one, or thofe to whom I may have given bad example or fcandal, to forgive me the evil which they think I have done them. "I entreat all charitable perfons to join their prayers with mine to obtain of God the pardon of my fins. "I forgive, with all my heart, those who have made themselves my enemies without my having given them any cause; and I pray God to forgive them, as well as those who, through a falfe or mistaken zeal, have done me much evil. wife, my chil "I recommend to God my dren, my fifter, my aunts, my brothers, and all those who are attached to me by the ties of blood, or in any other manner whatsoever. I pray God particularly to look with the eyes of mercy on my wife, my children, and my fifter, who have long been the partners of my fufferings; to fuftain them by his grace, if they should lose me; and as long as they fhall remain in this périshable world. I recommend my children to my wife; I have never doubted her maternal tenderness for them. commend to her, above all, to make them good Chriftians, and honeft members of fociety; to make them confider the grandeurs I re of of this world, if they are condemned to prove them, but as things dangerous and perishable, and to turn their views towards the only and folid glory of eternity. I requeft my fifter to continue her tenderness to my children, and to be a mother to them, if they should have the misfortune to lose their own. "I entreat my wife to forgive me all the evils which the fuffers on my account, and the uneafinefs which I may have caused her in the courfe of our union; as she may be affured, that I remember nothing against her, if the thinks fhe has any thing to reproach herfelf with. "I earnestly recommend to my children, next to their duty to God, which they ought to prefer to every thing, to maintain mutual union, fubmiffion, and obedience, to their mother, and gratitude for all the cares which she incurs for them, and in memory of me. "I entreat them to confider my fifter as a fecond mother. I recommend to my fon, if he fhould have the misfortune to become king, to think that he owes himself entirely to the good of his fellow citizens; that he ought to forget all hatred and all resentment, and especially whatever relates to the misfortunes and uneafinefs uneafiness which I experience; that he cannot promote the good of the people but by reigning according to the laws; but, at the fame time, that a king cannot make the laws. refpected, and do the good he wishes, but in proportion as he has the neceffary authority; and that, without this, being fettered in his operations, and infpiring no refpect, he is more injurious than useful. I recommend to my fon to take care of all the persons who were attached to me, as far as his circumstances shall give him the means; to think that this is a facred debt which I have contracted to the children or relations of those who have died for me, and next, to those who are unfortunate on my account. I know that there are many perfons of those who were attached to me, who have not conducted themfelves towards me as they ought, and who have even fhewn me ingratitude; but I forgive them (often, in the moments of trouble and effervefcence, a man is not mafter of himfelf); and I entreat my fon, if he should have the opportunity, to remember only their miffortunes. I could wish to be able to testify my gratitude to those who have difplayed a true and difinterested attachment to me. On the the one hand, if I was fenfibly affected by the ingratitude and difloyalty of persons to whom I had never fhewn any thing but favours to them, their relations, or friends; on the other, I have had the confolation of feeing the gratuitous attachment and interest which many perfons have fhewn to me. Í entreat them to accept of my thanks; in the fituation in which things ftill are, I should be afraid of bringing them into danger, if I were to fpeak more explicitly; but I recommend particularly to my fon to feek all occafions of 'discovering them. I fhould, nevertheless, think that I calumniated the sentiments of the nation, did ĺ not openly recommend to my fon M. M. de Chamilly and Hu, whom their true attachment to me induced to shut themselves up with me in this mournful refidence, and who were near being the unhappy victims of what they did. I alfo recommend to him Cleri, with whofe attention I have had every reafon to be fatisfied fince he has been with me. As it is he who has remained with me to the last, I request M. M. of the Commune, to deliver to him my clothes, my books, my watch, my purfe, and the other little effects which have been been depofited at the Council of the Com mons. "I also most willingly forgive those who guarded me, the ill-treatment and severity which they thought it their duty to make me fuffer. I have found fome feeling and compaffionate fouls; may they enjoy the tranquillity of heart, which muft fpring from their manner of thinking. "I entreat M. M. De Malefherbes, Tronchet, and Defeze, to receive here my thanks; and the expreffion of my fenfibility, for all the care and all the pains which they took for me. "I conclude by declaring, in the presence of God, and ready to appear before him, that I reproach myself with none of the crimes which are alledged against me. "Done in duplicate at the Tower of the (Signed) "LOUIS." (A true copy) Baudrais, Municipal Officer. She has forgotten that it was Louis who fevered America from her, &c. Page 14. l. 13. -The Queen of France's party, it is well known, forced on the King the treaty with America, 3 |