An organized mob of pétroleurs and pétroleuses receive two francs a day for pouring petroleum about and then setting fire. How awful!
Louis assures us that they will not come near us, as their only idea is to destroy public property. My father-in-law says the fever of destruction may seize them, and they might pillage the fine houses and set fire to them. He is having everything of value, like jewels, silver, and his precious bric-à-brac, carried down to the cellar, where there is an iron vault, and has showed us all how to open it in case of a disaster.
May 21st. (Sunday evening)—The Versaillais entered Paris by the Point du Jour, led by gallant Gallifet.
May 22d.—Rigault gave the order that all the hostages (otages) were to be shot. Rigault wrote the order himself. It does not bear any of the fantastic seals they are so fond of, and of which they have an incredible quantity. It has been written on a paper (une déclaration d'expédition du chemin de fer d'Orléans). Probably he was trying to get away. It was the last order he gave, and the last fuse to be used to set fire to the funeral pile.
This proclamation, of which I give an exact copy, will give you a little idea of what this horrible brute is capable of:
Floréal, an 79 [the way they date things in republics]. Fusillez l'Archevêque et les otages; incendiez les Tuileries et le Palais Royal, et repliez-vous sur la rue Germain-des-Prés.
Procureur de la Commune,
Ici tout va bien. RAOUL RIGAULT.
In the evening of the 22d the victims—forty of them—the good Darboy, Duguerry, Bonjean, and others—were piled into a transport-wagon with only a board placed across, where they could sit, and were taken to the place of execution.
The Archbishop seemed suffering; probably the privations he had endured had weakened him. Bonjean said to him, "Lean on my arm, it is that of a good friend and a Christian," and added, "La religion d'abord, la justice ensuite." As soon as one name was called a door opened and a prisoner passed out—the Archbishop went first; they descended the dark and narrow steps one by one. When they were placed against the wall Bonjean said, "Let us show them how a priest and a magistrate can die."