LOUIS XVI., AUGUSTE, king of France, b. Aug. 23, 1754, was the third son of the dauphin, Louis, only son of Louis XV. He was styled duke de Berry, until, by the death of his father and his elder brothers, he became dauphin. He had a vigorous frame, was fond of hunting and manly exercises, took great pleasure in mechanical labors, and showed au aptttude for geometry, but none lor political science. In the midst of the most corrupt of courts, he grew up temperate, honest, and moral. He was married on May 10, 1770, to Marie Antoinette, the youngest daughter of the empress Maria Theresa.
When Louis ascended the throne, misery- and discontent prevailed throughout France. He had not the viigor and judgment necessary for circumstances full of diffi culty, and was conscious of his own weakness. He made Ilaurepas, an old courtier, his prime minister; but among his ministers were Malesherbes, Turgot, and other men of known patriotism; and his accession was signalized by the remission of some of the odious taxes, the abolition of the last relics of serfdom, the abolition of the torture in judicial investigations, a reduction of the expenditure of the court, and the foundation of institutions for the benefit of the working-classes. He was, for a time, extremely popular; but deeper reforms were rendered impossible by the opposition of the privi leged ela.sses. In June, 1777, when the state of the finances seemed nearly desperate, Necker (q.v.) was called to the office of general director of them, and succeeded in bringing them to a more tolerable condition, without any very radical change; but from the interference of France in the American war of independence, he was obliged to pro pose the taxation of the privileged classes, hitherto exempted. Their resistance com pelled him to resign; and Joly de Fleury succeeded him; but the general discontentmettt induced the king, in 1783, to appoint Calonue (q.v.) comptroller-general, who found money for a time by borrowing:, much to the satisfaction of the courtiers. But the indignation of the people increasing, Calonne found it necessary to recommend the con vening of an assetnbly of the notables. On May 1, 1787, the archbishop Lomenie de
Brieune became finance minister. He obtained from the notables some concessions and some new taxes. But the parliament of Paris refused to reg-ister the edict of taxation, as oppressive to the people; and the extmvagance of the court and the queen began to be freely spoken of. The convening of the states-general now began to be demanded from every corner of France. The kino• registered the edicts in a lit de justke, and ban ished the councilors of parliament to froyes; but ere long found it necessary to recall them, and experienced from them even a stronger opposition than before. On May 8, 1788, he dissolved all the parliaments, and established a new kind of court (eour platen) instead; but this act of despotism set the whole country in flames. Matters became still worse, when on Aug. 16, appeared the famous edict, that tho treasury should cease from all cash payments except to the troops. Brienne was compelled to resign, and Necker again became minister. An assembly of the states of the kingdom was resolved upon; and by the advice of _Necker, who wished a counterpoise to the influence of the nobility, clergy, and court, the third estate was called in double number.
The subsequent history of Louis is given at length under the head ERANCE. All readers of history are familiar with the melancholy incidents of his life, from the open ing of the assembly of the states (May 5, 1789), down to his tragic execution. At 10 o'clock in the morning of Jan. 21, 1793, he died by the guillotine, in the Place de la Revolution. Great precautions were taken to prevent any rescue. As the executioner bound him, Louis tore himself free, and exclaimed: " Frenchmen, I die innocent; I pray that my blood come not upon France." The rolling of drums drowned his voice. Ere the guillotine fell, the abbe Edgeworth, his confessor, cheered him with the words: " Son of St. Louis, ascend to heaven!"