arrest, and
answered that they did not know where I was living.
Indeed, one of them came secretly to my house, and
asked for me. Blanchet told him I was not in. " So
much the better!" he replied. "Tell him not to
show himself here for some days, because the section
of Bondy wants to have him arrested. We really do
not know why."
As it has always been a custom with me to tell
my servants the place where I am going, Madame
Blanchet found me in the lie Saint-Louis, just as I
was sitting down to dinner.
THE WARRANT OF ARREST. 131
She sent in word for me to come out to her, and
said,
"The section of Bondy has a warrant for your
arrest, so you must not come home for a few days."
After I had dismissed her and charged her to try
to find out the cause of this new persecution, I re-
turned to table, but no longer had any appetite. Still,
I put as good a face on the matter as I could, for
the lady in whose house I was had no courage, and
would certainly have had an attack of the nerves if
she knew my danger. I stayed until dark, although
in a state of great anxiety, and after I left, at half
past eight, I wandered at haphazard, not knowing
where I could get a night's rest.
As I was tramping along, the idea occurred to me
of going to the Rue Sainte-Apolline, near the Porte
Saint>-Martin, where a rich widow lady of my ac-
quaintance lived, having a little hQtel all to herself.
She was a tall, handsome woman, about fifty years
old, and had an excellent heart. I had only known
her for about fifteen months, but it was enough to
render her very much attached to me. She took a
singular interest in my stories of the massacres of
the 2d and 3d of September. Her sole companion
was a daughter, who had wished to become a nun,
but had returned to her mother on the suppression
of the religious orders. 1
Still, I felt some hesitation at the notion of enter-
ing at so late an hour. At this period a mere noth-
ing excited terror, for domiciliary visits and arrests
were becoming more numerous than ever. But the
1 In 1792.
132 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMOK
danger of being surprised while wandering through
the streets banished my scruples, and I entered the
house of this excellent woman.
It was her evening for receiving, and there were
several persons present. I saw at once that my
sudden arrival surprised her ; but she did not betray
her astonishment, for fear of creating suspicion among
her guests. On the contrary, she said, as soon as
she saw me : " Ah ! how pleased I am to meet you I
You must dine with me ! " When we were alone,
however, she exclaimed,
" My dear friend, what has happened ? "
" Alas ! madame," I answered, " I am afraid of
being arrested. People are speaking of several ar-
rests, and particularly of those of the members of the
Parliament. Madame Blanchet has told me not to
come near my own house for several days."
" Well, then, my friend," she said, wiping away the
tears, "you must stay here. There is a very fine
bedroom on the second story. I have none with me
but my daughter, whom you know well, and servants
whom I can trust."
I replied, at the same time embracing her, that I
accepted her offer for the moment, but I would not
abuse her kindness ; for, if I were to remain long under
her roof, it might be fatal to her. I added that it
would drive me to despair, if she suffered imprison-
ment through me.
" Let us not speak of that," she said, interrupting
me; "and now you must think of nothing but
getting a good night's rest. To-night, my daughter
will sleep with me, and you will have her room. We
shall have yours ready to-morrow."
THE WARRANT OF ARREST. 133
I went out early the next morning, leaving word
for Madame Dellebart such was the name of this
admirable woman that she need not expect me at
breakfast.
I ran straight to the hotel of the First President
de Saron in the Rue de 1' University in order to notify
him of what had happened. His concierge^ who, as
the event showed, was an abominable fellow, received
me with these words, uttered in tones denoting
pleasure,
"He was taken to La Force at three this morn-
ing."
From there I proceeded to the house of M. d'Or-
messon. As he was in a very feeble condition, he
had not been dragged to prison, but he was kept
under surveillance.
I made several other wearisome journeys, I went
to M. de Marce*, councillor of the Grand Chamber, Rue
Michel le Comte. He had been in the Madelonnettes
since morning. I then called on my colleagues in the
Marais, one after the other. They were all in prison.
It was now four o'clock in the evening ; I had been
walking since eight, and was still fasting.
Nevertheless, I started from the Rue Saint-Ana-
stase in the Marais, and went to the Rue de la
Madeleine in the Faubourg Saint-Honord, where the
Pasquiers, father and son, resided. I found no one
at home but Madame Pasquier, who was very fond
of me. As soon as she saw me, she said :
" You are just in time I have a capital fowl, all
the way from Mans, for dinner, and you will join me
in eating it."
134 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMOX.
" I thank you, madame, but where is M.
Pasquier ? "
" He is at M. d'Aulnay's, Kue-Neuve des
Mathurins."
I related briefly our perilous situation, and left to
warn my colleague to fly. I met him in the Rue de
1' Arcade. " For God's sake ! " I said to him, " fly !
do not return home all our friends have been
arrested. Men belonging to the section were at my
house yesterday, and I am surprised they have not
been at yours. We are lost and I am still com-
pletely in the dark as to the cause of our arrest."
This was the last time I saw my dear friend. He
was not arrested in his house, but peculiar circum-
stances led to his imprisonment afterward, and he
was guillotined with our unfortunate colleagues.
I was now utterly worn out, but I managed to drag
myself along from the Faubourg Saint-Honor^ to the
Rue Simon le Franc in the Marais, where I had been
already. I called on one of my friends, a clerical-
councillor like myself, the Abb Chaubri de Beaulieu.
I found him on the sixth story, in a wretched room.
He had learned a trade, and was busy making woollen
stockings.
" Great God ! " I exclaimed, " you take life easy,
and we are all in a state of anguish ! "
"I have lived unknown," he answered, "for the
last two years. I am supposed to be a common
workman, and so I have no fear. I would be in-
clined to wager a good deal that I am in no danger
of arrest."
This assumption of perfect security reassured me,
THE WARRANT OF ARREST. 135
and I was thinking whether I ought not to pass the
night with him, when a leg of mutton, garnished
with potatoes, was brought in ; it had been roasted at
the baker's oven, and exhaled a delicious odor.
" You will dine with me," said the abbe* at once,
and he added, with a smile : " I call this my dinner,
though it is the only dish to which I can invite you."
" I accept the invitation gladly, for I have walked
four or five leagues to-day, and am still fasting."
I made a hearty meal, and bade him good-bye
about eight o'clock.
The Abb Chaubri de Beaulieu was never molested
during the entire Reign of Terror, and he is living
to-day in the same quarter. But he occupies a far
finer apartment than the one I met him in, and
practises as a lawyer. 1
When I reached Madame Dellebart's, at ten in the
evening, I found her in tears. She had imagined
that I must have been arrested in some street, and
had given up all hopes of me. I related how I had
spent the day, and she felt relieved ; but when I told
her of my long and weary journeys, she burst into
tears again. She was, as I have said already, a woman
of rare goodness of heart.
She informed me that Madame Blanchet that
woman has always seemed to me to divine intuitively
whatever steps I took had come in search of me,
although I had never given her a hint of the place of
my retreat. Blanchet related to her that she had found
1 The Abbe Chaubri de Beaulieu, like many other clerical councillors,
and, indeed, like a large number of the abbes of the ancient regime,
was not in holy orders.
136 MEMOIRS OF MGB. SALAMON.
out the reason for this new persecution of so many
eminent persons. It was caused by the discovery of a
document concealed in M. de Rosarabo's desk, in which
my name figured among the rest. At the very
moment I heard these words, that accursed protest
flashed across my memory, and I could not refrain
from crying : " Ah, how could M. de Rosambo have
kept such a document ! " But I added, in extenua-
tion : " He has not been able to reach the king and
give it to him."
You can easily guess that Madame Dellebart and
I had a long conversation on that evening, and it was
two in the morning before we retired.
She conducted me herself to the beautiful chamber
she had prepared for me. It was an exquisitely neat
apartment, hung with Persian muslin.
Madame Dellebart loved fine furniture and fine
stuffs, but neatness and cleanliness more than either.
So, in this respect, her house, although rather small,
was a perfect jewel of a house. From hall to attic
everything shone as if it were new.
I went to bed and slept well, indeed, much better
than I expected. Then, at nine in the morning, this
excellent lady sent me, in a little silver coffee-pot,
some remarkably fine coffee and cream ; the cream
came from her farm at Pantin, formerly owned by
Mile. Guimard, the famous dancer at the Opera.
Her daughter was present at my little breakfast,
and showed me all the sympathy to be naturally ex-
pected from a person consecrated to God and full of
good feeling besides. She was, for that matter, a
woman of rather limited understanding, and her piety
THE WARRANT OF ARREST. 137
also was of a somewhat unintelligent character. " My
daughter is a bigot," her poor mother used often to
say to me. She was twenty-seven, and very pretty,
but very pale. The reason she came to keep me com-
pany in my room was because her mother rose late.
Blanchet arrived on the same day, at about ten
o'clock. She appeared extremely dejected. She had
wept much, both on account of the danger I ran and
also because she had not seen me for two days. I did
my best to calm and console her.
However, the discovery of the protest was ever in
my mind, and inspired me with the liveliest anxiety.
I had always had a presentiment that it would be
fatal to us ; and when it was discussed, I was totally
opposed to its adoption, not through want of principle
or love for revolutionary ideas, but I believed it equally
useless, whether the Revolution continued or came to
an end. Nevertheless, I signed it. It was, then, only
by a violent effort that I could keep from appearing sad
and pensive, for when my thoughts are preoccupied,
I am naturally inclined to show it in my countenance.
Blanchet told me that the commissaries of the sec-
tion of Bondy had returned the day before, at four
o'clock in the afternoon, and were in a very bad tem-
per at not finding me at home. They insulted her
grossly, and asked where I was. Not knowing how
to get rid of them, she answered imprudently that I
had gone to the Chateau of Bonneuil on business.
It is unnecessary to say that this was false. The
scoundrels believed her on her word, marched to
Bonneuil, which is four leagues from Paris, turned
the chateau upside down, and, of course, found nothing.
138 MEMOIRS OF MGE. SALAMOK
I did not learn of this till later, and I reproached
Blanchet very severely for her conduct, although her
motive was good, and she wished to send these wicked
men on a false scent. I recommended her to confine
herself to a simple negation for the future.
I passed my time very pleasantly with Madame
Dellebart, who anticipated all my wishes and attended
to my wants as carefully as on the first day I entered
her house. I sometimes departed in the morning and
did not return until evening, after aimlessly rambling
through Paris, without very well knowing where I
was going. Every morning, my little breakfast was
brought into my chamber. Blanchet came to see
me every other day. She related the gossip of her
neighborhood, and all the rumors that were in circula-
tion, and certainly they were not reassuring.
One day I committed a great imprudence: I re-
turned to dine at the house of the lady in the lie Saint-
Louis, where Blanchet first warned me of the peril
in which I stood. It was a recreation, and I needed
something at the time to divert me from my sad
thoughts. Of course, you will easily understand
that I did not breathe a word as to my melancholy
position to the lady.
When I made my appearance in the evening at the
house of Madame Dellebart., she told me that she had
not seen my poor Blanchet, although it was the day
for her visit. I was very uneasy, but I did not ven-
ture to send any one to inquire into the reason of her
absence, for my messenger might want discretion, or
might be " shadowed " on the way back.
At length, Blanchet came at noon, the next day,
THE WARRANT OF ARREST. 139
with the news that my house had been searched for
the third time, and that those engaged in the search,
after uttering the most terrible threats, left the place
in a perfect fury at not finding me. She handed me
a letter at the same time, which the wife of one of the
seventy-two deputies imprisoned in La Force 1 had
brought for me, offering to take charge of my reply.
The letter was from M. Chateaubriand, the brother
of the author, who, being under the impression that I
was at liberty and in no danger, wrote that he and
his friends were all in prison, that they had been
separated, and he was ignorant where M. de Male-
sherbes and Madame de Rosambo were confined.
I answered that I was myself a wanderer and an
outlaw, not daring to go to my home, which had been
searched three times ; that I was obliged to live in
Paris as best I could, and was absolutely ignorant of
what was taking place; however, I had heard that
M. de Malesherbes was in the Madelonnettes, and
Madame de Rosambo at the Anglaises. I added that
I despaired of being useful to him in the future,
because it was my intention to get away as soon as
possible, and I was determined to do everything I
could to avoid arrest.
He received my reply, but I had no further news
of these dear friends.
However, I still remained with Madame Dellebart,
who showed me all the solicitous affection that a
mother would show a beloved son. We had such
1 Partisans of a moderate policy. They were expelled from the
Legislature on the 31st of May, 1793, a date that witnessed the fall of
the Girondins and the inauguration of the dictatorship of Robespierre.
They resumed their functions after the 9th Thermidor.
140 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
delight in each other's conversation that we often
remained, after the daughter had gone to bed, up till
two in the morning, relating the various incidents
that marked our lives. She had witnessed many
strange scenes in hers, and she was a born raconteuse.
Besides, she was familiar with fashionable society,
and still had persons of the highest distinction at her
receptions. As for myself, I had travelled extensively,
had frequented the best society in Paris, and, above all,
had witnessed the September massacres. Besides, she
was very much interested in politics, and had been on
terms of the closest intimacy with the famous Favier,
the great diplomatist employed by Louis XV., while I,
on the other hand, corresponded with a court consid-
ered, not without reason, the most sagacious of all the
courts in Europe.
THE COUVENT DES ANGLAISES. 141
CHAPTER III.
THE COUVENT DES ANGLAISES.
BLANCHET ARRESTED. THE SECTION OF " BANDITS." Two
AWFUL AUVERGNATS. THE PRISONERS AT LES ANGLAISES.
MESDAMES DE CHAMPCENETZ, DE SOYECOURT, DE LA ROCHE-
FOUCAULD, D'URTAT AND DUCHILLEAU. THEIR CONDUCT TO
BLANCHET. INTERVENTION OF DOCTOR GUASTALDI. DEATH
OF BLANCHET'S SON. A BAKER WHO WILL BE MASTER IN
HIS OWN HOUSE. MGR. DE SALAMON INTERESTS THE DUCHESSE
DE SULX AND MADAME D'AULNAY IN BLANCHET. LETTERS
FROM ROME.
HOWEVER, I remained four days without receiving
any news of Blanchet. Her absence caused me much
distress and fear. Madame Dellebart shared my
anxiety, for she had become very fond of Blanchet,
and never spoke of her without adding : " That ex-
cellent woman ! " We had a presentiment which
turned out only too true that she was arrested.
After mature deliberation, we decided that Madame
Dellebart should send Franqois, her confidential ser-
vant, to the Rue des Augustins, to make inquiries in
the neighborhood of my house, and particularly of
the woman who kept the bakery opposite.
Francois was perfectly successful. Madame Blan-
chet had been dragged out of the house on New
Year's Day, at four in the morning, and all she was
142 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
allowed to take with her was the clothes she wore.
The section had seized my plate and money, that is to
say, fifteen hundred francs in specie and two thousand
in assignats, had affixed seals to my apartments, and
had stationed two guards in my kitchen and hall, who
were to receive five francs a day. But he could not
discover where they had taken Blanchet. All he was
able to learn was that they tore away her son, a boy
of fourteen, from her arms, and flung him into the
street, where he would have been frozen to death on
that cold winter's morning, had not the baker given
him shelter. Francois had been warned also to be
careful not to mention where I was.
You can easily imagine my consternation at these
tidings. Madame Dellebart, her daughter, and I were
in such a state of grief that we could not dine ; in-
deed, we did not even think of sitting down to table.
I spent the following fortnight in trying to find out
the prison where she was confined ; but all my efforts
were unavailing.
However, she was, as I learned afterward, lying, at
this very time, on a wretched mattress in a lock-up
belonging to the section of Bondy, in the parish of St.
Laurence, weeping as if her heart would break, and
suffering dreadfully in body as well as in mind.
Her amazement and terror, when she was suddenly
startled out of sleep and saw her bed surrounded by
armed men ; her horror at being dragged half-naked
through the streets ; the chilling cold of one of the
severest nights in winter ; the agony of being separ-
ated from her only son, the last of nine children, -
all this affected her to such a degree that she fell
THE COUVENT DES ANGLAISES. 143
seriously ill, and was for three whole weeks on the
brink of the grave.
In spite of her condition, these barbarians always
kept her in sight constantly, as if, indeed, there was
any chance for the poor woman to escape ; and their
presence, as she confessed to me afterward, was a
greater torture to her than all her other sufferings.
They even spied on her and put questions to her
during her sleep, in the hope that they might wrest
from her some . hint as to the place in which I was
concealed ; but she never uttered a word.
At last her vigorous constitution triumphed, and
she was restored to health, but after a long convales-
cence.
There was in the section of Bondy Blanchet
called it the section of " bandits " l a revolutionary
committee composed of abominable men. Two of
them were especially noteworthy for their infamy,
two loathsome creatures from Auvergne, named
Je'rdme and Baptiste. These wretches were the
immediate cause of the death of nearly two thou-
sand persons. They often came to torment Blan-
chet with their questions. When they had worn
out her patience, she said to them sternly in Pro-
ven$al, which is very like Auvergnat : " Yes, I know
where he is, but you shall never know. He will live
to have you both hanged, and all people of your
sort."
These words so frightened the savages that they
took to their heels immediately.
1 The French pronunciation of " bandits " is so near that of Bondy
as almost to excuse Blanchet's pun. TR.
144 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
At length, as nothing could be got out of her, they
imprisoned my stout old housekeeper in the convent
of Les Anglaises, Rue des Fosses-Saint-Victor. 1
This poor woman, the victim of her loyalty to her
master and to the good cause, suffered many humilia-
tions in a place where she might have expected con-
solation and encouragement.
She was given a wretched mattress in the room of
Madame de Champcenetz. This charitable dame,
furious at seeing her apartment invaded by " com-
mon people," as she said, gave fifty francs to the
keeper to remove Blanchet.
Yet Blanchet's virtues might have excited the
respectful compassion and sympathy of this haughty
lady.
It must be admitted, however, that her external ap-
pearance at the time was not calculated to inspire
confidence, for she had only just recovered from a
grievous illness, and her convalescence advanced but
slowly in a prison where she was deprived of every-
thing. Then, her clothing was almost in rags, for she
had, as I mentioned already, been dragged from bed
at four in the morning, and not given time to take
anything with her except what was under her hand.
She was pitilessly chased, then, out of Madame de
Champcenetz' apartment, and banished to a garret,
which had no windows, but only shutters, in which
she was exposed to every wind that blows.
Seeing herself abandoned by everybody, and being
absolutely in want, she decided, in her despair, to lay
1 The Convent of English ladies of the order of St. Augustine is
to-day at Neuilly.
iTHE COUVENT DES ANGLAISES. 145
her case before Madame de Soyecourt, nee Princesse
de Nassau-Sarrebruck, without, however, mentioning
the cause of her detention, for fear of injuring me.
This lady was under the greatest obligations to me.
I made her acquaintance at a time when she was
sunk hopelessly in debt. All her property had been
sequestrated, and her creditors wished even to seize
her pension. She appealed to the Parliament to make
at least provision for her subsistence. I was appointed
her reporter, and I treated her as I thought a princess
should be treated, for I was the means of getting a
decree passed which granted her a pension of four
thousand francs, and this pension was placed out of
the reach of her creditors. Blanchet saw her more
than once at my house, and witnessed the cordial re-
ception I always gave her. Accordingly, she thought
she would make bold to ask her for a little soup.
Madame de Soyecourt received her haughtily, saying :
" Citoyenne Blanchet, I have not enough for myself."
Blanchet retired, all in tears, when luckily she ran
up against M. Guastaldi, a countryman of mine, and
also my physician. He was passing without noticing
her, for, indeed, she was little better than a skeleton.
Blanchet believed he was avoiding her purposely.
So she placed herself in front of him, and, seizing
him rather roughly by the arm, exclaimed : " So you,
you abandon me also ! " Guastaldi recognized her
immediately, and cried : " What ! Blanchet ! you
here ! " After she told him what had happened to
her, he turned back to the ladies. " You have a trea-
sure in this house," said he, "a treasure you have
thought unworthy of your notice until now. This
10
146 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
Blanchet is one of the most estimable women in the
world."
Then, every one was in a hurry to help her, even
Madame de Champcenetz, who gave her fifty francs.
Madame Duchilleau never ceased, as long as she was
spared, to show her the most tender affection ; in fact,
if Blanchet had permitted it, she would have made
her a present of everything she had brought with her
into the prison. Madame de La Rochefoucauld, who
had been deserted by her maid, also treated her with
much kindness. Blanchet became very much attached
to this lady ; she tended skilfully the leg-sores from
which she suffered, and obtained a number of little
delicacies for her from the keeper, chocolate, for
example.
Pardon me, madame, all these details; they are
unimportant enough, and can have but little interest
for you, but the history of Blanchet is so closely con-
nected with mine that I must speak of her.
As I ha^ve already related, her imprisonment was
the source of much sorrow to Madame Dellebart, as
well as to me.
We were informed, in course of time, that, besides
my plate and money, two beautiful clocks and six-
teen hundred of my choicest books had been carried
away from my house ; the books were scattered among
the public libraries.
To resume the thread of my adventures, I went to
the residence of Madame de Senozan, sister of Ma-
dame de Malesherbes, and the best and most estimable
woman in the world. Sentries were stationed in
front of the gate, to watch those who entered her
THE COUVENT DES ANGLAISES. 147
h6tel; but I made my way in by a secret staircase,
without any one noticing me, except the concierge,
and he used to see me coming every day to the house
formerly.
As I was describing to her the sad events that had
occurred during the last few days, she interrupted
me, saying : " I know everything, perhaps more than
you do ; the child of this poor woman has been trans-
ported to the Hospice de la Charite*, and has, for the
last three days, been lying between life and death."
She added that she sent her servant Comtois every
day to inquire after him.
He died the next day of brain fever, calling with
heart-rending cries for his mother and his master.
I felt the loss of this young man excessively, and
at the present day I never think of him without sor-
row. He was a remarkably clever youth, and I was
beginning to employ him as secretary, even for my
Roman correspondence ; for, though he was scarcely
fourteen, he showed a discretion beyond his years.
Madame de Senozan also informed me that her
brother, nephews, and nieces were all now reunited
at Port Royal, which had been changed into a prison
and called Port Libre.
I left her, feeling the utmost compassion for her
many misfortunes ; it was our last meeting.
I returned to Madame Dellebart's in the evening
with these melancholy tidings. I did not stir out
of her house for six days after. On the seventh, I
determined to pay a visit to Madame la Vicomtesse
d'Allemane, who was then living at Versailles, with
whom I had been very intimate. She, too, was a
148 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMOST.
prisoner in her own house, under the surveillance of
two keepers. She had not been dragged to prison,
owing to a certificate of ill health which I had per-
suaded Doctor Guastaldi to give her. I made known
to her my doleful situation, and begged her to send
her valet de chambre to the baker-woman who lived
opposite my house, to inquire whether there were any
letters for me.
I learned afterward that the commissaries, finding
out that this woman took charge of my correspon-
dence, had come to the shop to seize it, just at the
very moment when the valet de chambre was carry-
ing it away in safety.
Two of these letters were from Rome, and one of
them contained a cheque on the Italian banker Caccia,
Rue Saint-Denis. It was for three hundred Roman
crowns, and was to be paid me in specie.
I went there early the next day ; but the banker,
through fear of compromising himself, refused to cash
my cheque, and this embarrassed me very much.
The other letter was from the Cardinal Secretary
of State; it was full of consolation and encourage-
ment, and showed the deep interest his Eminence
took in me. I had found means, in fact, to make
him acquainted with my distressing situation. As I
was not able to procure the necessary books, I had
also requested him to ask the Pope to dispense me
from reading the breviary. His answer was that the
Pope granted me all the dispensations I needed, and
recommended me to use every precaution to avoid
arrest.
On the next day I went to see the Duchesse de
THE COUVENT DES ANGLAISES. 149
Sulx, whom I had the honor of knowing. She lived
in the Rue des Saints-Peres. She was not in prison,
because, as she had resided only a short time in this
quarter, she was but little known in the neighbor-
hood. I begged her to go to the prison of Les
Anglaises and inquire about Blanchet, also to carry
her sugar, coffee, and anything else she might desire.
She accepted the commission willingly, and visited
the prison, dressed as a servant. As she was slim
and active, the distance did not frighten her; be-
sides, she was a charitable, good-hearted woman.
She often went on the same journey; but, after a
time, she told me that the door was shut against
everybody, and Blanchet had been taken to another
prison. I thanked her from the bottom of my heart.
I did not see this virtuous woman again until fifteen
years afterward.
In this fashion I went knocking at every door,
with the view of softening somewhat the afflictions
my poor Blanchet had to endure. The same purpose
led me to the door of Madame d'Aulnay. She lived
in the Rue des Mathurins, and was an extremely
charitable woman. For a wonder, she was never
incarcerated during the entire Revolution. I re-
quested her to hit on some plan by means of which
I might be able to convey two hundred francs to
Blanchet. She promised to do so, and succeeded,
employing as her agent one of those roving peddlers
who seem capable of making their way anywhere
and everywhere.
150 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
CHAPTER IV.
THEOUGH PABIS.
MGB. SALAMON LEAVES THE HOUSE or MADAME DELLEBART.
His HOSTESS IN THE RUE PARADIS. AN EX- ABBE BECOMES
PROFESSOR IN A MEDICAL SCHOOL. A DEPLORABLE FELLOW-
COUNTRYMAN. THE FINE SHIRT AND THE OLD BORDEAUX OF
THE JACOBIN.
I HAD been wandering up and down Paris for
about a month, but had continued to take my meals
at Madame Dellebart's, when one day her daughter
said to me,
" Fra^ois has told mamma that two men have been
asking whether there was not a stranger here, but
mamma does not want you to know."
I thanked her for intrusting me with this important
secret, which, I observed, I should turn to account at
once. "In fact," I answered, "one of two things
must have happened : either this is true, and I ought
to move out as quickly as possible ; or it is false, and
then it is clear the servants are tired of my presence.
Perhaps, too, they are afraid and not without
reason that I may compromise their mistress.
Who knows but some day or other they may say as
much to myself, without meaning to hurt me ? So,
in any case, it is my duty to leave you."
The religieuse was in despair at having told me.
She dreaded a scolding from her mother, but I soon
brought her to her senses. I spoke to Madame
THROUGH PARIS. 151
Dellebart in the evening of my resolution ; she raised
all kinds of objections, and pressed me earnestly to
stay with her.
It happened at the time that there was a lady in the
house who was her particular friend. This lady and
her husband caught some portion of our conversation,
and invited me to spend the night with them. I
accepted the offer gratefully, but, I must add, to the
great annoyance of Madame Dellebart.
I started out at midnight with my new hosts.
They crossed the boulevard, entered the Faubourg
Poissonniere, and conducted me to the Rue de Paradis.
It did not take me long to perceive that the good
lady was in far greater alarm than I was. She intro-
duced me into the house with the greatest caution,
looking this way and that, and murmuring every
second : " Good God ! we have been seen ! " Then
she showed me into a tiny little room under the roof,
in which I did not close an eye the whole night, for
they seemed to be making a racket all the time below
stairs. Accordingly, I left very early in the morning,
without giving notice to any one, and I have never seen
my hostess since.
It will strike you as an odd circumstance that I had
all the time found a lodging in that very section of
Bondy which persecuted me.
I resumed my wanderings through Paris. I did
not know very well where to go, when, on passing
through the Rue des Cordeliers, near the Scole de
Medicine, I perceived a young man whom I thought
I recognized. I was not mistaken.
He was a priest of my native town, son of an
152 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
apothecary, and I had known him formerly ; his name
was Audin Rouviere.
I approached him and said,
" I believe, monsieur, I have seen you somewhere."
" The very impression you make on me also," he
answered.
" You would not happen to be the Abbd Audin ? "
" Ah, monsieur," he said quickly, " do not pro-
nounce that word 4 abbeV I am a professor in the
Scole de Me*decine, and I live in the entresol you
see yonder."
I told him, in my turn, that my name was so and so.
He begged me to enter his lodgings, with many
demonstrations of friendship. When we were seated,
I said,
" I thought you were chaplain at the Hospice."
" Did you now? " he answered, bursting into a roar
of laughter. " As if there were any chaplains left !
But tell me what are you doing yourself ? "
" You know well that I was clerical councillor in
the Parliament, and I am very much afraid I may be
arrested."
" In that case, you had better remain here, the
devil himself would never find you out in this hole !
Our concierge is a regular wine-barrel, and there is no
danger from him. Here is a key; you can come in and
go out when you like."
I took him at his word, and accepted his offer.
The entresol was almost devoid of furniture, and
there was no sign of any servant whatever. " Well,"
said I to myself, "I have at last found a lodging
where I am not likely to be disturbed for some time ! "
THROUGH PARIS. 153
He showed me into a small closet, where there was
a little pallet stretched on rough planks ; there was a
bed-quilt, and that was all. " I shall not be badly off
here," I said to him.
He brought me a large sheet, however, which I
made up into a kind of pillow, thinking myself very
lucky to have something to rest my head on.
But when I had lain down, I felt the air blowing in
on me from all directions, and I was regularly frozen
throughout the night, owing to the want of bed-
clothes.
I slept very badly then.
But my companion would have kept me awake in
any case. He cried out in his sleep like a madman,
now uttering exclamations in Latin, now in French,
and jumping and tossing about furiously.
At seven in the morning, he left his room, making
a great noise as he did so. He appeared again at half-
past eight. " I have been giving my lesson," he said
to me.
He asked had I slept well. " Ah ! " I answered,
" how could you expect me to sleep well, considering
the sad situation in which I am placed ? "
We breakfasted on nuts. Then he went out, and
returned with a few small fishes, which were to com-
pose our dinner.
When it was dark, I made my way to Madame
Dellebart, and informed her of my new domicile.
She entreated me to, at least, dine with her every
day ; but I told her it would be the greatest impru-
dence for me to consent.
When I returned, I met my young professor, who
154 MEMOIRS OF MGK. SALAMOX.
was enthusiastic over his profession. He was in love,
he said, with a niece of Dr. Portail, who did not
know he was a priest and invited him once a week
to dinner. He confided to me that he intended to
marry her.
" But you seem to have forgotten that you are a
priest?"
" Oh ! " he answered, " you are still imbued with
those foolish prejudices, are you ? "
" Do not speak in that way," I answered. " Por-
tail will never give you his niece."
" But I assure you the doctor thinks a lot about
me. He has me to dinner every Sunday. And, as
for his niece, I am fairly wild to get her."
I thought to myself : " I pity the poor girl, if she
marries you ! "
I learned eventually that the affair had gone very
far, and he had been on the point of having her ; but
Dr. Portail discovered he was a priest, and showed
him the door.
I passed my time, then, tranquilly, though sadly,
in my new home, thinking myself very fortunate to
have this little retreat instead of being in prison.
The ex-abbe cooked our meals himself; they gener-
ally consisted of fish fried on the gridiron, though
occasionally we had a leg of mutton, with a plentiful
seasoning of garlic. We spent the evening playing
draughts, a game to which my companion was pas-
sionately addicted ; I had barely an idea of it, yet I
won often enough, which gave him a high idea of my
capacity. I judged thereby that he was not much of
a player himself. It was a terrible bore to me, spend-
THROUGH PARIS. 155
ing two hours at a stretch in such a childish occupa-
tion ; but, of course, it was necessary to keep in the
good graces of my host.
Our nights all resembled one another. He leaped
and tossed about in the queerest way. Sometimes
he would thunder out phrases from his lessons, and
sometimes passionately implore the favor of his
inamorata.
As sleep was impossible, I turned and turned in
my bed, where, as I have stated, I had not sufficient
covering, and was often chilled through.
I had been ten days in the apartments of my de-
plorable compatriot, when a man entered unceremo-
niously. The concierge had left the door open by mis-
take, and I was not able to hide myself so quickly
as not to be seen.
It was the cousin of my host.
His first words to him were : " Who is that man ? "
I did not very well hear their conversation after this,
but my entertainer had the weakness to confess every-
thing.
" You are a dead man," said his cousin to him.
"If this man is discovered with you, you will be
guillotined along with him for a dead certainty ! "
He was gone at last, and I perceived that RouviSre
was quite upset. I asked him who the man was, and
added : " Evidently, my presence here is beginning to
frighten you."
" He is my cousin. But no, I am not frightened,
not at all."
" Oh, I beg your pardon. If you have told him
who I was, he must surely have tried to alarm you as
to the consequence of having me here."
156 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
"Well, then, you have guessed the truth! He
told me if you were found in my apartments, I was
sure to be guillotined along with you. But no matter,
I am not afraid."
" He has told you nothing but the truth, my dear
fellow," I answered, " and I have made up my mind
to leave you; for, without meaning any harm, he
might mention to one of his friends that I am here."
I set out the same evening, and related my adven-
ture to Madame Dellebart. She said immediately :
" Well, you see now you must stay with me. We
are accustomed to each other's ways. Don't be
alarmed : nothing will happen to either you or me, I
assure you Why," added this excellent woman,
whom I had known for only a little over a year,
"why, since your departure, the house has looked
empty ! "
I embraced and thanked her again and again.
But in the midst of those perpetual alternations
of fear and hope, I had not the consolation of accept-
ing the offers of my friends, knowing that such
acceptance on my part would endanger their lives.
" No, no," I answered, " I must wander wherever
my fortunes direct me. And you will not see me
again more than once a week, and then only when I
am sure the coast is clear." While I was uttering
these words she wept bitterly.
