These are torn off and trampled under foot with threats of the lamp post， in case of fresh offense； a soldier who is trying to refasten his， changes his mind on seeing a hundred sticks raised against him."[29] These are the premonitory symptoms of a crisis； a huge ulcer has formed in this feverish， suffering body， and it is about to break.
But， as is usually the case， it is a purulent concentration of the most poisonous passions and the foulest motives. The vilest of men and women were engaged in it. Money was freely distributed. Was it done by intriguing subalterns who， playing upon the aspirations of the Duke of Orleans， extracted millions from him under the pretext of making him lieutenant-general of the kingdom？ Or is it due to the fanatics who， from the end of April， clubbed together to debauch the soldiery， and stir up a body of ruffians for the purpose of leveling and destroying everything around them？[30] There are always Machiavellis of the highways and of houses of ill-fame ready to excite the foul and the vile of both sexes. On the first day that the Flemish regiment goes into garrison at Versailles an attempt is made to corrupt it with money and women. Sixty abandoned women are sent from Paris for this purpose， while the French Guards come and treat their new comrades. The latter have been treated at the Palais-Royal， while three of them， at Versailles， exclaim， showing some crown pieces of six livres， "What a pleasure it is to go to Paris！ one always comes back with money ！" In this way， resistance is overcome beforehand. As to the attack， women are to be the advanced guard， because the soldiers will scruple to fire at them；their ranks， however， will be reinforced by a number of men disguised as women. On looking closely at them they are easily recognized， notwithstanding their rouge， by their badly-shaven beards， and by their voices and gait.[31] No difficulty has been found in obtaining men and women among the prostitutes of the Palais-Royal and the military deserters who serve them as bullies.
It is probable that the former lent their lovers the cast-off dresses they had to spare. At night all will meet again at the common rendezvous， on the benches of the National Assembly， where they are quite as much at home as in their own houses.[32] -- In any event， the first band which marches out is of this stamp， displaying the finery and the gaiety of the profession； "most of them young， dressed in white， with powdered hair and a sprightly air；" many of them "laughing， singing， and drinking，" as they would do at setting out for a picnic in the country. Three or four of them are known by name -- one brandishing a sword， and another， the notorious Théroigne. Madeleine Chabry Louison， who is selected to address the King， is a pretty grisette who sells flowers， and， no doubt， something else， at the Palais-Royal. Some appear to belong to the first rank in their calling， and to have tact and the manners of society -- suppose， for instance， that Champfort and Laclos sent their mistresses. To these must be added washerwomen， beggars， bare-footed women， and fishwomen， enlisted for several days before and paid accordingly. This is the first nucleus， and it keeps on growing； for， by compulsion or consent， the troop incorporates into it， as it passes along， all the women it encounters -- seamstresses， portresses， housekeepers， and even respectable females， whose dwellings are entered with threats of cutting off their hair if they do not fall in. To these must be added vagrants， street-rovers， ruffians and robbers -- the lees of Paris， which accumulate and come to the surface every time agitation occurs： they are to be found already at the first hour， behind the troop of women at the H？tel-de-Ville. Others are to follow during the evening and in the night.
Others are waiting at Versailles. Many， both at Paris and Versailles， are under pay： one， in a dirty whitish vest， chinks gold and silver coin in his hand. -- Such is the foul scum which， both in front and in the rear， rolls along with the popular tide；whatever is done to stem the torrent， it widens out and will leave its mark at every stage of its overflow.
The first troop， consisting of four or five hundred women， begin operations by forcing the guard of the H？tel-de-Ville， which is unwilling to make use of its bayonets. They spread through the rooms and try to burn all the written documents they can find， declaring that there has been nothing but scribbling since the Revolution began.[33] A crowd of men follow after them， bursting open doors， and pillaging the magazine of arms. Two hundred thousand francs in Treasury notes are stolen or disappear； several of the ruffians set fire to the building， while others hang an abbé.
The abbé is cut down， and the fire extinguished only just in time：