Omitting the less important figures of the procession, I will only
observe, that the King's carriage was in the centre, on each side of it
the States General, in two rank, afoot, and at their head the Marquis de
la Fayette, as Commander in Chief, on horseback, and _Bourgeois_ guards
before and behind. About sixty thousand citizens of all forms and
colors, armed with the muskets of the Bastile and Invalids, as far as
they would go, the rest with pistols, swords, pikes, pruning-hooks,
scythes, &c. lined all the streets through which the procession passed,
and, with the crowds of people in the streets, doors, and windows,
saluted them every where with cries of _'Vive la Nation;'_ but not a
single _'Vive le Roy'_ was heard. The King stopped at the _Hôtel de
Ville_. There Monsieur Bailly presented and put into his hat the popular
cockade, and addressed him. The King being unprepared and unable to
answer, Bailly went to him, gathered from him some scraps of sentences,
and made out an answer, which he delivered to the audience as from
the King. On their return, the popular cries were _'Vive le Roy et la
Nation.'_ He was conducted by a _Garde Bourgeoise_ to his palace
at Versailles, and thus concluded such an _amende honorable_, as no
sovereign ever made, and no people ever received. Letters written with
his own hand to the Marquis de la Fayette remove the scruples of his
position. Tranquillity is now restored to the capital: the shops are
again opened; the people resuming their labors, and if the want of
bread does not disturb our peace, we may hope a continuance of it.
The demolition of the Bastile is going on, and the _Milice Bourgeoise_
organizing and training. The ancient police of the city is abolished by
the authority of the people, the introduction of the King's troops will
probably be proscribed, and a watch or city guards substituted, which
shall depend on the city alone. But we cannot suppose this paroxysm
confined to Paris alone. The whole country must pass successively
through it, and happy if they get through it as soon and as well as