“Andnowtherefollowedacourtlycompliment，withtheusualregretsformyimprisonment。HeaskedinwhatpartofItalyIwasborn，andwhenItoldhiminSaluzzo，inPiedmont，heawardedthePiedmontesesomewordsofhighpraise，andspokoparticularlyofBodoniacelebratedprinter，directorofthenationalprintingestablishmentatParma。Hiscomplimentswerebriefanddiscriminating，anddisclosedafinelycultivatedmind。
“’Andnow，sir，’saidI，’allowmetoaskyouwhoyouare。’
“’YouwerejustsingingasongthatIwrote。’
“’Theseprettyverseshereuponthewall，aretheyyours？’
“’Yes，theyare。’
“’Youaretherefore——’
“’TheDukedeNormandie。’
“ThewatchmanwasjustthenwalkingpastmywindowandsoIwasstill。Aftersometimeweresumedourconversation。WhenIaskedwhetherhewasLouisXVII。，herespondedintheaffirmative，andbegantodeclaimhotlyagainstLouisXVIII。hisuncle，theusurperofhisrights。
“Iimploredhimtogivemehishistoryinbriefoutlines。Hedidso，andrelatedtomeallthedetailsconnectedwiththelifeofLouisXVII。，whichIknewonlyinpart。HetoldmehowhehadbeenimprisonedwithSimonthecobbler，beencompelledtosignacalumniatingchargeagainsthismother，etc。HethenrelatedtomethestoryofhisescapeandhisflighttoAmerica，ofhisreturntoreclaimthethroneofhisfathers，andhisarrestinMantua。
“Heportrayedhishistorywithextraordinarylife。AlltheincidentsoftheFrenchRevolutionwerepresentbeforehim；hespokewithnaturaleloquence，andwoveinpiquantanecdotesveryapropos。Hismannerofexpressionsmackedonceinawhileofthesoldier，buttherewasnolackoftheelegancethatdisclosedhisintercoursewithgoodsociety。
“’Willyouallowme，’Iaskedhim，’totreatyouasafriendandleaveoffalltitles？’
“’Iwantexactlythat，’heanswered。’Misfortunehastaughtmethegoodlessontodespiseallthevanitiesofearth。Believeme，mypridedoesnotlieinthis，thatIamaking，butthatIamaman。’
“Afterthiswehadlongconversationsmorningsandevenings，andI
recognizedinhimanoble，beautifulsoul，sensitivetoallthatisgood。Heknewhowtowinhearts，andeventheturnkeyswerekindtohim。Oneofthemsaidtomeoncomingfromthecellofmyneighbor：
’Ihavestronghopesthathewillmakemechiefporterwhenheisking；Ihavehadtheboldnesstoaskhimfortheposition，andhehaspromisedit。’
“TothevenerationoftheturnkeysforthekingofthefutureIoweitthatonedaywhenIwasledtotrial，andhadtopassbyhiscell，theyopenedthedoorsthatImightseemyillustriousfriend。
Hewasofmediumsize，fromfortytoforty-fiveyearsofage，somewhatembonpoint，andhadathoroughlyBourbonphysiognomy。“
[Footnote：SilvioPellico，“LeMiePrigioni，“p。51etseq。AnexaminationofSilvioPellico’sworkwillconvincethereaderthatSilvioPellicowasbynomeansabelieverinthegenuinenessofhiscompanion’sclaims。MissMuhlbachseemstohavebeenscarcelyjustinleavingtheimpressionconveyedinthetext-TB。]
Aftersevenyearsofimprisonment，thegatesopenedatlastfortheBarondeRichemont；andhewhohadbeenplacedtherewithoutthesentenceofajudge，wasreleasedwithaslittleshowofauthority。
Thesonofthequeenwasfreeagain；thedeathofKingLouisXVIII。
hadrestoredhimtothewalksofmen。ButanotherKingofFranceassumedhisplaceatonce；theCountd’ArtoisascendedthethroneunderthetitleofCharlesX。
ThepoorBarondeRichemontborehissorrowsandhishumiliationintothevalleysofSwitzerland。Butwhen，intheyear1830，KingCharlesX。abdicatedthethrone，thesonofMarieAntoinetteagaincameforthfromhissolitude，issuedaproclamationtotheFrenchpeople，and，inthepresenceofallEurope，demandedhisinheritance。
Yet，amidtheclashofweaponsandtheroarofrevolutions，thevoiceoftheunfortunateprincewasoverborne。Hehadnosoldiers，nocannon，toenforcesilenceandmakehimselfbeheard。ButtheDuked’Orleans，LouisPhilippe，hadsoldiersandcannon；andthearmsofhisdependants，andthemagicofhiswealth，placedhimuponthethroneinJuly，1830。[Footnote：Itwasthe9thofAugust——Tr。]
