Again M. Osselin was mistaken. He had calculated on the people hesitating to form a criminal tribunal; but with one voice they proposed the curés of S. Étienne du Mont and of S. André des Arcs.
'Two judges are insufficient!' cried M. Osselin; 'there must be seven.'
Then, after a little difficulty, the people agreed upon five more.
'Very well; now you have seven judges,' said M. Osselin, who laboured to save Foulon, and for that purpose raised difficulties; 'you must have also a secretary.'
'You shall be secretary.'
'And a procureur du roi.'
'We name M. Duveyrier.'
That gentleman, forced against his will to act as prosecutor, asked what charges were brought against the accused.
The people shouted in reply that the prisoner impoverished the land to enrich himself, that he wanted to make the peasants eat hay, that he had counselled the king to bombard Paris.
'We bring a capital accusation against him,—of treason towards the nation.'