Home › Famous Old Tower of London › Famous Old Tower of London: Paris
Famous Old Tower of London: Paris
Remarkable Escape of Queen Marie Antoinette. bayonet and sword, upon the empty bed, before they discovered that their victim was no longer there. Miomandre, the On the dreadful sixth of October, 1787, brave guardsman, using his musket to when the infuriated mob of Paris had guard the queen's door instead of to been incited by the revolutionary leaders defend himself, fell wounded; but his to rush to Versailles in pursuit of the comrade, M. de Repaire, at once took his royal family, whose absence they fancied place, and, according to one account, was deprived them of bread and liberty, a slain, and the next day his head, set upon woman shared the honor of saving her a pike, was borne before the carriage in sovereign's life, at least for that time. which the royal family were escorted back to Paris.
The confusion of the day, with the M. de Miomandre, however, recovered multitude thronging the courts and park of Versailles, uttering the most frightful from his wounds, and a few weeks after, threats and insults, had been beyond all the queen, hearing that his loyalty had description; but there had been a pause made him a mark for the hatred of the at night, and at two o'clock, poor Queen mob, sent for him to desire him to quit Marie Antoinette, spent with horror and Paris. She said that gold could not repay such a service as his had been, but As he was cutting away the trees upon she hoped one day to be able to recom- the hill-side of the beautiful Wyllys Place, pense him more as he deserved; mean- a deputation of Indians came to him and while, she hoped he would consider that requested that he would spare this old as a sister might advance a timely sum to hollow oak. They declared that it had a brother, so she might offer him enough "been the guide of their ancestors for to defray his expenses at Paris, and to centuries." It was spared, to fall on provide for his journey. In a private the above day, having finally yielded to audience, then, he kissed her hand, and the process of natural decay. those of the king and his saintly sister, On the thirty-first of October, 1687, Sir Elizabeth, while the queen gratefully Edmund Andross, attended by members expressed her thanks, and the king stood of his council, and a body-guard of sixty by, with tears in his eyes, but withheld, soldiers, entered Hartford to take the by his awkward bashfulness, from ex- charter by force. The General Assembly pressing the feelings that overpowered was in session. He was received with him. courtesy, but coldness. He entered the Madame Auguier, and her sister, Ma- Assembly-room, and publicly demanded dame Campan, continued with their royal the charter. Remonstrances were made, Campan, continued with their royal the charter. Remonstrances were made, lady until the next stage in that miser- and the session was protracted till eveable downfall of all that was high and ning. The Governor and his associates noble in unhappy France. She lived appeared to yield.
The charter was through the horrors of the Revolution, brought in and laid upon the table. Sir and her daughter became the wife of Edmund thought that the last moment Marshal Ney. of the colony had come, when suddenly the lights were all put out and total The Charter Oak.
On the twentieth of August, 1856, this darkness followed. There was no noise, noble old historic tree was blown down no resistance, but all was quiet. The old historic tree was blown down no resistance, but all was quiet. The by a tornado which swept over Hartford, candles were again lighted, but the char- Conn.