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The French Revolution: A History

Thomas Carlyle · Public domain text

302,042 words · about 21 h 9 min to read

Cover of The French Revolution: A History
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The text of The French Revolution: A History comes from Project Gutenberg e-text #1301. It is in English and public domain in the United States. Project Gutenberg’s header and license text are removed, and RedLectern sets the text out for reading on screen; no words of the book are rewritten or summarized. More formats (EPUB, Kindle) · How RedLectern is built

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About this book

Cover of The French Revolution: A History
Author
Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881)
Language
English
Subjects
France › History › Revolution, 1789-1799, France › History › Louis XVI, 1774-1793
Length
302,042 words · about 21 h 9 min
Sections
163 reader sections · Table of contents
Contents (163)
  1. Opening about 3 min
  2. VOLUME I.—THE BASTILLE under 1 min
  3. 1. 1.I. Louis the Well-Beloved about 5 min
  4. 1. 1.II. Realised Ideals about 14 min
  5. 1. 1.III. Viaticum about 4 min
  6. 1. 1.IV. Louis the Unforgotten about 10 min
  7. 1. 2.I. Astræa Redux about 9 min
  8. 1. 2.II. Petition in Hieroglyphs about 3 min
  9. 1. 2.III. Questionable about 5 min
  10. 1. 2.IV. Maurepas about 5 min
  11. 1. 2.V. Astræa Redux without Cash about 5 min
  12. 1. 2.VI. Windbags about 6 min
  13. 1. 2.VII. Contrat Social about 4 min
  14. 1. 2.VIII. Printed Paper about 7 min
  15. 1. 3.I. Dishonoured Bills about 7 min
  16. 1. 3.II. Controller Calonne about 4 min
  17. 1. 3.III. The Notables about 13 min
  18. 1. 3.IV. Loménie’s Edicts about 6 min
  19. 1. 3.V. Loménie’s Thunderbolts about 6 min
  20. 1. 3.VI. Loménie’s Plots about 6 min
  21. 1. 3.VII. Internecine about 8 min
  22. 1. 3.VIII. Loménie’s Death-throes about 15 min
  23. 1. 3.IX. Burial with Bonfire about 5 min
  24. 1. 4.I. The Notables Again about 7 min
  25. 1. 4.II. The Election about 9 min
  26. 1. 4.III. Grown Electric about 5 min
  27. 1. 4.IV. The Procession about 26 min
  28. 1. 5.I. Inertia about 12 min
  29. 1. 5.II. Mercury de Brézé about 10 min
  30. 1. 5.III. Broglie the War-God about 8 min
  31. 1. 5.IV. To Arms! about 7 min
  32. 1. 5.V. Give us Arms about 9 min
  33. 1. 5.VI. Storm and Victory about 13 min
  34. 1. 5.VII. Not a Revolt about 6 min
  35. 1. 5.VIII. Conquering your King about 5 min
  36. 1. 5.IX. The Lanterne about 8 min
  37. 1. 6.I. Make the Constitution about 9 min
  38. 1. 6.II. The Constituent Assembly about 7 min
  39. 1. 6.III. The General Overturn about 12 min
  40. 1. 6.IV. In Queue about 4 min
  41. 1. 6.V. The Fourth Estate about 4 min
  42. 1. 7.I. Patrollotism about 6 min
  43. 1. 7.II. O Richard, O my King about 6 min
  44. 1. 7.III. Black Cockades about 2 min
  45. 1. 7.IV. The Menads about 5 min
  46. 1. 7.V. Usher Maillard about 8 min
  47. 1. 7.VI. To Versailles about 5 min
