Plot of the eyelet

the Plot of the Eyelet, harms from September 2nd to 3rd 1793

Jean de Batz has promi a million with which would save the queen Marie-Antoinette of Austria

August 28th, 1793

Wednesday, August 28, 1793, Jean-Baptiste Michonis penetrates in the cell of Marie-Antoinette in company of an old man of approximately 36 years, of small size. To the reverse of his striped dress, the man raises two splendid eyelets. At once, the queen recognizes the knight Alexandre Gonsse de Rougeville, who at the time of the day of June 20th, 1792, defended it of the rabble. The knight of Rougeville - whose Alexandre Dumas will make her knight of the House-Red is inclined in front of the queen, and as by distraction, drops his two eyelets, who contains messages rolled in the petals, the knight accompanied by Michonis sets out again. Marie-Antoinette can read these words there: " I have men and argent". She answers with the point of a pin on a paper: " I am kept at sight, I do not speak with anybody, I trust you, I viendrai".

Fifteen minutes later, the knight of Rougeville return with Jean-Baptiste Michonis. A conversation begins. The knight the formless one that it will return two days later and that it will bring the money necessary to buy his guards. it seems that Marie-Antoinette consequently gets busy to buy the complicity of the gendarme Jean Gilbert who gives the message of the queen to the knight.

August 30th, 1793

The knight of Rougeville reappears two days later (August 30th, 1793) with Jean-Baptiste Michonis and they regulate with the queen all the details of the escape, which must be carried out in the night from September 2nd to 3rd 1793. The couple of Richard caretakers, the woman of day Marie Harel are in the secrecy. The knight of Rougeville holds 400 louis of gold and 10.000 books of assignats intended to buy the guards of the Conciergerie.

In spite of the extreme weakness of the queen - exhausted by her continual heavy bleeding (she suffered from a fibrome to the uterus) -, it is agreed that the queen will escape, will gain the castle of Livry, where hides Madam de Jarjayes, then from there she will enfuiera herself towards Germany.

Harms from September 2nd to 3rd 1793

The business is very close succeeding. At the fixed hour, the queen leaves her dungeon, it crosses the part where are the gendarmes, penetrates in the cabin of the Richard caretaker, passes by two counters. Still a grid to be crossed and it will arrive in the court of May, then the street. Alas, at this time, taken fear or wanting to make expensive pay its complicity, Jean Gilbert stops the queen. In spite of its supplications, the promises of the two rescuers, he refuses obstinately with him let pass the grid. Marie-Antoinette sees effrondrer thus her last chance of freedom. The knight of Rougeville and Jean-Baptiste Michonis withdraws himself and the gendarme Jean Gilbert takes back the queen in his dungeon.

At least Jean Gilbert could keep silent himself, but for fear the escape bid spreads, the gendarme concerned to clear himself, addresses a report/ratio embarrassed to his superior, the Dumesnil lieutenant-colonel, where he tardily denounces the schemes of Jean-Baptiste Michonis and the knight of Rougeville. Moreover, it reveals that the queen entrusted to him a paper written using pin pricks for the knight of Rougeville. But the gendarme protests that it went to the Caretaker's lodge and that it deposited this paper between the hands of the Richard caretaker. The Dumesnil lieutenant-colonel hastens to alert the Comité of general security. This one charges Jean-Pierre-Andre Amar, assisted of the Sevestre deputy, to go without delay to the Caretaker's lodge. The two members of the Committee of general security question the queen. Badgered with questions, she évasivement answers, attentive nothing to say which can accuse anybody. The knight of Rougeville could flee, but Jean-Baptiste Michonis is stopped (it will be guillotine the 29 meadow year II (June 17th, 1794). The Richard are driven out Caretaker's lodge.

Is it necessary to bring faith to the testimony of the knight, whereas it is alone to bring back the maintenance of August 28th, 1793? The queen it really reached the door of the Caretaker's lodge before being stopped by one of the gendarmes. Which is the exact degree of complicity of Jean-Baptiste Michonis in this dark company? Certain historians as Grey Marine, which in its Hébert: " the Father Duchesne, agent royalist writes that the revolutionist would have taken part in this plan of escape from the queen. ----

Random links: