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My brother was still wallowing in filth; no one entered his room except at meal times; no one had any pity on that unfortunate child. There was one but one guard whose manners were civil enough to induce me to commend my poor brother to him. He dared to speak of the harshness shown to the child, and he was dismissed the next day. As for me, I asked for only simple necessaries, which were often refused to me harshly; but at least I could keep myself clean, I had both soap and water. I swept the room every day. I finished doing it by nine o'clock when the Guards brought up my breakfast. I had no light, but when the days were long, I suffered less from that privation. They would no longer give me books; I had none but those of piety and travels which I had read a hundred times. I had some knitting, but that ennuyed me very much.
Such was our state when the 9th thermidor arrived. I heard the generale beaten and the tocsin rung; I was very uneasy. The municiapls in the Temple did not stir out. When they brought my dinner I dared not ask waht was happening. At last, on the 10th thermidor, at 6 o'clock in the morning, I heard a frightful noise in the Temple; the Guard cried to arms, the drums beat, the gates were opened and shut. All this uproar was occasioned by a visit from members of the National Assembly, who came to assure themeselves that all was secure. I heard the bolts of my brother's door drawn back; I flung myself from my bed and was dressed before the members of the Convention arrived in my room. Barras was among them. They were all in full costume, which surprised me, not being accustomed to see them thus, and being always in fear of something. Barras spoke to me, called me by name, and seemed surprised to find me risen. They said to me several things to which I made no reply. They went away, and I heard them haranguing the Guards under the windows and exhorting them to be faithful to the National Convention. There were many cries of Vive la Republique! Vive la Convention! The guard was doubled; the three municipals who were in the Temple stayed there eight days. On the evening of the theird day, at half-past nine o'clock, I was in my bed, having no light, but not asleep, so anxious was I about what was happening. They knocked at my door to show me Laurent, commisioner from the Convention, appointed to guard my brother and me. I rose; they made a long visit, showed everything to Laurent and then went away.
The next day at 10 o'clock, Laurents entered my room; he asked me politely if I wanted anything. He came daily three times to see me, always with civility, and did not "thee and thou" me. He never searched my bureaus and closets. At the end of another three days, the Convention sent a deputation to report upon my brother's state; these men had pity upon him and ordered that he should be better treated. Laurents took down a bed which was in my room, because the one he had was full of bugs; he made him take baths, and removed the vermin with which he was covered. Neverthelles, they still left him alone in his room.
I soon asked Laurents about that which concerned me so keenly; I mean news of my relations, of whose death I was ignorant, and I begged to be reunited with my mother. HE answered me with a very pained air that the matter did not concern him.
The next day came men in scarfs to whom I made the same appeal. They also answered that the matter did not concern them, and said they did not see why I wanted to leave that place, where I seemed very comfortable. "It is dreadful, "I said, "to be parted from one's mother for over a year without knowing anything about her, and also one's aunt." "You are not ill?" "No, monsieur, but the cruellest illness is that of the heart." "I tell you that we can nothing; I advise you to have patience, and to hope in the justice and good ness of Frenchmen." I said no more. I was alarmed the next day by the explosions at Grenelle, which gave me a great fright.
During all this time my brother was still left alone. Laurent went to him three times a day, but, fearing to compromise himself as he was watched, he dared not do more. He took much care of me; and I had only to congratulate myself on his manners all the time he was on service. He oftern asked me if I needed nothing, and begged me to tell him what I wished and to ring if I wanted anything. He gave me back my match-box and candle.
Towards the end of October, at one o'clock in the morning, I was sleeping when they knocked on my door; I rose in haste, and opened it, trembling with fear. I saw two men of the commitee with Laurent; they looked at me, and went away without speaking.
At the beginning of November came the civil commissioners; that is to say, one man from each section, who passed twenty-four hours in the Temple to verify the existance of my brother. During the first day of this month, another commissioner, named Gomier, arrived to be with Laurents. He took extreme care of my brother. For a long time that unhappy child had been left withogut lights; he was dying of fear. Gomier obtained permission that he might have them; he even passed several hours with him daily to amuse him. He soon perceived that my brother's knees wrists were swelled; he feared he was growing rickety; he spoke to the committee and asked that the child might be taken to the garden for exercise. He first made him come down from his room into the little salon, which pleased my brother much because he liked a change of place. H esson perceived Gomier's attentions, was touched by them, and attached himself to him. The unhappy child had long been accustomed to none but the worst treatment I believe that no researches can show such barbarity to any other child.
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the Tower and get the air; but he was no sooner there than he wanted to come down; he would not walk, still less would he go upstairs. His illness increased, and his knees swelled much. Laurent went away, and in his place they put Lasne, a worthy man, who with Gomier, took the greatest care of my brother.
At the opening of the spring thay wanted to go up on the Tower, which I did. My brother's illness grew worse daily; his strenght diminished; even his mindshowed the effects of the harshness so long exercised towards him, and it gradually weakened. The Committee of Public Safety sent Dr. Desault to take care of him; he undertook to cure him, though he admitted that his illness was very dangerious. Desault died, and they sent as his successors Dumangin and the surgeon, Pelletan. They saw no hope. They made him take medicines, which he swallowed with difficulty. Happily his malady did not make him suffer much; it was debility and a total wasting time rather than acute pain. He had several distressing crises, fever seized him, him strength lessened daily, and he expired without a struggle.
Thus died, June 9, 1795, at three in the afternoon, Louis XVII, aged ten years and two moths. The commissioners mourned him bitterly, so much had he made them love him for his gentle qualities. He had much intelligence; but imprisonment and the horrors of which he was the victim had changed him much; and even, had he lived, it is to be feared that his mental faculties would have been affected.
I do not think that he was poisoned, as was said, and it is still said: that is flase, from the testimony of the physicians who opened his body. The drugs he had taken in his last illness were analysed and found to be safe. The only poison that shortened his life was uncleaness, joined to the horrible treatement, the unexampled harshness and sruelty excersised upon him.
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