  48. 1. 7.VII. At Versailles about 5 min
  49. 1. 7.VIII. The Equal Diet about 7 min
  50. 1. 7.IX. Lafayette about 5 min
  51. 1. 7.X. The Grand Entries about 7 min
  52. 1. 7.XI. From Versailles about 9 min
  53. 2. 1.I. In the Tuileries about 6 min
  54. 2. 1.II. In the Salle de Manége about 18 min
  55. 2. 1.III. The Muster about 9 min
  56. 2. 1.IV. Journalism about 6 min
  57. 2. 1.V. Clubbism about 6 min
  58. 2. 1.VI. Je le jure about 5 min
  59. 2. 1.VII. Prodigies about 4 min
  60. 2. 1.VIII. Solemn League and Covenant about 8 min
  61. 2. 1.IX. Symbolic about 2 min
  62. 2. 1.X. Mankind about 8 min
  63. 2. 1.XI. As in the Age of Gold about 9 min
  64. 2. 1.XII. Sound and Smoke about 10 min
  65. 2. 2.I. Bouillé about 3 min
  66. 2. 2.II. Arrears and Aristocrats about 10 min
  67. 2. 2.III. Bouillé at Metz about 5 min
  68. 2. 2.IV. Arrears at Nanci about 7 min
  69. 2. 2.V. Inspector Malseigne about 5 min
  70. 2. 2.VI. Bouillé at Nanci about 13 min
  71. 2. 3.I. Epimenides about 7 min
  72. 2. 3.II. The Wakeful about 8 min
  73. 2. 3.III. Sword in Hand about 9 min
  74. 2. 3.IV. To fly or not to fly about 12 min
  75. 2. 3.V. The Day of Poniards about 9 min
  76. 2. 3.VI. Mirabeau about 5 min
  77. 2. 3.VII. Death of Mirabeau about 13 min
  78. 2. 4.I. Easter at Saint-Cloud about 6 min
  79. 2. 4.II. Easter at Paris about 4 min
  80. 2. 4.III. Count Fersen about 10 min
  81. 2. 4.IV. Attitude about 5 min
  82. 2. 4.V. The New Berline about 6 min
  83. 2. 4.VI. Old-Dragoon Drouet about 5 min
  84. 2. 4.VII. The Night of Spurs about 12 min
  85. 2. 4.VIII. The Return about 4 min
  86. 2. 4.IX. Sharp Shot about 7 min
  87. 2. 5.I. Grande Acceptation about 11 min
  88. 2. 5.II. The Book of the Law about 12 min
  89. 2. 5.III. Avignon about 10 min
  90. 2. 5.IV. No Sugar about 5 min
  91. 2. 5.V. Kings and Emigrants about 15 min
  92. 2. 5.VI. Brigands and Jalès about 4 min
  93. 2. 5.VII. Constitution will not march about 7 min
  94. 2. 5.VIII. The Jacobins about 5 min
  95. 2. 5.IX. Minister Roland about 6 min
  96. 2. 5.X. Pétion-National-Pique about 3 min
  97. 2. 5.XI. The Hereditary Representative about 5 min
  98. 2. 5.XII. Procession of the Black Breeches about 8 min
  99. 2. 6.I. Executive that does not act about 10 min
  100. 2. 6.II. Let us march about 3 min
  101. 2. 6.III. Some Consolation to Mankind about 6 min
  102. 2. 6.IV. Subterranean about 3 min
  103. 2. 6.V. At Dinner about 6 min
  104. 2. 6.VI. The Steeples at Midnight about 12 min
  105. 2. 6.VII. The Swiss about 10 min
  106. 2. 6.VIII. Constitution burst in Pieces about 8 min
  107. 3. 1.I. The Improvised Commune about 17 min
  108. 3. 1.II. Danton about 6 min
  109. 3. 1.III. Dumouriez about 5 min
  110. 3. 1.IV. September in Paris about 13 min
  111. 3. 1.V. A Trilogy about 10 min
  112. 3. 1.VI. The Circular about 13 min
  113. 3. 1.VII. September in Argonne about 14 min
  114. 3. 1.VIII. Exeunt about 10 min
  115. 3. 2.I. The Deliberative about 14 min
  116. 3. 2.II. The Executive about 5 min
  117. 3. 2.III. Discrowned about 4 min
