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114 would have gone far to prove that the evils of slavery have been grossly exaggerated. So far, however, from the excesses of the populace—at least, in the first years of the Revolution—being a surprise to us, it should more properly be a surprise that, as a rule, they evinced as much good-feeling and tolerance as they did!

Yes, feudal privileges had been abolished and good laws passed, but the populace of Paris was as hungry as before—if possible, a good deal hungrier; and so it came to pass that a formidable body of women marched to Versailles on that memorable 5th of October, when they appeared below the King's palace, and brought him, Marie-Antoinette, and the Dauphin triumphantly back with them to Paris.

This spontaneous bringing back by the mob of the Royal Family to the Tuileries, there to live under their own eye, was probably due to the growing suspicion of underhand plotting. But in spite of rumours, alarms, and political panics, the majority of the people of Paris, as well as of the Representatives, were monarchical; and had the King given his sincere adhesion to the reconstruction of the Government, there are many indications that the final crash of the Throne might have been averted. If we are to believe Camille Desmoulins, there were not a score of Republicans in France at the first meeting of the States-General. However, it seems useless to speculate on the might-have-beens of history. Madame Roland herself never entertained any illusions. Very early she perceived the interests of the Royalist and popular party to be diametrically opposed to each other, and in the summer of 1789 she wrote with her unflinching judgment: "You busy yourselves about a municipality and you