第7章
加入书架 A- A+

  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。

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