Page 131 - Reading Mercury

for the purpose of disturbing the Public Peace, are requested to give immediate notice
to the nearest Magistrate, who will put the laws in force for the Preservation of Peace,
Liberty and Property.
That the Clerk do sign these Resolutions, and cause them to be inserted in the next
Reading Mercury.
By order of the Meeting
JOHN ROBERTS, Clerk

1793
th
Mon 28 Jan
th
LONDON, Thursday, Jan. 24
At two o’clock on Sunday morning, The National Convention after a very laborious
discussion, pronounced the awful sentence, by a majority of thirty-eight only, That
LOUIS The SIXTEENTH should be EXECUTED within Twenty-four hours.
EXECUTION OF LOUIS XVI
The following intelligence from Paris came by express to Ministers, dated Tuesday
morning:
The unfortunate Louis is no more! He was beheaded yesterday morning at ten
o’clock in the Place de Louis Quinze. He died with the most heroic fortitude.
The King left the Temple, agreeably to the instructions from the Provisionary
Counsil, at eight o’clock in the morning of Monday. He had on a brown great coat,
white waistcoat, black breeches and stockings. His hair was dressed. He was
conducted from the Temple to the place which had been appointed for the execution,
in the Mayor’s carriage. His confessor and two Gendarmiere were in the same coach;
the greatest silence was preserved during the procession, which passed slowly along
the Boulevards which led from the Temple to the place of execution. All women were
prohibited from appearing in the Streets, and all persons from being seen at their
windows. A strong guard cleared the procession.
About half past nine, the king arrived at the place of execution, which was in the
Place de Louis XV, between the pedestal which formerly supported the statue of his
grandfather, and the promenade of the Elysian Fields. Louis mounted the scaffold
with composure, and that modest intrepidity peculiar to oppressed innocence, the
trumpets sounding and drums beating during the whole time.
He made a sign that he had something to say; the beating of drums and the clamour
of the trumpets instantly ceased, his butchers, however, in a moment exclaimed, “No
harangue,” and the drums continued to beat, the trumpets to sound. Notwithstanding
the clamour, these words were distinctly heard,-- “I commend my soul to God, I
pardon my enemies, I die innocent. I only functioned, upon compulsion, the Civil
Constitution of the Clergy.”—He said something more, but the beating of the drums
drowned his voice. His executioners laid hold of him, and an instant after, his head
was separated from his body; this was about a quarter past ten o’clock.
After the execution, the people threw their hats up in the air, and cried out, Vive la
Nation!
Some of them endeavoured to seize the body, but it was removed by a strong guard to
the Temple, and the lifeless remains of the King were exempted from those outrages
which his Majesty had experienced during his life.
Louis made a will, all the particulars of which have not been transpired. He asked
pardon of God, for having sanctioned the decree upon the Civil Constitution of the
Clergy, although this sanction was extorted by violence; and was contrary to his
solemn protest.

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