64« MEMOIES OF THE DUKE OF SAINT-SIMON".

sailles crying aloud in the street. The discourses they held
were daring and continual in the streets and public places; they
uttered complaints, sharp, and but little measured, against the
government, and even against the King's person ; and even ex-
horted each other no longer to be so enduring, saying that
nothing worse could happen to them than what they suffered,
dying as they were of starvation.

To amuse the people, the idle and the poor were employed
to level a rather large hillock which remained upon the Boule-
vard, between the Portes St. Denis and St. Martin; and for all
salary, bad bread in small quantities was distributed to these
workers. It happened that on Tuesday morning, the 20th of
August, there was no bread for a large number of these people.
A woman amongst others cried out at this, which excited, the
rest to do likewise. The archers appointed to watch over these
labourers, threatened the woman; she only cried the louder;
thereupon the archers seized her and indiscreetly put her in an
adjoining pillory. In a moment all her companions ran to her
&id, pulled down the pillory, and scoured the streets, pillaging
the bakers and pastrycooks. One by one the shops closed.
The disorder increased and spread through the neighbouring
streets; no harm was done anybody, but the cry was " Bread !
Bread !" and bread was seized everywhere.

It so fell out that Marechal Boufflers, who little thought
what was happening, was in the neighbourhood, calling upon
Ids notary. Surprised at the fright he saw everywhere, and
learning the cause, he wished of himself to appease it. Accom-
panied by the Due de Grammont, he directed himself towards
the scene of the disturbance, although advised not to do so.
When he arrived at the top of the Rue St. Denis, the crowd
and the tumult made him judge that it would be best to alight
from his coach. He advanced, therefore, on foot with the Due
<le Grammont among the furious and infinite crowd of people, of
whom he asked the cause of this uproar, promised them bread,
spoke his best with gentleness but firmness., and remonstrated
with them. He was listened to. Cries, several times repeated,
of "Vive M. le Marechal de Boufflers/' burst from the crowd.