Nevertheless, I consented to stay during the night,
and I left the next morning at daybreak.
All this time, I had no news of Madame Blanchet,
and found it impossible to discover the prison in
which she was detained.
THROUGH PARIS. 157
I proceeded next to the Rue Cassette, to find the
husband of the woman who had aided Blanchet in
her search for me among the dead bodies at the
Abbaye. He was a Jacobin, and therefore, I thought,
likely to have access to the prisons, and to be able to
discover where they had put my faithful old servant.
When I knocked at the door, he was still asleep ;
but he heard me after a time, and came and opened
the door. He was in his shirt sleeves, and I noticed
that this same shirt was made of the finest Holland
linen. Yet he was but a poor carpenter, and, to add
to that, a professional drunkard. In fact, he had
killed his wife by his ill treatment.
He received me with effusive good nature, and ran
to dress himself in order to talk with me. He began
by pressing me to take something. I answered that
I did not come for eating or drinking, but to get
news of my poor Blanchet, the friend of his deceased
wife.
" Well, we can eat a bit, for all that ; it won't pre-
vent us talking," and the tears came to his eyes.
I did not venture to decline a share of his break-
fast, for fear of offending him ; but I was in dread he
might offer me some of his wine, which was sure to
be bad, and bad wine I cannot abide in the morning.
So I sat down to breakfast, and he placed a large
black bottle immediately on the table, a bottle corked
and sealed too. Good gracious ! it was Bordeaux !
then some beef, which looked appetizing enough for
an epicure.
I ate more than I should have believed possible,
indeed, more than I ought. The wine was delicious.
158 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
I said to myself : " Decidedly, he never came by that
shirt and that bottle honestly ! " But you may be
sure I kept my suspicions to myself !
At last, I explained to him the cause of my visit.
When I told him that Blanchet had been arrested, he
wept copiously.
" Ah ! " he cried, raising his overflowing eyes to
heaven, " she was the friend of my defunct ! I
loved her from my heart, although she had the mis-
fortune to be an aristocrats"
"Aristocrate or not," I answered, " I want you to go
into all the prisons and find out where she is now."
He promised, and arranged that we should meet in
two days' time at his house, in the evening. I left,
feeling quite happy at the thought that Blanchet
would soon have news of me, and I should have news
of Blanchet.
THE INTERNUNCIO LEAVES PARIS. 159
CHAPTER V.
THE INTEKNUNCIO LEAVES PAEIS.
THE INTERNUNCIO LEAVES PARIS. "PARDON ME, I HAVE MADE A
MISTAKE!" NIGHTS IN THE OPEN AIR. A HERMIT CANON.
THE INTERNUNCIO'S COUNCIL: MM. JOLI, LE MOYNE, AND
GIRARD, AUTHOR OF "LE COMTE DE VALMONT."
I WALKED mechanically along the Seine, as far as
the ficole Militaire, and reached the bastions raised
on the side of the hill called La Montagne des Bons
Hommes, or La Montagne de Passy.
The keeper of the bastion said to me politely : " If
you have no certificate of civism you cannot pass by
here, unless you are willing to accompany me to the
barrier of the guard house."
I thanked him, and descended toward a little street
which passes through the park of the Princesse de
Lamballe. 1 I crossed the Rue Basse and the Rue de
1'figlise, 2 and found myself near La Muette (a villa
of the king) without having any real consciousness
of where I was going.
I remembered then that Madame Pasquier and her
children had a suite of apartments close by, in which
I had given the nuptial benediction to her eldest son,
who married a widow, Madame de Rochef ort.
1 Now the asylum for the insane kept by Dr. Blanche.
2 Now the Rue Berton and the Rue de 1'Annonciation.
160 MEMOIRS OF MGB. SALAMON.
I went thither on the spot, but was thunderstruck
at seeing a sentinel before the door, who shouted at
me : " What do you want ? " I turned on my heels,
answering quickly : " Pardon me, I have made a
mistake."
After this rebuff, I rambled here and there
through the Bois de Boulogne, watching for some
spot where I could spend the night with as little
inconvenience as possible. The place that offered
most chances of comfort was the kiosk in which
the inhabitants of Auteuil dance on Sundays. I
returned there late in the evening, when the lights
were out in the cottage of the gamekeeper, who lived
quite near. I stretched myself on the floor, after
placing a bundle of straw under my head; I had
picked it up in the meadows, where the people who
are in the habit of leading their cows for pasture into
these quarters doubtless had brought it for a seat.
I fell asleep, but my slumbers were often inter-
rupted; I sometimes started up, fancying that my
hospitable shelter had been discovered.
Later on, I found another place which was comfort*
able enough ; it was near the Villa Bagatelle, close
by the Pyramid, and not far from Madrid, where I
used to come very often, when M. de Rosambo re-
sided there.
In fact, this was the reason that made me select the
Bois de Boulogne in preference to the other woods
around Paris. I knew nearly all its windings.
The next day, I returned to Madame Dellebart's ;
she shed tears on learning where I had passed the
night. She declared I must stay with her, not only
the rest of the day, but the night also.
THE INTERNUNCIO LEAVES PARIS. 161
I yielded, especially as I should be nearer my Jaco-
bin friend, whom I was to see on the morrow.
In fact, I kept my appointment with him to the
minute. He informed me that Blanchet was still at
Les Anglaises, in the Rue des Fosses-Saintr Victor.
He assured me also that he had warmly recommended
her to the keeper of the prison, and had asked him to
furnish her with soap and coal.
After hearing this good news I left Paris and went
to Saint-Cloud, with the intention of taking some
refreshment I was frightfully hungry in one of
the wretched inns of that village.
I slept during the night under the arch of a bridge,
on the straw which the women who came to wash
there left behind them.
On the fourth day I returned to Madame Dellebart's
in the evening. She had been bitterly anxious about
me, and when she saw me enter, looking altogether
woe-begone, with my hirsute beard of several days'
growth, she could not restrain her emotion, and
melted into tears.
I told her all that had occurred since my last visit,
and particularly what I had learned about Blanchet.
She promised to send Francois the next day to her
with sugar, coffee, and even money if she needed it.
I said that this was hardly necessary, because I gave
her, when I saw her last, fifteen hundred francs in
assignats and twenty-five louis-d'or.
However, I was afterwards informed that the sec-
tion of Bondy had deprived her of the assignats, but
did not discover the gold, which she had hidden
under her clothes.
11
162 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
Notwithstanding the urgent entreaties of Madame
Dellebart, I left her on that very evening, but prom-
ised to see her on the Tuesday of each week and
remain the whole day. Only on this condition would
she let me depart. She gave me a little bottle of
Malaga wine, and stuffed my pockets with bread.
I did not start until very late, and I had an object
in this delay : I wished to be at the barrier just at the
moment when the washerwomen leave the city. As
I wore a carmagnole, they took me for one of their
lads, and I followed in their train, luckily without
any one asking for my certificate of civisme. It
would have embarrassed me considerably to present
it, as I happened not to have any.
I availed myself constantly of this expedient to
get out of Paris, and it was always successful.
On this evening, I made for the kiosk of Auteuil,
and as some one had appropriated my straw, I lay
down on a heap of dry leaves. It rained during the
night, but I was not as uncomfortable as might have
been expected.
I spent the following day in the Bois de Meudon.
The weather was fine. While strolling around I met
a man who was busily engaged in gathering herbs.
We entered into conversation, and it did not take
long for me to see that he was disguised. I asked if
he was living in the neighborhood of Paris.
"Yes," he answered, "I am somewhat like the
Wandering Jew, I cannot say exactly that I am
pursued, but, on the whole, I feel more comfortable
outside Paris than in it. I roam about the forest
every day, picking up herbs, and am beginning to be
THE INTERNUNCIO LEAVES PARIS. 163
quite handy at it. I travel, in this way, about six
leagues a day, and eat only in the evening, when I
return to Passy, where I lodge." Feeling more con-
fidence in me after a time, honest people soon learn
to know one another, he told me his name was Joli ;
he had been canon of Sainte-Genevieve and preceptor
in the family of M. de Mdgrigny. He had a keen in-
tellect, talked to the point on every subject, and was
specially interested in politics.
I was not quite so confidential in the beginning ;
but when I had sounded him thoroughly, I confessed
my identity, and ever after he treated me with much
respect.
We were now often in each other's company, and I
sometimes consulted him on certain points.
In fact, I am often distrustful of my own capacity
for dealing with matters of high importance, and I
like to seek the advice of intelligent people ; not that
I always take it, but I am quick to see whether it is
good or bad, and so am enlightened on a subject.
After some days, we conversed at length on eccle-
siastical affairs. He recommended several priests to
my notice, and even wished to present some of them ;
but I refused, and simply granted the dispensations
he asked in their behalf. I also decided for him cer-
tain cases of conscience and the validity of a number
of marriages. 1
I could not, however, neglect to see M. Le Moyne,
grand vicar of Chalons, a relation of M. Thierry, the
king's valet de chambre. I was acquainted with his
1 One of the most thorny questions connected with the canon
law of this period.
164 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
reputation for wisdom and talent, and knew that he
might be able to render me considerable services.
With these two gentlemen and the Abbe* Girard,
author of the " Comte de Valmont," 1 of whom I shall
have to speak soon, I formed a little ecclesiastical
council. Having been charged, as I have said, with
all the ecclesiastical affairs of the realm by Pope
Pius VI., and being endowed, so to speak, with the
plenitude of his power, I had the greatest need of
assistance ; and it has always been a source of sincere
satisfaction to me that I gave my confidence to these
gentlemen, for they were men of good counsel.
We held our meetings in some corner or other of
the Bois de Boulogne or in the neighboring woods,
and. occasionally, even in the apartments of the Abbe*
Le Moyne.
Thus God, who is the Sovereign Master of all
things, bestows on men the means of doing His work
in the most difficult times ; and, in fact, religion was
better observed at that dangerous period than it is
now.
1 Usually spelled Gerard. The " Comte de Valmont " was a con-
troversial romance, very popular in the latter part of the 18th and
the beginning of the 19th centuries. It went through fifteen editions
on its appearance. The author had been a profligate and an infidel
in his youth, and the work is partly autobiographical. TE.
IN SEARCH OF A LODGING. 165
CHAPTER VI.
IN SEAKCH OF A LODGING.
THE DECREE AGAINST THE NOBLES. THE INTERNUNCIO HITS ON
A PLAN. THE INTRUDED CURE OF PASSY. A PORTRAIT OF
AN OLD MAID. MADAME GRANDIN'S GARRET. SORROWFUL
PARTING. MOTHER AND DAUGHTER. THE HONEST PERRU-
QUIER. A LADY FROM HOME. AN ALARM.
IN this way, I roamed about for three days, having
no shelter, and living entirely on potatoes, which an
old beggar-woman of Boulogne, with whom I left a
store of them, cooked for me. I could not get bread,
for, without a certificate of civism, no baker would
sell me any.
I went, according to promise, every Tuesday to
Madame Dellebart's. I arrived at daybreak, and
snatched an interval of repose before she left her
couch. As usual, her daughter and I breakfasted in
my room, and the excellent coffee and cream tasted, as
you may well imagine, delicious after my lenten fare.
However, the horrors that tracked the whole course
of the Revolution were increasing. The decree banish-
ing the nobles from Paris was passed, 1 and it became
necessary for me now to act with greater caution than
ever.
1 On the 16th of April, 1794, according to the " Moniteur Universel."
166 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
I announced to Madame Dellebart that it would be
impossible for me to visit her again. This news drove
her wild with despair, and we embraced, weeping, as
if we were looking upon each other for the last time.
I had no more assignats, and the banker Caccia
had, as I have mentioned already, refused to cash
my bill of exchange for three hundred Roman crowns.
Although he would have made an enormous profit by
paying me in assignats, he said my name should have
to appear on his books, and, if discovered, it would
lead him to the guillotine. His excuse was valid
enough, but, as we are always naturally prone to
attribute bad motives to others, I ascribed his refusal
to ill will. Later on, I complained of his conduct,
and he lost the valuable privilege of being banker
to the court of Rome.
I ought to add that it would have been easy for
him to slip a little money into my hand, a thing I
entreated him to do ; but he declined, and this made
me suspect him of duplicity.
My position was assuredly critical enough ; I had
not a sou about me, there was no one to whom I could
appeal for aid, not even Madame Dellebart, al-
though she had repeatedly pressed me to accept her
kind offers.
In fact, I have been actuated by one principle dur-
ing my whole life, and that is, never to borrow from
my friends, and never even to hint to them that I
needed their assistance.
Luckily, there were some of my potatoes left, and I
was sparing of them, to make them last the longer.
But the wandering life and the nights in the open
IN SEARCH OF A LODGING. 167
air, during which I was sometimes exposed to the
rain and always to the cold, wore me out at last.
As I have spoken of the cold, I may mention that
although it does not take much to make me feel
chilly, I did not suffer excessively from it at this period.
In fact, I was the fortunate possessor of a carmagnole
made of very thick stuff. It looked like camlet on
the outside, but it was lined, the sleeves as well as
the body, with fur that was exceedingly warm. My
flaming waistcoat was as comfortable as it was charm-
ing. The trousers were equally so, and both my socks
and boots were thick. The latter pinched me at first,
but after a time became quite easy.
I asked M. Joli if the people in Passy were very
wicked, and what was going on in this village.
" People are pretty much the same there," he an-
swered, "as everywhere else. The same method of
terrorizing the inhabitants is adopted, persons are
dragged out of their houses from time to time, and
some of these have been executed. The Revolu-
tionary Committee is made up of scoundrels, of
workmen in the quarries mostly. However, the
municipality, although very patriote, is not fond of
arrests, and no one is arrested without its permission.
Accordingly, there is no danger except during the
sessions of the municipality, which are held in the
evening. A lantern is placed at the door of the hall,
and when it is extinguished, that is a sign that the
meeting is over."
All these details suggested a scheme to me by
which I might, possibly, obtain a lodging in Passy.
At least, I might take a rest when the municipality
168 MEMOIRS OF MGK. SALAMON.
was not in session. But I did not breathe a word of
this to M. Joli.
I recollected that at the time I went to Passy to
marry M. Pasquier in 1793 he is at present Pre-
fect of Police l in the house of some of his relatives
who had taken refuge there, his mother, Madame Pas-
quier, one of the most pious and virtuous of women,
invited Mademoiselle Girard, sister of the author of the
" Comte de Valmont," to be present. She also informed
her that the internuncio of the Pope would perform
the ceremony. Mademoiselle Girard, who was equally
pious and virtuous, was glad to have the opportunity
of showing me the respect she entertained for me,
and even consulted me on a certain ecclesiastical
affair. But I am one of the least inquisitive of in-
dividuals, and not at all fond of talking, so I ne-
glected to ask her name, and was now absolutely
ignorant of it. Yet I said to myself, as I was making
my way to Passy : " If I could only know the name
of that woman I saw at Madame Pasquier's, I am sure
she would do me a service. These pious women are
full of resources."
I entered Passy with the determination to find her.
I walked along a part of the main street, next took
the Rue Eglise, and reached the Rue Basse. As I
was turning to the left, conducted I am sure by my
angel guardian, I perceived in front of me an indi-
vidual in very shabby clothes, whom I judged to be
an ecclesiastic. I was not mistaken, it was the
1 This passage enables us to fix the date of the composition of the
Memoirs, at least approximately. M. Pasquier was Prefect of Police
from 1808 to 1812, and Madame de Villeneuve died in 1812.
IN SEARCH OF A LODGING. 169
intruded cure* of the parish. I advanced toward him,
and, after saluting, said :
" I must take the liberty, monsieur, of asking you
a rather strange question ; but if you belong to Passy,
you can certainly answer it. Do you know where I
can find a lady, rather aged, somewhat humpbacked,
very little, lean, and ugly, with a yellow complexion,
and very pious ? "
" Monsieur," he replied, " you could not hit on a
better person for the information you require. I am
the curd of the parish, and the person you seek is
Mademoiselle Girard. Yonder is her house."
I thanked him, and, without further compliments,
went and knocked at the door he showed me. I
asked for Mademoiselle Girard. " She has gone out,"
was the answer, " but her brother the abbe* is in."
I begged to be introduced to him.
The abbe*, who was naturally very timid, was ren-
dered even more so by my sudden entrance. Con-
sidering the time in which we lived, the appearance
of a man clad as I was, was enough of itself to
alarm him. It is hardly necessary to state that I
did not give my name. As for the questions I put
to him, he contented himself with answering simply
that his sister had gone out, and he did not know
when she should return. He did not even offer me
a chair.
I was about to rid him of my presence, when Made-
moiselle Girard arrived.
In spite of my disguise, she recognized me imme-
diately, and received me with much respect and
amiability. Upon this, the Abbe* Girard, although
170 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMOX.
he did not yet know who I was, for his sister did
not take time to inform him, apologized with great
fervor.
" You cannot think how glad I am to see you ! "
repeated Mademoiselle Girard, over and over again.
"What can I do for you?"
I was very careful not to inform her of my cruel
situation; I might have terrified her, for, at this
epoch, a man pursued by revolutionary justice was
an object of dread. I said simply,
" You know who I am. The nobles have been ex-
pelled from Paris, and I am afraid of being arrested.
Could you not find me a room in which I might take
refuge ? I don't care of what sort it is ; if it is only
a garret I shall be well pleased."
" You may be sure," she said, " I shall do whatever
I can, with the greatest willingness. But you must
dine with us first. After that we will discuss the
matter."
Dinner was served at two exactly ; it was frugal,
but what there was of it was good. I remember par-
ticularly an excellent turkey patty, wherewith the
abbd had already regaled himself. In short, we dined
well and at considerable length ; but I did not feel at
all gay, and I noticed with anxiety that Mademoiselle
Girard did not appear to be in any hurry to hunt
after a room for me.
At last she rose, saying : " I am now going to work
for you."
An hour after, she returned in high spirits. " I
have found a room for you, though, indeed, it is
but a wretched garret, open to all the winds, for
IN SEARCH OF A LODGING. 171
there are no windows, only shutters. On account of
the arrival of the nobles, it is very hard to get lodg-
ings, and what you do get are very high. They want
two hundred francs a month for this attic. But
though you won't be very comfortable, you will at
least be safe. The landlady is a noted sharper. Her
husband, however, is a municipal officer, a great
patriote, not a bad man for that matter. He is very-
close, and you must pay in advance."
I was profuse in my thanks to Mademoiselle Girard.
I was so glad to have at last found a place where I
could lay my head. The necessity of paying in ad-
vance disturbed me a little, for, as I have said, I had
not a sou in my pocket.
But, as I could not pay with cash, I paid with ef-
frontery, and I said: "I accept the terms; let us go
and see the room, however." And taking leave of
the Abbe* Girard, I went, in company with his sister,
to call on Madame Grandin.
I found a woman polite enough, but who chattered
like a parrot. She was all airs and graces, with the
view evidently of having me take her for an aris-
tocrate. She had her trouble for her pains, though,
as I received her advances in silence.
The chamber provided for me was on the fourth
story, and you had to climb up to it by a wooden
ladder. Although I did not expect anything very
choice, I was ready to sink all in a heap when I saw
where I had got to lodge. There was no ceiling, the
beams of the roof took the place of it. Three planks
stretched across a frame, with a wretched pallet and
a mattress as hard as a rock, formed the bed ; and the
172 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
rest of the furniture consisted of a little shaky wooden
table and two straw chairs.
Nevertheless, I put a good face on the matter, and
I said with a smile,
" I am perfectly satisfied, and shall come to-morrow
evening at eight."
As we were descending the stairs, Madame Grandin
remarked: "I must beg of you, monsieur, to bring
some sheets. As for earnest money, I do not ask any,
because Mademoiselle Girard knows you."
A narrow escape, for a time at least, as I had no
money; but, without betraying the slightest embar-
rassment, I said, in a free and easy tone: "Well,
then, we '11 leave it for to-morrow ! "
I bade good-by to Mademoiselle Girard and started
immediately for Paris, in order that Madame Delle-
bart, whom I had not seen for ever so long, might
have news of me.
I entered her house at eight in the evening. Her joy
and surprise at seeing me were so great that she was
nearly fainting. Her daughter also had an attack
of the nerves, but it was from fear. She was a little
bit of a coward, and did not at all resemble her mother.
Madame Dellebart was enchanted to learn that I
had a room at Passy. "Ah, so much the better!"
she exclaimed ; " you will no longer live like a wild
beast, you, the most sociable of men ! "
She ordered dinner for me, and we remained talk-
ing, as usual, up to two o'clock in the morning ; she
had sent her daughter to bed at ten. I gave her a
long account of how I had spent the time since our
separation.
IN SEARCH OF A LODGING. 173
We also stayed together the next day, and then,
although I had not asked her for anything, she said :
" Now that you have found an asylum, I wish to
give you everything you may need."
She made up a bundle containing sheets, napkins,
two shirts belonging to her deceased husband, pack-
ages of coffee and sugar, two neckties, and a bottle of
Malaga wine.
She desired to have Franqois carry it for me, but I
refused the offer.
At nightfall, I set out with my bundle, and a
heavy one it was, from the Rue Sainte-Apolline, near
the Porte Saint-Martin, for Passy.
I was so little accustomed to carry a load that I
had to stop every moment, now shifting it on my
shoulder, now changing it from my right arm to my
left. When I reached the Place Louis XV., 1 1 was
all in a perspiration.
I made my way along the Seine by Challot. I
should have then turned to the right, by the Mon-
tagne des Bons-Hommes ; but, as I trudged wearily
on, I was full of sad thoughts, and yet of the necessity
of appearing quite content with my situation, with
death in my soul and not a sou in my pocket ; in
fact, I was utterly distracted, and went on straight
before me.
It rained, and the night was as dark as it well
could be.
The sides of this road are frightful when it has
rained; I sometimes sank up to my knees in the
mud. Indeed, I narrowly missed stretching my full
length in the gutter.
1 At present, the Place de Concorde.
174 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON".
However, when I had come up near the Point-du-
Jour, I saw I was on the wrong path.
Fortunately, a launderer was passing at the same
moment.
" Am I far from Passy ? " I shouted to him.
" Passy, indeed ! you have passed it long ago.
Turn back and walk until you come to a lantern;
then go to the left, and you will reach the Montagne
des Bons-Hommes."
I was so exhausted that, at the thought I had still
more than half a league before me, I fairly burst
into tears.
At length I arrived at Madame Grandin's. It
was after eleven, and I and my bundle had been on
the road since eight.
When I encountered my hostess, she was in a very
bad humor.
"It is anything but like a gentleman to keep
people out of their beds as you are doing. A nice
hour indeed! And now you come into my decent
house all daubed with mud ! more like a beggar than
anything else ! A carriage does not cost so much,
and, with that bundle, you needn't have been so
stingy," etc.
I did not utter a word. After all, my arrival at
such an hour and in such a pickle was not calculated
to give the good woman a very high idea of me.
But her daughter, who was nineteen, and who was
very attentive to my wants afterward, took my part.
" How you do treat this man, whose condition
ought to excite your pity ! " she said to her mother.
" It would be better for you to let him warm himself
and to offer him something to eat."
IN SEARCH OF A LODGING. 175
" I thank you from the bottom of my heart," I an-
swered gratefully. " But I do not need anything;
beg your mother to have some one show me my
room."
She then turned to the servant, and I heard her
saying : " Conduct him to his chamber and make his
bed. He is, perhaps, some poor emigre in hiding."
There the conversation ended, and, following in
the wake of the servant, I climbed up the ladder and
was in bed immediately.
But I slept badly, and was up early.
As I was crossing the hall, I met the young girl
again. She was tall, with very beautiful eyes, but
her demeanor was rather reserved. " I am very-
glad," said I, " to find you alone, in order to tell you
how deeply I have been affected by your kindness
yesterday evening. Please try and interest your
mother in my favor ; assure her that I shall return
early this evening, and in better shape than when she
saw me last."
After I left the house, I saw a perruquier's shop
very close by, and entered.
I had myself shaved and my peruke powdered. I
put on a new necktie I had taken out while dress-
ing ; in short, I looked like an honest man at last.
When I entered the perruquier's I forgot I had not
a sou in my pocket-book, and it was only when I
had completed my toilet that I recollected the cir-
cumstance.
" Great heavens ! " I exclaimed, " I have forgotten
my pocket-book ! But wait a moment, I lodge near
by with Madame Grandin; I '11 return immediately."
176 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMOK
"Don't take the trouble, monsieur," replied the
perruquier ; " you can pay on your next visit."
I went on this day to the village of Neuilly, then
to Courbevoie.
As I was passing in front of the chateau of Madrid,
whom should I meet but the Marquise d'Eutelx, a
native of the Comtat, like myself, and one of my best
friends ! Her own name was de Graveson, and she
was the daughter of the Comtesse de Vogue*.
She had taken refuge at Neuilly, when the decree
against the nobles was passed.
She was delighted to see me, especially as in the
absence of her husband, who was a general in the
armies of the Republic, she was very lonely. She
insisted that I should stay in her house, and would
not hear of me leaving.
But I refused firmly, although regretfully. Very
lucky it was for me I did so, for I soon learned the
Committee of General Safety had ordered the arrest
of all the nobles in Neuilly.
But I could not decline dining with her, and we did
not separate until a little before night, when I had to
return to Madame Grandin.
This time, my hostess was in the best of tempers.
She invited me to warm myself, and even offered me
refreshments.
"Thank you, madame," I answered. Then, ap-
proaching a delicate subject : " I have not forgotten,"
I continued, " that I have to pay you for my lodging
in advance ; but I should like the citizen your hus-
band to be present, as I wish a receipt."
" Oh, oh ! " exclaimed Madame Grandin. " The
IN SEARCH OF A LODGING. 177
citizen my husband won't appear in a hurry, he is at
the Commune, swilling his wine, or amusing himself
with his trollops. You can pay when you like."
This was enough; I hastened to say good-night,
and was soon in bed.
Still, this absolute dearth of money was a great
affliction. I was afraid, if I did not settle my account
as I had promised, I should get the character of a
vagabond.
I presented myself next morning at the Abbe*
Girard's, to pay him a visit and thank his sister.
She said to me :
"Madame Grandin likes you very much, but she
complains that you are too shy, and she never gets a
glimpse of you, except when you are passing out.
You would confer a great favor on her by spending
an odd evening in her parlor."
" Very well," I answered, " I promise to do so with-
out fail."
But I was fully determined in my own mind to do
nothing of the sort ; for Madame Grandin, I repeat
it, was as loquacious as a duenna, and was a shrew
besides.
It ought to have been enough for her to know that
I was a priest, as Mademoiselle Girard told her.
However, after a little reflection, I thought I would
keep my promise, for this evening at least, and I
remained with her for some time.
Her daughter was quite amiable. She told me she
had recommended me to her father, whom I had not
yet seen, and had added that if any misfortune hap-
pened to a person staying in the house, she would be
12
178 MEMOIRS OF MGB. SALAMON.
inconsolable. Her father told her not to be uneasy.
Those who lodged in his house he might have said,
" Particularly those who pay well " did not run any
risk.
Madame Grandin asked me how I liked my room.
" Not very well," I answered ; " but a person has to
be content with what he can have."
" Oh, well," she said, doubtless confused at making
me pay so dear for such a hole, " you can have a room
on the third story, which will soon be vacant, at the
same price." Then she continued, in a mysterious
tone, " We have been greatly alarmed this evening.
The Revolutionary Committee has ordered several
places to be searched, particularly the chateau of La
Muette. My husband, being a municipal officer, had
to take part in the search. They wanted to come
here, but Grandin showed his tricolor scarf and de-
clared he would allow no one to enter his house. It
is rumored they are on the lookout for an abb6 who
is of noble birth, and formerly held a position at the
Palais."
" Ah ! " said I to myself, " it is I whom they seek.
I am lost ! Is his name known, madame," I asked ;
" has he been discovered ? "
" No, very fortunately," she replied.
I had no longer any desire to sleep in my chamber
that night, and I left the house as quickly as I could,
without saying anything to Madame Grandin, except
to request her for a key.
She gave me one immediately, adding, however,
that there was no need of it, as, on account of the large
number of her lodgers, the house was never closed.
IN SEARCH OF A LODGING. 179
I spent a frightful night. I was too anxious, be-
cause of the news I had just received, to think of
lying down ; instead, I took my post at the corner of
the wood by the cross-road of Mortemart, to see if
the lamp of the Revolutionary Committee was still
lighted, and to wait until it was extinguished.
It was lighted, and was not extinguished until five
the next morning.
180 MEMOIRS OF MGB. SALAMON.
CHAPTER VII.
A WEEK OP CHECKERED FOKTCTNES.
"DO YOU KNOW AN OLD WOMAN NAMED MARIANNE?" ClTIZEN
GRANDIN. M. DE LA FEUILLADE. THE INTERNUNCIO DOES
HIS COOKING AND HOLDS HIS COUNCIL IN THE THICKETS OF THE
Bois DE BOULOGNE. A BOTANIC PROMENADE WITH M. JUSSIEU
IN THE BOIS DE MEUDON. M. COLLET, EX-PRESIDENT OF SAN
DOMINGO. BLANCHET GIVES AS GOOD AS SHE GETS. A HARD-
ENED YOUNG SCAPEGRACE. THE THUNDERBOLT FALLS.
THE want of money had become an absolute torture
to me.
Luckily, I had informed my Swiss correspondent,
who resided at Saint-Maurice in the Valais, that the
banker Caccia had refused to give me any money,
and that I was terribly embarrassed. In his answer,
he told me to try and find his old nurse, giving me
at the same time her address.
She was an admirable old woman of seventy-five,
named Marianne, and was entirely devoted to the
service of God and her neighbor. She resided near
the Rue SaintxBertin-Pore'e, in a lane running into
the Place de Greve ; but he had neglected to mention
the number, or, perhaps, it dropped from my memory.
As it was still early and the weather was bad, I
thought I could not do better than make a search
for this good woman.
A WEEK OF CHECKERED FORTUNES. 181
It took me a long time to find the street, and, when
I had discovered it, it took me a still longer to find
the house. Every time I asked, " Do you know an
old woman, named Marianne ? " the invariable reply
was, "No, we know nothing of her." At length, I
decided to enter every house, and search every story.
You can easily guess that the same thing happened
to me which happens to other searchers in similar
circumstances. I did not find the old lady until I
had climbed nearly every staircase in the street, one
after the other, so that I was completely out of
breath.
In this way, I reached the third last house on the
right, which I entered.
I think I went up above the fifth story, and, per-
ceiving in front of me two worm-eaten doors, nearly
side by side, I knocked at the first, almost mechani-
cally.
It was opened by an aged woman.
I asked her if her name was Marianne. "Yes,"
she answered, and, after looking at me searchingly:
" Enter," said she. Then she walked quickly to an
old buffet, opened a drawer, and took out a large letter,
which she handed me.
I asked her if she had need of anything.
" I have need of nothing," she replied.
I thanked her, and immediately ran to Madame
Dellebart's, intending not to leave Paris until nightfall.
It was, in fact, much easier for me to come in than
to go out. I found Madame Dellebart very ill. My
presence gave her some relief, and she listened with
pleasure to the tale of my adventures.
182 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
I opened the letter : it contained two assignats of a
thousand francs each.
I blessed Providence, which did not abandon me,
and I thought of nothing but returning to Passy and
pajdng Madame Grandin.
After a substantial dinner, I took my leave, as soon
as it was dark.
"We have been terribly anxious about you," said
Madame Grandin, " two days having passed without
your putting in an appearance."
" It is true, madame ; but I had business in Paris,
and I have been there since. Perhaps," I added,
"you were also alarmed about your money. Here
it is."
And I threw upon the table two assignats of a
hundred francs each.
Just at this moment, M. Grandin entered. He was
a tall man, abrupt in his manner, and passably brutal.
" Ah ! " he said, " so it is you, citizen ? I 'm sorry
I have not seen you before. I am so busy at the
Commune that I have not a moment to myself. By
the way, you have been now several days in my house,
and I ought to present you to the Commune ; you
can come with me to-morrow evening."
This announcement struck me with consternation.
I knew every one was obliged to present himself and
show his certificate of civism ; but I believed that,
through the intervention of Mademoiselle Girard,
I had been exempted from the ordeal.
Taken at a disadvantage, I answered that I was
very tired, my papers were in Paris, and I ended by
asking for two days' grace.
A WEEK OF CHECKERED FORTUNES. 183
I left the house on the spot, in order to complain to
Mademoiselle Girard.
" I consented," I said to her, "to pay two hundred
francs a month on your assurance that I should be
protected from all persecution. If that assurance had
no value, I had better go away. I am sorry, all the
same, though, that I paid my two hundred francs."
Mademoiselle Girard did her best to calm me.
"Try to keep cool," she said; "I will arrange
all this."
In fact, I heard no more about the matter afterward.
In consequence of the decree against the nobles,
a large number of persons had taken refuge at Passy,
and more were coming every day. This influx was
a source of great anxiety to me, for it increased the
risk I ran of being recognized. I concluded, therefore,
it was my wisest plan to avoid the village in the
daytime, and not return till night, when I could see
whether the lamp of the Revolutionary Committee
was extinguished or not.
But I was never to be free from vexations.
Madame Grandin was ravenous after money, and
found it convenient to forget she had promised me a
better room at the same price. She even had the
cheek to say to me one day :
" I have been at an awful loss by letting you that
attic; I could get three hundred francs for it at
present."
