“Thismanmustbefilledwithasingularfanaticism，“saidColombeau，oneoftheleadingofficials，inthereportwhichhegavetotheConventionoftheride。“ItisotherwiseinexplicablehowLouiscouldbesocalm，sincehehadsomuchreasontofear。Afterwehadallenteredthecarriage，andweredrivingthroughthestreets，Louisentereduponconversation，whichsoonturneduponliterature，andespeciallyuponsomeLatinauthors。Hegavehisjudgmentswithremarkablecorrectnessandinsight，anditappearedtomethathetookpleasureinshowinghislearning。OneofussaidthathedidnotenjoySeneca，becausehisloveforrichesstoodinmarkedcontrastwithhispretendedphilosophy，andbecauseitcouldnoteasilybeforgivenhimthatbeforethesenateheapologizedforthecrimesofNero。ThisreflectiondidnotseemtoaffectLouisintheleast。WhenwespokeofLivy，Capetsaidthatheseemedtohavetakensatisfactionincomposinggreatspeecheswhichwereneverutteredtoanyotheraudiencethanthatwhichwasreachedfromhisstudy-table；’for，’headded，’itisimpossiblethatgeneralsreallydeliveredsuchlongspeechesinfrontoftheirarmies。’HethencomparedLivywithTacitus，andthoughtthatthelatterwasfarsuperiortotheformerinpointofstyle。“[Footnote：SeeBeauchesne，vol。i。，p。396。]ThekingwentontalkingaboutLatinauthorswhilethecarriagewascarryinghimthroughtheroaringmobtotheConvention，whichDesegeaddressedinhisdefenceinthesecourageouswords：“Ilookforjudgesamongyou，butseeonlyaccusers。“
Thekingwascompletelycalm，yetheknewthathislifewasthreatened，andthathewasstandingbeforeatribunalofdeath。AsonthedaywhenhewasfirsttakentotheConvention，herequestedMalesherbestoforwardanotetothepriestwhoseattendancehedesired，andwhohebelievedwouldnotdenyhispresenceandattentions。HisnamewasEdgewarthdePirmont。Thetimewasnotdistantwhennottheservicesofadvocateswerewantedbytheking，butexclusivelythoseofthepriest。
ThesentenceofdeathwaspronouncedonJanuary26，1793。Louisreceiveditcalmly，anddesiredmerelytoseehisfamily，tohaveaconfessorcometohim，andtopreparehimselfforhisdeath。
DuringthesedreadfulweeksMarieAntoinettewasseparatedfromherhusband，alonewithherchildren，whonolongerwereabletosmile，butwhosatdayafterdaywithfixedeyesandsilentlips。Thequeenknewthatthekinghadbeenaccused，hadmadeaprivatereplytothechargesbroughtagainsthim，andhadbeenbroughtbeforetheConvention。Butnotaword，notasyllableofthetrialwhichfollowed，reachedher。MadameTison，thefemaledragonwhoguardedher，watchedhertoowellforanytidingstoreachher。
Atlast，however，thewordwasbroughtwhichtheheartofthequeenhadsolonganticipatedtremblingly，forwhichshehadpreparedherselfduringthelongnightswithtearsandprayers，andwhichnowfilledherwithgrief，anger，anddespair。Thekingwascondemnedtodeath!Hewantedonlytoseehisfamily，totakehisleaveofthem!