At these words I felt a storm of joy sweep over me, at the thought of the grand spectacle that was going to pass in my presence, which warned me to be doubly on my guard.  I tried to furnish myself with the strongest dose of seriousness, gravity, and modesty.  I followed M. le Duc d’Orleans, who entered the King’s room by the little door, and who found the King in his cabinet.  On the way the Duc d’Albret made me some very marked compliments, with evident desire to discover something.  I put him off with politeness, complaints of the crowd, of the annoyance of my dress, and gained thus the King’s cabinet.

The King was dressed as usual.  When the Duc d’Orleans had been a few moments with him, he asked him if he would be pleased to go:  and the way was instantly’ cleared, a procession formed, and the King moved towards the Hall of the Swiss Guard.

I now hastened to the chamber, where the Bed of justice was to be held.  The passage to it was tolerably, free.  The officers of the body-guard made place for me and for the Duc de la Force, and Marechal de Villars, who followed me, one by one.  I stopped a moment in the passage at the entrance to the room, seized with joy upon seeing this grand spectacle, and at the thought of the grand movement that was drawing nigh, I needed a pause in order to recover myself sufficiently to see distinctly what I looked at, and to put on a new coat of seriousness and of modesty.  I fully expected I should be well examined by a company which had been carefully taught not to like me, and by the curious spectators waiting to see what was to be hatched out of so profound a secret, in such an important assembly, summoned so hastily.  Moreover, nobody was ignorant that I knew all, at least from the Council of the Regency I had just left.

I did not deceive myself.  As soon as I appeared, all eyes were fixed upon me.  I slowly advanced towards the chief greffier, and introducing myself between the two seats, I traversed the length of the room, in front of the King’s people, who saluted me with a smiling air, and I ascended over three rows of high seats, where all the peers were in their places, and who rose as I approached the steps.  I respectfully saluted them from the third row.

Seated in my elevated place, and with nothing before me, I was able to glance over the whole assembly.  I did so at once, piercing everybody with my eyes.  One thing alone restrained me; it was that I did not dare to fix my eyes upon certain objects.  I feared the fire and brilliant significance of my looks at that moment so appreciated by everybody:  and the more I saw I attracted attention, the more anxious was I to wean curiosity by my discreetness.  I cast, nevertheless, a glittering glance upon the Chief-President and his friends, for the examination of whom I was admirably placed.  I carried my looks over all the Parliament, and saw there an astonishment, a silence, a consternation, such as I had not expected,