As I made no reply, she continued : " How lucky
you have been! You will not be obliged, like the
rest of the nobles, to have your name inscribed at
the Commune and to present yourself every evening
at seven, because you came here before the decree."
184 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMOK
"Pray, madame," I asked, "who has told you I
am a noble ? "
" Nobody told me ; but it did not take me long
to guess. Your manners betray you in spite of your
coarse dress."
" Well, then ! " I answered, " be good enough to
keep your suspicions to yourself."
Her daughter, who perceived my embarrassment,
immediately interfered.
" Mamma," said she, " what does it matter to you
whether the gentleman is a noble or not ? You had
better be careful not to hint anything about this to
papa. You know he does not like nobles, and he is
always quarrelling with M. de la Feuillade."
M. de la Feuillade, in fact, occupied a chamber in
the house, but I had always done my best to avoid
meeting him.
He had a trusty servant, however, who used to
watch for the moment when I was alone in my attic.
Then he would come to me and ask whether I needed
anything. And yet this honest fellow had never
seen me until now.
I told him I was quite comfortable. Still, I missed
my soup badly.
I therefore procured a little portable stove and a
saucepan, which I carried with me, tied to a button
by a string. I bought the necessary ingredients, such
as carrots, celery, and all sorts of vegetables, from the
women who used to peddle them in the village. Then,
when I perceived there was a public distribution of
butter in the places through which I passed, I took
my station at the end of the line and got now and
A WEEK OF CHECKERED FORTUNES. 185
then a half-pound, and occasionally even a pound of
butter. Still, I sometimes waited a whole hour, and
came away with my hands empty.
I then withdrew to the most remote part of the
wood, lit a fire with a flint and some brambles, cooked
my vegetables, and had, I assure you, a first-rate dish
of soup, at but small expense.
Three years ago I broke my stove, and I cannot
tell you how sorry I felt. As for the saucepan, I
have it still, all but the handle.
"When the coast was sufficiently clear, I ventured
on purchasing a little cruet, made of coarse earth-
enware, so that I might have the means of mak-
ing a salad, of which I am very fond. I have kept
it also, and it is not the least precious of my
possessions.
These two objects recall my misfortunes to my
mind. They are also a standing proof of how very
little we really need in order to live.
Nevertheless, I was not forgetful of the grave
interests with which I was charged.
From time to time I called my council together ;
it was now composed of the Abbe's Le Moyne and
Girard. I no longer cared to have M. Joli present.
He was talented enough, but his knowledge of eccle-
siastical affairs left much to be desired. Then he
was too much of a scholastic, too much of a theorist
for my fancy ; I am not fond of theories. Give me
morality. He was also too impulsive to be a sound
guide in the administration of ecclesiastical affairs.
Besides, the smaller the number the better I liked it.
Still, I occasionally consulted him.
186 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMOX.
One day, I ran up against M. Jussieu l in the Bois
de Meudon. He was followed by all his pupils,
among whom were several women. I joined the
band, listened with great interest to the entire lesson,
and went to dine with them at Sevres. We had a
capital repast, and coffee at the finish I had almost
forgotten the taste of it, all for the modest sum of
an assignat of five francs. During the whole time,
nobody seemed to take any notice of me.
I felt very much fatigued toward evening; but
for all that, I was unable to reach my attic before
eight the next morning. 2
On the next day, when rambling in the neighbor-
hood of Auteuil, I perceived a very aged individual
coming toward me, whom I thought I recognized.
It was, in fact, M. Collet, ex-President of San
Domingo. He was eighty years old. He and I had
formerly been rather intimate.
When I approached him, he exclaimed : " You are
the very man I have been seeking. I dine every
Tuesday with my cousins at Auteuil, and I have just
met Madame d'Aulnay there. She informed me
that you were in the Bois de Boulogne, and charged
me, should we meet, to say that the affair of the
Parliament is taking a good turn, and you need not
be alarmed."
All the relatives of this lady were in prison, ac-
cused of signing the protest, so I thought she must
be well informed, and I gave credit to her message.
1 The celebrated naturalist.
2 On account of the lamp of the Municipal Council, which remained
lighted.
A WEEK OF CHECKERED FORTUNES. 187
And yet matters were, in reality, worse than ever.
I might have been a little more distrustful, for I
knew of old that Madame d'Aulnay liked to look at
the bright side of things.
Still, I must confess I felt very much relieved for
the time.
I took advantage of the opportunity to ask the old
man to try and see Blanchet at the prison of Les
Anglaises ; he was well acquainted with her, and I
had had no news of my dear old friend for a long
time.
He promised willingly. When I saw him again,
however, about a week afterward, he said that no one
was allowed to hold any communication with her, but
that she was in good health.
Other details I have since learned from Blanchet's
own lips.
The length of her imprisonment completely wore
out her patience toward the end. Besides, she had to
endure trials and mortifications of all kinds.
For instance, Madame la Duchesse d'Anville La
Rochefoucauld found a pleasure in rallying the old
woman, and said to her one day,
" Citoyenne Blanchet, you will be guillotined just
the same as if you were one of us ! "
" I know it is very likely," retorted Blanchet. " But
there is this difference between us: I shall die for
your cause, the cause you have deserted; and you
will die, you may be quite sure of it, although you
have espoused the cause of the 4 patriots.' Your death
will be more degrading than your life. Nobody will
pity you, while all honorable people who learn my
188 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
sad fate will weep for me. I have always been an
aristocrate, I have ! and you, you have always been
the friend of that despicable Condorcet. Oh, I
could tell nice tales of the pair of you ! "
Meanwhile, having an important despatch to send
to Rome, I entered the apartments of the Abbe* Le
Moyne, wrote my letter, and ventured for I was
beginning to have more confidence and assurance
to carry it to the post-office at nightfall.
I threw it into the box at the moment the sentry
had his back turned.
Happily I found the lamp extinguished on my way
back to Madame Grandin's, and was able to proceed
straight to my lodgings, where I slept until two in the
morning.
On that day, I took a walk to Surennes. The
authorities of this village were well disposed, and
did not oblige the nobles to present themselves before
the Commune. So I had no fear of trouble from this
quarter.
I even risked entering an inn and asking for re-
freshments.
I was served with a fricasse'e of fresh pork, pota-
toes, bread, and a little white wine.
On the next day, I met with a terrible adventure.
I had gone into Paris to make some purchases of
which I was absolutely in need.
I remember I bought sugar, among other things.
It was about seven in the evening.
I laid an assignat of five francs, a corset, in the
slang of the time, on the grocer's counter.
" It 's a forgery ! " cried the young man who served
A WEEK OF CHECKERED FORTUNES. 189
me. " Come with me to the section. You '11 see how
we treat people who peddle forged assignats."
To go to the section was for me to go to my death.
" Citizen," I answered, u I am not obliged to take
your word for it, but, as I have not time to go to the
section, here are other assignats ; take whatever one
you like, and tear up the forged one. If I have re-
ceived a forged assignat by mistake, I alone have to
suffer for it."
But the wretch would not listen to me ; he insisted
that I must appear before the section.
However, I made a vigorous resistance.
At last, a man who was sweeping the floor, took
pity on me, and, addressing the young clerk r
4i What does it matter to you," he said, " whether
the assignat is forged or not, since the gentleman is
giving you another ? Let him alone ; or, if you
don't, I'll call the man who employs you. How
should you like it if you were dragged to the section
yourself against your will ? "
After these words, the young man released me.
But it is impossible to describe my alarm. I was
utterly broken up. Even when I was outside the
barrier, I trembled in every joint at the thought of
the danger I had incurred.
I went to Meudon the day following.
The weather was very beautiful. We were now in
the middle of April, or, to be accurate, a little farther
on than the middle.
I entered a cafe' and asked for beer and biscuits. I
had taken off my hat on account of the heat, and was
moving around the hall, while drinking my beer.
190 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
Suddenly, a citizen rushed in, crying, in an ecstasy
of delight: "Hurrah! it is the turn of the Parlia-
ment to-day ! Every man of them is in the dock,
except that rascal Salamon ! "
A thunderbolt striking the earth at my feet would
not have dismayed me as much as these tidings. I
hastily picked up my hat, paid the reckoning, and
made for Passy as fast as my legs could carry me.
As soon as I reached it, I knocked at the door of
one of my friends, who had sought refuge in this
village, M. Fournier de la Chapelle, ex-intendant of
Auch.
I told him what I had just learned.
" This," said I, " is the very reverse of the news
sent me by Madame d'Aulnay. Do you go, I entreat
you, and find out the truth."
" You see," he answered, " it is near nightfall. If
things are as you say, there is no remedy, and it is as
well to remain as we are for to-night. I will set out
at six to-morrow, and at eight I shall be at the Pyra-
mid, near Bagatelle, in the Bois de Boulogne. Do
you be there."
I did not close an eye the whole night, and I was
at the place appointed before daybreak.
M. Fournier arrived at the hour named.
He was in a state of consternation.
" They are all dead ! " he gasped.
" Here is the journal," he added; " you will see you
have also been condemned in your absence."
THE TWO FUGITIVES. 191
CHAPTER VIII.
THE TWO FUGITIVES.
IN THE DEPTHS OP THE FOREST. " KEEP STILL, WHOEVER YOU
ARE!" IN THE DARK. SAPPHO. "PARDON ME, MADEMOI-
SELLE." A VISIT TO MARIANNE. LETTER FROM CARDINAL
ZELADA. SOME CURIOUS DETAILS ON THE CORRESPONDENCE
BETWEEN THE NUNCIO AND PlUS VI.
AFTER that day, I no longer ventured to return to
Passy, and my dejection was extreme.
I did not know what course to adopt.
I never stirred out of the thickest and remotest
part of the Bois de Boulogne.
It seemed to me as if every one I met saw outlaw
written on my face, and was ready to hand me over
to the executioner.
One night I was aroused from my reveries by the
screams of two women, who recoiled in terror on
perceiving me through the obscurity of the night.
They were a mother and her daughter, who were
also flying to avoid a warrant of arrest.
I cried to them : " Keep still, whoever you are !
You have nothing to fear."
Then I heard the young girl say : "I think I
recognize that gentleman ; I have seen him several
times on his way through Passy to the house of
Grandin."
192 MEMOIRS OF MGB. SALAMOK
They asked me what I was doing in the wood at
such an hour. " I suppose," I answered, " the same
thing you are doing yourselves."
They became quite confidential after this ; but you
can easily guess that I was a little more reserved.
The mother proposed I should come along with
them, as it was going to rain. She added that she
possessed apartments in a very retired spot.
" But, madame," I answered, " how can you trust a
man you do not know ? "
" Because," she returned, " you seem to be as un-
fortunate as we are ourselves. Besides, what harm
can you do us ? On the contrary, your presence will
give us courage."
"Oh, in that case, I am ready to follow you.
Where are we going ? "
" Besides our residence at Passy," she replied, " we
have safer quarters in an out-of-the-way part of the
forest, but they are very far from here. You may
come with us if you like."
They made me take a number of sharp turns and
windings ; in fact, it was beginning to strike me that
they wanted to lead me astray, for, instead of going
by the Porte Maillot, the shortest road to the Fau-
bourg du Roule and the waste lands near the barrier,
we reached them by crossing the Place Louis XV.
I came to the conclusion, then, that, in spite of
their apparent frankness, they had not perfect confi-
dence in me.
When we were near the house, they told me to
stay behind for a minute or so.
In the mean while, the mother proceeded, in a very
THE TWO FUGITIVES. 193
mysterious manner, and without striking a light, to
open the door.
I must admit I was now beginning to repent
without exactly knowing why of having followed
these women.
Nevertheless I entered, guided by the daughter,
who held me by the hand, for it was very dark, and
I found myself in a fine and beautifully furnished
ante-chamber.
We passed into a large hall, where they pointed
out a long sofa to me, saying : " There is your bed.
We will get you sheets and bedclothes immediately."
But, before they did so, they insisted on showing
me all their apartments, and in particular the place
where they slept; it was a rather narrow entresol
reached by a staircase in the dining-room.
In order to carry the inspection through effectively,
they had decided to light torches, and it was only
then I was enabled to get a good look at them.
The mother, apparently about forty, was very
graceful and bright-looking. She had a great deal of
vivacity, for a mere nothing made her laugh, and
my carmagnole was a source of endless amusement
to her.
The daughter was, perhaps, about nineteen, evi-
dently a very amiable young person. She was as
ugly as sin, but she made a far better impression on
me than the mother.
They asked me whether I should not like to eat
something, and on my refusal, set about making
my bed.
" I feel," I said to them, " as if it would be almost
13
194 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMOX.
impossible for me to sleep. I would give a good deal
if I had some Italian book to read."
" What ! " exclaimed the mother, "you know Italian?
So much the better. You can teach it to us."
" But, madame, I am not likely to be with you
long enough for that."
" Why not, monsieur ? We will stay here as long
as you please. It is enough for us that you seem to
be unfortunate and a man of good birth."
" I feel much flattered, madame," I replied, " but
I must leave you to-morrow."
Thereupon she brought me " Sappho " l in Italian,
and both of them then retired.
I read until I fell asleep, forgetting to extinguish
the taper. A little before daybreak, a noise made by
some one shutting the street-door awoke me abruptly.
" Great heavens ! " I exclaimed, " what does that
mean ? Have they gone away and left me here alone r
They are, perhaps, who can tell? loose women,
who want to play an ugly trick upon me. And yet,"
I added, making an effort to banish my uneasiness,
"they do not look bad."
For all that, I could not control my anxiety, and,
dressing hastily, I waited for the first approach of
day, when I should instantly take my departure.
But I made up my mind to find out whether those
ladies were still in their apartments or not. I mounted
quickly to the entresol, and went straight to the bed-
room of the mother.
It was empty.
1 " The Adventures of Sappho," a romance of Verri, author of the
" Roman Nights."
THE TWO FUGITIVES. 195
I then knocked at the young lady's chamber and
opened it; she was in bed, and burst out laughing
when she saw me.
"Forgive me," I said, "for entering your room,
mademoiselle ; but I have been surprised at hearing
some one leave the house at a very early hour, and you
must admit I had some ground for my surprise."
" It was mamma," she answered, " who has gone to
the Rue Grammont to be present at the marriage of
a relative of ours ; but she will be back for dinner.
She told me to request you to join us, as we have an
excellent turkey."
I thanked her warmly, but said I must leave
immediately.
She did not press me. When I was outside the
door, however, she cried after me: "Remember! at
six this evening I "
As I was within the borders of the city, I took
advantage of the opportunity to visit old Marianne,
whom I had good reason to regard as a friend spe-
cially sent me by Providence.
She handed me a letter that had lately come from
Switzerland.
This time I opened it in her room ; it contained a
thousand francs in assignats. I had all the trouble
in the world to force twenty francs on the good old
woman.
Cardinal Zelada again emphasized the fact that the
Pope granted me all the privileges and dispensations
I needed, and was only anxious that I should keep
out of prison. "For his Holiness," he added, "is
always in dread of something happening to his little
196 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
Jacobin; he would be in despair if he fell into the
hands of the Hood-drinkers"
The reason why Pius VI. called me Ms little Jacobin
was because I occasionally adopted the language of
the Revolutionists in writing to him. It was a device
to secure the transmission of my letters in case they
were opened.
When I announced a defeat, for instance, I wrote:
" Vive la EepuUique ! There has been a great battle,
in which the vile slaves of the Austrian tyrant have
forced a great number of our brave patriots to bite
the dust ; but we shall soon avenge our noble dead
on these contemptible minions of despotism."
I wrote to the cardinal under the pseudonym of
Giuseppe Evangelisti, 1 and he signed himself "Cit-
oyen Blanchet," taking the name of my poor old
servant, and sometimes " Eysseri," which is the name
of one of my Italian ancestors.
Thanks to these precautions, and also to the good-
ness of God, my correspondence with Rome was
never interrupted during the whole course of the
Reign of Terror.
1 Strange to say, this was the name of the secretary of legation
attached to the embassy sent by Pius VI. to negotiate with the Direc-
tory in 1796.
TOGETHER AGAIN. 197
CHAPTER IX.
TOGETHER AGAIN.
FALL OP ROBESPIERRE. THE INTERNUNCIO'S LETTER TO CITIZEN
LEGENDRE. THE BARONNE DE COURVILLE AND HER DAUGH-
TER. BLANCHET SEARCHES FOR HER MASTER, AND FINDS HIM
AT RANELAGH. THE INTERNUNCIO AND BOURDON DE i/OiSE.
THESE harassing adventures were brought to an
end, at least for the time.
Chaumette, attorney to the Commune, and the rest
of the wretches perished on the scaffold. Robes-
pierre himself met with the same fate. 1
His fall revived my courage, which had been cruelly
shaken by the murder of so many excellent friends.
I decided to write at once to the Committee of Gen-
eral Safety, and ask the release of Blanchet.
I made as pathetic and eloquent an appeal in be-
half of that faithful servant as I was able. I gave
full details of all the horrors she was forced to endure
at the hands of the section of Bondy. I dwelt espe-
cially on the death of her child, whom they had bar-
barously flung out on the street at four o'clock on a
January morning, half naked and sick, and exposed
to a piercing cold, so that he died three days after in
the Hospice de la Charite*, in the Rue des Saints-PSres.
i On the 10th of April and 28th of July, 1794.
198 MEMOIRS OF MGB. SALAMON.
In conclusion, I entreated them to set her at liberty
immediately, since no crime could be alleged against
her, except that of being a faithful servant, devoted
to her master, whom she had cared for since his
childhood.
Then I threw myself in the way of President Collet,
as he was making his customary visit to his cousin at
Auteuil, and begged him to carry the letter to my
secretary's niece, who would see that it reached its
address.
This woman lived in the Rue de Seine, and was
acquainted with Legendre, whose sister was her in-
timate friend.
Everything turned out as successful as I could
have wished. Blanchet was released on that very
day, so that Collet was able to announce to me on
the next morning : " Blanchet is free ! She is now
at your house. The seals are still left on your private
apartments, but they have been removed from the rest
of the rooms."
These tidings took a weight off my heart ; I felt less
melancholy than I had done for a long time. I de-
termined to pay another visit to my two ladies, and I
ate my share of the turkey to which the daughter had
invited me, after all !
My unjust suspicions had vanished, and I was
charmed to make their acquaintance, for they be-
longed to the very best society.
The lady was styled the Baronne de Courville, and
her husband was commandant of Saini^Dizier.
When she mentioned her name I was for the mo-
ment somewhat confused; for I remembered that a
TOGETHER AGAIN. 199
certain Baronne de Courville had been seriously com-
promised in the trial of Cardinal de Rohan, on the
subject of the famous necklace. However, I soon
discovered she was not the same person.
This lady is still alive, but her amiable daughter
died at the early age of twenty-three, having, some
time before, lost her husband.
Her death occurred during the trial I had to un-
dergo on account of my connection with the Pope, 1
and I have been told that, when she was in the last
agony, she asked: "Has that gentleman been ac-
quitted ? " " Yes," was the answer. " Well, tell him,
then, that I was very glad."
It was a considerable time before these ladies
knew my name ; so, when they spoke of me, they
used to call me " that gentleman."
Meanwhile, Blanchet had set out on a search for
me, two days after she left prison, in company with
the baker woman who had taken in her child, and
at length discovered me on the road that leads to
Ranelagh.
She was so pale and thin that I did not recognize
her at a distance.
She approached, trembling, and did not utter a
single word, for fear of endangering me.
I told her, reassuringly, that I was no longer ex-
posed to the same perils I had been in the past.
Her first care was to give me three hundred francs,
which she held in her hand. She had earned them by
doing up the linen of the ladies imprisoned in Les
Anglaises. She was extremely skilful, and preferred
i Book III.
200 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
working to obeying the orders of the patriots, who
told her she must force the aristocrates to support her.
But she confessed to me that she had very little
reason to be grateful to most of these great ladies.
Accordingly, she used to reckon the slights she re-
ceived from them in making up the account, and her
charges were pretty high. As she was a first-rate
needlewoman and ironed to perfection, these ladies,
who were just as coquettish in prison as they had
been at Versailles, would have no one else to work
for. them.
Nevertheless, she had become attached, as I have
already mentioned, to old Madame de la Rochefou-
cauld, whose legs were covered with sores, and who
had been deserted by her women.
She parted from me in tears.
I told her she must come and see me in my attic,
which I pointed out on our return through the main
street of Passy.
She also informed me that the section of the Unite*,
my own section, and always inclined to favor me,
had removed from my house the two keepers, who
had cost me five francs each a day for two months,
and had burned four cartloads of wood and all my
candles, as well as eaten all my oil. 1 Luckily, they
did not touch the cellar ; for this, I had to thank
Blanchet, who insisted on having the seals placed on
it, as well as on the rest. The presence of mind of
that woman was unique.
1 This detail will not surprise anybody acquainted with the ex-
cellent oil of the south of France. It is eaten with bread, just as
butter is in the north.
TOGETHER AGAIN. 201
I was careful not to say anything to her about her
son, but my silence told her plainly enough of her
misfortune.
I directed her to leave the Rue des Augustins and
take apartments in the Faubourg du Roule, so that
she might be nearer Passy, where I had had a little
lodge for the past eight years.
But I had still to be on my guard until the 9th
of November, for the Terror reappeared again for a
time. 1
At length, however, I decided to adopt such meas-
ures as were likely to lead to the removal of the seals
from my apartments and the restoration of my books,
clocks, and plate.
With this object, I paid a visit to Bourdon de
1'Oise, who had been attorney to the Parliament. He
was a bad man, but I had done him a great service
once upon a time. He lived in the Rue des Saints-
Peres.
Although nine years had passed since we met last,
he knew me immediately, and said bluntly,
" Eh ! so it 's you, is it ? Come in. What do you
want?"
" Listen to me," I answered ; " you know me of
old to be a sincere and trustworthy man, do you
not?"
" Yes," he returned, quickly.
"And I know that you, too, are a sincere and
trustworthy man, a bad head don't be angry but
a good heart. So I have come to ask you to do me a
Without doubt, after the 13th Vend^miaire.
202 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
" But did you not subscribe to the protest of the
Chambre des Vacations ? "
"Well, supposing I did, Bourdon de 1'Oise, what
follows ? You know better than any one that in the
Parliament the minority was pledged to accept the
ruling of the majority and to sign it. This is why I
subscribed to the protest, although I was opposed
to it."
" I 'm very glad to hear that ! Well, tell me what
I can do for you."
" You can obtain the removal of the seals from my
apartments, and the restoration of everything that
has been taken from them."
" Come this evening to the Committee of the Sec-
tion. I '11 do all I can for you."
" But I am condemned to death by default. Be-
sides, the decree against the nobles has not been re-
pealed. If I go before the Committee they may arrest
me."
" Have no fear," he said ; " all you have to do is to
invoke the protection of Bourdon de 1'Oise. Come
this way. You have read, I suppose, in some of the
newspapers that Bourdon de TOise is nothing but a
drunkard, is always swilling wine, nothing but the
best Bourdeaux will satisfy his luxurious palate.
Ecce signum ! Here is a basket of it ; have a glass
or two."
" Thanks," I answered ; " but I see some very
tempting grapes on your table. If you will let me
have some, I should prefer them."
" Take what you wish."
I took three or four bunches of grapes, and went
TOGETHER AGAIN. 203
away, eating them. I appeared before the Committee
in the evening, and a decree was passed in my favor.
The seals were raised, nor was I asked to pay any-
thing for their removal.
But the property the rascals took from my house, I
never set eyes on again.
204 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMOtf.
EPILOGUE.
DEATH OF BLANCHET AND MADAME DELLEBART.
You have now, madame, the narrative of the sec-
ond period of my misfortunes. I might have men-
tioned many other little details, but they would have
bored you. Still, your tender heart must undoubt-
edly have taken an interest in my faithful servant,
and in my excellent friend Madame Dellebart, and,
perhaps, you may wish to learn what became of
them.
Blanchet died six years ago, 1 after suffering cruelly
from a long and painful illness. I could not save
her as she had saved me; but I had the conso-
lation of proving to her that I exhausted all human
means in the effort to do so. For the nine months
and a half that she kept her bed, I watched her day
and night, taking turns with a servant whom I had
employed to take care of her for some years. I
spent three nights out of every week beside her pil-
low, and on other nights I had to get up more than
once, for the poor woman would sometimes not suffer
any one near her but me. She would only take her
1 About 1805, according to presumed date of these Memoirs. It is
not strange, then, that we find her mixed up with the trial of the
internuncio in 1797. See Book III.
DEATH OF BLANCHET AND MME. DELLEBART. 205
medicine from my hand, and I rendered all such ser-
vices to her as are rendered to the sick, even the most
repulsive, as much from affection as from gratitude.
She died with great courage. When she saw her
end approaching, she did not speak of death, for fear
my sorrow might overpower me, but she asked for a
confessor, and for M. Colin, my notary. I brought
them to her bedside. She insisted on making a will,
giving me back all that she had ever received from
me, for whatever relations she had were very distant.
Before dying, she gazed steadfastly upon me, without
speaking ; but I knew she wanted to say something,
and I asked: "What do you wish, Blanchet? Tell
me, I will do whatever you desire." "I wish to
embrace you," she murmured. " Then embrace me,
my dear, dear friend. Why did you not say so at
once ? " As soon as I saw that she was in the last
agony, I recited the prayers for the dying. She ex-
pired in the morning, gently, like one falling asleep.
I attended to her burial in a proper manner, had a
solemn Mass sung for her in the church of Le Roule,
and followed her remains to the grave.
I had also the consolation of soothing the last
hours of Madame Dellebart. The Revolution had
made a profound impression on her, apart from the
fact that it had deprived her of a portion of her in-
come. She fell sick. Her daughter wrote me a let-
ter, saying that the condition of her mother had
grown worse, and that she complained of not having
seen me for a long time. Although it was eleven at
night when I received this message, I ran immedi-
ately to the Rue Saint-Apolline. I found her very
206 MEMOIRS OF MGE. SALAMOK.
ill. No one had ventured to speak to her about the
sacraments, not that she was exactly without re-
ligion, but she was not pious, and the thought of
death had always been repulsive to her. Not know-
ing very well how to approach the subject, I con-
versed with her on my misfortunes and the many
consolations I had found in religion. " It is it," I
said, " that has supported me in all my affliction ;
thanks to my prayers, I have escaped from the midst
of assassins, and have saved my life by the almost
miraculous interposition of Divine Providence. And
if I have again, quite recently, escaped the hands of
my executioners, even after they had condemned me
to death, it is to God I owe my safety. 1 But you
people of the world," I added, "you do not raise
your eyes to Heaven, you never have recourse to
religion. Even you, my dear friend, you who are so
good and charitable, do not ask your God to cure
you, but your doctor, who is powerless to relieve
you. You are weak, no doubt, but you are naturally
full of good dispositions. Beg of God to restore
your strength, and you may be cured. My prayers
in your behalf will be heard. But you must begin
by purifying your soul, for it is a long time since you
have confessed. Do it now, and all the rest will fol-
low. Say the word, and I shall have a confessor here
to-morrow."
She remained silent for a moment, then, offering me
her hand, a thin poor hand that had been once very
pretty, for Madame Dellebart had been beautiful in
her time, she murmured,
1 As this trial took place in 1796-97, Madame Dellebart must have
died in 1797.
DEATH OF BLAXCHET AND MME. DELLEBART. 207
"Thank you, my friend; God has preserved you
to be of service to me. Do not send for a confessor ;
a man so good as you are must be as compassionate
a confessor as one could desire, and, indeed, I have
need of indulgence."
"Well, then," I answered, "rest a little for the
present ; it is now one o'clock in the morning. I
think I require a little repose myself ; but to-morrow
morning I will be near you."
I left her without saying a word to her daughter of
what had occurred ; the latter would have persecuted
her with her exhortations and warnings to prepare
herself well. She was, as I have mentioned, a very-
scrupulous and very tiresome person, though, as a
religeuse, regular enough. Her poor mother, who
knew her thoroughly, sometimes said to me : " You
cannot imagine how much my daughter makes me
suffer!"
Madame Dellebart ordered my breakfast to be sent
to my room as usual, and requested me to come to
her at ten. " I have passed a very good night," she
said, " and it is to you I owe it. Pray finish your
work." After confessing her, I explained that, as I
could not remain long with her, I was going to the
parish of Bonne-Nouvelle, where I knew a priest who
would bring her a consecrated Host. When I re-
turned I perceived she had informed her household
of the good act she had just been engaged in. Her
daughter was on her knees at the foot of the bed. In
order not to excite her too much, and knowing that
she was now well prepared, I did not deliver any ex-
hortation. I contented myself with reciting the Con-
208 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMOK
Jiteor, and, after the usual absolution, I gave her
Holy Communion. The news of her conversion was
a source of much satisfaction to the entire household,
and it afforded me great consolation to find that she
felt much better the next day ; she was even able to
sit up for two hours ; but it was one of those passing
gleams of brightness that forebode death. I returned
to Passy, but was by her side the next day. She was
extremely feeble, and the doctor told me she had not
much time to live. " How happy she ought to be,"
I thought, " to have received the sacraments ! "
When I asked her if she wished me to recite the
prayers, adding that it was better to do so sooner
than later: "Yes," she murmured, "I should like
you to do so." I made haste then to say the prayers
for those in the last agony. As soon as they were
finished, she asked me should I not like to have a
souvenir of her affection. " Gladly," I answered,
"and I shall cherish it as a precious possession."
She gave me a ring enriched with diamonds, a " hoop-
ring," I think they call it. " I was once very fond,"
she continued, " of the works of Voltaire and Rous-
seau. Perhaps you may wish to have them ? " " Yes,"
I replied ; " this is also a sacrifice you should make,
for these two philosophers have done much harm to
religion, and I do not wish you to keep them any
longer."
At length, she died, very piously indeed, but she
wept much. I left the house, promising her daughter
to return in the evening and to recite the Office for
the Dead. On the next day I said the prayers, gave
the absolution, and performed all the ceremonies
DEATH OF BLANCHET AND MME. DELLEBART. 209
which are customarily used before earth is thrown on
the coffin. I accompanied the remains of Madame
Dellebart to the cemetery of the Barriere Blanche,
and I have often shed tears since over the memory of
this excellent and charitable friend.
14
BOOK III.
MY TRIAL UNDER THE DIRECTORY.
BOOK III.
MY TRIAL UNDER THE DIRECTORY.
CHAPTER I.
PIUS VI. AND THE DIRECTORY.
LOOKING BACKWARDS. PLAN OF A CONCORDAT BETWEEN THE
POPE AND THE DIRECTORY : DEL CAMPO, PIERRACCHI AND
CARDINAL BUSCA. COCHON, PREFECT OF POLICE, ARRESTS
THE COURIER SENT BY THE INTERNUNCIO TO Pius VI.
THE last portion of my adventures took place after
the Revolution. 1
They were not less perilous than the others, and
more humiliating.
It was then that I was thrown into a dungeon,
lighted only by a narrow, grated window, placed
immediately under the roof ; a little straw served
me for a bed. It was then, also, that I was
transported to the Grande Force, in the midst of
thieves and cut-throats, and, finally, incarcerated in
the Conciergerie, which was ordinarily the anteroom
to the scaffold.
1 De Salamon considers the Revolution to have ended with the be-
ginning of the Directory.
214 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
I was charged with a capital crime, and for about
five months I was confronted by an adversary bent
on sending me to the guillotine, the terrible
Directory.
To believe my accusers, I was the chief of the
most skilfully-devised conspiracy that had ever been
invented, and twelve portfolios, discovered in my
rooms at Paris and Passy, afforded indubitable proofs
of this conspiracy.
In short, I was involved in such a critical situation,
that I was abandoned by everybody, even by my
closest friends.
In 1790, after the flight of Dugnani, I had been
named by the late Pope Pius VI. internuncio to
Louis XVI. Obliged to perform all the functions of
Nuncio Apostolic, I received, in my official capacity,
the various briefs of his Holiness directed against
the Civil Constitution of the Clergy, and transmitted
them, in the canonical forms, to the metropolitan arch-
bishops, of whom there were still many in France,
charging the latter to make them known to their
respective suffragans.
On my side, I gave these briefs the widest possible
publicity, and had them translated into French and
printed, in spite of the decree of the National Assem-
bly which pronounced the penalty of death against all
who " published, printed, or distributed " briefs or
other acts emanating from the court of Rome.
Where the interests of our holy religion are involved,
no human consideration should have the slightest
weight with a true Christian, still less with a man
who, like me, was the organ of the Holy See.
PIUS VI. AND THE DIRECTORY. 215
Moreover, God rewarded my zeal and fidelity, for
the printers and booksellers who were prosecuted on
account of these briefs never denounced me.
It was also my sad mission to notify Cardinal de
Brienne, Archbishop of Sens, that, by the degree of
the Sacred Congregation of Cardinals, he was expelled
from the sacred college, and forbidden to wear the
robes of a cardinal. 1
It was in compliance with the orders of the Pope
that I took charge of the internunciature, and I was,
in consequence, very nearly falling a victim during
the September massacres, from which I escaped, con-
trary to all expectation, and solely owing to Divine
protection.
When these sad scenes terminated, I received
conclusive evidence of the Pope's satisfaction with
my conduct.
The Sacred Congregation for the Affairs of France
named me Vicar Apostolic of the whole kingdom, and
also of Brabant.
In this capacity, I kept up an active correspondence
with the nuncios at Brussels and Lucerne, and with
the Vice-Legate of Avignon, who had taken refuge at
Nice.
Frightened at my heavy responsibility, and dis-
trusting my own strength, I formed a little council of
advisers.
My immense correspondence demanded also the
greatest prudence.
I must confess that all my success was owing to the
help I received from certain good priests and many
1 The decree was issued on the 26th of September, 1791.
216 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMOK
pious women, that class of women who are always
full of resources for the service of God.
They were particularly skilful in furnishing me
with the means of despatching my letters, and seeing
that they safely arrived at their destination.
So, until 1796, I was able to fulfil my mission un-
disturbed, and almost without interruption.
In the same year, the Directory seemed inclined to
enter into negotiations with the Pope, and even made
overtures to him, through the medium of the Marquis
del Campo, ambassador of Spain.
Cardinal Busca, the Pope's new Secretary of State,
ordered me to confer with M. del Campo, and sent an
Italian priest, named Pierracchi, to assist me.
We had also an interview with the Minister of
Foreign Affairs. 1
The object was to conclude a concordat between
the Pope and the Directory.
The Directory was willing to make many conces-
sions, if the Pope consented to sanction the Civil
Constitution of the Clergy. The half of the former
bishops would be recalled and restored to their sees,
and the half of the constitutional bishops would retain
theirs. In case of vacancy, the Directory would sub-
mit three names to the Holy See, from which it was
to select one.
Such was the basis of the concordat offered by the
Directory.
It was, in fact, already printed, but a new oath was
1 In 1796, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, or, as it was then desig-
nated, of Exterior Relations, was Charles Delacroix. He was suc-
ceeded by Talleyrand.
PIUS VI. AND THE DIRECTORY. 17
required from the bishops and priests. This oath
displeased Pius VI., and he refused firmly to accept
the proposal.
Immediately the Directory broke off. all negotia-
tions ; the Abbe* Pierracchi was ordered to depart in
twenty-four hours, and I received a hint that it would
be better for my health to keep out of the way for a
time.
Meanwhile, General Bonaparte was making the
most rapid progress in Italy. The legations of
Bologna, Ferrara, and Urbino were already invaded,
and the Pope, to preserve the remainder of his posses-
sions, saw himself under the sad necessity of sending
Cardinal Mattei and his own nephew, Duke Braschi,
to the tent of the conqueror, to sue for peace.
The French general granted an armistice, on condi-
tion of receiving a contribution of several millions ;
during this armistice, a final peace was to be nego-
tiated.
But the conditions were very hard. Pius VI. con-
sented to them only with the view of gaining time
and saving his capital. It was his settled purpose,
however, to form an alliance with the King of Naples,
and obtain from him a considerable force of soldiers.
He also collected a small army secretly, and in-
trusted the command of it to an Austrian general, 1
sent him by the Emperor of Germany.
The treaty he made with the King of Naples also
implied that the latter should despatch a respectable
army to his relief.
These tidings, which I had learned only quite
1 General Colli.
218 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMOX.
recently, gave me great satisfaction, and I was
beginning to feel somewhat tranquil, when, having
attended a reception given by a Belgian banker, who
liked to see foreigners at his house, I noticed that
Prince Belmonte, the Neapolitan ambassador, was
looking quite radiant.
I began to have some suspicions, and I observed
him narrowly.
I noticed also that he had recognized me, and had
turned away his eyes when my looks met his.
But I did not lose sight of him. I made my way to
him slowly, seemingly without any desire to address
him in particular, until we were near each other.
Then I kept my ears open, to glean what I could in
case he asked or answered a question.
Chance favored me, indeed, served me better
than I could have hoped for.
The Prince of Reuss, whom I had formerly often met
in society, approached the ambassador, and, after the
usual compliments, inquired if there was anything new.
"Yes," he replied, "peace has been concluded
between the King of Naples and the Directory. I
signed it myself this morning."
My surprise and consternation at this news, news I
had not the slightest grounds for expecting, may be
easily imagined.
I listened eagerly for something else ; but I was
unable to learn anything further of importance.
Accordingly, as soon as I could do so without arous-
ing suspicion, I drew near the Prince of Reuss and
asked him to tell me frankly what the Neapolitan
ambassador had said to him.
PIUS VI. AND THE DIRECTORY. 219
This Prince and I had always been on good terms,
and he was acquainted with my mission, having met
me more than once at the Tuileries, when I went
there as internuncio.
He answered freely, without any hesitation : " The
King of Naples has made peace with the Directory,
and such a peace must assuredly have serious conse-
quences for the Holy See."
"Without making any response to this reflection, I
inquired if Prince del Belmonte had entered into any
details.
" No," he replied, " all I know is that his courier is
ready, and on the point of starting."
I thought to myself : " The Pope is betrayed ! He
is lost! Believing that he has the support of a
strong army of Neapolitans, he will break the armis-
tice ; the French general will invade Rome and make
him prisoner."
The thought occurred to me, like a flash, that it was
still possible to send a courier to his Holiness, who
could inform him of what had happened, and show
him that it would be imprudent to be the first to break
the armistice.
The Pope kept a courier near me, named Guillaume,
who was always at my disposal. I left immediately
to give him instructions. Naples being a hundred
and fifty miles farther from Paris than Rome was, it
was quite possible to despatch a messenger who could
reach the Pope and acquaint him with the situation of
affairs long before a courier could arrive in Naples.
My courier had always a passport for Switzerland on
his person, so that he might be able to start at a
220 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
moment's notice. Accordingly, before it was mid-
night, he was already outside of Paris.
But whether he had spoken of his mission, or
whether he had been " shadowed," I cannot say.
At all events, he was pursued by order of the
Minister of Police, at that time M. Cochon,
and arrested at Pontarlier, just as he was about to
eat a morsel in a tavern on the road.
His despatches were seized, but he was allowed to
go free himself.
It was a great pity, and a great fault also, for him
to have delayed his journey on any account. Another
half hour would have brought him across the frontiers
of the Valais, a neutral country, and he could have
fulfilled his mission. In that case, I should not have
groaned for five months in fetters and Pius VI. might
have been saved.
However, I had sent by post a copy of my despatch
at the same time, using a false address, according to
my custom. It reached its destination all right, but it
arrived too late.
I said, toward the close of my letter, that if the
armistice was broken, the only thing his Holiness
could do was to take measures for the safety of his
person and of whatever else he deemed of most
value.
I have been told by the present Pontiff that Pius
VI. was about to follow my advice implicitly, and had
actually given orders to make all the necessary pre-
parations for leaving Rome. Unfortunately, the
generals of the Dominicans and Camalduli, as well
as two cardinals, came to him in the night, and per-
PIUS VI. AND THE DIRECTORY. 221
suaded him to change his resolution ; and when Car-
dinal Chiaramonti, now Pius VII., presented himself
at the Vatican in the morning, he found everything
quiet, and the Pope still asleep.
Pius VI. had good reason afterward to regret that
he had allowed himself to be guided by the counsels
of the two generals and the two cardinals.
When the latter visited him at the Carthusian
monastery in Florence, he aroused himself from the
lethargy into which he had fallen, and said angrily :
" If I had taken the advice of the Abbe* de Salamon
and my nephew I should not have been here ! "
This anecdote has been told me by Duke Braschi
himself.
222 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
CHAPTER II.
THE CONSPIRACY OF THE INTERNTJNCIO.
POLICE AGENTS AT THE INTERNUNCIO'S. HE is ARRESTED WITH
MADAME BLANCHET. THE DUNGEON OF THE PREFECTURE OF
POLICE. MADAME COLIN. A SEARCH IN THE APARTMENTS AT
PASST. MADAME GRANDIN AGAIN. A TRAGIC NIGHT.
AFTER this short digression, I return to my subject.
I was congratulating myself on my foresight in send-
ing a courier to the Pope, and thinking that this same
courier was making his way successfully through
Switzerland, when all of a sudden Madame Blanchet
entered my room we lived then in the Rue Floren-
tin and said : " Monsieur, there are three men be-
longing to the police below; they want to see M.
Eysseri Blanchet."
" Show them up," I answered.
They entered, and asked to see M. Eysseri Blanchet.
" I do not know any such person," I replied.
" In that case we must examine your papers."
" Just as you like. Yonder is my study, and you
can rummage the desks and drawers."
They found absolutely nothing, except some letters
which referred to a sort of commerce I carried on in
Switzerland.
I was in the habit, in fact, of sending many books
of piety and all the new publications to the Valais,
from whence they were forwarded to the Pope.
THE CONSPIRACY OF THE INTEKNUNCIO. 223
Pius VI. was very inquisitive, and had asked me to
supply him with all the books and caricatures that had
recently appeared, even those directed against his
own person.
On the other hand, I received chocolate from Italy,
and cheese from Gruyere, the invoices of which
I kept by me. These rascals, furious at discover-
ing nothing else, upset everything in my apart-
ments.
During all this time, Blanchet, who was trembling,
did not dare to utter a word. At length, seeing that
the hour for dinner was past, she said she would go
and bring in the soup.
" I want to continue my work also," I added ; " I
was just racking off a barrel of wine, and I cannot
leave it as it is."
" Don't stir, citoyenne ! " cried one of them ; " you
must remain where you are."
" Have you an order to arrest this woman ? Show
it to me. She can neither read nor write, and she is
here simply to wait upon me."
" We shall see ; but meanwhile we take it upon
ourselves to arrest her."
Thereupon a man left, and returned an hour
after with a warrant for the widow Blanchet's
arrest.
I recollect there was among these policemen an
abominable man, named Bertrand but he is dead;
let him rest. God will avenge me on him. As for
myself, besides that God forbids it, I have a nature
that scorns revenge.
The agents drew up a report, which I refused to
224 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
sign, and Blanchet and I were conducted between
four men to the police station.
It was eight in the evening.
We had to wait an entire hour in this sinister abode,
and, during all the time, there were persons coming
and going, who looked at us with an air of curiosity,
and then went away, murmuring: "They are con-
spirators ! "
At length, I was led into an old-time dungeon, for
it was underground and had to be reached by a stair-
case.
Its sole furniture was a miserable pallet, as hard as
the floor upon which it was stretched, and a sorry
quilt, utterly worn out. There were no sheets.
Neither was there a seat, except the one in the
corner, which served as a water-closet.
The keeper withdrew, shot the bolts on me, and left
me helpless, not inquiring even if I needed food ; yet
the only thing I had taken since evening was a little
soup.
I learned the next day that Blanchet had been in-
carcerated in a prison devoted to thieves and to those
loose women who prowl about the streets.
As for myself, I never slept a wink the whole night,
for I was devoured by fleas and tormented by big
mice, animals that have always inspired me with
horror. It took up all my time to keep beating the
mattress in order to frighten them off.
Daylight was so long in coming that I awaited it
impatiently. This dungeon had only one small win-
dow, and that was at the top of the wall, and only
received its light from another window opposite to it,
THE CONSPIRACY OF THE INTEKNTJNCIO. 225
of about the same size. Even when the sun had risen,
therefore, it was so dark that, if I had had a book, I
should not have been able to read it.
About ten, the door was noisily opened, and a
pound of black bread, still quite warm, was brought
in, as well as a wooden dish containing a little soup
and some cabbage cooked with rancid butter ; there
were also a pitcher of water and a wooden goblet.
I should not have been able to see these articles
except for the light that penetrated through the half-
open door.
I devoured the crust of the bread greedily, but I
could not eat the soft part, which was still warm and
almost raw. I threw it into the pitcher, so that the
mice might not find it ; but I acted very foolishly, for
I obtained no fresh water for two days, and I was
forced to drink the water in the pitcher at last.
I did better afterward, and threw whatever I did
not use into the water-closet.
I remained in this horrible dungeon an entire week,
seemingly abandoned by all creation, when suddenly
the door was flung back with a great noise : this oc-
curred about the middle of the day.
I was not long in recognizing the wife of my notary,
Madame Colin, with whom I had been on friendly
terms for a number of years. She was a tender-
hearted and kindly woman, a good friend as well
I as a good mother ; moreover, full of wit and very
pretty. " So I am not deserted by every one ! " I
said to her. " I am sorry 1 cannot offer you a chair ;
you will have to sit at the foot of the staircase lead-
ing to my prison."
15
226 MEMOIRS OF MGB. SALAMON.
She sat down and gazed on me steadily, and, see-
ing me with a beard of eight days' growth, linen
almost black, clothes in disorder, and looking alto-
gether haggard and forlorn, she burst into tears,
crying: "Ah, my friend, in what a condition do I
behold you! I have actually almost broken through
the walls of the prison to get at you. I have been
threatened, have been inscribed on the register as a
' suspect.' No matter ! I was determined to see you.
You can hardly imagine what an audacious person
I have become! Catch me taking 'no' for an an-
swer! Why, I have actually condescended to jest
with these creatures ! Think of it ! But you know,"
she added smiling, "that a pretty woman always
gets what she wants in the end, and so, my dear
friend, here I am ! But what, in the name of good-
ness, have you done? Everybody believes you are
a criminal of the deepest dye, and are sure to have
your head chopped off. All your friends fight shy
of you, for they regard you as a dead man. Tell me
what it is all about. You pass for the head and
front of an awful conspiracy. It is rumored on all
sides that twelve portfolios were found in your house,
full of treasonable documents."
I let her go on as long as she wished, for this
excellent woman loves to hear herself talk. I did
not attempt to interrupt her once until she had
done.
" Are you sure you have finished ? " said I. " Well,
every single thing you have just uttered is a lie, and
the whole is a tissue of falsehoods. I have never
been told the cause of my arrest. I am not a con-
THE CONSPIRACY OF THE INTERNUNCIO. 227
spirator, and neither portfolios nor documents have
been found in my residence."
At these words she jumped on my neck, crying :
" Is what you tell me quite true ? "
"Really, you know me well enough not to think
me capable of deceiving you, and that at the very
moment when you are subjecting yourself to consid-
erable annoyance for my sake. What good would
it do me any way ? You will soon learn the truth.
No, I repeat, I am not a conspirator."
" How glad you make me ! Do not be uneasy,
my friend, I am going to work for you. Meanwhile,
I must send you some clean linen, bread, a few bot-
ties of good wine, and one of those roast turkeys which,
as you know well, my cook prepares so skilfully."
I thanked her with all my heart.
This visit, which I did not at all expect, was a
source of great consolation to me. It was as if an
angel had been sent by God to revive my drooping
courage.
Nevertheless, I entreated her not to return before
I was examined. I feared she might incur suspicion
herself, and perhaps be refused admission.
From that moment this excellent woman, as full
of devotion to her friends as she is of sprightliness
and gayety, was constantly on her feet, running to
all her acquaintances and telling them that the stories
related about me were utterly false, that no letters
had been discovered in my house, and that I was
wholly in the dark as to the cause of my detention.
She incurred considerable risk by her advocacy, but
she laughed at danger.
228 MEMOIRS OF MGB. SALAMON".
The result was that my friends began to entertain
some hope in my regard and to speak in my favor.
The police, having learned that I had another resi-
dence at Passy, I kept it for eight years, resolved
to make a thorough search in it ; and the same indi-
viduals who arrested me in the Rue Florentin came
to my prison to conduct me to Passy, in order that I
might be present at the inspection of my papers.
They offered to provide a carriage to relieve me
from the fatigue of a journey on foot. But I saw
very well the offer was made for their own sake, not
for mine ; so I answered that I could do without it ;
they might hire one for themselves if they liked, but
most assuredly I had no intention of paying for it.
We proceeded, then, on our way to Passy, walking
along the Seine until we came to Chaillot.
I perceived Madame d'Aubusson at some distance
from me on the road ; she is a charming and estima-
ble woman who has always liked me. I did not wish
to look in her direction, but she recognized me, and,
without exhibiting any alarm, cried : " Good day, my
friend! I hope to see you soon." I was afraid I
might compromise her, and, addressing the sbirri who
attended me : " Whom is that woman speaking to ? "
said I. They made no answer.
When we reached Passy, they demanded permis-
sion of the judge and mayor of Passy to search my
apartments.
These gentlemen, who had known me for a long
time, were surprised beyond measure at seeing me in
custody, and they answered: "Citizens, you must
be mistaken. This citizen is a very honest man, and
THE CONSPIRACY OF THE INTERNUNCIO. 229
has never given any cause for complaint as long as
he has lived in this commune."
Nevertheless, they granted the permission asked
for, indeed, they could not very well refuse it ; but
they pushed their interest in me so far as to be
present in person at the search.
The investigation made by my keepers was of the
most minute character ; but, having absolutely found
nothing of importance, they took possession of some
burlesque verses I had composed as a recreation, and
of a letter written by my sainted mother.
I called their attention to the fact that this letter
had no interest for any one but myself ; that it was
the letter of a tender mother to her son ; and that to
deprive me of such a precious souvenir would be an
act of indescribable infamy.
But they turned a deaf ear to my appeal.
However, I was hungry, and, as I never lose my
head in any difficulty, however serious, I lit a fire in
the chimney, and sent word to Madame Grandin to
bring me bread and biscuits. Madame Grandin was
the virago with whom I lodged during the Terror.
Whether through curiosity or through a kindlier
motive, she hastened to comply with my request.
Accordingly, I made two excellent cups of choco-
late, which I drank in the presence of my jailers.
When I had finished the second cup, one of them
said,
" Something inside of me tells me it is about the
hour for lunch, and I only wish I could imitate you.
This is a tough job we have been working at, and I
have a good appetite."
230 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
" Nothing prevents you from imitating me," I an-
swered; "there is an excellent restaurant close by,
kept by the brother of M. le Juge de Paix ; and,"
I added, drawing myself up proudly, "the time is
past when the victims hired carriages for their execu-
tioners and provided banquets for them."
We returned from Passy on foot also ; it was about
four in the evening.
I was no sooner in the prison than I threw myself
on the pallet. I felt very tired, for I had been on
my legs since seven in the morning, and had walked
over two leagues.
There was no sign, on my return, of the bad soup
and bad bread with which I was in the habit of being
regaled ; and, as I asked the reason of this, I was told
in reply, that, seeing the door of my prison open, no
one expected I should return, but that orders would
be given to supply me with the usual fare.
Nothing came, nevertheless, and for twenty-four
hours I had to content myself with a small loaf.
It was lucky I had swallowed my two cups of
chocolate.
When night fell, I slept better than usual, partly
from fatigue, and partly because I had become better
acquainted with the mice, and they were losing their
terrors for me.
But I was suddenly startled out of sleep ; the door
of the prison was opened.
The grating noise produced by drawing the bolts al-
ways makes a rather alarming impression on prisoners.
At the same instant, a man entered; he was in
rags, and his hair was in wild disorder ; he seemed
THE CONSPIRACY OF THE INTERNUNCIO. 231
drunk, and was supported by two gendarmes. When
they released him, he rolled on the floor, and then lay
like one dead.
All this horrified me, and I asked who the man
was. " He is," was the answer, " an assassin, and
will stay here the rest of the night." I could not
master the feeling of consternation that took hold
of me.
I entreated, I begged that they would put this man
in some other prison. I grew furious, I tried to pre-
vent them from shutting the door. But they were
deaf to my cries, and, several other persons hurrying
to the scene, I was flung back into my dungeon, and
left alone with the assassin.
You may conceive the appalling nature of my
situation.
Every moment I was on the watch, expecting that
this wretch, who for the time was dead drunk, would
start up from some frenzied dream and murder me,
and I was absolutely defenceless. The only resource
I had was to cry out and beat the door, until at last
voice and strength gave way, and I fell back ex-
hausted on my pallet.
Fortunately, the horrible creature did not stir the
whole night, and at five in the morning he was
removed.
232 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
CHAPTER III.
THE INDICTMENT.
A LETTER PROM CARDINAL BUSCA. A CURIOUS TYPE OP AN
EXAMINING MAGISTRATE. THE PROVISIONS OP MADAME COLIN.
"I AM UNWORTHY OF SLEEPING ALONGSIDE THAT ANGEL."
BEFORE THE JURY. HE MEETS BLANCHET.
ON the morning of the eleventh day of my im-
prisonment, I was informed that I must undergo my
first examination.
Thus, in my case, the law was violated which en-
acts that a prisoner be examined within twenty-four
hours after his arrest.
The delay, doubtless, arose from the fact that they
were unable to find sufficient evidence against me,
and they hoped to discover in the letters that were
likely to arrive from Rome fresh matter for my
condemnation.
But, by a special mercy of Providence, the post-
man, who was acquainted with my servant, 1 met her
in the street and handed her two letters.
However, they managed to get hold of a third,
which did me more good than harm.
It was from the new Secretary of State, Cardinal
Busca. He announced his nomination, and told me
1 The servant he had hired to wait on Blanchet.
THE INDICTMENT. 233
that I must henceforth correspond with him, adding :
" Your employer is well pleased with you, and wishes
you to work away at your job."
I was in the habit of using these words, " employer
job" and the cardinal had merely borrowed them
from me.
On reaching the hall where I was to be examined,
I saw a little man in black, with his hair powdered,
and a harsh, repulsive physiognomy, which he did
his best to render amiable, but it was a failure.
He requested me to sit beside his desk, and asked
my name, surname, and profession. "What is the
use ? " said I, " you know them."
" A mere formality, citizen, a mere formality."
Then I answered the question.
While he was writing, he mumbled between his
teeth,
"A conspirator! ah! A traitor to his country I
Corresponding with the enemies of the state ! "
At the same moment, I perceived on the corner of
the desk a folded letter. I was able to read the head-
ing, however. The date I always date my letters
at the top of the page was in my handwriting. It
was like a flash of lightning. "Ah," I thought,
" my courier has been arrested, and that 's my
letter!"
But he went on writing, slowly and laboriously.
This fellow, who, for the misfortune of honest men,
is still employed in the police department, had any-
thing but a fluent pen, evidently.
When he had finished, he required me to sign the
papers found in my house, and particularly my poor
234 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
mother's letter. " No ! " I exclaimed indignantly, " I
do not intend to sign ! How can you have had the
atrociousness to present that dear letter to me, which
your hideous satellites have torn from the hands of a
son, that letter which has been the only consolation
left to me, and which I have treasured as a relic !
What do you intend doing with it ? Do you make it
one of the counts in your indictment ? If you do, I
suppose it is because it breathes nothing but tender-
ness and piety ! No, I will not sign it ! "
Then, taking up the letter I had perceived, he
handed it to me, saying in an ironical tone,
" And this does this, too, excite the best senti-
ments of your affectionate heart? You recognize
it, eh?"
" Before I answer you, citizen, have the goodness
to tell me whether you are the person appointed to
decide on my case."
"No, the judge and jury, before whom you are
shortly to appear, must look to that."
" Ah ! so I am to appear in court, and in presence
of a jury, am I? Write down, then, that I have
nothing more to say to you."
This determination of mine seemed to embarrass
him considerably. He became very mild, he adopted
a thousand schemes to get at me; but he had his
labor for his pains, he could worm nothing out of me.
"I see clearly," I added, "that you are absolutely
resolved on finding me guilty. You insult my mis-
fortune with your contemptuous and contemptible
snickering ; you speak of conspiracy, treason, corre-
sponding with the enemies of my country. A hu-
THE INDICTMENT. 235
mane and compassionate judge does not act precisely
in this fashion. I repeat it, you shall learn nothing
from me."
Nevertheless, he persisted in reading my letter to
me and demanding explanations of certain passages.
The only answer he got from me was, "I have
nothing to say."
He was beside himself with" rage. His forbidding
countenance, although naturally ghastly, became as
red as fire. The perspiratioa stood in big drops on
his forehead, as he lashed himself into fury.
But I remained quite cool and self-possessed. Far
from depressing me, the presence of danger usually
gives me renewed energy, and it is in such critical
moments that the firmness of my nature shows at its
best.
Not being able to make me speak, he thundered
out,
" Take him back to prison."
" What ! " I cried, " back to the gloomy dungeon I
have just quitted ! Can any one who has the sem-
blance of humanity send me again to that infectious
den, where no air and no light can penetrate, ex-
cept once in every twenty-four hours, when the door
is opened?"
" You will not be there long," he answered in a
milder tone.
In spite of this promise, I had to spend ten more
days in this frightful place.
But on the next day, my prison was opened earlier
than usual, and I received from Madame Colin all
that she had told me she would send. The excellent
236 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMOK
lady had got permission to supply me with whatever
I wanted.
The parcel contained a turkey, two bottles of white
wine and one of Malaga, bread, and linen.
I fell on my knees and thanked God that there was
still some one left to take an interest in me.
I begged the servant to carry half the turkey and a
bottle of white wine to Madame Blanchet.
Blanchet prevailed on the keeper of her prison to
go and thank me in her behalf, and to tell me she
was not as badly off as I was, but that she was living
among bad women, and this troubled her a good deal.
Still, those poor women treated her with great respect.
She related to me afterward that one of these un-
fortunate creatures had a very pretty daughter. She
said to Blanchet : " You seem to me to be an honest
woman ; and so I am going to ask you a favor : Would
you mind letting this little child sleep with you ? I
am unworthy to sleep alongside this angel."
Blanchet made some objections at first ; it was dis-
tasteful to her to consent, but she yielded in the end.
After that, these women could not do enough for
her ; they forced on her all the best they had, and it
must be confessed they fared well, for they were con-
stantly receiving presents of fine young turkeys from
their friends outside.
At length, after an imprisonment of twenty-one
days, I was summoned to appear before the tribunal
whose office it was to investigate the charges against
me.
It was now the month of December, and it was,
perhaps, about seven in the evening.
THE INDICTMENT. 237
I found Madame Blanchet in the anteroom. An
affecting scene took place. " I am told," she cried,
throwing herself at my feet, " that I am never to see
you more. It is not for myself I am anxious, but for
you. This time, monsieur, I cannot save you, but,
at least, I can die with you. As my poor child is
gone, I have nothing now to wish for on this earth."
You can easily imagine the effort I had to make
not to give way to my emotion ; but the resignation
of this faithful servant was too much for me, and I
could not keep the tears from coming to my eyes.
I raised her with difficulty, and said, in tones I
tried to render firm,
" Calm yourself ; you will soon be out of prison. It
is utterly impossible for them to condemn you to any
penalty, even the slightest, for you do not know how
to read or write, and there can be no charge against
you. And if I have to die, is it not something to
die with honor, to die without reproach ? "
After I had finished, I was conducted into the
presence of the court.
The name of the president was Legras. I had
formerly had some intercourse with him.
He addressed me at once, saying : " Here are your
4 letters.' "
He pointed to two : one for Cardinal Antonelli, the
Dean of the Sacred College ; the other for Cardinal
Frangini, Patriarch of Venice, who was my intimate
friend. I became acquainted with him at Paris, when
I was Auditor of the Rota.
" It is by your despatches," resumed Legras, " that
you will be judged. I do not care at present to sub-
238 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
ject you to a disagreeable examination. Accordingly,
you are going to be transferred to a legal prison,
where you will await our decision."
"Monsieur," I answered, "you have known me
formerly, and you know my profession. I could
never have imagined that a priest might be trans-
formed into a suspect for simply corresponding with
the head of his religion, or that he could be hindered
from doing so, if he chose. I do not make you any
petition on my own behalf, but I earnestly entreat
you to have Madame Blanchet set at liberty. This
woman can neither read nor write, and, if I have taken
the name of her son, who is no longer alive, I did so
without her knowledge."
Legras made no answer, and I was removed.
AT THE GRANDE FORCE. 239
CHAPTER IV.
AT THE GKANDE FORCE.
THE INTERNUNCIO AT THE GRANDE FORCE. THE ONLY CONSOLA-
TION THE CONVICTS HAVE. THE INTERNUNCIO'S LETTERS TO
THE SARDINIAN AND SPANISH AMBASSADORS: THEIR PUSILLAN-
IMOUS CONDUCT. M. RACIN, FOUNDER OF THE " SPECTATEUR."
THE INFIRMARY OF THE GRANDE FORCE THE ADVENTURES OF
A WORTHY NATIVE OF MONTMARTRE. BLANCHET is FREE.
ADIEU TO THE GRANDE FORCE.
I WAS conducted to the Grande Force. It was the
most important of the prisons destined for robbers
and assassins. As for Blanchet, she was transferred
to the Madelonnettes, situated near the Temple.
Escorted by three police agents, I arrived at this
dreadful prison. The entrance is extremely low, and
as it was night and my mind was preoccupied, I could
not measure the height of the door, and I knocked
my head violently against the wall. The force of
the collision was so great that it shook me to pieces,
and I could not help crying : " Ah ! I am fainting !
help ! "
My head pained me excessively during the three
days following, but no one paid any attention to me.
I entered the clerk's office, and a charge of con-
spiracy and of corresponding with the enemies of the
240 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
country was entered on the books. Then the con-
cierge spoke a word to the keeper, who led me to one
of the cells.
It was larger than the one I had left, but lighted in
pretty much the same manner ; that is to say, it had
one little window, crossed with iron bars and very
high up. The frame could be opened by means of a
cord.
The bed was laid on two benches. It consisted of a
hard mattress, a quilt all in rags, from having been so
much used, and a pair of sheets that looked as if they
had been employed to sail a boat.
There were two others with me in this cell ; they
were convicts who had been condemned to twenty
years' hard labor, and had been put here until the
time came for the departure of the gang.
It was about nine in the evening.
I stretched myself in my clothes on the mattress,
taking the precaution to cover the pillow with my
handkerchief. I lay there as insensible as a log, and
stiff with cold. Nevertheless, I fell asleep. Some one
has said that misfortune has often a sort of soporific
virtue, and brings on sleep.
But the noise made by a person striking a flint
startled me out of my slumbers.
" What is the matter ? " I cried.
" Nothing, monsieur. We are only trying to get a
light, as we want to smoke."
" Want to smoke ! Why, night is made for sleep-
ing, not smoking ! "
" We are in the habit of smoking every night for a
couple of hours. We do not venture to do so in the
AT THE GRANDE FORCE. 241
daytime, for no one knows that we have a flint. If it
annoys you, we '11 smoke only for an hour."
" Certainly it annoys me. I may as well give up all
thought of sleeping, if you smoke."
I had hardly said these words, when I was envel-
oped in a thick cloud. The odor was most disgust-
ing, and there was no passage by which it might
escape.
" Really," I said to them, " I am surprised that
prisoners condemned to the galleys should have the
privilege of making me sick in this way."
"Do not be angry, monsieur; we shall open the
window very early, and then you won't feel any
inconvenience."
"Be sure to do so then ! Certainly I should have
good ground for complaining of your nasty habit, but
I do not care to deprive you of the only pleasure you
have in this world."
At this time, the old servant I had hired for Blanchet
was allowed to visit me, and acquitted herself to my
satisfaction of the various commissions with which I
charged her.
My food was nearly the same as that which I had
received at the Prefecture of Police.
Five weeks slipped by without the occurrence of
any noteworthy incident, except the singular visit
paid me by a member of the Central Bureau.
This personage, who was dressed in his tricolor
scarf, examined me from head to foot, as if he was
looking at some wild beast, and then departed without
saying a word.
In the mean time, I procured a copy of the criminal
16
242 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMOtf.
code. I saw clearly in it that the penalty for the
crime with which I was charged was death.
Nevertheless, I resolved to defend myself, and I set
about composing a memorial reciting the facts of my
case. I also wrote a letter to the Marquis del Campo,
to whom the court of Rome had recommended me.
On the other hand, the minister of the King of
Sardinia wrote in my favor to M. Balbo, who acted
as ambassador to the Directory. He told him to fly
to my assistance.
But I have since learned that neither the Spanish
nor the Sardinian ambassador made the slightest effort
to help me. They even wrote to their respective courts
that the matter was very serious, and that it would be
wise not to interfere.
I was very indignant, but particularly with M.
Balbo.
Accordingly, when these gentlemen presented
themselves at my house after my release, I sent
them word that I declined to receive them, and that
I had made the Pope aware of their conduct.
Meanwhile, a clerk in the office of the Ministry of
the Interior came to visit our prison. It was at that
time, like all the others, under the surveillance of
this ministry.
This clerk was the founder of a great journal enti-
tled the " Spectateur," in which I used to insert arti-
cles relative to Roman affairs.
When he entered my cell he recognized me, and
cried : " What ! you here ! Why, how did you man-
age to get into these quarters ? If you had written
to me, you should not have stayed here an hour."
AT THE GRANDE FORCE. 243
I embraced and thanked him, saying,
"I have been abandoned by everybody. I have
thought of you often, but I was afraid I might injure
you. I do not wish to be the occasion of harm to
others."
Then he addressed the keeper who accompanied
him,
44 You will see that this gentleman has an apartment
in the infirmary. He requires medical treatment; I
take the responsibility upon my own shoulders."
The result was that I was immediately transferred
to the infirmary.
This building had all the air of a substantial citi-
zen's residence, and formed a strong contrast to the
rest of the gloomy prison. You saw neither bars on
the windows nor bolts on the doors, and there was
no objection to walking in any of the courts if you
wished. Then, the food was of the best, and we
could get whatever we desired from the outside,
by paying for it well, of course.
Moreover, my sojourn in this favored spot gave me
opportunities of becoming acquainted with a number
of the emigres, particularly with M. de Gacecourt,
who had been there very long.
