Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions

第7章

试读中

第7章

Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions Mackay, Charles

后面的故事,去 App 接着看,下载后搜索书名即可继续阅读。

Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions
阅读主题
字体大小

  Onthesamedaythe27thofMaythebankstoppedpaymentinspecie。LawandD’Argensonwerebothdismissedfromtheministry。Theweak,vacillating,andcowardlyRegentthrewtheblameofallthemischiefuponLaw,who,uponpresentinghimselfatthePalaisRoyal,wasrefusedadmitance。Atnightfall,however,hewassentfor,andadmittedintothepalacebyasecretdoor,[Duclos,MemoiresSecretsdelaRegence。]whentheRegentendeavouredtoconsolehim,andmadeallmannerofexcusesfortheseveritywithwhichinpublichehadbeencompelledtotreathim。Socapriciouswashisconduct,that,twodaysafterwards,hetookhimpubliclytotheopera,wherehesatintheroyalbox,alongsideoftheRegent,whotreatedhimwithmarkedconsiderationinfaceofallthepeople。ButsuchwasthehatredagainstLawthattheexperimenthadwellnighprovedfataltohim。Themobassailedhiscarriagewithstonesjustashewasenteringhisowndoor;andifthecoachmanhadnotmadeasuddenjerkintothecourt-yard,andthedomesticsclosedthegateimmediately,hewould,inallprobability,havebeendraggedoutandtorntopieces。Onthefollowingday,hiswifeanddaughterwerealsoassailedbythemobastheywerereturningintheircarriagefromtheraces。WhentheRegentwasinformedoftheseoccurrenceshesentLawastrongdetachmentofSwissguards,whowerestationednightanddayinthecourtofhisresidence。Thepublicindignationatlastincreasedsomuch,thatLaw,findinghisownhouse,evenwiththisguard,insecure,tookrefugeinthePalaisRoyal,intheapartmentsoftheRegent。

  TheChancellor,D’Aguesseau,whohadbeendismissedin1718forhisoppositiontotheprojectsofLaw,wasnowrecalledtoaidintherestorationofcredit。TheRegentacknowledgedtoolate,thathehadtreatedwithunjustifiableharshnessandmistrustoneoftheablest,andperhapsthesolehonestpublicmanofthatcorruptperiod。Hehadretiredeversincehisdisgracetohiscountry-houseatFresnes,where,inthemidstofseverebutdelightfulphilosophicstudies,hehadforgottentheintriguesofanunworthycourt。Lawhimself,andtheChevalierdeConflans,agentlemanoftheRegent’shousehold,weredespatchedinapost-chaise,withorderstobringtheex-chancellortoParisalongwiththem。D’Aguesseauconsentedtorenderwhatassistancehecould,contrarytotheadviceofhisfriends,whodidnotapprovethatheshouldacceptanyrecalltoofficeofwhichLawwasthebearer。OnhisarrivalinParis,fivecounsellorsoftheParliamentwereadmittedtoconferwiththeCommissaryofFinance,andonthe1stofJuneanorderwaspublished,abolishingthelawwhichmadeitcriminaltoamasscointotheamountofmorethanfivehundredlivres。

  Everyonewaspermittedtohaveasmuchspecieashepleased。Inorderthatthebank-notesmightbewithdrawn,twenty-fivemillionsofnewnoteswerecreated,onthesecurityoftherevenuesofthecityofParis,attwo-and-a-halfpercent。Thebank-noteswithdrawnwerepubliclyburnedinfrontoftheHoteldeVille。Thenewnoteswereprincipallyofthevalueoftenlivreseach;andonthe10thofJunethebankwasre-opened,withasufficiencyofsilvercointogiveinchangeforthem。

  Thesemeasureswereproductiveofconsiderableadvantage。AllthepopulationofParishastenedtothebank,togetcoinfortheirsmallnotes;andsilverbecomingscarce,theywerepaidincopper。Veryfewcomplainedthatthiswastooheavy,althoughpoorfellowsmightbecontinuallyseentoilingandsweatingalongthestreets,ladenwithmorethantheycouldcomfortablycarry,intheshapeofchangeforfiftylivres。Thecrowdsaroundthebankweresogreat,thathardlyadaypassedthatsomeonewasnotpressedtodeath。Onthe9thofJuly,themultitudewassodenseandclamorousthattheguardsstationedattheentranceoftheMazarinGardensclosedthegate,andrefusedtoadmitanymore。Thecrowdbecameincensed,andflungstonesthroughtherailingsuponthesoldiers。Thelatter,incensedintheirturn,threatenedtofireuponthepeople。Atthatinstantoneofthemwashitbyastone,and,takinguphispiece,hefiredintothecrowd。

  Onemanfelldeadimmediately,andanotherwasseverelywounded。Itwaseveryinstantexpectedthatageneralattackwouldhavebeencommenceduponthebank;butthegatesoftheMazarinGardensbeingopenedtothecrowd,whosawawholetroopofsoldiers,withtheirbayonetsfixed,readytoreceivethem,theycontentedthemselvesbygivingventtotheirindignationingroansandhisses。

后续内容在 App 继续看

精彩内容未完,打开 App 继续阅读

后面的故事已为你准备好,下载 App 后搜索“Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions”即可继续阅读这一章。