"Forward! The Capet family will return to their own apartments!"
cried one of the officials.
Marie Antoinette raised herself up, her eye flashed, and with a
voice full of anger, she cried: "You are hangmen and traitors!"
[Footnote: Beauchesne, vol. 1., p. 49.]
The king had withdrawn to his cabinet, where the priest, Abbe
Edgewarth de Firmont, addressed him with comforting words. His
earnest request had been granted, to give the king the sacrament
before his death. The service was to take place very early the next
morning, so ran the decision of the authorities, and at seven the
king was to be taken to execution.
Louis received the first part of this communication joyfully, the
second part with complete calmness.
"As I must rise so early," he said to his valet Clery, "I must
retire early. This day has been a very trying one for me, and I need
rest, so as not to be weak to-morrow." He was then undressed by the
servant, and lay down. When Clery came at five the next morning to
dress him, he found the king still asleep, and they must have been
pleasant dreams which were passing before him, for a smile was
playing on his lips.
The king was dressed, and the priest gave him the sacrament, the
vessels used having been taken from the neighboring Capuchin church
of Marais. An old chest of drawers was converted by Clery into an
altar, two ordinary candlesticks stood on each side of the cup, and
in them two tallow candles burned, instead of wax.
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