My bed was all I could desire: two good mat-
tresses, clean sheets, and suitable covering.
I met six persons after entering. They were jour-
nalists who had been condemned to death in their
absence, in Vende'miaire, and who had surrendered,
in order to purge themselves of their contempt of
court.
All were released a little after. They took great
244 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
interest in me, and wished to defend me in their
papers ; but I begged them earnestly not to do any-
thing of the sort.
I will say, in reference to this matter, that M. la
Devize, then proprietor of the " Journal des Ddbats,"
and M. Nicole, editor of another newspaper, continued
to give reports of my trial, in spite of a formal re-
quest on my part not to do so. These reports were
not only very correct, but very friendly to me, and
they undoubtedly were effective in winning public
favor for my side of the case, by enlightening the
people as to its true nature.
The only one of the journalists who took the side
of the Directory was an ex-Benedictine monk, named
Poultier, 1 a famous Conventionnel. But his opposi-
tion did me more good than harm.
I requested M. Racin to inform Madame Colin of
the happy change that had occurred in my situation.
This lady visited me, after she heard the good
news, at least three times every week. We used to
drink chocolate together, for I began to take it as
soon as I entered the infirmary. The old servant came
also to see me, and brought me all that I needed.
Among the other persons I met in the infirmary
was a Frenchman who had been butler to a rich Eng-
lish lord for over thirty years, and had amassed sixty
thousand francs in his service in guineas.
He was a fanatic, and had such a horror of royalty
1 He was the editor-in-chief of the " Ami des Lois." The following
anecdote is told of him in " Le Redacteur," 3d of March, 1797 : " A repre-
sentative of the people asked Poultier the other day why he published
such absurd and atrocious calumnies in his journal. 'Why/ he an-
swered, ' these are the things that sell the paper ! ' "
AT THE GRANDE FORCE. 245
that he had changed his name of Leroy to Mont-
martre, the faubourg in which he was born.
When he learned that a revolution was going on
amongst us, he was wild with joy. He left his mas-
ter, realized his fortune, abandoned his wife, and set
out for France.
He was no sooner landed than he was arrested as
an emigre, and thrown into the prison of La Force.
After he was locked up, he wrote to his wife giving
her a full account of his misfortune. "What, my
dear!" she replied, ironically, "is it possible that
the very moment you placed your foot on the soil of
liberty, you have fallen into slavery ! "
Notwithstanding his little eccentricities, however,
he was a very worthy man.
He had travelled extensively with his master, and
knew several foreign languages. Among others, he
spoke Provencal, and, for a wonder, with the correct
accent ; a thing very rare in the case of Parisians.
He was fond of my society, and, to show his friend-
ship, he concocted every day a new dish for my din-
ner, after a fashion known only to himself ; and I
must acknowledge that the fare he set before me was
always delicious.
He also insisted on my drinking at the same time
one or two glasses of Bordeaux, and when I remarked
that it was a very costly wine, " Don't be uneasy,"
said he, " drink as much as you want ; there are still
some of the guineas left."
Yet he would never consent to sit down to table
with me.
I really became very much attached to him, and
246 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMOK
was glad to be able to do him some good, for he was
liable to fits of dejection, during which I did my best
to console him.
I received news every day from Madame Blanchet.
She wanted for nothing, but she was growing very
tired of her prison.
At length came the moment when I must appear
before the tribunal which was to deal with my case.
I descended to the yard and perceived a hideous
van drawn by two horses. It had three little grated
windows, which, as well as a door closed by bolts,
gave it the appearance of a dungeon.
I recoiled in horror at the spectacle, and when I
was invited to enter, I cried,
44 1 prefer to go on foot ! "
44 What you ask is impossible, and you ought to
know it," was the answer.
But I resisted, and they had to put me by force
into this prison on wheels, which looked to me like
the vestibule of death.
I felt terribly humiliated, I was treated as if I were
the most criminal of men, and three felons were in-
stalled in the vehicle along with me. We set out
escorted by three gendarmes on horseback, and the
carriage started at a headlong pace, the horses being
evidently very fresh.
I meditated, as we proceeded, on this method of
dealing with criminals, and I regarded it as a refine-
ment of cruelty. Then, returning to my own lament-
able position, I felt completely depressed and appre-
hensive, and the tears came to my eyes.
We soon reached the steps of the Palais de Justice.
AT THE GRANDE FORCE. 247
A large crowd was massed on each side of them,
and when one of us got out of the carriage, there was
the greatest curiosity and excitement.
I was one of the last to alight, and I heard dis-
tinctly some one murmuring: "Decidedly, that fellow
does not look like a scoundrel."
I may as well publish the reason of this compli-
tary criticism : I was shaved and powdered, for, after
entering the infirmary, I had resumed my daily habits.
I was ushered into the presence of the president;
he asked me a few questions and said: "You can
now withdraw ; you will know your fate to-morrow."
This time, there was no sign of Madame Blanchet,
and I thought it argued well for the poor woman.
I was led back to the Conciergerie in the same
manner in which I left it. I slept little that night,
nor did I eat anything before going to bed. I was
terribly downcast, and I found it impossible to banish
my melancholy thoughts.
On the next day, just as I had finished my choco-
late, an usher entered and notified me that there was
sufficient evidence to hold me, and that I should be
transferred on the next day to the prisons of the
Conciergerie, bordering on the Palais, there to await
my trial.
I learned at the same time that the tribunal had
decided there were no grounds for prosecuting
Citoyenne Blanchet, and had ordered her to be imme-
diately set at liberty.
This news overwhelmed me with joy. My faithful
friend and servant was out of prison and henceforth
in safety ! It made me so happy that I had no
248 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
thoughts for my own position, and the idea that I was
about to take the road to the Conciergerie that is
to say, the road that, in nearly every case, leads to
the scaffold did not dismay me in the least.
In the evening, I paid my farewell visits to the
Emigre prisoners. They were all very much moved.
I saw also my dear Montmartre and embraced him
tenderly. He shed tears when he learned I was leav-
ing the infirmary.
Many of those gentlemen, whom I met afterward,
confessed that they never hoped to see me again, so
sinister were the rumors that were circulated in refer-
ence to my trial.
It was actually with real sorrow that I stepped out
of the prison on the next day. It had grown to look
to me like the face of a friend. When we are unfor-
tunate, we sometimes form these sorts of attachments.
THE CONCIERGERIE. 249
CHAPTER V.
THE CONCIERGERIE.
THE INTERNUNCIO IN THE CONCIERGERIE. HONEST RICHARD.
THE ABBE BROTTIER AND M. DE CANI. RICHARD'S COOK.
ANECDOTES OP MARIE ANTOINETTE. THE INTERNUNCIO'S COM-
PANIONS IN MISFORTUNE. THE QUEEN'S SPANIEL.
I WAS driven to the Conciergerie in the same hor-
rible equipage in which I rode the evening before;
but this time I was its sole occupant. A clerk wrote
my name in the jail-book, with the same comments :
accused of conspiracy and corresponding with the
enemies of the country.
These formalities, which were rather tedious, being
got through, the commissary, who was delegated by
the public prosecutor and was present, said to the
concierge, a man named Richard : " You are answer-
able for this prisoner ; see that he is locked up in a
secure place."
" I have long known this prisoner," returned Rich-
ard. " I have seen him come here in quite a different
style from that in which he came to-day, he was
then visiting the prisons as commissary of the king,
and now he is a prisoner himself. But I answer for
him ; you may be sure I shall not lose sight of him."
When we were alone, this honest man said to me :
" I shall be obliged to see that you sleep behind
bolts and bars, but during the daytime you will stay
250 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
in my own apartments ; you will take your meals
along with me and see any one you like, provided
you tell your visitors to ask my permission. More-
over, I will have a stove put into your cell, and you
can sleep on two mattresses which belonged to that
poor woman " he meant the queen " who died on
the scaffold. They ought to be good, for they cost
me dear enough. I had to serve six months in the
Madelonnettes for buying them."
I thanked him from the bottom of my heart.
We settled that I was to pay four francs a day for
my board. He told me I might invite whom I pleased
to dinner, and he could get them a very fair repast
for three francs a head, including coffee and liqueurs.
Quite a number of my friends, in fact, flocked to
see me. Many ladies visited me, among others, the
Comtesse d'Aubusson, Madame d'Aulnay, and the
Vicomtesse d'Allemane. I kept a sort of salon from
seven to ten in the evening, in which were gathered
a miscellaneous company of lawyers, booksellers, pub-
lishers, and ecclesiastics ; among the latter was M. de
Cani, to-day the respected cure* of Bonne-Nouvelle,
who, although he did not know me, placed his purse
at my disposal.
I also received striking proofs of the interest
which certain august personages deigned to take in
my lot. The Abbe* Brottier, whom I barely saw
once before, came and offered me assistance in the
name of the princes. He acted as their agent. He
was afterwards arrested and deported to Guiana, 1
where he died.
1 After the conspiracy of La Villeheurnois (March, 1797) in which
he was implicated.
THE CONCIERGERIE. 251
I refused all these offers ; indeed, I was very much
surprised that the report of my misfortunes should
have spread through such distant countries.
The cook of Richard was a woman who well de-
served to occupy a higher position. Her thoughts
were so elevated and her manner so refined that I
could not conceal from her my astonishment at find-
ing her a servant in the Conciergerie. The following
is the explanation she gave me of the matter.
She had been an old friend of Richard's wife, and
was present when the latter, who was actuated by the
most humane feeling for the prisoners, had been slain
by a wretch just about to set out for the galleys, and
that at the very time when she was consoling him and
giving him money. As the poor woman was leaning
forward to embrace him, he plunged his knife into
her heart and stretched her dead at his feet ; l nor was
any one ever able to learn the cause of such monstrous
ingratitude. "And so I remained," added the ser-
vant, " with M. Richard, who indeed is disgusted
with his position and well fitted to occupy a higher
one."
She had herself attended to the wants of the royal
victims with the most tender solicitude. She was in
the habit of brushing the boots of her Majesty every
morning. " And they used to be as dirty," she said,
" on account of the dampness of the prison, as if the
queen had walked the whole length of the Rue
SaintrHonoreV'
She also related that the noble personages who
1 A very correct account of an incident which the memoirs of the
period mention as occurring in Messidor (20 June 19 July) 1796.
252 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
were then imprisoned in the Conciergerie came every
morning, during the time allowed for exercise, and
kissed the slippers of the unfortunate princess.
It was the same servant who, on seeing the queen
go to the scaffold with neck uncovered and without a
cap, threw her own kerchief over her shoulders and
placed a cap she had received that morning as a New
Year's gift, on her head.
I had the good fortune to be of service to this ad-
mirable woman, when her master died. I procured
her a position in the household of the Marquise de
Cre'qui, niece of Comte de Muy, minister of war, and
one of my oldest friends. But, after the death of
this lady, I was constantly travelling, and have not
been able to learn what has become of the woman
whose acquaintance I made in the Conciergerie.
This good servant took the greatest care of me.
When I received in the evening, she regulated the
number of tapers, intended to light the apartment, by
the number of guests. She used to answer my ob-
jections by saying that I was not born to live in
obscurity, and, moreover, the tapers cost us nothing.
Indeed, but for the sad thought that my death was
probably near at hand, I felt almost as comfortable as
if I were in my own house.
Surely I ought to be grateful to God for having
given me such a gentle disposition that all who be-
come acquainted with me soon learn to love me ; an
experience I have enjoyed through all the misfortunes
of my life.
I spent the evening in conversation with M. Rich-
ard, and we even often supped together. He antici-
THE CONCIERGERIE. 253
pated all my desires, and was particularly careful to
have some excellent fish and salad on the table, for
he observed I was very partial to these two dishes,
as well as to potatoes fried in butter.
My good Richard was so fond of my company, that
we sometimes remained at the table until two in the
morning. He never left me except for a few mo-
ments at ten, when he went to visit the prisoners.
Some of the stories he told me about these rascals
were truly surprising. Their attempts to escape kept
him in continual anxiety. Although they had not a
single tool, they used to construct keys of lead which
opened the doors noiselessly. He seized, at one time,
six of these keys, which worked perfectly ; there was
only one wanting, that of the street door. He showed
the whole six to me. I asked him how he managed
to discover everything. He answered that in all the
prisons containing several prisoners a spy was kept,
who received very high wages.
The wives of the prisoners were also a source of
constant trouble when they visited them. Search
them as closely as they could, these women always
succeeded in concealing something in the shape of
tin, lead and plaster, which they transferred success-
fully to their husbands.
I tried to prolong our conversation as long as pos-
sible, for I disliked so much going to my cell and
being locked in with big bolts and big keys, that I
should have preferred never lying down, if I could.
However, when I did enter it, I found it very warm,
thanks to the stove; sometimes, it was even too
much so.
254 MEMOIRS OF MGE. SALAMOK
But when I was there, I was pursued by the- black-
est thoughts. I found it impossible to sleep before
daybreak, and then my slumbers were broken into by
my rascally neighbors, who, as soon as the sun rose,
created a frightful uproar with their singing and
shouting.
Once, I perceived one of them walking in the yard.
Although it was piercing cold, he was in his shirt. He
was reading his indictment, while smoking his pipe.
" Gracious ! " he repeated every other minute he did
not say " gracious ! " but the terms he did use are a
little too emphatic for reproduction " gracious ! I
am lost, for a dead certainty ! "
My enforced retirement from the world has con-
vinced me that these poor creatures are more to be
pitied than we think.
However, I told Richard's servant in secret that I
felt the greatest repugnance to entering my cell, and
especially at seeing myself locked in behind bolts and
bars. She hastened to repeat what I had said to her
master, and he gave orders that my cell should be
opened at daybreak.
The first morning that I benefited by this measure
I saw, just as the door opened, a lap-dog run in and
jump on my bed. It went all round it, then leaped
down and was out of the room in a flash. It was the
queen's pet. Richard had found it after the death
of its mistress, and took the greatest care of it.
In this fashion, it came every morning at daybreak
and went through the same movements, during three
entire months. I made every effort to catch it, but
always failed.
THE CRIMINAL TRIBUNAL. 255
CHAPTER VI.
THE CRIMINAL TRIBUNAL.
AT THE REGISTRAR'S OFFICE. IN COURT. PRESIDENT GOHIER.
THE INDICTMENT. INTERVENTION OF BOTJLANGER, COMMIS-
SARY OF THE DIRECTORY. THE EDITOR OF THE ["AMI DU
PEUPLE." RICHARD'S GRANDDAUGHTER. SOME NEW ANEC-
DOTES OF MARIE ANTOINETTE, THE DUKE OF ORLEANS, AND
MADAME ELIZABETH.
I HAD been now five weeks at the Conciergerie,
and, but for the deprival of my liberty, I might have
felt quite happy. I was well fed and allowed to re-
ceive the visits of my friends.
But at length I was notified that I must appear at
the Registry of the Palais de Justice, in order to re-
ceive the list of my jurors.
I was compelled to descend by a dark staircase,
made inside the wall. The staircase leads to a sub-
terranean passage connecting with the Palais.
All the thieves who were to be tried during the
month came with me, and I was compelled to endure
the humiliation of forming one of this gang of male-
factors.
But I had to resign myself, and, for an hour, I
waited my turn amongst them, in a large apartment
that was almost dark, extremely damp, and very
foul-smelling.
256 MEMOIRS OF MGB. SALAMOK
At length, I was summoned, and the list of the
jurors was placed in my hand. It contained a dozen
names. I was told I had twenty-four hours in which
to accept or reject them, but, in the latter case, the
trial would be adjourned for a month, for it is only
every month that the names of the jurors are drawn
by lot.
Although I was not acquainted with any of them,
I answered that I wished to be tried and would run
the risk of accepting them, even if they were badly
disposed in my regard.
On the next day, I was led into court.
The charge against me was of a somewhat unusual
character, and so an extraordinary tribunal had been
instituted for its trial, as when crimes of an abnor-
mally serious character are to be judged.
This arrangement was as little calculated to reas-
sure me as was the dismal procession which accom-
panied me to the bar, and which was composed of
the jailer of the Conciergerie, two ushers, and two
turnkeys in front, with two gendarmes, armed to the
teeth, bringing up the rear.
I was obliged to take my seat between these two
gendarmes, yes, to sit on the prisoner's bench, or,
" stool of repentance," as it used to be called, I, who
a few years before, sat on the fleur-de-lis in this very
court, and dispensed justice to the subjects of the
king.
As soon as I was seated, I cast my eyes around the
hall. It was full to overflowing, for the crowd was
packed even beyond the doors. On the bench next
to that of the lawyers, I perceived the civil authori-
THE CRIMINAL TRIBUNAL. 257
ties of the village of Passy ; they were there to testify
in my favor. I also noticed that a great number of
my friends were present ; many of them saluted me,
and I returned their salutation.
I had recovered all my courage, and, in spite of
this menacing array of power, which might well serve
to intimidate me, I felt the utmost calmness and
serenity. In such extremities, it is God, and God
alone, who can enable us to enjoy the tranquillity of
a good conscience. I had, in fact, been to confession
a short time before, and had set all my little affairs
in order.
The judges soon took their seats. The presiding
justice was Gohier, a renowned Jacobin, and after-
ward one of the five Directors. 1 The twelve jurors
were in front of me. At the right of the judges, sat
the public prosecutor and his ushers, and, on the left,
but a little lower down, the commissary of the
Directory, who was called Boulanger.
It was in every respect an unprecedented trial.
There was actually no charge against me; neither
complainant nor witness was on hand to accuse me ;
but I had to confront the terrible power that perse-
cuted me, the Directory.
However, I was fighting for our holy religion, and
in the cause of God, whose providence watches
over the innocent and is stronger than the wiles and
wickedness of men.
When all were seated, citizen Legras read the in-
dictment, which he himself had drawn up. This indi-
vidual, who had treated me with seeming respect and
1 In 1799.
17
258 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMOK
politeness at the time I was leaving the police station,
preferred the most abominable charges against me
in this document. If I had been a felon, blackened
with every crime in the calendar, he could not have
indulged in more loathsome assaults on my charac-
ter. He missed his mark, however ; the reading was
heard with angry and prolonged murmurs by the
audience.
When he had finished, the commissary of the
Directory rose and said :
"The commissary who has drawn up the indict-
ment has not seized the point of the accusation pre-
cisely, and has not stated plainly the crime of the
prisoner. He is not accused of conspiracy, but of
corresponding with the enemies of the state. I re-
quire, therefore, that the indictment be quashed and
a new one drawn up on a different basis. Conse-
quently I must ask for an adjournment, and that the
accused be remanded."
I did not wait for the decision of the judges, and
I demanded to be heard.
"Prisoner," replied the president, "you are at
liberty to speak."
" So then," I said, " it is not a sentiment of justice
or of mercy that actuates the Directory; what it
wants is that I should be again shackled with the
fetters that were about to drop from my limbs, and
that I should continue to languish in a dungeon. It
sees clearly that I must be discharged, for every
count in the indictment is as false, as manifestly
false, as it is odious.
" Well, then, I insist on my trial being proceeded
THE CRIMINAL TRIBUNAL. 259
with, and that immediately ; at least, I shall have the
advantage and the consolation of knowing that the
jurors in whose presence I am, and who are to decide
on my fate, are men of the highest respectability and
worth.
" I know, too, that no charge can be brought against
me. For, in order to be guilty of conspiracy, I must
have had accomplices. Where are they? Where is
the conspirator who betrayed the secret ? Where are
the witnesses? Where is the accuser? I pause for
a reply.
" Every one is silent : even the public prosecutor
does not dare to raise his voice.
" Doubtless, M. le Commissaire du Directoire must
have made merry over the amusing spectacle I afforded
him, when he beheld me dragged through the streets
of Paris in a sort of iron cage, like some wild beast,
exposed to the curiosity of the crowd ; no doubt, his
gentle heart is beating with eagerness for a repetition
of this charming exhibition. But no, it shall not be !
I demand that the indictment be maintained in its
integrity. I am ready to defend myself against any
and every charge, no matter how formidable it may
appear, ay, and defend myself successfully, unless
justice be banished from that tribunal.
" For that matter, my counsel is here present, and
will support my demand."
M. Bellart was my counsel. I had requested him
to advise me, for I was unacquainted with the new
forms of criminal procedure ; and also to aid me in my
defence, for I had the fullest confidence in his ability.
But all our efforts were vain ; we had to succumb.
260 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMOX.
The indictment was quashed ; I was led back to the
Coneiergerie, where the clerk informed me I was to
be transferred to La Force.
I asked M. Richard whether he could not manage
to keep me in the Coneiergerie.
" I only wish I could," he answered. " I will speak
to the public prosecutor."
He had the good luck to be successful, and I
remained under the guardianship of this excellent
man.
The feast of the Epiphany fell upon the next day.
I handed a louis to Richard, and asked him to treat
the turnkeys of the Coneiergerie, who had all been
very kind to me. So there was quite a festival in the
prison, especially in the kitchen of M. Richard.
I have noticed that people living in prisons are
very fond of eating and drinking.
The authorities of Passy paid me a visit. I begged
them to call at my house in the Rue Florentin. They
were received by Madame Blanchet, whom I had
previously instructed to prepare a dinner for them.
So everybody fared well, except myself.
At length, M. Louis d'Aulnay came, on my invita-
tion, to dine with me. It was absolutely necessary
for me to find some method of getting rid of my
thoughts ; the delay in my trial had upset me com-
pletely.
As I was walking up and down the parlor, the same
evening, a little man with a brown face entered ab-
ruptly and said to me :
" Citizen, every one is wild over Legras' indictment
and the conduct of the commissary of the Directory.
THE CRIMINAL TRIBUNAL. 261
You see before you the advocate of the oppressed!
Do you wish me to undertake your defence in my
journal ? for I have one, and although the villanous
intrigues of my enemies retain me in prison, I still
continue to edit it."
"I am very grateful, citizen. Pray, what is the
name of your journal ? "
"The 'AmiduPeuple.'" 1
" The ' Ami du Peuple ' ? Oh ! for goodness' sake,
don't say anything in my behalf. I am sincerely
thankful to you, I assure you, but I prefer to defend
myself before the tribunal."
Upon this, I dismissed him politely.
My second month in jail passed off in pretty much
the same way as the first.
Madame Colin continued to take chocolate with me
several times a week. She often even returned to see
me before dinner. She is so kind and amiable as well
as blithe and witty, that it was impossible to feel gloomy
on the days she visited me. I always took care to have
myself shaven and my peruke well powdered when I
expected her arrival.
In short, I acted in prison exactly as I should have
done, were I at liberty.
M. Richard was the grandfather of a very beautiful
young girl of twenty-two. She was as meek as an
angel, and her manners and appearance were those of
a refined and well-educated lady. She came to see me
1 It is in little matters like this that the internuncio's accuracy can
be so easily verified. " Lebois, ' the Friend of the People/ has been
arrested for the third time, and this for treating the Directory as the
Directory deserves," says the " Eclair" of 23 December, 1796. The
" Moniteur " adds : " Lebois was released on the 9th of January."
262 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
nearly every morning, and we dined together, when
she canie to dine with her grandfather, which oc-
curred very often.
This was the tender and amiable girl who saved the
life of old President Angrau. Every time she heard
he was going to be taken before the Revolutionary
Tribunal, she made him get into bed, and said to the
messengers :
" What can you do with this old man ? He is not
able to rise and is very likely to die during the day."
And she repeated this stratagem successfully until
the very day of Robespierre's death. Moreover, dur-
ing the whole time he was in prison, she brought him
every morning a cup of coffee and cream. This good
old man, who was then eighty-six, came to see me
when I was in the Conciergerie, and, happening to
meet the young girl, he kissed her, saying :
" This is the woman who saved my life ! "
" And it is she, too," I answered, " who has relieved
the weariness of mine."
I continued to spend my evenings with Richard, and
we prolonged our conversation very far into the night.
He used to relate a multitude of anecdotes about the
victims he had seen on their way to the scaffold.
It would take too much time to record them here,
and I have forgotten most of them. However, I re-
member his saying that the gendarmes used to play
piquet in presence of the queen every evening. She
looked on, either leaning on the back of a chair, or
mending her black silk pelisse.
Richard often visited this princess, and asked her
if she needed anything. She never failed to express
THE CRIMINAL TRIBUNAL. 263
her thanks, only, according to him, she did so with a
little too much solemnity.
One day, she asked him if he had ever been a
butler.
"Oh! not at all, madame," he answered, "I was
almost born in prison."
" The reason why I ask is because everything you
give me to eat is so excellent."
" Well, madame," returned Richard, " it is because
I go to the market myself and endeavor to get the
best I can."
" Oh I " exclaimed the queen, " how kind you are,
Monsieur Richard ! "
Richard added that the preferred meat of the queen
was duck.
His chamber was successively occupied by the Duke
of Orleans and Madame Elizabeth. He said to me,
pointing to his bed: "Look where vice and virtue
have in turn reposed ! "
Before going to the scaffold, the Duke of Orleans
asked for a chicken. It was refused, on the ground
that he had no money to pay for it. He had to do
with an omelet, which he made himself. Then he
drank a bottle of champagne, brought to him the
evening before, and marched courageously to death.
The saintly Madame Elizabeth remained twenty-
four hours at the Conciergerie. She inquired about
the condition of the queen, with the most lively and
eager interest, calling her "her sister," and asked
Richard how long it was since he saw her. He
replied : " She is quite well and wants for nothing."
She appeared to be very restless during the entire
264 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAM01ST.
night. She would ask Richard every moment what
hour it was, for he slept in a dark room divided from
the alcove in which she lay. She rose very early ; but
Richard was already on his feet. She asked him again
what time it was. He made his watch strike the
hour, and then showed it to her. " My sister had one
very like it," said she, " only it was not wound in
that way." She took a little chocolate, and advanced
to the entrance of the prison. Many great ladies,
who were going to the scaffold along with her, had
already assembled at the same spot. Among others,
was Madame de Senozan, sister of Malesherbes, the
defender of the king, one of the best and most char-
itable women that ever lived. Madame Elizabeth
begged Richard to be sure to present her compliments
to the queen, her sister. Then, one of these ladies,
whose name I have forgotten, a duchess something
or other, I think, said : " Madame, your sister has
already suffered the fate we are now about to suffer
ourselves."
This, with much besides, did Richard relate to me.
A SECOND SUMMONS. 265
CHAPTER VII.
A SECOND SUMMONS FOB THE INTEENUNCIO.
BAD JURORS. IN COURT AGAIN. BOULANGER INTERFERES A
SECOND TIME. VIGOROUS PROTEST OF THE INTERNUNCIO AND
HIS COUNSEL. " THESE PEOPLE WISH MY DEATH AT ANY
PRICE."
A MONTH and even five weeks slipped by, and
then I was again invited to the Palais, to examine
the list of my jurors. This time I was led through
the hall that was formerly used as a chapel. It is a
very large and lofty vaulted apartment, and had been
turned into a frightful-looking prison. I saw there
seven or eight prisoners, lying on wretched mat-
tresses, and evidently in a state of utter destitution.
The dampness of the place was such that, although I
had only to cross it, I felt chilled to the bone. The
sight of these poor creatures filled me with pity and
compassion, while, at the same time, it made me
reflect on my own more fortunate lot, and I said to
myself: "There is where I also should have been,
perhaps, but for the goodness of M. Richard."
After receiving the list of my jurors, I returned
hastily, in order to read it and let M. Richard see the
names. He read it attentively, and remained for
some time silent. At length, he said,
266 MEMOIRS OF MGB. SALAMON.
" This alarms me ; these jurors are not at all as
good as the first."
" No matter ! " I answered, " I must take them as
they are. This uncertainty is killing me. I want to
be tried, come what may ! "
In spite of this unpleasant occurrence, I preserved
all my coolness. Those who came to visit me were
surprised to see me so calm, and so little disturbed
by the fear of death. When they expressed their
astonishment, I answered : " It is not because I am
ignorant of the danger that threatens me ; but I have
resolved to die with honor and courage. It is the
cause of the Pope that is at stake, and I shall leave
an honored memory behind me."
On the morning of the second day after, I de-
scended through the same dark staircase, and sat
again on the same shameful bench, which was re-
served for the greatest criminals.
When everybody was seated and the court declared
open, the commissary of the Directory said,
" I demand that the case be adjourned for another
month."
No sooner were the words out of his lips than a
terrible tumult arose in the hall, and the audience
hissed with great heartiness.
I myself rose, and, without asking the President's
permission, I said,
" Citizen, what motive can have led the commis-
sary of the Directory to demand the adjournment of
my trial, when even the public prosecutor, whose
personal interest it is to see that crime is punished,
judges it proper to be silent ?
A SECOND SUMMONS. 267
"Is, then, citizen Boulanger, commissary of the
Directory, my adversary, my prosecutor? If he is,
let him say so openly. But no, his voice is hushed.
"Is it, then, citizen president, against a phantom
that I have to defend myself ? No, no, citizen, this
adversary who hides in the darkness is the Directory,
is the minister of Police. Let them, therefore, come
forth in person, and show me in what I am guilty.
Let them attack me openly, me, a feeble reed, aban-
doned by the whole world, whose sole defence is in
the justice of my cause.
" How can I hope to escape such powerful enemies,
especially when they have recourse to such desperately
perfidious wiles ?
" But I am mistaken. I stand here in the very
sanctuary of justice, and it will cover me with its
aegis. I appeal to you, righteous and unprejudiced
judges, to you who are as incorruptible as the law
itself ; stretch out to me a helping hand. Do not
allow me to suffer the pangs of another month's
delay.
" As for myself, I oppose it with all my might.
" Is it not clear that, in the absence of evidence,
in the absence of anything that would lead you to
condemn me, my enemies are determined to let me
pine away in a prison, to let me perish there of misery
and want ?
" Well ! I call Heaven to witness, I call the estima-
able and honest jurors on whose decision my fate
depends to witness, that all the evidence that can
ever be brought against me is before them to-day.
" What is the object of my adversaries ? Are they
268 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMOK
expecting a massacre in the prisons, like that of Sep-
tember, 1792, so that, less fortunate than at that bale-
ful era, I may have the thread of my life cut in some
horrible butchery ; a life that, for ten whole years, has
been full of sadness and bitterness, a life over which
the threats of death are incessantly suspended, a life
which has now been for several months agony and
torture ?
" I pray you, then, citizen judges, to order that no
adjournment be permitted ; and that, in spite of the
demand of the commissary Boulanger, my trial be
proceeded with immediately."
My counsel followed me, and did so with all the
eloquence for which he is famed.
But what avail right and justice against weakness
and ambition ?
I have not the least reason to doubt that these
judges were intimidated by the formidable power of
my adversaries; for, after a long deliberation, they
adjourned the case to the month following.
I remember that their ruling filled me with indig-
nation. I forgot for the moment that I was a pris-
oner, and, rushing suddenly from my seat, I escaped
by a door and began running toward the apartment
which overlooks the gallery where the dealers exhibit
their wares. Some one tried to stop me, but in vain.
I kept on running, without knowing where I was
going, when I heard the voice of Richard behind me.
" Where are you going ? " he cried. " Do you want
to make them believe you wish to escape ? "
" No," I answered ; " "I do not wish to escape, but
I do not know where I am going."
A SECOND SUMMONS. 269
" As we are here,''' he said, " let us go through the
great hall, and we can return to the Conciergerie by
the principal gate."
I took his arm, saying,
" Forgive me, M. Richard ; I am quite beside my-
self. These people wish my death at any price."
Thinking to console me, he said,
" Every one pities you ! "
" Well then ! supposing they do," I replied ; " what
good does that do me ? I don't see I am any the bet-
ter for their pity."
A soon as I entered the prison, I ran and threw
myself on my bed, in that very chamber which I dis-
liked so much.
Shortly after, a turnkey came to inform me that the
Abbe* de la Boissiere, one of the friends of my child-
hood, desired to see me.
I answered, with some roughness, that I did not
want to meet him. But in a few moments, I repented
my churlishness, and asked that he should be shown in.
It was too late. He had gone, and I have never seen
him since, for he went to live in his native province.
I got up and went to dinner, but I ate very little.
Then came a great number of visitors, who only dis-
turbed me. In short, without knowing why, I be-
sired to be alone.
270 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMOK
CHAPTER VIII.
A COUP D'ETAT.
VERY BAD JURORS. RICHARD'S PLAN. THE EFFECTS OP THE
MALAGA on M. MARCHAND. THE INTERNUNCIO IMPROVISES A
DEFENCE FOR MADAME COLIN. THE MELANCHOLY PRESENTI-
MENTS OF M. BELLART.
THE end of the month arrived without the occur-
rence of any event of importance, and I went to the
clerk's office for the third time to get my list of jurors.
When I communicated their names to Richard, he
said,
" Such a list must have been made out with the
design of ruining you. These men are still worse
than the preceding ones, and a majority of ten is
required to bring in a verdict in your favor. You
ought to refuse them."
"I do not wish to do so, and indeed I cannot.
Why, there would be an adjournment for another
month ! "
The attachment Richard had conceived for me
since we lived together was of the strongest charac-
ter. He reflected for a moment, and then said,
"I know the usher whose duty it is to summon
jurors. I will ask him how we ought to act, and
whether it is possible to get other jurors."
