"The judges never left the table without having become intoxicated with everything of the finest, and, in this state, they gathered in the tribunal and condemned the accused to death."-- Free living and "extravagant expenditure" were common even "among the employees of the government." "I encountered," says Meissner, "government carters served with chickens, pastry and game, whilst at the traveler's table there was simply an old leg of mutton and a few poor side-dishes." ("Voyage en France," toward the end of 1795, p.371.)] [Footnote 33109: Some of them, nevertheless, are not ugly, but merely sots.

The following is a specimen.

A certain Velu, a born vagabond, formerly in the alms-house and brought up there, then a shoemaker or a cobbler, afterwards teaching school in the faubourg de Vienne, and at last a haranguer and proposer of tyrannicide motions, short, stout and as rubicund as his cap, is made President of the Popular club at Blois, then delegate for domiciliary visits, and, throughout the reign of Terror, he is a principal personage in the town, district and department.

(Dufort de Cheverney, "Memoires," (MS.) March 21, 1793 and June, 1793.) In June, 1793, this Velu is ordered to visit the chateau de Cheverney, to verify the surrender of all feudal documents.

He arrives unexpectedly, meets the steward, Bambinet, enters the mayor's house, who keeps an inn, and drinks copiously, which gives Bambinet time to warn M.
Dufort de Cheverney and have the suspicious registers concealed .-- This done, "Velu is obliged to leave his bottle and march to the chateau .-- He assumed haughtiness and aimed at familiarity; he would put his hand on his breast and, taking yours, address you: "Good day, brother."-- He came there at nine o'clock in the morning, advanced, took my hand and said: "Good-day, brother, how are you ?" "Very well, citizen, and how are you ?" "You do not tutoyer--you are not up to the Revolution ?"We'll see--will you step in the parlor ?" "Yes, brother, I'll follow you."-- We enter; he sees my wife who, I may say, has an imposing air.