Two men opposed the
first attempt. Montgolfier temporised, the king forbade it, or
rather only gave his permission on the condition that two
condemned criminals should be placed in the balloon! "What!"
cried Roziers, in indignation at the king's proposal, "allow two
vile criminals to have the first glory of rising into the sky!
No, no; that will never do!" Roziers conjured, supplicated,
agitated in a hundred ways for permission to try the first
voyage. He moved the town and the court; he addressed himself to
those who were most in favour at Versailles; he pleaded with the
Duchess de Polignac, who was all-powerful with the king. She
warmly supported his cause before Louis. Roziers dispatched the
Marquis d'Arlandes, who had been up with him, to the king.
Arlandes asserted that there was no danger, and, as proof of his
conviction, he offered himself to accompany Roziers. Solicited
on all sides, Louis at last yielded.
The gardens of La Muette, near Paris, were fixed upon as the spot
from which this aerial expedition should start. The Dauphin and
his suite were present on the occasion. It was on the 21st of
October, 1783, at one o'clock p.m., that Roziers and Irelands took
their leave of the earth for the first time.
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