"Oh, do so, I entreat you," I replied, "and do it
A COUP D'ETAT. 271
as quickly as you can ; for you know how an unfor-
tunate man feels when he has received the slightest
ground for hope : he thinks that all is gained. You
must," I added, " invite him to dinner, and see that
it is good; take care of the wine especially. And
then you can hint to him that I shall reward him
generously."
Richard said that he would attend to everything,
and he gave orders to the cook about the fowl and
game. This good woman also told me to have con-
fidence. "The usher," she added, "is a person of
great influence."
I had to appear again in court in two days. I
waited impatiently for four o'clock. At this hour
Richard returned and said, "M. Marchand is com-
ing." Marchand was the name of the usher. In
fact, he arrived a little after. I rather liked the
expression of his face, and he seemed to be a grave
and intelligent man.
We went to dinner ; there were only us three, and
Richard gave directions that no one else was to be
admitted. The dinner was excellent, and not a
word was spoken of my affair until we reached the
dessert. Then a bottle of Malaga was set on the
table, and Richard broke silence.
"The day after to-morrow," he said, "will be a
very important day for M. TAbbe*, for it is the day
of his trial. Now, I am not at all satisfied with his
jurors. These men" he pointed to their names
" are detestable ; and this fellow here is a notorious
Jacobin."
" Well," replied Marchand, " why not reject them ?"
272 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
"Impossible!" I exclaimed; "not for the world!
That would be another month's delay."
Upon this, Richard poured him out a half-tumbler
of Malaga, just as he might have done if it were vin
ordinaire. The usher paused awhile after drinking,
and said,
"Let us consider the matter. I wish to be of
some service to you, and I think I can. Hand me
over the list."
Richard did so, and Marchand murmured, as he
read : " Faith, it is no joke having to deal with those
people! They never miss a chance of sending any
one who comes before them to the scaffold ! "
When he had finished, he took a pencil from his
pocket, saying,
" You had better cross out the names of those you
do not want."
"Let M. Richard do it," I answered; "he is kind
enough to act for me ; I don't know any of them."
After we had drawn a stroke across the names of
the obnoxious ones, " Now," said he, " whom do you
want?"
I was as much embarrassed as ever ; but Richard
came to my help a second time, and after a great
deal of hesitation we finally made up a list which
offered us some guaranty of honesty and impartial-
ity. I remember that among the names inscribed
were those of Ge'ne'ral de Tolosan; M. Charet, a
goldsmith ; Cadet, a private gentleman ; Charpentier,
a notary; Leblanc de Varennes, a lawyer; and Le-
couteux-Lenormand.
When all was over, this excellent usher said : " I
A COUP D'ETAT. 273
am about to attempt a bold stroke that will cost me
my place if it be discovered. But I would do any-
thing to save an honest man like you. I am going
to summon these jurors just as if their names had
been drawn by lot. I have some hopes that no one
will detect the substitution; the president is not
likely to remember the features of every juror that
comes before him."
I could hardly find words to express my gratitude,
and when we had taken our coffee and liqueur, he
left, carrying with him the list we had agreed on.
I wrote at once to Madame Blanchet, enclosing a
copy of the list, and directing her to show it to our
friends, so that, on the eve of the trial, they might
visit the jurors and try to influence them in my
favor.
I learned subsequently that Madame Colin, Ma-
dame Grabourtra, and my poor Blanchet fairly wore
themselves out with calling on every one they fan-
cied might serve me.
I was also vigorously supported by Vigier, ex-at-
torney to the Parliament, and now proprietor of the
baths of the Seine. He visited Gohier, the president
of the tribunal.
" I am very sorry," answered the latter, " that there
is no intermediaiy penalty. The only prospect for
him is death or acquittal, and that is what embar-
rasses me."
It was as much as if he had said, " We know he is
innocent, but we must inflict some punishment on him
to please the Directory! "
At last the decisive hour was about to strike. It
18
274 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
was now the 3d of March, and the court was to open
at eight in the morning.
I was dressed at seven, and had myself shaved and
my peruke powdered, as usual.
I waited in the kitchen, seated before the fire, and
chatted with Richard's servant. Just when she was
remarking, " M. Richard is greatly troubled about
you," Madame Colin entered. She said to me,
" I am dreadfully sorry I cannot be present at your
trial. Unfortunately, I have a case of my own on
hand, an important one, too, for it affects the for-
tunes of my children, who are minors. In fact, a vio-
lent cabal has been formed against me, and it has
succeeded in getting the affair laid over several times.
Even my lawyer shows an indifference that I cannot
account for, and hardly ever speaks. I am afraid I
am going to lose ; and yet it is no small trifle, eighty
thousand francs. The notary Raguideau, who pur-
chased my poor husband's business, is my opponent,
and he is so influential that it is hard getting the
better of him."
" Listen," I said : " Suppose the judges allow you
to speak in court, do you think you have the
courage to do so?"
" I do," she answered without hesitation.
" Well, give me paper, pen, and ink ; I have three
quarters of an hour before me, and I think I can
manage."
Then I made her go over the whole case, and,
aided by her suggestions, I wrote out a defence cover-
ing eight pages of paper. I think I may say that the
peroration was as moving and pathetic as any one
could desire, for I felt inspired by the occasion.
A COUP D'ETAT. 275
And, in fact, what could be more affecting than
the situation of a mother, still young and beautiful,
who implores the protection of her judges, and who,
helpless and unaided, has to meet the assaults of a
powerful and treacherous adversary?
This charming woman could not control her aston-
ishment at my coolness and self-possession in calmly
writing out a plea for herself at the very moment
when I had to defend my own life.
" You astound me I " she cried ; " and I am quite
ashamed to see you working for me at a time when
you stand in such a critical position yourself. Your
courage and serenity amaze me ! "
"It is the happiness I feel in having it in my
power, madame, to render you a slight service," I
answered, "and thus evince my deep sense of your
gracious kindness, that has enabled me to control all
other feelings. As for myself, I have made my sacri-
fice, and, henceforth, all my thoughts will be devoted
to the task of rendering myself fit to fall into the
arms of my Maker."
I handed to her what I had written, and passed into
the parlor ; for I feared that, if the conversation were
prolonged, I might be too much affected.
Madame Colin left to attend to her case.
She was allowed to speak ; she wept, she read her
defence with such pathetic emotion that all who
listened to her were touched. The judges ordered
her adversary to answer immediately ; in short, she
won her suit.
How great is the power an interesting woman has
over the heart of man !
276 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
My counsel, M. Bellart, entered a moment after.
He looked very pale and distressed.
" What is the matter, M. Bellart ? " I asked. " Your
face does not look as if you had good news to announce.
And yet I have been depending on you to give me
courage ! "
"Alas," he answered, "what can I tell you, ex-
cept that from feeble and prejudiced judges every-
thing is to be feared ! "
At this moment I received a summons from Richard
to be ready to appear in court.
I followed him, attended by my counsel and pre-
ceded by an usher and two gendarmes. With this
lugubrious procession I marched along in solemn
silence, like a victim going to his doom ; and, de-
scending that subterranean staircase whose aspect
chilled my blood with horror, I arrived at the thresh-
old of the court.
It was so crowded that I had much difficulty in
reaching my bench of ignominy. As only one of the
two gendarmes could succeed in making his way
through at my side, some one cried : " There is
only one gendarme ! There ought to be two ! "
At which, several voices were heard from all parts
of the court, shouting,
" No, no ; one is too many ! "
Quite a number of clerks belonging to the sup-
pressed Chamber were present, including those who
were members of the society called " la Bazoche."
When I was in the Parliament I always took a very-
kindly interest in these gentlemen, and they felt a
very warm affection for me in return.
A COUP D'ETAT. 277
So true it is that, after all, we generally reap the
fruits of our good deeds to others.
I perceived also, on casting my eyes around, all
those whom I had noticed in court before, as well as
many I had not seen previously.
The jurors, too, were all at their post, and evidently
no one suspected the stratagem of my usher.
But after a time I remarked that one of them was
absent, a man I knew well, M. le Couteau. His
place, however, was soon filled by another juror.
I have since learned that M. le Couteau de la
Norai, who was under the greatest obligations to me,
obstinately refused Blanchet's request that he should
be present in court, declaring that he did not want to
render himself an object of suspicion to the govern-
ment. In vain did one of his sisters represent that
it was solely through me he had won several law-
suits ; he could not be shaken in his resolution, and
thus gave proof of the blackest ingratitude in my
regard.
But I do not care to say any more, for he is dead.
It is for God, not for me, to punish him.
278 MEMOIRS OF MGB. SALAMOtf.
CHAPTER IX.
AT LAST.
BOULANGER AGAIN! VIGOROUS REPLIES OF THE PRISONER AND
HIS COUNSEL. THE EXAMINATION.
As soon as the judges were seated, the indictment
was read. It was conceived in much more moderate
terms than the previous one, possibly because Legras
had had nothing to do with drawing it. It charged
me simply with the crime of corresponding with the
Pope, not with that of being the leader of a con-
spiracy.
Hardly was the reading of it finished, when the
commissary Boulanger arose and demanded another
adjournment for a week.
The indignation of the audience was intense, and
found expression in a low, deep murmur.
At the same time one of the jurors, M. Leblanc de
Varennes, rising from his seat, asked whether it was
with the intention of exposing them to derision that
they were so often called to that court, apparently for
no object whatever.
As for myself, I was struck dumb with amazement ;
I could not open my lips.
But M. Bellart spoke with indignant eloquence
against any adjournment. The judges, compelled to
deliberate under the very eyes of the public, did not
dare to accede to the commissary's demand.
AT LAST. 279
They decided that they must refuse the request of
Citizen Boulanger, and that I should be tried during
the present sitting.
This decision was received by the audience with
the greatest enthusiasm.
But no sooner was silence restored than this same
commissary of the Directory rose again and demanded
that I should be handed over for trial to a military
commission ! He stated that my case should be dealt
with by some such body rather than by the present
tribunal, for the crime with which I was really charged
was not that of conspiracy, neither was it that of cor-
responding with the Pope, it was simply that of
being a spy.
This unexpected requisition at first created a sort
of stupefaction throughout the hall ; but no sooner did
the audience recover from their surprise than such a
violent outcry arose against the commissary that the
president could not obtain silence. " They want to
assassinate him ! " cried some ; others shouted : " They
shall not send him before a military commission."
But I made a gesture with my hand to signify I
had something to say. In a moment every voice
was hushed, and then I spoke as follows :
" Yes, citizen president, I am a spy ; but a civil
spy, the minister of a foreign power, and recognized
as such for more than ten years. I am here under
the safeguard of the laws, and only a short time ago,
although not invested with any official character, I
treated with the ministers of the Directory them-
selves.
" Why, you have spies of that class in every court
280 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMOK
in Europe ! Well, then ! are they put in prison ?
Are they prosecuted as criminals ? Does any one ever
think of handing them over to the mercies of a mili-
tary commission ? No ; that law which you invoke
against me, that law which, you say, permits you to
deliver me to a military commission, that law con-
cerns only spies taken with arms in their hands in the
midst of camps, while I am a peaceful citizen, a citi-
zen whom you have arrested in his own house, with-
out reason or motive.
u However, I am not sufficiently versed in your
new laws to defend myself to the best advantage, and
my counsel will do so with the eloquence for which he
is distinguished."
Thereupon M. Bellart addressed the commissary :
" Oblige me," he said, " by showing me the text of
the law of which you speak ; I am not acquainted
with it, but I promise you I '11 discuss every article
of it."
He did so, in fact, in the most luminous manner,
and ended his discourse with a moving peroration,
the concluding words of which were,
"Remember, citizen judges, that, if you have not
had the good fortune to be elected by the people, you
have now an opportunity at least of showing your-
selves worthy of such an honor."
The reason why he made this allusion was that my
judges had been appointed by the Directory, in open
violation of the constitution, and we were on the eve
of the primary assembly, when new elections would
take place. 1 Consequently, not only did the words
1 In April, 1797.
AT LAST. 281
of M. Bellart call forth applause in the body of the
court, but they made a profound impression on the
judges themselves, and, perhaps, excited a little
apprehension among them also.
Feeling the necessity, therefore, of taking the
matter at once under consideration, and being undoubt-
edly intimidated by public opinion, they decided,
after a deliberation lasting an hour and a quarter,
that they were competent, and that the case should
be tried immediately.
This decision aroused such enthusiasm that the
president was beside himself. He was terribly agi-
tated, and cried with all his might that the law
expressly forbade all expressions of approbation or
disapprobation.
At length calm was restored. The indictment was
read a second time, and, as the prosecution had no
witnesses, the municipal officials of Passy offered to
testify to my conduct and morality. The court, how-
ever, declared this was not necessary.
Then the president, taking my letter in his hand,
said,
" Prisoner, the main foundation on which the
charge against you rests is this letter."
" And has there ever been a time," I answered
immediately, " when justice admitted such a proof as
that, especially when no other proof was in exist-
ence ? Moreover, you have procured possession of
that document by violating all existing laws, by vio-
lating the law of nations, by wresting it from a
courier on the highway. How, then, can it be
brought in evidence against me ? It is I who ought
to be the prosecutor here.
282 MEMOIRS OF MGB. SALAMON.
" I beg to call your attention to the famous ordi-
nance of the Parliament of Paris dealing with the case
of a woman who was accused of the greatest crimes,
but against whom the evidence was defective. A
letter was found in her room containing a confession
of every crime wherewith she was charged. The
attorney-general having used this document as an
irresistible proof at her trial, the Parliament of Paris
declared it inadmissible, on the ground that accused
persons cannot be their own accusers.
" You see here an instance of the scrupulous caution
with which judges act when a human life is at stake."
My counsel also used every effort to prevent the
admission of the letter as evidence against me.
This point raised a long debate among the judges,
and I almost began to repent that I had touched on
the subject at all, for they were very near referring
the decision of the matter to the Corps Legislatif,
in which case I could not tell when it would end.
Accordingly I said to the president, that, in order
to avoid all difficulties, I consented to the production
of my letter.
Then there ensued a sort of dialogue between me
and the president. He put a number of questions to
me, and I answered them with more or less warmth,
in proportion to the degree to which they aroused my
indignation.
I give here, as far as I recollect them, the most
salient points of this examination.
" Why have you corresponded with the enemies of
the state?"
" I have not corresponded with the enemies of the
AT LAST. 283
state. If you mean that the Pope is one of the enemies
of the state, I can only say that the Pope is not an enemy
of France. As the supreme chief of religion, France
has a place in his heart, as have all other Catholic na-
tions ; it is true, however, that he is the enemy of your
government. That does not prevent me from corre-
sponding with him and with his ministers. I was born
his subject and I am a priest. By this twofold title
I have the right to correspond with the Sovereign
Pontiff.
"Remark further, that, in order to recognize one
power as the enemy of another, a sign is necessary.
Now, has war been actually declared against the Pope ?
The law expressly says that such a war can only be
decreed by the Corps Le*gislatif . Where is this decree ?
It is you who have attacked the Pope, and that, too,
without giving him any warning. It is you who have
invaded his states. As for him, he has not offered you
the slightest resistance."
"What is the meaning of the ciphers you have
employed ? "
" I do not remember. The key was in my apartment,
but I have lost it through the fault of the police agents,
who turned everything upside down in my house."
" Prisoner, you would seem to say in this letter that
the French desire a chief; of course you mean a
king. Who told you so ? "
" As I was not sending any journals to the Pope at
the time, I merely stated what I read in them. More-
over," I added warmly, " I am not the only person
who says this ; everybody says so."
I may as well remark, by the way, that all this took
284 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMOK
place before the 18th Fructidor, when freedom of
speech was still allowed.
The president resumed :
"You are the enemy of the Republic; you have
refused to take the oaths."
" I am not an enemy of the Republic ; but I have
not yet reached the degree of heroism commanded by
the Gospel : I do not love my enemies with my whole
heart. All I can do is not to wish them evil. Now,
I have never excited any one against the Republic, for
I disdain revenge. For that matter, finish the read-
ing of my letter ; and, since you read what is against
me, read also what is in my favor. You will see I
advise the Pope to make peace with General Bona-
parte, and not to trust to the promises of the Neapo-
litan leader, or to those of the King of Naples himself,
because they would betray him.
" As to the reproach you address to me, for not
having taken the oaths, I might answer that that is
a matter which concerns my own conscience alone.
But I do not wish that the numerous and respectable
audience in whose presence I stand should have any
doubts as to my political and religious opinions.
" I answer then that, as I was not a public func-
tionary, I was under no obligation to take the oath to
the Civil Constitution of the clergy. I will even add
that, had I been a public functionary, I should still
have refused it, in obedience to the dictates of my
conscience. For that constitution destroys the rights
and power of the Pope, as well as the rights of the
French episcopate, and overturns the ecclesiastical
hierarchy. Finally, the Pope forbade the oath to
be taken.
AT LAST. 285
" As to the oath of Liberty and Equality, I never
could see that I needed to take it. At all times
French citizens have been equal before the law. The
brothers of the king, and even the king himself,
could be sued in a court of law, and everybody en-
joyed personal liberty. But if you call the liberty
which is only another name for license and the parent
of anarchy liberty, then I spurn it, in common with
all good Frenchmen.
" As to the oath of hatred to royalty, I proclaim in
the face of the whole world that my fidelity to the
royal cause would prevent me from taking it. And,
besides, a Christian ought to hate only one thing,
sin.
" But if you charge me with want of fidelity to the
laws of the Republic, I answer that I obey these laws
faithfully, and you cannot ask me to do more."
Every one of my answers was applauded to the skies.
" Prisoner," said the president, " how can you be
an enemy of your country, you, an ex-clerical coun-
cillor of the Parliament of Paris ; you who live here
under the protection of the laws ? "
" Citizen president, I am not an enemy of my coun-
try, and I do not live under the protection of the
laws.
" Torn from my home without the shadow of a rea-
son, I was hurried into the midst of the massacres of
the 2d and 3d of September, 1792, and I escaped only
by a miracle, after seeing sixty of my unfortunate
companions slaughtered before my eyes.
"Threatened with arrest a second time, I had to
wander for nine whole months without shelter, with-
286 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMOST.
out succor, without a place where I could lay my
head, a prey to the deepest misery, living like a wild
beast in the woods that surround the capital ; and
at the same time, although I had not committed any
crime, I was condemned to death in my absence.
" To-day I am arraigned as a criminal before you,
thanks to the violation of every law. And yet you
tell me that I am living under the protection of the
laws ! No, M. le President, no ! "
I was asked a number of other questions, which
it would take too long to relate, but I answered them
all with firmness and courage.
Then came the turn of my counsel.
His speech was a splendid effort. 1 He dwelt
at length upon my answers, and spoke exhaustively
on those passages of my letter which were to my
advantage.
You can imagine what a struggle I had to make
to defend myself as I had done. I felt completely
broken up at the end.
Moreover, I had taken nothing, since seven in the
morning, but a cup of chocolate, and it was now
eleven in the evening.
Fortunately, the president adjourned until nine
o'clock the next morning.
1 It is referred to by Billecoq in his " Notice sur Bellart." See
" (Euvres choisies de Bellart," Paris, 1827.
THE ACQUITTAL. 287
CHAPTER X.
THE ACQUITTAL.
LAST HOURS AT THE CONCIEKGERIE. M. BELLART HAS PLEASANT
ANTICIPATIONS THE ABBE CHAMPAGNE. THE VERDICT.
FREE! THE CONCLUSION. THE INTERNUNCIO is NAMED AD-
MINISTRATOR OF THE DlOCESES OP NORMANDY BY PlUS VII.
SEEING how very tired I was, my good Richard
took me by the hand, and, instead of conducting me
back to the Conciergerie by the dark staircase, he led
me round the square of the Palais, forcing a passage
for me through the dense throngs that filled it.
Some persons I did not know remarked me on the
way, and said,
" Be of good courage, monsieur ! We have all
pitied you, and everybody is in your favor."
" I am recognized," said I to Richard ; " let us get
along quickly."
We entered by the great gate.
An excellent supper was already on the table,
awaiting my arrival. I noticed that the fish was
particularly fine. Richard and I partook of it with
relish.
This worthy man, who deserved to occupy a higher
position, wept with joy. He said to me,
"You have spoken like an angel! During the
whole thirty years I have been in the prison, I have
288 MEMOIRS OF MGR. SALAMON.
never seen any one make such a defence as you did !
They will never dare to condemn you ! "
" I hope so," I answered ; " but I wish the trial was
over, whatever the result."
" You are right," returned Richard. " Still, what
you said will make an impression on the jurors during
the night, and, above all, their wives, to whom they
will relate all that has occurred, are sure to be on
your side."
My counsel came early in the morning. His first
words to me were,
" Be of good courage ! "
" Ah ! " I answered, " you never thought of say-
ing that to me yesterday, when I had far more need
of it!"
"Yesterday I was almost certain you were lost.
One of the judges assured me in the most unequivocal
terms that you were to go before a military commis-
sion, and that was why you saw me so downcast. I
thought that all our methods of defence would be
useless. They have not dared to do this, owing to
the feeling displayed by the audience in your behalf.
You are indebted for your safety to the good will of
the people!
" Permit me to add also that you spoke with much
eloquence, and said just what you ought to say."
We left for court at nine o'clock precisely. Richard
was very busy at the Palais, trying to find out what
was said about me.
He returned to the prison just before the judges
had taken their seats, looking very happy, and whis-
pered in the ear of his servant,
THE ACQUITTAL. 289
" He is safe ; I saw the questions ! " 1
M. Bellart and I had planned together the course
we intended to adopt, and it was a very bold one.
Basing our action on the laws which proclaim the
sanctity of private correspondence, we demanded that
the functionaries who had violated those laws should
undergo the penalties prescribed by the legislature.
Consequently, we asked that, according to the terms
of such and such an article, which we cited,
the minister of police should be condemned to two
years' imprisonment, and on his release be compelled
to pay over to me, for the benefit of the poor, such
damages as the court in its wisdom might decree.
On the other hand, the public prosecutor denounced
me in a most violent harangue, and concluded by
insisting that I should be condemned to capital
punishment.
Then the president put the usual questions to the
jurors. They were couched in the following terms :
"Has there been a correspondence with the ene-
mies of the state?
" Is the prisoner guilty of this crime ?
"Has he acted with evil intention?"
The jurors deliberated for a long time. Many had
been prejudiced by the use the commissary of the
Directory had made of the word spy.
Luckily, as I have already mentioned, a letter to
me from Cardinal Busca had been seized at the post-
office. It was written in Italian.
1 No doubt the questions the president put to the jurors. It is
very hard, however, to understand how Richard could augur the inter-
nuncio's safety from reading them.
19
290 MEMOIRS OF MGB. SALAMON.
Among the jurors was the Abb6 Champagne, a
married deacon and bursar of the College de Navarre,
who was thoroughly acquainted with this language.
He translated the letter for the other jurors, and said :
" The prisoner is charged with being a spy ; but no,
he is not a spy, not at all. He is the friend of the
Pope. The Pope writes to him by his minister that
he loves him and continues to hold him in the greatest
esteem and affection. A sovereign prince never ex-
presses himself in such terms with regard to a spy.
To end the matter," he added, "I regard the pris-
oner simply as an envoy of the Pope, and I am in
favor of his acquittal."
Ge'ne'ral de Tolosan was equally zealous in my
favor, and after two hours' deliberation the jury re-
turned into court with their verdict. To the first
two questions the answers were in the affirmative;
to the last, in the negative.
The president was therefore compelled to discharge
me.
The verdict was received with enthusiastic applause.
But I had to drink my chalice to the dregs. In-
stead of being set at liberty at once, as is usual even
in the case of criminals, I was forced to remain an-
other twenty-four hours in prison.
My counsel came toward the middle of the next
day and asked Richard whether the public prose-
cutor had sent him an order for my release at the
expiration of twenty-four hours. As Richard an-
swered in the negative, M. Bellart warned him
that, in that case, the law authorized my counsel to
restore me to liberty himself at the end of twenty-
four hours, and he begged him to let him do so.
THE ACQUITTAL. 291
It can be readily imagined that my good Richard
was not the man to stand in the way of my release,
and he opened the door immediately.
And now, madarne, I have reached the conclusion
of my lamentable history. Doubtless many things
have escaped me, for it is a long time since all this
happened.
My life since then has been tranquil and unevent-
ful, spent in the discharge of the spiritual mission
with which I have been invested.
In 1801 I was sent to Normandy in order to admin-
ister the entire province, and there I had to govern
five of the most important dioceses of France, notably,
that of Rouen, which is the seat of an archbishopric.
I took up my residence in this city ; but during the
winter I travelled through all these dioceses, naming
vicar-generals to act in my name.
This province was very much divided regarding
the oath of fidelity and submission to the laws of the
Republic. I succeeded in my efforts for peace and
conciliation, notwithstanding the obstacles thrown in
my path by the intruding priests.
The Cardinal Legate was so well satisfied with the
success of my mission that he wrote me several let-
ters, by order of the Pope, assuring me of the pleasure
my administration had given his Holiness, and that
I more than realized his fondest hopes.
APPENDIX.
The Abbe de Salamon to Cardinal Zelada.
PARIS, the 12th of June, 1786.
. . . Nor have I shown less zeal, monseigneur, in
the unhappy affair of Prince Louis de Rohan. How
often have I hastened to visit such of my colleagues as
were most opposed to him, in order to convince them as
to what their religion required of them, and to show them
that, both for the edification of the weak and the silenc-
ing of the murmurs of the misguided, they should have
the greatest respect, not for the person of the accused,
but for the eminent character with which he was in-
vested, he being a priest, a bishop, and decorated with the
Roman purple !
I insinuated that we had not to judge the previous
conduct of Prince Louis, nor his want of respect for the
royal majesty, but simply the crime of swindling, with
which he had nothing to do.
It is very true that, by his own confession, he knew
of the fraud after its commission, and that, nevertheless,
he had kept the jewellers Boehmer and Bassange in their
error, and delivered to them a receipt in the name of her
Majesty the Queen for 30,000 francs. But, with the aid
of M. le President, who has the highest esteem for your
Eminence, we have dispelled this little cloud, to which the
294 APPENDIX.
attorney-general of the king attached so much import-
ance. The court, full of respect for religion and for the
Eoman purple, treated Prince Louis with all possible
courtesy. When he appeared before the assembled Cham-
bers to undergo an examination, he was requested to take
a seat, and when the examination was over and he was
retiring, the court rose to do him honor. (Vatican
Archives : Nunciature and Affairs of Avignon.)
II.
From the Same to the Same.
PALAIS DU LOUVEE, 15th of March, 1787.
. . . Your Eminence will be surprised to learn that, at
the very moment an attempt is made to diminish the
privileges of the clergy, an archbishop of Toulouse l has
been made minister and placed at the head of the finances.
The happiest consequences are predicted from this choice.
III.
To the Same.
PARIS, the 5th of August, 1788.
... You have no doubt heard of the frightful excite-
ment created by the attempt to overturn the French
constitution in most of the provinces, and especially in
Bretagne. Twelve gentlemen from the latter province were
sent as deputies to demand from the king the restoration
of their privileges. They were seized during the night
and immured in the horrible dungeons of the Bastile.
Twenty-two other deputies arrived soon after the news of
this act of violence, and demanded an audience of the
king. The Bishop of D61, who was exiled for the affair
of the edict in favor of the non-Catholics, pronounced a
1 Lomenie de Brienne.
APPENDIX. 295
vehement discourse, which I have the honor to send you,
together with the Memoir he read before his Majesty, at
the head of the deputies. I also enclose the reply of his
Majesty. It was not satisfactory, and six deputies are
to arrive from each of the dioceses, making in all fifty-two.
The Parliament of Bretagne, although embraced in the
lettre de cachet, which it does not recognize, met at Vannes
on the 24th. It deputed twelve of its members to go to
Versailles, but they were compelled to return, when within
eight leagues of this city.
The province of Dauphine also assembled, on the 21st
of last month, to the number of seven hundred. There
is general consternation, trade is as dull as it can be, and
justice does not exist. We must be a cause of wonder to
other nations.
The ministers are always promising the States-General,
but they do not want it, and are careful not to fix a date
for its meeting.
Your Eminence must have been astonished at the lan-
guage of the Archbishop of Narbonne, 1 when, at the head
of his clergy, he took leave of the king. This prelate
did not blush to thank the king for the edict in favor of
the non-Catholics ! Everybody is indignant at such con-
duct. But the clergy have no nerve, and they have re-
fused to protest against this discourse.
I have pressed several bishops to do so, but all in vain.
... A decree of the Council of State is announced for
to-morrow, granting to Dauphine the restoration of its
states, and fixing the date for the convocation of the
States-General. It is the only way of recovering tran-
quillity and filling the coffers of the king, which are
THE ABB DE SALAMON,
Councillor of the Parliament.
(From the Vatican Archives : Nunciature of France.)
1 Mgr. Dillon.
296 APPENDIX.
IV.
To the Same.
PARIS, the 12th of August, 1788.
MONSEIGNEUR, The clergy of France have at length
separated. The assembly was divided, and this prevented
it from effecting any good. Your Eminence must have
been surprised when you saw the discourse of the Arch-
bishop of Narbonne, the president. His boldness in
thanking the king for the edict in favor of the non-
Catholics should have been rebuked by the clergy. But
no ! there was not a single protest against the edict. I
send your Eminence a little pamphlet; it will prove to
you how little zeal these prelates have for the glory of
their order, which, even before the monarchy existed, was
the first order in the state, and was loaded with privileges.
Well! such will not be the case any longer. They
wish to be on an equality with the noblesse in the provin-
cial assemblies, they will preside alternately ; and, what
is worse, at the very moment when the Parliament is
opposing with all its strength the verifications of the prop-
erties of the king's subjects, as contrary to their liberties
and the source of all kinds of vexations, the clergy, on
the demand of the archbishops of Kheims and Bour-
deaux, have decided to submit to these verifications ! It
makes one sick to think of it.
At last, the demand of the Parliament has been effec-
tive: the States-General will assemble on the 1st of May,
1789. We all believe that peace will then be restored
throughout the kingdom.
Fifty-two fresh deputies arrived here yesterday to ask
for the release of the twelve gentlemen imprisoned in the
Bastile. They are not to leave until their petition is
granted. It is uncertain whether they will be received by
the king.
APPENDIX. 297
The whole country is in consternation. A mere word
is sufficient to procure your arrest and imprisonment in
the Bastile, which is crowded with captives. And who
does all this ? An archbishop, 1 who is creating a panic
among twenty-four millions of human beings. It is hoped
that the king, who has good intentions, may see that he
is deceived, and may dismiss from his councils those who
tarnish the glory of his reign and injure the tranquillity of
the state. . . .
P. S. Your Eminence knows my handwriting, and
there is no need of my signature. I act as I do, fearing
my letters may be opened at the post-office.
(Vatican Archives.)
V.
To the Nuncio.*
Monday, the 27th of April, 1789.
M. the Abbe de Salamon has the honor to present his
respectful compliments to his Excellency the Nuncio, and
to inform him that the unimportant riot which occurred
at about four o'clock had its origin in a private affair.
The Sieur Reveillon, a wholesale paper manufacturer,
had the imprudence to say in an assembly of his district,
" that the workmen could easily live on twenty sols a day,
and even on fifteen." These words created some excite-
ment at the time ; but to-day the workmen became furious
against this Reveillon, and searched his house for him.
Fortunately, he escaped to the Chatelet. A mob gathered
around it, and insisted on having him out and hanging
him. Not succeeding, they went to the yard of the Palais,
erected a gallows, and hanged him in effigy. Then they
dispersed.
1 Lomenie de Brienne.
2 The nuncio at Paris at this time was Dugnani.
298 APPENDIX.
Nevertheless, as I was leaving the apartment of M. le
President, a messenger arrived with the news that the
mob was running in the direction of Reveillon's house,
with the intention of plundering or even burning it. The
shops were all shut, and there was a dreadful panic. Just
as I was entering the carriage of M. de Castillon, a gentle-
man came up to us in a state of great alarm and told us
to return to the H6tel Galifet. Still, although only a
soldier of the Pope, 1 I told him we should stand our
ground and see what was going to happen. The result
showed I was right.
We returned in the carriage to the house of the First
President, when all was over. The whole affair was in-
significant. It may happen, however, that a reveille may
be rung out for Reveillon to-night. This is the whole truth
of the matter. (Vatican Archives : Nunciature of France.)
VI.
Letter of Mgr. de Salamon to the Editor-in-chief of the
Ami de la Religion.
I have read in your journal of the 17th, that an ecclesi-
astic of the diocese of Besancon had refuted the pamphlet
which attacks the authenticity of the Briefs issued by
Pius VI. against the Constitution of the Clergy. Allow
me to confirm the statements of this ecclesiastic, and to
add my positive testimony to the proofs he has adduced.
Although a clerical councillor in the Parliament of Paris,
I was born a subject of Pius VI., and was named by him
in 1790, after the departure of Mgr. Dugnani, inter-
nuncio to Louis XVI. I was recognized as such, and
exercised the functions of the office until the 10th of
August.
In March, 1791, I received, through Cardinal Zelada,
1 That is to say, a priest.
APPENDIX. 299
the original briefs, in the legal and usual form, with a
short letter on parchment for each of the metropolitans.
I forwarded them at once to Cardinal de La Rochefou-
cauld, archbishop of Rouen, the archbishops of Cambrai,
Toulouse, and Aries, who were still in France, and even
to Cardinal de Lomenie.
