MURAT EXPELLED THE REGIMENT.

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cer of Murat’s regiment, having, in the opinion of his men,exceeded the limits of military authority, was resisted byacts and unions of insubordination, in which Murat took theprincipal lead. Authority prevailed ; Murat was deprived ofhis grade and expelled the regiment. For the moment he hadno other resource than a return to his father’s house, where,most reluctantly, he was compelled to re-assume the occupa-tions of the farm.

The only solace that Murat could find in this to him dis-gusting life of industrial quiet and obscurity, was to makefrequent visits to the neighbouring town of Cahors , wherereading the public papers, and the various political writingsof the day, his ardent active mind became transported to thescene, and mingled in the transactions with which he pantedto be personally engaged.

At length an occasion offered to place him on the field,for which alone, he felt convinced, his disposition fittedhim.

In 1790, a decree was issued for the formation of the“ Constitutional Guard,” of the French King Louis XVI. ,which was to be composed of the well-educated active sons ofcitizens and tradespeople, and sent to Paris in contingentsfrom each department of the kingdom. Murat eagerly pre-sented himself as a candidate for that service ; out the mu-nicipal council, having enquired into his character, andbeing informed of the facts which caused his expulsion fromthe 12th. regiment, rejected his application. The chief ofthe municipal council (of Gourdon) was a man of greatability and worth, named G. B. Cavaignac , wno wa«, subse-quently, a deputy to the national con vention; one of therepresentatives of the people at the armies; a member ofthe council of five hundred; and commissary general,governor of Pondicherry. This Cavaignac having grantedan interview to Murat, was induced through his explanations

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