  118. 3. 2.IV. The Loser Pays about 4 min
  119. 3. 2.V. Stretching of Formulas about 8 min
  120. 3. 2.VI. At the Bar about 12 min
  121. 3. 2.VII. The Three Votings about 8 min
  122. 3. 2.VIII. Place de la Révolution about 9 min
  123. 3. 3.I. Cause and Effect about 9 min
  124. 3. 3.II. Culottic and Sansculottic about 8 min
  125. 3. 3.III. Growing Shrill about 6 min
  126. 3. 3.IV. Fatherland in Danger about 12 min
  127. 3. 3.V. Sansculottism Accoutred about 5 min
  128. 3. 3.VI. The Traitor about 6 min
  129. 3. 3.VII. In Fight about 4 min
  130. 3. 3.VIII. In Death-Grips about 8 min
  131. 3. 3.IX. Extinct about 8 min
  132. 3. 4.I. Charlotte Corday about 11 min
  133. 3. 4.II. In Civil War about 5 min
  134. 3. 4.III. Retreat of the Eleven about 6 min
  135. 3. 4.IV. O Nature about 7 min
  136. 3. 4.V. Sword of Sharpness about 4 min
  137. 3. 4.VI. Risen against Tyrants about 6 min
  138. 3. 4.VII. Marie-Antoinette about 4 min
  139. 3. 4.VIII. The Twenty-two about 5 min
  140. 3. 5.I. Rushing down about 7 min
  141. 3. 5.II. Death about 10 min
  142. 3. 5.III. Destruction about 13 min
  143. 3. 5.IV. Carmagnole complete about 9 min
  144. 3. 5.V. Like a Thunder-Cloud about 6 min
  145. 3. 5.VI. Do thy Duty about 10 min
  146. 3. 5.VII. Flame-Picture about 6 min
  147. 3. 6.I. The Gods are athirst about 8 min
  148. 3. 6.II. Danton, No Weakness about 8 min
  149. 3. 6.III. The Tumbrils about 8 min
  150. 3. 6.IV. Mumbo-Jumbo about 5 min
  151. 3. 6.V. The Prisons about 4 min
  152. 3. 6.VI. To Finish the Terror about 7 min
  153. 3. 6.VII. Go Down to about 10 min
  154. 3. 7.I. Decadent about 6 min
  155. 3. 7.II. La Cabarus about 6 min
  156. 3. 7.III. Quiberon about 5 min
  157. 3. 7.IV. Lion not Dead about 5 min
  158. 3. 7.V. Lion Sprawling its Last about 9 min
  159. 3. 7.VI. Grilled Herrings about 5 min
  160. 3. 7.VII. The Whiff of Grapeshot about 9 min
  161. 3. 7.VIII. Finis about 4 min
  162. INDEX about 28 min
  163. FOOTNOTES about 32 min

The opening of 1. 1.I. Louis the Well-Beloved

President Hénault, remarking on royal Surnames of Honour how difficult it often is to ascertain not only why, but even when, they were conferred, takes occasion in his sleek official way, to make a philosophical reflection. “The Surname of Bien-aimé (Well-beloved),” says he, “which Louis XV. bears, will not leave posterity in the same doubt. This Prince, in the year 1744, while hastening from one end of his kingdom to the other, and suspending his conquests in Flanders that he might fly to the assistance of Alsace, was arrested at Metz by a malady which threatened to cut short his days. At the news of this, Paris, all in terror, seemed a city taken by storm: the churches resounded with supplications and groans; the prayers of priests and people were every moment interrupted by their sobs: and it was from an interest so dear and tender that this Surname of Bien-aimé fashioned itself—a title higher still than all the rest which this great Prince has earned.”[1]

Read on in Part 1 →