These prelates acknowledged their reception, all but the
archbishops of Toulouse and Sens. When I complained
of this silence to the Abbe Godard, grand vicar of Toulouse,
I received a reply, a little after, from the archbishop.
I had them translated and printed by the Sieur Copart,
although very heavy penalties then existed against all who
should publish acts emanating from Rome.
The authenticity of these briefs cannot, therefore, be
called in question.
Louis DE SALAMON, J2ishop of Saint-Flour.
SAINT-FLOUR, 30th of October, 1821.
vn.
Fragments of the Memoirs of the Abbe Sward, relative to
Mgr. de Salomon and the Cure de Saint-Jean en Greve.
" . . . While all this was passing, the door of the prison
was opened with a great noise to admit a fresh victim.
And what a victim ! Great God ! it was one of my com-
rades in the Mairie, whom I believed dead, the Abbe
S - 1 He had been transferred, with sixty others, on
the 1st of September, had been dragged in the midst of
them to the yard, to be massacred with them, and had
found himself unconsciously in the ranks of the murderers,
instead of among the murdered. Profiting by the disorder
that reigned in this execrable theatre, he made his way to
1 Salamon.
300 APPENDIX.
the very table where the committee sat, and begged his
life with that accent of despair which penetrates the
hardest hearts. The result was that he was locked up
amongst us.
" What an interview and what a moment for us both!
... I had learned through the concierge of the massacre
of all the prisoners, with whom I knew that he was. When
I saw him again, it seemed to me as if I was about to see
all my other friends.
" It was he who informed me of the glorious and heroic
death of the cure of Saint-Jean en Greve, that venerable
old man, who replied with such courage to the questions
of his assassins, and who preferred death to the oath
which they proposed, demanding only one favor, that
his death might be as speedy as possible, and he ob-
tained it.
" The most ferocious of the band seized the old man
by the hair, fixed his head on a block, and struck at
it with a sabre. Another hewed off the head from the
trunk.
" Thus began the massacre of those victims to whom
Manuel, ten days before, had announced their freedom. . . .
" Such was the narrative of my old comrade, who had
escaped by a miracle from this bloody tragedy.
" About three in the morning, when there was no longer
anyone to be slaughtered, the murderers remembered that
there were still some prisoners in the violon. They knocked
at the little door opening on the yard. Every blow was for
us a sentence of death. We thought we were lost.
" I rapped gently at the door which communicated with
the hall of the committee, trembling with fear lest I should
be heard by the assassins who were threatening to break in
the other door. The commissaries answered that they had
no key. We had, then, to await in patience our frightful
destiny.
APPENDIX. 301
" There were three of us in this prison. 1 My two com-
rades saw a plank above us which they thought might
afford us a chance of safety. Only one could reach it,
by mounting on the shoulders of the others.
" One of them addressed me in these words : * Only one
can escape. You are more useful in the world than we
are, and that one must be you. We can form a ladder
for you with our two bodies.' "
Then follows a contest of generosity between the three,
not unlike that described by Coppee in his drama, entitled :
" L'un ou 1'autre." Finally, the Abbe Sicard climbs to the
shoulders of the first, then to those of the second, and
thanks to this ladder and also to his agility disap-
pears. He climbs back again when the danger vanishes,
and his preservers had not to pay for their devotion with
their lives.
vin.
Another Fragment, supposed to be by the Abbe Godard*
" The cure of Saint- Jean en Greve addressed these
words to his companions :
u< My dear brethren! to-day is Sunday. We would
all celebrate or hear Mass, if we were free. Since we
cannot have this happiness, let us unite ourselves with the
sacrifice offered at this moment by some minister of Jesus
Christ ; there is every likelihood that this shall be our last
Mass, and that our next one may be said in heaven. .Every-
thing proclaims that this is our last day/
1 According to the Abbe* Sicard, this happened before the arrival of
S , that is to say, Salamon.
2 " Annales Catholiques," t. 1, Relation de la Conversion de M. de
Chamois. This episode recalls that of the massacres of the Commune,
in which President Bonjeau, converted by the Jesuits, confessed to
Pere OUivaiiit.
302 APPENDIX.
" Immediately, all the priests fell on their knees, and
the cure began the prayers of the liturgy."
Further on the writer speaks of u the confession" :
"At these words [of the cure] M. de Chamois threw
himself at the feet of the priest and confessed.
" All the priests confessed to one another. They then
begged the saintly cure to give them the general absolu-
tion." . . .
The author describes the escape of the prisoners
through the window :
"An order had been obtained from Manuel to deliver
one of the priests imprisoned in this hall [the chapel of
the Guild of Artisans]. He was summoned at the very
moment the assassins were breaking into it. The door
yielded to their blows, and that the priest protected by
Manuel might not be included in the general massacre,
they relaxed their fury for a time, and allowed this priest
to be called.
4 ' He had escaped through one of the windows, and was
no longer with his companions.
" He was called for several times, and was told that
Manuel wished to save him. This priest was not known
to those who called for him. Some one else might have
taken this opportunity to escape. M. de Chamois could
have profited by it more than any one, for he was of the
same height as the priest who was to be saved." 1
1 Comparing this account with the " Memoirs/' t. L c. vii., we see
that this priest was the Abb6 Godard.
APPENDIX. 303
IX.
DISCOVERY OF THE PROTEST OF THE PARLIAMENT.
Extract from the notes to a poem on the death of de Loizerolles,
quoted from the " Histoire du Tribunal Revolutionnaire," by M.
Campardon.
The President de Rosambo undoubtedly accelerated
his own destruction.
The anecdote is worthy of Tiberius, and I relate it on
the faith of that illustrious and unfortunate magistrate
himself, who told it to me with a serenity I was far from
sharing.
During the last year in which the Parliament of Paris
was allowed to hold its sessions, there had been a perma-
nent tribunal, called the Chambre des Vacations, destined
to prolong the course of justice until the accession of a
new order of magistrates.
This Chamber was presided over by the venerable de
Rosambo.
Before dissolving, it passed a unanimous resolution
protesting against the new disorganizing laws, which in a
few months had overturned a throne upon which sixty-three
kings had sat.
The son-in-law of Malesherbes saw the necessity of
hiding from the Revolutionists the original monument of
his honorable resistance to the popular tyranny which was
beginning to involve every one in a common ruin.
He took into his confidence an old attendant who had
been in his service for thirty years, and whom he believed
incapable of treachery. He ordered him to have a hollow
key made, in the interior of which the dangerous parch-
ment could be deposited.
His agent performed his mission. M. de Rosambo,
with his aid, placed the protest in the empty key, which
304 APPENDIX.
was closed by a secret spring, and, tranquil as to the
issue, shut himself up with his family in the solitude of
Malesherbes.
The patriots of the Revolutionary Committee found
the means of undermining the agent of M. de Rosambo.
Perhaps they told him he should one day inherit the post
of president & mortier if he enlightened his country on
the general conspiracy of the magistracy against the Re-
public, and the old servant did not hesitate to betray his
master to save his country.
X.
PROTEST OF THE PARLIAMENT.
The undersigned, considering that the stability of the
throne, the glory of the nation, and the happiness of citi-
zens of all orders and of all classes require the perpetua-
tion of some monument which shall conserve the principles
by which the kingdom has been governed during so many
ages ; that, in the present circumstances, this obligation
is especially incumbent on the magistrates of the Chambre
des Vacations, inasmuch as they form a part of the First
Court of the realm, and can, therefore, alone supplement
the silence of the princes, peers, and magistrates from
whom they have been separated, formally declare, at the
same time renewing their protests of the 5th of November
against the first attacks made on the laws and constitution
of the state, that it has never been their purpose to in any
manner approve the different decrees which they have
registered; and that such registration has been entered
only on the express condition that it should be renewed
on the return of the court ; that, as this condition cannot
be realized, every registration becomes null and void;
that they cannot recognize the results of the deliberations
of an Assembly which ought legally to consist of the
APPENDIX. 305
three orders composing the States-General, but which has
been deprived of its original nature and has constituted
itself by its own authority the National Assembly ; that,
finally, they protest and shall always protest against
everything that has been done or may be done by the
deputies of the States-General, which, in this pretended
Assembly, has, contrary to the express tenor of the man-
dates of its members, not only exceeded its power,
consisting principally in paying the debts of the state,
providing for the necessary expenditure by a due appor-
tionment of taxation, and establishing a wise reform in
the different departments of administration, but has even
abused it by violating property of every kind, by despoil-
ing the clergy, thereby holding religion up to contempt,
by overthrowing the noblesse, which has always been one
of the chief pillars of the state, by the degradation of the
royal majesty, reduced to an empty phantom by the blows
levelled at its authority, and lastly, by a confusion of
powers destructive of the true principles of the Monarchy.
Signed : Le Pelletier de Rosambo, Duport, H. L. Fredy,
Dupuis, Nouer, Pasquier, Amelot, Lambert, Lescalopier,
d'Outremont, Camus de la Guibourgere, Constance,
Lenoir, Sahuguet d'Espagnac, Salamon, Agard de Mau-
pas, Fagnier de Mardeuil.
This 14th day of October, 1790.
WRIT FOR THE APPREHENDING OF THE BODIES OF THE
SIGNERS OF THE PROTEST.
The Committee of General Safety decrees that Le
Pelletier de Rosanbo, Fredy, Dupuis, Pasquier, d'Outre-
mont, Fagnier de Mardeuil, Amelot, Lambert, Lescalo-
pier, Camus de la Guibourgere, Lenoir, Duport, Agard de
Maupas, Sahuguet d'Espagnac, Constance, Salomon,
Roland, Ferrand, Sallier, Barreme, Oursin, Rouhette,
306 APPENDIX.
and Bourree de Corberon, ex-presidents or councillors of
the ci-devant Parliament of Paris, shall be brought before
the Revolutionary Tribunal, being charged with signing or
approving certain protests tending to insult the liberty and
sovereignty of the people, calumniate the national repre-
sentation and restore the reign of tyranny, decrees, con-
sequently, that the said counter-revolutionary protests and
the other articles to be produced in evidence, discovered
in the house of Rosanbo, one of the conspirators, to whose
care they had been intrusted, shall be placed in the hands
of the public accuser.
The members of the Committee of General Safety :
Signed: Dubarrau, M. Bayle, Vadier, Voulland,
Louis (du Bas-Rhin), Amar.
XI.
Extract from the Biographie Michaud (Art. Salamon).
" . . . Having been a second time indicted, he [de Sala-
mon] was obliged to make his escape. He lived for a
long time in the environs of Paris, concealing himself in
the thickets of the Bois de Boulogne, 1 where he used to
sleep on a bed of leaves. He never entered Paris except
to dine at a restaurant, the proprietor of which was a roy-
alist like himself, and helped him to evade the search of
the police. He returned every evening to his asylum in
the forest, and lived thus until the fall of Robespierre.
. . ." The writer says, further on, " He was tried in 1798,
and menaced with deportation." THESE TWO ERRORS,
he was tried in 1796 and never menaced with deportation,
as well as those contained in the preceding passage,
1 It is well known that the Bois de Boulogne became a pleasure
park in the early days of the First Empire. Before that period, it was
a real wood, even a forest. It is necessary to remember this in read-
ing the narrative of the internuncio.
APPENDIX. 307
lead me to believe that Dassance, the author of the article,
had these details from some disfigured oral tradition or
other.
XII.
EXTRACTS FROM THE NEWSPAPERS OF THE TIME ON THE
PROSECUTION OF THE INTERNUNCIO AT THE INSTANCE
OF THE DIRECTORY.
Le Veridique ou Courrier universel of the 17th Nivose,
Year V. of the French Republic (Sunday the 1st of
January, 1797).
" . . . Three interesting cases have been for some time
attracting great crowds to the Palais de Justice. . . .
" The third case is that of the Abbe Salamon, accused
of corresponding with the Pope. In order to have a pre-
text for depriving him, for some time longer, of his lib-
erty, the president applied the amnesty to a portion of the
crimes of which the prisoner is accused. The indictment,
therefore, was quashed, and he was remanded. He will
appear on another charge before the jury."
The Veridique of the 5th of January. Communicated by
Mgr. de Salamon to the editor of the journal.
From the prisons of the Conciergerie,
14th Nivose (4th of January, 1797).
In the depths of my dungeon, monsieur, I am informed
that the newspapers have resounded with the judgment
delivered in my case on the 8th of this month. Their
account of it is, however, very imperfect, and I beg you
to give a correct version of the facts in your journal,
which justly deserves the public confidence.
They report that I have been amnestied as to a part of
the crime imputed to me.
Amnesty is for crime, not for a pure and stainless soul.
We have pleaded with the greatest force to avoid this
308 APPENDIX.
judgment. The document upon which it was based
should not have been introduced. It is a letter I wrote
during the Terror, while wandering in the Bois de Bou-
logne, and was forgotten among some of my old papers
in the country.
An amnesty is applicable only to a crime. Now, a let-
ter is not a crime ; it may be an index, a proof of a crime,
but a proof cannot be the subject of an amnesty.
I wished judgment to be given on the affair as it was,
confiding in the goodness of my cause and in the enlight-
ened justice of my jurors. I have succumbed, but it
must not therefore be inferred that I have consented to
be amnestied.
Signed, L. G. SALAMON.
Ibid, of the 27th of January, 1797.
M. Salamon, ci-devant clerical councillor of the Par-
liament of Paris, accused of corresponding with the Court
of Rome, appeared to-day before the criminal Tribunal of
the Seine. If we are to judge of the intentions of the
government in his regard by the conduct of its commis-
sary in court, it cannot be denied that the Directory feels
a very great interest in the condemnation of M. Salamon,
for citizen Desmaisons l has gone considerably out of his
way to effect that result.
Before the opening of the case, the commissary, fear-
ing doubtless the favorable decision of the jurors, and
having more confidence in a military commission which
would be packed by the Directory, moved that the pris-
oner be sent before such a commission, and tried as a spy.
But the tribunal refused this ridiculous motion, and de-
clared it had jurisdiction to deal with the affair.
After the indictment was read, a document based
wholly on intercepted letters, M. Bellart, the counsel
1 He is called Boulanger by the internuncio.
APPENDIX. 309
for the prisoner, raised a question of the highest impor-
tance. He demanded that all these letters should be
declared inadmissible, because they had come into the
hands of the government only through a crime, that of
the violation of the secrecy of letters.
We wish it were in our power to follow the orator in the
arguments, marked by as much clearness as eloquence,
by which he proved that the Directory had not the right
to appropriate the letters whose secrecy it had violated,
and make them the groundwork of a criminal charge be-
fore a court of justice. He demonstrated that, in this
case, morality was in harmony with all legislation and
jurisprudence, both ancient and modern, which prohibited
the granting of such a right to any government.
We were sure the tribunal would have honored itself
in consecrating by its decision the principles expounded
by citizen Bellart. But it has ordered otherwise. The
affair will be finally determined to-morrow.
Ibid, of Thursday, the 26th of January, 1797.
After suffering all the wearisome delays of a trouble-
some and distressing trial, M. Salamon was to-day ac-
quitted by the Tribunal of the Seine.
The great interest taken in the accused, as well as the
talents of his defender, attracted a numerous concourse
of citizens, who showed by their applause their satisfac-
tion and joy at the verdict.
The Ami des lots of the 25th of December, 1796.
The Abbe Salamon, ex-councillor in the Parliament,
charged with having conspired along with Our Holy
Father the Pope, will be tried on the 8th before the crim-
inal Tribunal of the Seine. We have under our eyes a
list of the jurors who are to decide the case, and we can
assure our readers beforehand that the Abbe Salamon
and his accomplice, the Pope, will be acquitted.
310 APPENDIX.
Ibid, of the 5th of January, 1797.
The Abbe Salamon has profited by the amnesty to go
to Avignon, no doubt with the intention of renewing his
intrigues in that city. But he is watched ; he had better
be prudent.
Annales catholiques of Januarj', 1797.
M. Salamon, ex-clerical councillor in the Parliament
of Paris, accused of a criminal correspondence with the
Court of Rome, has just been tried and acquitted by the
Tribunal of the Seine, to the great satisfaction of a nu-
merous audience, who manifested their joy by the hearti-
est applause.
Moniteur of Nonidi, 9th Pluviose (28th of January) .
EepuUique Frangaise. Judgment acquitting the Abbe
Salamon, accused of conspiring with the Pope.
XIII.
To Cardinal Gerdil.
EMINENCE,
I have learned with sorrow that a letter I sent you by
Dr. Boejat, who has the honor of being known to you,
did not reach you. I have been actively engaged in
endeavoring to have the name of your nephew, M. Gerdil,
struck off the list of emigres; but affairs are marching
very slowly, and there are more than a hundred and forty
thousand names to be examined.
We have, however, some hope. The First Consul has
already permitted the return of thirteen thousand women ;
the men are to be dealt with afterward : we are searching
for some documents bearing on the case of your nephew.
When I have them in my possession, I shall use every
APPENDIX. 311
effort to have M. Gerdil's case attended to among the
first.
I am still without any occupation. Cardinal Gonsalvi
has given me hopes that the reconciliation between the two
powers, a reconciliation so desirable and necessary, may
relieve me from my enforced idleness, and may give me
that reward which the work of ten years amid storms and
tempests deserves.
I ask of your Eminence to seize any opportunity that
may be presented in my favor, to speak of me and to give
me your support. As you see, I have lost my protectors,
Pius VI. and Cardinal Zelada ; the latter hardly belongs
to this world now, and so I am like a man isolated from
everybody.
I am always at your orders in this place. M. Chaptal,
the son of the Minister of the Interior, will hand your
Eminence this letter, and take charge of any reply you
may be good enough to send me.
DE SALAMON.
PARIS, 14 of May, 1801.
XIV.
Reply of Cardinal Gerdil.
In reply to your obliging letter, dated Paris, the 14th
of May, 1801, and which I received only on the 16th of
last January, I beg to assure you that I have never had
the honor of knowing, even by name, Dr. Boejat, whom
you suppose to be known to me. I must add also that
I have no knowledge as to the facts you mention with
regard to a nephew of mine, of whose condition and con-
duct I have been absolutely ignorant for many years.
I am not the less sensible, on that account, of the inter-
est you take in his lot, and I shall be well pleased to have
an opportunity of showing my gratitude, by recalling your
312 APPENDIX.
name to the memory of those who are able to fulfil the
benevolent wishes of Cardinal Zelada in your regard.
Accept, monsieur, the sentiments of perfect considera-
tion, et cetera.
ROME, the 6th of February, 1802.
To Madame de Capettis, 1 in religion Sister Henriette-
Therese de Jesus, Carmelite Nun in the Monastery
of Carpentras.
HOME, the 10th of December, 1814.
I have received, my honored superioress and friend
in our Lord, 2 your dear letter of the 14th of November.
As I am inclined to think that, owing to your change of
1 Henriette-The'rese de Jesus de Capellis was not only a holy nun,
as the internuncio says truly, but also a woman of great intellect and
of great courage.
She never left the country during the Terror. Learning that the
property of her brother, who emigrated, was about to be confiscated
and sold, as were the properties of all the emigres, she at once hastened
to Paris, holdly visited Robespierre, gave him her name, and protested
energetically against the injustice done her by the decree of confisca-
tion, since she was her brother's heiress and had never left France.
Her heroism conquered Robespierre, who ordered the decree to be
withdrawn.
After the peace of Amiens, her brother returned to France. His
amazement at finding all his property, which he had given up as lost,
may be more easily conceived than described.
" It is to me, it is to my courage," said his sister to him, " that you
owe all this ; but I insist that you spend a portion of your revenues in
buying back the convent of Carpentras, which has been sold as national
property."
The brother consented to the sacrifice, with the best grace in the
world.
2 I am indebted for the following letters, particularly the last,
to the courtesy of the superioress of the Carmelites at Carpentras.
Certain passages have only a local interest ; but, as these passages are
everywhere intermingled with reflections on political events, and as
they are calculated to add to the vividness of the curious picture the
internuncio draws of himself, I give them in full. Besides, they
redound in the highest degree to the honor of Madame de Capellis.
APPENDIX. 313
monastery and altars, both your own indulgences and
those applied to your privileged altar have become null
and void, I have at once asked for the renewal of all those
of your Order in general and those of your monastery and
privileged altar in particular. You will find enclosed the
rescript of the Pope, signed by Cardinal Galeffi, prefect.
The kindness of my friend, the postmaster-general, enables
me to send it to you franked. I flatter myself you will
see in my eagerness to serve you in this matter a proof of
my zeal for your interests, you know how sincerely I
have been attached to you for a long time, and also
an evidence of my remembrance of our dear and good
friend.
On the contrary, you must pray to our Lord that He
may preserve me from obtaining that hat which you wish
for me. God is my witness that I do not desire it, for I
have no ambition at all. You see that God does not aban-
don me, and that he has inspired our most Christian king
to reward me for my fidelity and my firmness in support of
good principles by giving me a post which I never asked.
You have done well in coming to the aid of the perse-
cuted, but do not expect any recompense or remembrance
of your work except from God alone. These gentlemen
forget all that has been done for them, and the one you
know of thinks of nothing but becoming Archbishop of
Milan, where he was a canon.
The two Cardinals Ruffo are much more grateful.
So I often go to see them, and they come to see me.
The Cardinal Archbishop of Naples is a saint. He
gave up an income of five hundred thousand livres sooner
than take the oath to Murat.
You have no need of any one's help, madame : your
asylum is yours, yours now and always ; still, should you
require the aid of the illustrious Archbishop of Rheims,
address yourself to me.
Do not set about building. Providence is great, and
314 APPENDIX.
will provide. You can easily suit yourself with what you
have : you take up so little room !
I am very sorry to learn that your dear cure is in bad
health ; give him my compliments, give them also to that
excellent lady, de L . I wrote some time ago to our
dear Henriette. We are good friends, and I love her, be-
cause she bears your name.
Do not give yourself any concern about the transmission
of the indulgences ; all has been arranged, and you shall
have them. I am well pleased, for you are sure to be
satisfied, and your holy community along with you. Pray
for me ; I still lack a little more fervor, but God will
take into account my zeal for religion and for His service.
I have caught a cold : that is all that ails me. We have
had much rain. But do you take care of your health,
which is more precious than mine : saints like you ought
never to die.
Yes, you will have a bishop at Carpentras ; I am work-
ing for it, and there is talk of M. 1'Abbe Choisy. Take
good care to have nothing to do with your Bishop of
Avignon.
Adieu, my honored superioress ; believe in my entire
respect and devotion.
+ THE BISHOP OP ORTHOSIA.
XV.
To the Same.
ROME, the 15th of March.
Your dear letter of the 17th of January, my venerable
prioress and friend, did not reach me until the 8th of this
month, the King of Sardinia having deemed it proper, I
do not know why, to stop the French mail for six weeks.
I am delighted to learn that you are well, and pleased
at receiving the rescript which confirms all the indulgences
APPENDIX. 315
formerly granted to your convent. I will always do all in
my power to second your efforts. I do not know what
you are asking of the Archbishop of Rheims, the grand
Almoner ; if I did, perhaps I could help you. I have the
honor to correspond with him, and he has the utmost
friendship and kindness for me. He is a prelate full of
virtue, and has the love of the king.
I do not see why any one should give you any alarm
about your asylum. You are there, you have bought it,
and the Carmelites will never return. In any case,
remember that this convent has never been anything but
a hospice inhabited by a few monks, and that even here,
in the centre of religion, very few monks and nuns are
anxious to return to their monasteries, either through ill
will, or because there are no revenues, or because some
convents have been sold.
I believe the restoration of our country is very far
from being effected. You see how very little concern the
Court of Rome gives itself to satisfy the king. Our
French Church is in a state of great confusion, and there
is no hurry to remedy it. All that is thought about are
the temporalities, and it makes one groan to see how the
true interests of religion are abandoned. Bonaparte used
to say: " I wish," and he obtained everything; the king
says : u I pray, 1 ' and he obtains nothing.
Put your confidence, then, in God alone ; He will find
a way to restore to the Church of France its ancient
lustre, and, as for yourself, go on doing good, and I will
take care that you are not disturbed.
Continue to make yourself useful ; form little classes of
children.
M. Michel Choisy must wait until the bishoprics are
re-established, which will be soon, and especially ours,
which is so ancient, and you will be protected by the new
prelate. I think it likely he [Choisy] may have a place
in the cathedral.
316 APPENDIX.
I am grieved about the condition of your poor cure.
It is to be hoped that God may preserve him to you.
Give him my compliments, and also his worthy brother.
I thank Mademoiselle de L for remembering me.
She is one of those I most respect, and, if I may say so,
most love : her good qualities will always make her
beloved.
Just as in the case of yourself, my holy friend, all the
world loves you. If I were as holy as you, I should
make a treaty with you : it is that whichever of us two is
the first to go to heaven should pray for the survivor,
and thereby gain the mercy of God; being friends on
earth, one of us would thus be the friend of the other in
heaven.
I commend myself to the prayers of your dear sisters.
Yes, my establishment at Rome costs me dear, but the
Minister of Foreign Affairs promises that I shall be richer
next year.
Here, everything is ostentation. When I tell you, that
I, who often found one servant too much, have three
juris-consults for the Rota, two abbes for my antechamber,
two valets de chambre, who come before me dressed in
black, and wear immense silk mantles on occasions of
ceremony, and four horses, you will understand this. I
am obliged to keep a state carriage for the abbes and
valets, and three lackeys in livery. Nor is this all : I
think I pay wages to thirteen persons ; but I only feed
two.
I have a very nice garden. At this moment, it is full
of flowers and of orange-trees covered with fruit. I do
not know what to do with the oranges ; if we were only
nearer, I could supply you with plenty of oranges for
your collation, ay, and lemons too.
I can bear the climate very well, you see I have ac-
customed myself to it ; but I am troubled with headaches,
as I was in France. I had to work to receive the fruit of
APPENDIX. 317
my good conduct, and you see the king has not made me
weary with waiting. He has, of his own motion, given
me this important post, of which T certainly never thought.
Perhaps, otherwise, Providence might have placed me
near you ; but it has been ordered differently. In any
case, we must bless God.
I have always had great confidence in Divine Provi-
dence, which has guided me almost by the hand ever
since my twenty-fifth year, pure and stainless. How
grateful ought I not to be !
But our happiness is never perfect. I am isolated here
from all my friends, and particularly from you and your
dear family, whom I love from the bottom of my heart.
I am afraid our dear and amiable Henriette has lost an
opportunity of establishing herself, for which I am truly
grieved. . . . But I never know when to stop when I be^
gin speaking of you all. I must come to an end then,
my holy prioress, simply assuring you of my respectful
friendship. THE BISHOP.
The Abbe Joubert, a saintly priest, will bring you my
letter.
XVI.
To the Same.
ROME, the 9th of December. 1
I received, my dear and holy mother, your edifying
letter of the 8th of November with real pleasure. After
so long and painful a silence, what a consolation it is to
obtain news of those I esteem and love ! It is truly a
reward of Heaven for all the troubles, and, I may add,
dangers which I have encountered.
For I have actually had to meet them here !
1 Although the year is not given, the contents show that it was
written in 1815, after the Hundred Days.
318 APPENDIX.
That execrable Bonaparte, on the denunciation of
Fesch, 1 whom I had always refused to visit, had pointed
me out to Murat, who was to take possession of Rome,
and Murat recommended me to the notice of his generals
Pignatelli and Caracossa.
I was to have been conducted to Paris under a strong
escort. The Duchess Difiano, sister of one of the Nea-
politan generals, gave me warning. While thanking her,
I said that I never yielded to fear, and that I was disposed
to suffer whatever fate decreed.
The tribunal of the Rota not having followed the Pope
to Genoa, I remained here alone, exposed to all the sar-
casms of the evil-minded ; for there are many Jacobins
and Bonapartists in this place. But I have never aban-
doned my lily, and have always worn it on my black
soutane. Fortunately, the Neapolitans were routed by
the Germans, just as they were entering Rome, and I
escaped.
I have known all the magnanimity of your dear
nephew ; he is courageous, honorable, and loyal to his
king ; he is sure of success. God always watches over
His own. It was a real piece of good fortune that his
amiable wife should have found herself at Versailles.
My health is not perfect: ever since the end of
August, I have had feverish attacks, which left me for
a time, but only to return every third day. I have felt
better, however, for the last ten days : I am, in fact, quit
of them for the time ; I am at my third pound of quinine,
for there is no other means of getting rid of them here.
But they will return.
I am delighted that you should have kept in such good
health in the midst of this terrible storm. I congratulate
you on at length receiving the reward of all your sacri-
fices and sufferings by being restored to a monastery of
your Order and able to live there in accordance with your
1 Cardinal Fesch, uncle of Napoleon.
APPENDIX. 319
holy and admirable institute. I see that your flock has
increased in a miraculous manner, since Providence has
given you back two holy nuns whose resources, fortu-
nately preserved to them, will enable you to support your
convent.
I have spoken to Galeffi, cardinal secretary of memo-
rials, regarding them and their infirmities. His answer
was the same as that given already : they must address
themselves to their confessors, who would decide whether
their condition requires any modifications of the rule in
their regard, which, indeed, it seems to do, and even a
superioress can herself see to this ; for you know very
well yourself whether their physical weakness permits
them to observe the rule in its entirety or not, and you
know also that the observance of the rule is painful, and
demands the possession of good health. No scruples then,
and let them do only what they can ; you have the greater
reason for trying to keep them that these ladies are a
great help to your house.
In fact, madame, my opinion, like yours, is that the
affairs of the clergy will progress slowly ; there is very
little ardor in the matter, and even a good deal of want of
interest.
I was well aware that the education of young people
was entirely outside the requirements of your Order. You
had good motives for undertaking it, however, and now
that these no longer exist, you confine yourself within the
limits of your rule : all this is very laudable. But, my
holy mother, since the great Pius VI. gave you a dispensa-
tion, and since Pius VII. confirmed it on his way to Lyons,
what do you want more? Profit by it ; it is now for your
confessors and directors to direct you on this article : you
have no longer need of Rome. Be guided by your con-
science and your confessors. But above all, no scruple ;
it is the shoal upon which true piety is wrecked.
And how can these two holy women have scruples in
320 APPENDIX.
the matter, when two Popes have dispensed you from your
obligations? These dispensations are good until they are
revoked. Even if they are revoked by the conscience of
some, they subsist in their full vigor for those whose
health or age prevents them from following the rule. A
person need not be a great casuist to settle this question ;
you yourself ought to diminish your austerities, in conse-
quence of your spitting up blood, and you are bound to
take care of your health, since you are the soul of your
holy community.
I cannot tell you what pleasure I have received from
the letter of the dear sister-in-law : she enters into many
details.
As for Sister B , you must recall her, in virtue of
holy obedience, if you are able to support her, and she is
conscientiously bound to return to the convent in which
she was professed. Her confessor should make her feel
this. The superior A has no rights over her. Make the
cure write to this dishonest superior, who does not know
his business; on the whole, better wait till there is a
bishop at Carpentras or at Avignon ; I '11 see that she
returns. I have a very clear idea of the thoughtlessness
of her father and of all her family, although I have lost
sight of them since childhood ; for I have not lived in
Carpentras since I was nine years old. 1
It is certain that the king has asked for the resigna-
tion of all the bishops of France ; you are quite sure,
therefore, not to have P .
My best regards to our dear cure, and my respects to
Mademoiselle de L .
I thank you from my heart for your kindly sentiments
in my regard ; I hope to have the joy of seeing your little
flock raised to eighteen. Pray to God for me, for I am in
1 Same detail in Book I. of the " Memoirs," and this concordance
between a private letter of the internuncio and the narrative is a fresh
proof of their authenticity.
APPENDIX. 321
much trouble. I keep for you a tender affection in God,
and I shall always be happy to give you proofs of it.
Respects and compliments.
+ THE BISHOP.
XVII.
ARTICLE IN THE " BIOGRAPHIE UNIVERSELLE" OF FELLER-
PERENNES, WHICH SUMMARIZES THE WHOLE LIFE OF MGR.
DE SALAMON.
SALAMON (Louis-Siffren- Joseph), Bishop of Saint-Flour,
was born of a noble family at Carpentras, on the 22d of
October, 1759, and came when very young to Paris, where
he purchased the office of clerical councillor in the Parlia-
ment. He was appointed confidential correspondent of
his Holiness in 1791, and held this position until the
month of July, 1792, when he was arrested and conducted
to the Abbaye. His eloquence and coolness saved him
from the massacres of September. After recovering his
liberty, he continued his correspondence with the Holy
Father. Having been again prosecuted by the Terrorists,
he lived in concealment for a long time in the environs of
Paris. He was even compelled to take refuge in the
Bois de Boulogne, where a pile of leaves served him for
a bed. He was arrested under the Directory and menaced
with deportation, but was acquitted. Pope Pius VII.
named him, in 1806, Bishop in parlibus of Orthosia, in
Caria, and the king, in 1814, gave him the place of Audi-
tor of the Rota. But the Sovereign Pontiff, considering
that there was no reason why Mgr. Isoard, who was in
possession, should be deprived of it, refused to accept
him. After staying three years in Rome, Salamon re-
turned to Paris, was named, in 1817, Bishop of Belley,
and, in 1820, Bishop of Saint-Flour. This prelate died
21
322
APPENDIX.
on the llth of June, 1829. Certain " Lettres de Rome "
attributed to him and addressed to M. de Talleyrand-
Perigord, Grand Almoner, were published in 1815. They
are curious on account of the details they give on the
feelings and opinions of the Romans, when the first tidings
of the landing of Bonaparte arrived.