ThepoorBarondeRichemont，thesonofkings，thelastoftheBourbonsinFrance，hadnowasinglefriend，who，perhaps，wouldreceivehim。ThisfriendwastheDukedeBourbon——Conde，nowanoldmanofeightyyears。Oneday，someweeksaftertheaccessionofLouisPhilippe，theDukedeBourbonreceivedathispalaceofSt。
Leuagentlemanwhomnobodyknew，whoannouncedhimselfastheBarondeRichemont。
Thedukewentoutintotheanteroom，greetedhisguestwiththegreatestdeference，andledhimintohiscabinet。Therethetwogentlemencarriedonalongandearnestconversation，andthesecretaryoftheduke，whowasatworkinthelibraryhardby，distinctlyheardhismastersay，withtremblingtones：“Sire，I
imploreyou，forgiveme。Thecircumstanceswerestrongerthanmywill。Sire，gonotintojudgmentwithme——forgiveme。“
Tothisanangryvoicereplied：“No，Iwillnotforgiveyou，foryouhavedealtperfidiouslywiththeson，asyoudidoncewiththemother!Youhavenotredeemedtheoaththatyouoncegaveme。I
leaveyou。MayGodbegracioustoyou，andpardonyou。TakecarethatHedoesnotpunishyouforthetreacherythatyouhaveshowntome。Yousworethatyouwouldacknowledgenootherkingbutme，andyetyouhavetakenyouroathtothethirdking。Farewell!MaytheAlmightyprotectyou!Weshallseeeachother，perhaps，inabetterworld，andthereyouwillhavetogiveyouraccounttoaJudgewhomnothingcanmitigate。Behappy，andmaythedeadsleepinpeace!“
[Footnote：TheverywordsofRichemont——See“MemoiresduDucdeNormandie，“p。243。]
Thesecretarythenheardtheforcibleclosingofadoor，andallbecamestill。Afteranhourheenteredtheduke’scabinet，becausethesilencetroubledhim。Theolddukesatinhisarm-chair，pale，andgazingwithconstantlooksatthedoorthroughwhichthestrangerhaddeparted。Hewasreticentthewholeday，andinthenightfollowinghisvaletheardhimsoftlyprayingandweeping。Onthenextmorning，August27th，1830，onenteringthesleeping-roomofhismaster，hefoundhimdeadandalreadyrigid。Thedukehadhangedhimselfatthewindowofhisownroom。
Thelastdependantoftheunhappyking，whostillborethenameofthepretender，wasdead，aswereallhisrelations，includinghissister，theDuchessd’Angouleme。
Butfromthedeadtherecameagreeting。ShehadorderedalargesumtobepaidyearlytotheBarondeRichemont，andthereportwasthatshehadwishedtorecognizehimonherdeath-bedasherbrother。ButherconfessorhadcounselledherthatsucharecognitionwouldintroducenewcontentionsamongtheBourbons，andgivethepretenderHenryV。equalclaimswithLouisXVII。
YettheDukedeNormandiewasnotsilent；hespokesoloudlyofhisrightsthatLouisPhilippeatlasthelditadvisabletoarresthimandbringhimtotrial。Thepreliminaryinvestigationcontinuedfifteenmonths；thenhewasbroughtbeforethecourt，andaccusedofconspiracyagainstthesafetyofthestate。
TheGazettedesTribunauxofthe3d，4th，and5thofNovember，1834，gavethedetailsofthistrial。Spectatorspouredinfromallsides，andalso，inanunexpectedmanner，witnesseswhodeclaredthemselvesreadytoprovetheidentityoftheBarondeRichemontwiththeDukedeNormandie，sonofLouisXVI。Theaccusedappearedentirelycalmanddignifiedbeforethebar，andwhenthecounselforthegovernmentaccusedhimofappropriatinganamethatdidnotbelongtohim，heaskedquietly，“Gentlemen，ifIamnotLouisXVII。，willyoutellmewhoIam？“
Nooneknewhowtoreplytothisquestion；butmanyeminentlegitimistshadcometosolemnlydeclarethattheaccusedwasintruththeirking，andthathewastherescuedorphanoftheTemple。
