Lectures on the French Revolution

Opening of the book

LECTURES

ON THE

FRENCH REVOLUTION

MACMILLAN AND CO., Limited

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THE MACMILLAN CO. OF CANADA, Ltd.

TORONTO

LECTURES

ON THE

FRENCH REVOLUTION

BY

JOHN EMERICH EDWARD DALBERG-ACTON

First Baron ACTON

D.C.L., LL.D., ETC. ETC.

REGIUS PROFESSOR OF MODERN HISTORY IN THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE

EDITED BY
JOHN NEVILLE FIGGIS, C.R., Litt.D.
HONORARY FELLOW OF ST. CATHARINE'S COLLEGE
AND
REGINALD VERE LAURENCE, M.A.
FELLOW AND TUTOR OF TRINITY COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE
MACMILLAN AND CO., LIMITED
ST. MARTIN'S STREET, LONDON
1910
PREFATORY NOTE
The following Lectures were delivered by Lord
Acton as Regius Professor of Modern History at
Cambridge in the academical years 1895-96,
1896-97,
1897-98,
1898-99.
The
French
Revolution, 1789-95, was in those years one of
the special subjects set for the Historical
Tripos, and this determined the scope of the
course. In addition some discussion of the
literature of the Revolution generally took
place either in a conversation class or as an
additional lecture. Such connected fragments
of these as remain have been printed as an
appendix. For the titles of the Lectures the
editors are responsible.
J. N. F.
R. V. L.
August 10, 1910

CONTENTS
I. The Heralds of
the Revolution
1
II. The Influence of
America
20
III. The Summons of
the StatesGeneral
39
IV. The Meeting of
the StatesGeneral
57
V. The Tennis-Court
Oath
68
VI. The Fall of the
Bastille
77
VII. The Fourth of
August
94
VIII. The
Constitutional
Debates
109
IX. The March to
Versailles
126
X. Mirabeau
141
XI. Sieyès and the
Constitution
Civile
159
XII. The Flight to
Varennes
174
XIII. The Feuillants
and the War
193
XIV. Dumouriez
210
XV. The Catastrophe
of Monarchy
224
XVI. The Execution of
the King
240

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