Question

Henny Essex Edgeworth (1745-1807) was an Irish priest who lived and worked for most of his life in France. He was a religious advisor and friend of the French royal family and was asked by Louis XVI to accompany him to the king’s execution in 1793. The account below is an excerpt from Edgeworth’s memoir which was compiled by one of Edgeworth’s relatives, dedicated to King Louis XVIII of France, and published after Edgeworth’s death in 1815.

The King, finding himself seated in the carriage, where he could neither speak to me or be spoken to without witness, kept a profound silence. I presented him with my breviary [a book containing text for church services], the only book I had with me, and he seemed to accept it with pleasure: he appeared anxious that I should point out to him the psalms that were most suited to his situation, and he recited them attentively with me…

As soon as the King perceived that the carriage stopped, he turned and whispered to me, ‘“We are arrived, if I mistake not.” My silence answered that we were....

They [the guards] surrounded him [Louis XVI] again, and would have seized his hands. “What are you attempting” said the King, drawing back his hands. “To bind you,” answered the wretches. “To bind me,” said the King, with an indignant air, “No! I shall never consent to that, do what you have been ordered, but you shall never bind me.”

...in a voice so loud that it must have been heard at the Pont Tournant, I heard him pronounce these memorable words. “I die innocent of all the crimes laid to my charge; I pardon those who have occasioned death; and I pray to God, that the blood you are now going to shed may never be visited on France.”

He was proceeding, when a man on horseback, in the national uniform, waved his sword, and with a ferocious cry, ordered the drums to beat. Many voices were at the same time heard encouraging the executioners. They seemed reanimated themselves, and seizing with violence the most virtuous of Kings, they dragged him under the axe of the guillotine, which with one stroke severed his head from his body. All this passed in a moment. The youngest of the guards, who seemed about eighteen, immediately seized the head, and showed it to the people as we walked round the scaffold; he accompanied this monstrous ceremony with the most atrocious and indecent gestures. At first an awful silence prevailed; at length some cries of “Vive la Republique!” were heard. By degrees the voices multiplied, and in less than ten minutes this cry, a thousand times repeated, became the universal shout of the multitude and every hat was in the air.
Source: Memoirs of the Abbé Edgeworth: Containing His Narrative of the Last Hours of Louis XVI, 1815. Accessed through Archive.org.


Using document 2, explain Henny Essex Edgeworth’s purpose for writing about the execution of Louis XVI. [1]

Answer 1

Henny Essex Edgeworth's purpose for writing about the execution of Louis XVI was likely to provide an eyewitness account of the events that took place during the king's final moments. As a religious advisor and friend of the French royal family, Edgeworth had a close relationship with Louis XVI and was asked to accompany him to the execution. His memoir serves as a firsthand recollection of the events leading up to the king's death and the king's demeanor during his final moments.

Edgeworth's account appears to emphasize Louis XVI's bravery and dignity in the face of his impending execution. The king's refusal to be bound by the guards and his declaration of innocence and forgiveness towards those responsible for his death demonstrate his strength of character and nobility. Edgeworth likely wanted to convey this image of the king to the readers, highlighting his virtues and his unwavering faith even in the most dire circumstances.

Furthermore, Edgeworth's memoir could also be seen as a form of tribute to Louis XVI and an attempt to preserve his memory. By documenting the king's final moments and his final words, Edgeworth immortalized Louis XVI's courage and his plea for forgiveness. Through his writing, Edgeworth sought to ensure that future generations would remember the king's legacy and the tragic events that unfolded during the French Revolution.

In addition, it is possible that Edgeworth's memoir also aimed to shed light on the brutality of the French Revolution and the harsh treatment of the royal family. The graphic description of the execution and the behavior of the guards reflects the violence and chaos of the time, and Edgeworth's account could serve as a reminder of the atrocities committed during that period.

Overall, Henny Essex Edgeworth's purpose in writing about the execution of Louis XVI was to provide a firsthand account of the events, pay tribute to the king's virtues and bravery, and preserve the memory of the tragic events of the French Revolution.