Eventhepresidentofthecourtseemedtobeconvincedofthis，andhisclosingwordsinaddressingthejurywerethese：“Gentlemen，whoistheaccusedwhostandsbeforeyouto-day？Whatishisname，hislineage，hisfamily？Whatarehisantecedents，hiswholehistory？IsheaninstrumentoftheenemiesofFrance，orishe，muchmore，anunfortunatewhohasmiraculouslyescapedthehorrorsofabloodyrevolution，and，laidunderbansbyhisbirth，hasnownonameandnorefugeforhishead？“
Thejury，however，werenotcalledupontoanswerthisquestion；
theyhadsimplytoreplytothequestionwhethertheaccusedwasguiltyofaconspiracyagainstthestate。Thistheyansweredwitha“Guilty，“andcondemnedtheaccusedtoanimprisonmentoftwelveyears。
TheDukedeNormandie，orKingLouisCharles，aswemaychoosetocallhim，wastakentoSt。Pelagic；butduringthenextyear，throughtheassistanceofpowerfulfriends，whichhistrialhadgainedovertohim，hewasreleasedfromprison，andagainspentsomequietyearsinSwitzerland。
Thencametheyear1848，theyearofrevolutions，whosestorm-wavesdroveLouisPhilippetoEngland，nevertoascendagainthethroneofFrance。
AgainLouisCharlesissuedfromhissolitude，andthistimenotalone。Aswarmofrichandpowerfullegitimiststhrongedaroundhim，ajournal——L’Iflexible——wassecuredtotheinterestsoftheDukedoNormandie，andLaVendee，withathousandloyalvoices，summonedKingLouisXVII。toherself。There，ashewasonthepointofhasteningtohisfaithfulones，Godlaidhishanduponhimandheldhimback；astrokeofparalysiscrippledhislimbs。Afterrecoveringfromthisattack，thestrengthofhismindwastakenaway，andthedecided，fiery，indefatigablepretenderbecameagentle，piousmonk，whofastedandprayed，andwanderedtoRometohaveaninterviewwithPopePiusIX。，andreceivedabsolutionfromhimforallhissins。
ThepopemettheDukedeNormandieatGaetaonthe20thofFebruary，1849，andhadalongandsecretconversationwithhim；and，whenLouisCharleswithdrew，itwasasaquiet，pious，smilingman，whoneverdeniedhishighextraction，butwhohadnolongerawishtoberestoredtotheinheritanceofhisfathers。Moreandmorehewithdrewfromtheworld，andlivedonlyinthecircleofafewnoble-bornlegitimists，whoneveraddressedhimexceptingas“sire。“
Heacceptedthetitleasonethatwashisdue，andneverrefuseditevenwhenapproachedbymanyadherentsofthenewNapoleonicdynasty。Atthattimehewrotetohisfriends：
“YouaskmewhatIwish，whattheendofmystruggleis，whichhasnowlastedmorethanahalfcentury？Iwilltellyou。Youdonotsuppose，Itrust，thatIamstilldeterminedtoascendthethroneofFrance：todothiswouldbeagreatmisfortuneforme，butitwouldcertainlybeagreateroneforFrance，anditwouldrightlybesaidofbothofusthatwemeritourmisfortune；stilllessdoIhopetoattaintowealthandhighstationbybeingrecognized。YouknowthatIneedverylittleformysupport，andthatthislittleisamplyprovidedfor。WhatelseshouldIstrivefor？Toavengemyself？Myfriend，Iamatanagewhenthebloodflowsslowerthroughtheveins，andwhenonefindsaninexpressiblecharminforgiving。What，then，doIwish？WhatcouldIhave？WhydoIincessantlystrive？
Thisisthereason，myfriend：Ishouldlike，beforemydeath，toconvinceallwhohavedisinterestedlybelievedinme，thatitisnotapoliticaladventurer，buttheroyal’orphanoftheTemple，’whoowesthemhisfriendship，andgivesthemhisgratitude。“
Andthislastgoalofhislifewaswithinhisreach。Thefriendsandlegitimistswhosurroundedhimbelievedinhim，andwhenhediedhisdependantsandservantsmournedforhimasforadepartedking。Theyborehimwithsolemnpomptohisgrave，atthedeadofnight。
Somefiftypersonsfollowedhiscoffin，andapriestwentbeforeit。
HewasburiedinthechurchyardofVillefranche，andhistombstonebearsthefollowinginscription：
HererestsLouisCharlesofFranceBornatVersailles，March27，1785。DiedintheChateauofVaux-Renaud，August
End