cardinal, and if the latter should really come out from the trial as
the deceived and duped one, Marie Antoinette should, nevertheless,
share in the stain.

The Rohan family and their friends set therefore all means in
motion, in order to win over public opinion and the judges. To this
end they visited the members of Parliament, brought presents to
those of them who were willing to receive them, made use of
mercenary authors to hurl libellous pamphlets at the queen,
published brochures which, in dignified language, defended the
cardinal in advance, and exhibited him as the victim of his devotion
and love to the royal family. Everybody read these pamphlets; and
when at last the day of decision came, public opinion had already
declared itself in favor of the cardinal and against the queen.

On the 31st of August, 1786, as already said, the trial so long in
preparation was to be decided. The night before, the cardinal had
been transferred from the Bastile to the prison, as had also the
other prisoners who were involved in the case.

At early dawn the whole square before the prison was full of men,
and the dependants of Rohan and the Agitators of Freedom, as Marat
and his companions called themselves, were active here as ever to
turn the feeling of the people against the queen.

In the court-house, on the other side of the great square,
meanwhile, the great drama of the trial had begun. The members of
Parliament, the judges in the case, sat in their flowing black
garments, in long rows before the green table, and their serious,
sad faces and sympathetic looks were all directed toward the