An officer of the National Guard, probably out of his senses, ran in in alarm, and only stopped by the bar, cried: "The Swiss—the Swiss are coming—they have forced past us!"
For an instant the House believed that the Swiss had overcome the outbreak and were coming to recover their master; for at the time Louis XVI. was much more the king to the Swiss than to any others.
With one spontaneous movement the House rose, all of a mind, and the representatives, spectators, officials, and guards, raising their hands, shouted, "Come what may, we vow to live and die free men!"
In such an oath the royals could take no part, so they remained seated, as the shout passed like a whirlwind over their heads from three thousand mouths. The error did not last long, but it was sublime.
In another quarter of an hour the cry was: "The palace is overrun—the insurgents are coming here to take the king!"
Thereupon the same men who had sworn to die free in their hatred of royalty, rose with the same spontaneity to swear they would defend the king to the death. The Swiss captain, Durler, was summoned outside to lay down his arms.
"I serve the king and not the House," he said. "Where is the royal order?"
They brought him into the Assembly by force; he was black with powder and red with blood.
"Sire," he said, "they want me to lay down arms. Is it the king's order?"
"Yes," said Louis; "hand your weapons to the National Guard. I do not want such brave men to perish."