INDEX.
INDEX.
ALEMANE, Vicomtesse de ; a prisoner in her own house, as de Salamon
prevailed on Dr. Guastaldi to give her a certificate of ill-health, 148;
sends her servant for de Salamon's letters, 148 ; visits him at the
Conciergerie, 250.
ANGRAU> President ; his life saved by Richard's granddaughter, 262 ;
shows his gratitude to her on his visit to de Salamon at the Con-
ciergerie, 262.
AUBUSSON, Marquise de ; meets de Salamon on the road to Passy, 228 ;
visits him in prison, 250.
AUDIN ROUVIERE ; an ex-abbe and countryman of de Salamon, 151 ;
receives the fugitive, 153 ; successful in teaching medicine, but
unsuccessful in love, 154 ; alarmed at his responsibility, 155 ; de
Salamon takes leave of him, 156.
AULNAY, D', Madame, not disturbed during the Revolution ; succeeds
in conveying money to Blanch et, 149 ; all her relatives in prison,
186 ; sends good news to de Salamon, 186, 187 ; visits him at the
Conciergerie, 250.
BAILLT, mayor of Paris ; he tries to humiliate the Chambre des Yaca-
tions, 120 ; is thwarted by de Salamon and fails, 121.
BALBO, Cornte, Sardinian Ambassador to the Directory ; gives no aid
to de Salamon, 242 ; the latter's retaliation after his release, 242.
BALBO, Comtesse ; a daughter of Madame de Villeneuve-Segur. See
note, xiv.
BEAULIEU, Abbe Chaubri de, ex- clerical counsellor ; conceals himself
and learns a trade, 134 ; never molested during the Terror, 135 ;
afterward a lawyer, 135.
BELLART, de Salamon's counsel ; argues vainly against quashing the
indictment, 259 ; his protest against adjournment, 268 ; despairs
of an acquittal, 276 ; speaks against Boulanger, 278 ; frightens the
judges, 281 ; his eloquence (see note), 286.
BELMONTE, Prince de, Neapolitan ambassador ; signs treaty with
Directory, 218.
326 INDEX.
BERTRAND, a police agent and an " abominable man," 223.
BIOGRAPHIE Universelle of Feller-Perennes (Art. Salamon), 321-322.
BIOGRAPHIE Midland (Art. Salamon), extract from, 307-308.
BLANCHET, Mme., the internuncio's housekeeper ; her conversations
with M. de Malesherbes, 12 ; her despair at her master's arrest, 14 ;
follows him to the Mairie, 19 ; her astuteness, 20 ; visits Petion
with Torne, 40, 41 ; learns that her master has perished in the
massacre, 96 ; turns over the dead bodies in the Abbaye, 97 ; stops
Sergent in the street and prevails on him to save the internuncio,
98; receives three thousand francs from Pope Pius VI., 112; her intu-
itions, 135 ; she is arrested, 141 ; frightens the savages who perse-
cute her, 143 ; imprisoned in Les Anglaises, 144 ; the imprisoned
aristocratic ladies treat her with contempt, 144, 145 ; a friend in
need, 145 ; she tells a great lady what she thinks of her, 187 ;
she is released, 198 ; sets out in search of her master, 199 ; arrested,
222 ; in a prison for unfortunate women : an affecting incident,
236 ; a sad interview, 237 ; transferred to the Madelonnettes, 239;
released, 247 ; influencing the jurors in favor of de Salamon, 273 ;
her death, 204, 205. See note, 204.
BOEJAT ; takes charge of a letter of de Salamon to Cardinal de Gerdil,
310 ; the cardinal denies he has met him, 311.
BOISSIERE, Abbe de ; visits de Salamon in the Conciergerie, 269.
BONAPARTE, Napoleon ; his description of the massacres of September,
and of their authors, xxvi ; invades the Pope's dominions, 217 ;
denounces de Salamon to Murat, 318.
BOULANGER, commissaiy of the Directory ; proposes to quash the
indictment against de Salamon, 258 ; a new adjournment, 266 ;
fails to get another adjournment, 278 et seq. ; demands a trial by
a military commission, 279.
BOURDON DE L'OISE, is visited by de Salamon, 201 ; promises to have
a decree in his favor passed by the committee of the section, 202 ;
secures his freedom, 203.
BOURGEOIS, the painter, xx ; his portrait of the internuncio, xx.
BOUZET, Abbe de ; imprisoned with the internuncio, 19 ; refused to
take the oath, 74 ; butchered, 74.
BRASCHI, Duke, nephew of Pius VI. sent to Bonaparte, 217 ; an
anecdote which de Salamon heard from him, 221.
BRIENNE, Lomenie, Cardinal de ; placed at the head of the finances,
294 ; creating a panic, 297 ; his expulsion from the college of car-
dinals, 215.
BRISSAO, Due de, politically connected with the internuncio, 8 ; pre-
sents the latter to Louis XVI., 8.
BROTTIER, Abbe" ; offers assistance to de Salamon in the name of the
princes, 150. See note, 150.
BUSCA, Cardinal, secretary of State ; his orders to de Salamon, 216 ;
his letter, 233.
INDEX. 327
CACCIA, Italian banker, refuses to cash the cheque of de Salamon, 148 ;
is deprived of his position as banker to the Pope, 166.
CADET, substituted on de Salamon's list of jurors, 272.
CAMPO, Marquis del, ambassador of Spain; the internuncio confers
with him, 216 ; refuses to interfere in behalf of de Salamon, 242.
CANI, Abbe de ; offers his purse to de Salamon, 250.
CAPELLIS, Madame de, a Carmelite nun ; her heroism conquers Robe-
spierre, and she receives her brother's property (see note), 312 ;
de Salamon's letters to, 312-321.
CAPPARUIS, Aboe, a countryman of the internuncio ; massacred at the
Abbaye, 75.
CAPRARA, Cardinal ; appointed legate a latere, 112.
CARACCOSA, General ; one of the generals sent to arrest de Salamon,
318.
CHAMPAGNE, Abbe, a married deacon, one of de Salamon's jurors, 290 ;
favors his acquittal, 290.
CHAMPCENETZ, Madame de ; imprisoned in Les Anglaises, 144 ; her
harshness to Blanchet, 144 ; Dr. Guastaldi remonstrates, and she
gives her money, 146.
CHAMPLATREUX, de, president & mortier; arrested, 129.
CHAPLAIN of the Hotel-Dieu, the; "a rascal and knight of the pon-
iard," 23 ; adopted by the internuncio, 24 et seq. ; massacred, 76.
CHAPTAL, takes charge of de Salamon's letter to Cardinal de Gerdil, 311.
CHARET ; substituted on de Salamon's list of jurors, 272.
CHARLES X. ; his generosity to the Maison de Pleaux, xxxviii.
CHARLOTTE CORDAY ; her execution, 15 ; the internuncio's opinion of
her, 15.
CHARNOIS, de ; an infidel, converted before the massacre, 302 ; could
have escaped instead of Godard, 302.
CHARPENTIER; substituted on de Salamon's list of jurors, 272.
CHATEAUBRIAND, de ; arrested, 129 ; writes to de Salamon from
prison, 139.
CHIARAMONTI, Cardinal ; afterward Pius VII., 221.
CHOISY, Abbe; references to, in de Salamon's letters, 314, 315.
COCHON, Minister of Police ; arrests the internuncio's courier, 220.
COLIN, Mme. ; visits de Salamon in his dungeon, 225 et seq. ;
drinks chocolate with him in the Grande Force, 245 et seq. ; sets
about influencing de Salamon's jurors, 273; has a suit of her own
before the court, 274 ; reads the speech written for her by de Sala-
mon, and wins it, 275.
COLLET, ex-President of San Domingo ; has good news for de Sala-
mon, 186; takes charge of his letter to the Committee of General
Safety, asking for Blanchet's release, 198.
COLLI, General ; sent by the German Emperor to organize the Pope's
army, 217.
328 INDEX.
CONDORCET ; supposed liaison with the Duchesse de La Rochefoucault-
Danville, 187.
COURVILLE, Baronne de ; her adventure with de Salamon in the Bois
de Boulogne, 191 et seq. ; his suspicions of her and her daughter,
194 ; prove groundless, 198.
CREQUI, Marquise de ; de Salamon introduces Richard's servant into
her household, 253.
DELACROIX, Minister of Foreign Affairs ; his interview with the inter-
nuncio (see note), 216.
DELLEBART, Mme. ; her friendship for de Salamon, 132 ; his visits to
her house, passim ; her last illness, 205, 206 ; is converted by de
Salamon, 207 ; makes him a present of the works of Rousseau and
Voltaire, and dies very piously, 208.
DEVEZE, journalist ; in prison with de Salamon, 243 ; when released,
wishes to defend him, 244.
DIFIANO, Duchess ; warns de Salamon that he is to be arrested, 318.
DILLON, Archbishop of Narbonne ; thanks the king, at the head of the
clergy, for the edict in favor of non- Catholics, 295 ; indignation of
de Salamon at his conduct, 296.
DIRECTORY, The ; willing to negotiate with the Pope, 216 ; breaks off
negotiations, 217 ; the enemy of de Salamon, 257 ; violates the
constitution, 280.
DUCHILLEAU, Madame ; imprisoned in Les Anglaises ; her generosity
to Blanchet, 146.
DUGAZON, the actor ; presides over the assassins for a time, 86 ; no one
killed when he was present, 87.
DUGNANI, Mgr., nuncio at Paris; his flight, 214; de Salamon writes
him a letter describing the attack on Reveillon, 297-298.
ELIZABETH, Madame ; the internuncio's visits to, 102 ; questions Rich-
ard about the queen, 263 ; anecdotes of, 264.
EUTELX, Marquise d' ; offers an asylum to de Salamon, 176.
EVANGELISTI, xxx (note) ; the secretary of legation of the papal em-
bassy in 1796, 196.
FAVIER, the famous diplomatist of Louis XV., 140.
F&RON, an officer of the Parliament ; imprisoned in the Mairie, 17 ;
his generosity to the internuncio, 18.
FESCH, Cardinal ; advises Murat to arrest de Salamon, 318.
FEUILLADE, de la ; lodges in the same house with de Salamon, 184 ;
Grandin quarrels with him, 184.
INDEX. 329
FOURNIER DE LA CHAPELLE, a refugee at Passy ; he brings the news to
de Salamon that all his colleagues have been 'guillotined, 190.
FRANGINI, Cardinal ; an intimate friend of de Salamon, 237.
FREDY, doyeii of the Parliament of Paris ; opposed by de Salamon,
122, 123.
GACECOURT, de ; an emigre ; in the prison infirmary with de Salamon,
243.
GERDIL, Cardinal de ; letter to, from de Salamou, asking his patron-
age, 310-311 ; his reply, 311-312.
GERVAIS, Abbe de ; imprisoned in the Mairie, 19 ; transferred to the
Abbaye and massacred, 76.
GIRARD, Abbe ; a member of de Salambn's council, 161 ; author of the
Comte de Valmont (see note, 161) ; retained as an adviser by de
Salamon, 185.
GIRARD, Mile. ; meets de Salamon, 169; hires a lodging for him in
Passy, 171 ; prevents Grandin from presenting him to the Com-
mune, 183.
GODARD, Abbe' ; at the Mairie with the internuncio, 19 ; learns from
Manuel that the prisoners are to be transferred, and rejoices, 26 ;
laughs at the forebodings of the internuncio, 28 ; escapes into the
yard of the Abbaye, 64 ; saved by Manuel, 66 et seq. ; extracts
from memoirs supposed to have been written by him, 301-302.
GOHIER ; president of the Criminal Tribunal, 257 ; his reply to Vi-
gier, 273.
GOURGUES, de, president d mortier ; arrested, 129.
GRABOURTRA, Mme. de ; visits de Salamon's friends, with the object
of influencing his jurors, 273.
GRANDIN, Mme. ; lets a garret to de Salamon, 171 : scolds him se-
verely, 174 ; her drunken Jacobin husband, 177; she alarms de
Salamon, 178 ; has discovered he is a noble, 183 ; is rebuked by her
daughter, 184 ; shows herself a kindly virago, 229.
GRAVESON, Mme. de ; see Eutelx, Marquise d'.
GUASTALDI, physician to the prison of Les Anglaises ; interferes in be-
half of Blanchet, 145 ; she is treated differently by the great ladies
in consequence, 146.
HERAUT DE SECHELLES ; receives a letter from the internuncio, 108 ;
goes to the Commune and insists on the internuncio's release, 108.
HERCE, Mgr. de ; exiled for opposing the edict in favor of the non-
Catholics, 294.
HUGTJENIN, commandant in the National Guards ; his pardon asked by
the Marseillais, 79 ; is granted, 85.
330 INDEX.
INGUIMBERT, Mgr. d' ; a famous benefactor of Carpentras, xvi.
ISOARD, Mgr. d' ; retained as auditor at Rome, although Louis XVIII.
appoints de Salarnon, xxxv.
JOLY, Canon ; his encounter with de Salamon in the Bois de Meudon,
162-164 ; his description of the people of Passy suggests a plan to
de Salamon, 167; de Salamon does not want him in his council,
185.
JOURDAN ; presides over the Civil Committee, 100 ; examines the inter-
nuncio on his connection with the court, 102 ; intercepted his let-
ters, 103.
JUIGNE, Mgr. de, archbishop of Paris ; his support of the edict in
favor of the Protestants causes it to be registered, 7.
JUSSIEU, the naturalist ; gives a lecture to his pupils in the Bois de
Meudon, 186 ; is met by de Salamon, who dines with him at
Sevres, 186.
LA DEVEZE, proprietor of the Journal des Debats ; offers to defend de
Salamon, 244.
LA ROCHEFOUCAULT, Madame de, a prisoner in Les Anglaises ; is nursed
by Blanchet, 187.
LA ROCHEFOUCAULT, Due de ; expels M. de Saron from his court, 15.
LA ROCHEFOUCAULT -DANVILLE, Duchesse de ; her gibe at Blanchet,
and Blanchet's retort, 187.
LA VILLEHEURNOIS, de ; conspiracy of, 250.
LEBLANC DE VARENNES ; substituted on de Salamon's list of jurors,
272 ; protests against an adjournment, 278.
LEBOIS ; arrested for attacking the Directory, see note, 261.
LE COUTEAU DE LA NORAI ; his ingratitude to de Salamon, 277 ;
refuses to act as one of his jurors, 277.
LEGENDRE ; secures the release of Blanchet, 198.
LEGRAS, President; examines de Salamon, 237; transfers him to La
Force, 238 ; reads the indictment, 257 ; his unfairness, 258.
LEMOYNE, Abbe ; a member of de Salaraon's council, 163, 164, 185.
LENFANT, Abbe, the king's confessor ; meets death serenely, 108.
LEROY, or MONTMARTRE ; his adventures in England, 244 ; is a
republican, returns to France, arrested as an emigre, 245 ; his
intercourse with de Salamon, 246 et seq.
Louis XVI. ; his reception of the internuncio, 8, 9 ; receives the
address drawn up by the internuncio on behalf of the Catholics of
Paris, xxiii ; his relations with Manuel's mistress, 67, 68.
INDEX. 331
MAILLARD, ex-attorney of the Chatelet ; succeeds Dugazon as president
of the assassins, 87 ; fresh massacres, 87 ; acquits the Due de
Penthievre's servant, 87 ; assists the internuncio in his defence, 89 ;
bids him enter the violon, 90.
MALESHERBES, De ; his opinion of Blanchet, 12 ; arrested, 129.
MANUEL, attorney of the Commune ; notifies the prisoners in the
Mairie that they are to be transferred, 26 ; saves the Abbe Godard,
66, 67 ; Manuel's mistress prevails on him to save the Abbe
Godard, 67 ; her relations with Louis XVI., 67, 68 ; planned the
escape of the King, 68 ; his interference with the Chambre des
Vacations, 119.
MARAT ; prescribed for the internuncio, 15 ; receives him without
insult, but warns him, 16.
MARCE, de, Councillor ; imprisoned in the Madelonnettes, 133.
MARCHAND, court usher ; acquainted with Richard, 270 ; the effect of
a bottle of Malaga, 271 ; an " excellent usher," 272 ; promises to
substitute the names of other jurors, 273.
MARIE ANTOINETTE ; her life in the Conciergerie, 250 et seq. ; new
anecdotes of, related by Richard and Richard's servant, 251 et seq. ;
the faithful lap-dog, 254 ; overlooks the gendarmes playing piquet,
262 ; why she thought Richard had been a butler, 263.
MASSIEU, the deaf mute ; sent with a letter to the Assembly by the
Abbe' Sicard, 107.
MATTEI, Cardinal ; sent by the Pope to sue for peace, 217.
MAURY, Abbe ; the internuncio's connection with him, 102 ; examined
by the Civil Committee as to his correspondence with him, 102.
MODENE, Comte de, an intimate friend of the internuncio, 85.
MONOTTR, the Jacobin watchmaker, 33 ; saves the Abbe Sicard, 34.
MONTBOISSIER, Mme. de ; relates the interview between President de
Rosambo and Blanchet, 96.
MONTMORIN, de, minister of foreign affairs ; not liked by Pius VI., 7 ;
the internuncio refuses to call upon him, 8.
MITRAT ; orders two of his generals to arrest de Salamon, 318 ; his
troops routed at Rome, 318.
NEWSPAPERS, the, on the prosecution of de Salamon, 307-310.
NICOLE, journalist ; imprisoned with de Salamon, 243 ; defends him
in his journal, 244.
ORLEANS, Philippe, Due de ; " Look where vice and virtue have in
turn reposed ! " 263 ; his demeanor before starting for the scaffold,
263.
ORMESSON, Noiseau d', president A mortier, arrested, 129 ; kept under
surveillance in his own house, 133.
332 INDEX.
PASQUIER ; warned by de Salamon to escape, but afterward imprisoned
and guillotined, 134.
PASQUIER, fils; married by de Salamon in 1793, 168 ; prefect of
police from 1808 to 1812 (see note), 168.
PASTORET, ex-attorney-general of the department ; he ejects President
de Saron from his court, 15.
PENTHIEVRE, Due de, a servant of ; in the Abbaye, 46 ; the inter-
nuncio tells him how to answer his judges, 75; is tried before
Maillard and acquitted, 87.
PERIGORD, Cardinal de ; see Talleyrand-Perigord.
PETION; his character, 40; refuses to see Torne and Blanchet, 41;
sends them an order for the liberation of the internuncio ; Petion's
perfidy, 41.
PIERRACCHI ; assists the internuncio in negotiating with the Directory
for a concordat, 216.
Pius VI. ; patronizes the Abbe de Salamon, xix ; appoints him au-
ditor of the Rota and dean, 6 ; names him internuncio to Louis
XVI., 5, 6 ; writes to the internuncio, 111 ; appoints him Vicar
Apostolic, 112 ; sends 3000 francs to Blanchet, 112 ; why he calls
him his "little Jacobin," 196 ; forwards the briefs against the Con-
stitution of the Clergy, 214 ; the Pope and the Directory, 216 et
seq.; consents to armistice, but intends to break it, 217 ; breaks the
armistice, 220 ; regrets not having taken de Salamon's advice, 221.
Pius VII.; confirms the internuncio's powers, 112 ; refuses to acknowl-
edge him as Auditor, xxxv ; de Salamon attacks him in two let-
ters, xxxv ; appoints de Salamon bishop of Bellay, xxxv; and of
Saint-Flour, xxxvi.
PIGNATELLI, General ; one of the generals sent to arrest de Salamon,
318.
PORTAIL, Doctor ; his friendship for the ex-abbe, 154 ; learns he is in
love with daughter, and discards him, 154.
POULTIER, ex-monk and journalist ; attacks de Salamon in the Ami
des lois, 244 ; anecdote of (see note), 244.
PRADT, Mgr. de ; attacks the internuncio in his " Histoire des Quatre
Concordats," xxxiii; sneers at the honors paid him, xxxiv; accuses
him of insulting Pope Pius VII., xxxv (note).
PROTEST OF THE PARLIAMENT, 304-305 ; discovery of the, 303-304.
QUARANTOTTI ; auditor of the nunciature, ordered to send the archives
of the nunciature to de Salamon's residence, 6.
RACIN ; takes de Salamon's message to Mme. Colin, 224.
REUS, Prince de ; learns that Naples has made peace with the Direc-
tory, 218 ; informs the interuuncio of the treaty, 219.
INDEX.
REVEILLON ; description of the attack on his house by de Salamon,
297, 298.
RICHARD, jailer of the Conciergerie, 249 ; tragic death of his wife, 251 ;
his servant, 251 ; her anecdotes of Marie Antoinette and others, 251
et seq. ; he tells de Salamon stories of the ingenuity of prisoners,
253; his granddaughter, who saved President Angrau, 262; he
relates numerous anecdotes of the queen, the Duke of Orleans,
Madame Elizabeth, and others, 262 et seq.
ROBERT, president of the Commune ; signs the decree releasing the
internuncio, 110.
ROBESPIERRE, fall of, 197.
ROCHEBRUNE, Abbe de; his administration of the diocese of Saint-
Flour, xxxvi.
ROHAN, Cardinal de ; defended by de Salamon, 5 ; incidents in the
affair of the diamond necklace, 293, 294.
ROSAMBO, de, president of the Chambre des Vacations ; his character,
118 ; his connection with the protest of the Parliament, 128, 129,
303, 304 ; betrayed by his servant, and arrested, 129.
ROVERE, de ; the internuncio writes to him, 104.
ROYER, cure of Saint-Jean-en-Greve ; the internuncio's fellow-pris-
oner, 19 ; saintly but jovial, 21 ; his gayety keeps up the spirits of
the prisoners, 25 ; exhorts his companions, 54 ; gives them abso-
lution in articulo mortis, 56 ; is brought before the assassins, 71 ;
not having taken the oath to the civil constitution of the clergy, he
is condemned to death : his assassination, 73, 74 ; the Abbe Sicard's
account of his death, 300 ; the Abbe Godard's account of his death,
301, 302.
RUFFO, the two Cardinals: their gratitude to de Salamon, 313.
SAINT-PALAIS, Clement de ; the internuncio refuses to speak to him
because he is a commandant in the National Guards, 41, 42.
SALAMON, Ange-Marie-Alphonse ; a nephew of the internuncio ; he pre-
sents his portrait to the Musee Calvet, xx.
SALAMON, Alphonse, Baron de ; mayor of Montelimar at the outbreak
of the Revolution ; imprisoned during the Terror ; saved by the
death of Robespierre ; mayor of Lyons ; his stormy career, xvii.
SALAMON, Mgr. (Louis-Sifferin ) ; his birth, xvii ; his education at
Carpentras and Lyons, xviii ; studies law and theology at Avignon,
xviii ; patronized by Pius VI., xix ; purchases the office of cleri-
cal councillor in the Parliament of Paris, xxi ; his defence of Car-
dinal de Rohan, 6, 293, 294 ; describes the excitement in the Prov-
inces in 1788, 295 ; his indignation at the support given to the
edict in favor of the Protestants by some of the bishops and clergy,
334 INDEX.
296 ; his account of the workmen's attack on Reveillon, 297-298 ; is
appointed internuncio, 6 ; arrested, 13 ; brought before the Com-
mittee of Surveillance, 15 ; his reception by Marat, who had at-
tempted to poison him, 16 ; his imprisonment in the Maine : de-
scribes his fellow-prisoners and their terrible sufferings, 18 et seq.
does not neglect his hair, 20 ; his interview with Blanchet, 20 ;
shares his meals with the starving priest, 22 et seq. ; is amazed at
the hopefulness of his companions, 27 ; the bishops in the Carmes
send him a messenger, 28 ; is it lawful to take the oath of liberty
and equality ? 29 ; the internuncio's answer, 29-31 ; transferred to
the Abbaye, 36 ; meets an old schoolmate, 37 ; his reception by the
other prisoners, and his strange bedfellow, 38 ; sends Blanchet to
Tome, the constitutional bishop and Jacobin, 39 ; Petion sends an
order for the internuncio's release, 41 ; the casuistry of the internun-
cio, 42 ; his new prison, 44 ; the 2d of September, 45 ; the prison-
ers dine merrily " How gay they are ! " 49 ; the jailor's interrup-
tion : '* The people are marching on the prisons ! " 50; the internun-
cio's religious coldness, 55; his confession interrupted, 56; the mob
in the Abbaye, 56 ; the absolution in articulo mortis, 56 ; why the
perruquier was arrested, 58 ; honesty his only crime, 59 ; sadness
changed to joy : Petion coming with the national guards, 59 ; the
jailor's wine and the revelry of the prisoners, 60 ; Petion not com-
ing : despair, 61 ; the doors assaulted, 64 ; attempt of the intern un-
cio and others to escape, 65 ; he is conducted with the other prisoners
to the tribunal, 70 ; describes the massacre of his companions, 73
et seq. ; his mental and physical condition, 76, 77; "What should
I do to avoid the question about the oath ? " 77 ; a deputation from
the Marseillais asks the release of two prisoners, 79 ; immense suc-
cess of the internuncio as a Jacobin orator, 80, 81 ; the two prisoners
sent for in consequence, 82 ; horrible massacre of two boys : their
heroism, 81, 82 ; it restores his piety, 82, 83 ; a wearisome hunch-
back, 86 ; the iuternuncio prevented from escaping by him, 88 ;
examined by Maillard and sent into the violon, 88-90 ; sends a
message by the hunchback to Blanchet, 92 ; Sergent interests him-
self in his favor, 99 ; he is conducted before the Civil Committee,
100 ; acquitted, but advised to spend another night in prison, 103 ;
the mob attacks the violon, 105 ; driven back by the National
Guard, 106 ; the internuncio's contempt for the Abbe Sicard, 107 ;
his release, 109 ; is appointed vicar apostolic of France, 110 ; a re-
trospect : the Chambre des Vacations, 118; de Salamon a member
of it, 118 ; he resists Bailly and the Commune of Paris, 120 ; he
settles the troubles among the quarrymen of Montmartre, 122 et
seq. ; signs the protest of the Parliament, 128, 304 ; the section of
Bondy tries to seize him, 130 ; he is warned not to enter his house,
131 ; is sheltered by Madame Dellebart, 131 ; calls at the houses of
INDEX. 335
his colleagues : they are arrested or under surveillance, 132, 134 ; he
remains with Madame Dellebart : their conversations, 139-40;
Blanchet arrested and his house plundered, 141; receives letters
and dispensations from Rome, 148 ; an alarm at Madame Delle-
bart' s, 150 ; de Salamon leaves, 151 ; his deplorable compatriot,
ex- Abbe Ron vi ere, 151 et seq. ; his interview with a tearful Jacobin,
157, 158 ; he leaves Paris, 159 ; some startling adventures in the sub-
urbs, 159, 160 ; sleeps in the Bois de Boulogne, but returns to Paris
in the morning, 160 ; an ingenious plan for leaving the city, 162 ;
meets priests in the woods and forms a council, 163, 164 ; the decree
against the nobles, 165 ; nights in the open air, 167 et seq. ; an old
maid, pious and ugly, 169 ; he obtains a lodging with Madame
Grandin, 171 ; a shrewish mother and an angelic daughter, 174 et
seq. ; an alarm, 178 ; a search for Marianne, 180, 181 ; money at last,
182; Grandin wants to present him to the Commune, 182 ; Mile.
Girard intervenes, 183 ; a terrible adventure, 188, 189 ; a thunder-
bolt : " They are all dead ! " 190 ; a strange adventure in the for-
est with two fugitive ladies. 191 et seq. ; letters from Rome, 195>
196 ; learns of Blanchet's release, 1 98 ; visits Bourdon de 1'Oise, 201 ;
who obtains from the Committee a decree in his favor, 203 ; nego-
tiating a concordat with the Directory, 216 ; learns that Naples has
made a secret treaty with the Directory, 218, 219 ; despatches a cour-
ier to Rome, who is arrested, 219, 220 ; his advice to the Pope neg-
lected, 221 ; arrested for conspiracy, 222, 223 ; in a horrible dungeon,
224 et seq. ; visited by Madame Colin, 226 et seq. ; conducted to
his house in Passy, 228, 229 ; back to his dungeon, 230 ; a horrible
adventure : alone with an assassin, 230, 231 ; a singular magistrate,
233 et seq. ; brought before a court, 237, 238 ; transferred to the
Grande Force, 239 ; in a cell with two convicts, 240 ; at the end of
five weeks a singular visitor, 241 ; learns that death is the penalty,
242 ; sent to the infirmary, and delighted with his new quarters,
243 ; meets many curious characters, 245 et seq. ; in the Concier-
gerie, 249 ; meets a friendly jailor, 250 ; hears many new anecdotes
of Marie Antoinette, the Princess Elizabeth, and the Duke of Or-
leans, 251 et seq. ; before the Criminal Tribunal, 257 ; his eloquent
protest against quashing the indictment, 258-259 ; " the little man
with the brown face," 260, 261 ; receives another list of jurors, 265;
a new adjournment proposed, 266 ; de Salamon's speech in reply,
266-268 ; saved by Richard from the consequences of his rashness,
269 ; worse jurors than ever, 280 ; Richard's successful stratagem,
270 et seq. ; a placable usher, 271 ; a new indictment, 278 ; de
Salamon's address to the court, 279-280 ; his examination, 281-286 ;
last hours at the Conciergerie, 287 et seq. ; acquitted, 290 ; appoint-
ed administrator of the diocese of Normandy in 1801, 291 ; his let-
ters to Cardinal Zelada, 293-297 ; titular bishop, xxxiv ; appointed
336 INDEX.
Auditor at Rome by Louis XVIII., but rejected by Pius VII., xxxvii;
his ostentatious establishment in Rome, 316 ; bishop of Saint- Flour,
xxxvi ; his benefactions to his diocese, xxxvii, xxxviii ; his death,
xl.
SARON, Bochart de, first president ; disagrees with de Salamon, 1 23 ;
signs the protest of the Parliament, 128 ; arrested, 129 ; conducted
to La Force, 133.
SECHELLES ; see Herault, de.
SEGUE, Comte de ; Madame de Villeneuve's father, see note, xiv.
SENOZAN, Mme. de, sister of Malesherbes ; is under surveillance ; is
visited by de Salamon, 146 ; tells him that all her relations are in
the prison of Port Libre, 147.
SERGENT ; Blanchet and the women of the quarter beg him to save the
internuncio, 98 ; he promises to do so, 98, 99.
SICARD, Abbe ; meets the internuncio at the Mairie, 19 ; saved by
Monotte, 33 ; with the internuncio in the violon, 93 et seq. ; his
letter to the Assembly, 107; his release, 110; extracts from his
memoirs, 299-301.
SIMON, Abbe, (brother of the following); in the Mairie, 31 ; taken to
the Abbaye, 84 ; declares he has taken the oath of liberty and
equality, 84 ; he is the first of the prisoners to escape death, 85.
SIMON, Canon of Saint-Quentin ; goes to the Mairie to see his brother,
and is ordered to remain in the prison, 31 ; conducted to the Ab-
baye and massacred, 79.
SOL^RAC, Chevalier de ; his pardon asked for by the Marseillais, 79 ;
the interuuncio speaks to the assassins in his favor, and he is ac-
quitted, 80-82 ; his release, 110.
SOYECOURT, Mme. de, nee Princesse de Nassau-Sarrebruck ; treats
Blauchet haughtily in prison, 145 : her indebtedness to Blanchet's
master, 145.
SULX, Duchesse de ; requested by de Salamon to visit Blanchet, 149;
frequently visits the prison in disguise, 149.
TALLEYRAND-PERIGORD, Cardinal de ; receives two violent letters from
de Salamon concerning Pius VII., xxxv.
TALLIEN, secretary of the Commune ; signs the decree in favor of the
internuncio's release, 110.
TOLOSAN, General de ; substituted on de Salamon's list of jurors, 272 ;
works earnestly for his acquittal, 290.
TORNE, Abbe, 39 ; a bad man, but under obligations to the internuncio,
40 ; determines to save him, and visits Petion, 41 ; receives a letter
from the internuncio, 104 ; compelled by Blanchet to go at once,
j and save him, 108, 109 ; procures his release, 109 ; entertains him
in his hotel, 110.
INDEX. 337
TRIPIER, Abbe de ; assists de Salainon in founding the academy at
Saint-Flour, xxxviii.
VIGIER, ex-attorney to the Parliament ; visits Gohier in de Salamon's
interest, 273 ; Gohier's reply, 273.
VILLENEUVE-SEGUR, de, a daughter of Comte de Segur, xiv (note);
the internuncio relates his adventures to her, xv ; she persuades
him to write them, xv ; gives her word that the manuscript shall
not leave her hands, xv ; date of the composition of the Memoirs,
and death of Madame de Villeneuve, xvi.
VITALI, Abbe ; a schoolmate of the internuncio, 37 ; they meet in
the Abbaye, 37 ; his massacre, 43.
YOUNG MINIM MONKS, the two; denounced and imprisoned in the
Abbaye, 53 ; massacred, 77-78.
ZELADA, Cardinal ; his letters to the internuncio, 112, 195 ; the inter-
nuncio's letters to him, 293-297.
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